As Cornelia’s racing heart finally calmed in Carlisle’s warm embrace, he spoke.

“You seem quite startled.”

A faint trace of laughter colored his voice.

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I wasn’t?”

It was the first time they had seen each other since their nighttime stroll.

And, once again, his appearance was anything but ordinary.

Cornelia took a moment to catch her breath before looking up at Carlisle.

“Is this a coincidence?”

“Hmm?”

“You showing up here instead of the imperial library.”

“Ah.”

Why was it that their meetings always happened under the most unpredictable circumstances?

Still, she must have missed that annoyingly perfect face of his, even after just a few days.

Cornelia ignored the way her heart had begun to thump wildly at his sudden appearance.

“The Emperor must observe the lives of his people up close.”

“That’s the same excuse you gave last time. So that’s why you’re here? At this exact hour?”

Cornelia narrowed her eyes as she asked, and Carlisle nodded.

His fingers brushed aside her tousled hair, tucking it behind her ear with an air of ease.

“It just happened. Lucky for me—I got to see you, too.”

At his shameless remark, Cornelia twisted out of his embrace.

“Lia?”

“Yes. Now, I hope Your Majesty thoroughly observes your people’s lives and returns safely to the palace.”

“What?”

“I can’t possibly keep the busy Emperor here any longer, can I? I’ll be on my way now—I just need this one book.”

She took a step back, increasing the distance between them.

Carlisle’s chiseled features twisted slightly.

“Lia.”

“What?”

Cornelia’s firm expression made it clear she wouldn’t back down. In the end, Carlisle was the first to surrender.

With a low grumble, he admitted,

“Fine. You win. Meeting you here wasn’t a coincidence.”

“If not a coincidence, then what?”

“My eyes have been following you lately. It wasn’t hard to find you.”

Cornelia let out a small gasp, hastily clapping a hand over her mouth.

“Oh my god! You could’ve come up with a better excuse! That just gave me chills! You really do sound like someone with a lot of romantic experience.”

“My past relationships were nothing like this.”

Carlisle drew a clear line.

“Oh, really?”

Cornelia arched an eyebrow, unconvinced, though the corners of her lips twitched in amusement.

At that, Carlisle broke into a bright, open laugh, baring his teeth. His shoulders shook, carrying the familiar weight of a warm, woody scent.

Cornelia was glad to see him, yet she felt strangely dazed.

“Carlisle. Did you really come here just to see me? You didn’t, did you?”

Even after his confession, she felt the need to ask again.

She stared up at him, eyes round like a rabbit’s. Carlisle chuckled again before pulling her back into his arms.

Then, he dipped his head and brushed his lips against the delicate curve of her nape.

A tingling sensation shot through her, making goosebumps rise on her skin.

Her toes curled, and the spot where he had touched burned like a brand.

Cornelia jerked away, lifting her hands to push him back.

“I’m being serious! Did you really come for me? How? Don’t tell me—you had me followed?”

Even as she said it, the last part didn’t seem so far-fetched. Her brow furrowed slightly.

Carlisle, watching her intently, tilted his head with an unreadable expression.

His crimson eyes gleamed.

“Carlisle?”

“You have good instincts. Yes, I sent people to find you.”

“You sent people after me? Why?”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Had he really done that? Carlisle?

Her eyes widened in shock, and before she could protest, he buried his face in the crook of her neck again.

‘This man!’

Her cheeks flushed hot, quickly blooming into a deep red.

They weren’t even lovers, yet their proximity still lingered at the intimacy of that night.

“Carlisle.”

“What?”

“You know why I’m calling you.”

“Do I?”

Feigning ignorance, he smirked as she pushed against his chest with all her strength.

“This is a bookstore! People could be watching!”

For someone with so much romantic experience, why was he acting like this?

Or maybe… was it because of that experience that he was so bold?

Her encounters with Carlisle were nothing like the romance novels she had read.

‘I shouldn’t have read them. Not a single one was accurate.’

She was completely trapped against his solid frame, unmovable as a stone.

His breath grew deeper, his teasing touches unrelenting.

Cornelia fought against the heat creeping up her skin, but her palms had already begun to sweat.

A strange warmth spread over the places his lips had grazed, making her vision blur and her heart pound wildly.

“So, if no one is watching, then it’s fine?”

His husky whisper sent a shiver down her spine.

“Of course not!”

Carlisle stared at Cornelia’s bright red face, unblinking.

He still caught her hand as she tried to push him away, his eyes gleaming like a languid predator eyeing its prey.

“Am I really supposed to stay still with such a temptation before me?”

‘My goodness. He genuinely looked regretful.’

Cornelia spoke to him in a calm voice, trying to steer him toward rational behavior.

