“Are you being punished or something? Why are you just standing there like that?”

Vincent finally asked, unable to endure the silence any longer.

Something about the way she stood there alone bothered him.

“No… it’s just….”

Laila’s expression dimmed for a moment.

She let out a faint, quiet laugh, her voice subdued.

Her gaze lingered on him.

Under that quiet stillness, only their eyes moved and for some reason, it made Vincent uneasy.

“Then what is it? Did I wake you up?”

Irritation crept into his tone.

Laila slowly shook her head.

‘Then what’s the problem?’

He didn’t understand.

Only the questions piled up.

Having her close was unpleasant but her distance was just as irritating.

“Vincent.”

She called his name.

Slowly, she approached and sat on the bed.

Her movements were gentle, cautious like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings.

The mattress dipped slightly as she lay down beside him.

Their gazes met.

Her violet eyes were calm, deep, like a quiet abyss pulling him in.

Vincent felt something strange.

A suffocating tension crept over him.

He frowned without realizing why.

It just felt like he had to.

Otherwise, his expression might betray something unfamiliar.

“…Vincent, what do you like?”

“Women.”

He answered without hesitation a response no husband should give his wife.

Laila fell silent.

It showed plainly on her face.

Vincent let out a small, amused scoff.

Yes, this was better.

The strange discomfort from earlier eased a little.

He turned away, facing the wall.

An awkward silence followed.

He was used to silence yet this one felt strangely tense.

He shifted restlessly.

“Vincent.”

She called him again.

“…What.”

He answered, though annoyance lingered.

“…May I take charge of the household affairs?”

The moment her words ended, Vincent threw the covers aside.

Her violet eyes widened in surprise.

He leaned over her, looming above.

His expression was cold, his red eyes glinting sharply.

‘Now this is interesting.’

He scoffed inwardly.

So that was it.

She wanted control over the household.

His lips twisted.

He could share a bed with a woman, but trust her? Never.

In noble society, women mismanaging or siphoning off family wealth was hardly rare.

Some even secretly diverted assets.

She could be no different.

“Why? What brought this on all of a sudden?”

His voice was edged with suspicion.

“I just… want to do something.”

Her answer left him dumbfounded.

“Something to do?”

He repeated, unable to understand.

A typical noble lady would spend her days hosting tea gatherings, shopping, attending social events time would pass easily.

‘And she says she has something to do?’

If not for his position as commander of the Blue Knights, forced upon him by the Emperor, Vincent himself could have lived idly every day.

To him, her words sounded no different than a plea for attention.

“How irritating.”

“Vincent, I—”

“And now you’re trying to meddle in household management?”

He cut her off.

Whatever she was going to say, he didn’t want to hear it.

“Instead of that, why don’t you do something more practical? Like signing the divorce papers.”

His voice dripped with mockery.

Once, he had already given her a document marked for divorce.

Because of the contract they had signed, witnessed and certified by a lawyer, their marriage could not be dissolved through ordinary means.

But after pressing Hedwell, he had found a way.

An independent court recognized across the continent.

If she signed, they could legally separate and he would regain his freedom.

Vincent, ever fickle, now found himself wanting the divorce sooner rather than later.

He had even offered generous compensation for breaking the contract but she had refused firmly.

“You know I can’t do that.”

Laila pressed her lips together tightly.

“I have no intention of divorcing.”

At her words, Vincent raised a brow.

‘Shameless… truly shameless.’

He swallowed the thought.

Everyone in society already knew.

That Laila Loardy continued to return the divorce papers, enduring Vincent Loardy’s cold treatment without yielding.

“……”

What a persistent woman.

For a moment, Vincent considered handing over the household management his great aunt oversaw, but no matter how he thought about it, the answer was no.

There was no reason to entrust the family’s affairs to her.

“I…”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Vincent trusted no one.

Not even the great aunt he had known since childhood.

And certainly not a woman he had only known for a year.

He was, to his bones, suspicious of others more precisely, he did not believe in love.

