Herdin left the party and began to look around the balcony and empty rooms. Since the party hadn’t ended yet, she probably hadn’t gone back to the bedroom.

Discovering lovers having a secret meeting several times during the search, Herdin finally found Blair on a secluded balcony. Fortunately, she was alone.

Tap, tap.

Herdin tapped on the glass leading to the balcony. Blair, who was looking at the garden, heard the sound and turned around.

Herdin entered the balcony.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was getting rid of the tipsiness.”

“Then, this?”
Herdin gestured with his eyes towards the wine glass Blair was holding.

Only then did Blair realize that her response and actions could be interpreted differently and explained, “This is water.”

It was certainly closer to colorless to be called white wine.

“You’re wise. It’s probably not good to show such behavior in front of guests.”

Herdin deliberately emphasized ‘such behavior’ as he spoke. Then, he smoothly took Blair’s glass and brought it to his lips.

A faint scent of wine lingered at the spot where her lips had touched. It was diluted.

Blair, who sensed that he was teasing her by mentioning his embarrassment at the last party, closed her lips with displeasure.

Blair wasn’t cheeky enough to casually talk about her embarrassing moments, so she changed the subject.

“Did you come to find me?”

“Yes.”

“Who sent you to find me?”

She naturally excluded him as the reason for coming to find her.

Though Herdin found it irritating, today’s party was a sufficient situation to overlook it.

“No one. I have something to say.”

Blair’s gaze, looking up at him, asked what he wanted to say. Herdin found satisfaction in my appearance, filled with large lilac-colored irises.

Herdin looked at those eyes for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“Thank you for your hard work today.”

Unexpected praise caused Blair’s eyes to blink.
He thought that he didn’t need recognition from anyone at this party. He didn’t pay much attention to the compliments from the ladies and young misses.

He was satisfied, and that was enough for him.

However, the moment he heard the simple but sincere praise from him, his heart fluttered. At the same time, she realized.

‘I wanted to hear these words from this man.’

She became bitter at the sudden realization.

It was praise she hadn’t heard in the past.

In a past life, she had accidentally heard the gossip about her being torn apart by the spirits on this balcony and had been shocked.

Afterwards, she returned to the party as if nothing had happened, bid farewell to the guests with a forced smile, and went up to her bedroom.

And Herdin hugged her as usual without saying a word.

That was natural. As the host, he had only done what he should have done, and he probably didn’t know what words he had heard.

Still, if it had been on that day at that moment. If she had heard these words from him.

‘…Then everything would have been fine.’

The praise she heard belatedly was more bitter than joyful.

“Thank you.”

Blair replied quietly, taking back her glass from his hand. Because of that, the fingertips of the two touched.

“Aren’t you hiccupping today?”

“Well, I’m not drunk today.”
Blair’s glass, detached from her lips, was empty, and the tiny moist crimson lips glistened in the moonlight.

Herdin’s gaze intensified as he looked at it. In that moment, Herdin and Blair’s eyes met. The lingering thirst from the past flared like a fire.

Herdin wrapped his hand around her cheek and pressed his lips against hers. Startled, Blair held onto her glass tightly, not letting it fall. Herdin took hold of it, releasing her lips.

Blair stared at him blankly. His gaze, stopped at a breath’s distance, was pleading.

He desires her.

Although she was afraid of his desire, which seemed to swallow her up at any moment, for some reason, she didn’t want to push him away.

‘Is it because I don’t want to argue with this person anymore?’

Or maybe…

Blair, unable to decide her feelings, released the glass she was holding without an answer.

His hand, as if waiting, took it, and eventually, their lips met again. The warm breath tangled deeply at a different angle.

All while a shadow observed the two, unaware.