The veins on his arm propped on the desk bulged prominently.

As their faces drew close, Jade’s cool, subtle scent immediately reached her.

‘This is… too close.’

In the pitch-black darkness where faces were barely discernible.

Unable to see anything, the tension doubled.

“Were you crying?”

“I wasn’t crying…”

“Don’t lie. Your capillaries have burst. Even a little crying shows like this because of your uncle’s situation.”

The gentle touch repeatedly wiping her eyes spread the sound of her heart pounding and trembling.

‘Quiet, please be quiet…’

Seeing how it raced even with this slight closeness, it must surely be broken.

Though he must have heard her racing heartbeat, Jade only wore a faint smile without acknowledging it.

“Larien. Something happened to you, didn’t it.”

He simply gazed straight into her eyes.

“…How did you know?”

“Your expression has seemed down since earlier.”

Even though she hadn’t particularly shown it, he noticed her mood wasn’t good.

Jade knew everything about her.

Really. The only thing that hadn’t changed was his attitude towards her.

“Just before the wedding, I briefly met the Duchess Belaste and Uriel.”

“Mmm.”

“It was fine when they said all sorts of abominable things. I just ignored them.”

Jade listened to her words, replying in a gentle voice.

“But, I saw Blanche and the Duke together in the lounge. I overheard their conversation, and the Duke said…”

“…What did he say?”

“That he wasn’t angry at me, but at himself for not being able to be a father.”

His attentive attitude strangely made her want to whine.

‘I understand not celebrating my birthday. But you didn’t need to look at me like I was a bug and just walk past. Who wanted to be born, who asked to be born?’

‘Stop crying, Larien. What can I do for you?’

‘…You don’t need to do anything. Just listening like this is enough. When you’re here, I don’t feel alone.’

Like in the old days when she would run to Jade crying after harsh words from Duke Belaste.

“It’s ridiculous. Saying he’s sad he can’t see his daughter again, that he’s sorry he couldn’t treat me well…”

“…”

“What am I supposed to do now that he says that? The funny thing is, while regretting my death… if I hadn’t died, he wouldn’t have changed.”

The more she spoke, her emotions didn’t lessen but rather irritation rose.

“He says I don’t have to forgive him? That if he could go back to that day, he’d want nothing more than for me to just come back alive?”

As her emotions intensified, she dug her nails into her skin.

“Ja-Jade. What are you doing?”

Before she could feel the pain, Jade quickly loosened her grip and interlaced his fingers with hers.

“Don’t hurt yourself. Scratch my shoulders like you used to instead.”

Scratch his shoulders like back then.

Jade had finally dredged up the deeply buried memories.

“No, it’s fine. I won’t do it, so let go of my hand.”

“What if I refuse?”

Even trying to forcibly pull away, it was impossible to overcome his strength.

“Jade. I’m already upset, don’t you add to it too.”

“Larien. Shall I make you unable to think about those people?”

“…How-”

Before those words finished, she pulled back in surprise, about to say something but swallowing the words.

“Like this.”

Jade leaned towards her, cupping the back of her head as he captured her lower lip.

“Ah, startled… mmph.”

He explored without giving her a moment to breathe.

His fingers threaded through her hair, stroking downwards.

Saliva mingled repeatedly inside their mouths.

“Haah.”

As their breaths scattered, she looked directly at Jade. She put her hands around his neck, barely able to breathe.

The intimate actions brought a flush, her body quickly growing hot.

She met his vivid red eyes, shining like coral.

His gaze grew pointedly intense as he stared at her.

“You…”

Sensing her unease, her eyelashes trembled faintly.

Her mind grew hazy at his mismatched gaze.

He unfastened the hem of her dress with his other hand, sliding up her thigh.

“Jade, slow down a little…!”

At the signal to stop, Jade briefly withdrew his hand and pulled his lips away.

“…Why?”

“Well, it’s just…”

It hadn’t been long since she’d vowed never to do this with him again.

Also, today was a day when many people had gathered.

Though they wouldn’t be caught since the east reception hall was quite far from the main building, she somehow disliked it.

“Larien. Don’t think about anything else, just look at me.”

Warning her not to get distracted, Jade brought his lips to hers again.

“…Mmm, Shu Shu.”

