5.4

It didn’t take her long to make up her mind. When she opened her eyes, Pavel showed no sign of being willing to move for her sake. Larisa reached out her arms and wrapped them around Pavel’s neck. The jacket of Pavel’s uniform, which had been draped over his shoulder, fell to the floor with a soft thud.  

Lowering her gaze, Larisa brought her lips to Pavel’s. Around them, the sound of sharp intakes of breath, gasps, and murmurs of astonishment filled the air.  

Willingly, as much as it takes. Larisa tilted her head slightly to the side and parted her lips. Almost immediately, Pavel’s tongue invaded her mouth. His movements were so urgent that it left her breathless.  

Pavel explored every corner of her mouth with a haste Larisa couldn’t keep up with. When she tried to pull back, gasping for air, his large hand firmly held the back of her head in place. Tilting his head in the opposite direction to hers, Pavel deepened the kiss. A soft moan escaped her lips.  

“Hah, ha…”  

When their lips finally parted after what felt like an eternity, Larisa’s face was flushed red, breathless and dizzy. But was it only due to lack of air? In contrast, Pavel’s face remained impeccably composed.  

“Larisa Lochrain, you…!”  

From the other side, the Marquis of Lochrain’s enraged voice rang out. At the same time, Pavel spoke loudly, as if making a declaration to everyone present.  

“Larisa Lochrain, please marry me.”  

Hearing those words, Larisa nodded with a tear-streaked face, masking her expression with the happiest smile she could muster. Yet, as she looked into Pavel’s darkened eyes, she felt it keenly.  

He doesn’t love me anymore.  

Larisa was almost dragged back to her family’s home by the Marquis of Lochrain, but Pavel stepped in to stop him.  

“Marquis, it would be better if we had a conversation first.”  

In a situation where all eyes were on them, it wasn’t easy for the Marquis to forcibly drag his daughter away—especially with the man who had just proposed standing right there. Not to mention, the King himself was present at the scene.  

Grinding his teeth and glaring at Pavel, the Marquis stormed out of the ballroom. Following him were the Marchioness, her face flushed red, and the Earl of Membrane.  

As Larisa watched their retreating figures, Pavel spoke to her.  

“Do you wish to leave as well?”  

“…If I stay here any longer, I’ll just become a spectacle for everyone.”  

“I’ll escort you.”  

Larisa ended up riding in Pavel’s carriage instead of the one she had arrived in. It was something he had prepared in advance. As soon as the two of them boarded, the carriage quickly left the palace grounds.  

After their departure, the remaining guests buzzed with chatter, engrossed in the unfolding drama.  

Wasn’t the reason they broke up in the first place because of the Marquis of Lochrain? Didn’t he try to sell his daughter off to that old Earl for money, forcing them apart? But now they’ve reunited, haven’t they…? 

There’s no way the Duke of Ainsley gave up on Larisa Lochrain just for some money. There must be something else going on between them… But wasn’t the Duke rumored to be in talks of marriage with the Princess? What’s really happening here…? 

Leaving behind the chaos of speculation and gossip, the carriage carrying Pavel and Larisa headed not to her townhouse, but to the Ainsley Ducal Estate.  

When the carriage veered off the familiar path to a completely different destination, Larisa, startled, questioned Pavel.  

“Why are we going to the Duke’s estate?”  

“If I drop you off at your townhouse now, won’t the Marquis come to drag you away and lock you up?”  

“Surely, he wouldn’t…”  

Larisa was about to say that such a thing couldn’t possibly happen, but she closed her mouth.  

The Marquis of Lochrain had never acted recklessly, no matter what she did, as he was always conscious of others’ opinions. However, having endured such humiliation—at least, what the Marquis would consider humiliation—in front of nearly all the Kingdom’s nobles, there was no telling how he might react.  

That said, going to the Duke’s estate was equally problematic.  

“If I move into the estate before we’re even married, people will certainly talk.”  

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve already declared to everyone that we’re getting married.”  

Pavel answered without taking his gaze off the carriage window. Come to think of it, he hadn’t made eye contact with her even once since they boarded the carriage. Larisa stared quietly at his profile before lowering her head.  

“…You gain nothing from marrying me. Why did you propose?”  

“Am I not allowed to?”  

“I just don’t understand.”  

“Well…”  

After a brief pause, Pavel let out a soft laugh.  

“Maybe I just wanted to do something on my own terms for once.”  

“…”  

“Just like you did to me.”  

Larisa felt as though her heart had dropped.  

Of course, she had acted selfishly in the past. She had even made Pavel, who was as innocent as could be, do things that embarrassed him. He had endured it all because of his affection for her.  

After she had cruelly rejected him, Larisa had never given much thought to how he might have felt.  

Perhaps… he wanted revenge. Deep affection can transform into cruel hatred in an instant, given its intensity. Maybe Pavel saw the news of her engagement as a perfect opportunity.  

