After finishing her outing and returning to the mansion, Cornelia collapsed onto the sofa as soon as she entered her room.

As she fell, her chiffon dress billowed in the air like rippling waves.

“I’m exhausted…”

She had spent the entire afternoon wandering more energetically than usual to relieve stress…

But in the end, it was all for nothing.

Her already depleted stamina had dwindled to nothing but a handful of sand, and her mind felt like it was about to explode from the overload.

“You’re right, my lady. We did overexert ourselves today.”

“Yeah. I don’t think I can take another step.”

Seeing Cornelia close her eyes in exhaustion, Sophie stifled a laugh and quickly got to work.

If her mistress were to rest comfortably, she needed to be diligent.

The items in one corner of the drawing room were swiftly returned to their proper places and neatly organized.

Cornelia’s light brown eyes rolled over to Sophie, who was busily moving about.

How does she still have so much energy?

They had been together the entire time, yet Sophie seemed as lively as if she had just awakened from a nap.

Lately, she said she had taken an interest in basic fitness training after falling for the knight commander.

‘Should I ask my brother to help me train as well?’

Maybe… the lethargy she felt wasn’t just due to a lack of stamina.

Cornelia ignored the sudden lump in her throat and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Sophie, take it easy. There’s no rush, so you can finish tomorrow.”

“I’ll just wrap this up first. It won’t take long, and then you can rest more comfortably, my lady.”

“Sorry… I wish I could help, but I really don’t have the strength to move right now.”

“It’s understandable, my lady. And you don’t need to apologize. This is my job. What would you like to do about dinner?”

“Dinner? Hmm, I ate so many sweets in the afternoon that I don’t really have an appetite.”

Cornelia’s voice lacked its usual energy.

‘She must be really tired.’

Noticing the slight drop in Cornelia’s mood, Sophie tilted her head.

“Shall I prepare something light?”

“No, I think I’ll just go to bed early today.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Cornelia murmured softly.

Her mind had turmoil, so she had eaten more sweets than usual.

Since she had overindulged, she figured skipping a meal for once wouldn’t hurt.

Lifting her tired body, she thought, ‘I just need some sleep.’

“Let Mother know that I’ll bathe and go straight to bed.”

“Understood. Would you like me to prepare your bath now?”

“Please. And I don’t need any assistance again. I’ll do it myself.”

As exhausted as she was, she couldn’t have Sophie attending to her bath.

Traces of Carlisle still lingered on her body—marks left as if claiming his territory.

At first, Sophie had found it odd that Cornelia insisted on bathing alone, but by now, she was used to it.

As soon as Sophie left to prepare the bath, Cornelia collapsed onto her bed, still in her outing attire.

Even for an elegant noblewoman, exhaustion was inescapable.

***

Adrian paused as he removed his cloak, tilting his head slightly to the side.

It was a simple movement—one meant to confirm what he had just heard.

“She said she won’t be having dinner?”

“Yes, young master.”

Adrian ran a hand through his dark gray hair.

Under the golden light, the frown lines on his forehead were already visible.

“Why?”

His emotionless blue eyes were so cold that they seemed to pierce straight through a person, making the listener instinctively shrink back.

Benjamin, the butler who had served the Olsen household for generations, accepted the gloves his young master handed him with practiced ease.

Everyone in the mansion knew that Cornelia was the one Adrian cared for and cherished the most.

With a seven-year age gap between them, she had been his top priority ever since childhood—a responsibility he had taken upon himself.

“She said she was very tired.”

Adrian glanced up toward the staircase.

“She’s not unwell, is she?”

“No, sir. There were no reports of illness.”

“…”

“Shall I check on her?”

“No. I’ll go myself.”

She was the type to endure things silently rather than admit when she was unwell.

Adrian changed direction, abandoning his initial path toward the study.

Standing well over 185 centimeters tall, he ascended the stairs in long, confident strides, reaching the third floor in no time.

Just as he arrived at the top, Sophie emerged from Cornelia’s room.

“Greetings, young master.”

“How is Cori?”

“She just fell asleep.”

“I heard she didn’t eat dinner.”

Sophie was one of those who understood Adrian’s affection for his sister best.

Smiling, she calmly explained, “She ate more sweets than usual instead.”

“At least she had something. You said she was exhausted?”

“It seems the outing wore her out. But she is not ill, young master.”

“Nothing out of the ordinary happened?”

His gaze sharpened slightly.

Sophie immediately understood what he was asking.

“No, sir. There were no suspicious individuals approaching her.”

