Lea fully recovered in a month. Terran frequently visited to check on her condition, and Lea’s heart would flutter every time she saw him.

‘I had a huge misunderstanding.’

It was both amusing and dizzying to think she had briefly misunderstood a physically fit and vigorous man in his 20s.

For a moment, Lea recalled embracing him naked in the cabin, and her face unconsciously turned bright red.

No, she had also taken advantage of the tragedy that he supposedly had issues with male functions.

And she had slept in the same bed with him without hesitation at Aiden’s villa.

She even proposed a swimming competition and wore revealing clothes without a second thought to win.

She wanted to gather all those memories and throw them into a fire pit. So for a while, she deliberately avoided Terran, feeling too ashamed to face him.

It was fortunate that he didn’t know these detailed circumstances.

Terran, perhaps sensing the awkwardness between them since the swimming competition, proposed a small tea party first.

Today, they were to enjoy refreshments in the garden to appreciate the last of autumn.

When they arrived at the elegant pagoda in the middle of the pond, the servants had already prepared tea and desserts.

“Winter will be here soon, won’t it?”

As Lea spoke while pulling her thick shawl closer, Terran took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders.

“I’m fine.”

“But I need to be fine looking at you too.”

“Thank you.”

His cloak had a strong woody scent. It was a fragrance that suited him very well.

But human hearts are fickle. In the past, she had felt sympathy for Terran and didn’t put up any defenses.

However, since learning he was normal, she became cautious in everything.

At the same time, she felt relieved. Such a tragedy would have been too cruel for him.

“One should never overestimate their abilities.”

He took a sip of black tea and grinned mischievously.

It seemed to be about the swimming competition. Lea kept drinking her tea and looked around.

‘Is there a mouse hole somewhere?’

She had tried to discreetly let it pass, but it had failed.

“It’s not a lie. I really can swim. But that day, my condition suddenly worsened.”

“I don’t think it’s a lie. I knew from Grace’s posture when she jumped into the water.”

“What?”

“You weren’t afraid of the water. That’s not the attitude of someone who can’t swim.”

It was truly fortunate. Lea almost cried at his acknowledgment.

She had been so embarrassed, feeling like a woman who had just boasted without actually being able to swim.

“I don’t like giving up, saying I can’t do something or it’s impossible.”

At Lea’s words, Terran just looked at her quietly.

This kind of mindset was the reason he had come to like Grace.

He found her lovable in her efforts to try anything and her struggles.

She probably didn’t know how much Grace’s constant worrying and striving for improvement invigorated him.

“Well, now we should settle accounts, right?”

“Pffft!”

At Terran’s words, Lea spat out her tea.

Fortunately, he handed her a handkerchief as if he had been waiting, so she didn’t make an unsightly scene.

She had tried to gloss over it, but was it truly impossible?

“What do you mean by settling accounts?”

Lea deliberately feigned ignorance.

“Didn’t the person who issued the challenge set a condition?”

“Ah, that.”

“Surely, you’re not trying to avoid it cowardly?”

“Me? Of… of course not.”

‘Oh, I’d like to avoid it if I could.’

This was troublesome. From now on, it would be difficult to act without caution around Terran. Would he turn into a beast and try to devour her this time? She wasn’t mentally prepared yet.

“Tomorrow night. Come to my bedroom.”

“Pffft!”

She was so surprised that she spat out her tea again.

“What’s wrong? You slept just fine in the narrow bed at Aiden’s villa.”

‘That’s because I thought you were impotent.’

If she had known he was a beast with raging desires, would she have acted so fearlessly? It might have been better to remain ignorant.

“Alright, I’ll go to Terran’s bedroom tomorrow night. A promise is a promise.”

Contrary to her feelings, Lea spoke quite boldly.

“Grace, may I ask you one thing?”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you have any intention of marrying me?”

“What?”

Lea was momentarily speechless at Terran’s serious tone and expression.

He was always someone who had already decided on answers. She also knew that it was almost impossible to escape from him.

But why was he suddenly asking for her opinion?

In fact, Lea wanted to ask herself too. Did she want to marry Terran?

‘I was going to, but now I’m scared.’

She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

Lea knew too well the real reason why she feared him. She had decided to marry him with the cowardly intention of taking advantage of his tragedy.

There was no reason to avoid a political marriage. Terran would become a strong ally for her. But now her feelings were complicated.

‘What if I fall in love with you?’

She had sworn never to fall in love. But she was growing fonder of Terran. Unlike her strong will, emotions always betray oneself.

“I don’t know.”

Terran’s eyes wavered uneasily.

Why was Grace hesitating about marrying him? She had always wanted to get married. Had even that changed?

“Is that a rejection?”

