“Why? Aren’t we close enough now for me to call you Saya?”

What kind of relationship is that?

Come to think of it, what happens from now on?

Suddenly thinking about this unexpected current situation made her feel somewhat awkward.

“You’re not thinking of pretending today never happened, are you?”

“……”

Though his mouth smiled, his eyes were sharp as thorns as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. Her cheek trembled.

Honestly, she really wanted to do just that. If only she could turn back time to this morning… she would have canceled today’s appointment and stayed firmly shut in her room!

Well, the kissing was good.

She had been so absorbed she hadn’t felt any urge to refuse. It was a strange feeling she had never experienced before, and she was surprised to learn that having contact with a man could give such sensations. Originally, she had been negative about all kinds of skinship between men and women. She had her reasons for that too.

Though she had changed her perception of kissing now… honestly speaking, she didn’t want to do anything more.

Especially if this somehow led to marriage, that would be trouble itself.

Regardless of whether she liked or disliked the Duke, Saena hated marriage. Her experience of marriage in her past life hadn’t left a single positive element with her.

So she had firmly decided to live unmarried in this life, but strangely it seemed more men were getting entangled with her…

‘No, marrying into the Duke’s family? I’m getting too ahead of myself. Am I being too self-conscious lately…’

Cooling her head and thinking again, she felt crazy. Making such a fuss by herself when the person who might give the rice cake wasn’t even thinking about it.

Being a Duke isn’t just any ordinary status. He’s an exalted being as an Oathkeeper whom even the imperial family can’t treat carelessly. Though Saena’s conditions aren’t bad, how could they compare to his?

She suddenly felt she needed to reflect.

‘Just because we kissed a bit… was I being too presumptuous…’

Since dukes don’t tend to stay long in the imperial capital, maybe he just wants a short fling while he’s here?

Though it’s surprising that someone like her would be the partner for such a fling.

“Um… but I don’t want to do more than that. Though the kissing was… good.”

Unaware that her fears of rejection might be unfounded, her thoughts had already spiraled to extremes.

“I’m anti-marriage.”

And Saena blurted it out as if making an extreme declaration.

After a brief silence, the Duke asked:

“Anti-marriage… You mean you don’t want to get married?”

“Yes.”

“Well… you are quite unique.”

The Duke looked at her like he was seeing something truly fascinating.

“Actually, I don’t want to date either.”

“……”

“There probably aren’t many men who would want to date me anyway… I’m not really the charming type. Anyway, that’s how it is.”

His expression became even stranger, but Saena was looking slightly at the floor while making her awkward comments, so she didn’t notice.

“So Your Grace doesn’t need to try to take care of me just because we kissed a bit.”

And I don’t want that either. And especially if it’s out of responsibility, you don’t need to do that.

“Hmm, well. But I want to.”

“What…?”

While walking together in the corridor, the Duke suddenly stopped. And then said,

“To my eyes, you’re very charming. I want to.”

“Want to what?”

Saena became flustered at his statement that gave off a strangely suggestive nuance.

“…Date?”

At his answer that seemed to say it was obvious, Saena’s cheeks turned red.

Right. After I went on about men who want to date and whatnot, why am I getting so flustered?

“What thoughts made you turn so red?”

“I wasn’t thinking anything!”

But when the Duke asked like that, feeling like he had seen through her inner thoughts, Saena desperately answered without even realizing it. Her face turned even redder at her own voice that came out louder than expected.

Looking at such a Saena, the Duke smiled seemingly understanding, then instructed Royter.

“Prepare two carriages. Ones without crests.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

To Saena who looked at him questioningly, the Duke explained.

“It seems our talk will be rather long, so I’ll escort you back. Though it’s late, this isn’t a conversation that can be postponed.”

The knight and maid who had accompanied Saena had apparently been summoned, as they were all out.

