Only after moistening her dry throat with tea did Jieselgrante finally manage to speak.

“Um… Why aren’t you properly dressed?”

Cabelased casually replied while shaking his wet hair:

“Is there a need to?”

Seeing his expression that seemed not to understand why he should, Jieselgrante opened her eyes wide and moved her lips.

“What do you mean…”

Then Cabelased gestured towards the corridor he had just walked through and said:

“I guess you didn’t know this is the reception room between my bedroom and bathroom. Didn’t the butler tell you?”

A small sigh escaped from between Jieselgrante’s teeth.

“Ah…”

Now she understood. Why he wasn’t properly dressed after bathing.

She too would have been wearing comfortable clothes if she had just finished bathing.

And if it was in her own bedroom, she likely wouldn’t have bothered to put on clothes until her body was completely dry.

‘So, this place where I am… is Cabelased’s private space. Then what was the butler’s intention in guiding me here?’

The butler had not informed Jieselgrante that this was Cabelased’s private space.

Moreover, judging by Cabelased’s reaction just now, he also didn’t seem to expect her to be waiting for him here.

‘Aha…’

As she analyzed the situation, Jieselgrante finally noticed the butler’s intention.

‘He wanted to show me his master’s superior physique.’

The butler would know all of Cabelased’s living habits.

He would have known that when Cabelased came out after bathing, he wouldn’t be properly dressed.

Just by arranging for her to be here at the right timing, he could show off his master’s sculptured body.

She could somewhat understand the butler’s psychology.

To have such a smooth, toned body without any excess fat, she could imagine how much time Cabelased must have devoted.

Still, questions remained.

‘But why… did he want to show off his master’s body so badly?’

While she had succeeded in fully analyzing the butler’s purpose, she couldn’t read his psychology.

Above all, she was in an awkward situation right now.

Her gaze kept drifting towards Cabelased’s firm body. Even though she knew she shouldn’t.

This was absolutely not her will!

Isn’t it human instinct to be captivated by the sight of a beautiful work of art?

“If you must look, don’t peek, just look openly.”

Saying that, Cabelased nonchalantly sat down across from her.

‘What…?’

If Cabelased himself disliked being peeked at, he could have just put on clothes.

Jieselgrante only complained inwardly as she raised her gaze.

And as he had just said, she began to openly appreciate the divine sculpture.

The muscles that revealed their presence over the thin, elastic yet soft-looking skin.

It was then. A water droplet rolled down from his still damp hair.

The droplet that slid down his collarbone, grazed his swollen pectoral muscles, and flowed down his sharply defined abs.

Gulp.

Suddenly, a dry swallow went down her throat. For some reason, she felt tense watching that sight.

‘…W-What is this?’

Realizing she was very conscious of Cabelased, Jieselgrante was extremely flustered.

Then she noticed a small mole on his left chest. As if entranced, she slightly raised her body.

And reached out her hand towards Cabelased’s swollen pectoral muscles. Just before her fingertips touched his skin.

“I don’t recall giving permission to touch.”

Cabelased frowned slightly.

Jieselgrante, who was about to reflexively make an excuse, soon stopped.

And sat back down, lowering her gaze to the red tea in her cup.

“I apologize for my rudeness.”

“I’ll accept your apology.”

It was only for a moment that she was deflated by the shame of her somewhat impulsive action. Soon, Jieselgrante raised her gaze and asked:

“But about that mole near your chest…”

“You mean this?”

Cabelased asked, slightly lowering his head to look at his chest. Jieselgrante nodded and asked:

“How long have you had it?”

“I think I’ve had it since birth.”

Since birth…

Trying not to show her confusion in front of Cabelased who answered casually, she slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

In the portrait of the first Emperor she had seen recently in the secret archives of the Imperial Palace, there was a mark similar to the one on Cabelased’s chest.

‘…Could it be a coincidence?’

Jieselgrante’s expression darkened for a moment as she thought of one hypothesis.

As if noticing her sudden change in emotion, Cabelased looked at Jieselgrante with a puzzled expression.

“…?”

“If you have no other business, I think I’ll take my leave now that I’ve seen your face. I have another appointment later.”

