Chapter 1.2

The next day, the noblewoman had to rush back to her family home, ensuring she returned before sunset at the latest.  

If her family home was too far or her family didn’t have a residence in the capital, she would stay at a relative’s house.  

If even that wasn’t feasible, the Queen would lend her a palace annex for two days.  

“Mu, can you get into the carriage yourself? Should I carry you?”

“It’s fine. Just escort me quickly, Sir Elexion.”  

Muriel held Elexion’s hand as she boarded the grand, heavy, and imposing carriage of the Duke’s family.  

Once the door closed, the surroundings became astonishingly quiet.  

“Wow, a new carriage really is different. It even has soundproofing magic?”  

“They installed a new magic circle developed by the Mage Tower. I wanted to add shock absorption magic to reduce motion sickness, but they didn’t recommend it.”  

“No matter how good the carriage is, if the road is rough, it won’t be very effective.”  

“You’re right.”  

The Duke Fredior’s mansion was located right next to the royal palace, in the most bustling residential area of the capital. The urban roads were well-paved, so there was no shaking, but the carriage inevitably moved slowly.  

Earl Lake’s mansion was on the outskirts of the capital. It wasn’t too far, but it wasn’t very close either.  

Suddenly, the carriage stopped, and the communication crystal embedded in the wall began to glow.  

“Henry, what’s going on?”  

—Young Master, the Lavrang Bridge is closed to traffic. What should we do? 

“You’re saying we can’t cross the bridge?”  

—Yes. It’s under repair. The nearby Selvon Bridge is only accessible on foot.  

“That bridge is too narrow. There’s no choice. Go around, even if it takes longer. Henry, you know Muriel absolutely has to return to Earl Lake’s mansion today.”  

—It will take several times longer than usual. Since the large bridge is unusable, other routes are packed as well.  

Normally, it would take just 30 minutes to arrive, but today, the coachman Henry sighed, saying it would take more than two hours.  

***

It seemed they would spend much more time in the carriage than expected.  

Muriel opened her bag placed on the opposite seat and took out some documents.  

“Muriel, are you working here?”  

“I’m just reviewing urgent matters. These need to be handled by today. If I arrive home late, there won’t be enough time.”  

The Duke Fredior’s mansion didn’t have a lady of the house. Hence, Muriel had handled almost all of the preparations for yesterday’s engagement ceremony by herself.  

Elexion, being the Commander of the Knight Order and occupied with royal palace duties during weekdays, couldn’t contribute much.  

Even though they invited fewer guests and kept the event as simple as possible, there was still a lot of work. Even the day after the ceremony, she couldn’t escape the paperwork.  

As Muriel scrutinized the numbers written on the paper with hawk-like focus, she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten to do.  

‘That’s right! S-Points!’  

Startled, she blinked her eyes twice. The letters and numbers written on the document changed smoothly.  

S-Points could be checked once a day, whenever Muriel thought about wanting to know her current point total.  

If she was holding a document or book, the numbers would appear on it; if her hands were empty, a graph and numerical display would float in the air.  

She usually checked before going to bed or right after waking up in the morning. However, yesterday and today had been so busy with the engagement ceremony that she had completely forgotten.  

[Muriel Lake]  

S-Points: 460  

‘460? My points went up by 30 in just two days!’  

The sudden increase in her points shocked Muriel. She had never experienced such a significant rise in her life.  

S-Points were extremely difficult to accumulate, and the total she had collected over her 22 years of life was 430 points.  

‘Last year, I only earned 28 points. This is way more than an entire year’s worth.’  

Since her last point check, the only thing she had done was hold the engagement ceremony.  

Of course, in celebration of their children’s engagement, both families had generously donated to a childcare center in the capital.  

However, previous donations had only increased her points by 1 or 2 at most.  

Her mind grew increasingly confused. Muriel pretended to look at the scenery outside the window while shifting the graph and numbers.  

What on earth was going on?  

The floating point display in the air made her feel uneasy.  

***

After working with a serious expression for quite some time, Muriel finally organized the documents. Before Elexion could say anything, she sighed and looked out the window.  

Despite being alone in an enclosed space with him, Muriel seemed lost in her own thoughts.  

Even after what had happened last night, her expression remained unchanged and composed.  

Or perhaps she simply didn’t care.  

That was always the case. Elexion chuckled bitterly.  

Like a newborn chick imprinting on the first being it sees, he had always been fixated on Muriel. Yet she always seemed to be looking somewhere far away.  

Even when they were in the same space, it felt as though she were elsewhere—like a mirage that would scatter if he reached out to touch her.  

He couldn’t bring himself to reach out, so he would call her name instead.  

Only then would Muriel turn to look at him.  

Finally, just barely.  

But last night had been different.  

The faint scent of her skin, the soft br*asts that filled his fingers when he gripped them tightly, the protruding n*pples, the flushed opening that trembled under his tongue, and her delicate moans—all of it had been real.  

Ah. Elexion instinctively crossed his legs.  

Reflecting on his beast-like behavior from the previous night, he lowered his gaze.  

Yesterday, Muriel had clearly overexerted herself.  

Kind Muriel was simply being considerate, hiding her exhaustion.  

That’s why, here, it was inappropriate.  

He still wanted to be Muriel’s loyal puppy for now.  

At that moment, the carriage jolted violently. The shake was so intense that Muriel lifted slightly off her seat.  

Her eyes widened like a startled rabbit, and her slender legs flew into the air.  

Her bare legs peeked out from under her white petticoat, and Elexion didn’t miss the sight.  

“Ah!”  

Muriel bit her lip awkwardly. The seat cushion was soft, so it didn’t hurt, but the faint ache made her face flush.  

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t dared to touch herself when bathing earlier.  

When she was younger, she would laugh gleefully whenever the carriage jolted like a ride, but today, her cheeks burned as memories of last night resurfaced.  

Her legs, swaying in the air, reminded her of how they had wrapped around Elexion’s waist last night.  

—My apologies. A carriage came from the opposite direction, and I couldn’t avoid it in time.  

“It’s fine.”  

—All the carriages are taking detours through the outskirts. For safety, we’ll need to take an even longer route. I ask for your understanding, Miss.  

“I’m fine too. Let’s take it slow.”  

Though she said it was fine, Muriel couldn’t help but flinch every time her body shook.  

“Are you okay?”  

When Elexion asked gently, Muriel bit her lip without answering. Seeing this, he slowly uncrossed his legs.  

“I’ll come sit next to you and hold you.”  

Unable to bear watching her anymore, Elexion moved to her side and wrapped his arm around her, securing her like a safety belt.  

Even so, every time the carriage jolted, Muriel’s light body bounced like a rubber ball.  

“This won’t do. The road will only get worse. You might get hurt. Muriel, sit on my lap.”  

“Alright, that might be better.”  

After asking Henry to slow down the carriage momentarily, Muriel climbed onto Elexion’s lap without hesitation.  

Leaning her back against his solid body, she suddenly froze.  

“What?”  

Something touched her bottom.  

“Muriel.”  

Before she could fully process what it was, Elexion buried his face in her neck.  

“I want to do something.”  

His actions were like a child seeking attention, but his voice was deep and resonant, making Muriel’s head spin. She couldn’t think clearly.  

“Can I?”  

“Yes.”  

Muriel nodded readily.  

Elexion had never done anything harmful to her, always being gentlemanly and kind. That’s why she agreed to whatever he asked.  

“Ah!”  

But she hadn’t anticipated the tongue licking her neck. Instinctively, she struggled, but his firm arms held her in place effortlessly.