Escalion was staring at her intently with deep eyes, their foreheads touching.

Feeling the sudden closeness, Belladonna felt her mouth go dry and clenched her fist on her thigh.

It was difficult to meet his eyes from this close.

“Are you surprised?”

He asked.

Belladonna nodded, averting her gaze from him while focusing on their touching foreheads.

Suddenly putting his face so close, how could she not be surprised?

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“But I want to do one more thing I’ll need to apologize for.”

Before she could ask what, he grabbed her chin with one hand and kissed her.

Belladonna stiffened her shoulders in shock at the sudden kiss.

She struggled to regain her senses as she reluctantly accepted his thick tongue that instantly parted her lips and invaded her mouth.

“…”

Her face, firmly held by him, repeatedly pushed back and pulled forward.

Through her thoroughly heated ears, she heard his low breaths escaping in the brief moments their lips parted.

When their lips were sealed together, an erotic and moist sound that she could hardly imagine coming from herself and him filled the space between them.

Belladonna unconsciously squeezed her eyes shut.

What she was doing with him now felt so unfamiliar and unreal that it seemed as if she had not yet woken from sleep.

‘Moreover…’

Their kiss now was clearly different from the one in the forest a few days ago.

Escalion was pressing her much more desperately and irrationally than before.

Her breathing became increasingly labored, but he showed no mercy.

The kiss continued, and his hand firmly holding the back of her head gradually moved forward.

When his thick fingers finally touched Belladonna’s earlobe, she involuntarily flinched and trembled greatly.

“…Haa.”

Only then did Escalion break the kiss and slowly pull away from her.

Belladonna, breathing heavily, lifted her trembling eyelashes to look at him.

Hazy eyes, red lips glistening with saliva of unknown origin.

Belladonna couldn’t bear to look at that sight directly and squeezed her eyes shut again.

“You look erotic.”

Escalion whispered as he looked down at Belladonna, whose appearance was not much different from his own.

At his blatant words and actions, Belladonna felt the urge to cover her ears with both hands immediately.

“Why are you closing your eyes again?”

Escalion asked, tracing her eyes with his finger.

She felt heat rush to the area around her eyes where he touched.

“Do you want more?”

No! Shake shake! Belladonna shook her head desperately.

That’s not it… It can’t be!

“Why? Was it not good?”

Not good?

Belladonna slowly opened her eyes. Is he asking if the kiss just now was not good?

Through her gradually opening gaze, she saw Escalion’s golden eyes carefully examining her.

He was scrutinizing Belladonna with anxiety, tension, and a measure of anticipation.

But to say whether it was good or not…

‘I don’t have much experience in that area…!’

The kisses Belladonna had experienced in her life so far were only once at their wedding, once by the lake on impulse, and just now when she was caught off guard while half-asleep.

There was no way she could tell if his kiss was particularly pleasant, if his technique was impressive, or the opposite compared to others.

‘My feelings right now are…’

Belladonna carefully raised a hand to her chest.

Her heart had been beating very fast since earlier.

Her slightly dizzy mind continued to feel dazed and floating as if in a dream.

Moreover, considering that she felt a tiny bit of regret when their lips parted…

‘At least it doesn’t seem to feel bad.’

Having reached a conclusion in her mind, Belladonna slowly shook her head.

Seeing her response, Escalion’s face noticeably brightened.

He raised a hand to tuck a strand of hair that had fallen onto her face behind her ear with an awkward touch.

“That’s a relief. I don’t have much experience either.”

Belladonna blinked and looked up at him.

Is my philandering husband being coy again?

But as he said that with reddening cheeks, he didn’t seem to be lying, at least.

Belladonna exhaled with some confusion.

“I didn’t intend for this from the start… Shall we get up for now?”

Escalion, who had been scratching the back of his head for a moment, stood up completely and reached out his hand towards her.

Belladonna quietly looked down at his hand, then extended her own to grasp it and rose from the windowsill.

Escalion said as if making an excuse:

“The windowsill looked narrow and uncomfortable, so I was going to take you to the bedroom. I didn’t expect… this to happen.”

“…”

“Can you walk? If you’re still sleepy or weak, should I carry you?”

Escalion perched slightly on the desk beside them and met her gaze.

Belladonna, looking at him, shook her head.

“Then? Do you want to sit and study more?”

Study…

Belladonna turned her head to look at the thick ledger Wolf had left on the desk and slightly furrowed her brows.

She didn’t want to study.

