“Is it really okay?”

Ilenia’s eyes widened in surprise; she had not expected permission to be given so easily.

“Yes. But only if you truly wish it. If you want to go, then go.”

“I…”

She hesitated for a moment before continuing. She knew exactly who she had been studying all this time. Her deepest desire had always been to secure her place by Delphius’s side, becoming a permanent and natural part of his life.

“I do want to go.”

“Then attend.”

Relief washed through her and she pressed a hand to her chest. Having gained approval from the one obstacle she had previously thought insurmountable, she could now put her unease to one side.

With a lightened heart, she looked at him, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Delphius, do you know anything about this gathering?”

“I can’t keep track of every single one of the ladies’ groups. Especially not the unauthorized ones that have been springing up everywhere lately.”

He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting into a crooked smile.

“But I do know who these names belong to. I know how closely they are tied to my business.”

Delphius cast his eyes on the invitation lying on the desk. The families listed as key members were all names he had encountered before, mostly in the ledgers and papers that crossed his desk.

Subcontracts were often matters that his staff could handle without his direct involvement. Small things, easily overlooked. Yet, given his habit of remembering everything he saw, recalling the names came easily to him.

Unlike at the previous tea gathering, these were not people who required heavy-handed restraint. The moment they heard Lukehardt’s name, they would be eager to forge a connection.

From his calculating perspective, this gathering posed no real danger to Ilenia or himself.

There was only one concern. Invitations like these were handed out freely, and once word spread that Ilenia was attending, there would be an increased chance of complications. A new figure, one that he had not yet accounted for, might suddenly appear.

Nevertheless, it was only a small gathering.

Most of those who attended were the wives of lesser-known men or from up-and-coming families, eager to forge new alliances.

It was rare for anyone capable of troubling Delphius to appear in such places. It was far more likely that they would fawn over his naïve wife, hoping for a crumb or two to fall their way.

Having finished his calculations, Delphius dismissed the invitation. To him, the gathering was no longer worth a second thought.

“Since you’re going, enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you, Delphius.”

A bright smile spread across her flushed cheeks. The way she smiled at him still felt strangely unfamiliar.

Because of that, he found himself watching her face for a long while before tracing a fingertip across her lips.

He teased her lower lip again and again with his fingertip until she lifted her gaze to meet his.

Everything about her was beautiful.

That gaze fixed solely upon him. The unwavering trust that he would never harm her was unbearably precious.

“So then.”

A slightly wet finger slowly descended, tracing the line of her lips. Below the straight line of her white throat, a clean fingernail came to rest just above her collarbone.

“Just because of this, my wife didn’t pay her husband any attention and wouldn’t show her face when he came? That would be quite sad.”

Ilenia, who failed to notice the playful tone in Delphius’s voice, was startled and shook her head.

“I really didn’t hear you. I’m sorry, Delphius.”

“Only thinking of postponing it?”

He coolly lifted his hand, which looked somewhat mischievous, and strode forward with his long legs. He headed for a sofa prepared for guests. It was charming, the complete opposite of his taste, but with his long legs stretched diagonally across it, it didn’t look so bad.

“Come here, Ilenia.”

Without asking the owner of the study for permission, he sat down and, making matters worse, patted his lap. Ilenia’s face flushed as she knew what that meant. She suddenly turned her head towards the two people she thought would be watching. But the area where they should have been was completely empty.

It was a relief. Yes, it was a relief, but why did it feel so mortifying?

The fact that they had both become so accustomed to this situation, to the point where it could disappear as easily as a passing breeze, left her feeling flustered.

“Hurry up.”

She shot the arrogant man a glare, but he seemed utterly unconcerned. No matter how sharply she looked at him, Delphius would never stop taunting her.

Taking a shallow breath, she settled lightly on his lap. He pulled her close and pressed his warmth against her — close, perfect and inescapable.

“Has your anger eased now?”

“No. I think my lady will need to make a bit more effort.”

“Even if you ask me to do that here…”

Her troubled eyes swept around their surroundings once more. Only after checking several times that there was no one nearby did she lean tentatively towards him.

“I really can’t—”

But her hasty retreat was halted by his firm grip on her chin.

Ilenia willingly closed her eyes in anticipation of the beast that might not only take her breath away, but consume her entirely.

When their heated breaths mingled — something she had perhaps secretly wished for — her arms slipped naturally around his neck.

With that, the current carried them along, drawing them closer still.

Saliva slid down each other’s throats, the wetness smearing obscenely at her ear. A breathy sound slipped out.

“Huuh…”

As Delphius’s hand moved downward, Ilenia’s shoulders jolted. He cupped the gentle swell of her br*ast above the neatly fastened buttons. Once again, a faint, musical sound—undeniably born of excitement—escaped from her small lips.

“My wife is always so shy. I wonder when you’ll finally give me a kiss with those costly lips of yours.”

“…Even this much took a lot of courage.”

“You know it’s nowhere near enough.”

“But still…”

Her lips murmured softly, only to be silenced by his mouth pressing over them again. Ilenia didn’t resist. No, perhaps she already knew there was no use in trying.

And of course, Delphius knew it too.

What he found most endearing about his wife was that her futile resistance only made her all the more lovely—and the problem was that her husband wanted nothing more than to see it.

“Delphius, wait—”

Startled, Ilenia grabbed at his shoulder as his mouth slid lower. But his lips had already reached where he desired, and the corner of his mouth curved deeply.

Today, she wore a dress with a softly rounded neckline—one of the styles he favored most, with her pale neck laid bare.

Delphius pressed his lips down against the straight line of her collarbone. A dull ache soon echoed through Ilenia’s lower belly.

It didn’t take long for crimson marks to appear on her white skin. His blunt teeth left behind vivid traces that spread beautifully, just enough not to bruise.

Ilenia looked down at him in disbelief. The sun hadn’t set beyond the window yet. By now, knowing that he had arrived, the kitchen would usually be bustling with people preparing dinner.

“We haven’t even eaten yet…”

“Isn’t it about time you fulfilled your duty?”

They had a history already. Not wanting to double the work of the kitchen staff, Ilenia reached out, intending to stop his lips.

“At least after dinner—ah.”

His mouth brushed lightly against her outstretched palm. Her fingers flinched as he caught one between his teeth, tracing the hollow of her knuckle insistently with his tongue.

Each time he licked her joints, memories of him thrusting into her rose unbidden — memories of him driving against her depths with the same unrestrained mastery as his tongue did now.

The moment a tingling ache spread through her lower belly, Ilenia decided she could not allow it any longer. If she left him unchecked, she knew he would only sweep her along once more.

No more. She could not bear another shameless scene—held in his arms while he boldly ordered the servants to reheat the food, unable to even meet their eyes.

Just as Ilenia moved to push him away, the man sucking on her finger suddenly bit down hard.

“Hht…!”

More than pain, it was shock that made her reflexively curl her fingers. On her right ring finger, a round imprint of his teeth flushed red.

“No.”

His lips curved into a leisurely smile, perfectly sculpted, and all the more hateful for the beauty of it.

“Where do you think you’re going?”