Biting her lip, Larisa spoke in a small voice.  

“Once we’re married, it won’t be easy to undo.”  

“I’m aware.”  

Slowly, Pavel turned his gaze toward her. Yet Larisa still couldn’t read his expression or his eyes. The Pavel who used to bare everything to her was gone, and this new Pavel suffocated her.  

“All I’ll ask of you is one thing.”  

“…”  

“To stay by my side as the Duchess and comply with whatever I demand.”  

Unable to hold his gaze any longer, Larisa turned her head away.  

***

Larisa had anticipated significant conflict with the Marquis of Lochrain and even worried that her father might send someone to the Duke’s estate to cause trouble. However, her life at the Duke’s residence turned out to be surprisingly uneventful.  

The belongings Bailey brought from her townhouse were moved into the Duchess’s quarters. When Larisa met Bailey again, the latter asked with a bewildered expression:  

“What on earth happened, my lady?”  

Bailey whispered in a hushed tone, ‘I thought you two had broken up…’

Larisa responded with an awkward smile.  

“Well, somehow, things turned out this way.”  

“Are you alright? No, this is a good thing, isn’t it? Didn’t the Duke adore you? Marrying him—what could be better?”  

Larisa couldn’t bring herself to answer. 

Was this really a good thing?  

Since moving into the Duke’s estate, Larisa hadn’t seen Pavel even once. Whenever she asked the maids, servants, or even the butler, they only said, ‘The Duke seems to be very busy.’ 

Everyone treated her kindly, but Larisa couldn’t shake her unease.  

In truth, there was another reason for her anxiety. Since arriving at the Duke’s estate, she had been completely cut off from the outside world. While Bailey occasionally brought her news, it was limited. When she tried to send letters to her close friends, the butler politely informed her:  

“The Duke has requested that you refrain from contacting the outside world as much as possible.”  

“What? Why?”  

“I wasn’t told the reason.”  

“Is the Duke still busy today? Can’t I see him?”  

“He hasn’t returned home for several days. I’ll inform him of your wish to meet as soon as he returns.”  

Two days later, late in the evening, the butler came to find Larisa.  

“My lady, the Duke has returned. If it’s convenient, he would like to see you in the study.”  

“I’ll go right away.”  

Larisa immediately stood up and followed the butler down the hallway, her heart pounding.  

Standing in front of the large, dark brown door, she clutched the hem of her dress tightly, staring at the door as if she could see Pavel through it.  

“Your Grace, Lady Lochrain is here.”  

“Let her in.”  

At the voice from inside, the butler opened the door and stepped aside. Larisa, her lips pressed tightly together, stepped into the study.  

Pavel, perched on the edge of the massive oak desk, glanced at her and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. Rolling up his sleeves and running a hand through his hair, his face showed clear signs of exhaustion.  

“What did you want to see me for?”  

“…It’s been over ten days since I came to this estate. During that time, I haven’t seen you even once, Your Grace.”  

“I’ve been busy. I had no choice.”  

“Couldn’t you have spared even a moment?”  

“Larisa.”  

When he called her name, Larisa flinched. Pavel spoke in a voice tinged with fatigue.  

“Do you know what I’ve been doing during the time you mentioned?”  

“What… have you been doing?”  

“I’ve been meeting with the Marquis of Lochrain.”  

Larisa blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. Pavel, leaning forward with both hands on the desk, tilted his head slightly before continuing.  

“The Marquis is far more obsessed with money and far less interested in you than I expected.”  

The thought of Pavel seeing and experiencing things she would rather no one knew about made her cheeks and ears burn. Larisa bit her lip and lowered her head. Pavel, watching her silently, continued speaking.  

“Outwardly, he played the part of a loving father quite well. It’s impressive how he managed to deceive people for so long. If it hadn’t been for the incident with the Earl of Membrane, no one might have ever found out.”  

“…What did my father demand?”  

“Twice what the Earl of Membrane had promised.”  

Larisa felt as though her entire body was burning. He must have initially thrown a fit, but after cooling down, he likely saw Pavel’s proposal as an opportunity.  

“That’s all he asked for?”  

“Well, he did subtly try to interfere with my affairs. But I’m not foolish enough to let that happen.”  

To her, his words sounded like, ‘I don’t care about you enough to let that happen.’ Her head drooped even lower. She was overwhelmed with shame and could barely stand it.  

“I’m sorry. Because of me… Just ignore whatever my father demanded.”  

“I have no intention of doing that. I’ll give him what he wants, and I’ll take what I want in return.”  

“What…”  

Larisa stopped herself from asking what he intended to take.  

Do I even have the right to ask that? 

Her self-esteem and confidence were sinking lower and lower. She felt as though she were being trampled on. But she couldn’t confront Pavel about it. After all, wasn’t he doing all this to “help” her?