Blanche’s voice came from the bed.

Startled, she pushed Jade’s shoulders to separate them.

“The macaron is Shu Shu’s… Nom nom.”

It wasn’t her waking up, but her usual sleep-talking in the midst of dreaming.

Even after confirming she was still asleep, she glared at Jade, feeling strangely flustered.

“You’re crazy, really. There’s a child here.”

“She’s sleeping soundly. Is there a problem?”

Jade answered with utter calmness, then started kissing her again, this time beginning from her fingertips and moving upwards.

A ticklish sensation traveled up her hand to her neck.

He tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear, giving her an intense look.

“Larien. Can I do more?”

“You… You’ll do whatever you want anyway… Why bother asking me?”

She knew well what his next actions would be.

Jade asking when he would do it regardless of her answer was truly vexing.

“Then, I guess I won’t ask from now on.”

“You’re the most irritating.”

Exasperated by his conclusion to not ask at all now, she got down from the desk.

“Larien. Are you angry?”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“Lari.”

Jade even used a nickname he rarely called her by.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know you’re just saying that to smooth things over.”

Despite Jade’s continued apologies, her voice came out sulky from annoyance.

“Let’s talk outside of here first. The child might wake up.”

She checked if Blanche was sleeping well and left a light kiss on her forehead.

“Blanche, my baby. Sleep well.”

“Mmm…”

Blanche rolled to her side. Before she woke again, she led Jade outside.

“Want to drink wine in my room?”

“…Wine?”

A night when sleep wouldn’t come easily.

She wanted to blow away her complicated feelings by getting a little tipsy anyway.

The pale moon hung in the night sky.

Its elegant appearance made her want to keep looking, so she admired it for a moment.

“Larien. What are you doing, not coming?”

“The moon is beautiful. Don’t you think so?”

“…Where?”

Jade tilted his head, looking at her with an uncomprehending gaze.

“Where? Just looking at it is pretty. No matter what happens, the moon never loses its color and always shines white.”

He maintained an apathetic expression without continuing the conversation.

It was a face that said he didn’t understand what she was talking about.

“Jade, you’re too dry.”

His reaction somehow made her lose interest, and she withdrew her gaze.

The distance widened between her and Jade with his long strides.

“Jade. Go a little slower.”

No matter how much she sped up, keeping pace with him was difficult.

“I wasn’t walking fast.”

Even so, Jade waited for her to catch up and matched his pace to hers.

His slowing steps as he kept looking at her made her feel good.

“I’ll bring wine from downstairs. Go to my room first.”

She watched Jade descend the stairs, then turned and entered his room.

Dark-colored furniture, plain patterned silk curtains, old decorations.

‘It’s exactly the same as before.’

The atmosphere of Jade’s room, which she hadn’t properly looked at last time as she fled, was quaint.

It felt empty, sparsely furnished with only necessities.

“The moon is more visible from here.”

She sat by the window to finish looking at the moon she couldn’t see earlier.

There was a white light surrounding the moon.

It was similar to the meaning of Blanche’s name.

The band circling the edges in a round shape looked like clouds.

How much time had passed?

Jade brought a bottle of wine and two clear glasses.

“What kind of wine is it?”

“Belfort ’32. All the others had high alcohol content, this was the only relatively weak one.”

Jade skillfully removed the cork.

A fresh raspberry scent filled the room.

He handed her a glass of poured wine. The red wine swirling in the clear glass was the same color as Jade’s eyes.

The wine she sipped in small amounts tasted just like raspberry juice.

“It’s delicious.”

Though he said it was weak, the effects quickly rose.

“Hey. Are you already drunk?”

Jade asked with an incredulous look.

“No. I’m not drunk.”

Though she was excited to drink wine after a long time, there was no way she could be drunk already.

Her pronunciation wasn’t slurred, nor was her vision blurry.

“Give me more.”

“Larien. Stop drinking. Your cheeks are red now.”

Jade exaggerated about her slightly flushed face and set the wine bottle far away.

She tried to stand up to get the wine bottle herself, but felt dizzy and dropped the glass from her hand.

A broken shard grazed her knee and blood flowed.

“Larien!”

Perhaps because she felt dazed, it only stung a little.

Jade came over with his eyebrows sharply raised and lifted her up in one motion.