Before Seierd could say anything, Kisa spewed out her sincere heart like a machine gun.

“I’m completely sober now. I’m saying this with a clear mind. I want you.”

She firmly grasped Seierd’s hand.

“You’re right that I’ve been a bit anxious lately. The nanny says it’s pre-wedding depression, but I’m not sure if that’s really it. Still, it’s true that I tried to forget that anxiety by relying on you.”

However, Kisa brought Seierd’s hand to her cheek.

“But regardless of that, I want you. Look at me. Do I look anxious right now? Does it seem like I want you out of desperation, as if I’m running away?”

Last night, it was embarrassing to be rejected after asking Seierd to stay with her.

But her feelings for him deepened even more.

He chose to carefully consider Kisa’s feelings rather than prioritizing his own desires.

Because of that, she suffered from distress to the point of staying up all night, but in front of the drunken Kisa, he didn’t show it at all.

Is there anyone else in this world who would truly care for her like this?

‘Yes, this is the Seierd I like.’

No, love.

So she wanted to be with him as soon as possible.

This feeling was a pure desire to see another side of the person she loves, which she doesn’t yet know, unrelated to the selfish hope of wanting to forget her anxiety.

Kisa looked straight into Seierd’s eyes.

It was so embarrassing and her heart was pounding, but she definitely didn’t want to run away.

“Seierd, I love you.”

Where did that coward go, who couldn’t even protest a single word to the shameless person who ruined her precious dress?

She realized that she had changed quite positively in just three years.

And the person who helped her change the most was right in front of her eyes.

“I want you.”

So don’t hold back anymore, Kisa was about to say.

But those words were swallowed up by the lips that suddenly covered her.

“Mmph.”

It was a kiss more beastly than anything Kisa had experienced in the past few months.

She thought she had become quite accustomed to kissing, but it seemed like ignorant arrogance.

Kisa’s mind went blank, and she was barely able to keep up with his fierce movements.

As Seierd changed the angle and explored his lover’s mouth, all Kisa could do was hold onto his shoulders with trembling hands.

If she didn’t, it felt like her legs would give out and she would collapse at any moment.

She simply endured everything like a person facing a rough wave with a bare body.

How much time had passed? Only when it became difficult to even discern that, Seierd finally released Kisa.

“Kisa.”

The reddish-brown eyes stared at Kisa so piercingly that it made a corner of her heart shudder.

At that moment, Kisa, who felt a strange tingling sensation for some reason, almost sank to the floor.

However, fortunately, two arms were holding her waist, so such a mishap did not occur.

“I consider myself to have a fair amount of patience.”

In a tone and voice that seemed impatient, unlike his usual composure, Seierd said,

“But not enough to refuse being seduced twice in a row by the woman I love. So if you want to back out, now is the only chance.”

“Seierd…”

“Are you confident you won’t regret it?”

The answer was already decided.

Kisa silently nodded her head.

Seeing her firm expression of will, Seierd didn’t hesitate any longer.

Holding Kisa’s hand, he led her in the opposite direction of their original destination, the front door.

Needless to say, it was not the time to leisurely take a walk.

But when he grabbed the doorknob of a room after walking only a few steps, Kisa carefully opened her mouth.

“Um, Seierd. This is…”

It was a room unfamiliar to Kisa. Even a few days ago, when he gave her a tour of the mansion, he didn’t specifically mention this room.

Ah, he made a sound and resolved Kisa’s curiosity.

“It’s a guest room.”

“A guest room? In a place like this?”

Clearly, there was quite a distance between the area where the guest rooms of the Hillan Duke’s residence were located and here. Even she was currently staying there, wasn’t she?

“It’s prepared for when a guest with limited mobility visits. We can’t assign a room that requires going up and down stairs to such a person.”

“Ah, I see.”

Indeed, this room on the first floor and close to the entrance seemed convenient to enter and exit.

She understood that much. But the question wasn’t completely resolved yet.

Why did Seierd choose this room now?

As if reading Kisa’s expression, Seierd bent his waist and whispered in his lover’s ear.

“This is the closest bedroom.”

It was a low and deep voice.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the leisure to go to my bedroom or the room where Kisa is staying.”

Her body stiffened at the unexpected answer.

