Narrowing his eyes with a playful smile, Edan Dietrich knelt on the sofa, pinning my legs so I couldn’t move.

He crossed his arms, grabbed the hem of his tunic, and without hesitation, pulled it upward in one swift motion.

From his chiseled hip bones to his defined eight-pack abs, up to his broad, solid chest.

His sculpted, muscular physique was laid bare, as if he were a statue carved to perfection.

The red glow of the fireplace and the moonlight streaming through the window illuminated Edan’s body vividly.

I couldn’t help but swallow hard, my eyes tracing every detail of his form.

His shoulders, already broad, seemed even wider in the light, and thick veins bulged on his arms despite no apparent effort. The elegant muscles along his abs, marked by faint scars, were nothing short of flawless.

When Edan tossed his tunic into the air, it fell to the floor with a soft thud. My gaze, briefly drawn to it, returned to him.

His eyes, burning like a blazing sun, were so breathtakingly beautiful.

My face was reflected in his red pupils.

As if I were his entire world. As if I alone filled it completely.

A mix of fear and excitement sent shivers through my body.

“My princess seems too innocent to understand.”

Edan unbuttoned his trousers and slowly lowered himself.

“There are many ways to make you cry without going all the way.”

Swoosh—Edan descended, not forcefully but with a heavy presence.

He wasn’t rough, yet his very existence pressed down on me, overwhelming.

And then.

“Huh?”

What…?

This was far more… far more shocking than I’d imagined.

…No way. For real?

“Why.”

Edan remained calm.

“No, wait a second…”

“You said you were confident.”

But, but this is too…

In disbelief, I blinked rapidly, but he just chuckled, flexing his body as if it were no big deal.

“Do you like it?”

Crazy… he’s actually crazy! Insane!

Caught off guard, I was utterly flustered. Unlike me, Edan was completely at ease, and I frantically grabbed his solid arm.

“Ugh…!”

“It’s okay.”

The weight pressing down made my lower abdomen tingle.

I gasped for breath.

“E-Edan!”

My face, flushed redder than a ripe tomato from my frantic breathing, made Edan raise the corner of his mouth in satisfaction.

“Yeah.”

His voice was calm and gentle.

Supporting himself with both arms to avoid crushing me, Edan lowered his head and kissed my forehead.

Then, peck, peck, peck, peck.

From my eyes to my nose, across my cheeks, down to my chin, and back up to cover my lips.

“Open.”

Trembling, I had been clenching my lips tightly, but at his words, I parted them slightly.

Edan surged forward without hesitation.

“Mmph…”

Something soft and warm licked my lips, grazed them, and stirred inside with a moist touch.

Compared to Edan’s steady, solid shoulders above, his movements were wild. His breath alone was so intense. Pinned down, with nowhere to retreat, I felt pushed back endlessly.

When I reached up to grip his shoulders, Edan naturally began to caress my waist and back with his large hands.

Then, as if he couldn’t hold back, he pressed closer, pulling back only when I let out a moan.

His smooth, delicate touch left me breathless, my toes curling. Then, suddenly,

“Haa, Latie.”

Edan’s rough, low breath grazed my ear. In that moment, I let out a hot breath and shed a single tear.

My fingers, tightly gripping his shoulders, trembled with my racing heartbeat.

I couldn’t open my tightly shut eyes for a while. Edan, slowly parting our lips, brushed my sweat-dampened hair with his large hand.

As if praising me. Again and again, soothingly.

His hand, stroking me until my ragged breathing calmed, stopped when I opened my eyes.

“P-Pervert…”

At my petulant words, Edan gazed down at me with heat-filled eyes and smiled softly.

“Yeah.”

Then he licked away my falling tears.

“You did well.”

I was sick for a whole week. Thanks to painkillers, the bruises barely hurt, but I had a high fever.

Exhausted from fleeing, bound by supernatural powers, and pushed to my limits, my body had reached its breaking point.

That night, especially, was just…

“I was… kind of a pervert.”

I sheepishly called Edan a pervert, but honestly, I was the pervert. No, we both were. How does that man even know how to do those things? I felt like I was the only one flustered. But it was really good…

“No! Don’t think about it! That makes me sound even more like a pervert! Get a grip!”

I slapped my cheeks and swallowed the last pill.

