When she opened the door, the maid who managed the villa was standing there. She looked embarrassed, suggesting she had been eavesdropping on their conversation outside the door.

Alice quickly said to the maid:

“Lord Khalid has collapsed! We need to call a physician.”

“What? Alright. You stay here and watch over Lord Khalid!”

“Yes.”

The maid’s expression darkened as she looked at Khalid lying on the floor. Her lack of surprise suggested this happened frequently. Alice remembered the Countess’s words.

[“Hmm. Yes. …Your job is to take care of Khalid at the villa. Understand? Just do what you used to do. When Khalid recovers, I’ll send you back to your hometown.”]

Khalid was not healthy. He had seemed fine for a very brief moment, but clearly his body was unwell.

Alice bit her lip anxiously. She was very worried about Khalid. She feared he might have a fatal illness.

A sturdy servant laid Khalid on the bed, and a physician examined him. The physician nodded and said to Alice:

“…He hasn’t been able to sleep for a while and has been struggling, but now he’s sleeping deeply. Well, there’s nothing to worry about, this is actually good. With rest like this, he’ll gradually start eating again and regain his strength. The problem is he needs to stop drinking…”

Alice hadn’t noticed earlier, but Khalid’s room was filled with liquor bottles. She remembered smelling alcohol on his breath during their kiss.

Wasn’t Khalid usually more proper than other nobles? Even when he drank, it was only a single glass of wine.

The physician spoke to the maid managing the villa:

“Tell the Countess that his insomnia seems to be cured, but he needs to gradually stop drinking.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Call me if anything else happens.”

“Yes.”

The physician gave some medicine and left. The maid handed the medicine and a glass of water to Alice.

“Make him take this when he wakes up. Understand?”

“…Yes.”

“…And nothing unusual happened earlier, right? I heard strange noises.”

Alice’s face burned hot. She couldn’t possibly mention that he had bitten her n*pple.

“No…thing happened. Nothing at all.”

“Really? Hmm. Well, fine. Stay there until he wakes up. Go to bed when night comes. I’m going to sleep soon.”

The maid, looking tired, slouched as she headed to her room. Alice placed her hand on Khalid’s forehead.

‘He needs to stop drinking.’

Alice’s father had fallen into gambling and alcohol, and whenever he drank, he beat her mother. Alcohol could improve one’s mood in moderation, but too much destroyed a person’s mind.

“I’ll do whatever it takes for Lord Khalid to get healthy…”

Though she would have to leave someday, Alice desperately wanted to see Khalid healthy before she left. Her eyes gradually closed, and she fell asleep beside Khalid’s bed.

In the darkness, she felt hands touching her body. Someone spread Alice’s legs and exhaled hot breath.

“Mmm.”

A wet, hot sensation. The space between her legs felt intensely itchy. Alice opened her eyes, but it was too dark to see anything. She could only tell she was lying on a soft bed.

“Huh…? Where is Lord Khalid…?”

Such a soft bed was for nobles. While looking for Khalid who should be in the bed, she felt a tongue licking her private parts.

“Ahh…!”

Slurping sounds accompanied the saliva coating her private area. Alice’s face turned pale when she noticed her pants and underwear had been removed. Khalid was between her legs, licking her private parts.

He smiled at her as she woke up.

“…You’re beautiful even in my dreams, Noel.”

Khalid’s face in the darkness was somewhat frightening. He looked ready to devour everything about her.

“Ah…. Nngh. Khalid… Lord Khalid.”

“In my dream, you appear to me as a woman. So… I’m so happy. At the thought of having you.”

Alice twisted her body desperately, trying to escape from him, but she couldn’t overcome the strength with which he gripped her ankles.

Khalid’s face grew gloomy.

“Are you going to run away even in my dream? …Do you dislike me that much?”

“Th-that’s not it…!”

“I’ll make you feel good, so stay still.”

And he licked her private parts again. When he gently bit her cl*toris, Alice’s legs trembled violently.

A thick finger dug into her opening. With each movement of his finger, accompanied by squelching sounds, tears flowed from Alice’s eyes.

“It… hurts. It hurts. Hnnngh.”

“…Noel. …You’ll feel good once you get used to it. I don’t want to see you in pain either. …But you left me, didn’t you? At least in my dream, let me do what I want….”

