Nel no longer wanted to be just an object of Janet’s charity.

So on her birthday, he bought a ring with money he earned from odd jobs.

Trying to give her something special, he purchased a design with an intricate, twisted pattern.

But he realized after buying it. That the pattern was slightly misaligned and unbalanced.

It felt like he had bought a defective product at a low price as a clearance item. He became infinitely embarrassed.

At the night lake where he had brought her to show it, Nel sat next to Janet on the grass and, pointing to the lake, said,

“You can just throw this away here. Such a defective item… if you do that, it will have served its purpose.”

But Janet looked down at the ring on her finger with eyes brighter than usual, full of joy.

“Why? I like it even more. It’s a special ring, the only one in the world.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ll never lose it. I’ll keep it no matter what happens.”

She was such a strange girl. She seemed like she would only walk on the right path, but in fact, she liked new and special things.

With such strange tastes, she even dealt with someone like Nel. And he was happy that he could give even something like this to Janet, and that Janet liked even something like this.

Why did that woman shine so brightly on this dark lakeside? He must have lost his mind for a moment. Nel said, as if entranced,

“I like you……”

Heup, Nel covered his mouth with both hands. Janet turned her head to look at Nel. Her big eyes blinked as she stared at the boy with the reddened face.

“Really? You like me?”

At the direct question, Nel finally nodded slowly. She might not visit him anymore, but he simply couldn’t say no, couldn’t say it was a lie.

Then Janet, still with a wide-eyed face, slightly opened her mouth and said,

“Me too.”

Was she talking about liking the ring, or liking the lake, or perhaps preferring the night lake to the daytime one? Nel felt confused and wronged at the same time.

“What I said I liked… is you, Miss.”

“I know. What I said I liked is Nel.”

Nel’s face turned bright red. Impossible. How could this happen? The radiant Janet Wilton, truly saying she likes me?

The magnitude of Janet’s casual declaration of liking and his own feelings were probably not the same.

Nevertheless, thinking that he might be someone unique to her in some form made him feel like he didn’t envy anything else in the world. He could give everything to Janet Wilton.

But now, for Rihanel watching this memory, everything looked pessimistic.

The memory only replayed the scene from that time; it couldn’t read the emotions she had felt within it. At least judging by how Janet’s gaze was fixed on him, she must have had some interest.

But it clearly wasn’t that deep of a feeling. That’s why she met another man shortly after and set fire to the cathedral.

As those emotions resurfaced, Rihanel felt nauseated.

“Ha……”

When Rihanel stopped his mouth, Janet finally snatched the ring. Hot breaths passed between them. With panting breaths, she closed her mouth.

Rihanel looked down at Janet Wilton and asked against her lips,

“That someone who gave you something so precious. Why did you betray him?”

Though his tone was languid and playful, perhaps due to his cracked voice, it gave a momentarily desperate impression.

Janet shook off Rihanel’s hand. Then she took out a handkerchief and spat the ring into it.

“Should I go find another item now?”

Janet Wilton said this with swollen lips. Thinking about her talking to another man with those reddened lips made Rihanel’s irritation surge again.

“There are many men eyeing you. Try to catch one. Who knows, there might be a stupid man who likes swollen lips and will improve your fate. Oh, that bastard who told you you’re not a noble would suit you well too.”

Once started, his harsh words poured out endlessly.

Janet bit her slightly rolled lip. The lips Rihanel had just burst stung, making her frown slightly, but she soon composed her expression and said,

“Stop avoiding it. You need this marriage too, Rihanel.”

“Do I?”

Rihanel crossed his arms with a relaxed face and leaned slightly against the terrace railing.

Janet knew it too. That she was the more desperate one right now.

Instead of wasting time with this game of wits, she needed to know what his cards were.

She stared at Rihanel intently, as always, and asked in a quiet voice,

“What can Rihanel gain from this marriage? Did the previous duke set conditions for the inheritance?”

Rihanel snorted. It meant it was absurd. Enough to make an ordinary person feel dejected for making such a wrong guess.

But Janet Wilton blinked once, twice, three times, and then nodded.

“I see. And quite a lot. Enough to necessitate marriage to me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You have a habit when answering. When it means a lie, you look at the ground once.”

Such a habit? Damn, this merchant woman. When did she catch that?

“You need the marriage too. That’s why you called the reporter, and why you attended today’s party.”

