“What’s the sudden occasion?”

Bellia asked in a bright voice.

Although things had deviated slightly from the plan, she was quite pleased that the tea party had concluded better than expected.

Looking at Bellia like that, Callid answered with a shameless face.

“I missed you?”

What’s that supposed to mean.

Bellia let out a deflated laugh and said.

“Stop joking. What was the real reason?”

She was already planning to get up from her seat while observing the situation.

She had been thinking of various excuses to slip away, but thanks to Callid, she was able to leave naturally. So Bellia didn’t feel like scolding him for his sudden action.

But she was curious. Why did he suddenly appear?

Bellia met his gaze, urging him to answer.

“I thought it would be just about to end by then…”

And?

Callid said with a bright smile, as if pleased.

“I thought the young lady would be quite irritated if I took you away from there.”

Bellia laughed along, quite liking the reason he gave.

In fact, Bellia was also secretly quite delighted to see the young lady of Canteriff’s expression sour.

‘Really… We match so well in such strange areas.’

Thinking that, Bellia grumbled to him in an amused voice.

“You should have given me some warning. I was really surprised.”

At that, Callid burst into hearty laughter.

“Come over here.”

As he said that, Callid patted the seat beside him.

Bellia looked at Callid with a meaningful gaze.

What on earth are you trying to do!

“Wouldn’t it be better if we sat facing each other?”

But Callid grinned and grabbed Bellia’s arm, pulling her towards him.

Bellia’s body fell into Callid’s embrace in an instant.

“No. I prefer holding you like this.”

Callid said that while firmly holding the startled Bellia.

Then he bit down on her exposed neck between her dress.

“Ah!”

He must have gone crazy, really!

Bellia let out a loud cry in surprise, then quickly covered her mouth.

“What are you doing!”

Bellia raised her hand and smacked Callid’s shoulder.

“What is this behavior, really!”

“Sweet.”

Callid buried his face in Bellia’s neck again, deeply inhaling her scent.

Bellia was at a loss for words.

“…You’re so sweet that sometimes I want to devour you whole.”

Bellia thumped Callid’s shoulder.

It meant for him to let go now.

But Callid pretended not to know and didn’t loosen his grip on Bellia.

“You’ve been neglecting me lately.”

It was a voice full of hurt feelings.

But since his face was still buried in Bellia’s neck, it sounded almost like mumbling.

Like a child whining.

“Callid.”

There was no answer in return.

Recently, she had been mostly talking about work with him.

“We have a lot to do.”

But there wasn’t enough time to walk leisurely.

“…”

“Callid. Are you really doing this?”

The strength of his arms embracing Bellia weakened slightly.

Not missing that moment, Bellia slipped out of his embrace. However, she was still sitting on Callid’s lap.

As if he had no intention of letting go completely, Callid tightened his grip on Bellia again.

“Tell me. What’s lacking that you’re acting like this?”

“You are lacking.”

Bellia almost burst out laughing at those words, finding them absurd.

But she held it in by tightening her lips and asked.

“How can that be filled then?”

At Bellia’s question, Callid’s hands holding her waist fidgeted.

Bellia smacked those hands.

“Not that.”

Callid was silent again.

The dark shadow felt in his lowered gaze kept bothering her.

“Did something happen?”

“Just…”

Seeing that he didn’t deny it, something must have happened.

At that moment, a thought flashed through Bellia’s mind.

“Did you meet Raul by any chance?”

Thinking that he must have rushed here in a bad mood after meeting him, his attitude suddenly made sense.

As if her guess was correct, Callid’s face gradually became sullen.

“…That guy has no intention of giving up on you. He asked me how long you would stay by my side.”

Previously, he would have laughed it off without being affected, but after learning that she had been lovers with Raul, he seemed unable to easily brush off Raul’s provocation.

Bellia felt sorry for him, imagining how he must have kept ruminating on Raul’s words and hurting himself.

Bellia let out a deep sigh and reached out to hold Callid’s cheeks.

“I absolutely detest Raul. You have no idea how creepy it is that he has feelings for me.”

Bellia pressed Callid’s cheeks twice.

Then she lightly kissed his lips that were protruding forward from his cheeks being pressed, and glared at him.

“Do you want more?”

Callid’s pupils shook.

Bellia’s lips came close enough to touch Callid’s.

“If you keep whining like this, I’ll have no choice but to punish you, Callid.”

Callid felt dazed.

“…If this is punishment, I should cause trouble every day.”

“I’m not joking.”

It was a low and cold voice.

“I understand that you’re concerned about Raul. But.”

Bellia lifted her half-closed eyelids and met his gaze.

Callid’s heart tingled at the corner as her long eyelashes moved slowly and quietly.

Bellia kept her eyes on him and kissed him lightly. Then, gently grasping his shoulders with both hands, she continued speaking.

“Didn’t you say yourself that you wouldn’t force your feelings on me?”

He also didn’t avert his gaze, just like her. A strange light flickered in his blue eyes.

“You said that people’s hearts are always bound to change.”

“So are you saying your heart has changed?”

“Yes.”

