When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a wave of rising steam.

Her body, softened by the heat, was completely relaxed and immersed in the warm water. Ilenia was not startled by the sudden change. Instead, she let out a quiet breath and a faint sound slipped from her lips as the last of the tension drained from her muscles.

From the moment she had woken up, hands had been moving gently over her body from behind, never once stopping — yet she didn’t even turn to look.

Careful, attentive touches traced along her body. He massaged her arms, moved up to her shoulders, and brushed slowly along her back as it rested against his chest. Each motion was unhurried and tender, filled with quiet, unmistakable affection.

“Mm…”

A soft, almost melodic sound escaped her lips as the comforting sensation washed over her.

At that moment, his fingers, which had been absently playing with hers, stilled for a second before tightening slightly around her hand.

Only then did Ilenia realize, this wasn’t a dream.

The heat clouding her senses, the warm breath brushing against her skin, the quiet presence pressed close behind her —

— were all real.

As this understanding settled in, she slowly turned her head.

“Delphius?”

“You’re awake?”

“Why didn’t you wake me…?”

“You looked like you were sleeping too peacefully.”

His tone was utterly calm.

Ilenia reached for the arm draped around her waist. Even beneath the water, she could feel the firm tension of his muscles, and a soft sound slipped from her lips.

‘When did I fall asleep…?’
‘And when did he move me here…?’

Amid the swirl of questions, she lowered her gaze.

His thigh was visible between her legs beneath the surface of the water, which had been warmed to perfection. The traces that had once left her looking disheveled had long since disappeared.

The realization that he had taken care of everything himself made her cheeks burn.

“You didn’t even call a maid.”

“I didn’t want to leave your body to them.”

At his quiet possessiveness, Ilenia turned her head slightly.

“Why?”

For a while, Delphius said nothing. His hand, drifting along her thigh, traced the inner muscle before he swallowed softly.

“…I don’t know. If I stay this close, I can tell whether you’re breathing or not at any moment.”

As he spoke, he buried his face against her shoulder. His breath, hotter than the surrounding air, brushed over her skin, raising goosebumps.

“And I’m doing this because I want to, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“…Even that?”

“Unfortunately, that part isn’t entirely up to me.”

A faint chuckle slipped from him, easing the heavy atmosphere.

He took hold of her shoulder and gently turned her toward him.

“That’s a lie.”

“It is.”

He murmured it against her lips, drawing them in as he spoke.

“It’s intentional.”

Out of habit, Ilenia closed her eyes when his lips stole her breath away.

With each gentle touch, her dulled senses slowly returned one by one.

Only when a warm breath finally escaped her lips did her mind begin to clear, allowing her to truly look at him.

When his hand guided her head back down to rest against his chest, she allowed her gaze to wander.

As before, there was no one else in the mansion — just the two of them.

She knew it was because he disliked having their time together interrupted, yet she still couldn’t shake off the strange sense of déjà vu.

The mansion felt far too quiet. The corridors were completely still.

Recalling what she had noticed over the past few days, she spoke carefully.

“By the way… I feel like there have been fewer servants around lately. Did something happen?”

“When did you even notice that?”

“It’s too obvious to ignore.”

“It’s nothing important. There were a few I didn’t like, so I let them go.”

“Weren’t they all carefully chosen by you in the first place?”

“When people grow too comfortable, they tend to lose their discipline. I noticed a few like that recently, so I didn’t see any reason to keep them.”

Ilenia frowned slightly.

Although Delphius spoke as if it were no big deal, he didn’t seem to consider the extra burden it would place on those who remained.

The work assigned to each person was already considerable. If it increased any further, it would only be a matter of time before the servants started to complain.

“Are you planning to hire more?”

“Not for now. Considering your condition—and the child to be born—we’ll keep things as they are.”

“If that’s the case, then the others will—”

“It’s fine. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Again.

Whenever she tried to voice her opinion on an important matter, he would shut her down like this.

Ilenia pressed a hand lightly against her chest, where a faint ache lingered.

For some reason, the feeling was unsettlingly familiar.

“But still, I…”

She couldn’t finish.

His lips claimed hers without warning, firmly and unyieldingly cutting her off mid-sentence. As the kiss deepened, stealing the rest of her words, his hand tightened around her inner thigh beneath the water.

“Ahh…”

“Mm…”

Even as a flicker of frustration rose—knowing he had started this just to silence her—she could feel herself responding to his touch, her body betraying her without fail.

