Splash. The sound of water hitting the sides of the tub rang out alongside Lysiana’s soft laughter.

“That tickles.”

She twisted her body and tried to wriggle free from Thear’s grip, but there was nowhere to go inside the tub.

“Then why did you start something you can’t win?”

Thear held both her slender wrists loosely in one hand and set his teeth against her shoulder. He dragged his canines lightly across her skin, and Lysiana squirmed.

A shriek tangled with laughter tickled his ear. Thear wore a small smile of his own. Getting splashed by her mischief and still looking perfectly content about it.

After a long stretch of teasing, whenever their eyes met, they reached for each other’s lips without either one moving first.

“Mmm.”

Lysiana hummed with pleasure and met his kiss.

The hand that had been trailing down the hollow of her spine and toying with her waist traveled a little lower and closed around her hip.

Lysiana felt the pressure in Thear’s grip and tensed her lower belly. Sure enough, his fingers began to work against a sensitive spot without fail.

Every time Thear moved his hand, the sound of water lapping filled the bathroom. The blunt sound of it reached Lysiana’s ears and she squeezed her eyes shut, pressing herself against his arm.

“Ha……, Lysiana.”

Thear breathed low against her ear and nibbled at her soft earlobe. Lysiana’s shoulders drew up at the sudden ass*ult on her sensitive ear, but his touch showed no sign of stopping.

The rough drag of his tongue tracing slowly up the curve of her ear raised goosebumps across her skin.

“Wait. Just a moment…….”

“No.”

Thear caught Lysiana around the waist as she instinctively tried to pull away. His length, already hard for some time now, pressed against her entrance.

“We already…….”

Lysiana tried to protest but quickly swallowed the rest of her words. The tip that had been grinding insistently against her pushed forward and parted her without waiting.

“……Ah…….”

Her body, softened and loose from the warm water, took him in without resistance. Or perhaps it was the result of the lovemaking that had carried on since morning.

Splash, splash. Every time Thear’s movements rocked her body, water sloshed over the rim of the tub and soaked the floor.

Each time Thear drew her br*ast into his mouth and worked it with his tongue, a deep ache bloomed low in her belly.

“Ha, ah……!”

Lysiana pulled his head against her chest without thinking. Thear, his face now buried there, picked up the pace.

“Mmng!”

A sharp cry escaped Lysiana as he drove deep inside her. Her toes curled of their own accord and her knees trembled.

Regardless, Thear moved faster against her and pressed a fierce wave of pleasure onto her.

“Ahh……!”

Lysiana’s head snapped back. Thear quickly cupped the back of her neck with one hand and pushed his tongue into her open mouth.

Then something warm spread through her. A vivid sensation she had grown somewhat familiar with by now sent fine tremors through her entire body.

Lysiana melted and leaned her head limply against his chest. Thear stroked her hair in silence and murmured against her ear.

“Are you tired?”

“……My fingers have gone all pruney.”

Lysiana dodged the question with a non-answer. It was her way of saying she wanted to get out.

Fortunately, Thear was a husband who read her well. He slid one hand beneath her back and the other under her knees and lifted himself out of the tub.

How could anyone move so easily while carrying another person……

She marveled quietly to herself and looped her arms around his neck.

By now thoroughly accustomed to her husband’s attentiveness, she accepted without awkwardness as he dried her off and dressed her the way one might dress a small child.

“What would you like to eat?”

Thear asked after settling Lysiana near the fireplace. He was now carefully drying her hair.

“Hmm. That thing we had the other time. The one with vegetables and sausage…….”

“Pot-au-feu?”

“Ah, that’s the one.”

“I’ll have them prepare it.”

Lysiana’s eyes curved into a smile, and Thear pressed a light kiss to the corner of her eye. He followed it with a brief kiss to her lips, then straightened up.

“Your Lordship. Jeff Bennet, sir.”

His subordinate announced his return.

* * *

With the help of a maid to finish getting ready, Lysiana went to find Thear. He would most likely be in the study that also served as his office.

She arrived and knocked, and the conversation inside fell quiet.

“Thear. May I come in?”

A moment later, the door opened in place of an answer, and Thear’s face appeared.

