“Lord Leon, you… Why on earth are you here?”

It was Daril Lyuschino who asked that, flashing his green eyes. One of the servants standing behind Daril was seen quickly disappearing. It was the one who had brought Leon in the carriage earlier.

Leon realized that Odette had deliberately dropped her fan after luring Daril’s group this way.

‘Just as I first thought, a woman I don’t even want to associate with.’

Meanwhile, Daril’s gaze, which had been staring at Leon in bewilderment, turned towards the folding fan he had picked up, and soon discovered Odette sitting opposite Leon.

Daril’s green eyes instantly blazed with anger.

“No, Lord Leon, what on earth is this situation!”

“Oh my, Viscount Lyuschino. You picked up my fan. I’m grateful.”

Odette, who had snatched the folding fan by reaching out the window before Daril could cause more of a scene, casually expressed her gratitude.

“Elder brother. What’s, going on?”

Hearing someone’s voice hidden behind Daril’s large frame, Odette’s smile bloomed even deeper.

“Kasha, well… Didn’t I tell you! Handsome men live up to their looks!”

“What do you mean……”

Kasha, who had finally pushed Daril aside and secured her view, immediately recognized Leon and Odette sitting in the carriage. Her deep pink eyes clashed precisely with Leon’s.

And she seemed to have quickly assessed the situation at the same time.

“Lord Leon.”

“Lady Kasha.”

Just as Leon and Kasha called each other’s names, Odette cut in.

“Oh my. Lady Lyuschino. Today’s competition was quite impressive. Your skills were remarkable, weren’t they? Anyway, congratulations. Well then, I’m not finished conversing with Lord Leon yet, so excuse me.”

Odette, who had rattled all that off without giving them a chance to interject, closed the curtain before Kasha and Daril could even respond.

The sound of Daril raging could be heard from outside, but it soon stopped when Kasha said something in a low voice. The sound of low conversation gradually faded away.

And as Kasha’s voice faded, Leon grew anxious. He felt the urge to chase after her immediately, stop her, and explain not to misunderstand.

The problem was that if he actually did so, Kasha would probably ask “What misunderstanding?” with an innocent face.

While Leon was debating whether to jump out of the carriage right away, Odette’s viper-like expression thrust her face back into his view.

Leon felt irritated just looking at that face, and at the same time, he felt nauseous from the terrible stench emanating from her.

“Lady Tyrot. What is the meaning of this?”

“Oh my. Were you surprised? How could the fan suddenly slip from my hand. Of all times, right then.”

Odette’s blue eyes were not smiling as she spoke with a bright smile.

Looking into those eyes, Leon realized. That Odette felt not even a shred of guilt or shame for what she had just done.

Rather, she was urging Leon to change his mind after realizing what kind of woman she was capable of being.

Leon found it utterly horrifying. He judged there was no reason to continue the conversation and opened his mouth.

“As I said, I will repay the funds my father borrowed. I’ll take my leave now. And,”

Leon lowered his voice in warning as he reached for the carriage door handle.

“Never, pull such a low-class stunt again. I’ll let it slide this once, considering the mistake my father made.”

At that moment, Odette’s folding fan quickly approached and covered the carriage door handle. At the same time, she cried out urgently.

“Do you dislike me? Why on earth?”

“……”

Frowning at the brazen question, utterly dumbfounded, Leon watched as Odette threw away her folding fan as if she had made up her mind.

Then she suddenly reached out towards Leon. She grabbed the tip of the glove on his hand and quickly pulled it off before he could stop her.

Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Leon frowned as he looked down at his exposed bare hand.

Thick veins were bulging prominently on the back of his hand.

Though he was wearing a ring, his body was in a more sensitive state than usual due to excessive physical contact with Kasha today.

Gazing at Leon’s bloodshot eyes, Odette whispered.

“You don’t know because you’ve never experienced it. You’ve never experienced a real woman before.”

Odette’s smooth hand with beautifully manicured nails slowly but persistently approached his exposed hand.

Just before it finally touched the back of his hand, Leon quickly moved his hand away with an overtly displeased expression.

“……!”

Odette withdrew her hand that was now awkwardly hovering in the air. It was a moment when a huge crack formed in her pride, which had never experienced rejection before. Odette snorted, pretending to be nonchalant.

“Did I stimulate the Holy Knight too blatantly? Or are you really a bit insane as the rumors say?”

In her impatience, Odette could no longer choose her words carefully. To begin with, she was not a very patient person.

“Who knows.”

Leon replied curtly with an expression still like he was looking at an insect, and Odette’s anger finally exploded.

“How else could you reject me and choose Kasha Lyuschino? That deficient stutterer, that idiot who’s even unsophisticated? If you were in your right mind, if you were sane! How could you dislike me!”

An unpleasant voice that had given up on pretending to be beautiful resounded against the carriage ceiling.

“Why do I dislike you, you ask?”