“Just look at me.”

Should she push Delphius away like this? Should she at least protest, say that she didn’t want this?

She hesitated.

But the moment her gaze met his, the strength left her hands, and they slipped away.

“You only need to think about yourself and the child first.”

After a brief pause, she nodded.

No matter what, the child within her was precious.

A soft sound escaped her lips when his hand closed around hers and warmth began to gather once more. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, drawing herself closer to him.

***

Delphius lowered his gaze without emotion.

The reflection staring back at him from the smooth surface of the glass looked grotesque.

“You monster! Someone like you is not my son!”

Without warning, he was flooded with the memory of his mother shouting those words at him. A dry, hollow laugh escaped his lips.

Even he found the unfamiliar face reflected in the mirror unsettling. How terrifying it must have been for a child unable to recognize their own reflection!

There was only one person: Ilenia.

She was the only person to look at that face and smile sincerely, without hesitation or doubt.

After losing part of her memory, as if it had been taken as a price, her sleep had become deeper. Once she fell asleep, she would remain lost in dreams for half a day.

For several days, he didn’t leave her side, repeatedly checking to make sure she was still breathing.

Because he feared—

—that the moment she opened her eyes, she would remember everything.

Even while she slept, his restless hands never left her.

In time, even that became routine.

This was the only moment Delphius allowed himself to step outside.

This time, he would build a stronger cage.

To ensure her comfort and peace, he needed to make the walls higher and impossible to break through.

“I heard the rumors. Is Ilenia all right now?”

“…Ariella.”

“It’s been a while, Delphius.”

Though he had only just returned to social gatherings after a long absence, Ariella still managed to find him. Delphius cast her a displeased glance.

“More importantly—what rumors?”

“Well… since even you stopped showing your face, unsettling stories have been spreading about the House of Lukehardt.”

“…For example?”

“People are saying the Duke and Duchess of Lukehardt went mad after losing their child. You know how those kinds of rumors go.”

“Nonsense.”

“I figured as much, that’s why you’re here at the banquet, isn’t it?”

As if it were only natural, she glanced around him.

“More importantly, where’s Ilenia? Didn’t she come with you?”

“She’s not in any condition to attend yet.”

“I see… that’s a shame. The tea she gave me last time was surprisingly good—I wanted to ask her about it.”

“I’ll ask her for you.”

Even a simple question had to go through him. It was overprotective, to say the least.

Ariella’s smile faded as she looked at him.

“Delphius. If there’s anything I can do to help, come find me anytime.”

“That won’t be necessary. We’re not close enough for that anymore.”

Not long ago, Ariella and Daniel’s engagement had been called off—largely at the initiative of the Marquis of Calante.

“Well, don’t make it sound so distant. Just because the engagement ended doesn’t mean the ties between our families will disappear so easily.”

In noble society, a broken engagement for a woman was no small matter. It could jeopardize not only future engagements but even the prospects of marriage altogether.

And yet, Ariella merely shrugged, as if it were nothing.

“Besides, I still have my father.”

“If it’s the Marquis of Calante, I’m sure he’ll find you a proper man, one who’ll bow his head to you without fail.”

“Exactly. So don’t worry about me.”

The way she acted so meek only made her seem more suspicious.

Recalling how unusually attentive the Marquis of Calante had been lately, Delphius let his gaze drift.

“There you go again, trying to see right through me with that look.”

Sensing his scrutiny immediately, Ariella’s smile disappeared.

“You know that kind of gaze doesn’t work on me.”

“Just like how your shallow kindness seems particularly selective when it comes to me.”

“Shallow? I spoke out of goodwill, and you take it that way? How upsetting.”

Pressing a hand dramatically to the corner of her eye, Ariella then lifted her head again. Though she knew well that his gaze would never fully rest on her, her clear eyes remained fixed on him.

“Don’t worry, Delphius. I truly want you to be happy.”

‘Ariella, of all people?’

Instead of scoffing, Delphius merely took a quiet sip of champagne.

It would be foolish to provoke Ariella when she was in such a good mood.

In the end, everything would be resolved.

Once Ilenia had borne another child, that is.

Allowing Ariella to cling to him as she pleased, Delphius let his thoughts drift to the woman waiting for him at home.

Yes, a child.

If only she could have the child she longed for, then everything would return to the way it was meant to be.

Lost in these thoughts, he convinced himself of it.

He never once noticed the faint, crimson smile slowly forming on Ariella’s lips.