Rupert had apparently asked Royter several times if his Miss was still working. Though he carefully observed Saena who came down only in late evening, he didn’t speak to her in front of others.

“Everyone get in the back carriage. It’s late, so keep your faces hidden.”

Anyone with a keen eye could tell which family people belonged to just by looking at the knight’s uniform.

Being in the noble district of the imperial capital, escorts were really just symbolic presences, as there was almost no chance of actual danger occurring.

Knowing this, Rupert followed the instructions.

Better than having word spread that a Debov family knight escorted a carriage leaving from the Kramer mansion late at night.

The Duke helped Saena into the front carriage before getting in himself. Though it was a quite large four-wheeled carriage, it felt cramped when his large frame got in. Being alone with him in an enclosed, narrow space felt different from being alone with him in the spacious office.

At least she could somewhat distract herself when the carriage started moving with its regular vibrations.

“You said you don’t like marriage.”

After some time passed, the Duke opened the conversation again.

“Do you not like  dating too?”

“Rather than not liking…”

“Rather than not liking?”

“…What’s the point of dating when you know how it will end?”

Though he might counter that there’s no reason not to date just because you won’t marry, that’s how noble society was.

Who would believe it if you said you purely just dated, that dating itself was the purpose?

She really wanted to avoid getting pitying looks later about how she was abandoned by the Duke and remained single for life.

Though some might say what’s wrong with a few rumors if she’s going to live unmarried anyway, having suffered from various malicious rumors in her past life, she just didn’t like being talked about by people in general.

“You don’t even want to try?”

“……”

Saena looked at him with puzzled eyes.

She thought he would naturally back off with an “Ah, is that so? I understand” when she said this.

Because the Duke had nothing to lose.

But something felt strange. He seemed to keep trying to find some opening.

“Perhaps… you want something else?”

The focus ultimately landed on the fact that he still wanted something from her. And that…

“Something else what?”

That…

‘Hmm, what else could there be…’

What could this man possibly lack?

She couldn’t figure it out no matter how much she thought about it.

Finally, Saena blurted out something half-jokingly.

“…My body perhaps?”

Saying this while self-deprecatingly thinking the Duke must have gotten quite comfortable with her.

“……”

But surprisingly, the Duke froze at Saena’s words, looking like he might explode. Seeing his ears slowly turning red… even Saena became flustered.

‘Huh. Was it really just a fling…’

Though he had explored her lips like someone in a trance, his hands had always been proper, so she hadn’t thought of it. What should one say to someone who openly wants (?) your body like this?

Saena unconsciously slid her b*tt backward bit by bit. A very awkward atmosphere suddenly flowed between them.

“Hah…”

The Duke seemed to finally collect himself as he let out a thin sigh before speaking.

“That’s not… wrong. I…”

“……”

“I want to touch you. Constantly.”

“…What?”

‘I think I heard my jaw drop with a thud… but that must be my imagination?’

Saena moved her jaw as she pondered his words again.

Wanting to touch… He must mean he wants to do this and that(?) to her.

Naturally, quite indecent thoughts flashed through her mind.

‘Why do men like doing that so much?’

She honestly couldn’t understand.

George Hollander would go whoring outside almost every day, yet when he returned he would always torment Saena, doing all sorts of filthy things while sweating profusely by himself.

Even then, he would curse at her calling her ‘a wooden block of a woman who doesn’t even get wet’ and blame her, saying this is why husbands stray. He constantly pressured Saena, saying she was born a wooden block and didn’t even try for her husband’s sake.

He seemed to want various things from Saena but she couldn’t understand exactly what he wanted. Though honestly, whatever he wanted would obviously be filthy and dirty, so she had no desire to do it anyway.

Nights with that bastard were nothing but physical and mental t*rture for her. If she refused, even more terrible nights would follow, and even if she didn’t refuse, it wasn’t any easier.

As the ugly memories that surfaced in her mind infected her emotions, they made her view even the Duke before her negatively.