This time, Rihanel nodded obediently. But he still wasn’t cooperative.

“Yes, that’s right. I need it. But not as much as you do. It doesn’t matter to me whether I do it next year or in 10 years.”

“Tell me what you want. If there are conditions, I’ll accommodate them as much as possible.”

Conditions… Rihanel muttered briefly and took one of Janet’s hands, removing her glove. It was the hand with a glass cut.

A scab had formed over the long cut. It seemed the scar would last quite a while.

“I do have conditions.”

Rihanel gently caressed that wound and said softly,

“…What is it?”

“Whenever I want, I’ll inflict wounds on your body.”

Janet’s expressionless face cracked.

As if she had misheard something, she slightly frowned and tilted her head. And for good reason—it was truly a barbaric condition.

Is he testing her? Is he asking if even this is possible? Janet didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t even understand why he wanted to inflict wounds in the first place, or if there was a special reason.

“Wounds?”

“Yes. I’d prefer something that bleeds like this wound.”

“…Is there a reason?”

“Just. It’s fun, isn’t it?”

Janet’s eyes trembled slightly. Purposeless damage. And all Rihanel would gain from it is fun?

She couldn’t gauge whether his words were true or not. As she tried to find another reason, Rihanel burst into laughter as if there was no need and added,

“It’s fun, you know. Seeing a woman who seems like she wouldn’t shed a single tear bleed. If I’m going to marry a boring woman like you, I need at least this much fun. Don’t you agree?”

Janet realized.

That what Rihanel truly wanted to gain from this marriage was psychological satisfaction rather than something physical.

Yes, he needs to have some fun.

Because Rihanel hates Janet Wilton that much.

To the point of wanting to damage her body despite having no benefit from it.

Recognizing this fact felt like someone was twisting her heart. A flash of pain crossed Janet’s expression.

And that expression made Rihanel’s heart race. The fact that this woman had emotions too made his blood flow.

Would this proposal make Janet Wilton uncomfortable?

Would the fact that the benefits she’d gain from marriage would be secured by her physical wounds lower the high nose of this lofty Janet Wilton even a little?

Would she become pessimistic about her situation, having to weigh these conditions?

Thinking about it made him feel generous. Rihanel added, as if doing her a favor,

“Don’t worry. If I cut your body with broken glass every day, your value would decrease. Ten times. With that condition, I’ll marry you.”

“…Alright.”

Having finished her deliberation, Janet nodded.

The woman who had seemed wounded quickly regained her composure. As if she had never made such an expression, the woman had returned to her emotionless face. That detachment was almost frightening.

“I’d like the wedding to proceed as quickly as possible.”

She’s even talking about the future already. That sight truly irritated him. But in this matter, Rihanel agreed.

“Let’s do that.”

If they were going to get married anyway, better to do it quickly. So he could claim the remaining 90% of his inheritance. And to check the memories of this utterly filthy woman, to clear away this annoying curiosity.

Janet stepped back as if she had finished saying everything. Her scent moved a little farther away.

“I’ll go back now.”

“Where to?”

“It’s late. You can come later……”

“You seem to have forgotten, but we just became partners. And I just proposed to you. You even received a ring, didn’t you?”

It was a brutal conversation to call a proposal. But they had discussed marriage, hadn’t they? Rihanel thought there was nothing wrong with what he said.

“So smile, Janet Wilton.”

Like before.

Like you did brightly to that other bastard here on this terrace when the party started.

Not looking at me with contemptuous eyes. Not wearing that emotionless, dry expression.

“Smile happily. Hmm?”

Rihanel’s hand holding Janet’s tightened.

With a voice and face completely devoid of any hint of a smile, Rihanel stared intently at Janet’s face.

Janet silently looked at her hand held by Rihanel for a moment. The waiting time wasn’t long. Soon she raised her head to him.

“Yes. I’m happy to be marrying you, Rihanel.”

Janet gently folded her eyes and smiled. Rihanel stared at her with a hardened expression, then abruptly let go of her hand and moved away.

“Let’s go back.”

His mood seemed to sink endlessly to rock bottom.

He had only wanted to confirm that Janet Wilton could smile in front of him too, but he hadn’t known he would feel this dirty, as if rolling in mud. If he continued the conversation here, he felt he might become nauseated to his core.

“……”

Janet followed Rihanel with a delayed step. Her smile was completely erased.