Until a moment ago, his footsteps were a bit fast, but there was no impression that he was in such a hurry.

Indeed, Seierd Hillan was a person who couldn’t be understood just by appearance.

“It seems they didn’t lock the door because it’s the major cleaning week. Look, it’s quite clean.”

“…Y-Yes, it is.”

Seierd’s lips curved into a deep smile as he saw Kisa agreeing with his words in a fluster, her ears and face flushed red like a radish.

“I’ll have to ask the servants to bring the meal to the room.”

The man said as he closed the door.

It seemed it would be a later-than-usual breakfast.

Viscount Seodor was the ruler of a territory located northeast of the capital of the Sorbi Kingdom.

The territory was peaceful, beautiful, and had been tranquil for several decades without any particular disturbances.

One of the viscount’s pleasures was starting the day by tending to the flower trees in the garden he personally cared for as a hobby every morning.

But for the past few days, the viscount couldn’t fully enjoy that time.

It was because of one man.

“Hey, you.”

“…”

“Can’t you hear me?”

“…”

“Rowens Youngsik!”

Only after hearing the loud voice did the man sitting on a stump in a corner of the garden turn around.

“What is it, Viscount, since earlier?”

Brazenly ignoring the owner, despite being a freeloader.

‘Why did I let that bastard into the house!’

Viscount Seodor, with his eyes narrowed, gritted his teeth.

Alcohol was the enemy.

If he hadn’t gotten dead drunk, he wouldn’t have said unnecessary things to the young man who suddenly appeared one day and flattered him, and he wouldn’t have been blackmailed for it.

What was there to hide? The viscount was a collateral descendant who inherited the bloodline of the great noble family Hillan and was one of the relatives who most vehemently opposed Seierd Hillan, the current Duke of Hillan, when he was inheriting the family.

But that was in the past.

After losing the legal battle with Seierd, Viscount Seodor chose to… no, reluctantly back down.

Of course, there were still regrets, but he wasn’t foolish enough to cling to a fight with no chance of winning.

However, that regret was the problem.

No matter how much he mulled over it, the whereabouts of Seierd, who happened to be outside the Favella Monastery when the former duke, Visherk, died, were extremely suspicious.

Even now, several months after the trial ended, the viscount secretly suspected that Seierd Hillan might be the culprit who killed his brother.

‘Still, I shouldn’t have said it to that bastard.’

The viscount sighed heavily as he glanced at Daniel Rowens.

That fellow suddenly appeared here some time ago and demanded to be hidden.

Apparently, he had been quietly pretending to recuperate and barely escaped the watchful eyes of his supervisor.

It seemed that the Marquis of Rowens, concerned about friction with the Hillan family, had confined his son.

The marquis must have also roughly sensed what kind of things his son was doing while wandering around and took measures.

But why did the recuperation place have to be adjacent to Viscount Seodor’s territory?

As a result, Daniel Rowens, who had fled almost empty-handed, shamelessly sought this place.

Threatening that if they didn’t hide him, he would immediately rush to the capital, expose the suspicions surrounding Seierd’s involvement in Visherk’s death to the media, and not hide the fact that the source of the information was the viscount.

‘That crazy bastard, this crazy bastard!’

It was simply troublesome for the viscount, who had been trying to erase the old grudges and establish an amicable relationship with Seierd.

Not knowing or not caring about such inner thoughts, Daniel had been lingering around him these days, trying to entice the viscount.

Saying they should join forces to bring down Seierd.

It was truly an absurd idea.

“Viscount!”

Just as the viscount was about to sigh again, the old butler came running from afar.

“Viscount, a guest has arrived!”

“What, a guest?”

The viscount, who had found himself in a difficult situation after improperly receiving a single guest, reacted sharply.

“What kind of guest?”

“Well, it’s… a monk I’ve never seen before.”

“A monk? Not a peddler disguised as a monk? And why do you come to me every time an unfamiliar person visits? The butler should be able to handle that much.”

Seeing the flustered butler, Daniel stepped forward.

“What kind of monk is it?”

He seemed to have become interested at the mention of a monk.

The butler hesitantly answered Daniel’s question.

“He said his name is Emil. He didn’t reveal the purpose of his visit, but he said he had an urgent matter to discuss with the viscount. A very important matter, he said.”