When Lea woke up, she was in Terran’s arms. The fact that she had slept until morning in his embrace like this surprised her with her own composure.

Normally in such cases, shouldn’t one’s heart be fluttering and unable to sleep?

“Are you awake?”

Terran’s deep, husky voice sounded pleasant.

“Did you sleep well… sir?”

Lea felt embarrassed even as she spoke. There were clear dark shadows under his eyes. It seemed he had been the one unable to sleep instead of her.

“Grace, I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Am I really a man to Grace?”

“Of… course.”

She knew all too well what he meant by asking such a question.

He meant how could she sleep so peacefully in bed with a man.

“It doesn’t seem like it though?”

“How could that be?”

Even if she had once thought he was impotent, now that she knew he was a healthy man, to be so nonchalant – wasn’t that a bit slow-witted?

“You ground your teeth, snored, and even sleep-talked in my arms.”

“What?”

Lea bolted upright in shock.

“That’s a lie!”

“I couldn’t sleep at all.”

“Oh my! How absurd! I sleep as quietly as a baby bird, without even making a sound!”

“For a baby bird, you were quite impressive. More like an eagle.”

At Terran’s words, Lea stammered in confusion. What lady would grind her teeth, snore, and sleep-talk?

If it were true, there could be no greater embarrassment.

“I want to leave.”

As Lea was on the verge of tears, Terran grabbed her hand.

“I’m joking.”

Such a damned joke shouldn’t be made carelessly.

She didn’t know Terran had such a mischievous side. He didn’t realize how fatal such a prank was to a lady.

‘Ugh! I want to hit him.’

Lea’s fists trembled. Then she quietly reflected on her sleeping habits. Perhaps Terran’s words were true.

‘If it’s true, I’m too embarrassed to live. I should just die!’

“Grace, from now on, you should respect me.”

‘What’s he saying?’

As Lea made a bewildered expression, he laughed while making a pillow with his arms.

“It takes more than ordinary patience for a beast not to devour a rabbit lying beside it.”

Terran looked at Grace with smoldering eyes. Did she know how much he had endured all night?

She was a fatal woman – pretty when she smiled, pitiful when she cried, seductive when disheveled. She acted without reserve, unaware of herself, but that very aspect stimulated a man’s desire even more.

“Um, was my sleeping really that bad?”

Lea asked carefully.

He might have said it was a joke out of courtesy. Terran sat up and touched Grace’s cheek, whispering:

“You were lovely. Like a baby bird.”

How pretty she looked, curled up and never leaving his arms for a moment.

Her breathing was so faint that he had put his finger to her nose several times. He felt a bit resentful that she just slept.

But on the other hand, he felt good that Grace wasn’t wary of him.

Even though they hadn’t done anything all night, he somehow felt assured. There was definitely an intimacy between them now.

“I’ll wait until Grace wants to. But…”

His lips gently touched Lea.

“Don’t refuse holding hands and kisses.”

“Okay.”

“But don’t leave me too starved like a beast. Men don’t have much patience, you know.”

Lea’s heart pounded as if broken. She had never heard such words from Allen.

‘So this is what a man says when he really wants a woman.’

Allen often said she was beautiful and lovely, but kisses were all.

He didn’t come any closer, so she thought he was trying to protect her until marriage.

She was even moved, thinking he was the only uncorrupted man. Not knowing he was tumbling around with Sara behind her back.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“I’ll try.”

‘It seems love needs effort too.’

For now, this was all she could say to him.

She wished she could completely shake off the wounds and fears Allen had given her.

So that she could love Terran without any fear.

It was just frustrating that it wasn’t as easy as she wanted.

Terran felt a surge of desperate desire at her hesitation like a young girl. His excitement needed to subside for her to be safe with him.

‘I deserve this punishment.’

Terran considered it the price for his past misdeeds of being indifferent to Grace. But back then, he didn’t know Grace’s true worth.

He was surprised at himself. How he trembled so much for the same woman after dating for such a short time. Or like realizing the value of a brooch he had always worn on his chest belatedly, making it even more precious.

To Terran, the Grace before him now was someone he wanted to see even as he was looking at her. Like an unfilled hunger, he felt a thirst for her.

“The next time Grace comes to my bedroom…”

Lea quickly approached and covered his lips with her finger.

“I know, I’ll try to keep only Terran in my heart.”

She was sincere. She understood his impatience to confirm again and again. She had experienced it too,

The old Lea had been like that with Allen. Once she sorted out her complicated feelings, she intended to stop backing away.

“We’re engaged. So, don’t be anxious.”

Terran flinched as if struck by Grace’s words. He seemed caught in his urgency to possess everything about her.

“I’ll go back to my room now.”

Lea kissed Terran’s hand and moved away from the bed.

‘Didn’t you say you’d try?’

Shouldn’t she have at least kissed his lips then? Terran quickly reached out, but only grasped empty air towards Grace’s retreating figure as she hopped away.

* * *

Chainer was playing on a swing in the garden. She wanted to make more lace, but Pauline said she should play sometimes and didn’t let her work.

