The day had been extremely long. No, the past five days felt like one endless day.

Is it over now? Kaella somehow felt like she shouldn’t sleep. It was a compulsion from her life as a Grand Duchess.

Shouldn’t she go to bed later than the Grand Duke who returned from battle to avoid being caught? Her mind, dominated by a victim mentality naturally developed due to people in the castle obsessively checking when the Grand Duchess’s bedroom lights went out, always worked like this.

She knows she doesn’t have to do that anymore.

‘I’ll just die and be done with it.’

Kaella muttered this fact she kept forgetting to herself, but remained sitting without going to wash up. Though dying would end it all, she still had to live today.

Remember Marie, Denise, and Cecil. And her father too, who would only be safe if she died in a politically perfect situation. It would be very upsetting if he died in vain again because of her, after she had gone to such lengths to save him this time.

“Your Highness, His Grace is looking for you.”

I knew it. Good thing I’m already dressed. Sir Renard, who had steadfastly remained by her side for the past five days, suddenly appeared. Kaella tilted her head but still got up and followed Sir Renard.

There was nothing for the Grand Duchess to do in finishing up and cleaning after the battle. Of course, that was Kaella’s opinion – Peon would probably think differently. That’s why he called for her.

“He’s in here. Please take this with you as you go. I’ll be off now.”

Sir Renard handed something to Kaella with a beaming smile, then closed the door.

Suddenly faced with dense steam, she couldn’t see well, so she first checked what Sir Renard had given her.

It was two large, soft towels. Towels big enough to wrap her entire body. Why towels? As she moved forward tilting her head in confusion, Kaella stopped abruptly at the voice coming from inside.

“Ah. You don’t understand human speech.”

The first thought that came to mind at the voice filled with contempt, disgust, and irritation was ‘I’ve been tricked again.’

Her heart sank, but she didn’t panic beyond being surprised. If she had angered Peon again due to someone else’s actions, there was a way. Kaella thought of poison.

“Choose. Walk out on your own two feet.”

The sound of something moving in the water was heard. Something, something terrifying that shouldn’t be seen if you look into the water’s surface.

“Or be dragged out.”

A chilling murderous intent suddenly attacked her. What had she done wrong this time? Too scared to even breathe, Kaella lowered her gaze and slowly backed away. This was familiar. But familiarity didn’t make it okay.

What did I do wrong to make him act like this? Should I apologize for something I didn’t do wrong? It seemed she should beg. For her life. To kill her later if he must.

“Am I Kaella’s husband, or your husband?”

The voice continued quickly, so frigid it seemed to not just freeze but shatter bones as it pierced through.

Huh? Kaella raised her head as she backed away, looking at the steam-dampened floor. Surely she must have misheard. She decided to calmly deny it and try to leave quietly somehow.

“Get out right n…”

He’s telling me to get out. No, his tone suggested he’d just kill me before I could leave. But the words weren’t finished, stopping urgently as if surprised by something. Then there was a loud, messy splashing sound.

It sounded like a startled splash. It seemed as if something large and dense had lost balance in the bathtub, swayed greatly, then barely regained equilibrium.

“…Bi?”

A voice close to a moan very cautiously whispered to confirm her identity. How strange. Kaella, who had barely managed to back up to the door, looked down at the towels she was holding.

Steam, after the steam there would be a screen, so he shouldn’t be able to see who she was, but how did Peon know everything? He was a bit late, but he immediately distinguished who had entered without even seeing her face or body.

If someone so sensitive and alert disliked her, wouldn’t the cause be with her? Kaella opened her mouth as she looked down at her dull and stupid self.

“I’m sorry.”

She apologized first even though she hadn’t done anything wrong. It was both habit and defense.

“I heard Your Grace was looking for me, but it seems there was some confusion as the castle is still in disarray.”

Again, a small splashing sound was heard as the water moved.

“I brought towels, I’ll leave them here and go.”

She needed to withdraw swiftly and accurately, and in an infinitely lowered position, volunteering herself as a mere maid. Kaella spoke matter-of-factly in an unwavering voice devoid of emotion, then immediately turned around.

Surprisingly, she felt no emotion at all. Even when she realized Beatrice had likely been here before her.

“Kaell…, wait, Bi. Just a moment.”

