Jane flinched at the heat felt through her thin cardigan.

“I have a fever.”

Cain muttered as if talking to himself. He furrowed his brow, seemingly uncomfortable. Cain’s gaze, slightly turning his head to look at her, shone dangerously.

‘That look…’

It was the look Cain showed in bed.

What part of her had provoked him?

Jane’s thighs tightened.

“You should go inside and rest.”

Jane turned her body.

“There’s something more urgent than resting.”

His hot hand lingered on Jane’s shoulder, then finally grabbed her chin and turned it.

“Since you said you can’t sleep either…”

Jane’s body trembled at his hoarse, low voice. Slowly but surely, her skin grew hotter.

Thanks to him moving one arm, an escape route opened up, but Jane couldn’t move a single step.

“Why don’t we help each other?”

Jane was rather ignorant about relationships between men and women, but she wasn’t so dull as to not notice the intense desire in Cain’s changed eyes.

Cain gently stroked Jane’s nape. His touch was an obvious signal.

Demanding her company in bed.

“W-why are you suddenly like this?”

Jane struggled to speak, her mouth dry.

“I wonder why I’m suddenly like this too.”

After his self-deprecating question, he whispered, “Just because.”

Cain didn’t know the reason either. He had only wanted to know the true meaning behind her concerns, but once he confirmed it, the area below his waist became as hot as a furnace.

Jane’s eyes wavered left and right.

“Don’t think too deeply. Consider it fulfilling that duty twice a week.”

With those final words, Cain devoured Jane’s lips. It was a passionate kiss from the start.

The books in Jane’s arms fell to the floor with a thud, thud.

* * *

The couple’s night that began in the study continued to Jane’s bedroom.

Jane fell into a deep sleep as if fainting only at dawn, and Cain returned to his own bedroom after tidying up.

And morning came.

Cain, having finished a simple meal, entered his office.

Nathan, who had quickly stood up to greet him, narrowed his eyes.

“Did you eat something good?”

“What?”

“Your face is shining brightly.”

At the nonsensical words, Cain chuckled and sat in his chair.

“Don’t just enjoy good things alone, share some with me too. Or at least give me the information. I’ll pay and eat it myself.”

“Stop talking nonsense and give your report. And what do you mean shining? I look the same as usual.”

“No, you look more special today. How should I put it? Like all the toxins have been removed from your body? That kind of feeling. No, like all your accumulated fatigue has been relieved? That’s more like it.”

Cain let out a long sigh. At that sigh, Nathan quickly corrected his posture.

He had gotten carried away for too long, trying to be playful since Cain seemed to be in a good mood for once.

Cain took out a cigar and moved to the window. He leaned his hips against the windowsill and lit the cigar.

Smoke rose from the end of the cigar. Cain stared blankly at that smoke.

Clearly, when he had taken out the cigar, he had desperately wanted this strong scent, but now that he smelled it, he was reluctant to put it to his mouth.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem with the cigar?”

Nathan, who had brought the report, looked back and forth between Cain and the cigar.

“No.”

There was no problem with the cigar. The problem was himself, not wanting to cover Jane’s lingering sweetness in his mouth with this cigar’s scent.

Cain unnecessarily smacked his lips. Then the two nights spent with Jane came to mind.

It was a passionate night to the point of wondering if this was okay.

Cain, feeling hot again, flung open the window.

He needed to cool down.

Cain barely managed to erase the night with Jane.

“Start the report.”

At his suddenly cold tone, Nathan turned a page of the report.

“We found the gatekeeper who worked 7 years ago. Would you like to meet him in person?”

As soon as he pushed away the memories of last night, it was a report about Jane.

It felt like Jane was blocking him from all sides.

Cain put down his cigar, then ran his hand through his hair. Dissatisfied in various ways, Cain clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Is there any particular reason I need to meet him?”

“Not really. He’s being extremely cooperative.”

Cain tapped the windowsill with his finger.

“Alright. You meet him and handle it. Find out if he received anything from Jane 7 years ago, and if so, what he did with it.”

Nathan wrote down Cain’s words on one side of the report.

“Next is about the flyer found recently at the Duchess’s house.”

“You mean the one with the address written on it.”

Cain also recalled the flyer he had picked up in the study yesterday.

“It was an ordinary house. A gathering for sowing was taking place.”

“So there’s no indication they specifically approached Jane?”

“Yes.”

Then can we assume that flyer sent to Jane had no specific purpose? Was it nothing more or less than an ordinary flyer distributed to others?

It was too early to draw conclusions.

“Continue with the next report.”

Cain remained silent about the flyer he had picked up in the study.

