It seemed she had fallen asleep again without realizing it.

“Thank you for letting me know.”

Ilenia quickly gathered herself. Her head still felt heavy, but the moment she heard that Delphius had returned, her body moved on instinct.

“My lady! Please take your shawl.”

She hastily draped the shawl handed to her by the maid over her arms and rushed out of the room. She faltered on the stairs more than once, but didn’t slow down.

Just a little faster.

She wanted to see him with her own eyes, even if it meant saving a few seconds.

Forgetting all decorum, she hurried down the stairs, almost running, her breath coming in short gasps as she lifted her gaze to meet his.

Delphius.

In the dim night, beneath the soft glow of the entrance lights, he had just stepped inside.

As always, he handed his coat and gloves to the butler and casually smoothed back his slightly disheveled hair.

Seeing him was proof that he had returned.

It was as if he had come back just for her.

Drawn by that thought, she slowly stepped forward.

“Delphius.”

“Ilenia?”

The moment his gaze, still occupied with adjusting his sleeve, settled on her, she felt the storm of unease inside her begin to subside. The night air, which had felt sharp enough to cut her, slowly softened.

The fear that had been choking her vanished without a trace.

Now, all that remained was the joy of seeing him, her heart leaping wildly in her chest.

“You’re back.”

“Why are you still awake?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

It was well past midnight — an hour at which she should have been asleep. But Delphius didn’t question her. Instead, he drew her into his arms with practiced ease.

This had already become part of their routine.

No matter how late he returned, Ilenia would always greet him with a bright smile.

Truthfully, coming home to someone waiting for him in the dark was far better than returning alone. Needless to say, being welcomed by his beautiful wife was much more pleasant than being welcomed by an ageing butler.

The thought that she had fought off sleep just to greet him eased his fatigue, if only slightly.

Whatever the reason, it pleased him.

“I took a nap earlier, so I stayed up reading while waiting for you.”

She said it so casually, even though only moments ago she had been drifting in and out of sleep, her eyes still heavy with drowsiness.

Anna, who knew the truth, hurried in behind them, lowering her head anxiously.

Even if Ilenia had insisted, it could still be seen as her fault for not ensuring her mistress had gone to bed on time.

But Delphius merely spared her a brief glance before turning his attention back to Ilenia. With a faint smile, he gently stroked her hair.

“Next time, go to bed first. Lately, my schedule’s been too busy—I can’t promise when I’ll be home.”

“I will.”

How many times had she said that?

The answer had become almost automatic.

Nodding, Ilenia nestled deeper into his embrace. His scent surrounded her: faint traces of cigars, a hint of alcohol, and the lingering chill of the night air.

It was the scent of the outside world, so different from her own, which was confined entirely to the Lukehardt estate.

“Is that the book you were reading?”

After washing up, he returned to the bedroom wearing only a loosely draped robe.

Ilenia slowly lowered her gaze, closing the book she had been using to fight off her drowsiness.

When his soft, damp lips gently touched her forehead, she finally felt as though she had been given permission to end her day.

It was as if she were permitted to rest comfortably, guilt-free, in this state, even though she had done nothing.

She lingered quietly in the warmth left behind on her skin.

At that moment, Delphius’s brow twitched slightly.

“…You feel a little warm.”

“Do I…?”

Ilenia touched her forehead, but her dull fingertips were slow to register whether she had a fever or not.

Perhaps it was because she had been sitting by the cold window for so long.

Not wanting to worry him, she smiled and shook her head.

“It might just be from the shawl earlier. It was quite thick—just wearing it made me feel warm.”

“You’re not sick?”

“I’m not. Why would I be?”

At her firm answer, Delphius finally let the suspicion fade from his eyes. What replaced it was something unlike him—yet something she had grown used to—playfulness.

“So then—what was in that book that managed to steal my wife’s attention, when she couldn’t even wait for her husband to return from a quick wash?”

“It’s nothing special… just a novel.”

