08

In truth, Elsia was determined to spend time with Adrian the very day she proposed it to him.  

She had already gotten Richel’s understanding in advance. But Adrian did not embrace her that day.  

“Was it a consideration for me?”  

Perhaps he set a separate day and place because he thought she might change her mind.  

But as time passed, odd doubts began to creep in.  

‘What if he’s a strange person?’  

The secret club was not a place frequented by ordinary gentlemen. And she had met Adrian there three times.  

Elsia, now about to spend the night with him, found all sorts of thoughts swirling in her mind.  

‘I went to the secret club, too.’  

If she thought about it, Elsia herself had gone to the club—three times, even.  

‘Right, don’t worry about where you met. Focus on the person himself.’  

Elsia carefully recalled Adrian’s behavior toward her. After much thought, she concluded that his gaze wouldn’t lie to her.  

If he were truly a strange person, he wouldn’t give her a chance to escape.  

“Let’s just meet him.”  

Since she had already said she would, Elsia resolved to go find him.  

Adrian was staying at a villa not far from Elsia’s mansion, which was fortunate, but there was a problem.  

She had to find a way to spend time with him without her father noticing.  

So Elsia had to persuade the knights again.  

The club she’d gone to didn’t look suspicious from the outside, so the knights who accompanied her didn’t know it was a secret club.  

But this time was different. She had to go to Adrian’s villa, so she needed their help.  

“Please don’t use me for this.”  

The knight refused Elsia’s request, looking troubled.  

“Please, just help me.”  

Elsia didn’t back down. She had finally convinced Adrian, so she couldn’t give up now.  

“If I get caught, it’ll be a disaster.”  

Elsia handed him a pouch.  

“I put plenty in there. I’m a Portman family member, after all. Isn’t my order an order? This is disappointing.”  

He checked the pouch and sighed.  

“If I really get caught, I’ll be in big trouble with the Earl.”  

“I’ll be in trouble, too. And I’ll protect you. Okay? It’s broad daylight, so they’ll think I went to a friend’s house.”  

Elsia gathered those who could keep quiet and managed to persuade them.  

“Yes, understood.”  

In the end, she convinced the coachman and two knights, and headed for the villa. It cost her quite a bit to hire them, but she didn’t mind. If she could gain a new experience for that price, it was worth it.  

***

What began as a lighthearted escape was now growing out of control.  

She’d gone to the secret club, lying that it was a friend’s house. And now, sneaking out to spend time with a man….  

Standing in front of the door, Elsia felt even more nervous.  

She had come with half excitement, half curiosity, but now that she was here, she hesitated.  

‘Is it really okay to do this? What will change if I satisfy my curiosity? Can I continue a happy marriage after this one adventure?’  

All sorts of thoughts began to fill her mind.  

After wavering for a long time in front of the villa, Elsia decided to follow her heart.  

But she made herself one promise: this would truly be the first and last time. There would be no next.  

Knock, knock.  

Elsia knocked with a pounding heart.  

She was so nervous that her hand trembled slightly as she knocked.  

At that moment, the door swung open. She thought it would take some time, but it opened immediately, as if he had been waiting.  

Adrian must have sensed her presence and waited until she knocked.  

“You still seem afraid…. Please go back.”  

Adrian spoke firmly as soon as he saw Elsia’s face.  

He seemed to read the hesitation in her eyes and tried to close the door quickly.  

Adrian’s attitude made Elsia feel as if she were being rejected. She was the one who came, so why….  

Elsia reached out and grabbed the door.  

“No. I made the proposal first, so I can’t back out now.”  

This was the reward for the winner. She was the winner, and the man’s body was the prize.  

So it didn’t make sense for him to reject her first. If there was to be rejection, it had to be her.  

Elsia held the door open, and Adrian sighed shallowly, then opened the door and let her in.  

“Please, have a seat.”  

Contrary to her expectation that something would happen right away, Adrian politely guided her to a seat.  

His unexpected attitude made Elsia sigh in relief, but she hadn’t relaxed yet.  

The two were about to do something soon. The more she thought about what was to come, the drier her mouth got and the more her body trembled.  

“You’re so nervous for someone who made the proposal. Relax, please.”  

Adrian smiled, amused by Elsia’s appearance.  

His sudden smile made Elsia’s heart pound wildly, as if her heart had been attacked out of nowhere.  

Adrian’s beautiful smile made all her hesitation seem pointless.  

Now, all she wanted was to have him.  

‘Strange. That necklace doesn’t just reveal compatibility. It makes me possessive.’  

Elsia couldn’t understand why she wanted to possess a man she’d just met.  

But even as her obsession grew, Elsia didn’t want to throw herself at him like a beast. Or at least, she didn’t want to show it outwardly.  

To calm her rising emotions and break the awkwardness, Elsia looked around Adrian’s room.  

Then she saw his bed.  

Thinking about being alone with him in a room with a bed made her whole body flush.  

“You must have had a hard time getting here. I’ll bring some tea.”  

Just as she was about to stand up from discomfort, Adrian said he’d bring tea and left the room.  

It was a relief. Being with Adrian felt different from being with Mars—she felt suffocated.  

But it wasn’t the suffocation of awkwardness. Just being alone with him was enough to make her nerves stand on end.  

Adrian brought fragrant tea and set it before her.  

Elsia was conscious of his every move. No, all her senses were focused on him.  

When Adrian blinked, it felt as if she blinked, too.  

Even while drinking tea, Elsia’s gaze stayed on Adrian.  

‘How can he be so beautiful?’  

Even his long eyelashes as he drank tea were so beautiful that she unconsciously wanted to reach out and touch him.  

To break the awkwardness and her longing, Elsia stood and looked around the room again, and something caught her eye.  

Three types of swords were displayed above the fireplace.  

Elsia stood up to look at the swords.  

“May I try lifting one?”  

“Of course.”  

Elsia tried to lift the smallest sword with her hand, but it wouldn’t budge.  

It was so heavy that even with both hands she couldn’t lift it.  

“Hm, the sword is really heavy. Are you a knight, Adrian?”  

Elsia turned to Adrian and asked.  

He only nodded lightly without answering.  

It was an ambiguous answer, but it didn’t matter to Elsia now.  

She’d only asked to hide her awkwardness, so his answer didn’t matter.  

“…When I was young.”  

He had nothing to say when she asked if he was a knight, but suddenly Adrian started talking about his childhood, surprising Elsia, who moved closer to listen.  

His expression, as if he were hesitating to speak, looked somehow sad.  

Thinking he didn’t need to say anything with that expression, Elsia was about to tell him so when Adrian’s voice came again.  

“There was a girl I wanted to protect. But I had no strength, so I couldn’t protect her. So I resolved to train my body to protect her. That’s why I learned to use a sword.”  

She hadn’t asked for his first love story…  

Elsia felt her mood sink at his words.  

Talking about another woman in front of someone you’re about to spend the night with….  

Was he clueless? Or was he signaling to her that their relationship was only physical, that the trembling of her heart was hers alone? Elsia couldn’t tell, but she felt annoyed.  

She poked Adrian’s chest with her finger and asked,  

“So why are you meeting me now, not that girl? Did she reject you?”  

To ask so directly if he’d been dumped….  

His sad expression had already shown things didn’t work out with that girl, so Elsia thought she’d been harsh, but she was already feeling petty and wanted to tease him.  

“….”  

Adrian didn’t answer, but stood up and gently pulled Elsia’s hand as if telling her to stand, too.  

Elsia slid her chair back and stood, facing him, blinking.  

‘Is this the beginning…?’  

The disappointment she’d felt just moments ago faded, and all Elsia felt now was her heart pounding.