Aidel’s appearance after taking off her robe shone dazzlingly white. Her transparent white skin gleamed glossily under the sunlight.

The bathing suit made of white chiffon fabric was a sleeveless, deep neckline midriff design. Her delicate shoulders and arms, and the slender waist contrasting with her rounded chest were fully revealed.

Below that, a skirt-pants made of the same material as the top came up above the knees, showing off her smooth legs stretching from her thighs.

At that time, most bathing suits were knee-length dress styles with short sleeves and underpants attached, so women could only show their arms and calves at most. Even those were often covered with tights.

Compared to this, the newly designed bathing suit by Madame Pomfenu was a bold attempt that could be called revolutionary.

“Shall we… start?”

Unable to bear the embarrassment from the intense gaze directed at her, Aidel wrapped her arms around her body.

She lowered her gaze and barely managed to speak, unable to meet his eyes. She wanted to hurry into the water.

“…Come in.”

Caeron answered in a slightly deeper, lowered voice as he turned his back first and entered the water.

With his back turned, Caeron pressed his temples with a perplexed expression. It was he who had instructed Marlin in advance to prepare luggage so she could go swimming.

Since she had never been to the sea before, this would be her first time swimming too. Besides seeing the ocean, he wanted her to know the freedom of actually entering the water.

However, Aidel’s unexpected appearance flustered him. The sight of a woman with a pure face but a voluptuous body revealed was mesmerizing, impossible to take his eyes off.

‘Ha! This is maddening.’

Caeron gritted his teeth, feeling a heavy heat rising. To cool down his unexpectedly heated body temperature, he immediately immersed himself in the water that felt somewhat cold.

Then, regaining his composure, he thought to himself. He would absolutely not allow the Grand Duchess to swim where others were present. Only he should see that sight.

Aidel, completely unaware of his inner thoughts, followed him into the water step by step with a curious, innocent expression.

Even with bathing shoes on, the sand felt surprisingly soft. Along with the fluffy sensation, cool water began to wrap around her ankles slowly.

The gentle waves lapping at her made it different from being in a bathtub, even though both were in water. As the soft undulations washed over her, a pleasant thrill enveloped her entire body.

‘This feels good.’

Aidel’s cheeks flushed at the sensation of the sea she was feeling for the first time. Her eyes, full of vitality, began to carefully examine the blue depths of the sea.

In the clear seawater, coral reefs, pretty shells, and small marine creatures she had never seen before were visible. Especially, a small fish with mysterious colors caught her attention as it fluttered in front of her.

‘It’s beautiful…’

Without realizing it, Aidel began to take one step after another, following the movement of that fish. Suddenly, she felt the water reach just below her chest,

“Wait! It’s deep there!”

By the time Caeron, who had somewhat calmed his heat, spotted Aidel, she had already stepped into an area where the depth dropped off sharply.

“Eek!”

With a short scream, Aidel’s body disappeared into the water. Seeing this, Caeron immediately dived into the water.

She flailed her body, having fallen into a deep trench in the sea. As if water had entered her airway, she clutched her throat in pain before losing consciousness and beginning to sink.

‘Damn it!’

Caeron cursed as he swam as powerfully and quickly as he could. Cutting through the water, he embraced her sinking body.

Holding Aidel in his arms, Caeron immediately surfaced and laid her down on a wide rock. Her unconscious body lay limp.

“Aidel! Wake up!”

Confirming she was unconscious, he compressed the center of her chest. After several compressions, he tilted her head back, pinched her nose, and breathed into her mouth.

“Wake up! Hurry!”

The woman’s face, still unconscious, grew pale. The man’s eyes filled with an emotion he had never felt before.

It was when he repeated the same action once more. Aidel coughed up the water that had filled her airway.

“Cough!”

“Aidel! Open your eyes!”

Hearing the urgent voice calling her, Aidel regained consciousness and slowly opened her closed eyes. Through her blurry vision, the figure of Caeron, soaking wet, gradually became clear.

His deeply furrowed brow, clenched jaw, and trembling dark blue eyes came into view.

“…Your… Highness…”

“Are you conscious?”

Caeron slowly raised her upper body while holding Aidel’s shoulders. Her figure, trembling like a rain-soaked bird and leaning helplessly in his arms, was pitiful.

“…It’s… so cold…”

Her face turned pale blue as her body temperature dropped sharply after falling into the water. Caeron brought the night robe he had taken off and wrapped it tightly around Aidel’s body.

“Let’s go inside.”

At his words, she tried to get up, but her legs were weak and she staggered. Caeron lightly lifted her up.

“Ah…!”

“Put your arms around my neck.”

Startled for a moment when Caeron suddenly picked her up, Aidel soon followed his words and put her arms around his neck. Feeling his hands holding her tightly, she felt like she might cry for some reason.