“A proper gentleman certainly should.”

“Then I simply won’t be one.”

“What did you just say?”

“A proper gentleman. That title doesn’t suit me.”

‘Carlisle, seducing me with that languid gaze, was something I hadn’t anticipated.’

Cornelia let out an elegant scoff at the absurd turn of events.

“You have to understand. It hasn’t even been a week. I missed you.”

His voice, rough yet alluring, shook her resolve. The sweet whisper at her ear was impossibly enticing.

‘Ah, what should I do with this man?’

She needed to treat him lightly.

He was not someone to be viewed as an object of possession.

That much was clear, and yet, she found herself wanting him more and more.

Cornelia took hold of the hand teasing her waist and took a slow, deep breath.

‘Alright, let’s set aside my curiosity for now.’

There would be plenty of time to ask questions later.

For now, she needed to get rid of this insufferable man, who was practically clinging to her.

Cornelia squared her jaw and met Carlisle’s gaze.

“You do realize that could be misunderstood?”

“Misunderstood how?”

“What you just said. It sounded like the fervent confession of someone deeply in love. Not that I’d mistake it for one, of course.”

If Carlisle had truly missed her, then surely it was their first night together that he longed for.

“…Would that be so wrong?”

“That can’t possibly be true.”

Sunlight streamed in behind him, making his surroundings glow brilliantly.

The last searing kiss they had shared flashed through her mind, making her momentarily dizzy.

His lips had trailed from her mouth to her neck, down to her collarbone, deepening the faint marks left behind until they were visible once more.

“Don’t overthink it. Denying this attraction won’t erase what’s already happened.”

“But it’s not something we can take so lightly. Our relationship isn’t that simple.”

“Lia. I missed every moment I spent with you. But if I had to choose just one, I missed the nights with you the most.”

Cornelia’s cheeks flushed red.

Embarrassment surged through her.

Every time she saw him, she felt it anew—Carlisle was truly honest about his emotions.

Unlike her, who constantly tried to conceal and suppress her feelings, he never hesitated to express his.

She had deliberately avoided discussing what had happened between them, unwilling to leave any room for ambiguity. But he was perceptive, and he confronted their reality head-on.

“Ahem. Well, I suppose I am rather charming.”

Cornelia fought off her embarrassment and responded with feigned confidence.

“Mm. Exceptionally charming. So much so that I can’t see anything else but you.”

She had intended to counter him with boldness, but he played along so effortlessly that she found herself at a loss.

Cornelia narrowed her eyes in a silent plea for him to stop and pushed against his solid chest.

But instead of relenting, he threw his head back with a hearty laugh and then pulled her into a suffocating embrace.

Warnings were useless against him.

Realizing it was futile to resist, Cornelia sighed in resignation and let her body go slack against him.

Strangely, she felt at ease.

Seeing this, Carlisle smirked in satisfaction and tightened his arms around her.

Their contrasting scents blended into the perfect harmony.

The intoxicating fragrance made Cornelia feel lightheaded.

The pounding of her heart echoed loudly in her ears.

As she rested against his firm body for a moment, Carlisle casually shifted the conversation.

“Lia. I heard you went to the Citran estate?”

The exhilaration in her chest instantly settled.

Cornelia pulled away from Carlisle and turned to face him, her gaze locking onto his striking red eyes that followed her movements.

So he had sent someone to investigate. Had he heard about what happened during tea time?

“Yes, I did.”

“Was everything alright?”

“Well. Depending on how you look at it, there was something that might be considered unpleasant.”

“Unpleasant, you say? Would that have anything to do with me?”

His tone was calm, and Cornelia answered softly.

“Perhaps.”

He had told her he was merely arranging things. That theirs was a strategic relationship. But if she told him she had humiliated Lady Grace…

‘Would you come to hate me?’

Cornelia’s amber eyes wavered as she gazed at Carlisle.

Her fingers curled into a tight fist.

“Are you alright?”

“Who? Oh, if you’re asking about Lady Grace’s condition—”

“Lia.”

Carlisle’s large hand gently took hold of Cornelia’s delicate, porcelain-white fingers.

His deep red eyes scanned her face intently.

“I’m worried about you. Not the daughter of the Citran family.”

His voice was firm as he met her eyes directly.

“Are you alright?”

Cornelia’s lips parted slightly.

It wasn’t about Grace.

Realizing this, she finally saw Carlisle’s emotions clearly.

“Lia?”

“Oh… Yes… I’m fine.”

In those ruby-red eyes, there was nothing but concern for her.

The unexpected realization sent a tight ache through her chest.

Like someone had breathed warmth into her, a pleasant tickling sensation spread throughout her body.