Jieselgrante said hastily as she stood up, intending to leave quickly.

For a moment, there seemed to be a trace of regret on Cabelased’s face, but thinking it must be her imagination, she immediately turned around.

As she left the reception room and walked down the wide corridor, she let out a faint sigh.

In fact, she had planned to bring up the portrait when she met Cabelased today.

But it seemed there was no need for that now.

She thought that the mark said to appear on the descendants of heaven might not be a lie after all.

The butler, who was talking to an employee in the corridor, spotted Jieselgrante and asked:

“Are you leaving already?”

“I have another appointment later.”

“That’s a pity… Then I’ll see you next time.”

The butler followed the retreating figure of Duke Amaterasu’s daughter with his eyes before going to see her off.

In truth, the butler had been anxious all along.

Wondering if his master might end up unable to marry at this rate.

Of course, if someone had heard the butler’s inner thoughts, they might have dismissed it as nonsense.

As his master, Duke Kardia, was considered the most eligible bachelor in the empire, if it became known that he wanted to marry, noble ladies and aristocrats would surely line up in front of the Kardia mansion.

But even if he somehow got married, what came after was the problem.

Dry tone, blunt and stiff attitude.

In the butler’s opinion, his master had such a cool impression that he needed to show a more caring or gentle side. At least to women.

As he currently had virtually no family, the butler hoped he would find a loving wife and build a happy family.

But just when that happiness that everyone else seemed to enjoy felt out of reach.

It was like a miracle to the butler when a woman started frequenting the Kardia mansion, not just once but several times.

He immediately discussed this with Count Preston.

When he subtly informed him about Cabelased’s recent changed situation, Count Preston came up with a good idea.

‘It would be best to use everything we can.’

What he meant by “everything we can use” was to fully appeal to Duke Kardia’s charms that could captivate the opposite sex.

Saying that Duke Amaterasu’s daughter might be the only one who hasn’t left Kardia’s side despite countless rejections.

Although Duke Amaterasu’s daughter still hadn’t shed her youthful girlishness, she could be captivated by the sensual and mature bodies of knights.

So the butler deliberately arranged for her to see the master’s naked body.

Fortunately, as he had hoped, the master appeared before Duke Amaterasu’s daughter with his upper body bare.

Now the young lady would surely find the bodies of knights she had seen in the training grounds puny in comparison. And yet…

‘Why did you let such a beautiful young lady leave with such sad eyes…’

It was a moment when he felt somewhat resentful towards the master he served.

After seeing off Duke Amaterasu’s daughter, the butler immediately headed to the reception room where Cabelased was.

Full of the mind to grumble a bit at Cabelased for letting the young lady leave like that, despite being given such a good opportunity.

Left alone in the reception room after Jieselgrante’s departure, Cabelased stared at the empty teacup placed next to the one still steaming with rising vapor.

As he blankly gazed at the lip mark left on the rim of the now empty teacup, the events from the recent Founding Day celebration came to his mind.

And the sweet voice that had whispered in his ear.

‘Happy birthday once again.’

The fact that his birthday was on Founding Day was essentially top secret.

After the previous Duke Kardia passed away, hardly anyone knew except the butler.

So normally, he should have dealt with both Jieselgrante, who knew his secret, and Mikhail, who had revealed it to her.

But he didn’t do that.

And he was still looking for the reason why.

Why he had allowed Jieselgrante and Mikhail to know his secret.

It was such an important secret that if it became known outside, not just he alone, but all the nobles affiliated with the alliance could be in danger.

Cabelased recalled Mikhail’s grumpy face.

Then he seemed to roughly understand why he had spared Mikhail, who had divulged his secret to Jieselgrante.

‘Is this what they call love born from hate?’

Certainly, his relationship with Mikhail stemmed from love and hate. Then what about Jieselgrante?

While keeping his gaze on the lip mark left on the rim of the empty teacup, Cabelased slowly traced his dry lips with his thumb.

Recalling Jieselgrante’s appearance just before she left this place.

When she first saw his naked body, she had looked like a startled rabbit, all flustered, but then she sneakily peeked at his body in a way that was utterly mischievous.