The massive golden iron gate adorned with the coat of arms of the Brith dynasties slowly opened.

At that faint noise, Johan slowly opened his eyes that had been closed.

He saw the princess of Kranz silently gazing out the window. The carriage started moving again.

An expansive garden with geometric patterns stretched out endlessly.

At its end, the setting sun shimmered over a majestic palace built of coral-colored marble.

The carriage that had just passed through the grand garden filled with blooming red roses, the national flower of the Brith Kingdom, finally came to a stop.

“It’s been a long time, Catherine.”

The Crown Prince and his wife had come out to greet them.

“Have you been well?”

The Crown Prince and Princess Catherine lightly embraced and touched cheeks. Watching this, Princess Anblyn swallowed a sigh.

They really are such a well-matched pair… If only Louise weren’t here.

“Welcome.”

After releasing Catherine, the Crown Prince warmly greeted Johan.

“Congratulations on your engagement.”

“Thank you.”

Johan’s voice was dry as he gave a polite greeting.

“It’s good to see you like this, Princess.”

Crown Prince Alex, not forgetting Johan’s fiancée, guided the guests inside.

Belatedly congratulating Catherine on her birthday, the Crown Prince joked that he had paid special attention to the banquet.

At the same time, he praised his wife who had prepared today’s banquet. Anblyn was displeased by his doting behavior.

The lavish banquet table, set perfectly to entertain honored guests, was filled with the sweet scent of flowers.

However, the guests, accustomed to such things, didn’t particularly marvel or exclaim. Except for Catherine.

“Oh my. The colors are so pretty.”

Catherine kindly addressed the Crown Princess, who must have worked hard for this occasion.

Even if she didn’t arrange the flowers herself, the Crown Princess would have personally selected each one.

“Thank you for your kind words.”

Louise smiled at Catherine.

“I thought there was too much red, making it a bit chaotic and overwhelming. But Catherine is so kind.”

As if on cue, Anblyn chimed in.

As expected, she never lets things go. Louise hid her expression and said,

“I was mindful because red and crimson are the symbols of the Rondos and Kranz royal families.”

It was an intention that could no longer be disparaged. Anblyn primly lowered her eyes and carefully scrutinized the table.

Seeing this, Louise simply maintained a quiet smile.

“Come, let’s have a drink.”

The Crown Prince changed the atmosphere by raising his silver cup. After a toast to the eternal alliance of the three countries, the banquet began.

“Are the preparations for the tournament going well?”

Catherine asked Anblyn while cutting the venison into bite-sized pieces.

“Smoothly.”

Though she said so with a bright smile, in reality, it wasn’t so.

The problem was that there was no designer to her liking. She eventually instructed to recreate the design Madame Lauren had shown her.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a problem even if Olivia wore the same uniform.

Olivia Blanchet would just become the woman who copied the princess.

“Did your former wife play tennis for quite a long time?”

An unexpected question flew at Johan, who had mostly been listening.

For a moment, silence fell.

That rude topic showed no consideration for Johan’s fiancée.

Uncomfortable gazes turned reproachfully towards Anblyn before slowly shifting to Johan.

“Well.”

Johan tilted his wine glass. The luscious grape clusters and stems engraved on the surface gleamed coldly in the chandelier light.

“I’ve never seen it.”

It was an indifferent answer. One that made it impossible to add any more words.

Meeting those steel-like gray eyes, Anblyn flinched, finally becoming aware of the fiancée’s presence.

“I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

“No, please don’t mind it, Princess.”

Irene smiled faintly.

“You’ll stay to watch the finals, right?”

Anblyn asked Catherine. The topic of conversation shifted back to the Dumblin Championship.

Johan habitually checked the time. His long fingers slowly rolled up his stiff cuff.

“Think of me every time you look at this watch.”

The words written in clumsy handwriting, pressed hard, came to mind.

“Your Highness.”

Johan, quietly setting down his champagne glass, called out to the Crown Prince. It was quite impulsive.

The Crown Prince, who had been conversing with Catherine, turned his head.

“I think I’ll take my leave now.”

“Oh my. I’ve kept a busy person for too long. Next time, let’s go horseback riding together.”

“Please call for me anytime. Then.”

The Crown Prince gladly let him go.

Rising from his seat, Johan gave a proper greeting and left the banquet hall.

Although it was an abrupt action, no one felt Johan Leopold to be rude.

Johan, having boarded the carriage, commanded the coachman.

“To Riverside 3rd Avenue.”

The carriage began to move. Outside the darkened window, the vast city was being dyed in scarlet lights.

It was fully evening by the time the carriage entered the city streets. The road was unusually congested, and the carriage repeatedly stopped and started.

