It had clearly begun with Ilenia.

What started as a restless, pleading desire became something that fulfilled exactly what she had asked for.

In the moments their bodies overlapped, she could think of nothing.

No—she couldn’t think at all.

“Ah… ngh… mm… ah—!”

Her body twisted beneath his powerful movements. Holding her trembling body even tighter, he continued without restraint, as if knowing no limits.

Wave after wave of sensation washed over her, blurring the edges of her thoughts.

She had already surpassed her limit countless times and yet Delphius did not stop.

Even when she begged him to stop, he only murmured softly in an attempt to soothe her, continuing nonetheless.

Her body, already overwhelmed, clung to him tighter with each passing moment.

“This will be the last time.”

Ilenia didn’t believe him.

Once Delphius was aroused, he would never give up so easily.

He was the kind of man who would persist until he had exhausted it completely.

Rather than resisting, Ilenia let her body go limp, making it easier for Delphius to maneuver her as he wished.

Amid the haze of her fraying consciousness, she reached up and clutched at his neck.

Skin against skin.

Warmth against warmth.

In this moment, at least, she could escape everything that tormented her.

Holding onto him, her voice, already broken by breath and sound, spilled out in fragments.

“Harder… please… more…”

His movements grew stronger.

Relentless.

The rhythm intensified, as though it might shatter the world itself.

The overwhelming sensation consumed her completely, to the point where she almost wished to lose herself entirely and exist only as a body that felt.

“Ilenia. Look at me.”

At times, Delphius would draw her attention back to him, pulling her gaze toward his.

“Look carefully… at who you’re with.”

Even when she met his gaze, he would draw closer as if insisting that she truly see him.

And so—

For two days straight, the two of them lost themselves in each other, driven by nothing but instinct.

The retreat had been planned to last five days but with his arrival delayed by three days, time slipped away far too quickly.

The moment of parting, the one she had once longed for came sooner than ever.

The sooner he finished his work, the sooner he would return.

He had always left without hesitation, knowing that.

But today he lingered.

Even with his hand on the doorknob, he paused.

Even after opening the door, he stood nearby, as though he couldn’t bear to leave her side.

“Are you really alright? Not going anywhere?”

“I’m fine.”

Ilenia shook her head.

“I’m really fine, Delphius.”

“…Alright.”

As always, he gently brushed her hair before letting his hand fall.

“I’ll come back as soon as I finish my work.”

Out of habit, Ilenia raised her hand. Even though the carriage carrying Delphius had disappeared from view long ago she continued to wave.

How long had she been standing there like that?

It was only when her arm began to ache that she finally lowered it, her gaze lingering blankly over the front garden.

The sky, freshly cleared after the rain, looked brighter than ever. The crops were pushing up full, tender buds. The plants were dressed in vivid shades of green.

Everything seemed alive, filled with purpose and meaning.

And yet Ilenia stood alone.

As if she had been left behind.

‘How much value do I still have to him?’

‘Until he grows tired of my body? Or until he grows tired of the act itself?’

Her hand drifted over her lower abdomen.

After being filled over and over again for two days, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still inside her.

He was a man who valued efficiency.

He wouldn’t indulge in such things for pleasure alone.

If Delphius intended to use her to produce another heir—

“Ugh…!”

Ilenia pressed her hand tightly over her mouth.

But she couldn’t stop herself.

She rushed to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach.

Even as she clung to the basin and retched repeatedly, the nausea refused to fade.

She felt so sick that she could barely stand. And in that moment, a fleeting thought crossed her mind.

‘Would I become more useful if I had a child?’

She was disgusted that the idea had even crossed her mind.

If things continued as they were, the people who had accused her would be proved right.

She was a woman who clung to Delphius for money.

She was a woman who lived off him without knowing her place.

But none of it was wrong.

“I’m asking you seriously, milady.”

“Let me ask you again—would you consider going on a trip with me?”

“…Ha. Haha.”

A hollow laugh slipped through her lips.

She couldn’t even fulfill what was expected of her and yet she had dared to dream of leaving.

The absurdity of it made her laugh at herself.

‘Be useful.’

She buried her face in the cloth the maid had handed her and gently patted her on the back.