Not only that, whenever she missed her grandfather, Pauline would take her to the general store anytime, which was so nice.

Just then, a maid she hadn’t seen before approached from the opposite side.

“Hello, is swinging fun?”

She was a woman with black hair and a pointed chin.

“Yes, it’s fun.”

“Hmm, would you like to eat this?”

The maid took out a lollipop from her apron pocket and handed it to Chainer.

“But elder sister Pauline said not to eat things from strangers? She said that’s stupid.”

“I’m Nancy. I’m an employee working at the duke’s mansion. We live in the same house, so I’m not a stranger, right?”

“Oh, I see!”

Chainer quickly took the lollipop Nancy gave her and put it in her mouth.

“How old are you?”

“I’m thwee.”

‘They said the child was a bit slow, and it’s true. Even her speech is awkward.’

“I heard you’re very good at making lace, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you also make Lady Grace’s clothes?”

“I made dem.”

Nancy questioned Chainer persistently. She had heard vaguely that there was a skilled lace artisan at the duke’s mansion.

But recently, her uncle had visited and given her silver coins, asking her to find out about Chainer. He said he would give a hefty reward for more information.

[Uncle, what do you need to know that for?] [Well, I’m just curious that there’s such a master artisan making high-quality lace. My daughter could make a living if she learned such skills, right?]

Though her uncle’s circumstances weren’t well-off either, Nancy wasn’t entirely comfortable with him showing interest in Chainer to the point of giving her silver coins.

But it made sense. If she learned lace-making skills from Chainer, she wouldn’t have to worry about money for life.

“Chainer, where did you come from?”

Nancy asked the most important question. From the looks of it, she wasn’t a noble, but likely a commoner or someone who had worked in a lace workshop for a long time.

“I came fwom Grandpa Rapha’s house.”

‘Rapha? Isn’t that the gypsy group involved in smuggling and violence?’

“Chainer, are you a gypsy?”

“Yes.”

Nancy hadn’t expected this at all. A noble lady keeping a gypsy by her side? If rumors spread, it would be the talk of the town.

She had stumbled upon great information. Nancy rose from her seat with a satisfied smile. This should be enough to get a few more silver coins from her uncle.

Just as Nancy was about to turn away, having finished her business:

“Elder sister, are you in twouble?”

Nancy didn’t realize the child was talking to her at first, but turned back towards Chainer, just in case.

“You mean me?”

“Yes. Elder sister has bad luck.”

“What?”

Though her mouth was smeared with red candy, her eyes seemed to pierce through people, sending chills down Nancy’s spine.

‘As expected, gypsies are ominous. Ugh! I feel uneasy.’

Nancy turned away immediately.

* * *

Allen rejoiced as he read the letter from Rubeck. It was an even greater harvest than he had expected.

To think that the woman who made that amazing lace was a gypsy. Moreover, that she was the granddaughter of that damned old man was something he couldn’t have imagined.

‘This is rock bottom. Such vulgar and lowly gypsies dared to mock the nobles?’

There were plenty of ways to ruin the Rubeck general store without having to pay more money to bring her in.

Furthermore, it was a golden opportunity to make Terran’s reputation plummet.

‘And to top it off, a gypsy who’s not even right in the head. Tsk tsk.’

The lace made by Rapha’s granddaughter was no different from the smuggled goods they dealt in.

What masterpiece? If the noble ladies found out about this, they would be horrified.

‘Didn’t even the Empress of Rubeck buy the lace?’

They were all being deceived by Terran’s tricks without knowing. He had to bring it all down in one go.

In a few days, when the article appears in the daily newspaper, everyone will be shocked.

‘They even sold through mail orders to the provinces, so the general store will go bankrupt trying to give refunds.’

He didn’t know whose idea it was, but mail-order sales were quite innovative.

Advertising in newspapers too. Although consumers might be reluctant at first, once they received good products, there was no more convenient way to shop.

Moreover, even in remote countryside areas, people could buy trendy items from the capital, making it easy for them to open their wallets.

‘First, I’ll crush the Hamilton General Store, then take it over myself.’

He would change the name completely and properly implement mail-order sales.

Suddenly, Grace came to Allen’s mind. Thinking of lace, he wondered if it might have been her choice.

‘She looked like a complete fool, but did she have such a brain?’

It was something Lea would have done if she were alive. She took after her father and was very intelligent.

Moreover, having grown up watching the business since childhood, she had an excellent eye for good products.

It wasn’t easy to have such business acumen without experiencing it firsthand from a young age, like Lea.

‘Lea is dead.’

Allen shuddered at the mere thought of Lea.

‘A noble lady as beautiful as Grace with a good family background suits me better.’

He had to snatch Grace away from that arrogant Terran Courtois and make her his woman.

Just imagining his revenge on Terran, who had deceived him, sent a thrill through his entire body. Only then did a satisfied smile appear on Allen’s face.

‘You cunning duke! Just wait. I’ll trample you thoroughly. There’s no need to rush. The one who endures to the end and seizes victory is the winner.’

Allen hurriedly called for his secretary. It was time to play the game of destroying Hamilton General Store.