Olivia struggled to maintain a proper posture while fighting off overwhelming drowsiness. But it wasn’t easy.

The conclusion drawn today was that playing with children was more tiring than playing tennis.

The crimson streetlights visible through the carriage window kept blurring hazily.

“Don’t fight it, just take a short nap.”

Edgar said with a smile.

“No, I’m fine.”

Olivia said firmly.

She shook her head vigorously, forcing open her eyes that had almost closed.

She clasped her hands tightly together and rubbed them.

The movement of kneading her white hands until they turned bright red slowed, and soon her eyelids drooped. Olivia forced her eyes wide open.

Edgar chuckled and suggested a solution.

“Pretend I’m not here.”

“But you are here.”

“I hear I’m quite stubborn.”

“It’s just that sleeping looks unseemly.”

Olivia retorted primly with sleepy eyes narrowed. Edgar burst out laughing.

Then, with a suddenly cold expression, he asked.

“How did you know that?”

It was a chilling voice.

Edgar had never observed a woman sleeping after being intimate. He also hadn’t had a partner he cared for that much.

What about this woman?

His gaze, fixed on Olivia, deepened. A strangely intense desire began to slowly boil up.

The woman stared at him blankly. Soon, her crimson lips parted.

“That’s…”

The woman trailed off.

‘Han Ji-an. You drooled.’

When on stakeouts with her senior, they would take turns napping briefly.

She tried her best never to fall asleep, but it was useless. After succumbing to sleep and opening her eyes in embarrassment, he would always tease her.

‘You were even grinding your teeth.’

He said with a slight smile.

‘Don’t fall asleep just anywhere. It’s unseemly.’

Olivia, about to answer Edgar, closed her lips and turned her head. It was enough to show that side only to that man.

Are you doing well?

When that world, where no one waited for her or welcomed her, suddenly came to mind like this, her eyes foolishly grew hot with unshed tears. Missing him unbearably.

Edgar’s gaze deepened as he looked at the woman’s profile, flushed red to the nape of her neck.

The sleeping appearance of the woman that only Johan would know.

‘Not Olivia.’

Bullshit.

Edgar scoffed. Recalling Johan’s warning, an unpleasantly intense sensation swept over him like a tidal wave.

Isn’t it something you have to try to know if it’s possible or not?

Edgar’s gaze, wearing a twisted smile, was still fixed on the woman, while her gaze was floating somewhere out the sunset-tinged window.

The blue sky had gradually deepened from red to navy.

As the woman’s eyelids slowly closed, enveloped in the reddish glow of the streetlights, her slender body began to tilt slowly with the carriage’s rocking.

It was then that the carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop. Just as Olivia’s head was about to bang against the wall, Edgar reached out his arm.

The woman who had been acting like the perfect model of a refined lady was no more.

Olivia’s thick eyelashes cast long shadows in the streetlight glow that seeped through the clear glass.

With her crimson lips slightly parted, Olivia breathed evenly, her head resting on Edgar’s palm.

In the street where even the faintest breath resounded clearly. Below her slender neck, the taut front of her blouse slowly rose and fell.

Edgar’s Adam’s apple bobbed in rhythm with that motion.

The carriage moved again.

With that jolting motion, the woman woke with a start. It coincided with her gaze meeting piercing blue eyes right in front of her.

It was just as Johan’s carriage had escaped the financial district, which resembled hell on Fridays.

An old, decrepit horse pulling a cargo wagon had died in the middle of the road.

The carriage, which had just started to pick up speed as if finally breaking free, came to another stop. Carriages going both ways became entangled.

The road instantly became chaotic due to the death of one old horse.

Johan, who had been staring out the window with his body leaning against the backrest and legs crossed, narrowed his eyes and looked down at his watch.

7:45 PM.

It was a time when Olivia would likely be at home. It was too late for a lady to be out alone without an escort.

The carriage started moving again.

Johan’s gaze, which had just lifted to look out the carriage window, froze coldly for a moment.

“…”

It was her.

The woman who had been his wife. Olivia Blanchet. And.

It was then, as the startled woman tried to pull away her face as if fleeing.

Edgar tightened his grip on the hand cupping Olivia’s chin.

The surprised blue eyes darted about busily as her previously pale face gradually turned red.

At that moment, Edgar lowered his face.

“Here.”

Almost, but not quite touching the soft earlobe. As if about to kiss.

“Something was on you.”

Just as Edgar was whispering softly by Olivia’s ear, his eyes met Johan’s.

His neat lips stretched into a long smile. Edgar’s eyes were fixed directly on Johan beyond the window.

In the instant their gazes collided, the carriage slowly passed by.

It was disgustingly childish but thrillingly intoxicating.