A thoroughly disheveled voice called out to her urgently, stumbling. The sound of water splashing loudly was heard.

“Just a moment, please, just a moment.”

Water gushed out with a splash and fell with plops. Kaella considered the model answer she should give at times like this.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morn…”

“Kaella, please, I’m sorry.”

The door that had been slightly open slammed shut along with hurried footsteps. Kaella looked at her hand gripping the doorknob tightly. She had pulled it open, but another hand was pushing the door closed over hers. The man standing behind her kept apologizing.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you. I’m not in my right mind right now so distinguishing people is a bit… no, I was wrong. I thought you were Lavalaine. What I said wasn’t meant for you.”

He begged the woman who had turned her back to him, hunching her shoulders. Whether due to the aftermath of the battle or the poison Beatrice had left behind, he wasn’t in his right mind.

He should have recognized his wife just by her footsteps, no, her breathing. He never wanted to frighten her, but he’d done it again. He berated himself over and over.

“I’ll never, ever confuse you again…, don’t go like this. Please.”

His whispered plea simmered with intensity. He couldn’t let Kaella spend the night alone, possibly worrying if she had done something wrong, upset and scared. He absolutely couldn’t allow that.

“…It seems someone came before me.”

Was that why Sir Renard had brought her? When Kaella spoke, Peon hastily replied.

“I sent her away. Really.”

“I know.”

The declaration made through gritted teeth wasn’t misheard. The stinging killing intent proved it.

“Will you stay out here for me?”

“If you need me to.”

What else can I do but follow orders?

“I always need you.”

Kaella raised her head at the unexpected words. The man leaning towards her from behind was so tall that it was possible to meet his eyes.

“I mean it.”

Was it because of the humidity and heat filling the room? The tips of Peon’s ears looked red. Kaella hesitated, then turned her body slightly. Peon, unable to bear the slow pace, gently grasped her and turned her completely to face him.

“But I don’t know how to attend to bathing.”

His chest muscles were fully revealed under the hastily donned robe. Droplets of water dripped down his scarred skin, flowing down to his more finely divided abdomen. Kaella glanced away.

“I don’t need attending either.”

His eyes, still flickering with black amidst the purple, persistently tried to meet her gaze. Moisture clung to her face. No, a gaze wetter than moisture clung to her, as if licking her.

“I missed you.”

It was a statement that left no room for misunderstanding or denial. The gaze, words, and heart were entirely directed at Kaella.

“The whole time I was fighting…, I missed you so much.”

A hand carrying heat slightly higher than normal body temperature cupped her cheek. The inner feelings that could only be spoken after experiencing death were so immense and intense once uttered.

The dense steam, infiltrated poison, and lingering heat from battle mixed chaotically with the faint southern floral scent. His mind was in a haze. Peon pulled Kaella’s waist and embraced her. Their lips overlapped.

The wet silk and neat, thick velvet dress collided, crumpling and getting wet together. He guided her small, hot arms that were soon gasping for breath to encircle his neck, then sealed their lips together without any gap, savoring the sweet scent.

The poison clouded his mind, but it didn’t matter. What difference would it make if the madman became even madder for the woman in his arms? He’s still a madman. He whispered to Kaella, who was just clinging to his neck as instructed, trembling without knowing what to do.

“Touch everything.”

In front of his wife, who was still fully dressed in her gown to be ready to work at any moment, he loosely dropped the silk robe he had hastily put on.

“It’s all yours.”

Kaella hunched her shoulders at the whispered words. How cute. Peon laughed and picked her up, carrying her inside while kissing her incessantly. His lips touched everywhere – behind her ear, forehead, around her eyes, under her chin.

The robe fell to the floor with a thud, and Kaella’s belt landed on top of it. The proper Grand Duchess’s attire was quite rigid, and Peon’s long, strong fingers, unfamiliar with the details of women’s clothing, slipped several times over the complex knots and buttons.

“You were wearing so many layers until this hour?”

“Just in case…”

“You should have been sleeping, Kaella.”

If she had been asleep, she wouldn’t have been devoured by this pitch-black, pent-up desire.

Peon smiled as he watched Kaella, breathless and dazed, help him undo the frustratingly tangled knots. Their fingers intertwined – his thickened from wielding swords, and her thin, small ones.

