When Carlo came out of the bathroom, shaking his wet hair, the morning sunlight had already penetrated deep into the bedroom.

Just as he was about to head toward the bed where the Grand Duchess would be sleeping, he quietly stopped in his tracks, captivated by the scene before him.

“……”

A white chemise fluttering as if bathed in sunlight.

Soft, rose-colored hair flowing gently.

Delicate, peach-colored ankles revealed beneath the chemise.

A face with sparkling eyes, lost in imagination.

She was so absorbed in whatever she was doing that she had her ear pressed close to the door, holding her breath.

Eventually, her white chemise, which had been fluttering lightly like a cloud, grew still along with her, and her silhouette was vulnerably exposed through the thin fabric in the strong sunlight.

Carlo’s eyes darkened momentarily as he watched Lea.

“What if I hadn’t seen this…”

At her sudden utterance, he couldn’t understand what she meant and chose to remain silent.

After muttering to herself, she bit her lip and giggled, then suddenly began kissing the back of her hand.

Carlo’s eyebrow twitched.

Smooch, smooch!

He couldn’t help but laugh, watching her with a strange look, wondering what on earth she was doing.

Anyone would find this behavior odd, so how could he not watch?

Unaware that he was watching, she excitedly kissed the back of her hand and arm, hunching her body and pressing her ear firmly against the door.

Her teal eyes sparkled with mischief.

Biting her lip and smiling with her eyes, she was clearly proud of herself.

She must be plotting something again.

The most exasperating part was how seriously she always took herself, completely unaware of her own clumsiness.

Really…

Not even a squirrel could be cuter than this.

“Haaa!”

Only when Carlo saw her making moaning sounds against the door did he roughly guess what she was doing.

Someone must be outside the door listening, and she knew it.

It wasn’t unexpected in the imperial palace where irrational things frequently occurred.

Her intention in making such blatantly honest sounds was obvious, but she was clearly mistaken about something.

Or perhaps she had only learned about such things from books.

“……”

Carlo walked slowly toward her without trying to hide his presence and stopped.

“What are you doing.”

“……!”

At his voice, her excited face jerked up, and her eyes widened as if witnessing all the world’s despair descending at once.

“…Yes?”

She stammered, unable to continue speaking, her words seemingly stuck in her throat. Meanwhile, her delicate teal eyes, bathed in sunlight, couldn’t have looked more dejected.

His prominent Adam’s apple moved up and down irritably.

“Did you… see?”

“I thought you wanted me to see.”

“I thought you were washing up…”

“You looked busy, so I just watched.”

At his nonchalant response, she became even more disheartened and pulled herself away from the door.

Seeing her lifeless, deflated face, a hollow laugh escaped through Carlo’s lips like a sigh.

What am I going to do with you?

“……”

In truth, she hadn’t actually done anything to him.

Yes, you didn’t do anything.

He had a premonition that he wouldn’t be able to endure this.

He had the intuition that he would forever lose to this woman. She was a woman who irritated and confused him to no end. And yet…

“……”

She was so beautiful it was maddening.

He laughed coldly at the absurdity of it.

Something was clearly wrong with his head.

A bright light swirled in his blue gaze, which had been fixed on her as if preserved.

Despite his surging emotions, he maintained a calm expression and even smiled slightly.

“Need some help?”

“No…!”

Before I could finish speaking, my body was lifted lightly.

He picked me up effortlessly and strode toward the bed.

Completely caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, I could only stammer with my mouth gaping.

Unable to form words, I just stared endlessly at his face.

“You looked like you needed help.”

“What?”

What does that mean!

As I became even more dumbfounded, my mouth hanging open, he placed me on the clean bed.

Somehow wearing a calm expression now, he braced his hand on the sheet behind my back and looked down at me.

“No one would be fooled by that.”

“…You knew?”

“It was obvious.”

“Was it… that obvious?”

Obvious enough to notice at a glance?

At my question, the corner of his mouth twitched subtly.

“They might have noticed too, unless they’re fools.”

“Really?”

“That’s why I offered to help.”

“But still…!”

Before I could hurry to explain, his wet hair cascaded down over me.

As I trembled slightly, his hand gently pressed down on the back of mine. Soon after, a warm sensation touched my cheek.