He entered the villa carrying her with quick steps. His unwavering footsteps stopped at a bathroom filled with steam.

Steam rose from the large tub in the center of the bathroom. He entered the tub while still carrying her.

“This is…?”

“It’s a tub made with seawater hot springs.”

The villa on Meriel Island had a seawater bath made from deep sea water that gushed from underground. It was a bath that maintained a constant temperature without needing to heat the water.

Warm water that seemed to melt her frozen body enveloped her entire body. As warmth gradually seeped in, color began to return to her pale complexion.

“Haa…”

As the sensation in her body slowly returned, Aidel let out a deep breath. As her exhausted body began to recover bit by bit, drowsiness washed over her.

Caeron firmly wrapped his arms around her body from behind, as if supporting her.

With his hands embracing her waist and shoulders, Aidel finally realized that she was sitting on his firm thighs, leaning her body against his chest.

“Ah…!”

When Aidel tried to quickly get up in surprise, Caeron tightened his arms, restraining her.

“Stay still.”

“But, but I’m heavy…”

Aidel made an excuse in a flustered voice as she tried to escape from his embrace. Caeron chuckled at her cute excuse.

“If you were heavy, I wouldn’t have been able to pull you out of the sea.”

At his words, Aidel deeply realized the fact that he had saved her from the water. Her struggling body became docile.

When she suddenly fell into the seawater, her breath was choked off and she lost consciousness. And when she opened her eyes again, he was there in front of her.

His usual relaxed and leisurely expression was nowhere to be seen. He was looking at her with only an urgent and desperate expression, waiting for her to regain consciousness.

“Thank you for saving me…”

Something welled up in her chest again. She conveyed her sincere gratitude in a voice thick with moisture.

Every time she fell into a crisis and reached out her hand while struggling to escape, he was the one who grabbed it.

This time, she truly owed him her life. With the debt in her heart piling up more and more and the complicated emotions towards him, she bowed her head, not knowing what to do.

Seeing Aidel’s shoulders trembling finely with her tumultuous emotions, Caeron lifted her body. Then he turned her around and sat her back down on his body.

“…!”

Suddenly finding herself face to face with him, she opened her eyes wide in surprise. Her round eyes were red-rimmed and moist.

“Aidel.”

“…Yes…?”

Aidel quickly wiped her eyes as she answered.

“If you want to express gratitude, you should look straight at me.”

“Ah…!”

Although this position of sitting face to face on top of him with their bodies pressed close was embarrassing and awkward… his words were right.

Hesitating and moving her lips slightly, she nodded small. Trying to speak while looking directly into his eyes, her voice trembled helplessly.

“…Thank you. Your Highness…”

He slightly furrowed his brow at her words of gratitude. It was a somewhat displeased look.

“Why are you…?”

Aidel tilted her head at his change of expression. She had expressed her gratitude while looking at his face as he said…

“Don’t use that title when we’re alone.”

“Title…? You mean ‘Your Highness’?”

“That’s right. Just as I call you by your name, you should call me by mine.”

To dare to directly call the Grand Duke by his name… Aidel blinked her eyes rapidly, bewildered by his request.

“But… that’s…”

“When we’re alone, I don’t want to be called ‘Your Highness’.”

At his words, she opened her eyes wide as if realizing something. Aidel’s eyes, which had gradually stopped blinking, carefully took in his appearance.

Overlapping with his earlier appearance when saving her, strangely, Aidel felt the slightest fear and hesitation she usually felt towards him disappearing.

The person in front of her was no longer the Grand Duke of Ellios, an object of reverence, but simply a man named ‘Caeron’.

“…Caeron.”

She murmured his name in a small, low voice. Somehow, it felt like her throat was choking up.

“I couldn’t hear well. Again.”

“…Caeron.”

This time it was a slightly louder and clearer voice.

His deep blue eyes wavered. At that gaze, Aidel’s eyes also began to tremble little by little.

“Well done. Aidel.”

Caeron gently stroked her head as if praising her. He continued speaking with a languid smile on his lips and a satisfied look in his eyes.

“Then now… shall I receive my reward for gratitude?”

“…Pardon…?”

“I’m not someone who bestows kindness without compensation, you see.”

Discovering the desire smoldering in his eyes, Aidel instinctively shrank back.

She froze up again before she could relax for even a moment in front of him.

“Reward… you say…?”

Caeron’s hand wrapped around Aidel’s slender waist tightened with force.

“What kind of reward I want…”

His fingers touching her bare waist slowly caressed her skin.

“You, being so clever, should know well…?”

She squirmed at his touch, which felt hotter on her skin than the seawater bath temperature.

With that movement, the water rippled, and a suffocating tension spread along with the steam in the tub.