“That’s right, how much do I know about you to be so cocky?”

I grumbled as I descended the central staircase alone.

Having gone over the original story multiple times, I had meticulously memorized its contents.

Seeing Camilla’s pale face, I thought it was wise to have gathered evidence of her affair in time.

With this incident, Camilla would hide her sharp claws in front of me for a while.

‘But she’s such a cunning person that even if she endures it now, she’ll be waiting for the day to take revenge on me someday.’

That time would probably be after Camilla divorces Count Dmitri.

At least until then, Camilla couldn’t rashly attack me, who held evidence of her affair.

Moreover, I would snatch away Henry’s investment windfall, so it would take longer than in the original story for Camilla to divorce.

‘By then, I’ll probably have announced my divorce and left the North?’

I was feeling lighthearted as I reached the second-floor lobby after descending the stairs.

Beyond the lobby, a figure standing on the terrace came into view.

‘Huh? Who’s that?’

I approached slowly, unsure at first, but soon became certain.

A man leaning on the terrace railing, holding a crystal glass half-full of champagne.

It was Adrian.

Moonlight gently rested on his face as he enjoyed the night breeze with his eyes closed.

The shadow cast beneath his high nose bridge and his lips occasionally letting out long sighs.

His long honey-blonde hair fluttering in the pleasant breeze.

It was like a beautiful painting with the night sky as its backdrop.

As I was unknowingly watching Adrian in that state, it happened.

“Your Highness?”

Adrian opened his eyes, noticed me, and smiled softly.

“…Adrian.”

An awkward smile involuntarily spread across my face.

Adrian then opened the glass door between us and welcomed me cheerfully.

“Your Highness, would you like to come out? The night breeze is really refreshing.”

Adrian said, politely extending his hand.

After hesitating for a moment, I finally took Adrian’s hand and walked out onto the terrace.

A cool and crisp night breeze touched my cheeks.

Smiling at the refreshing feeling, I casually brushed back my hair and turned my head towards Adrian.

“Adrian, how is your father doing now?”

Adrian smiled faintly at my question.

“My eldest brother is taking good care of him, but I’m afraid he might not overcome the next crisis.”

“…I’m really sorry, Adrian.”

I said, lightly patting Adrian’s shoulder.

His calm expression rather made me feel sorry for him.

Adrian then looked blankly at my hand on his shoulder with an unreadable expression.

“…It’s alright. It’s probably a bigger burden for my eldest brother and the retainers. They have to decide on the succession, after all.”

“If they’re deciding on the succession… Aren’t you a strong candidate right now, Adrian?”

It was a question that came to mind, recalling what I had heard from Mina before.

In the demon realm, they preferred to determine succession based on ability rather than birth order.

That’s why most of the Monter family’s retainers wanted to serve Adrian, the second son with stronger magical power than the eldest, as the head of the family.

The influential Monter family in the demon realm.

The fact that Adrian might become the head of that family was certainly something to sincerely congratulate.

‘Of course, if that happens… I won’t be able to be with Adrian anymore.’

I tried to smile, hiding my feelings of regret.

“Adrian as the head of a family, I can hardly imagine it.”

“Haha, neither can I. Originally, I wasn’t very interested in becoming the head of the family.”

“…How can that be?”

“Yes. The world is wide, and there are people like me. In fact, I’ve rarely had any desires in life, not just for the position of family head, but for anything else.”

“…”

“At least… until recently.”

Adrian, speaking as if in a monologue, gazed at the night sky.

I silently watched his profile for a while.

Then, brushing back my wind-tousled hair, I initiated conversation again.

“By the way, Adrian, why are you here alone like a loner? It’s personal socializing time now, isn’t it?”

At my question, Adrian leaned casually on the terrace railing and laughed.

“Haha, then why did Your Highness come here alone? It’s personal socializing time now.”

As he joked, beautiful fireworks suddenly painted the night sky behind him.

“…Probably no one here wants to have a long conversation with me.”

“Why? I saw many noble ladies stealing glances at you earlier.”

“That’s why their parents will keep them in check more strictly.”

Adrian then added with a small self-deprecating laugh.

“They’d be troubled if there were any unsavory rumors about their precious daughters with me, a half-demon.”

“…”

“Unless it’s someone with power like the Grand Duke, of course.”

In the sixth year since the resumption of exchanges with the demon realm.

Discrimination against half-demons in the Western Empire was still subtly continuing.

As I thought Adrian’s face looking at the night sky seemed somewhat sorrowful, a soft baritone voice quietly resonated in my ear.

“Throughout my life, I’ve never desired anything, nor envied anyone.”

“…”

“Even the discrimination I faced in the human realm, I found interesting as it was my first time experiencing it. I kept a distance from everything, without deep interest in anything.”

Adrian, who smiled slightly, slowly opened his mouth again.

