As she took a step into the room, her eyes, which were beautifully curved at that time, found his form.

‘Did he not hear the sound of the door?’

That couldn’t be true.

But the man who always, as if he wouldn’t let go the moment she appeared, turned a blind eye to her, was now turned away, not making a single move.

‘Is he really not in a good mood?’

The buoyant feeling she had just swayed slightly.

“Cedric.”

And she cautiously called her husband.

As if Cedric was reacting, he slowly turned his chin.

The black hair covering his forehead swayed, and the movement came to a halt.

Still, her husband, standing with his back to her, was gazing not at her but somewhere on the floor.

La Maine slowly widened her eyes.

Her husband’s beautiful eyes, like a summer sea pouring dazzling sunlight, were breathtaking.

That blue color sometimes turned into a murky shade, like a sea swallowing death.

Even without meeting eyes directly, she could tell.

He was on the verge of swallowing an emotion unknown, about to burst rather than suppress it.

The excited heart quickly sank like a broken vessel.

“Cedric. Did something happen?”

The worried voice was urgent.

At the same pace, a beat slower than her voice, her gaze reached his feet.

Cedric gradually turned his body.

As La Maine’s eyes slightly swayed, the movement stopped.

It was an instinctive reaction, not intentional.

A facial expression that didn’t reveal any emotions.

Lips firmly closed, as if he would never let his voice be heard again.

A gaze so cold it could freeze upon contact.

An overwhelming pressure from the man standing so still made her confused.

A silence so profound that it felt almost impossible to exhale.

“La Maine.”

Cedric’s voice, which flowed heavily into her ears, settled heavily.

“Yes. Tell me. Cedric.”

For now, she decided to listen to whatever he was going to say.

But the closed lips didn’t easily open again.

Another silence.

Above the blue eyes, Cedric slowly blinked his eyelids.

With a piercing gaze that revealed a sleek jawline, various emotions tangled together.

Resentment. Anger. Desperation.

‘Why is he doing this?’

Having reached the limit of waiting, she swallowed her breath slowly. And,

“Cedric. Why…!”

Unable to endure the frustration, her voice erupted, but soon it was swallowed down her throat.

With just a few steps, the large shadow of her husband, who had approached, engulfed her.

Feeling a momentary arch in her waist, La Maine tensed her whole body.
He didn’t touch her at all.

However, she felt as if he were pushing her.

The slow-falling pupils passed through her eyes, nose, and mouth, then stopped right above the dress neckline that stretched straight under the collarbone.

It was at that moment, when the blatant gaze seemed to expose the hidden skin beneath the thin fabric, that she felt embarrassed.

A large hand, without permission, slowly delved into the golden curls to reach the nape of her neck.

Though she tried not to react, her body, which had become accustomed to the man’s touch, involuntarily tensed to the point of feeling vulnerable.

Her body, which held an indescribable tension, stiffened.

The man with an expression devoid of any emotion slowly spoke.

“I must hold you tonight.”

Instantly, strength filled his fingertips wrapped around her neck.

And the remaining hand tightly embraced her waist.

“Cedric! Wait a moment!”

She, wetting her waist, pushed Cedric’s chest with the palm of her hand.

But the large body didn’t even flinch.

The man’s eyes, which seemed like they could drag her into his embrace and leap onto the bed at any moment, fiercely swallowed her.

Dangerous.

Looking at the man in front of her, that was the only word that came to her mind.

La Maine’s pupils flickered fiercely as if hit by the wind.

It wouldn’t have been so confusing if the emotions that could be described as affection or desire had started somewhere. It felt as if she was engulfed in flames that started somewhere unknown and didn’t know where it would spread.

“Cedric. Please explain why you’re doing this all of a sudden.”

Thump, thump.

Feeling the strong beats of her heart, she focused her gaze full of strength.

“Why do you need an explanation?”

The slow voice passed through her ears.

“As your husband, do I need a reason to embrace you, my wife?”

An unknown movement, whether a smile or a distortion, occurred at the corner of Cedric’s mouth, where his voice flowed without any emotion.

“Speak.”

“I’ve already told you. I need more time.”

Above the persistent gaze of her husband, her eyelids slowly rose.

That brief moment felt suffocating as if choking her throat.

At that moment, the hand that had flowed down her neck grabbed her shoulder.

“Or is there something about your body that I shouldn’t see?”

For a moment, La Maine, who widened her eyes, bit into the tender flesh inside her lips.

…No way. It can’t be.

Her eyes, denying reality, trembled.

“After a month, is it okay for me to hold you?”

Resentment was felt over the unrefined, harsh voice.

“After a month, is it okay for you to be in front of me?”

Eyes that sank excessively, as if they had swallowed up all the sadness.

Everything about him pained her heart.

Ah… With the small crack made by pressing and biting, her vision in front of her eyes turned white.

“Speak.”

“….”

“How long do you plan to deceive me?”