“Haa. Haa. Khali… hic. Lord Khalid.”

This isn’t a dream. It’s not a…. Alice couldn’t speak. She felt that if she told him it wasn’t a dream, their precious moment together would vanish.

“I’ll make it not hurt. With my tongue here….”

His pointed tongue delved into her v*gina. The unfamiliar sensation caused Alice to moan.

“Ah…! Aah…! Hngh. Ah, I feel like something’s coming out…!”

“Let it out. I’ll drink it all….”

The slurping sounds of him licking inside her echoed. Alice burst into tears. That place was too sensitive. It was itchy and strangely pleasurable. Her legs grew increasingly tense.

“Ah…! No… no. Hngh. Nnngh.”

Fluid flowed from her v*gina. When Khalid’s teeth bit her cl*toris again, Alice jerked in surprise and struggled.

“N-no! Ah. Mmm. Hngh…. There…! No! St…op!”

After she cl*maxed once, Khalid’s tongue invaded her sensitive area again. This time with his finger. Her wetness allowed his finger to slide in and out smoothly. Khalid sighed.

“I want to do it.”

“…No!”

Khalid smiled faintly and kissed Alice’s forehead lightly.

“You seem to reject me even in my dreams, Noel. Alright…. I won’t do it. Instead, let me hold you while we sleep. Okay?”

Alice felt somewhat relieved at Khalid’s words.

“…Yes. Let’s do that.”

She had been terrified at the thought of Khalid’s manhood entering where even his finger caused pain. Khalid held Alice and fell asleep.

How much time had passed? Alice got up and put on her underwear and pants. There was a small bloodstain on her panties.

“…”

Khalid believed all of this was a dream.

Alice slipped out of his embrace and returned to her room. The place Khalid had licked earlier was so sensitive that even walking was difficult. Her cheeks were flushed, the heat refusing to subside.

‘A dream. This was a dream. Lord Khalid didn’t do anything to me.’

That’s how it had to be. That was the only way she could stay by Khalid’s side longer.

The next day, she heard someone calling for her.

“Noel! …Where did you go? D*mn it. Noel!”

The sound of doors being violently flung open echoed. Alice woke up from the noise.

“Noel! Come out now! …Did you run away?”

Khalid’s voice was urgent, and Alice quickly changed her clothes. She had locked her door, but soon her door also shook violently, threatening to break.

“Noel? Noel!”

“Lord Khalid! I’ll be out soon!”

Hearing Alice’s voice, Khalid seemed to calm down and grew quiet. The door had almost broken. After what happened yesterday, she had tossed and turned before finally falling asleep.

“Noel…? Are you really in there?”

“Yes! I… overslept. I’m sorry!”

“…”

When Alice came out, Khalid was standing in front of the door looking down at her. Alice avoided his intense gaze. Her face burned hot as she kept remembering what happened yesterday.

“You… should eat breakfast.”

“…Yes. Let’s eat together, Noel.”

“Me too?”

Khalid smiled brightly.

“Yes. We used to eat together here before.”

“…That’s… true.”

When they went down to the first-floor hall, Alice tilted her head in confusion when she saw no one there. The maid who usually watched her was nowhere to be seen.

“…Where are the staff?”

Khalid placed food on the table and said:

“If you mean the maid, I gave her a vacation.”

“What…?”

“I gave her enough money for a vacation, so she’ll take her time coming back. I’ll make you a sandwich, sit down, Noel.”

“…I’ll make stew.”

“Good.”

Did this mean they were alone in this villa?

The two of them had a simple lunch of stew and sandwiches.

After lunch, they took a walk around the lake to aid digestion. Around the lake, they could see the rare sight of animals gathering to drink water. From large animals to small ones.

“…It’s peaceful.”

“Yes.”

Khalid’s expression darkened as he looked at Alice’s silver ring, but Alice didn’t notice.

“What was your wife’s name again?”

“Ah….”

Alice recalled the name of the woman who had performed the fake wedding ceremony.

“Lauren.”

“…Do you love her?”

“What?”

Khalid looked down at Alice with dark eyes. Love wasn’t even a consideration since the bride was fake, and Alice was a woman.