How could I kiss him in front of others? Even now when we’re alone, my face is turning red like this.

“But still, when we’re alone, I can gather my courage. I’ll try my best. Just like how Yezar is trying for me!”

Hiding my selfish thoughts, I made excuses. Saying this now was just so our relationship wouldn’t be doubted.

But his following question greatly embarrassed me.

“Are you saying you want to try when there’s no one else around?”

When there’s no one else around… So does that mean I just said we should kiss when we’re alone?

Uh… Did I just say something outrageous?

“Ah, no! Well, that is correct, but I didn’t mean it like I want to touch Yezar all over when we’re alone! I, I…”

My words came out in a jumble due to embarrassment. I only said that because kissing in front of everyone would be too… too embarrassing.

Moreover, my innocent contract husband was working hard without knowing my dark innermost thoughts. How could I shamelessly back out now?

“Then, were you just embarrassed? About kissing me in front of others.”

“I’m embarrassed and not used to it… But I know it’s unnatural to keep blushing like this. I want to try in my own way.”

I showed him my determination with clenched fists. Then he patted my head. Not understanding why he suddenly stroked my head, I called out to him.

“Yezar?”

He quickly removed his hand and apologized to me.

“Ah… I’m sorry. I did it without thinking. You were just so cute, my lady.”

Trying my best to calm my suddenly racing heart, I said to him.

“Didn’t we agree in our marriage rules not to say such things?”

“We also said to be flexible.”

Ah. Now that I think about it, I remembered what he had said.

‘…How about changing it so that as long as we respect each other’s wishes, we don’t have to adhere too strictly to the rules?’

Hearing that, I had nothing to say. He said not to be too bound by marriage rules and just respect each other.

“That’s true.”

“Yes, it seems you remember now. My cute wife.”

Not once, but twice he called me cute. This was clearly meant to tease. Somehow, he was annoying me.

While I was flustering at his every action. Now he was laughing relatively at ease.

I could see the redness fading from his face. Unlike me who was getting redder and redder.

As I tried to cool down by pressing the back of my hand to my cheek, he asked me.

“So how would you like to make an effort, my lady?”

How I’d like to make an effort, he asks. After thinking for a moment, I answered.

“First of all, since everything is new for us, I think it’s better to go slowly, little by little. Whether it’s formal contact we need to show or whatever.”

We were no different from utterly clumsy newlyweds after all. If we try to handle something big recklessly, our minds would error.

Like how I recalled that night when I kissed him all day long.

“Little by little, slowly. Yes, I think that’s good too.”

“And you shouldn’t laugh if the other person is clumsy. Don’t tease either. Like just now.”

At my request, his shoulders shook with laughter. I was trying to be serious. What was so funny?

As I looked at him sulkily, he noticed my gaze and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I keep laughing. And I wouldn’t tease you, my lady. You’re trying hard enough.”

“Then why did you keep calling me cute?”

What if I develop false hopes because he says such things? There are plenty of women weak to compliments from handsome men.

“Am I not allowed to find you cute, my lady?”

He laughed again. The laughter that had been continuing since earlier was embedded in his voice.

“It’s not that it’s not allowed, but… still, such words aren’t good.”

“Why aren’t they good? When your brother comes tomorrow, we need to whisper affectionately like this.”

Those words were no different from a declaration that he would call me cute and act sweet in front of Wizlet. Will he only be satisfied when my face turns as red as a tomato?

Yezar is really calm. Why am I the only one feeling so hot and impatient, and my gaze keeps fixing on his lips?

“Julieta?”

My gaze fixed once again on his lips calling my name. Ah, I really was in bad shape. This was no different from an incurable disease I couldn’t escape from.

“…Yezar, let’s move up tomorrow’s contact to today. After all, as you said, Wizlet is coming tomorrow. It’ll be hard to practice then.”

“Pardon? My lady, what did you just say?”

“I said let’s do it today. After that, I’ll tell you the rest of my thoughts on how to make an effort. We were still in the middle of our conversation, weren’t we?”

At that, Yezar took a step back. But he came forward again by one step. It seemed he had instinctively retreated without realizing it himself. Unfortunately, I had no intention of stopping.

“Are you running away? Why? Let’s do it one more time.”

“My lady, I think it would be better if you calmed down now.”

“I’m perfectly rational. First, I think it would be better to practice getting closer to Yezar now, and then tell you about my efforts afterward.”

That’s what you get for keep laughing and teasing me. Even though your face will turn endlessly red if I approach.

“I think this is enough for today.”

“If you run away today, I’ll chase after you and catch you. It seems it’ll be very easy to do it twice since I’ve done it once.”

Realizing I was serious, he stammered.

“I-I’m not running away.”

“Really? Then why isn’t the distance between us closing?”

When I took a step forward, he took a step back. We weren’t playing tag or anything.

I tried to quickly lunge at him like when I pointed a sword at him. But the moment I rushed into his arms, my center of gravity tilted. His body fell with a thud onto the soft grass.

I pressed down on his arms with my hands to prevent him from escaping. Somehow I ended up in a position straddling him.

“M-my lady. Please don’t do this.”

There was moisture in his pleading voice. I could see in real-time his eyes reddening under the warm sunlight.

Anyone who saw would think I was going to eat him up.

“Now your face is just as red as mine. I quite like it.”

“My lady, you really are too much…”

He trailed off, voicing his complaints unlike himself. But I had a lot to say too.

“That’s right. You should have been prepared not to run away. You were fine teasing me earlier. What’s with you running away when I approach?”

“But when you approach so aggressively, I… don’t know what to do. You really have no self-awareness, my lady.”

No self-awareness, he says. Look who’s talking. I was trying to forget what happened that night by walking in the garden.

Then he appears out of nowhere and pops the desire I had been suppressing.

I calmly replied to the man who was averting his gaze.

“Just close your eyes.”

“Those words are the same as what you said at our wedding.”

“You remember that?”

‘Even if it’s just a formality, swear your love and just close your eyes.’

I did have a brief memory of saying something like that.

“I remember. Even if it was a contract, it was still our wedding. How could I forget…”

I had managed to make his face red, but now it was my turn to feel my face burning. As expected, his mouth was the problem.

Spilling out such pleasant words. Making my heart race on its own again and again.

“Actually, I had forgotten. Thank you for remembering. It’s our first marriage for both of us. We shouldn’t forget such a special day.”

I had to admit I was inconsiderate about this part.

“Then, if you could get off me…”

But I wasn’t willing to grant his desperate request.

“That’s not possible.”

I slowly pressed my hands on his chest and lowered my head. My curly red hair flowed down beside his face.

It had only been a few months, not even a year. I didn’t know why my emotions were so turbulent unlike back then.

I gently kissed the cheek of the man who had his eyes tightly shut. At that, his eyes opened.

“I told you to close your eyes. Why did you open them?”

“Th-that’s because it was on the cheek, not the lips…”

“I never said I would do it on the lips, did I? Besides, you did it on my cheek too. This counts as practice, doesn’t it?”

I wondered why he was flustered. It’s not like he was disappointed that I didn’t kiss him on the lips.

“Y-yes. That’s true.”

His voice answering was utterly lacking in strength. I loosened my grip on him and prepared to get up.

If someone saw us in this state, they might seriously misunderstand.

‘Well, how could that happen? There are hardly any servants coming in and out of the garden.’

At that moment, I heard a dull thud of something falling nearby. When I turned my head, there was a man in work clothes covered in dirt. Next to him lay fallen garden shears.

Ah, there was a servant coming and going. The gardener who manages the garden, that is.

“P-please continue what you were doing. I-I didn’t see anything, my lady.”