Leon twisted the corner of his mouth as if mocking. Odette’s face contorted.

“You know what, Princess? My sense of smell is quite sensitive. Honestly, because of the stench coming from you, Princess, I can barely breathe in here right now.”

“W-What? Are you insulting me now?”

Odette’s face turned pale blue. Even more so because Leon brought his hand to his nose as if actually enduring a stench and furrowed his brow.

“Insult? It’s an obvious fact.”

Having delivered the killing blow without hesitation, Leon finally flung open the carriage door and inhaled the outside air. He didn’t forget to take an exaggerated deep breath as if he could finally breathe.

He leapt out in one bound as if escaping from a terrible prison.

“Don’t forget my words, Princess. No matter how difficult a situation Osilote is in, it’s still a Grand Ducal family of a country. I will not tolerate any more line-crossing antics. And that applies not just to me, but to Kasha Lyuschino as well.”

Odette saw killing intent in Leon’s beautiful eyes that met hers. The killing intent of a real warrior who had been through actual war was not something she could handle.

While Odette struggled between her crushed pride and sense of fear, Leon closed the door firmly without waiting for her response.

Bang.

Left alone in the darkness, Odette crushed her folding fan as she clenched her fists in anger. This made it two fans she had ruined today.

It felt like a thousand fires were burning inside her.

‘This can’t be happening.’

The first defeat in Odette’s life. And to think the opponent was Kasha Lyuschino. And to think that what she had to give up in exchange was none other than Leon Aranias.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Odette burst out in a fit of rage.

“Kasha Lyuschinoooooo! I’ll kill youuuuu!”

The next day.

“Go back.”

Leon silently gazed at Daril, who was sitting like a mountain in the reception room, glaring at him.

“I came to see Kasha. Not the Viscount.”

“Ha!”

Daril raised his voice as if incredulous.

“Kasha? Kasha? Where did you throw away the honorifics and just call her name? Is my sister that insignificant to you?”

Despite Daril’s heated accusation, Leon calmly replied without wavering.

“Your sister and I are in a publicly dating relationship. It would be more awkward to use honorifics every time, I think.”

Daril’s expression briefly became ‘Is that so…?’ but he soon regained his composure and resumed his stern attitude.

“I didn’t know Lord Leon was this shameless.”

“Yesterday’s situation was a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? You were sitting alone with a lady you’ve had marriage talks with in a dark carriage, and right after my sister knelt and proposed to you!”

Daril abruptly stood up from his seat as if the mere thought of it made him angry. He looked ready to strike Leon.

At that moment, a lovely voice popped out from the side, stopping the furious Daril.

“Viscount Lyuschino. Are you fighting with my elder brother right now?”

Eve Aranias.

At the innocent question from the Grand Duke’s youngest daughter who had been sitting quietly until now, Daril had to hide the fist he had clenched behind his back for now.

“Lady Eve. It’s not like that, it’s just that Lord Leon made a mistake towards my sister.”

“Really? Is it true, elder brother Leon? Did you make a mistake towards elder sister Kasha?”

“…Well.”

Unlike Leon, who hesitated, not knowing how to answer, Daril snorted as if it served him right.

‘I shouldn’t have brought Eve after all.’

Leon regretted it a little.

But he simply couldn’t turn away Eve, who had clung to him, saying she wanted to congratulate Kasha after hearing about her victory in the hunting competition from somewhere.

‘She’s already made a bouquet like this. She even asked the chef to make her favorite dessert.’

Eve, holding a bright bouquet of ranunculus picked from the garden and chocolate cake made by the chef, was quite adamant.

‘Elder sister said so. To come visit whenever I wanted to see her. If we go together, elder sister will be happy.’

It was the first time Eve had so blatantly demanded something since Leon started avoiding contact with her due to the curse of lust. Leon had no choice but to allow her to accompany him, but he couldn’t help but worry inwardly.

‘And that worry has become reality.’

Facing Daril, who was snorting like an angry bear, Leon inwardly sighed.

He had no choice but to start explaining in front of his youngest sister.

“Right after the competition, as I was preparing to return home, Lady Tyrot suddenly requested a meeting. I thought it was an issue that needed to be settled through conversation at least once, so I agreed.”

“…Settled?”

“Although it was not my intention, I rejected the marriage talks that had been going on between our fathers from my side. I thought clarification was needed to avoid any misunderstandings between us.”

Because Leon’s explanation was so concise and clear that there was no room to nitpick, Daril just glared at him without replying for now.

However, seeing the bouquet and cake in Eve’s hands fidgeting beside Leon, he seemed to feel awkward about insisting stubbornly the whole time. Daril finally opened his mouth grumpily.

“Kasha is currently receiving treatment.”

“Treatment? What’s wrong with her?”

Leon’s body reflexively jumped up from the sofa. Eve beside him was so startled she nearly dropped the bouquet.