His hand traced along her figure with effortless familiarity, slipping beneath the thin fabric of her negligee, brushing over her soft curves.

“You enjoy stories made up from other people’s shallow imaginations?”

“They’re beautiful precisely because they can’t happen in real life. That’s why I like them… ah…”

A faint shiver ran through her as his damp, warm lips brushed her neck.

At some point, he had loosened the strap of her negligée, the fabric slipping aside to expose her skin.

Ilenia naturally leaned back onto the bed under his touch. Through the loose strands of her hair, she met his quietly burning gaze, full of restrained desire.

Without hesitation, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck.

She wanted to feel his warmth more closely.

She wanted to lose herself in his embrace, overwhelmed by a pleasure so intense that it left no room for thought.

The hand that had circled his neck slipped beneath his shirt. As his lips trailed lower, the buttons of his shirt came undone one by one.

It had been days since they had been able to share a moment like this; his relentless schedule had kept him busy.

Just as their long-suppressed desire began to kindle once more—

“Ah!”

A sharp cry, not of pleasure but pain, cut through the moment.

With a faint, aching sting, Ilenia’s shoulders flinched inward.

“What’s wrong?”

“My chest… it hurts…”

Far more sensitive than usual, her n*pples had stiffened sharply. Even the slightest brush sent a wave of pain through her, as though it spread from her br*ast deep into her chest.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

Ilenia gave a small nod, her expression showing pain. She had tried to hide it, but each time it was touched, she experienced a sharp pain that was too much for her to bear.

Just moments ago, she had been fine.

Could it be because her period was approaching?

As she recalled the date, which was now so close, her expression dimmed.

It was clearly the start of her monthly pain.

Realizing what was coming, her face fell.

Watching her quietly, Delphius lifted the fabric that had slipped away and gently draped it back over her shoulders, taking care not to press it against her. He tied the ribbon neatly again and pulled the blanket up to cover her chest.

“…Delphius?”

“Let’s stop here for tonight.”

“B-But…”

She hurriedly pushed herself up.

It had been almost a week.

A whole week since he last held her. His busy schedule had left no time for that.

Now, finally, they had time together. Anxiety flickered across her face as she reached for his robe.

“I’m really okay. I think I was just startled for a moment…”

“There’s no need to push yourself when you’re not feeling well, Ilenia.”

Her lips faltered mid-sentence.

“Even if you feel fine tomorrow, have the physician come and take a look. There’s no harm in being cautious.”

“But…”

The disappointment on her face refused to fade.

Seeing this, Delphius gently cupped her cheek.

Her trembling gaze softened as she unconsciously leaned into the warmth of his palm.

In that small gesture alone, she showed him her trust.

The tension in her body slowly eased and she relaxed into his touch, as if she had finally found her place.

“You know it’s not because I dislike you, Ilenia. Do I seem like the kind of man who would force himself on someone who isn’t well?”

The head resting in his hand slowly shook.

“So, for today, just rest.”

He pulled her into his arms and gently patted her on the back. Ilenia buried her face in his chest and could smell the faint, cool scent of mint.

Warm.

She liked how clearly Delphius was acting in her best interests, even if his actions were motivated by nothing more than simple courtesy and decency.

Before, that had only left a strange ache in her heart. It had felt like a distance she could never cross.

But now she understood her place, she realized that this much attention was more than she deserved.

‘So I have to do better.’

Ilenia slowly slid her hand down and rested it on her flat stomach. Though she knew better, her touch lingered — almost obsessively — stroking as if trying to will something into existence.

It had only been half a year.

There’s still so much time ahead…

But how long will he keep looking at her?

What if, despite the terms of their agreement, she couldn’t bear his child?

Even though his warm hand continued to move gently along her back, she felt a chill seep deep into her bones.

Anxiety. Unease. A quiet despair.

As these feelings crept in, Ilenia pressed herself closer to him.

Each time their bodies brushed, she felt a dull ache, but she didn’t care.

Only when she rested her head against his did the turmoil inside her begin to settle.