Yezar Ferhaem gently kissed her cheek. Then her forehead, the tip of her nose, and finally a soft touch on her lips, feeling her warmth. A pleasant sound slipped from her lips.

He couldn’t help but smile. The moment when he had proposed a contract marriage to her came back to mind.

“At first, I thought it might have been my imagination. But the longer I spend with you, the more vivid the colors of my feelings become.”

This emotion—wanting to see her smile, craving to be by her side, feeling jealousy, wishing she’d lean on me a little more, hoping she wouldn’t leave—was a striking, vivid red. Much like Julietta’s hair.

But he couldn’t let Julietta see these feelings just yet. She might be frightened and run away.

***

I lightly touched my lips. It was a meaningless gesture. Well, actually, it had meaning. The practiced kiss I’d rehearsed with Weaslet to appear affectionate still lingered vividly in my mind.

“Haa… It’s been several days, and I’m still like this.”

Since I couldn’t see clearly at the time, the sensation felt all the more intense. At the moment I woke up after everything, I’d been fine.

As always, Yezar had risen early and wasn’t beside me. I blinked groggily, half-asleep. Briefly, I recalled the maids greeting me with joy.

Ah, and now I realized once again just how thorough Yezar was. When I woke, damp cloths were scattered around, and the bed sheets were rumpled as if from vigorous movement.

“It was just that my body was too clean back then… that was the problem.”

I hadn’t expected to be questioned about that, but I managed to cover it up well. I said he’d remained a gentleman even at night. With just that one sentence, most people seemed to accept it.

Of course, I don’t actually know if he truly was a gentleman. After all, we didn’t do anything. Everyone spreads rumors as if we were insatiable beasts, but if they knew the truth—that nothing had happened between us—would they even believe it?

Still, Ember, who knew our circumstances well, seemed slightly suspicious. Perhaps anticipating that our plan might have failed, I noticed her cautiously calling Lopi aside separately.

Their enthusiasm had been overwhelming. I was already afraid of what might come next.

“Madam, why are you touching your lips like that? Is something bothering you?”

I quickly pulled my hand down.

“That couldn’t be.”

I must have unconsciously kept touching my lips while lost in thought. Yes. It wasn’t Ember who mattered.

It was my own strange state. I hadn’t grown awkward around him, but the lingering sensation that wouldn’t fade occasionally made me feel odd.

“I’ll go for a walk in the garden for a moment.”

No, I needed to get some sunlight, feel the breeze, and clear my head. At that, May, who had been fixing my hair, cheerfully replied.

“Oh! Come to think of it, your family is coming tomorrow, right? The gardener said he’s already taken care of the garden, but it wouldn’t hurt to check and see if anything’s missing.”

Ah, that’s right. Wasn’t Weaslet coming tomorrow? My mind had been elsewhere, so I’d momentarily forgotten. If Weaslet knew, he’d probably grumble about how I could forget him.

“It’ll be nice to see him again. I should ask how the nanny is doing too. She’s sensitive and must have worried a lot about me.”

Still, I smiled, thinking of the few faces I actually wanted to see. The Orbetian estate was so vast and spacious that being alone only made me feel lonely.

***

The garden in spring was full of life. A pleasant breeze blew, neither cold nor humid.

As the fully bloomed petals swayed in the wind, a delicate floral scent wafted through the air.

“Now that I think of it, the duke’s garden really is beautiful. Is there really anything I need to check?”

The garden, carefully tended by the gardener, seemed to need no further attention. The gentle fragrance wasn’t overwhelming, and as I walked, my mood gradually lifted.

“I’ll just take a quick look and go.”

I did love flowers. Taking the time to stroll through the garden like this wasn’t bad at all. The clutter of thoughts in my mind slowly began to fade. Just as I thought I’d made the right choice coming out here, I heard a rustling sound.

I turned, thinking a rabbit might have wandered onto the path, but there stood Yezar.

Seeing the very source of my distracting thoughts right in front of me, all my efforts to clear my mind instantly scattered.

“Yezar? Isn’t this your working hour?”

“I heard the lady was in the garden. Your brother-in-law is coming tomorrow, isn’t he? I thought there might be more preparations needed.”

