The garden of Periot’s townhouse in the capital was in full bloom with red roses as always.

Befitting its fame as a season that never ends, the garden filled with magical roses overflowed with red hues as usual.

In the lavish greenhouse, the raw sounds of a man and woman rang out.

“Just a little, just a little more.”

The face of the woman gripping the man’s head exuded an aristocratic air, as if it had never been exposed to sunlight.

Platinum blonde hair flowed down over her snow-white face.

Every time ecstasy welled up, Piocelle recalled that man.

The owner of those fierce eyes resembling the eagle, the symbol of the Blanchet family – Cassian di Blanchet.

The scene of those distinctive red eyes wavering as they took her in completely was not easily forgotten in Piocelle’s mind.

At the same time, the cold warning that man had uttered also became vivid in her mind.

[My lady, you should continue to live as you have been. Just as you’ve done until now.] [In a political marriage with no expectations of each other.] [If that’s not what you want, let’s break off this engagement now.]

What would it feel like if that man with the noblest face in the world came undone beneath her?

If flaws appeared on that flawless Blanchet face because of her.

Just imagining it made Piocelle’s movements grow even more intense.

Throughout the meal, there was not a hint of emotion on that man’s face.

Of course, he seemed to pay no attention to someone like her from the start.

Though her image was clearly reflected in the eyes of that man with the cold expression, she herself was not there at all.

Piocelle’s movements slowed as her passion suddenly cooled.

Piocelle rose from her seat as if she had lost interest.

The man clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Then, finally focusing his eyes, he got up from his seat a beat late.

“I will try harder next time.”

Piocelle’s face slowly turned towards him.

Her eyebrows raised slightly as if she had heard something interesting.

Unable to even think of picking up his armor, the man flinched as he looked at his mistress.

It was only for a moment that her steps slowly moved towards the man.

The man’s brawny muscles rippled in Piocelle’s view.

However, no light of emotion was reflected in them.

“Next time?”

A sneer briefly crossed Piocelle’s lips.

Lifting the man’s face with one finger, Piocelle twisted her lips into a crooked smile.

“When a dog doesn’t know its place and acts up.”

“……”

“It gets replaced. With a cuter pony.”

Closing her eyes, Piocelle turned her body and stretched out her arms, and soon her attendants dressed her.

“I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

The man’s body trembled.

The end of a knight discarded in the bedroom was miserable. He would be demoted to a minor post and never again have his name listed for any important position.

Even though she was the second daughter, she was still undoubtedly a lady of the Periot family.

And now she would certainly become the mistress of the Blanchet family.

“Please give me one more chance. Next time I’ll satisfy…”

Without looking back at the man, Piocelle jerked her chin at the knight on the opposite side to drag the man out.

Piocelle adjusted her earrings while looking in the mirror with a calm expression as if nothing had happened.

The mirror reflected the image of the knights lined up.

“You.”

At Piocelle’s call, the knights looked to where her gaze was directed.

There stood a knight with a pretty boy look, quite the opposite of the brawny man she had just embraced.

The summoned knight turned with a start.

“…Yes?”

“You come in next time.”

The knight with the surprised face bowed deeply before retreating outside.

Piocelle rose languidly and walked out leisurely.

Her steps were unhurried as she headed for the porch of the rooftop terrace.

The cool morning breeze fluttered over her.

At the same time, the view of the capital filled her sight.

None of the young ladies of the Periot family had ever been assigned this capital townhouse as their sole residence, even temporarily.

Except for her.

The new honors Piocelle had come to hold mostly stemmed from her engagement to Blanchet.

This separate villa was one of them.

That day, after confirming the healthy, even robust Blanchet heir, the Viscount Periot allowed Piocelle to stay here.

That fact would not change in the future.

After all, that man was nothing more than a male in the end.

Just like all the other men until now, he would be dominated and come undone below her waist.

As long as no variables arose.

Piocelle picked up the coffee on the table and sipped it quietly.

The bitter coffee flowed down her throat.

