“I said it was a joke.”

“It’s because once it grabs you, it never lets go until death.”

“R-Rian….”

“In that sense, I guess I am a water ghost.”

“What?”

“Because I have no intention of letting go of my wife until death.”

Ugh…! She shuddered once more at his embarrassing statement. It was both worrying and overwhelming how he kept picking up strange things to say.

“Why are you shivering like that? Cold? Should we go to the carriage?”

“No! But why do you keep suggesting we go to the carriage? Are you planning to go straight home if I say I’m cold?”

“Well.”

“Well…?”

A chill ran down her spine at Rian’s grinning expression. ‘Surely, he’s not planning to take off all these layers of clothes I’m bundled up in once we’re in the carriage?’ she thought, though she also believed it wasn’t entirely impossible for him. After all, he had been patient for quite a while. The thought that this wasn’t unreasonable…

No, what am I trying to understand here?

“What’s with that expectant look?”

“What?”

“Your face is even redder than before? What were you thinking?”

“Th-thinking? I’m just c-cold, that’s all.”

“Oh, cold? Now you’re cold. Then let’s hurry to the carriage.”

“No! I’m not cold! Mmph!?”

Belita’s eyes widened at the tantalizing kiss that suddenly touched her lips. It was freshly surprising how this sly beast faithfully kept the words he spoke.

“Disappointed?”

“What?”

“Even if you’re disappointed, there’s nothing we can do. We’re dating now.”

“Wh-who said anything?”

“Haah… I want to be married soon.”

Her eyes rounded at the man’s words as he held her body tight and exhaled impatiently. Does that mean we’re not married now?

“I don’t think I like dating. It doesn’t suit me.”

“You said you liked it.”

“I thought I would. But now that I’ve tried it, I don’t. There are too many things I can’t do.”

“What can’t you do?”

“Curious?”

She couldn’t help but sigh as she saw the man’s eyes immediately light up with a lewd smile.

“Oh my……”

He was truly childish. The feeling that he would be on the same level as their child when it was born was probably not a misconception.

“You may have grown physically, but when will your mind grow up?”

Rian released Belita’s body as she pouted and grumbled, then grabbed her shoulders and met her gaze. Then, with a pretend hurt expression, he muttered.

“Is this how you act after not seeing me for a month?”

“What do you mean?”

“Saying I’ve only grown physically. You know my c*ck is big too.”

“……Rian!”

Her heart strangely fluttered even as she was exasperated by the man’s shamelessness as he quickly revealed his true colors.

“You seem to have forgotten. Want me to remind you after so long?”

“Hmph, you said we can’t even kiss because we’re dating? You said we can only go as far as pecks?”

“What can I do? I was told that’s how it is when dating. How would I know, I’ve never dated before.”

“Who follows someone else’s instructions for dating? You just follow your heart.”

“Really…?”

“Of course. Whether it’s dating or love, where’s the answer in emotions? Everything is just following the mood, following your heart…? Hmm…? Rian?”

Belita was taken aback by the man’s suddenly serious expression and reconsidered what she had just said. She didn’t think she had said anything particularly wrong, but seeing his narrowed eyes, the situation didn’t seem particularly good.

“You must have dated a lot?”

“……What…. No, I haven’t?”

“Then why do you know so much about it?”

“I-I don’t know much. That much is just obvious—”

“Obvious? Ah, so it was obvious. Dating has no answer. You just follow your heart?”

“Ahem…. L-let’s talk without holding me…. Okay?”

She saw it. The wild lewdness swirling beyond those bright yellow eyes, which had been carefully hidden. As the corners of the man’s mouth stretched upward, she thought it had been quite a while, and her heart began to pound wildly.

“Tell me.”

“T-tell you what…?”

“Where your heart is going right now. It seems to be going in the same direction as mine?”

“It’s not going anywhere……?”

“Liar. It’s definitely going somewhere? In the same direction as mine.”

“No, it’s not!”

“Really? Then I’ll ask directly. Rather than that wicked mouth that sets fire to my heart and then backs away, I’d better ask this honest body directly.”

“What are you—mmph!”

