“Popo, that’s not a toy. Put it down right now!”

The opponent was the snow-white cat that had saved her recently, and Evelyn gripped the end of something in the cat’s mouth, engaged in a tug-of-war with the cat who refused to let it be taken.

Looking closely, the whip Evelyn had thrown somewhere during her recent riding lesson, saying she didn’t want it, was clamped in Popo’s mouth. 

Seemingly quite pleased with it, Popo firmly bit the thin rod and completely ignored Evelyn’s words, stubbornly holding on to avoid losing it.

Elkas, who’d nearly clutched his forehead, lightly placed his hand on her back where she’d tensed up. His decision to prevent her from falling proved correct once again.

“I said let go.”

The moment Evelyn pulled hard, Popo, who’d been holding on without opening its mouth at all, anticlimactically opened wide. 

The recoil from the suddenly broken force made Evelyn’s body sway backward. Large hands that had been waiting caught her body that nearly fell flat on her back.

Bewildered, Evelyn turned her head, discovered Elkas, and her eyes went round. At her clear eyes asking when he’d gotten there, Elkas made a somewhat stern expression and spoke with a sigh.

“Evelyn, I asked you to refrain from dangerous actions…”

“Oh… that.”

But Evelyn, cutting off Elkas’s continuing words, immediately turned her head forward. 

While Evelyn played dumb, Popo, who’d completely taken the whip in its mouth again, dashed away like lightning.

Elkas turned back the head of Evelyn, who glared at where Popo had escaped while fuming.

“Evelyn, did you hear what I said?”

“I heard you. I’ll go get it again later.”

At his wife’s face smiling broadly, saying she’d succeed this time, Elkas had to swallow down his burning insides once more.

Unaware of her husband’s worry, Evelyn patted the spot beside her, telling him to come quickly.

“Elkas. It’s really soft here.”

“Sigh… because of my wife who sits on the floor at every opportunity, the Duke’s dignity is in shambles.”

From the moment he confirmed their childhood connection, Elkas had started occasionally using a playful tone.

“But these little ones can’t jump up on chairs yet.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes playfully at Elkas, who complained even while sitting beside her, and lifted up a kitten smaller than her palm. 

The kitten born to the female cat that had recently moved its nest here rolled its eyes like the world was fascinating. Evelyn carefully stroked the cotton-soft fur and whipped around to face Elkas.

Elkas, who’d barely pulled back his forehead that nearly collided, sent an affectionate gaze to his grinning wife.

“Cute, right? Its paws are tiny and its feet are small.”

A thick arm descended over the shoulder of Evelyn, who smiled broadly and hugged the kitten she’d tucked into her arms. With the pulling force, Evelyn ended up tucked into Elkas’s firm chest and opened her eyes wide, asking what he was doing.

“I’m also… doing this because you’re cute. Your hands are small, your feet are small, and your lips are pretty.”

At the hot lips that immediately pressed against her forehead with a smooch, Evelyn’s cheeks flushed bright red. 

Rather than disliking her husband’s change of occasionally sending light skinship since they’d exchanged their feelings, she felt good, like wings had sprouted on her body making her light.

Listening pleasantly to her rapidly beating heart, Evelyn stayed quietly nestled in Elkas’s arms for a while. It was the only moment the wild girl became docile.

After that, Evelyn went on walks with Elkas or spent time in the greenhouse. If nothing else, it was because of his request to stay within the estate as much as possible.

However, Evelyn wasn’t one to stay quietly only in her room.

“Elkas?”

“I’m here.”

“Elkas, you’re there, right?”

“I won’t go anywhere, so don’t worry.”

At that answer, Evelyn turned her head back and smiled broadly.

“…You can’t go anywhere. If you leave me alone and go, I’ll run away again.”

“Evelyn!”

Oops. A mistake.

At the heavy voice, Evelyn made a motion of hitting her lips. At that action, Elkas’s expression that had stiffened momentarily softened.

Under the bright sunshine, Evelyn was pattering across a stone bridge. Lately, Evelyn’s favorite spot was a small stream located at the entrance connecting to the forest in the rear garden. 

The stream formed by a small water flow from the mountain had a width about as tall as an adult man, and she found it fun to cross the stone bridge made by stacking white stones between them.

And every time she crossed to the opposite side, she playfully called her husband, asking if he was following properly.

The moment Evelyn, who’d hopped to the opposite bank, turned around, Elkas, who’d likewise arrived, pulled her into a tight embrace. Soft lips touched and separated from her cheek with a smooch.

“I followed well.”

Evelyn, who smiled brightly, nodded with satisfaction. Her smile shone clearly in the sunlight filtering through the colorfully tinted tree leaves.

“Let’s do it one more time.”

“Alright, but watch ahead carefully so you don’t fall.”

“You’ll save me if I fall anyway.”

Though the water surface only came up to about her ankles, at Evelyn’s smile saying she knew he’d obviously save her, Elkas couldn’t help but smile along.

What had been “one more time” was already exceeding ten times, but it wasn’t tiring at all. 

Elkas slowly followed, firmly supporting each step Evelyn took, and behind them, a cat with a whip in its mouth—one no one else used at this estate—leisurely followed them.

