Sedric reached out his hand, but Cain was faster. Cain caught Jane and trapped her in his arms.

“Huk.”

Surprised, Jane inhaled sharply.

“You should be careful.”

Cain whispered gently as he pulled Jane’s waist closer. Her cheek was pressed against his flat chest.

“Thank you, Cain. I stumbled.”

Jane, feeling somewhat embarrassed, pushed him away, but Cain did not let her go.

Sedric glared fiercely at the back of Cain’s head as he held Jane even tighter.

A strange atmosphere filled the tent.

It was like a powder keg that could cause a massive explosion from a single spark.

“Cain, the guests will be waiting.”

Jane glanced at Cain. Cain was holding Jane in his arms as if trapping her, but he wasn’t looking at her.

‘He’s avoiding my gaze.’

Jane could not fathom what he was thinking at all.

Jane hesitated, then linked her arm with Cain’s. She intended to show Sedric, who was doubting their marriage.

As she pressed her body against Cain’s arm, she could feel the muscles contracting under his formal attire.

“Sedric, let me introduce you. This is-”

“I’ll do it.”

Cain cut off Jane’s introduction. He unwrapped Jane’s arm and approached Sedric, extending his hand.

“I’m Cain Hastings. May the goddess’s blessings be with you.”

“May the goddess’s fortune be upon you. I’m Sedric Piotio. I work at Tuo Trading Company.”

“I know. You met Jane seven years ago in the Luang region.”

Jane and Sedric’s eyebrows raised simultaneously. Jane was quite surprised that Cain knew a fact she had never mentioned.

“Yes. You know well.”

Cain slightly pulled on their clasped hands. Cain’s right shoulder lightly touched Sedric’s left shoulder. In that position, Cain lowered his voice and said,

“I know more than you might think. As you said, I looked into Jane.”

Sedric’s lips tightened. He had heard the entire conversation between Jane and Sedric.

It was a warning not to cross the line by pretending to know only him.

Cain was likely to be a much more dangerous man than Sedric had anticipated.

‘Jane, why on earth did you…’

Sedric barely swallowed the words rising in his throat and lifted the corners of his lips. Jane was carefully observing the two men.

It seemed there were unspoken circumstances between Cain and Jane.

Though she was very curious about what those circumstances were, she decided to willingly play along this time, for her sake.

Because Jane in her wedding dress was dazzlingly beautiful.

“Congratulations on your marriage.”

That was all Sedric could say.

* * *

Throughout the reception, the conversation with Sedric kept replaying in Jane’s mind.

Why was Cain investigating her past? And why hadn’t he delivered Sedric’s letter?

Jane remained on edge, trying to find the right moment to ask Cain.

As a result, a wrinkle formed between Jane’s eyebrows.

“Jane, you should smile. You said you were happy to get married.”

Cain stroked Jane’s side. Jane straightened her back and looked at him.

Her green eyes trembled slightly.

It was clear that he had overheard her conversation with Sedric.

If so, it should be easy to ask.

Jane took Cain’s hand.

“I have something I want to ask you.”

Cain’s eyes deepened as he looked at Jane.

* * *

After the reception ended and all the guests had left,

The mansion became so quiet that the wedding seemed like a distant past.

In the midst of that silence was Cain.

“Oh? Why are you here?”

Nathan, who came to retrieve something he had left in the study, was startled.

It was because Cain, the new groom who should have been in the bride’s room, was in the study.

Cain was looking out the window, smoking a cigar.

He was so motionless that one might mistake him for a statue if not for the smoke dispersing in the air.

Nathan cleared his throat, realizing Cain’s mood was unusual, and carefully gathered his things to avoid disturbing Cain’s contemplation.

And as he was trying to leave the study very quietly, cat-like, Cain called out to him.

“Did you say Sedric and Jane met in Luang seven years ago?”

Nathan was momentarily confused whether it was a question or a soliloquy. Then he belatedly realized it was a question.

“Yes, that’s correct. I believe Sedric took charge of and grew the Tuo Trading Company branch in the Luang region seven years ago.”

“Originally, Tuo Trading Company wasn’t interested in maritime trade, but they suddenly decided to invest then, right?”

“That’s correct as well.”

“Of all times, seven years ago, in the unremarkable Luang region, and Sedric, the heir to Tuo Trading Company, went down there personally.”

Nathan scratched his forehead, guessing the reason for recounting facts they had already shared and known.

“Do you think he went down there because of Lady Jane? It’s true that Sedric helped the young lady, but their first meeting was coincidental, and it wasn’t even that significant of a help.”

Cain was well aware of this fact too. That’s why he didn’t dig deeper into Sedric and Jane’s relationship.

But seeing their attitude today, things seemed not so simple between them. At least for Sedric.

“He might have helped in ways that didn’t leave evidence.”

After all, one can help people in more than just material ways.

“Did you notice something suspicious? From what I observed, he seemed like nothing more than an ordinary acquaintance.”

It wasn’t suspicious, but he had caught a glimpse of passionate eyes. The eyes of a man desiring a woman. Sedric wanted Jane.

“Put someone on Sedric.”

“Understood.”

Cain waved his hand as if he had nothing more to say. Nathan was about to say something but then turned and left.

There was a click as the door closed. Shortly after, the door opened again.

