[A Series of Shocks]

He was already on the horse, as if he was ready to leave at any moment. His appearance, which she was seeing for the first time, was both unfamiliar and strange. The moment she saw the man with his usual indifferent expression, Belita’s face flushed bright red.

She was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling that she had spent the entire night doing that with the man in front of her, and she was flustered. Belita quickly turned her head away and bit her lip, trying to cool her burning face. She had never imagined she would feel this way.

Crazy…!

Of course, it was the same person, so she had indeed done it with this man, but in her mind, she already perceived the two men as completely different people, so the unfamiliar emotions that arose every time she faced him were confusing.

“Wife, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just… It’s my first time seeing you ride a horse. Please be careful.”

Facing Rian today was incredibly awkward. It was because the image of the man who had craved her, not the husband who had drawn a line between them, kept flashing in her mind.

But then, he said something completely unexpected.

“Come with me.”

“……What?”

Belita stared at him blankly, startled by his gesture of extending his hand. His demeanor was so different from usual that it felt like a different person had emerged. He was never the type to say such a thing. Above all, the man who hated even touching her was now holding out his hand, inviting her to take it.

They had been so distant since their marriage that they even slept in separate rooms. It was baffling that he was now asking her to ride a horse with him, as if he were asking her out on a date. The fact that he was extending his hand with such a sincere expression made her even more flustered.

“Wife?”

“You, you want me to come with you…?”

She asked again, wondering if she had misheard. However, instead of answering, Rian simply extended his hand further. Belita, who had been blinking her eyes blankly, suddenly checked her attire.

She was dressed simply, but she couldn’t possibly ride a horse in this wide skirt. He should know that, but Belita didn’t know what to do with Rian’s insistent behavior today.

Honestly, she didn’t want to go. It was uncomfortable enough just to face him, let alone ride a horse embraced in his arms. The thought alone suffocated her. Even if she somehow managed to go, she would surely feel suffocated the entire time.

It wasn’t that she hated him, but she thought the distance she had maintained with His Grace was just right. Now that she knew why he had married her, she had no desire to get closer or to know more. It was most comfortable to continue as they had been.

“My clothes are not really suitable for……”

“Take my hand.”

“Pardon? Your Grace…? My clothes are not… Ah…!”

She was about to refuse. But he leaned down, grabbed her hand, pulled her up effortlessly, and sat her down in front of him. As Belita struggled in surprise, a gentle voice brushed past her ear.

“You’ll fall. Behave yourself, Belita.”

“……Pardon?”

At that moment, Belita’s heart skipped a beat.

Belita…? His Grace had never once called her by her name. He always addressed her formally and used the title ‘wife.’ It was one of the invisible lines he had drawn, like a silent warning not to cross him any further.

But when he called her name for the first time, Belita couldn’t help but look up at the sky. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her. Rian’s gaze was strangely familiar.

It was the same gaze she saw every day, but it belonged to two distinctly different men. And this gaze right now was the lustful gaze of the beast that had devoured her body without reservation until morning.

Why do I sense that man’s aura from His Grace…? This is strange…….

“No way.”

“What is it?”

She couldn’t be mistaken in sensing the hint of amusement in his voice. Goosebumps erupted all over her body at the feeling of his breath on her ear. She looked up at the sky again out of habit. However, the sky was still the same, with the sun shining brightly. As she looked at him with trembling eyes, he asked with a smirk.

“Why do you keep looking at the sky…?”

“You, you……”

“Hold on tight. It’ll be bad if you fall. Giddy up!”

“Eek!”

Belita clung to Rian’s arm in fear as the horse suddenly started moving, causing her body to tilt. Her stomach churned as her sideways posture kept making her sway.

“Your Grace! Please stop for a second! Your Grace!!”

Despite her desperate cries, Rian held her waist tightly with one hand and skillfully rode the horse out of the residence. As the speed increased, Belita closed her eyes tightly and buried her face in his neck. It was an act of pure instinct, driven by the desire to survive.

How long had they been riding…? When the horse, which seemed like it would never stop, finally came to a halt, Belita, who had arrived at an unknown destination, got off with his help and immediately began to vomit. Her face was pale and pitiful as if she had lost her soul.

“Are you alright?”

The man who approached her patted her back. She glared at him fiercely as he showed a hint of apology, catching her breath. Suddenly thrust into an extreme situation, Belita, whose senses were heightened, reacted sharply.

“Wh—Who are you!?”

“……Me?”

A smirk crept onto his lips. His golden eyes gleamed ominously. She felt like she knew who he was, but she couldn’t believe it. The sky was clear, and there was no sign of rain, let alone thunder. Therefore, he shouldn’t be here right now.

Her heart raced. Her trembling eyes scanned her husband from head to toe. But he was still smiling. The moment her suspicion turned into certainty, Belita couldn’t help but be horrified.

“What happened! Why are you here right now? You didn’t go back?”

“Well…?”

Rian shrugged casually as if he was talking about someone else, lifted her up, and walked up the hill. Even as they walked through the green fields, Belita was too shocked to appreciate the beautiful scenery.

“Stop staring. You’ll wear me out. I brought you to a nice place, the least you could do is pretend to look. Show some appreciation for the person who brought you here,”

“What happened, I asked! It didn’t rain, there was no thunder, so why are you here? His Grace…? What happened to His Grace!”

At her persistent questioning, Rian’s expression distorted fiercely. Belita, who had been yelling at him, immediately shut her mouth at the sudden chill of a predatory beast. Sirens blared in her head, urging her to run away. But she was already in the clutches of the beast.

“Ri—Rian…….”

It seemed that after spending an entire day entangled with him, the beast suddenly felt familiar. It was an act she couldn’t have done without losing her fear. Well, she hadn’t been in her right mind since yesterday anyway.

Oh my God…. Please, get a grip.

The beast, baring its fangs, growled and brought its face closer. Belita’s heart began to pound at his gaze, which was too close for comfort. The fear that had momentarily disappeared suddenly reared its head.

“Belita. Who are you looking for in front of me?”

“Th—That’s……”

Belita’s lips moved soundlessly as she was at a loss for words.

Who am I looking for…?

What an absurd question. It was ridiculous that she was looking for her husband right in front of him, and it was ridiculous that Rian was questioning her angrily as if interrogating a wife who was looking for another man when he was right there.

In any case, it seemed like she had to appease this enraged beast first. Otherwise, her clothes would be torn to shreds and her neck would be bitten. It was a judgment based on her experience so far.

“Ri—Rian. Wait a minute. Just listen to me.”

“What? What do you want to say now, you shameless woman? I went through all the trouble of bringing you to a nice place, and you’re looking for that bastard right in front of me. Why, am I in a place where I shouldn’t be? I’m here in the flesh, why are you so horrified?”

“Ah, I—I’m sorry……. I was just flustered. Really, I was just flustered……. This has never happened before……”

Belita stuttered, her head hanging low. But her apology was sincere. He looked genuinely hurt, which made her feel ashamed for trying to appease his anger so carelessly.

Crazy Rian was a man with a strong sense of pride. And she kept referring to Grand Duke Rian as if he were a stranger. Perhaps he even thought of his current body as hers. If so, it made sense that he would make such an expression. She had only ever seen him at his strongest, so she hadn’t given a second thought to his feelings. He was a man who didn’t seem to fit the word ‘hurt’ in the first place.

Fortunately, the man who had been glaring at her with chilling intensity snorted and gently lowered her to the ground. Despite his sharp expression and surprisingly careful actions, Belita was still afraid of him.