Unlike before, an intense kiss swept over her, reminiscent not of innocent dating but of a sticky marital night. Hot breath filled her lungs, and her mind became dizzy as the air was cut off. As her whole body trembled from the intense pleasure she hadn’t felt in a long time, the man’s hands, warm as a stove even on this cold day, grasped her cheeks. Her eyelids, which had been wide open, slowly closed at the warm sensation and fluttering feeling.

It felt exactly like kissing this man for the first time.

This was dating. Yes, this was what dating was. Heart-fluttering, trembling, tickling the heart….

A blissful sensation that made her whole body tingle with just a kiss. The sticky saliva felt as their teeth brushed against each other and their tongues intertwined. The feeling of hearing each other’s heartbeats, and every touched spot trembling with sensation. The feeling of becoming light-headed just from this act of biting and sucking on lips while hot breaths exchanged between their mouths.

It was a bliss she had never experienced in her life. Though she had kissed him countless times and done much more, this was a different kind of trembling and feeling. This sense of fulfillment seemed like a first. This was a feeling of excitement not in the body, but in the heart.

Today, Rian felt different from before. He wasn’t the beast who would stare at her with wide eyes and indulge in her lewdly as if he would devour her, but rather he closed his eyes and focused entirely on this act, like a shy young man sharing his first kiss with the lady he held in his heart.

The redness on both her cheeks wasn’t from the cold wind brushing past. It was just the uncontrollable emotions and the hot, tickling sensation in her lower abdomen being expressed through her entire body, accompanied by embarrassment and excitement.

Each time the man’s hands gripping her cheeks tightened, the sticky kiss of biting and sucking on her lips became more intense. While trembling and holding onto his shoulders, Belita responded eagerly to his lead and followed the path of emotion he was taking.

She had to admit it. As he said, her body was honest. Her heart was already going in the same direction as his. Even if her mouth had lied, her heart was already expressing itself through her entire body. Yet excuses kept coming to mind. That because her body wasn’t normal right now, her emotions weren’t normal either.

“Haah….”

As if intoxicated by the taste of those lips for the first time, the mindless biting and sucking that had lasted for quite some time paused momentarily. As she slowly opened her eyes, Rian’s dampened eyes looked at her. Still with their lips pressed together, his gaze yearned for something desperately.

She knew well what he wanted. And she also knew that if she refused, he would back down willingly. It would have been an absurd idea before, but the current Rian was different from then.

Belita didn’t bother hiding the excited breath flowing between her lips. And she also didn’t hide her yearning gaze. Because she wanted him. Her body did, now.

It was the result of Rian’s efforts over the past month. The trust in him that he wanted to engrave in her heart. And the scheme to make her open the door of her heart by herself. Of course, Font was the mastermind behind all this. Anyway, she was now showing her heart completely. The result of restraint over a month was quite satisfactory.

“Belita.”

“Haah, yes.”

“I want to have you.”

“……”

Belita’s face reddened even more at his explicit words. Her heart seemed broken, beating wildly at the man’s gaze and every word he spoke. In her heart, she wanted to say, ‘Take me,’ but her face wasn’t shameless enough to say that out loud. Perhaps taking her hesitation as permission, Rian quickly grabbed her hand firmly and walked with large strides.

“Rian?”

“Your face is cold. Let’s go to the carriage first.”

“Ah…?”

She was confused by his suddenly changed tone. Now that the considerate man had appeared, was the passionate romance over again? Just as she was about to feel disappointed, she saw that Rian’s ears and nape had turned red. His steps were urgent, and his tightly held hand felt moist. Looking closely, the body occupied by two personalities was clearly in heat now.

The largest carriage from the Grand Ducal residence appeared before her eyes. She had guessed to some extent when they brought out this carriage, but now that they had arrived at the carriage, her body twisted with embarrassment. Well, it wasn’t the first time in a carriage, and now she knew how much effort he had put into each carriage, so a strange anticipation arose.

The knights and coachman who had come as escorts were nowhere to be seen around the carriage, not even an ant. It seemed they had come fully prepared. After opening the door and helping her into the carriage, Rian hurriedly climbed in and locked the door. As she felt the warm temperature, Belita’s face turned even redder. Now that they were inside, she didn’t know what to do and just rolled her eyes around.