Terran was confused as he looked at the sleeping Grace. Honestly, he had pretended to be asleep so that Grace could rest comfortably.

But he could vividly feel her gaze.

The violet eyes looking at his face, the pink lips, the golden hair tickling his face.

Especially her baby-like breathing made his heart flutter like a dove’s wings.

‘I should pay tribute to my patience.’

For not revealing that he was a beast in a gentleman’s disguise.

He pretended to be asleep, fearing that if he kept his eyes open any longer, he might swallow the small, delicate rabbit in one gulp.

When was the last time he felt lust for a woman?

It was the first time since adolescence when he secretly read magazines that Aiden and adult men looked at.

No, the texture of desire was different from then. That was just eye candy faithful to instinct.

Seeing the woman sleeping comfortably pressed close to his body, he felt a burning sensation in his chest.

For a moment, he imagined a world without Grace by his side. Then Terran shook his head roughly and stared at the sleeping woman.

‘Do I desire you?’

Before he knew it, he couldn’t imagine the duke’s mansion without Grace. Even imagining it made him feel empty, as if there was a huge hole in his lungs.

He raised his finger and caressed Grace’s lips.

‘Since when has my heart been filled with you.’

It was time to be honest with his feelings. He was tired of being curled up in the darkness like a wounded beast, wary of others and wallowing in self-pity.

He didn’t even realize he had already escaped from the gloomy mire.

‘It’s you, the one who pulled me out of the mire.’

Terran carefully got up and stared intently at the sleeping Grace.

He used to think the dark mire was where he belonged. But now he hated it terribly.

Then he remembered Grace walking across the distant meadow. The innocent smile when she said she had saved a horse. In the end, he had been saved long ago.

‘I like you, Grace.’

It was still ambiguous whether it had reached love yet, but it was true that his insides were overflowing with her. Even though the death of others was something he never feared. Now he disliked the idea of his side being empty.

Terran lay down facing Grace.

As her breathing brought relief, his pounding heart began to calm. He would fall asleep breathing in sync with her, as if matching the rhythm.

Terran’s arm encircled Grace’s body.

‘It would be troublesome if she fell to the floor.’

Terran also closed his eyes gently. Knowing how precious this peace given to him was, he didn’t want to waste even a moment.

And for the first time in a very long while, he fell into a deep sleep. The tranquility seemed to last for a long time.

* * *

“Ugh…! Don’t kill me!”

Lea returned to her wedding day. Inside the empty church, the wedding aisle was stained red with her father’s blood, who had fallen after being shot.

“Father!”

‘If only you disappear, Hamilton Trading Company will be mine!’

Allen’s large hands mercilessly strangled Lea’s neck. The handsome blonde man, with the face of a devil, tried to break Lea’s slender neck.

“Pl-please spare me!”

How much she had loved him, even ready to give up everything for Allen.

But he shot and killed her father and now lunged to kill her in her white wedding dress.

“I don’t want to die…ah!”

Not only was she deceived by false love, but she had lost everything.

Allen, consumed by greed, was reflected in Lea’s eyes.

“You are…a devil!”

It was unfair to die so easily according to his will. Lea grabbed his hands strangling her neck with all her might.

“I… won’t forgive you!”

Lea shook him off with all her strength, and Allen disappeared into smoke. However, Lea’s pain remained.

Just then, a man’s voice was heard from afar.

“Grace, wake up!”

Terran woke up at dawn. When he opened his eyes, he saw Grace strangling herself with her own hands.

She was screaming towards someone in agony. He quickly removed Grace’s hands from her neck.

“Open your eyes! Grace!”

Terran held Grace in his arms and sat her up. Then Grace looked at Terran with tear-filled eyes.

Whether it was from sleep or not, she wasn’t in a clear state of mind. Tap tap, Terran lightly patted her face with the back of his hand. Only then did her hazy pupils return to normal.

“Duke Courtois.”

Grace’s weak voice.

“Yes, it’s me.”

Lea was relieved to know someone was by her side. She cried and hugged Terran tightly.

“I was… scared.”

“It’s alright now, it was all a dream.”

Terran stroked Grace’s back, continuously comforting her.

Lea was sincerely grateful to Terran.

She didn’t know how terrified she had been when that damned Allen came to kill her even in her dreams. But it was a secret she could never tell him for life.

Still, at this moment, she desperately needed Terran’s warm embrace. Because there was nowhere else to escape to.

* * *

Allen took down the Hamilton Trading Company sign and put up a sign that read ‘MacDowell Trading Company’.