Callid raised the arm that was wrapped around Bellia’s back and grabbed her slender neck with one hand. Then he crashed his lips against hers deeply, as if trying to swallow all of Bellia’s breath.

After exploring her for a while, Callid pulled away his lips and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Give me certainty.”

The carriage shook with a jolt.

“I think I’m already giving you plenty.”

“It’s not enough.”

Callid kissed her roughly once again.

“I’m always lacking you, Bellia.”

His desire was clearly revealed.

Even when touching, he wanted to touch more deeply.

“It’s a shame we’re in a carriage.”

“…I agree.”

Until she had drawn him in, she hadn’t expected such desire to arise in herself.

It was just a contractual relationship. They had just joined hands for each other’s purposes.

She kept feeling regretful as his lips parted. She wanted to possess him.

Bellia couldn’t understand where this greed of hers was coming from.

‘…I don’t know.’

Hiding her confused feelings, Bellia tightly embraced his neck.

Bellia went out for a walk in the rear garden after a long time.

It was because her head felt dizzy from just looking at documents.

She had been refraining from taking walks as much as possible unless it was with Callid, in case she might run into Raul inside the imperial palace, but today she just couldn’t bear the throbbing headache.

“I heard the roses are in full bloom in the central garden right now…”

The maid trailed off, as if regretting.

To think that after coming out for a walk after so long, it happened to be in the small rear garden right next to the Second Prince’s Palace.

How many more beautiful gardens are there all over the imperial palace than this?

“The flowers blooming here are pretty enough and I quite like it.”

Bellia said calmly with a bright smile.

The First Prince’s Palace where Raul stays and the Second Prince’s Palace were quite far apart.

So they wouldn’t run into each other here.

Bellia thought so as she moved her steps deeper into the rear garden.

“It would have been nice if the Second Prince had come out together. Don’t you think?”

“We’ve been indulging for a while, so it can’t be helped.”

It was very difficult to pry Callid away as he tried to abandon his work, saying he would come along too.

Acid was making silent pleas with teary eyes next to him, asking her to please stop His Highness.

‘It seemed like there was a lot of work piled up…’

Suddenly recalling the commotion from earlier, Bellia held back a laugh.

It was a big problem that Callid was trying harder not to leave her side.

‘He doesn’t really think he’s a dog, does he?’

Bellia, who was having suspicions that seemed quite possible, slightly raised her head to look at the prince’s palace.

This position would be well visible from his office.

It was a guess close to certainty, but he would surely be watching here through that window too.

‘He’s really incorrigible.’

To speak her honest inner thoughts.

While she didn’t want to run into Raul even by chance, she had also chosen this place for the sake of her hunting dog with drooping shoulders in disappointment.

‘That appearance seems a bit cute too…’

Bellia hummed, “Hmm hmm.” Her steps were light.

As she walked slowly through the garden with her hands behind her back, she smiled brightly on purpose as if to show Callid.

Thinking that Callid must be really annoyed right now.

“Princess Bellia.”

At the call from behind, Bellia stopped abruptly in her tracks.

She recognized who it was immediately just from hearing the voice. It was Raul.

“To run into you by chance. How very delightful.”

Bellia closed her eyes inconspicuously, let out a small breath, and then turned around.

Even if it was uncomfortable to face him, he was still the First Prince of the empire.

“It’s been a while. Prince Raul, Your Highness.”

Bellia hid her displeased inner thoughts and greeted him neutrally.

It had been a very long time since she last faced Raul.

‘…How annoying.’

Even at the party welcoming Bellia earlier, Raul had disappeared as soon as the emperor’s greeting ended and didn’t show up.

It was unexpected.

She had expected that Raul would rather act even more affectionate at the party and laugh off being rejected by Bellia as if it was nothing.

Especially since his engagement to the young lady of Canteriff was almost certainly decided.

But seeing his behavior of disappearing, leaving the young lady behind, Bellia vaguely thought that maybe he was avoiding her because his pride was hurt.

“You seem to be doing well.”

But it seems that wasn’t the case.

“Yes. I’m living comfortably thanks to Prince Callid.”

Bellia didn’t want to say even empty words that it was thanks to him.

As if noticing her feelings, Raul gave a bitter smile.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“Yes. You are.”

Bellia answered curtly.

Raul asked.

“Is it because I proposed to you?”

You call that a proposal?

Bellia let out a very noticeable sigh.

“Your Highness. Even just the sight of us talking like this will become a topic of gossip.”

“Bellia…”

Raul murmured Bellia’s name wistfully.

But Bellia was firm.

“I did not give you permission to use my name.”

What a misfortune this is, when she had just come out hoping to rest a little.

Just why on earth was Raul here?

“You’re still so cold.”

“I have no reason to be kind to Your Highness.”

Raul’s smile faded at Bellia’s icy response.

“…I’ve been curious about this for a while.”

Raul opened his mouth.

“As you said before, people’s feelings can change. Isn’t that the same for Callid?”

It was a tone of genuine incomprehension.

It seemed like he had asked this several times before.

But Bellia had never given a proper answer about it.

“Was I really not the one for you?”

Bellia opened her mouth coldly, mocking Raul’s sorrowful expression.