In the end, Vincent did not go to Laila that night.

More precisely he couldn’t.

He had passed out from drinking too much strong wine.

“Looks like the great Vincent finally dropped!”

His friends’ laughter rang painfully in his head.

Grimacing, Vincent pushed himself up against the wall and smacked Milian on the head.

The laughter stopped immediately.

“…Why am I here?”

He frowned, looking around.

“What do you mean why? You drank.”

Milian stared at him like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Vincent scanned the messy room.

Men sprawled everywhere but no women.

“Don’t worry.”

As if reading his thoughts, Milian spoke again.

“No women here. You’re trying to get divorced, right? Didn’t want anything used against you.”

Vincent’s brows furrowed.

“What are you talking about?”

“The alimony’s insane. I’m in the middle of my own divorce, why give my ex any leverage?”

So it was for his own sake.

Vincent’s expression soured.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because it’s pathetic.”

For a moment, Vincent realized just how rotten the people around him were.

And among them he might be the worst of all.

“…D*mn it.”

He cursed quietly, remembering the promise he had made the night before.

A promise he had failed to keep.

Without another word, he stormed out of the manor.

He took a horse from the stables without hesitation and gripped the reins tightly.

Something in his chest felt off.

A feeling he hated.

Being expected to show up.

Feeling guilty.

And both came from the same person.

The morning sun had already risen high when he reached the estate an hour later.

“…Where is she?”

Without even checking his appearance, he immediately looked for Laila.

He never called her by name.

She. Nelasidad. You.

“My lord?”

Philip looked startled at Vincent’s sudden arrival.

But he quickly composed himself.

“…The young madam has not come down for breakfast yet.”

‘Don’t tell me—’

Vincent’s heart dropped.

His face darkened as he followed his instincts, heading straight for the bedroom.

As expected she was there.

Laila Loardy was leaning against the wall, half-asleep.

Her body trembled slightly, as if she were still cold.

“…Vincent?”

Her violet eyes slowly met his.

She must have only been lightly asleep dark circles lingered beneath her eyes.

A surge of anger rose inside him.

His fists clenched tightly.

“…Unbelievable. There’s no bigger fool than you.”

The harsh words slipped out instinctively.

“You stayed up all night waiting? Did you think anyone would praise you for that?”

He didn’t even know what he was angry about.

Her?

Or himself for breaking his promise?

His voice turned cold.

But her expression didn’t change.

No shame.

No hurt.

Just calm.

Vincent scoffed.

So she’s the only one at peace.

Whenever she stayed like this it felt like he was the only one losing control.

Was she truly calm?

Or just pretending?

Either way he was the one spiraling.

“…Ha.”

He let out a long breath.

The problem was him not her.

“Vincent—”

Before she could finish, he turned and walked out.

His chest felt tight.

He yanked his cravat loose, breathing roughly.

Why was he so angry?

If she had waited on her own, maybe it wouldn’t feel like this.

But he had said it clearly that he would come that night.

And she that foolish woman had believed him.

Waited for him.

And he had failed her completely.

What a foolish woman.

Who told her to wait?

He never asked for it.

This was all her doing.

So why, why did it bother him so much?

“…What the—? Where am I now?”

He muttered under his breath, disoriented, as he stepped away, trying to outrun the unease that clung stubbornly to him.

Vincent, who had been riding aimlessly, suddenly pulled on the reins.

Looking around, he realized he had arrived at Siole Estate, two hours away from his own residence.

“What the…”

He quickly checked his pocket watch.

Two hours had passed without him even noticing.

A hollow laugh escaped him.

What was so important that I wasted two hours on it?

Clicking his tongue, he turned his horse toward a nearby estate.

He had no intention of wasting any more time on pointless thoughts.

By the time he arrived at Baron Siole Residence, the place was already lively.

The entire estate buzzed with noise.

“A party today?”

Vincent muttered, unsure.

