Terran sat down weakly next to Grace. Then, he unconsciously expressed the desire hidden in his heart.

“I want to kiss you.”

At his words, Lea stopped what she was doing and looked at Terran in shock.

In fact, this situation wasn’t deliberately created at all. She had heard that wet women arouse men’s lust, but she didn’t expect Terran to actually react.

‘What? The effect is amazing.’

If that’s the case, shall we start getting revenge?

Lea looked at his face and wiped herself with a towel, making water droplets splash. But Terran surprised her with unexpected words.

“I only worked hard because you need to be moved for me to get signatures on the grape, that’s all. I had no personal feelings for Mary.”

She thought he was completely oblivious, but it seems he wasn’t.

“Whether it’s the Empress or any other woman in front of me, the only woman I want is you.”

Her heart tingled at the sight of him speaking with a sorrowful face.

“Do you think a man who throws you in prison and acts like a madman would have eyes for another woman?”

Lea shook her head repeatedly, trying her best not to crumble before him.

“But I’m glad you’re angry with me. Sometimes I felt like I was the only one crazy about you.”

“No. I get jealous too.”

She answered with sparkling eyes. She felt unpleasant when Terran’s attention was focused on another woman, even for a moment.

“What woman has no feelings for the man she likes?”

Lea grumbled as she wrapped her hair in a towel again.

“Where’s the person who told me in prison to only look at him, to never smile at other men? You smiled so well at Mary?”

As she spoke, she became increasingly angry, and eventually Lea put her calf on his knee.

“!?”

Terran seemed quite surprised too.

“What? You massaged Mary’s calf so well, do it for me too.”

“Huh? Of… course I should, but when Grace acts like this, I…”

He stared blankly at the white and smooth calf and cute bare foot on his knee. It might be a lewd imagination, but he wanted to feel what her skin would be like.

“What, you don’t like it? Then forget it!”

As Lea grumbled and tried to remove her leg, Terran hurriedly stopped her.

‘He kneaded another woman’s calf like that, why is he hesitating with me?’

Lea could still vividly see him touching Mary’s calf.

Terran grabbed Grace’s calf with both hands.

‘Damn it! It’s like flour dough.’

It was just as he had expected. The sensation he had imagined spread from his fingertips through his entire body’s blood vessels. Moreover, his excitement grew more intense.

But the problem was that his hand wanted to go further inside. He wanted to invade past the calf to the thigh, no, to an even more intimate place.

However, Terran restrained himself. Instead, he kissed Grace’s calf and even kissed each of her toes as well as the top of her foot.

“!?”

Lea was startled and pulled her leg away. For a moment, she had crossed the line out of anger.

She moved to sit far away from him.

“That’s enough now.”

At first, it was something she started to tease him, but she herself was also enveloped in a strange feeling. On the other hand, Terran’s face clearly showed disappointment.

“Ha! Isn’t this too much?”

Terran seemed to have reached his limit of patience and became serious.

“What is?”

“Shouldn’t you give me at least one thing, whether it’s a kiss or a signature on the grape?”

“What does Terran want?”

“Both.”

“Just one.”

“Then a kiss.”

His large hand grasped Grace’s ankle and pulled her towards him.

“Oh my!”

Terran pressed his body against Grace, who was lying on the bed, and kissed her roughly. She had been tantalizing him since he came in, and now she was trying to run away like a trickster.

He breathed hot breath onto her lips, which had opened like flower petals.

Lea was startled at first, but soon her body accepted him first. Her hands frantically ruffled Terran’s black hair.

Terran wanted to be the first to leave footprints on her skin, which was as white as freshly fallen snow. His hand, which had been caressing Lea’s face, soon tickled her body.

Lea burst into laughter at his touch. However, under Terran’s playful yet intense touch, Lea soon forgot all about the grape’s signature or anything else. She just wanted to savor this touch for a long time.

Terran, seemingly unable to control himself any longer, had already trapped her between his knees and was unbuttoning his shirt.

“I’m going to have you. All night long.”

“Ter…ran.”

She was confused by the contradictory emotion of not being able to refuse him, and rather hoping that he wouldn’t leave her alone.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the taut chest muscles revealed with each button he undid. Lea swallowed hard.

Soon, when he takes off that shirt, his sturdy shoulders will be revealed. He might ravage her with that tremendous body, giving her ecstasy.

Terran glared at Grace like a hungry beast. He was overwhelmed with desperate lust, as if he would devour her at any moment.

As he was about to undo the last button, Lea tightly closed her eyes.

