“That’s not the case, but I thought you might say that.”

I nodded with a sigh of relief. If that was all, it was rather fortunate. If he could read my mind, he might have detected my wavering feelings as well.

A single life suits me better. Love is far too luxurious an indulgence for someone like me.

In that sense, I was glad he believed my excuse that I only thought of him as a business partner.

That way, he could also move on from his feelings for me. He wouldn’t shake me up anymore.

It had just happened moments ago.

Despite not knowing him for long, I had done something utterly insane.

I kissed a man who was neither my lover nor my husband.

Even though I knew perfectly well I shouldn’t.

From the beginning, even asking about his feelings was inappropriate. Whether he liked me or not.

Though it was partly due to my puzzlement over the unfair contract that benefited only me and offered him nothing, that was merely the catalyst for my curiosity.

The reason my heart raced when I asked was perhaps because I wanted a specific answer. That answer overflowed, and caught up in the moment, I responded without realizing it.

I knew I would regret it. But in that moment, I wanted to do it. A desire stronger than reason consumed me.

I felt I would make the same choice even if I could go back in time.

‘I’m really hopeless.’

This hopelessness applied not just to the past but to the present as well.

“By the way, you didn’t die.”

After that man—no, the Duke—left without a word,

And after I too left the beach,

I can declare that I hadn’t had a moment’s peace. Because of the anxiety that he might have died.

But here he was, alive before my eyes.

“Really, really……”

Numbness welled up inside me, proportional to all the time I’d spent worrying. I couldn’t continue speaking, feeling like I might burst into tears at any moment.

After barely swallowing my emotions, I finally spoke heavily.

“…I’m glad.”

I meant it sincerely. A sincerity so deep it could bury everything that had happened before and immerse me in emotion.

“May I hug you?”

I knew it was a crazy thing to say. But it contained absolutely no ulterior motive—it was literal.

I wanted to hug him. To feel that he was alive, that he existed before my eyes.

The Duke stared at me blankly before opening his mouth.

A somewhat wet, quiet voice flowed from between his full lips.

“How much more do you intend to embarrass me?”

Despite his voice that seemed about to crumble, he deliberately twisted his expression into a playful one and smiled faintly at me.

My heart sank at his precarious smile that seemed ready to shatter. Somehow, it felt like I had crossed a line I shouldn’t have.

My thoughts raced quickly. I had made a mistake.

“Ah……”

A quiet sigh escaped between my lips.

Thinking about it now, that’s how it was.

To the person who had bravely approached me first, all I had returned was cruel rejection.

After even kissing him, I pushed away his sincerity, saying it was a mistake. Though he might not have shown it, he must have felt quite humiliated.

Moreover, it was clear he hadn’t forgotten me since that time two years ago.

Perhaps his feelings were deeper and more intense than I had imagined.

If that was the case, everything made sense. Why he helped me, why he entered into a contract marriage with me despite taking a loss, and so on.

I felt relieved as all my scattered concerns converged into one explanation. But on the other hand, I couldn’t raise my head.

After chewing on my lower lip for a while, I finally managed to speak.

“I’m really, really sorry.”

I realized it far too late. His feelings.

And the fact that from his perspective, it might seem like I had been toying with him.

There was no response from him for a while. The space filled with silence was heavy and stifling. For some time, I could only stare intently at the pattern on the carpet covering the reception room floor.

How much time passed like that?

“I’m fine.”

His voice cut through my ears. When I raised my head, he was smiling. Foolishly.

Did the Duke know? That his voice sounded anything but fine right now.

“I’m sorry.”

“…You don’t need to apologize.”

This time his voice carried a hint of coldness, albeit slight. It also gave the impression he was somewhat tired of this.

Had he grown tired of me? Because I had behaved so badly, trying to apologize for actions that couldn’t be taken back with mere words.

Thinking this, my heart suddenly sank. Why? My hands trembled with anxiety. I didn’t want him to hate me. I hoped he wouldn’t dislike me.

But his love was burdensome.

I felt self-loathing at this contradictory and endless stream of consciousness. If even I was tired of myself, expecting him not to feel the same was greedy and deceptive.

I chewed my lip again. I could taste faint blood. But I was too distracted to even recognize it as the taste of blood.

Then suddenly, my entire body stiffened at the sound of his voice.

“I’ll be going now.”

Reflexively activated in an instant, I raised my head. By then, the Duke’s hand that had been around my waist had fallen away, and he had already turned his back and was walking toward the door.

Honestly, I wanted to hold him back.

But with what right?

The answer was predetermined.

I had to let him go.

All I could do now was merely nod. A response he wouldn’t even see.

Eventually, as his steps reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped before pulling the doorknob.

Wondering what was happening, I stared at him intently when he spoke, still fixing his gaze on the door.

