The moment their lips touched, the surface trembled finely. It was unclear from whom the vibration originated.

However, one thing was certain – both of them were deeply focused on this moment.

Adrian touched nothing else but Layla’s lips, concentrating even more on this sweet kiss.

His actions, carefully nibbling on Layla’s plump lips while tilting his head, were cautious yet all the more stimulating.

This initial act of sharing each other’s warmth through the most sensitive part of the human body, the lips, soon came to an end.

Adrian’s face, the first to pull away, was slightly flushed. It might have been due to the light from the lamp.

He confessed in a low voice.

“This is my vileness, Princess.”

Layla silently stared at him, her lips that had been touched tightly sealed. Even after parting from Adrian, his warmth lingered as if branded, refusing to leave.

It seemed like it would last for hours, for days. One thing was certain – it would not fade until she met him again tomorrow.

Unable to calm the trembling of her heart, or rather because it had intensified, Layla held back her overwhelming breath. Only after barely composing herself could she utter a single word.

“I’m curious about your true self, Adrian.”

“I will gladly show you.”

The answer came without hesitation, but for some reason, Adrian’s expression was somber.

Was it because his face was too pale?

Layla looked at him with concerned eyes and noticed his hand gripping the table was trembling. Realizing her gaze had shifted, Adrian hastily straightened his body, but it was too late to rectify.

Layla quickly asked him as he tried to hide his hand by shoving it into his pocket and step away.

“Are you still in a lot of pain right now?”

“…It’s not to the extent that the Princess should worry about.”

“But I thought you looked quite unwell even at the banquet. Has your condition worsened?”

At Layla’s repeated questioning, Adrian showed a look of surprise.

“It seems you were observing me quite closely.”

“…That’s.”

Despite it being nothing, Layla blushed, her ears turning red at Adrian’s remark. Seeing her reaction, Adrian’s eyes and lips curved into a smile.

“May I take it to mean that the Princess has also taken a liking to me?”

It was a rather direct question. Not comparable to when she asked if he liked her, but still.

Receiving a question sufficient to stir ripples in her heart, Layla’s eyes were filled with agitation. Adrian waited for her answer, his gaze fixed on her.

Layla tightly clasped her hands resting on her lap and carefully chose her words. Although Adrian might have asked lightly, now that they had come this far, she felt she should also be honest.

“Well, being with you, Viscount Adrian, I keep thinking of someone else… I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t something to say right after they had just kissed, but Layla herself was perplexed about how to handle this fickle, wicked heart of hers.

As expected, the smile disappeared from Adrian’s face upon hearing her answer.

“…Who might that be?”

“Someone I used to like.”

Unable to face him, Layla lowered her gaze. Because of that, she didn’t see his expression turning frigidly stiff.

“We’ve broken up now, though.”

Adrian looked down at her, unable to even blink from the stinging shock.

“…You don’t mean to say you still can’t forget them, do you?”

Layla nodded, and Adrian slowly exhaled the breath he had been holding. Struggling to overcome the suffocating feeling in his chest, he managed to regain his composure, at least in his voice.

Fortunately, she was averting her gaze from him on her own.

Otherwise, she would have caught sight of his uncontrolled expression.

“It’s alright. That won’t be a reason for me not to help the Princess.”

Despite his words, it wasn’t easy to shake off the shock. Strangely, despite appearing a decade later, Adrian had never considered the possibility that Layla had someone else she liked besides him.

‘Am I a fool?’

She was even about to have a fiancé. If he had been a little later, he might have had to watch Layla marry someone else and give birth to a child.

Realizing the obvious only now and being shocked by it, he felt ridiculous to the point of absurdity.

Adrian barely collected his thoughts and this time turned around, walking towards the door of the reception room.

“Rather, since you’ve come here in the evening, it would be better for you to have a meal. I’ve informed the kitchen in advance, so it should be ready by now.”

After finishing his words, he personally opened the door to the reception room. With that, a bit of the commotion that had been blocked by the door flowed inside.

Then Adrian returned to Layla and extended his hand to her. At his reaction, completely unchanged, Layla, feeling unsure if this was alright, carefully asked before taking his hand.

“Is it okay for me to impose on you to this extent?”

“Of course.”

Answering without a moment’s hesitation, Adrian patiently waited for Layla’s touch.

In the end, Layla, throwing aside her shame, took his hand and headed to the dining room.

It must have been Adrian’s consideration, but Layla’s maid was also waiting inside. And perhaps as an arrangement to avoid awkwardness, it seemed Adrian’s aide Lilburn and his maid Maeve were also joining them for the meal.

The dinner was prepared more ordinarily than expected. Wine, stew, bread, meat, etc.

However, Adrian had mixed in the foods he remembered Layla liked, and fortunately, it seemed to suit her taste as she showed various expressions while eating.

Pretending to focus on his own meal, Adrian watched Layla’s eating appearance without missing a single detail, gradually softening his expression.

Simply because she was too pretty.

Whoever she met while he was away, what did it matter? Just the fact that he could have Layla in front of him and watch over her made Adrian feel an unparalleled sense of happiness.

The deeper his heart ached, the more it didn’t matter.

After the carriage she had ridden departed from the temporary residence, he went up to his room on the second floor and collapsed onto the bed as if fainting.

Was it because Layla had stayed here last night?

A scent different from usual was faintly permeating the bed.

Feeling it, Adrian fell asleep instantly as if losing consciousness.

The next morning at dawn, as Adrian had ordered, a ship was prepared to take Layla and depart for Wessex. Lilburn, who had gone to confirm this before daybreak, knocked on Adrian’s door to report to him.

However, no matter how many times he knocked, there was no response from Adrian, who was a light sleeper. Feeling increasingly anxious, Lilburn couldn’t bear it by the fifth time and opened the door on his own.

Fortunately, Adrian was inside. Lilburn first locked the door and quickly approached the bed. And he shook awake Adrian, who was literally sleeping like a dead person.

“Your Highness, Your Highness?”

However, no matter how many times he called and shook him, Adrian didn’t wake up. Lilburn, momentarily shocked to the point of holding his breath, hastily checked Adrian’s breathing.

Fortunately, his breathing hadn’t stopped. However, Lilburn shook Adrian once more with trembling hands.

“Your Highness, please wake up.”

When there was still no response and Lilburn was frozen, not knowing what to do, a knocking sound came from behind, making him flinch.

Before he could answer, the person outside the door revealed their identity first.

“Sir Lilburn. It’s me, Maeve.”

Hearing the calm voice, Lilburn felt somewhat relieved and staggered to his feet to open the door. And seeing Maeve’s wry smile, Lilburn realized she already knew about Adrian’s condition.

As expected, without needing an explanation of the situation, Maeve found the right words to say.

“I will watch over him here.”

“Maeve…”

As Lilburn gave her a look asking if she would be alright, Maeve spoke as if it was no big deal.

“You must safely escort the Princess to Wessex, Sir Lilburn. If you stay like this, His Highness will rebuke you for disobeying his order when he wakes up.”

Lilburn seemed to hesitate, but thinking Maeve’s judgment was correct, he soon nodded.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

Leaving a brief remark, Lilburn went out. Maeve confirmed his reliable back disappearing and then entered the room, locking the door.

Maeve sat on the edge of the bed and tidied Adrian’s fallen hair, looking down at him who still couldn’t wake up.

“You’ve become a liar to her again, Your Highness.”

Although it was a big deal for Adrian to collapse like this, as someone who knew how much he had longed for Layla, Maeve found the situation heartbreaking.

The hand of Maeve, who held the hand of the man like a son, trembled with fear.