And Laila loved him.

Which made her all the more untrustworthy.

“Don’t overstep.”

He spoke sharply.

He knew how easily love could change.

That was exactly why he couldn’t trust her.

Not just her, he trusted no woman.

Even when he slept with them, he was meticulous with precautions.

Always careful. Always guarded.

“What you should do is stop this pointless stubbornness and stay out of my sight.”

His words came out fast, sharp as arrows.

Laila’s expression, shadowed beneath him, darkened slightly.

For some reason, his chest felt tight.

He paused, taking a slow breath before continuing.

“And don’t expect some ridiculous game of romance.”

His lips curled in a cold sneer.

“Oh? Or if you want to play at love, why not bring in some man from outside?”

“……”

“Better yet, hire one. Use him when you need to, discard him when you’re done. No consequences.”

Even as he mocked her, she said nothing.

She simply listened.

That calmness suffocated him.

Her face showed no sign of being shaken.

If anything, she seemed too composed.

Too steady.

It unsettled him.

Acting so coldly toward someone younger than him left a bitter taste, but whenever he faced her, his words only grew harsher.

Perhaps it was because she often seemed older than her years more composed than most noblewomen.

“Vincent.”

Laila called his name gently.

Like a teacher calming a troublesome student.

“No matter how you act, I’m not going anywhere.”

At her firm refusal, Vincent’s expression twisted.

He had mocked her endlessly.

And she had always remained like this calm, unmoved.

People pitied her.

But they also ridiculed her.

Vincent had long since given her the divorce papers and yet she stubbornly remained.

“How irritating.”

His eyes narrowed.

How much ridicule did she need to endure before she was satisfied?

The rumors about Laila Nelasidad all stemmed from him.

He knew that.

And it left a bitter feeling in his chest.

Whenever he saw her, there was an inexplicable discomfort something close to guilt.

‘Is that why she keeps acting like this?’

The thought irritated him further.

Turning away, he lay down facing the wall.

A silent signal that he was done arguing.

Laila seemed to understand.

Without a word, she lay down beside him.

Silence settled between them.

Vincent rested his head on his arm instead of the pillow, his voice quieter now.

“…Stop waiting for me like you did today.”

It bothered him.

The idea of her waiting for him for dinner.

He wasn’t someone who cared for meals anyway.

A cigarette or two was enough.

Sharing meals that, too, felt like a burden.

“…Alright.”

At her quiet answer, Vincent pressed his lips together.

The thought of her waiting endlessly for him made him uneasy.

‘Why are you doing this?’

He wondered.

Did she truly like him?

Or was this some foolish dream of taming the empire’s worst scoundrel?

“Hah.”

Reforming a man like him how absurdly convincing that sounded.

Vincent ground his teeth.

If that was truly her intention he wouldn’t back down.

If she refused to divorce then he would push her until she did.

Until she gave up.

Until she broke.

“Vincent… about the divorce you mentioned earlier.”

The moment she said the word, his heart dropped.

His body went rigid.

He barely breathed.

“…Do you want to divorce me?”

“Of course.”

He answered.

Yet even as he spoke, something heavy pressed against his chest.

An unfamiliar, unpleasant feeling.

“…Not now. I’m sorry.”

After a long silence, she spoke.

His heart lurched again.

He clenched his fist tightly, so tight it nearly cut off circulation, only then managing to steady his breath.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to divorce you.”

Her quiet whisper loosened the tension in his body.

Vincent swallowed, then spoke casually over his shoulder.

“Of course. You’re happier staying with me.”

No answer came.

His fist tightened and loosened unconsciously.

Then a soft rustling.

A cool warmth touched his broad back.

She had turned, pressing her back lightly against his.

The warmth between them softened the sharp tension in the air.

Laila shifted slightly, leaning closer.

Vincent flinched but didn’t pull away.

In the silence, a strange sensation ran down his spine.

Uncomfortable.

Unfamiliar.

And faintly, inexplicably stirring something deep in his chest.