With the dress’s knots untied, it flowed down to her waist, revealing her fair br*asts, and her white legs showed through the flowing material of the dress skirt.

Already quite wet just from kissing, she gasped when she felt something blunt and hard between her spread legs.

He hooked his arm behind her knee to lift her up and grabbed her b*ttocks with his hands to pull her closer.

“Hah!”

Finally, as he fully invaded her, her head tilted back and she let out a moan.

“Shh.”

“Slowly…… Your Majesty.”

As Nian whispered in a moist voice, his manhood inside her became even harder. Nian’s eyes closed involuntarily.

“Don’t provoke me. I’m trying.”

He began to move.

Her one leg, barely maintaining balance on tiptoe, trembled precariously.

The bookshelf behind her back shook for a long time.

* * *

Duke Roben seemed to have prepared quite elaborately, as by dinner time, rare foods were abundantly prepared on the long table. All relatives and nobles had been invited, turning it into quite a grand party rather than just a meal.

Perhaps because it had been a long time since she’d been home, Nian felt somewhat nostalgic. She never imagined she would come here with him. He wore the sky-blue tailcoat she had chosen for him and naturally held out his hand.

Nian took his hand with a bright smile, and Dade smiled faintly too. When the imperial couple approached the table, everyone stood to greet them, and then the meal began.

In the middle of the meal, Duke Roben spoke.

“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty.”

“Indeed.”

“Despite requesting several times and never being able to meet, seeing you like this is truly moving.”

Nian’s expression darkened at her father’s subtly reproachful tone, but Dade rather smiled as if he had expected it.

“Ah, I’ve been completely captivated by your daughter all this time, you see.”

At his unexpected words, Nian blushed.

“I ask for your generous understanding.”

Duke Roben looked somewhat stunned before breaking into a faint smile. Inwardly, Nian was truly grateful to him.

Though said playfully, his answer also maintained her dignity as Empress. It was also a wise response that made her feel completely loved as a woman, making her quite elated.

“If that’s the reason, how could I feel disappointed?”

Duke Roben continued.

“Now if only there were a solid heir, this old man would have nothing more to wish for.”

“Father. That’s enough.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Nian restrained her father. But as always, nagging never ended simply.

“Your Majesty, the Empress should also remember the imperial elders who are waiting.”

Nian sighed. With that, Dade hardened his expression and spoke in a somewhat sharp tone.

“I wonder if my father-in-law is concerned about the ‘Empress’ or his ‘daughter.'”

“……”

At his cold words, the party instantly became as chilly as if ice water had been poured over it. Finally, Dade loosened his tight lips and added.

“Is there any need to bring up worries and ruin the atmosphere at such a pleasant gathering? Please don’t rebuke the Empress any further. If I am to have an heir, it will certainly come from my lawful wife’s body.”

In truth, Dade had been displeased from the moment the heir talk began, because Nian beside him had shown an awkward expression.

She had already suffered enough at the palace. He didn’t like Duke Roben joining in even at her family home.

His words somewhat eased the atmosphere, but the rest of the dinner continued rather calmly and ended a bit early.

After dinner, in bed. In Dade’s arms as he had already fallen asleep, Nian recalled his words.

‘I have something like that too. I keep it very preciously. I look at it every day and remember.’

‘Ah, I’ve been completely captivated by your daughter all this time, you see.’

Which was his true heart? She desperately wished it was the latter, but Nian knew well that it wasn’t.

Of course, recently he had been infinitely affectionate toward her, making her momentarily deluded, but that was all. He still couldn’t forget his former lover and longed for her even in his dreams.

His true heart was the former.

What could that memento of his lover be? What did he keep, and what did he recall?

Perhaps, did he feel like this too? Did he hurt this much whenever she talked about Cain?

Nian smiled bitterly. It was similar, yet different.

Possessive as he was, he got angry, while she, in love, was this sad. She desperately wished it was just a difference in manner, but the reality was that the roots of their emotions were different.

She hated that woman whose face she didn’t even know.

No, she hated him—Dade.

No, no, in fact, she hated herself.

The human heart is truly fickle; having resolved to be content with him wanting her, greed soon blossomed.

Nian held the sleeping man tightly. Sensing her movement in his sleep, he tightened his arms around her.

Please, just a little longer.

Just to be able to sleep by his side a little longer.

The next day. The imperial couple visited the Empress’s mother’s grave.