My heart pounded loudly as if it might jump out at any moment.

Pop.

An embarrassing sound came from the skin as he gently pressed against my cheek and pulled away.

This was a sound I could never have made on my own.

“I wonder if this will work.”

“…What?”

“Or perhaps I should have done this.”

Then once more on my cheek, my forehead, the bridge of my nose.

His lips pressed down slowly, and I unconsciously shivered and grabbed him tightly.

The moment I grabbed him, his firm arm muscles instantly locked.

“……”

His eyes, which had darkened in an instant, glowed eerily blue in the backlight.

Thump, thump, thump. I felt like he could hear my heartbeat.

“Do we have to do this for them to believe it? Isn’t there another way…?”

“No, there isn’t.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he lowered his head.

His soft lips traced down my neck.

His lingering breath was hot.

Lower and lower. The deeper he bowed his head, the more his fine hair tickled my skin.

“Haaa…”

I covered my mouth, startled by the m*an that escaped involuntarily. Since he was still holding my hand and wouldn’t let go, I could barely block the escaping sounds with my remaining hand.

“Wait a moment. Yes?”

Somehow overwhelmed by an unbearable feeling, the hand covering my mouth moved on its own to push against his shoulder.

But he didn’t budge, like a heavy rock. I could only feel his thick, firm muscles.

“Why.”

Instead, his low voice echoed like a cave, and his hot breath only pressed more firmly against my nape.

“But this is too much…!”

This feels strange.

Unable to resist the approaching force, I began to fall backward, but his large hand immediately supported my back.

Heat rushed up my spine as his thumb gently caressed my skin.

At the same time, a small commotion could be heard from the corridor outside the door.

The people listening to us seemed surprised.

“Ha, is this really okay?”

As he bowed his head, his hair brushed against my skin, making the exposed skin above my dress respond sensitively. The tickling sensation shot all the way down to my toes.

“You said kisses were no big deal.”

“Who said that…?”

“Then this must be child’s play too, right?”

His tone was sarcastic despite his gentle touch.

Just as I was about to ask who had said such a thing, yesterday’s events flashed before my eyes.

“Are you talking about the kiss on the cheek with Dillan earlier?”

“You said it meant nothing, right? A sign of familiarity, something like that.”

“That was just like child’s play.”

“I’m not the type to dwell on such things either. I don’t bother assigning meaning to every little thing.”

Right. Those words did come out of my mouth.

My mind suddenly cleared as I felt the heat in my cheeks, which couldn’t possibly get any redder.

“Sh-shouldn’t we talk a bit?”

Feeling I needed to do something before becoming even more confused, I quickly grabbed his face.

Though I didn’t use much force, he obediently lifted his head, allowing our eyes to meet easily.

At the same time, my heart sank.

Under his slightly disheveled golden hair, his blue eyes, which had always been indifferent, were somehow cold.

“No.”

His expression seemed both mocking and angry.

While looking at me with disinterested eyes, he took my hands from his shoulders and lowered them one by one.

“Are you angry? Why?”

Despite his calm gaze, he pressed my hands down onto the bed, preventing them from moving, and intertwined his fingers with mine.

“Why do you think I would be angry?”

Why are you asking? You’re restraining my hands right now.

“Um… you just look angry?”

“That can’t be.”

“No…?”

“You look completely unaware that I’m helping you.”

Helping me? Before I could say anything, my waist was grabbed, and I was pulled forward abruptly.

After a moment of surprise, I suddenly found myself sitting on his lap.

The beautiful face of the man I now saw, pressed close to his chest, evoked both elegance and coldness.

“See clearly with your own eyes. How far you can consider this a game.”

My heart plummeted.

“……”

Feeling as if the ground had collapsed beneath me, I froze, and he lifted my chin.

But the approaching breath immediately snapped me back to my senses.

“…No!”

Instinctively blocking his lips with my palm, I stared at him blankly, unable to find words.

His clouded gaze instantly sank to a frightening degree.

“This is… awkward.”

“……”

The feeling doesn’t seem like my own, and my heart doesn’t feel like mine either…

Carlo, who had been staring at me, easily removed my hand from his lips.

“You don’t like it?”

“……”

Without taking his eyes off me, he asked once more in a low voice.

“If I do this, will you dislike it…?”