“We failed to find the traitor within the Black Hawks. In my opinion, it seems to be more of an issue with the servants than with the Black Hawks.”

Over the past few days, Cain had repeatedly failed to apprehend the Rose Faction. As if someone had gone ahead and alerted them of his raid, there were scattered traces of hasty departure just before Cain and his team arrived.

So he first suspected the Black Hawks. That one of the Black Hawks had leaked information.

However, no trace of betrayal was found among those Cain had personally selected and trained.

It was reasonable for Nathan’s suspicion to turn towards the people of the Duke’s household.

Cain swiftly narrowed down a few suspects.

Those who could access his office where traces of the Rose Faction’s information might remain, even if thoroughly erased.

Mary, Norbert, Sor, Nathan, and lastly Jane.

Cain did not hesitate to put even those close to him on the list of suspects.

After all, betrayal occurs more frequently between close relationships.

Next, Cain erased those who had no motive to join hands with the Rose Faction.

Those who held grudges against or had been harmed by the Rose Faction, or those who had sworn absolute loyalty to him.

Mary, Norbert, Sor, and Nathan were erased.

What remained was Jane.

But it was still too early to conclude that Jane was the one giving information to the Rose Faction.

Given the circumstances, he had no choice but to suspect Jane, which is why he was even more cautious. When a problem expected to be difficult is solved too easily, it’s right to be suspicious.

Whether it’s a trap or not.

Wasn’t there anyone else besides her?

As Cain pondered deeply, he raised his eyebrows fiercely.

Scarlet had dropped by the study yesterday, hadn’t she?

And the flyer was left there as if to show off.

‘This is interesting.’

One corner of Cain’s lips curled up crookedly.

“Nathan, look into Aunt and Scarlet’s side once.”

* * *

When Jane opened her eyes in the morning, she sighed at the empty room.

Even though she knew she shouldn’t expect anything from him, she kept expecting and getting disappointed every time.

Perhaps because the night had been so hot, the room felt cool despite the fireplace burning.

Jane looked out the window, pulling up the blanket. It was as bright as midday outside.

It was long past the time to get up. She wanted to linger in bed a little longer, but Jane changed her mind and lifted the blanket.

Then Jane’s eyes widened.

Her body, which should have been a mess, was clean, and the bed sheets were neatly arranged.

‘Did Mary come by? Or Hailie?’

As Jane pondered, her cheeks turned as red as a ripe tomato.

It was because Cain’s neat face came to mind.

“Ugh.”

Jane buried her face in the pillow, making a strange sound.

The one who had cleaned her up and even tidied the bed sheets was neither Mary nor Hailie.

After the first night, Jane had given a few instructions to the two of them, not knowing when he might barge in.

Not to come up after she had gone to bed unless she called.

Not to wake her even if she slept in late in the morning.

Not to prepare her morning bath in advance as she would request help when needed.

It was to prevent any potentially embarrassing situations.

Mary and Hailie had tilted their heads at the instructions but immediately agreed and had never once disobeyed.

So she concluded that the one who had cleaned her and tidied the bed sheets must have been Cain.

Thinking of herself sleeping while he personally tidied up around her, she wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

Unable to do so, Jane just pounded the innocent pillow.

At that moment, there was a knock.

“Are you awake, my lady?”

It was Hailie. It seemed she had come up unable to wait any longer for Jane to wake up, and knocked upon hearing movement.

“Yes, Hailie. Wait a moment.”

Jane straightened her hair, which had become a mess from writhing in embarrassment.

Then she put the pillow back in its place and carefully closed the front of her cardigan.

Her body was clean, but the mottled marks he had left remained.

Jane looked around the room once. This should do.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Hailie entered the room with a tray in her hands.

“The master instructed to make sure to take care of your breakfast.”

“Cain did?”

When she asked back as if surprised, Hailie smiled.

“Yes, how caring of him.”

Jane found it difficult to readily agree with that opinion. Hadn’t he left her alone after spending the night together? Without even waking her up.

However, it was also difficult to directly refute Hailie’s words.

Considering what he had done throughout the night.

While Jane was conflicted, Hailie placed the tray she was holding on the table and opened the window.

Seeing the thin soup that was easy to digest, soft bread, tea, and fresh vegetables, Jane felt a lump in her throat.

‘He said to take care of my breakfast?’

Whatever his intention was, it was a much-needed consideration for Jane, who lacked the energy to go down to the dining room on the first floor.

‘I should thank him when I see him.’

Jane postponed her words of gratitude to him and picked up her spoon.

At that time, she had no idea that the postponed words of thanks would be pushed back endlessly for days.