* * *

The ducal estate welcoming midwinter was colored with gentle tranquility rather than its previous lively atmosphere.

Before long, Evelyn’s fourth season at the ducal estate had arrived.

Though it was cold midwinter with snow falling heavily outside, inside the estate a soft warm breeze circulated, quite like a spring wind blowing.

A fire was already lit inside the fireplace. The burning firewood and dancing red flames swaying were quite tasteful. 

Though she lazed around in front of the warm fireplace more than going outside like before, Evelyn melted into the peace that flowed like water. Her life where she thought she’d married so well continued still.

“Ah… warm.”

Evelyn, who’d become much more comfortable with the fluffy feeling of the cushion supporting her back, took a big bite of the golden-brown éclair Penny had just baked and brought. 

The flavor richly felt with custard cream abundantly filling it, sweetness appropriately harmonized, was happiness itself.

She’d stopped the mistress role she’d been fulfilling until recently and started resting like now because of Elkas’s request not to overdo it for the time being. 

She couldn’t forget Elkas’s shocked expression when he heard the place she’d stayed after leaving home was none other than a shabby cabin.

Swish-swish.

Meow!

Watching Popo battling with a ball of fur while rolling it, she tossed the excess fur balls with her hand. Her stomach that had felt nothing became slightly rounded, like hiding a very small cushion under her skirt.

It was a peaceful and warm day, but staying docile for several days made her start feeling restless. Feeling the heat gradually rising as the flames soared, Evelyn sat back a bit from the fireplace.

But even after creating distance, her body heated up like she was getting feverish.

“Why does my body keep getting hot and cold?”

Evelyn tilted her head. Actually, she’d been finding it strange for a while, occasionally feeling heat rising at random times. 

Until recently her mood had clearly been fluctuating, but lately heat kept rising and settling in her body ceaselessly. The symptom was quite similar to when heat arose in her body during ovulation and her chest swelled to its limit.

“The physician said nothing was wrong…”

Evelyn, who’d put down the pie she was holding, pressed her arm and chest in order, seemingly diagnosing her own body. 

But at that touch, her body suddenly felt hotter and excitement seemed to surge. 

As she squeezed her chest, more swollen than usual, with both hands, somehow the area between her legs felt tingly.

“Ha… I want to roll around raising dust too.”

At the soliloquy that slipped out carelessly, Evelyn looked around, startled. Wait a minute. Could this be. In that moment, words Sheila had said flashed through her mind.

Evelyn, who pressed her palms to her cheeks to cool the heat, certain she’d gone completely crazy, recalled when her last time in bed with her husband had ended. 

So starting from before she ran away, it was approaching nearly a month.

“You said it gets big just looking at me. Why are you trying so hard to hold back?”

Actually, she’d heard later that the reason Elkas had distanced himself from their bed was none other than the physician’s recommendation. 

Hearing that he should be especially careful for any possible situation since it was early pregnancy, Elkas hadn’t touched her.

She’d understood and moved on then, but today Elkas’s faithful patience felt quite regrettable.

“Wait, come to think of it… what the physician said yesterday…”

Evelyn’s eyes suddenly shook as she recalled something. Hastily brushing off the crumbs around her mouth by tapping them, Evelyn counted the days on her fingers. 

When her slowly folding fingers finished, just then Elkas, who’d gone to the bathroom, entered the bedroom.

Seeing his firm upper body moist with water after showering, her mouth suddenly went dry. 

Every time she traced the contours of his well-defined muscles with her fingertips, her pulse beat vigorously. Her body, hotter than usual, increased her heart rate, making it pound.

Evelyn pulled his fingers and once again sat him down unceremoniously on the rug spread in front of the fireplace.

“Is there something you want to eat?”

At the usual question asking if there was food she wanted, Evelyn shook her head and narrowed the distance between them even closer.

“My Lord Duke, please kiss me.”

Her proactive appearance was a first, so Elkas doubted his ears. But as a man for whom his wife’s request was the world’s top priority, there was no way he couldn’t grant it.

“I’ll gladly do so.”

Their lips immediately collided and a slippery tongue burrowed inside. 

He licked up the tender mucous membrane ticklishly and exchanged breaths, blowing in and stealing away breath generously. Her fingertips clenched at the thrilling sensation.

When Evelyn let out a nasal sound, lips that lightly bit her lower lip slid to her soft earlobe. Her waist trembled finely at the sweet voice whispering with tongue inserted.

Her navel tingled and the inside of her legs clenched tight. Yes, the emptiness inside had been longing for exactly this feeling.

“Haah…”

Evelyn, who exhaled a heated breath, traced down Elkas’s upper rectus abdominis with her fingers and lightly touched the gown’s knot. 

Even at the faint gesture, through the opened gown she could see the man’s *rect p*nis. At the voluptuous sight, Evelyn unknowingly held her breath.

The clear pre-c*m beaded at the tip of the blood-engorged dark red shaft was extremely obscene, making her swallow. When she stealthily grabbed the flesh that had hardened like heated metal, Elkas’s straight, dark eyebrows rose greatly.

The member that swelled even larger in her palm radiated heat like it would burst.

“You’re already hard.”