Looking in the mirror, I saw the dress the maid had put on me, sparkling beautifully. A simple, pale yellow dress designed for ease of movement. Tiny diamonds lined the shoulders and waist, elegant without being gaudy. It shimmered in the sunlight with every slight movement, so I shifted my shoulders a few times to admire it.

“How many jewels are even embedded in this? It looks so expensive. Gotta be careful.”

After adjusting my outfit, I opened the door to see a long hallway lined with a red carpet.

I’d been confined to my room for a week, focused on recovery, so this was my first time stepping out.

The room had an attached bathroom, and maids brought clothes morning and evening, while meals were tailored to my health.

I didn’t need to leave, and the maid who guided me here on the first day checked on me regularly.

And at night, Edan…

Honestly, aside from the first day, my memories of Edan are hazy.

The high fever left me so unwell that for two or three days, I could barely swallow medicine. After that, I was mostly asleep.

Thankfully, my condition improved rapidly from yesterday morning, and I slept comfortably last night.

When I woke this morning, my body felt completely light. Thanks to good medicine, I was almost back to normal.

“They said to come down to the first floor when I’m ready, right?”

I descended the wide staircase in the center of the hallway to the first floor.

“Latieana!”

The moment I reached the first floor, a familiar voice called out as if waiting.

“Maxiem!”

I grabbed Maxiem’s hands and jumped excitedly.

“How are you feeling? Are you okay? I was so worried!”

Maxiem shook my hands up and down, leaning left and right to inspect me.

“There’s still a bit of bruising, but I’m fine. What about you, Maxiem? Are you okay?”

It’s a bit late to ask now, but that day was so chaotic I couldn’t check on Maxiem.

Actually, it’s not that I couldn’t—by the time I was talking to the high priest in the garden, Maxiem was already gone. I was worried something had happened, but thankfully, Maxiem looked in good shape.

“I’m fine too! Sir Hillstain took care of things!”

“Sir Hillstain?”

“Yes!”

Maxiem nodded enthusiastically.

Just then, footsteps approached from behind. Maxiem flinched, let go of my hands, and shouted.

“Argh! My mistake! It was a mistake! I was just excited!”

“…”

Maxiem, what’s wrong?

Confused by the odd reaction, I blinked. When the person behind us said nothing, we both turned to look.

“S-Sir Ruben!”

Maxiem, sweating nervously, placed a hand on their chest and let out a deep sigh of relief.

Ruben bowed politely to me before turning to Maxiem and asking.

“Why so startled?”

“I thought it was the Grand Duke.”

“Feeling guilty about holding hands?”

Maxiem’s eyes widened in shock.

“No, really! I swear! I just moved instinctively because I was happy! It was a mistake! Please keep it a secret. Please.”

Watching Maxiem plead with Ruben as if their life depended on it, I tilted my head.

“You can hold hands when you’re happy. What’s the big deal? I don’t mind.”

“It’s fine for you, Latieana, but not for the Grand Duke.”

That reminded me of something. The day Hillstain brought Maxiem to the castle to cheer me up, Edan saw us shaking hands in the library.

He grumbled about it for a while afterward, but was it not just about me?

“What happened?”

I asked Maxiem.

“No… it’s not exactly… I don’t really want to think about it…”

Something definitely happened.

Maxiem trailed off, shaking their head like a dog shaking off water.

I turned to Ruben. He let out a reluctant sigh and said.

“If you touch Latieana again, even a handshake, I’ll cut your head off—so he said.”

“…”

“…That’s what he said.”

I looked at Maxiem with sympathy, my eyes trembling with apology.

Maxiem, meeting my gaze, forced a smile and waved both hands.

“Oh, come on! It was probably a joke. I was scared, but it’s old news now, so it’s fine!”

“…”

Maxiem, we held hands at the temple too. When we escaped. That’s gotta stay a secret forever.

Edan, what a crazy obsessive.

Over something like holding hands…

“Even the touch of another man’s fingers on you drives me insane.”

It wasn’t a joke, apparently. A chill ran through me, and I rubbed my arms, thinking I’d better be careful.

“The Grand Duke is waiting.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Before that, please stop by the reception room.”

The reception room?

I blinked, and Ruben’s brow twitched, as if reluctant.

“I don’t really want to show you, but you need to see it for yourself, Latieana.”