“I’m just leaving because it’s time for me to go.”

“…What?”

Confused by his random statement, I asked, and he scratched the back of his head and added:

“I mean I’m not angry with you.”

“…Oh.”

Though I wasn’t sure of the context, the fact that he wasn’t angry with me strangely calmed my churning heart.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t be relieved.”

But really, could this man use mind-reading magic? How did he know I was relieved to say something like that?

‘Was I acting too transparently?’

Just as I was growing troubled again at the thought that he might have seen through me—

“I’m leaving today because I’m embarrassed, but that doesn’t mean I’ve given up.”

“…What?”

What on earth did that mean?

Slightly turning his head to look at me, he murmured quietly.

“Because I’ve already half succeeded.”

“What does that…”

“You wanted to hug me, didn’t you?”

With that retort, he smiled brightly, turned the gem on his pendant, then put it back inside his clothes and added:

“I’m saying I’ll work harder so that someday you’ll want to kiss me.”

The Duke, who had now returned to his original appearance, opened the door. His back gradually moving away.

Somehow dazed, I blankly followed his retreating figure until it completely disappeared.

Then suddenly, I came to my senses.

A laugh escaped.

“Huh?”

It was a moment when all the remorse I had felt toward him until just now flew away at once.

❀❀❀

I met the Duke again exactly one week later.

It was because of the terms of our contract.

“As I initially proposed, please marry me. But there are conditions.”

“Conditions?”

“Yes. Before and during the marriage, you must spend at least three hours together with Elysion and me, twice a week.”

So the three of us agreed to meet regularly twice a week.

Today was the first day of those meetings.

That morning, after washing and applying light makeup, I put on casual outing clothes.

Wearing a flared dress with a yellowish tint, tying my hair up with a matching yellow ribbon, and carrying a parasol, I looked every bit ready for an outing.

Seeing me like this, Sherry let out an exclamation.

“Oh my goodness, Miss. You look so pretty. And a bit cute too.”

Sherry looked like she wanted to pinch my cheeks right away. I narrowed my brows.

“Are you finding me cute right now?”

At that, Sherry exaggeratedly widened her eyes and shook her head as if she didn’t know what I meant.

“N-no, not at all.”

“Then?”

“You’re adorable.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Come on, Miss. Being adorable is better than being cute, right?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Sherry’s absurd logic. Since I had been practically living at the trading company, my contact with Sherry had significantly decreased recently.

Meeting her after a long time, she was still energetic and still excessively doting.

But I didn’t dislike it. Because it allowed me to be enveloped in the illusion of returning to my pre-marriage days.

‘Back then, I used to go out with friends like this a lot.’

A memory already faded briefly crossed my mind. But my sentimentality was short-lived.

“Miss, Duke Esteban’s carriage has arrived! He’s waiting downstairs!”

At the maid’s announcement that the Duke had arrived, I moved away from the mirror and headed out the door.

“Let’s go, Sherry.”

“Yes, Miss!”

❀❀❀

After leaving the room and descending the stairs, I finally reached the entrance. There, the Duke stood waiting.

“Your Grace?”

He greeted me with a bright smile.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Why aren’t you in the carriage…”

At my words, the Duke smiled, creasing the corners of his eyes, and said:

“Levedi, I wanted to see you even a moment sooner.”

Saying this, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me toward him. Finding myself suddenly pressed against the Duke, my body trembled involuntarily.

Whether he knew or didn’t know my situation, he led me to the carriage with an utterly nonchalant touch.

But who would have thought Father would see this?

I despaired at the voice from behind.

“Going on a date?”

“……!”

Turning around, there stood Father.

Father kept looking back and forth between me and the Duke, and somehow his gaze seemed lewd. Unable to face his eyes filled with expectation any longer, I turned my head away, and simultaneously heard Father laughing.

“Ah, youth, wonderful youth.”

“I pay my respects to my father-in-law.”

And toward such a Father, the Duke tactlessly greeted him. Of course, the act of greeting itself was polite, but in this situation, it was different.

“Oh my, please don’t be so formal, Your Grace.”

“No, it feels awkward for me to receive such respect from my father-in-law.”

He still had his arm around my waist. It was embarrassing to be caught in this display of affection in front of Father.

I tried to break free from the Duke, but the more I tried, the stronger the grip on my waist became.

As if he would never let me go.

And separately from that, watching the two of them chatting amicably(?), my conscience pricked me.

Especially toward Father.

This was a contract marriage decided to fulfill each other’s needs. Yet Father firmly believed it was a love marriage.

Since this wasn’t a scenario I had considered when deciding to marry him, I felt somewhat strange.

Fortunately, the conversation between Father and the Duke ended not long after.

So the Duke and I left the entrance together and stepped into the carriage side by side.