This went on until the day she was no longer needed, the day she would finally be freed from him. Instead of Delphius, who said he would be back soon, someone else arrived at the small house.

“My, my… I didn’t mistake this for a stable, did I?”

It was Lady Ariella of Calante.

Clearly displeased by the modest size of the house, she stepped inside with visible reluctance. The moment she entered the sitting room beyond the entrance, her expression changed again; her brows knitted together as though she had caught an unpleasant scent.

Even after she had taken her seat, she continued to complain. She remarked on how astonishing it was to live in a place like this, her words filled with mockery rather than admiration.

Ilenia watched her impassively, then quietly asked,

“What is it you want, coming all the way here?”

“I figured you wouldn’t know anything. But since we are… acquainted, I thought it only right to let you know this much.”

Ariella smiled brightly as she spoke.

The confidence that filled her pale face only made her more striking.

“Delphius and I… we might be getting married soon.”

It was nothing short of madness.

Although Ilenia had been sent here to recover in a fragile state, she was still the Duchess of Lukehardt. A mere marquis’s daughter had no right to speak so boldly about marrying another woman’s husband.

And yet—

Ilenia said nothing.

She didn’t lash out in anger, grab her by the hair or hurl a single insult.

She simply looked at her with quiet indifference.

When no reaction came, Ariella seemed faintly dissatisfied but continued smoothly.

“Now that Delphius has risen to the rank of a great noble in Mateo, there’s been increasing talk that he should have a wife worthy of his position. Many believe it’s only proper for the dignity of Mateo itself.”

“……”

“The general sentiment is in full agreement. Even my father, the Marquis of Calante, has come to realize that the only man worthy of me is Delphius, and he has given his approval.”

“Does Delphius know all of this?”

“Is there such a thing as a rumor the person involved doesn’t know?”

Ariella let out a soft scoff, one corner of her lips curling upward.

“I am his friend from childhood — someone who understands him. I am the only person who knows his secrets. Do you really think he would be unaware of the rumors about me? Especially when it comes to Delphius — he’s so obsessive about anything that concerns him.”

“…Secrets?”

“Oh my… don’t tell me you really didn’t know?”

It was the first time.

The first time that calm, unmoving expression on Ilenia’s face cracked.

Suppressing her laughter, Ariella covered her mouth with her hand.

“So you didn’t know. Delphius suffered an injury—he can’t recognize people’s faces. Simply put, even if someone is standing right in front of him, he doesn’t know who they are. I’ve heard he hasn’t even properly looked at your face. But since he rarely speaks about you in detail, I can’t be completely certain.”

Her explanation continued, as though she were offering a kindness.

But Ilenia could no longer hear anything beyond that.

No—she couldn’t even bring herself to process it.

‘An acquired injury.’

‘A condition that prevents him from recognizing faces.’

Her lips parted soundlessly.

Things she had never once heard—despite living with him.

Watching her expression, Ariella finally broke into a full smile.

“…Looking at your face, it’s obvious you’ve never been told anything. That’s just like Delphius. You have to admit, he’s thorough. To think he wouldn’t even tell his own wife.”

Ariella continued speaking, her voice laced with the certainty of victory but none of it reached Ilenia.

‘Why didn’t he tell me?’

‘Why did he tell the daughter of the Marquis of Calante instead?’

She didn’t need to think long.

The answer was painfully simple.

‘Because I’m nothing more than a vessel to bear his child.’

Ah—Ilenia pressed her hand tightly against her chest.

She had promised herself that she wouldn’t get hurt again.

And yet, once again, Delphius had trampled all over her heart.

Unhealed wounds do not fade easily.

‘I truly meant nothing to him.’

A realization she had already reached, over and over again struck her once more.

“…Don’t worry too much. Aside from his family, no one else knows this secret.”

At Ariella’s words—subtly implying that Ilenia was not included among that “family”—Ilenia finally lifted her gaze to look at her.

“Four days ago.”

“Hm?”

“May I ask… what you were doing four days ago?”

“Four days ago?”

She paused, trying to recall.

What had she been doing that day?

Then, as if the memory finally surfaced, she lightly clapped her hands together.

“Ah, I remember now.”

A faint, knowing smile curved her lips.

“I was with Delphius.”