“I’m sorry. Was I interrupting something important?”

“Not at all. Please come in.”

Thear shook his head with a smile at her tentative question. Lysiana stepped inside, following his lead.

“Allow me to introduce my adjutant.”

Thear took charge of the situation naturally, as though to put her at ease.

“This is Jeff Bennet. He assists me across all of my work.”

“It’s been a while, my lady. Please feel free to call me whatever you like.”

Bennet gave her a respectful bow. The fact that he said it had been a while suggested he and Lysiana were already acquainted.

It was simply that Lysiana didn’t remember him.

Bennet also appeared to have been informed of her condition, which made it easier for Lysiana to speak with him.

“It’s been a while, Sir Bennet.”

That should be right, shouldn’t it? Out of habit she glanced at Thear, and he caught her eye and gave a small nod. It meant she had done well.

Warmed by the affection in his gaze, Lysiana felt a flutter in her chest and leaned a little closer to him.

Thear responded by tightening his hold on her hand.

“Where are the knights?”

“It seemed there wouldn’t be room for everyone at the villa, so I arranged lodgings at an inn in advance.”

“Good thinking. I’ll go check on things this afternoon. I’ll receive your report there.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Stay at the villa for now.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Lysiana waited for the exchange to reach a natural pause, then asked.

“Are you going into the village?”

“Yes. I need to see how my men are doing. I also need to gauge when would be a good time to head back, and for that I’ll need to arrange the supplies for the journey…….”

Lysiana’s eyes lit up as she listened to Thear’s explanation.

I want to go with him.

She had been cooped up in the villa the whole time and was starting to feel restless.

Thear had taken her on a walk every day, but it amounted to nothing more than going in circles around the small garden.

Not that she minded. Lysiana loved every moment Thear set aside for her.

It was just that, separate from all of that, she wanted to see a little of the village before they left. And she didn’t want to be apart from Thear, if she was being honest.

Thear read her expression and asked with a smile.

“Would you like to come along?”

“As long as I won’t be in the way.”

“Any trouble from you is always welcome.”

He said it without a hint of self-consciousness, right in front of his subordinate. And then, without hesitation, he pressed his lips to her cheek.

Lysiana felt her face grow warm when she saw Bennet’s eyes go wide.

“Sir Bennet is watching.”

“We’ll set off after the meal.”

Lysiana scolded him, but Thear only laughed under his breath. Then, belatedly, he invited Bennet to join them for the meal.

“I’m quite all right. I already ate on the way here……. Please enjoy your time together.”

Bennet made himself scarce with quiet tact.

“Sir Bennet seems like a very courteous man.”

Lysiana chatted as she sat across from Thear and ate.

“He looks dependable, too.”

“He is, in practice as well. He’s capable, and I rely on him in many ways.”

“I’m curious how the two of you met.”

Thear paused briefly at her question.

“……There’s nothing particularly remarkable about it.”

Thear gave a brief account of how they had met.

Around the time Thear turned seventeen, a small conflict broke out on the outskirts of the Havertz Marquisate’s territory. Since Thear had received training in swordsmanship rather than lessons in succession, he was sent to the conflict zone in his brothers’ place.

“……When you say conflict zone…….”

“A battlefield.”

Thear replied without any change in his tone. If anything, it was Lysiana who was startled by his composure.

He went on to say that was where he had met Bennet. Bennet was the second son of a minor noble family that had settled within the Havertz Marquisate’s territory.

At the time, Bennet’s father was in very poor health, and his elder brother had fallen ill with the same sickness and was bedridden.

A relative seized on the opening. He drove Bennet, still a minor, out to the battlefield and took over the family.

Thear had saved Bennet’s life by chance on that battlefield and learned of his circumstances.

“When I returned having distinguished myself, my father was greatly pleased.”

As a reward, he was permitted to keep whomever he wished by his side.

“If Bennet had gone back to his family, he would have been killed without a doubt, so I took him in. That’s all there is to it.”

The flat tone of his voice gave Lysiana pause before she added quietly.

“That must have been very hard for him.”

To be betrayed by family and lose everything. How could there be people like that in the world……

Family. Family……