“But ridiculously, today…”

“…”

“I found myself envying the Grand Duke.”

Red and blue flames etched and disappeared on the black canvas.

In those violet eyes with that beautiful background, a vivid light that I had never seen before began to swirl.

“For the first time, I started to feel desire.”

* * *

Throughout the journey back, Cedric observed Rebecca as if studying her.

Rebecca was still leaning her head against the carriage window, staring outside.

Whether her interest was truly in the scenery outside or in other thoughts swirling in her mind was unknown.

Occasionally, sighs escaped through Rebecca’s lips.

At those times, Cedric found himself hastily turning his head away without realizing.

Every time his gaze fell on Rebecca’s lips, the soft sensation of them, and the touch of her hands enveloping him kept coming to mind.

And surprisingly, that feeling didn’t give him even a hint of displeasure.

No, rather, it made him crave her more.

‘Before, I would have found this horrifying…’

He was surprised by his own change several times.

For instance, about two years into their marriage, Rebecca had forcefully attempted to kiss him.

Of course, Cedric had firmly refused, and the mere fact that their lips had almost touched made him unable to sleep due to discomfort.

And now. Cedric was certain that he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight either, just like then.

However, the reason he couldn’t sleep tonight was due to emotions starkly different from that time.

“We’ve arrived, Rebecca.”

The carriage had finally arrived in front of the Garden of Darkness.

Cedric gently called out to Rebecca, who was still lost in thought.

“Rebecca.”

Only then did Rebecca glance around and mutter to herself.

“Ah… we’ve arrived already.”

Perhaps due to the late hour, the surroundings of the mansion were filled with quiet darkness.

Judging by the lack of noise other than their own, it seemed the carriage carrying Bianca and Adrian had not yet arrived.

As soon as Cedric confirmed that Rebecca had come to her senses, he got out of the carriage first.

Then, as he took Rebecca’s hand to help her out of the carriage, he asked.

“What are you thinking about so much? You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet the whole way.”

Rebecca, who had set foot on the ground, looked up at Cedric intently.

The moment he felt her gaze lingering on his lips,

Cedric unconsciously stuck out his tongue slightly to wet his dry lips.

“…It’s something. You’d dislike it if you knew.”

Rebecca left those cryptic words and started walking first.

Cedric, who had been pondering her words while standing there, began to follow.

“Are you escorting me to the main entrance?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Rebecca laughed softly at his words, which came without a moment’s hesitation.

“I really can’t get used to this. You didn’t do this before.”

“…”

“You didn’t care whether I returned to the Grand Duchess’s quarters or not.”

“Back then, we were living in the same mansion. Were you that resentful?”

Instead of answering, Rebecca only gave a faint smile.

Her face shone beautifully under the moonlight.

Cedric, who had been staring at her, slowly parted his lips.

“I can escort you to the Grand Duchess’s quarters even now.”

“…”

“If you… still want it.”

Just as they reached the main entrance, Rebecca’s feet came to an abrupt stop.

Cedric, who had stopped with her without knowing why, looked at her again.

Then his eyes immediately met Rebecca’s, who was looking up at him with alluring eyes.

Hiding his inner surprise, Rebecca’s lips curved up mischievously.

“Cedric, you’re talking as if you’d do anything I want now.”

Cedric, who rarely got flustered, found things different in front of Rebecca these days.

Even now, he could only swallow dryly, unable to answer easily.

Rebecca, who had been laughing continuously as if finding his reaction amusing, gradually approached closer.

And finally, when they were close enough to feel each other’s breath,

Rebecca’s red lips parted seductively.

“If I asked you to come to my bedroom together now… would you grant that request too?”

Cedric’s Adam’s apple bobbed greatly.

A relaxed smile spread across Rebecca’s lips.

She too seemed to have noticed that Cedric’s reaction was clearly different from before.

Meanwhile, Cedric struggled inwardly to come to his senses.

‘No. I can’t be imprinted on Rebecca when we’re already divorced.’

He was no longer in a position to hold Rebecca back even if she said she wanted to leave.

There was no longer any justification to keep Rebecca by his side.

‘If I get imprinted in this situation and Rebecca leaves after the divorce is announced… I’ll end up going mad with obsession over her.’

As he was thinking this, he was suddenly surprised to realize that the reason he was hesitant about spending the night with Rebecca was not because of disgust towards her.

It was also shocking how his heart was swaying aimlessly like a reed.

As he was thrown into the rough battlefield between reason and instinct, feeling confused,

At that moment, the woman’s slender fingers slowly traced down the buttons of his shirt.

When her touch finally paused at the threshold of his tumultuous heart,

Rebecca slowly moved closer to Cedric’s ear.

“Cedric.”

The seductive voice that followed and the teasing breath tickling his earlobe,

It mercilessly shattered the thread of reason he had been desperately clinging to.

“This is probably your last chance.”