***

Cornelia, who had fallen asleep in the early evening, woke up in the middle of the night.

Though her eyes were open, they blinked sluggishly, still heavy with drowsiness.

She had expected to sleep until morning.

But her slumber had been interrupted.

‘Should I just go back to sleep?’

She remained still, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

And then—

Her slowly blinking eyes widened in alarm.

Something felt… off.

The air in the room—something about it was different.

It was too dark.

Cornelia didn’t move but carefully scanned her surroundings with her soft brown eyes.

Then, she noticed it.

Someone was standing beside her bed.

Her entire body froze.

Her spine tingled with tension, and her palms felt clammy with cold sweat. But she fought to keep her reaction hidden.

Her gaze flickered toward the emergency bell connected to her brother’s room and Sophie’s quarters.

She prepared to yank it with all her strength if necessary.

Holding her breath, she silently calculated the perfect moment to move—

But then, the intruder suddenly stepped closer to her bed.

“Carl… Carlisle?”

Cornelia bolted upright.

She clamped a hand over her mouth as she recognized the familiar silhouette illuminated by the moonlight.

The moment her gaze met the glowing red eyes in the darkness, her mind went completely blank.

“Are you all right?”

Kneeling so that their eyes were level, Carlisle studied her blank expression.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

He leaned in so close that their faces nearly touched. His furrowed brow smoothed as he gave her a slightly troubled look.

The familiar scent lingering at the tip of her nose and the warmth of his breath brushing against her cheek slowly brought Cornelia back to her senses.

“Am I dreaming?”

“Do you want it to be a dream?”

Carlisle tilted his head at a slight angle, his signature expression.

He liked how she looked, still dazed from sleep, but the sight of her guard down, entirely unguarded, pleased him even more.

Knowing that no one else had ever seen her like this gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.

As her hazy vision cleared, she saw Carlisle standing in the golden moonlight.

It was really him.

“Why on earth…?”

Cornelia’s voice instinctively rose before she caught herself and lowered it again, worried the noise might carry outside.

“What is going on…?”

“I heard you were unwell. How could I possibly stay away?”

“What?”

Unlike Cornelia, who carefully measured every word, Carlisle remained completely at ease, exuding an air of effortless confidence—almost as if he owned the mansion himself.

“When did I ever say I was sick…?”

Cornelia’s eyes widened in disbelief, but she suddenly remembered the message she had sent him.

The time when she, exhausted by his relentless messages, had agreed to meet.

“You mean… you came all this way just for that?”

“It’s hardly ‘just that.’ After hearing you weren’t feeling well, I couldn’t focus on anything all day.”

Cornelia was at a loss for words.

She couldn’t believe what he was saying—that he had come all this way to see her, simply because he missed her.

She lifted her gaze to Carlisle.

“If you were that concerned, you could have sent Peligian to check on me.”

“I was too anxious for that.”

“Anxious?”

“I couldn’t bear not knowing exactly what was wrong with you. I rushed to finish my work as quickly as possible.”

They weren’t lovers.

They had only spent a single night together. Could such longing truly exist between them?

“You actually expect me to believe that?”

Cornelia parted her lips slightly, shaking her head.

Carlisle simply smiled, his dimples deepening in amusement.

“If I’m being sincere, I came because I wanted to see you.”

Good grief…

“That’s even harder to believe.”

“Then how can I make you believe me?”

The more she spoke with him, the more Cornelia felt herself getting drawn in.

She quickly put some distance between them and firmly stated,

“Nothing.”

“Cornelia.”

“There’s nothing you need to do. In fact, I’d prefer it if you just left now.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Carlisle.”

“I barely managed to hold myself back from rushing over the moment I heard how easily startled you’ve been lately.”

“What…?”

It was rare for Carlisle to drag out his words like this—to reveal even a glimpse of vulnerability.

Seeing that she was trying to push him away, he stepped back instead.

“Now that I’m finally here, asking me just to leave is a bit too much, don’t you think?”

He was suddenly playing the weak one for someone who had been so forceful just moments ago.

Cornelia was momentarily speechless at Carlisle’s effortless way of handling situations.

And then, a memory surfaced—something she had overheard in the dessert café, just beyond a partition.

I saw it with my own eyes—the statue from the Kingdom of Romania was being carried through the main gates of the Citran Count’s estate.”

That one remark had gnawed at her all the way home.

“Cornelia?”

“…”

“I suppose he’s warm and affectionate—at least with his lover!”

Pushing aside the clear, ringing voice that echoed in her mind, Cornelia slowly lifted her gaze to meet Carlisle’s.