“It was all a joke.”

“… Was it really a joke?”

“I wouldn’t risk such danger when Adel might get hurt.”

“…”

“So don’t be nervous. I understand what you’re worried about…”

Seeing Adel’s face still not relaxing, he continued in a soothing tone.

“I’ll do whatever Adel wants… Don’t make that expression. For now… Let’s start with pronunciation.”

“Pronunciation will be difficult to correct in just a few days. For now, it’s better to learn just a few greetings you’ll need to use at the banquet right away.”

The pronunciation used by nobles was more complex and refined than that of commoners. Even Adel had taken a long time to learn it skillfully.

Valentin was already struggling to even spit out words. It was impossible to smoothly improve all pronunciations in a short period. While wondering where and how to start, Valentin eagerly suggested first:

“Teach me… everything from the beginning.”

“From the beginning? But.”

“We have to… try.”

Adel looked at his serious eyes for a moment, then nodded.

“Then I’ll find a suitable etiquette teacher separately. You’ll need to learn dancing too if you’re going to lead the victory ceremony.”

He raised one eyebrow as if to say what on earth she was talking about. As if to prevent her from escaping, Valentin grabbed both her wrists.

“What… Of course… you should teach me, Adelheit.”

“M-Me?”

“It’s too much… to rely on someone else’s help… now. Are you going to… abandon me?”

Abandon him. Now it was a groundless accusation. Adel had to rack her brain to persuade him.

“I won’t be enough for you. I stopped etiquette lessons five years ago. I’m not capable enough to teach you about the latest trends in the capital or how to skillfully lead conversations.”

“It’s… fine.”

“I’ve never taught anyone before, so I don’t know how to efficiently correct pronunciation either.”

“That’s… fine too.”

“All the dances I know are for noblewomen. It won’t be enough to teach Your Majesty… no, Valentin.”

However, Valentin consistently said it was fine no matter what excuse she gave. He persuaded her by saying that since he was far behind her to begin with, there would be something to learn from whatever she taught.

“I won’t… bother you too much. I can… learn quickly.”

“But.”

“You said… you’d help me. So I can… fulfill the contract.”

In the end, when he insisted with a cold smile, Adel nodded reluctantly. She was used to being blamed alone, but she was afraid that Valentin would also be blamed along with her because of her poor teaching.

“Then if there are any pronunciations you find particularly difficult, I’ll help you practice greetings focusing on those. It would be even better to have someone watch over while I teach.”

“I don’t… need anyone else. We can… start right now.”

“Alright, then please let go of my wrists first.”

“I’ll let go… if you teach me.”

Adel thought he was joking. But his eyes were dead serious. Adel looked at him with narrowed eyes as if trying to gauge whether he was sincere or not, then gave up and opened her mouth with a sigh. She had learned over the past few days that when Valentin was like this, it was better to give him what he wanted rather than stubbornly resist.

“Try saying ‘Teach me’ concisely.”

“Teach… me.”

“That’s a little better. ‘Teach me.'”

“Teach me.”

No matter how many times they repeated it, Valentin’s pronunciation showed no signs of improvement. He explained with a gloomy face:

“I still… don’t get it well. Moving my tongue… is especially difficult.”

“Watch my lip movements closely. ‘Teach me.'”

His body was leaning closer and closer. His head was tilted. It seemed he had gradually leaned in bit by bit, not consciously but wanting to hear the pronunciation more clearly, until it had become like this.

Probably…

“You’re too close.”

By the time Adel whispered that with flushed cheeks, his nose bridge was almost touching hers. Valentin’s breath broke and mingled on her cheeks.

He didn’t back off at all despite Adel’s timid rejection. Rather, he met her gaze more actively.

Adel felt blatant desire in his eyes. At that moment, strangely, she felt a hot heat rising from within.

“…”

Adel was not unaware of what a man and woman facing each other like this would ultimately come to. She had seen servants hiding behind the stables overlapping their lips and tightly embracing each other several times. Sometimes the man would grab the woman with a rough hand.