“It’s okay though.”

The knots came undone one by one, but slowed down with the last one remaining. The skilled fingers that had been leading hesitated for a moment. Peon overlapped his hand on those fingers and asked.

“Is it okay?”

That question asked several things. Is it okay not to sleep? Or, is this okay as it is?

“Even if we stop now, I’m fine.”

A lie. Kaella looked up at him. Wet desire dripped from his eyes with vertically contracted black pupils. That overly concentrated thing stuck to her, soaking her too. She should have been scared. She should have been terrified.

But she wasn’t, because somehow, if she said to stop here, it seemed Peon would quietly withdraw even with those crazed eyes.

The man as huge as a mountain wasn’t scary at all. Either he was especially gentlemanly towards Kaella, or Kaella had gone mad. One of the two.

“It’s okay.”

Kaella answered in a daze. Her blue eyes were already flushed and misty.

“You always say you’re okay.”

As the knot came undone, Peon pulled down the dress and bared his teeth against the revealed milky skin.

“Even when you’re not.”

“Really, I really am…”

Plucked out of the heavy pile of her dress, Kaella covered her face and whimpered.

With just one thin, translucent muslin undergarment left, she felt embarrassed that her whole body was visible. She had no idea how lovable the rosy, soft skin looked under the white muslin.

“You mean it?”

Kaella shivered at the touch slowly caressing down her spine, and nodded with her forehead pressed against Peon’s collarbone.

It was okay. She meant it. She was always desperate. She clung to Peon as if tonight was the last night, as if it would never happen again.

She was out of her mind enough to commit the chilling act of stealing nights pretending to be Beatrice from before.

That’s how much she wanted to have him. At least once before dying. And now Peon was treating her so tenderly. She had to grab him no matter what.

“It might be a bit hot.”

Peon gently coaxed her, holding her like a child, and sat back down in the bathtub. Within his constraining arms, Kaella had to lean against his body.

Soft kisses landed repeatedly on the nape of her neck and shoulders, removing the pins holding her hair in place one by one. With his other hand, he massaged and relaxed her tense muscles one by one, eliciting involuntary moans.

“Is it hot?”

When he checked again, she just shook her head. So cute. Peon hugged her tightly from behind and gently pulled her chin to press their lips together without any gap. The sticky, entangling emotions were finally racing towards desire.

Like the bathwater now soaking through her last undergarment, the longing that she thought had died small and frozen deep inside suddenly filled her completely.

Peon, who had been very clumsy and nervous at first, seemed to have become quite skilled after spending several nights together. More precisely, he had figured out how to hold Kaella without hurting her and how to adjust his strength.

Now that he knew, he had to make her heat up too. Slowly, unhurriedly, and very leisurely. He gently nibbled her nape and shoulders without causing pain.

Restraining himself with Kaella is always difficult. Veins bulged on Peon’s hands, forearms, neck, and forehead.

Without intending to, his brain was meticulously recording every moment, his eyes had already devoured Kaella, and his long arms and legs had trapped her in his embrace.

He caught his breath as he removed the remaining pins from her luscious platinum blonde hair, then finally let down her fully loosened golden hair and rested his chin on top of her head. His thick chest expanded greatly, then exhaled a suppressed breath, making Kaella’s shoulders shrink.

The simmering desire transmitted from him. No, perhaps it was just the feelings he had nurtured solely for her, refusing to die and blooming fully. Shamelessly growing on its own.

“I want you, Kaella.”

It was the rough voice that stopped Kaella’s habitual self-criticism.

“I’ve always wanted you.”

The confession that burst out uncontrollably had been pent up for just as long on this side too.

“Always, always…”

Need you. Want you. Both were firmly pointing to some point, some point that would never occur in Kaella’s life.

“I wish you felt the same.”

The husky voice asked for permission until the very end, even though she said it was okay. It wasn’t because he didn’t believe her answer, but because he knew how immense the instinct that would burst out the moment he allowed it would be.

Kaella turned around and saw a man with the eyes of a beast, not human eyes. Her small hands rested on his firm chest.

Peon couldn’t breathe. His wife, who often didn’t let her answers be heard clearly, this time too, instead of answering, closed her eyes and carefully, clumsily pressed her lips against his.