The chandelier in the hall sparkled brilliantly, illuminating the grand space.

The party was in full swing.

“Oh? Look who showed up.”

Baron Siole greeted him with a grin.

“Drink. This is a new specialty.”

“……”

Vincent didn’t respond.

Seeing his silence, Siole tilted his head before suddenly asking.

“Oh, right. Your wife came earlier. Why didn’t you come in together?”

“……”

“Your wife. She got here first.”

Siole pointed across the room.

Even before he followed the gesture Vincent had already seen.

His expression hardened completely.

Laila, standing beside another man.

Ethan Douglas.

For a moment, time seemed to slow.

Everything around her moved sluggishly, as if submerged underwater.

Vincent’s thoughts became a mess.

Why is she here? And with Douglas, of all people?

His breath caught and then—

“Vincent?”

Her voice cut through the noise of the hall with unnatural clarity.

Forcing a crooked smile, Vincent watched her approach.

His mind only grew more tangled.

‘What were they talking about? Did she already forget what happened earlier?’

Before leaving the estate, he had lashed out at her unreasonably.

Now, he stood there, absently turning the glass of liquor in his hand.

Her gaze followed him.

She probably thought he was insane.

He had broken his promise again after drinking himself senseless.

Even now, his stomach churned.

If he drank the liquor, he felt like he would throw up.

“……”

An awkward silence settled between them.

For a married couple the air was unbearably cold.

At some point, Siole had disappeared, leaving only the two of them.

Compared to Ethan, who was surrounded by noble ladies Vincent stood like an island, completely alone.

‘In the past, I would’ve been the one surrounded like that.’

His expression turned ambiguous.

But now his wife stood firmly at his side.

No matter how bold a lady might be no one would dare approach him in this situation.

Scanning the hall lazily, Vincent’s eyes met those of an unfamiliar woman.

A face he didn’t recognize.

He raised a brow.

Not out of interest, just coincidence.

‘…What is this?’

At that moment, Laila stepped in front of him.

Blocking his view.

Vincent paused, surprised.

At nearly 190 centimeters tall, there was no way her small frame could truly hide him and yet, she stood there like a knight shielding him from another woman.

A small laugh slipped out.

‘She’s doing something she’s never done before…’

…It was oddly cute.

He watched her quietly.

Her violet hair was tied up neatly, a few loose strands falling over the nape of her neck.

His gaze lingered on the exposed skin then drifted lower.

Slim shoulders.

The gentle curve of her chest.

A waist so narrow it could be grasped with one hand.

And then the soft rise beneath Vincent’s thigh tensed involuntarily.

His brows furrowed as he scanned her dress.

Modest.

Completely proper.

Compared to the other women baring their cleavage hers was almost conservative.

Yet the glimpses of pale skin stirred something in him.

To the point where he wanted to block out every gaze directed at her.

“…!”

Suddenly, Laila stepped back.

And Vincent’s body reacted pressing against her from behind.

A curse slipped out.

“…Vincent?”

“Stay still.”

His voice was low, strained.

“I’m… in a situation right now.”

Grinding out a curse, he wrapped an arm around her waist.

A rough breath escaped him.

Laila flinched at the heat of his breath against her neck.

“I said… stay still.”

He pulled her closer, pressing their bodies together, burying his face into the curve of her neck.

Laila stilled then quietly reached behind, drawing the curtain at the edge of the balcony.

The thin fabric shielded them from the curious gazes of the crowd.

Luckily, the balcony was nearby.

Otherwise, rumors would have spread instantly that the empire’s infamous rake had lost control in the middle of a party.

A heavy silence fell between them.

Vincent prided himself on his strong vitality but he was not someone who reacted recklessly.

Which made this all the more embarrassing.

D*mn it… why won’t it go down?

He tilted his head slightly, brushing against her collarbone when.

“…Is it because of that woman earlier?”

Laila’s quiet voice broke through the silence.