It wasn’t a bad feeling. No, it felt somewhat good. Judging by how my lips were unconsciously curving upward.

Perhaps what I needed most from my father was this small acknowledgment. Just as I did from the world.

“Yes. I don’t know much, but I hear young ladies in the capital go crazy for Black Velvet? Whatever it is.”

“……”

“There’s a commotion at home asking me to buy it, but it’s hard to get because you don’t sell to just anyone……”

Father’s words carried a subtle undertone asking why I didn’t expand more. Since business involvement from family can become troublesome, even with family, I quickly replied:

“I suppose it’s because the quantity is limited. The head designer, Baroness Dupont, is quite particular about such things.”

The conversation flowed relatively smoothly. Then suddenly, my father said:

“It seems you’ve surrounded yourself with good people. Though it’s a bit of a shame that you can’t use your own name for your trading company despite it being yours.”

I had to clench my fist tightly.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“What do you have to be sorry about? It’s all that Alex fellow’s fault.”

I was a bit surprised by his words. After the divorce, my father usually avoided mentioning Alex. He knew well that just hearing his name stressed me out, and he likely felt the same way.

Father glanced at Assel after bringing up the subject.

“I’m sorry for talking about a finished man in a setting like this.”

Assel waved his hand dismissively.

“Not at all, Father-in-law. I don’t mind what Levedi’s past was like. Because she’s the woman I love.”

Father laughed heartily.

“You have such clear eyes. That’s why I gave my permission without a word when Levedi brought you. Did you know that?”

“……Is that so?”

“I could feel that you truly love Levedi.”

I felt my heart sink. It felt like I was deceiving my father, and I was toying with his sincere feelings that were clear enough for even my father to see.

Come to think of it, what was he to me? He didn’t just tell me he loved me; he showed me everything, but I…

What did I think of him?

Suddenly, I felt confused. I even questioned if this path was right. If I just tore up that contract, we could have a happy married life like any other couple who married after dating.

But I couldn’t discern if I was sincere about him, and if that happened, the fact that I couldn’t become the family head plunged me into conflict.

It’s not legally impossible, but…

A female family head, and a married female head at that,

‘There has never been such a precedent.’

Even if I became the head of Ophelia while unmarried, there would be tremendous opposition from the vassals. What about if I were married?

That would cause a stir not only in our family but also in House Esteban.

It would be unthinkable in the Empire’s social norms for the lady of the house to neglect household affairs to manage another family.

But I couldn’t ask Assel for both House Esteban and House Ophelia.

He wouldn’t love me that much, and what insane man, even in the name of love, could give everything? It wasn’t because he was a man; I felt the same way myself.

Unless the families were integrated at my father’s suggestion, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t entrust my family to him. The reason I didn’t oppose the integration in the first place was because he promised to make me the head of House Ophelia when the contract period ended.

I want to be a daughter my father can be proud of.

“My daughter has always been quick to learn, and now it seems she’s developed an eye for men too.”

But I don’t want to hurt his feelings either. That endless conflict surged within me like waves.

“Father, how can you say such things in front of him?”

“Levi, I’m saying this because I’m pleased.”

“Levedi, there’s no need to worry. I enjoy hearing it.”

For a while afterward, pleasant conversation flowed between me, my father, and Assel.

I also participated in the conversation with a smile, but unlike my exterior, my interior was still troubled by unresolved issues.

❀❀❀

After the meal, the three of us—myself, Assel, and Elysion—said goodbye to my father and immediately boarded the carriage.

The carriage quickly left the Ophelia residence and headed toward the sea. From here to the sea would take about a week if we traveled without stopping, or roughly two weeks at a leisurely pace.

Since it wasn’t a short journey, I had servants prepare thoroughly.

About an hour after boarding the carriage, Elysion, who had been quietly sitting beside me reading a picture book, frowned. Seeing his worsening expression, I grew concerned.

“Elysion, are you feeling unwell?”

Assel was the next to respond. Despite his jealousy, he was a man who cared for Elysion more than anyone. Worry flashed across his eyes as he looked at Elysion.

“Sion, what hurts?”

At our questions, Sion nodded with an evidently tired expression.

“My tummy… doesn’t feel good.”

I realized,

“You must be getting motion sickness.”

“That happens when you focus on something inside a moving carriage. It would be better to put the picture book down for now.”

Unlike me who sympathized, the Duke offered a solution. Newly sensing how our tendencies were subtly different, I nodded in agreement with Assel.

“Yes, I think that would be good too. But is your tummy feeling very bad?”

“……Yes, a little.”