The moment the carriage door opened:

“Mommy!”

With a cry almost like a shout, a small child ran to me and hugged me.

Poof!

Momentarily startled by the light and fragile sensation that filled my arms, I soon lowered my head. At the same time, ruby-like pretty eyes met mine, emitting a bright light.

“Mommy!”

“Sion! What are you doing? That’s rude.”

The Duke intervened from the side, but I shook my head.

“I don’t mind.”

I naturally like children. Especially if a child likes me and follows me well, there was absolutely no reason to be annoyed.

After meeting the child’s eyes, I asked in a small voice:

“Sion? Is that a nickname?”

“Yep! Only people Sion is really really close with can call me Sion. Since you’re my mommy, I’ll specially allow it.”

Elysion said with a sunny, bright smile covering his entire face.

“My, thank you.”

I climbed into the carriage while supporting Elysion’s back and plump bottom, and the Duke sighed deeply watching this scene.

“I’m sorry. The child wanted to see you very much.”

“I really don’t mind. All children this age are like this.”

I meant it sincerely.

The truth about why I decided on the contract marriage with the Duke.

Of course, my desire to become the head of the family was significant.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

“Then can’t Elysion see Mommy every day? Daddy said if I just waited a little longer, I could see you. Was that all a lie?”

“Even though you said… you’d be my mommy…?”

“No! Daddy, you liar! You said after a hundred nights passed, I could see Mommy! You said she would really become my mommy!”

The image of Elysion crying in the Duke’s arms as he left the room that day kept coming back to me.

Though I turned away from that sight then, as time passed, I increasingly regretted my actions, wondering why I had behaved that way.

But even while regretting, I lacked the courage to accept the proposal until the Duke’s offer to make me the head of the family became a good excuse to myself.

“By the way, where are we going?”

After playing with Elysion for quite some time, I asked, and the Duke curved the corners of his lips and said:

“I heard there’s a lake with a beautiful scenery nearby.”

“Are we going for a picnic?”

“That’s right. We also plan to have lunch there.”

The word “picnic” made my heart flutter like a child’s. Come to think of it, for the past two years, I hadn’t gone out for anything other than business.

But that wasn’t because I disliked relaxation; it was because I lacked the leisure.

‘Just a little more. When I succeed a little more, then I’ll go play.’

I think I kept telling myself that, suppressing my desire to play. Of course, even my current achievements weren’t satisfactory, so I thought there wouldn’t be any outings for at least another two or three years…

‘Perhaps this wasn’t such a bad proposal for me either.’

I thought that perhaps deciding on this contract marriage was a good thing after all.

❀❀❀

After traveling non-stop for about 30 minutes, the carriage finally reached its destination.

As soon as I stepped out of the carriage, my mouth opened involuntarily at the magnificent scenery before my eyes.

“Wow, a lake. A lake!”

Just then, Elysion, who had just come out of the carriage, held my hand with one hand and pointed with the other while speaking.

And in the direction Elysion pointed was a wide-open lake.

The lake boasted an area so vast it could almost be mistaken for the sea.

However, the swans floating on the smooth surface, which had almost no ripples, proved that this was indeed a lake.

“There are duckies too!”

“Sion, those aren’t ducks, they’re swans.”

“Hmph. What’s the difference between ducks and swans! Daddy, you’re mean!”

It was when I turned my head at the sudden intrusion of a deep voice.

The Duke, who had approached without my noticing and was holding Elysion’s other hand that I wasn’t holding, smiled at me.

“Do you like the lake?”

“It’s fantastic. Really beautiful.”

“I’ve felt this before, but you really like water, don’t you? May I ask why?”

At the Duke’s sudden question, I was momentarily taken aback but soon responded calmly.

“Someone I loved liked water.”

At my words, the Duke’s eyes wavered slightly before stopping. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but smile.

In the end, I added:

“My father.”

“Ah.”

“He said the open river gave him a feeling of healing his mind.”

“Ah… I see…”

At that moment, the Duke’s face turned red before returning to its original complexion.

And suddenly, Elysion looked at me and said pleadingly:

“Mommy, I’m going over there for a bit! I wanna see the ducks.”

“They’re not ducks, they’re swans, Sion.”

The Duke spoke in a somewhat strict voice, and Sion frowned.

“Daddy, stop telling me what to say! I’m not playing with you.”

“What?”

At that, the Duke’s face contorted, and Elysion stuck out his tongue before turning around and running toward the lake.

The Duke watched this scene with an incredulous expression.

“You two play well together.”

“I’m just indulging him.”

“Elysion might think the opposite.”

“That can’t be.”

The Duke looked somewhat wounded in his pride.

“By the way, the more I look at Sion, the more I feel he’s really handsome. I think he’ll grow up to be the Empire’s most handsome man, don’t you?”