Escalion reached out and rubbed between Belladonna’s furrowed eyebrows. He pulled up the corners of his mouth and chuckled.

“It seems my wife hates studying to death.”

That’s not it… Embarrassed that her true feelings were exposed, Belladonna smoothed her expression and blinked.

Did I show too much that I really don’t want to?

Escalion took her hand and brought it to his lips, planting small kisses with moist sounds.

“Should I tell Wolf to stop? If you don’t feel like it, you don’t have to do it. Wolf has been doing well on his own until now, so it’s fine if it stays that way.”

Belladonna silently looked at him.

The married life with just over two months left. She had decided to do her best to fulfill the role of a wife for that time…

Escalion, still not removing his lips from the back of her hand, spoke in a mumbling voice:

“I like a wife who plays and eats in my castle with my money. You don’t have to learn things like housekeeping. You must have done a lot of work as a saint in Astanya, so you can rest and play as much as you want by my side.”

Astanya.

Just thinking about that place now made her feel as if her throat was being choked.

And at the same time, she felt grateful and relieved towards Escalion for saying such things, even if only in words.

Maybe she really didn’t have to go back to Astanya? If, as he said, she could stay by his side without returning and play and rest with him?

‘Can I really dare to do that?’

But soon, Belladonna shook her head inwardly.

She was not the real Saint Belladonna.

If by any chance everything that had gone wrong returned to its rightful place, and if the ‘real’ Saint Belladonna, the owner of this body, were to return, Belladonna would have to give everything back to her.

‘…It’s not something I can decide on my own.’

Moreover, daring to go against the Pope’s will was not an option in the life of Belladonna, who had lived as a commoner in Astanya.

Belladonna slowly pulled her hand away from his grasp.

She could feel Escalion looking up at her with puzzled eyes.

But there was no need to show him her unpleasant feelings and unnecessarily worry him.

Belladonna pulled the corners of her mouth to form the most natural smile she could.

Creating the Saint’s characteristic benevolent smile was her specialty and what she was most confident in.

She pointed at the ledger Wolf had given her on the desk and nodded.

“You’re going to study after all?”

Nod nod.

“My wife has a strong sense of responsibility.”

Escalion wore a satisfied smile on his lips.

Belladonna felt a little guilty as she smiled with her eyes.

“Alright then. Don’t overdo it.”

Finally, Escalion, who had been perched on the desk, stood up and placed his palm on top of her head, gently stroking it.

“I thought we could spend time together after a long while, but my wife’s stance is firm, leaving no room for me to squeeze in.”

“…”

“I’ll see you later at dinner. We should be able to have a meal together for once today.”

After saying that, Escalion lightly touched Belladonna’s cheek with his finger and turned around.

Belladonna blankly watched his broad back as he left the room.

Once he had completely closed the door, Belladonna stretched both arms on the desk, bent her waist, and let out a big sigh.

“Huaah…”

My head hurts, my head hurts!

The current situation was a maelstrom of confusion itself.

“Why on earth do I keep getting closer to that man…”

She has to return to Astanya in two months, so why does she keep…

Belladonna raised both hands and messed up her hair vigorously.

Recalling what had just happened, her heart, which had barely calmed down, started racing again at full speed.

Lost in thought, Belladonna unconsciously traced her lips absentmindedly.

“What am I really doing…”

A moment later, Belladonna muttered softly.

Constantly narrowing the gap like this was not good for both her and him.

I mustn’t forget that I’m someone who will leave in two months!

Belatedly coming to her senses, Belladonna lightly slapped both her cheeks with her hands and shook her head.

‘From now on, let’s keep some distance! If we get any closer and then divorce in two months, he’ll be very angry…’

It was natural since Escalion was a knight who hated betrayal the most.

‘Moreover, he has…’

Recalling Scarlet Leyton standing with him, she felt her heart rapidly settling down.

In any case, it was clear that she too was an unresolved matter.

“That’s right.”

Belladonna murmured very quietly.

From now on, let’s try to keep our distance from him as much as possible and not get any closer!

With a resolute face, she raised a hand and rubbed her lips with the back of her hand as if wiping them clean.

…No more kisses either!

“…”

But how did it come to this?

Belladonna blinked her eyes weakly, feeling his warmth as he hugged her tightly from behind without any gap.

Lowering her head slightly to look down, she saw his thick forearm wrapped around her waist filling her vision.

“Bella.”

His deeply lowered voice settled near her ear.

So, well…

‘We shouldn’t get any closer, but…’

Belladonna looked into the air with a troubled expression. So this is…