Anne sat down and looked again at the documents she had exchanged with Howard. She started writing the two most important points on a blank sheet of paper but soon stopped.

The recent events left her feeling so embarrassed that she could hardly believe it. She almost wanted to laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all.

To calm down, Anne opened the window slightly to let some fresh air in.

She returned to her desk and began reading a medical book she had borrowed from the library in the north, but after a while, she covered her face with the book and sighed deeply.

‘Anton, I hope you’re doing well.’

Just then, there was a knock.

“Come in.”

After hearing the sound, Anne looked up to see Evan standing in front of her.

“…Evan!”

Overjoyed, Anne approached Evan, who was standing by the door, but he didn’t hug her tightly as she expected; instead, he just let her lean on him.

“Evan?”

“I didn’t realize how hard it would be to have a busy fiancée.”

“Suen told me… about spending tonight together….”

“It’s already past midnight.”

“Oh.”

Anne realized she had been lost in her thoughts for too long. She let out a troubled sigh, releasing her arms from around Evan’s waist and heading to the bookshelf.

It seemed like he was upset, but while thinking of an excuse about being busy, she also remembered something she needed to report.

Ann pulled out a carefully stored document from the shelf.

“But Evan, I’ve had a lot of work to do. And among them, there’s something I need to report to you. It’s about the agreement to establish an academy, centered around Count Zickerbell, Marquis Dasen, and Marquis Jeran. I’ve thoroughly discussed the funding with the royal advisor. Here, these documents….”

She passionately explained everything she had been preparing, but only when she saw Evan’s expression did she realize it wasn’t helping to lift his mood.

“What would you do if, despite being in a position to receive reports from you, this doesn’t make me happy?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Anne hung her head low.

It was true; she had been a bit much.

Evan was just as busy, yet he made sure to have dinner with her every evening and invited her to tea time, always caring for her in different ways.

But…

She realized she hadn’t done the same.

The old habit of working herself to the bone, a habit she’d picked up as Kang Ba-wool, still lingered within her.

Anne reached out to caress Evan’s cheek. His slightly hurt expression made her heart ache.

“Evan, give me a kiss.”

“…I don’t want to.”

After his refusal, Anne grabbed his shoulders, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him before whispering.

“Forgive me this once.”

“For just one kiss?”

Ann chuckled softly.

“You’re already not mad anymore.”

He let out a helpless laugh, his expression softening.

“I didn’t know I was such a spineless man.”

Anne suppressed a laugh, her lips pressed together. Even if he was spineless, the way he was quick to forgive made her feel a warm flutter in her chest.

“I like it. You’re like a gentle lamb around me.”

“A gentle lamb?”

When Anne nodded, Evan smirked.

“I didn’t know gentle lambs did this.”

Evan stepped closer, pushing her against the wall despite already being close enough.

As Anne leaned against the wall, he tucked stray hair behind her ear, smiling slightly.

“Evan?”

“I thought we’d get married right away after returning to Terossa.”

“Well, taking care of the North was more important.”

“And what if you run away again…?”

Anne winced at his words, lowering her head. Although she no longer had any intention of running away, she always felt a bit intimidated whenever he mentioned it.

“You know I won’t do that.”

“…Before you disappeared, I would’ve believed that.”

“Oh, come on.”

She didn’t know where to start comforting him when he leaned in and spoke.

“Another kiss might make me feel better.”

Anne kissed him again, lightly licking his lower lip before pulling away, tasting a sweet flavor on her lips.

“It tastes sweet.”

“I ate one of the candies you like before I came.”

“Huh? You don’t like sweet things.”

Living together had taught Anne things she hadn’t known about his tastes before, so she looked at him curiously. Evan grinned as he spoke.

“What do you think I wanted to do?”

“…Evan!”

Anne stared at him in disbelief. He licked his lips as if savoring the taste, then leaned down to brush his lips against her neck.

The unfamiliar sensation of his breath against her neck made Anne squirm.

‘At this rate… right here…!’

Anne hastily grabbed his shoulders with both hands. Ignoring her silent plea, Evan lifted her by the thighs and carried her over to the desk, setting her down.

“What are you trying to do right now?”