I had completely forgotten about Weaslet, yet Yezar seemed even more attentive. He really didn’t need to go this far.

“No, it’s fine. Weaslet won’t stay long anyway, and we’ll just have a simple meal. There’s no need for extra preparations.”

“I know, but I find myself caring without even realizing it.”

I couldn’t help but smile. The fact that his kindness extended to my family didn’t feel bad at all. Even if Yezar stirred up distracting thoughts, walking together through the garden on a spring day wouldn’t be so bad.

“The preparations are fine now. If you’re not busy, would you like to walk with me in the garden?”

He answered without hesitation.

“Yes, my lady.”

That was quick. Was he really not busy? But if I could walk with him, that was fine by me.

I stood still, waiting for him to approach. Suddenly, seeing him standing in the spring garden, I thought he looked like a scene from a picture book.

“A handsome man and spring. They suit each other well.”

A silly thought crossed my mind—would there ever come a day when I’d get used to his looks?

As I confirmed he was approaching, I began to walk, but then he lowered his head.

Smack—. An embarrassingly loud sound came from my cheek. I turned to Yezar in surprise and saw him covering his mouth, his face completely flushed.

“I heard your brother-in-law is coming tomorrow. I thought I’d get you used to it in advance, my lady.”

An awkward chuckle followed. Showing affection in broad daylight while strolling through the garden certainly fit the image of a passionate newlywed couple… My hand touched the cheek where his lips had been.

Only now did the suddenness of it register. I felt heat spreading through my body. But as I rubbed my cheek, another thought came.

That night, in the darkness, the place he’d kissed hadn’t been my cheek. Not on the lips—how regretful.

I was startled by the natural flow of my own thoughts. What on earth was I thinking?

This wasn’t our private bedroom, but a bright, sunlit garden.

“Get a hold of yourself, Julietta. It’s daytime, the sun is shining, the breeze feels nice. And… also…”

Despite all these thoughts, my face kept growing hot. Since I stood there silently without answering, he apologized.

“…I’m sorry. I, well, you must have disliked it.”

He even stammered, his face completely red.

“No! I didn’t dislike it. There’s no need to apologize.”

It was sudden, but I couldn’t possibly have disliked it. He definitely had no reason to apologize. The problem was that a lewd thought had awakened in my mind.

“But what we practiced back then wasn’t on the cheek, was it?”

His voice came a beat later.

“…What?”

Still covering his lips with his hand, he looked at me with a deeply flushed face.

“Yezar, could you lower your head again?”

Perhaps doing it once more would erase these distracting thoughts. It wasn’t right to keep obsessively recalling that moment like some pervert.

Hesitant at first, he cautiously lowered his head. This time, his face was clearly visible, no longer hidden by darkness.

His usually steady eyes trembled slightly, as if nervous, and his eyelashes quivered. I could clearly see his deeply flushed neck and his blue eyes holding my reflection.

“Ah. Do I look just as flustered as Yezar? Nervous, trembling, face red.”

Realizing that, I felt strangely comforted. He lowered his head to my eye level, and I gently cupped his cheek with my hand before kissing him.

The kiss was light, and the warmth I felt was gentle—just like the spring garden.

“Still, it’s no different from that time.”

Surprisingly, the sensation was exactly the same. Only now could I imagine what expression he’d worn when he approached me and kissed me.

“So that’s the face he made when he came to me. Thank goodness… it was dark back then.”

If it hadn’t been dark, I might have done something terrible to him. From the moment our lips touched until they parted, neither of us closed our eyes.

We saw only each other.

“Haa…”

Our lips parted with a breathless sigh. A sweet floral scent drifted by. The memory of the sweet fragrance that had filled the bedroom last night returned.

“There’s a sweet scent in the air.”

He must have been thinking the same thing, for he replied just as softly.

“Yes… It’s sweet.”

“Ah, really. I thought kissing might clear my mind of these thoughts.”

Instead, my gaze was fixed on his red lips. I struggled hard to suppress my desire as I answered.

“…You know, Yezar. My older brother is coming tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll be able to kiss you calmly in front of him.”