Would they… become like that now? Should she reject her ‘husband’ then? Or since she had already given up this life’s body as payment for the contract, should she act as he wished?

“…”

Suddenly, she remembered when he had bitten her lower lip a few days ago. Though there was desire, it was an instinctive bite like an untrained young animal. Why was that stinging pain coming to mind now, when she was receiving Valentin’s gaze?

Adel bit her lower lip hard as if to suppress that sensation and lowered her trembling gaze. Then Valentin quickly let go of her wrists and lifted her chin.

“Don’t… bite.”

“…”

“Teach me… everything.”

The moment she parted her lips to correct his pronunciation, Valentin rushed to press his lips against hers. He was surprisingly hot as he surged in without missing the opening.

His rough lips completely devoured Adel’s small, soft lips. The moment the weak, soft parts sweetly met, her body temperature rose as if ignited. A low cry burst from Adel’s throat.

He applied force to the hand supporting her nape as if to soothe her. The leisurely exploring feeling was unfamiliar. Her breathing quickened.

The sound of lips entangling echoed endlessly in the quiet library. When she realized that thrilling sound came from her own actions, her whole body flushed impossibly redder.

It felt like she would completely lose herself at this rate. Adel crumpled Valentin’s arms haphazardly. Otherwise, she felt like she would throw her arms around Valentin’s neck and respond actively.

“Adel…”

Finally, he slowly parted his lips and sighed as if barely swallowing a slight tremor. An ecstatic expression appeared on his face.

“You’re so sweet I can’t think straight.”

She felt the same. She couldn’t think at all. The ‘demon’ would be ignorant of human desires. Then was this instinct? Or evidence that he had become quite accustomed to his current body?

At least, Valentin seemed unfamiliar with the newfound desire he was experiencing for the first time. He frowned, barely resting his hands on Adel’s fragile shoulders, not knowing what to do with his strong body. Yet he didn’t dare apply force, afraid she might break.

His restraint could be felt throughout his body. In his sharp gaze, his chiseled nose bridge, his gently moving lips, his urgent Adam’s apple…

When their eyes met as she stole glances at his sensuality, Adel’s chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. Valentin, who had carefully grasped her fallen hair, slowly opened his mouth.

“Teach me.”

It was a terrible temptation. The urge to give him whatever he wanted welled up. She almost nodded unconsciously, not knowing it might cause her some irreversible harm.

The desperately pleading man looked so pitiful, innocent, harmless, and even naive.

“Um, Adel, please…”

The moment he drew a little closer to her, Adel reflexively pushed away Valentin’s arms she had been holding. He was pushed back surprisingly easily. As if there was no need to exert such force to reject him in the first place.

She quickly replied, not knowing what surprised her more:

“N-Next time. I’ll t-teach you next time.”

Even to her own ears, her stammering voice sounded foolish. Valentin’s eyes narrowed.

“When… next?”

“Anytime… I-I don’t like it here. Later…”

She felt like she might cry. Her nerves made her even more inarticulate. Her excuses were so crude that even a three-year-old could crush them. If she didn’t like ‘here’, they could move somewhere else right away, and if she said ‘later’, he could demand a date and time.

But Valentin let her go.

“Don’t… tremble. Adelheit.”

“I-I…”

“I won’t… do anything… you don’t like.”

Adel looked at him again, a little surprised. He just quietly smiled and caressed her cheek. As if handling something most precious and dear.

“I’m sorry.”

But that distorted look in his eyes seemed a little sorrowful.

It was just as she came down after hearing that the butler was urgently looking for her in the grand banquet hall. The butler, housekeeper, and long-serving retainers of the family had already taken their places and were waiting for her.

When Adel tilted her head in confusion with wide eyes, Yannik stepped forward and politely presented her with a wooden box.

“The master ordered this to be delivered to Your Highness.”

Valentin did? Adel looked with surprised eyes at the wooden box Yannik was holding out. There were two boxes in total. One was new, and the other was very old.

Adel looked suspiciously at the old, flat box placed on top.