“It’s not that… I’m not sure if I’m qualified to be Terran’s wife. If it’s because of a sense of debt to my brother, I want to refuse.”

“It’s not.”

His answer was quite firm. As if drawing a line.

Honestly, when he got engaged to Grace, he thought he had to take responsibility out of guilt towards Aiden.

But now he wanted Grace regardless of Aiden.

However, she seemed like a dove that might fly away to the distant sky if he opened the cage.

“As I said before, keep only me in your heart. And learn to love me.”

‘I’m not in a position to afford the luxury of love or marriage.’

Lea’s worries deepened.

Grace would probably want to marry Terran. Since it wasn’t her own body, she couldn’t ignore Grace’s long-standing wish.

If she couldn’t marry him, who knows when Grace’s dormant soul inside her might emerge again.

“I’ll… marry you.”

Terran’s tense face relaxed at Lea’s answer.

“But I have a condition.”

“Tell me.”

“About doing business…”

“I’ll help you.”

“What?”

“I prefer seeing Grace dreaming and striving. But don’t publicly take the lead.”

‘Tch! So that’s why you deleted the face from the photo?’

Terran was adamantly opposed to making money by using Grace’s face.

It wasn’t because of noble honor or face, he just didn’t like everyone knowing of her existence.

The thought of newspapers with Grace’s face spreading across every country on the continent was truly dizzying. So he boldly erased her face from the photo.

“I’ll try. But there might be situations where I inevitably have to take the lead.”

“I can do that.”

Lea’s heart swelled. She thought he would object to the newspaper advertisement and tell her to give up the business. But he was actively helping.

“Thank you, Terran.”

“I’d like to hear something other than thanks.”

“I’m grateful.”

“Oh my!”

Terran covered his forehead with his hand and shook his head.

He wanted to hear ‘I love you,’ but he’d never seen such an oblivious woman.

Terran smiled self-deprecatingly. It seemed progressing their relationship as lovers with Grace wouldn’t be easy.

“It’s okay, starting tomorrow night, our relationship will become clear.”

Lea forced a smile and swallowed hard.

‘Tomorrow, am I going to be a rabbit devoured by that black panther?’

She was scared but also excited. She hated this contradictory emotion, but her body was very honest. So her heart would probably be pounding.

Indeed, humans were insufficient with just spiritual love.

No matter how much she tried to push Terran away, her heart was running towards him. To the point of being frightened.

“Grace, I have something to give you.”

Terran reached into his coat and pulled out two square objects.

They were about the size of small hand mirrors, with elaborate patterns engraved in relief on pure gold. They looked like mirrors or small notebooks.

“Are these mirrors?”

“Open it.”

Lea opened the lid of the object he handed her with a curious expression.

“Oh my! It’s a photo album?”

Inside the opened halves were photos of her with Terran and his solo photos. Conversely, Terran’s had the same photos of them together, but Grace’s photo was inserted in the glass.

It wasn’t big, so it could always be carried close to the heart. She hadn’t noticed, but the initials ‘T&G’ were engraved on the cover of the small photo album.

‘Terran and Grace.’

Lea liked his surprise gift.

* * *

Rivet had been visiting Allen’s company for several days.

“Brother, I really need the lace shawl sold at Hamilton General Store.”

“I told you to stop talking nonsense.”

Allen was exasperated by his sister who kept scratching at his nerves without knowing his feelings. The Hamilton General Store in Galdencia had been transferred to Terran’s name and was operating normally without changing the store name.

‘That damn Hamilton General Store, just hearing the name irritates me.’

He felt he wouldn’t be satisfied until he bought back the store somehow and got rid of it. He couldn’t stand how much it grated on his nerves anymore.

But lately, when passing by the store, he was bursting with anger at the ridiculous sight.

Women in the capital were lining up in front of the store from early morning.

Upon inquiry, it turned out that the ‘Chainer Lace Shawl’ recently sold at the Hamilton General Store’s first branch in Rubec had become a big hit.

As a result, women in Galdencia were also lining up to place preorders.

“I need that shawl for the Crown Prince’s bride selection banquet.”

“I’ll find you the best boutique, so stop talking nonsense.”

“No boutique can make lace like that. I want to make a dress with that lace.”

“Alright, just go home for now.”

It was bad enough being bested by Terran, but now he had to hear about Hamilton General Store from Rivet’s mouth too.

Allen practically chased Rivet out. Just then, his secretary entered the office.

“Bribe an employee working for the Courtois ducal family.”

“What for, sir?”

“Find out where the lace sold at Hamilton General Store is produced.”

“Understood.”

What irritated him even more was the rumor that not only the noble ladies of Galdencia but even the royal family was showing interest in the lace.

If he could just find out who the producer was, he would bring them over even if he had to pay more. He couldn’t stand to see Hamilton General Store thriving.