The Empress wept for a very long time at the foot of the gravestone. Her sorrowful tears fell on the stone and also on Dade’s heart. With guilt not yet shaken off, he lowered his head and offered a brief silent prayer.

After crying for a long time and feeling somewhat relieved, Nian asked Dade as they returned to the mansion.

“Are we leaving now?”

“Yes.”

“Where are we going?”

Dade smiled at Nian who was chattering like a child, then answered.

“Let’s just wander wherever our feet take us and then return.”

“Yes!”

Nian smiled brightly.

The place their feet led them was a small village belonging to a small city just below the capital.

Famous for its large lake surrounded by quiet mountains, this place was where nobles from the capital came for relaxation. Though there were no special attractions, floating a boat on the lake and enjoying the scenery was heavenly.

Dade had launched a small boat and was riding it with Nian.

Dade rowed while Nian opened a parasol to block the sun. The mountain scenery reflected on the incredibly blue lake surface, as if paint had been dissolved in it, looked like a decalcomania.

Though she had never particularly felt the imperial palace was stifling, coming out like this made her feel refreshed. Dade was leisurely enjoying the scenery, merely steering the direction rather than actually rowing.

Seeing Nian’s occasional exclamations, she seemed to like it too.

“It’s quite a magnificent place. Have you been here before?”

Nian asked.

“Yes. The last time I came was about 7 years ago?”

Dade answered.

Seven years ago was when Nian was busy with her Empress training. And it was when he was meeting Rachel.

‘Alone?’

Unable to ask what she was curious about, Nian changed the subject.

“Is it deep?”

“This lake? It’s quite famous, yet you don’t know about it at all.”

“Yes. This is my first time in this village.”

“They say no one in the world knows the depth of this lake. Everyone who had the courage to dive in has still not surfaced. That’s why they call this lake Cielo. Because it’s said to touch the end of the world.”

Dade shared a story he had once heard from a village elder. This was a place he had frequented since childhood. So he had often visited with Rachel too. The reason he specifically brought Nian here was partly because it was close, and partly because he wanted to paint over his memories.

It was too magnificent a place to avoid due to the painful thoughts of Rachel. In fact, this was his first visit since Rachel’s departure.

Though he occasionally missed the scenery that calmed his heart, he couldn’t bring himself to come because of thoughts of Rachel.

He wanted to paint over it with Nian. He hoped this lake would no longer be a memory of Rachel whom he had loved, but a memory of Nian whom he loves.

As Nian looked down at the lake with curiosity, Dade watched her for a moment and put down the oar. Then he carefully stood up.

When the boat suddenly rocked, Nian looked at him somewhat startled, and he, standing up, took off his shirt without hesitation.

“?”

“Shall we go for a swim?”

Nian, who had been staring somewhat absentmindedly at his bare upper body under the sparkling sunlight, was startled by his words and opened her eyes wide.

“No.”

Though Nian shook her head with a perplexed face, he smiled and plunged into the lake.

“Your Majesty, you clearly said it was deep……”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you drown.”

He held out his hand.

“Come here.”

“……”

Nian hesitated for a moment, then carefully took his hand. Somehow, it seemed like nothing mattered anymore. She had been struggling, drowning in something else for a long time anyway.

As Nian took his hand and looked at him with seemingly tense eyes, he carefully embraced her and helped her off the boat.

Her skirt floated up in the cold water and spread out like a jellyfish, and when Nian grabbed her skirt in embarrassment, her body sank without fail.

He smiled and held her firmly. Then he lightly kissed her shyly reddened cheek.

“Shall we go deeper?”

“……?”

“Are you scared?”

Nian bit her lip as if conflicted. She knew how to swim enough to float, but she wasn’t proficient. She certainly didn’t have the confidence to completely submerge in this lake that supposedly touched the end of the world.

After hesitating briefly, she looked at his eyes, which were just like this lake, then took a breath. He had clearly promised “I won’t let you drown.”

Of course, he was talking about the lake. But Nian hoped that it wasn’t just the lake—please, let it be “anything else” too. He wouldn’t let her drown.

As if she had made up her mind, Nian took a breath and filled her lungs with air, her cheeks puffing up, and Dade couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Then he embraced her and slowly began to sink below the lake’s surface. As they stopped splashing, they were soon completely submerged to the top of their heads.

Under the clear lake where they had submerged, everything was blue.

Ah, was this how I looked reflected in your eyes?

Were you also this blue and this beautiful to me?

His face submerged in the lake was crystal clear despite the rippling scenery. He smiled faintly and held her a little tighter.