At the same time, the door opened, noisy footsteps were heard, and the bed shook.

“What are you two doing?”

Chainer jumped onto the bed with a lollipop in her mouth.

“Ah! I get it. You’re making a baby.”

“!?”

Terran and Lea were startled.

It was then that Lea felt her reason, which had flown to the far reaches of space, return. Her mind cleared with a flash, and she came to her senses.

Terran grumbled in a low tone before leaving the bedroom.

Just then, Pauline came running in and slapped Chainer’s back.

“Hey! You, really!”

She hadn’t entered on purpose because Terran and Grace were in the room together, but giving Chainer the new candy from the kitchen had been a mistake.

Then she ran into Grace’s bedroom so fast her feet were barely visible.

Pauline stared blankly at Chainer’s retreating figure before coming to her senses belatedly and chasing after her to stop her.

“You insensitive thing!”

“No! The gentleman’s grape isn’t all filled yet, it’s no fun if you give in too easily.”

Lea unconsciously nodded at Chainer’s words. This time, she hadn’t been the one to seduce him.

‘That was close. I almost fell under Terran’s spell.’

Terran’s kiss was as sweet as the sugar water on Chainer’s lips. Sweet enough to make one’s mind hazy. Above all, his body that had stimulated her instincts.

Lea covered her mouth with her hand.

‘What? Was I the one who wanted it more?’

Who says women have better self-control? She had personally experienced that this wasn’t always the case.

* * *

Terran woke up in the morning and picked up the water glass on the table. As he was about to put down the glass after drinking the water in one gulp, he was surprised. There were ten signatures on the grape.

‘Did a mischievous fairy visit during the night?’

He felt pathetic for just having slept. Still, having ten signatures on the grape was enough to start the morning pleasantly.

After breakfast, Luke and James came with official documents for approval.

“James, how is the management of employees going?”

“Nancy has been fired. Of course, we’re keeping a close eye on the rest of the employees as well.”

“Allen wouldn’t have bought off just one person.”

Terran was always worried about that part. There were so many employees in the duke’s residence that management was difficult.

Although James and the head maid were making constant efforts, it was true that if someone decided to cause harm, there was no way to prevent it.

“Oh, we need to select a new maid for Lady Grace. Pauline is going to be the workshop manager.”

“Is that so? I’ll have to discuss that issue with Grace.”

“The income from the general store is quite good. I didn’t think selling lace would make money.”

Luke clicked his tongue while looking at the tax accounting ledger. Honestly, only the general store belonged to Terran, while Grace was entirely in charge of the management.

“It seems the young lady has a talent for business.”

James added a word. Otherwise, she couldn’t have recognized Sonya and Adolf at a glance and brought them in.

“At this rate, she might start overseas trade.”

Terran smiled as he signed the documents.

“By the way, when is the Royal Equestrian Competition?”

“In a week.”

Luke said he had already booked the hotel where the duke’s family would stay.

Originally, Terran and Grace were guests of the Bellis Imperial Family, so they were supposed to stay at the Imperial Palace with the Empress. The rest of the party was planned to stay at the hotel.

‘That’s a relief, Chainer won’t be able to invade.’

It had been a terrifying experience.

* * *

There were four days left until the Royal Equestrian Competition in Bellis.

Tomorrow was the day of departure for Bellis. However, Lea couldn’t sleep.

Although she was very satisfied with the completed riding outfit, she couldn’t calm her excitement at the thought of presenting it in front of many people.

‘Should I go check again?’

Lea put on a gown over her chemise and headed to the music room on the 5th floor.

The 5th floor had learning rooms for educating the ducal family, including a music room, ballroom, art room, and study room.

Lea had stored the riding outfit in the music room with the piano. Of course, only she had the key to the music room.

Finally, she arrived in front of the music room.

‘I’ve seen it more than a hundred times, but I’m still nervous.’

Even though she was the one who designed the riding outfit, she was excited as if seeing a new work.

‘In three days, it will be presented to the whole world.’

Just imagining it sent a thrill through her. Lea took out the key and inserted it into the keyhole.

But before she could turn the key, the door opened weakly.

‘What? Why is the door…?’

For a moment, she felt a bad premonition and got goosebumps.

Lea flung the door open and clearly saw the sight of a sharp blade making a fierce friction sound.

“Who is it?”

When Lea shouted, the woman who had been tearing the clothes with a knife frantically ran towards the window.

Lea quickly chased after the woman and grabbed her waist.

“Get out of my way!”

The woman shouted, swinging the knife towards Lea.