“Come here.”

I opened my arms toward Elysion. Soon, Elysion’s small body nestled snugly in my embrace. That fragile touch was both cute and pitiful. Could such a young child endure a two-week carriage journey?

Still, we had to endure for now, so I patted Elysion’s back.

“You were choking earlier too; it seems your stomach is weak.”

“What’s a… stuh-mack?”

“Hmm… it’s like the ability to handle unpleasant things.”

“Ah! I should have a good stuh-mack then!”

Elysion’s lisping pronunciation was so adorable that I couldn’t help but smile. I planted a kiss on Elysion’s cheek.

“Yes, that’s right. Elysion learns words so quickly? So smart.”

“Hehe, Mommy kissed me… can I have one more?”

At Elysion’s request, instead of answering, I kissed his cheek again. His white, chubby cheeks turned red. I smiled broadly at the sight, pretty like an unripe peach.

“Assel, isn’t Sion so cute?”

It was when I sought his agreement, unable to keep this cuteness to myself.

“……”

There was no answer from Assel.

‘What, is he sleeping…?’

But his posture seemed strange for someone sleeping?

Assel was leaning against the window with his legs crossed and arms folded.

“Assel……?”

The moment I asked, Assel frowned and reluctantly sat up.

Then a subdued voice flowed from between his lips.

“I’m not feeling well either……”

“……?”

“Perhaps a kiss would make me feel better… is that possible?”

At that moment, his eyes gleamed somewhat sinisterly as he looked at me. I felt my body involuntarily shrink.

“……What?”

The moment I asked in confusion, Assel’s lips curved into a smirk.

‘Is he joking?’

It was clearly a joke.

“You shouldn’t joke like that in front of a child.”

“……”

But why?

As if I had misspoken, there was no answer from him. But was there anything wrong with what I said?

‘I’m not sure……’

I glanced at Assel. His gaze was unreadably subdued.

The uncomfortable feeling grew as time passed.

I stared at him for a while before finally opening my mouth.

“……Assel?”

But there was still no answer from him. I could hear his voice only much later.

“Mommy, I’m sleepy.”

That is, after Elysion said he was sleepy, rested his head on a cushion on the seat, and. When he seemed completely asleep, making snoring sounds.

By this point, I had almost gotten used to this awkward atmosphere. So I was just flipping through a magazine I had brought without paying attention, when:

“……So it’s fine as long as we’re not in front of the child?”

It happened in an instant.

Him approaching from across and sitting next to me.

“Y-yes?”

My body involuntarily shrank as I was startled. Seeing me like this, he curved his lips into a smirk.

“Even more than this?”

His hand, which had approached without my noticing, lightly stroked my cheek. My face grew hot at the touch that carried explicit intentions. My heart sank, and a tingling sensation ran between my legs.

“Wh-what……”

I tried to avoid his gaze, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but when I lowered my eyes, Assel’s face was there.

Seeing him up close, my heart trembled at his even more handsome face. His ruby-colored eyes between eyelashes longer than mine, a woman, fully captured me.

His plump, red lips, like they were soaked in strawberry juice, below his sculptured nose, parted.

The confession that flowed through them was as explicit as could be.

“Is a carriage not to your liking?”

“……”

“It is to mine.”

He draws closer to me. His delicate breath stimulates the tip of my chin. In this dizzying situation where we might touch at any moment, my waist unconsciously arched backward.

What supported my precarious center of balance was Assel’s hand. The relief of finding a hand at the edge of a cliff was brief; soon it wrapped around me thickly and pulled me toward him.

Our legs intertwined. Our noses touched slightly then separated. The excessively close distance and corresponding contact. Right at the moment when I closed my eyes tightly in surprise—

“Hmmph……”

Something hot devoured my lips.

“……!”

When I opened my eyes in surprise, I saw Assel’s smiling face. The moment our gazes met, his lips detached.

Though it was sudden, my throat burned as if accustomed to the intense stimulation. As I looked at him, chewing on my thirst, a low voice flowed into my ear.

“I want to.”

What, what? As I blinked repeatedly at the sentence with its subject omitted, he added with a relaxed smile:

“With you, here.”

It was just two phrases, but the meaning they held was incomparably sinister.

“……Wh-what are you saying?”

To be honest, I was swept up.

Because this man was too handsome, and too… well.

‘……S*xy.’

Enough to make me shrink just from his gaze. It was a feeling I had never experienced with my ex-husband, Alex.

Back then, I thought I was frigid, but looking back, maybe it was just that it wasn’t love.