With each sip, the report she had received in the early dawn was freshly engraved.

[That woman spent the night at a hotel with the young master.] [When they left, they departed in the Blanchet carriage.] [We are still confirming the woman’s identity. I apologize.]

That man had a woman, they said.

As expected, her suspicions were correct.

A man who issues strong warnings even before getting engaged.

A man who showed no emotion towards her…

It wasn’t much of a surprise since she had people follow him on suspicion that he had another woman.

Wasn’t it more ridiculous for a noble’s son not to have such an escapade?

It would be more unbelievable if that decadently perfect handsome man didn’t have a woman.

However… that was only when the partner was a one-night playmate.

That man who had warned her with cold eyes sparked an ominous feeling in Piocelle’s mind.

An unstable rhythm played in her fingers as they tapped the table.

What if that woman wasn’t someone to be used and discarded by that man?

Those cold red eyes of the transparently noble Blanchet heir had said as much.

That for that man, that woman held no ordinary meaning.

Piocelle’s fist clenched tightly.

Twisting her lips into a crooked smile, she set down her teacup with dignity.

“Keep watching that woman and report back.”

[This is the timeline separator]

Yuriel’s daily life rolled on as usual.

On Yuriel’s desk in the administrative office she had visited after a long time, there sat a demure box of unknown origin.

The pattern engraved on the box was overlaid with an elegant beige cream color, exuding luxury.

It seemed the item had been delivered to her by mistake.

There was no way such a precious-looking item would arrive for her.

Yuriel picked up the box and headed towards the return counter.

With her view blocked by the box, Yuriel tripped over a file basket she couldn’t see and fell right over.

The box slipped from her hands and its contents spilled out with a clatter.

What scattered on the floor with a crashing sound were packaging containers embedded with round, transparent spheres.

‘Medicine?’

No matter how she looked at it, it was clearly medicine.

Why was this here? No, more importantly, who…

Yuriel’s gaze remained fixed on the unidentified medicine for quite some time.

The luxurious medicine box even contained a rare instruction manual.

How to take it, how often, and what its effects were.

Skimming through it, she saw it was a high-grade nutritional supplement.

‘Could Hael have left this?’

But if Hael had sent it, he wouldn’t have left it without a name like this, would he?

With these complicated thoughts, she had just finished tidying up the scattered medicine box and set it down on the table when the door opened.

The one who entered was Vincent.

As always, he arrived on time with his neatly groomed hair.

Straightening his clothes, he carelessly opened some documents.

Yuriel, who had been watching him, slowly moved her feet.

“I’m sorry for suddenly leaving my post.”

Vincent frowned as he paused while flipping through the documents.

Sorry my foot. His assistant always had words like “sorry” and “thank you” stuck in her mouth.

She said her mother had collapsed, and even someone as unobservant as himself could tell her face had become half of what it used to be.

With that haggard appearance and a face drained of all life, she says she’s sorry.

Was she determined to make him out to be the worst boss ever?

“What’s there to be sorry about when you used your vacation days? And that pale-faced guy told me everything.”

Yuriel, who had been blank for a moment at “pale-faced guy,” realized he meant ‘Hael’ and burst into laughter.

Glancing at the laughing Yuriel, Vincent added:

“How’s your mother?”

“Fortunately, she’s much better. The medical center said she could be discharged.”

Vincent nodded slightly as if that settled it.

Looking at the top of Vincent’s head as he returned to his documents, Yuriel opened her mouth with difficulty.

“And also…”

It was unlikely, but the moment she saw her senior, she was reminded of the fruit basket he had given her.

So maybe that medicine too…

Of course, if other administrative staff saw this, they would laugh.

Vincent was the type who had absolutely no interest in other people’s affairs.

It wasn’t because he was a bad person, but rather because his interests had been solely focused on tracking down that woman until now, so it was a natural result.

For someone like that to give her such medicine…

Vincent’s gaze slowly rose to take in Yuriel.

Her fidgeting fingers seemed to be hiding some great thing to say.

“That medicine, by any chance…?”