“Lady.”

Fredrick Benjamin. The reason and culprit behind Liliana’s sudden halt. Liliana’s eyes trembled with bewilderment from encountering her husband at an unexpected place. As she unknowingly took a step back, Liliana turned her head when she felt something touch her back.

“……”

The small scar under Herald’s chin stood out as he clenched his jaw. He was glaring at Fredrick with an uncommonly stiff face.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Count Braden.”

In contrast, Fredrick’s face was overflowing with composure. Judging by how he wasn’t surprised at all, it seemed he already knew Herald was here.

That meant he came despite knowing he would run into Herald, so Liliana bit her lips tightly. It caused the wound that had just healed to tear again, and a metallic taste lingered on the tip of her tongue, but it wasn’t as disgusting as this situation. Because it was the situation she least wanted to face.

“……I see.”

Herald took a step forward, hiding Liliana behind his back who looked so fragile that it wouldn’t be strange if she collapsed at any moment.

“What brings you here?”

“What brings me here, you ask. I came to visit mother who is ill.”

Mother. The moment she heard that word, Liliana laughed in disbelief. It was the first time her husband called his mother-in-law ‘mother’ since getting married. He always called her the lady’s mother, Lady Grace Benjamin, and sometimes even cursed her as ‘that woman’.

But suddenly calling her mother was absurd. It was even more ridiculous that Fredrick came to visit her mother who was ill.

‘He definitely has an ulterior motive.’

She didn’t know what it was, but it seemed deeply related to him coming despite knowing Herald was here. Liliana looked at Fredrick with eyes entangled with unease and bewilderment.

“If it’s not rude, may I ask what brings you here, Count?”

Herald smiled, tilting his lips diagonally. It was clearly a smiling face, but it was so brutal that goosebumps rose on Fredrick’s arms, and he bit the inside of his cheek hard.

“If you knew it was rude, you shouldn’t have asked, Marquis Benjamin.”

He didn’t like being treated as an impolite person, but Fredrick couldn’t say a word. After all, the other person was the second son of the Maximilian ducal family and Count Braden. He wasn’t someone a mere marquis could dare to confront.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Fredrick was used to such shitty situations where he had to suppress others with his status.

“I made a mistake. Please overlook it with a heart as generous as the sea, Count.”

There was no anger or humiliation on Fredrick’s face as he bowed his head in apology. That meant he was skilled at controlling his emotions. Herald clicked his tongue inwardly. Such fellows were more difficult to deal with than those who cursed and charged at you violently.

Fredrick’s gaze shifted to Liliana who was hiding behind Herald. Liliana’s heart sank as she met his sharp and creepy eyes. The image of him threatening to send her to the Whisen Kingdom so she could never see her mother again overlapped.

“Then, lady, let’s go see mother together.”

“……”

So Liliana couldn’t resolutely say she didn’t want to go. Even thinking rationally, it was right to follow her husband Fredrick rather than being with Herald, an outsider man. Especially since it wasn’t anything else, but going to see her own mother, she had to follow him all the more.

Yes. Even for the sake of her mother, she had to follow Fredrick, but…… she didn’t want to go.

There were many reasons why Liliana didn’t want to follow Fredrick, but the biggest reason was Herald. The moment Fredrick said to go together, Herald tightly grasped her hand. And looking down at her with eyes as pitiful as a puppy completely drenched in heavy rain, Liliana couldn’t bring herself to shake off his hand.

Different emotions were in each, but since they weighed the same, Liliana couldn’t easily choose either side. A dark shadow hung over her face filled with confusion and fear.

“Lady.”

When Fredrick called out as if reproaching her for not coming right away, the fear hanging over Liliana’s face deepened. Even in this situation, the scale of choice still maintained a balance, so Liliana couldn’t make a decision and hung her head low. Her hair flowed down like a curtain, concealing her face consumed by confusion and anxiety.

But unfortunately, her expression was clearly visible to Herald’s eyes. Eyes swollen from crying so much that her shirt was soaked, cheeks where tear stains were still vivid. Even lips with scabs from biting too much – after confirming them, Herald suddenly looked back at Fredrick.

A face that was annoying just to look at. What scratched his nerves more were the eyes visible through the cleanly wiped glass beads. Eyes already intoxicated with victory. Fredrick was certain that Liliana would choose him.