Nathan poked just his head in.

“Um, Lady Jane has already gone to the bedroom. I don’t think you should keep the bride waiting too long.”

Cain turned his head. Perhaps because it was a dark night, his eyes seemed to gleam a fierce blue.

Nathan made a strange “Heek” sound and quickly closed the door.

Cain’s gaze was like a well-sharpened blade.

He almost got stabbed by that gaze. He had meddled unnecessarily.

Nathan shook his head and quickly passed through the corridor.

Not long after the corridor emptied, the study door opened once again.

The owner of the leg that stretched out through the door gap was Cain.

Standing in the corridor, he stroked his chin thoughtfully, then clicked his tongue and moved his steps.

His destination was Jane’s bedroom.

* * *

Jane sat in a chair by the window, gazing at the bed.

The bed had a lace canopy draped over it, as if to prove it was a newlywed room, and rose petals were scattered on the blanket.

Besides that, there were many romantic props to indicate this was the bedroom for the first night.

Softly glowing scented candles, expensive wine brought to set the mood, and Jane’s nightgown that Mary had insisted she must wear.

Jane fiddled with the silk slip-style nightgown. Then, feeling a sudden chill, she wrapped a shawl around herself. Her gaze inadvertently fell on the clock.

It was already close to midnight.

Jane had been waiting for Cain for a good two hours.

Maybe Cain wouldn’t come at all.

Jane recalled Cain at the wedding venue.

In stark contrast to the peaceful two weeks prior, he had been cold to Jane throughout the reception.

He smiled and acted affectionately in front of people, but turned ice-cold when people turned away.

Thinking of his coldness made her feel even colder.

The window rattled in the wind. Jane startled at even small sounds. She was sensitive, perhaps from fatigue.

‘Or is it because of nervousness?’

Jane massaged her stiff neck.

“He’s so late. Is he really not coming? I have something to ask him.”

Her tone was empty. Jane put both feet up on the chair and rested her cheek on her knees. Her gaze was still fixed on the door.

Jane counted the patterns on the wallpaper as if telling flower fortunes.

One pattern for ‘he’ll come,’ the next for ‘he won’t come.’

“He’ll come, he won’t come, he’ll come, he won’t come…”

It was when she had repeated this dozens of times. The door burst open. And Cain entered.

“…he’ll come, he won’t come… He came.”

Jane lowered her feet and stood up. The slip that had rolled up slid down her legs.

Cain slowly ran his gaze over Jane’s body.

He had the illusion that her body, bathed in moonlight, was emitting a soft glow.

Her hair loose on one side, the slip accentuating her curved figure, and her white skin made her look like a mermaid from a fairy tale.

Cain lost himself for a moment, admiring her figure. While she looked like a saint in her wedding dress, now she looked just like a siren trying to seduce him.

Now he had to admit it for certain.

That her appearance, at least, was truly to his taste.

“You said you had something you were curious about. Say it quickly.”

If he stayed any longer, he felt he might really embrace her. However, Cain was determined not to touch her.

It would be a sin against his parents to do something he’d have to take responsibility for when it wasn’t even clear if Jane was connected to the Rose Faction.

“Come in first.”

At Jane’s invitation, Cain entered the room, tugging at his cravat. The air in the room felt extremely hot.

“I want to talk sitting down.”

Jane pointed to the chair.

“You have a lot of demands.”

Speaking in an ambiguous tone that could be either sarcastic or grumbling, he sat in the chair.

Jane, with a faint, barely visible smile, brought over a basket containing a wine bottle.

Cain’s expression immediately crumpled. A drunk Jane was dangerous. Experience had taught him that.

Cain grabbed Jane’s wrist as she tried to pour wine into the glass.

“Speak with a clear mind.”

“I’m nervous.”

As if that wasn’t a lie, Jane’s hand trembled.

Not knowing exactly what she was afraid of, Cain sighed and withdrew his hand.

“One glass. No more than that.”

“Alright. Would you like a glass too?”

Cain pushed the glass over. The two silently emptied a glass of wine.

During that time, Jane’s trembling also subsided.

Jane took a deep breath. And finally, she asked the question she had wanted to ask throughout the reception.

“Cain, did you investigate my background?”

“I wanted to find out if you had any debts. Is that a problem?”

Jane chuckled. It was because he had quoted the conversation she had with Sedric.

“If you investigated, you should know, I have no debts other than those owed to Victor and Hamlin. And those debts were incurred by my father. So, is the investigation of me over now?”

Cain picked up the wine bottle. He refilled the empty glass as if the alcohol was insufficient.

Cain held the stem of the half-filled wine glass and swirled it. The deep, rich aroma of the wine spread throughout the room.

“It seems you intend to continue. May I ask why?”

“Let’s do this. One question from you for one question from me. We’ll take turns.”

“Do you even have anything you’re curious about me?”

“Of course. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. But there should be a penalty.”

Cain pondered what Jane would dislike the most. Suddenly, he remembered how she had flinched every time their arms brushed at the reception. And how she kept pulling her lips away during the vow kiss.

‘Do you dislike touching me?’

What an inconsistent woman.

Cain lifted the corners of his mouth. With that smile that women die for, he proposed to Jane.

“If you can’t answer, let’s make it a kiss.”

Jane’s eyes widened.