From the beginning, I thought marriage was business. I think a big part was that I didn’t set the premise of finding someone lovable when choosing a marriage partner.

But does that mean I love this man?

“Why are you pretending not to know? After responding like that just now.”

His fine features and the firm body I felt even through his shirt. And his middle-low, not husky but strangely decadent voice, intelligent-looking red eyes, and soft-looking black hair.

Of course… I liked it.

To be honest, the kiss too… was good.

And during the Ersia incident, and when we went to see the wedding gifts, he got angry on my behalf in front of friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. Honestly, though I didn’t say it, I was grateful. It also felt reassuring.

It was a rare feeling for me, someone who doesn’t easily rely on others. But I thought that was as far as it went.

‘……Is this love?’

Could this feeling really be love? My mind grew distant at this fundamental question.

“Th-the child is right here.”

Honestly, I’m not sure.

But one thing is certain.

“Elysion is sleeping… if he wakes up……”

Thump thump. My heart is beating without my knowledge. And above all, when I stood before him, words of refusal wouldn’t come out. No, I think this had been the case since our first kiss…

“You’re not saying no.”

“……”

My face flushes hot. Was I actually a sucker for looks all along?

Was it because my thoughts had lightened as we headed to a resort, away from work? Thoughts I don’t usually entertain kept surfacing, and Assel seemed like someone who had been waiting for this.

He persistently dug into that gap.

Just like at this moment.

“Be honest. My face is quite to your taste, isn’t it?”

I wondered how much self-awareness one needed to say such things, but regardless, I almost nodded unconsciously.

“N-no, what are you……”

“I’ve remembered what you said to me when we first met.”

“……?”

When we first met? When we first met…

Our official first meeting was when we met due to his ridiculous buying spree of surrounding buildings. When we revealed our identities to each other.

But our actual first meeting was… at Leontaine beach. When I saved him from trying to die, which became the beginning of our friendship.

It was an old memory and very brief, so honestly, while I was glad to see him, I didn’t remember that relationship well.

‘Honestly, we drank every time we met.’

He knew wine well, and he would open a bottle each day at the place he called his villa.

So our memories were… quite beautified.

Memories tend to be corrected when alcohol is involved. The problem is that just as many dark histories are created, but still.

“……What did I say… no, I don’t really want to know.”

I was curious for a moment, but then thought sometimes ignorance is bliss. Could I handle the shame that would come flooding in?

But Assel was merciless.

“You said, while drunk.”

“……?!”

“That my face was fair and glossy, and if I set my mind to it, I could seduce any woman.”

“……”

Dear God.

Did I really say such things? Honestly, Assel could be lying, but thinking back… it really does seem like I might have?

Why did I do that?

‘I want to k*ll my past self…’

But what surprised me more was the next moment. My eyes widened involuntarily at his words, which made me forget even my shame.

“I’ve actually known since then. That my face is to your taste.”

“……?!”

“I’ve experimented a few times. Like when you didn’t push me away during our first kiss. Oh, and when you suddenly said you wanted to hug me.”

“N-no, that was…!”

“I understand wanting to hug a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, but I thought it might all be because my face is handsome. It gave me courage.”

My mind went blank for a moment. Perhaps it was because such shocking truths were hammered into my head in such a short time.

But before the shock could subside, he dropped his final bomb.

“You say you don’t want to marry because you want to be the family head, but once married? I thought maybe you wouldn’t divorce. That’s what I mean.”

“……!!!”

To summarize his words:

‘I’m handsome, so you’ll naturally fall for me.’

There was another version too:

‘I set a trap, and you bit it.’

He had known from long ago that I was vulnerable to his face, and he was using that to seduce me.

Wait, if that’s the case, one question arises.

Then was it also an act when he behaved as if he wanted to end things with me in front of the fountain that day?

“You, then could it be……”

As if reading my thoughts, he whispered “Bingo” in a low voice and added:

“Honestly, I did think about giving up, but even then, I had no intention of letting you go.”

“……”

“How about being honest with your feelings?”

❀❀❀

“Gasp, gasp…!”

Waking from sleep, I breathed heavily.

‘What kind of awful dream was that!’

Not only did I confess to him while drunk that his face was good, but to have a dream where I so blatantly get caught with these inner thoughts.

‘No, I wasn’t caught; it was his conjecture.’

Anyway, even for a dream… it couldn’t be more horrific.

The bigger problem is… I don’t know which parts were dreams and which weren’t.

When I opened my eyes, I was in the carriage. The carriage was still faithfully moving toward its destination, rattling along.

As I became aware of this fact, my surroundings came into view.