He hadn’t completely erased Richard Hamilton’s legacy yet.

However, soon this trading company would be reborn as MacDowell Trading Company, and people would no longer remember the former Hamilton Trading Company.

“Sir, the sales documents are ready.”

Allen’s secretary came with a stack of documents. This meant there were many documents to be approved soon.

“Are you going to sell all the Hamilton general stores across the country?”

The secretary asked Allen with a slightly concerned voice.

“I’ll sell them. What money can those petty general stores make? The world has changed. You have to invest in ships, weapons, and railways to make big money.”

“But the Hamilton general stores…”

The secretary who was trying to dissuade Allen stopped speaking when he saw his brow furrow.

In fact, the Hamilton general stores were the foundation of the trading company.

Even when other countries were at war, the general stores spread across Galdencia steadily made money, if not a large amount.

People from neighboring countries even came to buy food and daily necessities.

Was there really a need to sell the general stores that made money on their own even if left alone?

“Are there no letters from Rubeck?”

Allen had been asking the same question to his secretary for days.

“No, sir.”

“I see. You may go now.”

After the secretary left, Allen got up from his seat and approached the window. He had sent a letter to Grace Bizac, whom he had met in Rubeck. Saying he wanted to meet her.

‘She would be perfect as my partner for the royal banquet this autumn.’

It wasn’t that he hadn’t looked at the noble ladies of Galdencia.

But due to the unfortunate incident with Lea, it would be difficult to bring a woman from this country as a partner to the royal banquet for a while.

Of course, it could be an excuse.

‘Grace Bizac, from a family of war heroes, a baroness from an old and prestigious family, if not wealthy.’

Moreover, Grace was beautiful and intelligent. Although he had only seen her once at Lea’s funeral, she wouldn’t leave his mind.

‘I heard she’s not getting along well with Duke Terran Courtois and is on the verge of breaking off the engagement… I think I should visit Rubeck in person.’

There were also rumors that Terran hated women.

If so, he was the only man who could have her. Being of a temperament to get what he wanted by any means necessary, he couldn’t give up.

* * *

Several days had passed since they came up from Bern. Terran was busy with backlogged work, and Lea spent her days as usual.

“Miss, the Duke wants to see you in the garden.”

Lea, who was cutting out articles about Allen from the newspaper, hurriedly headed to the garden.

She hadn’t had time to talk to him privately since returning from Bern. But why was her heart pounding so much at his words to meet?

‘Don’t get excited. You shouldn’t.’

Lea tried to calm her wavering heart. Finally, Lea arrived at the garden and saw Terran reading a newspaper under a white canopy.

“Miss, I’ll come back later.”

“Alright, Pauline.”

Lea recalled the night she had struggled with nightmares.

She had ended up revealing the wounds she wanted to hide from Terran. But the comfort and warmth he had given her still remained.

Just remembering how she had found solace in his arms all night made her face flush.

“Duke Courtois.”

“You’re here?”

“You were reading the newspaper.”

“Grace, call me by my name like before.”

“What…? Alright.”

“I’ve finished reading the newspaper, so take it later.”

“Thank you.”

When Lea smiled shyly, Terran also smiled at her.

“Why did you want to see me?”

Why was it? Rather than having any particular business, it was more like, well, he wanted to see Grace.

After acknowledging the feelings that were not just sprouting but growing vigorously inside him, his mind felt at ease. But he still felt awkward about speaking honestly.

“Ah, that… Um. I don’t think I properly thanked you for writing the letter to the Sultan of Turki.”

‘Now?’

“It was only natural. Um, I also want to thank you.”

“For what…”

“I don’t know what kind of nightmare I had, but you helped me.”

But Terran’s expression was ambiguous. He seemed to not want to receive thanks particularly.

‘Was it as comforting as your consolation?’

It was then. Terran felt a thrill through his entire body and his eyes opened wide.

Although he had been with Grace for years, he didn’t know why he realized it only now. That she herself was his only healing.

Terran held his breath. He couldn’t move a step, feeling as if Grace was entering and lodging in his eyes and heart.

At some point, he started thinking of Grace even while working. He would look at the clock, anticipating the time to meet her. Moreover, his heart reacted naturally.

When depression clung to his wounds like a leech, sucking his blood, he would think of Grace.

Then, as if by magic, he would escape from negative emotions and feel good, as if he had teleported to a place where light dwelled.

‘I’ve come to want to possess you completely.’

The realization came in a very small moment.