That part stimulated Herald’s competitive spirit. The desire to not hand Liliana over to that fellow endlessly swelled up like a balloon filled with wind.

In fact, this match was advantageous for Herald. He just had to chase Fredrick away using his status as the second son of the Maximilian ducal family and his title as Count Braden. He could also hold Liliana back from going to Fredrick using the same method.

Of course, he knew it was a childish and miserable method. So Herald usually didn’t like to suppress others using his status or title.

However, there are times when you have no choice but to use petty methods depending on the situation, and now was exactly such a case. Giving a sharp answer to Fredrick’s question earlier was for the same reason.

But the reason he couldn’t do that now was……

“……”

After checking Liliana’s face again, who was still confused and unable to get a grasp, Herald closed his eyes tightly then opened them. When he let go of the hand he never wanted to let go of even if the sky fell, Liliana raised her head. Even in this moment, her water-dampened eyes were so beautiful that he wanted to hold her hand again.

That fact somehow seemed funny, so Herald laughed as if scoffing and took a step back.

“Go ahead.”

Spitting out words he didn’t mean and taking another step back.

“Don’t forget to wash your face before returning to the hospital room. See you next time then.”

He finished by speaking with worry and sincerity, then turned around.

Liliana blankly stared at Herald’s back as he suddenly left, when she had clung to him not to go. She belatedly realized. That it wasn’t his true feelings. That he was simply being considerate of her who was having a hard time.

That his true feelings were not wanting to leave.

Come to think of it, Herald was always like that. He always prioritized Liliana’s feelings and situation over his own emotions. From the first time they met until now. Not even once did she think of him first.

The reason she hadn’t realized that fact until now was probably because unlike Herald, Liliana only thought about herself.

To think I was such a shameless person. Liliana’s eyelids trembled as she felt ashamed of the fact she newly realized. A sense of self-loathing with a bit of guilt was added to the scale of choice, and the scale heavily tilted to one side.

Like this…… I can’t let him go.

Liliana turned around so sharply that it made a whoosh sound and ran towards Herald. Her hair and skirt hems fluttered uncontrollably.

Thanks to Herald stopping after hearing the sound of her running urgently, the distance quickly narrowed. Liliana grabbed his arm and spoke while looking straight at his noticeably flustered face.

“Don’t, go.”

Her words were cut off as she was out of breath from the short but intense sprint. After catching her breath for a moment, Liliana spoke her true feelings.

“The person I want to be with is you. So, don’t go.”

At her words that were no different from a confession, Herald’s eyes widened beyond their limit. The green eyes meeting those eyes were more serious than ever.

Herald tried to say something, but Fredrick’s voice mixed with anger was heard first.

“What are you doing now, lady.”

Thud, her heart sank. As the fear and dread she had momentarily forgotten while only thinking of Herald vividly resurfaced, Liliana clenched her skirt hem so tightly that it wrinkled terribly.

“Are you saying you’re choosing Count Braden now, not me, your husband?”

“……Ha.”

A scoff came out at the following question because it reminded her of the atrocity Fredrick committed on their wedding night. The nerve of him asking such a question when he had rolled in bed with Countess Baliman instead of his bride on the first night in order to obtain the exclusive transportation rights for iron ore.

It was so absurd that the fear that had risen to the tip of her throat subsided. Liliana took a deep breath, swallowed the remaining fear, then turned to look at Fredrick.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t choose Count over you?”

Fredrick furrowed his brows at the unexpected counterattack.

“Are you calling that a question now?”

“Yes. I said it’s a question. You’ve been prioritizing other noble ladies over me from our wedding night until now. But am I not allowed to do that? Especially when Count Braden is my former fiancé?”

As Liliana fiercely retorted, Fredrick’s face distorted hideously. Liliana swallowed dryly at his cold eyes that seemed to ask if she’d be okay doing this, if she could handle the aftermath. The fear she had barely swallowed rose up again, but she couldn’t back down now.

“As you’ve probably heard from Lady Margaret, my mother is sleeping after taking a sedative. It’s not a situation where you can visit. So give up on seeing my mother. You didn’t come to see her in the first place anyway.”

Perhaps feeling no more reason to lie, Fredrick didn’t falsely claim that he did come to see her mother.

“So don’t waste unnecessary time and go back. To the arms of the noble ladies you love so much.”

Liliana tightly held Herald’s hand and continued.

“I will be with the person I like.”