“Just this. The bedroom is too far, don’t you think?”

“…Ah.”

Anne let out a soft gasp.

“If you don’t like it, just say so.”

“……”

How could she possibly say no?

That night, Anne was preoccupied with trying to keep her voice down, worried that the servants outside the study might hear them.

***

As the sun rose, its rays filtered through the curtains, waking Anne from her sleep on the wide sofa. She shielded Evan’s face from the light with her hand, glancing between him and the snowy landscape outside.

It had snowed heavily the night before. The scent of winter lingered in the air. Snowflakes gently floated down, freezing into ice crystals that clung to the windows.

‘I hope Blue isn’t too cold,’ Anne thought, slightly concerned about the creature, despite it being under Sir Ferrell Klein’s care. Blue always seemed a bit thinner when it returned from visiting him.

Whenever Anne voiced her worries, Ferrell would say, “It’s just shedding its fur.”

“Anne?”

Evan, waking up, wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Did you feel cold?”

“No. I wasn’t cold, not with you here.”

“Sleep a little more.”

“I will.”

Evan pulled her closer, burying his head in the pillow once again.

Anne found his sleepy, informal tone endearing, so she lightly tickled his cheek with the back of her hand, whispering,

“It really feels like a holiday.”

It felt like a stroke of luck to be able to watch him sleep in like this. She gathered her tousled hair with her fingers and tied it back with a ribbon.

‘It’s a good thing he’s still asleep.’

Lately, she had become more self-conscious about her appearance, something that hadn’t bothered her before.

At that moment, hearing a sound, Anne glanced toward the door and saw his servant. She smiled gently.

The servant, blushing slightly at the sight of the affectionate couple, spoke in a somewhat nervous voice.

“My lady, Miss Seun received a telegram this morning.”

Anne’s face brightened at the news. It seemed Anton was arriving.

“And, my lady, should I arrange breakfast for after the young master arrives?”

Anne nodded silently. The servant bowed and quietly closed the door behind him.

Curling up beside Evan, Anne snuggled closer. She hadn’t realized how much she had been worrying about Anton, but perhaps Suen had known her feelings better than she did.

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so relaxed. Sensing her move closer, Evan pulled her even tighter, closing the gap between them.

Ann giggled softly, wrapping her legs around him.

“Oh? If you do that…”

“If I do what?”

“I might think last night wasn’t enough for you.”

Anne gasped, trying to pull away from him in a panic.

“You can’t take it back now.”

“…”

Evan chuckled at her startled reaction and said,

“Alright, alright. It’s a rare day off, so I’m happy just staying like this.”

“Me too.”

But just then, Evan shifted, pinning her beneath him.

“Evan?”

“I just want to hold you like this. Tell me if I’m too heavy.”

Luckily, he wasn’t putting his full weight on her, so it felt more comforting than heavy. Anne hugged him tightly, her arms around his back, feeling a strange warmth as his lips brushed against her neck.

“Evan, you’re heavy.”

“I’m holding back.”

“Come on, get off me. You’re really heavy.”

“Fine, fine. We can’t do anything today, anyway.”

“Why not?”

Evan got up from the bed and started putting on his shirt.

“I’m not in the mood today.”

“It’s your Seipa break, isn’t it?”

“…”

Anne’s expression grew complicated.

Recently, Evan had been taking ‘Seipa,’ a fact that had shaken her when she first found out. She had tried to convince him to stop many times, but it was no use.

Evan had been taking Seipa regularly, following instructions from Howard, and this had created uncertainty about whether they could have children after marriage.

“How long do you plan to keep taking Seipa? What if there are side effects…?”

“The Emperor hasn’t fully secured his position yet, so it wouldn’t be wise to have children at this time.”

Anne stared at Evan, noticing the subtle way his lips curled artificially. It was a habit of his to smile more pronouncedly when lying. Even if she hadn’t picked up on these small details, she knew the talk of succession made him uncomfortable. However, she also knew that the Emperor was aware of the situation, so Evan didn’t need to take Seipa just to appease the rumors.

“It’s because of me, isn’t it?”

TL NOTE: For more chapters of it’s side story visit dusk blossoms .