“Someone’s injured!”

There was a great commotion and screams outside the tea room, with the sound of clashing swords and Anna’s voice occasionally calling for Ariel. However, strangely, no one came inside. Something was wrong.

“Aagh!”

As Ariel tried to stand up again, Ludvian yanked her hair hard. The pain was so intense that tears welled up in her eyes.

“What are you doing? Let go!”

As Ariel glared at him fiercely in anger, he smiled gently.

“You need to eat the cake, Ariel.”

“I won’t! You eat it!”

“Is that so? Then should I kill Anna too?”

His smile, curling only at the corners of his lips, was chilling. When Ariel still didn’t budge, he leaned away from the sofa he was sitting on. Finally, Ariel glared at him as she snatched up the fork.

“I’ll eat it… Don’t hurt anyone. And you’ll let me go after I eat this, right?”

After confirming Ludvian’s nod, Ariel frantically swallowed the cake, not even realizing her mouth was a mess. Her hands trembled violently out of worry for the injured Ostian. She had to finish eating quickly and go out to check on his condition. She barely managed to swallow the sobs that kept trying to escape along with pieces of cake.

“The coffee too.”

After devouring all the cake, next was the coffee. Ariel picked up the coffee cup without a word and gulped it down in one go.

“Is that enough now?”

She tried to pull her hair out of his hand, but he wouldn’t let go.

“You promised!”

He chuckled and pulled Ariel’s hair, which he was still gripping, towards himself.

“What are you doing! Let go!”

Incredibly, he started wiping her mouth. Horrified by his actions, Ariel struggled with all her might, ignoring the pain in her scalp. It was then that the sound of clashing swords was heard again from outside. In an instant, the curtains of the tea room opened and Kaius entered.

Kaius’s gaze briefly passed over Ludvian before stopping on Ariel’s face. Her teary eyes and reddened eyelids, and below that, Ludvian’s hand touching his wife’s chocolate-smeared lips. After confirming the sight of him gripping Ariel’s hair, Kaius’s gaze turned back to Ludvian. As the chocolate Ludvian wiped from Ariel’s lips went into his mouth, Kaius’s eyes grew cold.

“What a shame.”

At Ludvian’s words, the air around Kaius grew heavy. Ariel was in the hands of a man he had defined as insane. Kaius’s eyes grew calmer as he began looking for an opportunity to rescue his wife. Sensing his hesitation, Ariel remembered the pepper shaker. Quickly pulling it out from her waist, Ariel sprayed it at Ludvian, and Kaius didn’t miss this opportunity.

“Go outside.”

“Be careful.”

At Kaius’s low words, Ariel ran out of the tea room. Outside, Anna was examining Ostian’s injuries, while Lemon and Viktor were watching the situation inside. The amount of blood Ostian had lost was considerable; if they tried to show him to a doctor, he might die.

“Move Ostian to an empty room.”

As Ariel, who had decided to treat him, gave instructions, Viktor and Lemon carried Ostian into an empty tea room. With the commotion that had occurred twice, most of the guests had already left, so it wasn’t a difficult task.

While Ostian was being moved, Ariel found the bathroom of Pink Rose Garden and wiped and re-wiped her lips where Ludvian’s hand had touched. Suddenly, as her reflection in the mirror threatened to bring back the humiliating situation from earlier, she shook her head to clear it away.

There’s no time to waste.

After washing her face with cold water, Ariel came out and asked Anna for water before entering the tea room where Ostian was staying. First, she sent everyone out, then quietly looked into Ostian’s eyes.

“Ostian, I need to ask you a favor. What you’re about to experience must be kept a secret.”

Ostian thought of Kaius as the lord he would trust and follow for life. Ariel was the wife who made that lord say ‘quickly’, so there was no reason not to trust her. As he nodded, pale-faced, Ariel placed her hand on his abdomen and began the treatment.

***

Kaius truly felt murderous intent towards this madman. Despite wielding his sword with all his might with such feelings, Duke Beloas soon broke through a window and escaped. Kaius, who was about to follow, withdrew his gaze from the broken window out of concern for Ariel, who would be left behind.

“Kaius, are you alright?”

Ariel, white as a sheet, came running in. Looking as if she might collapse at any moment, it was hard to tell who was worrying about whom. A laugh escaped involuntarily.

Kaius, who had come close, pulled Ariel’s head to his chest with the hand not holding the sword.

“I’m fine.”

Was it because of the reassurance those words gave? The tears she had been holding back burst forth, and Ariel ended up sobbing loudly. Not realizing that their companions were watching, she unconsciously embraced Kaius’s solid body.

She had thought someone else would die because of her again. She had momentarily forgotten the fact that there would always be a price to pay for her greed, as Ludvian had shown her. Perhaps it was because she had let her guard down a little after staying by Kaius’s side.

Without realizing it, Ariel hugged Kaius tighter and buried her face in his chest. Seeing the two like this, everyone quietly went out beyond the curtain and began to clean up the chaotic interior.

The cold winter wind blew in through the broken window. Kaius, who had put down his sword, wanted to take off his coat and give it to Ariel, but to do so, he would have to unwrap Ariel’s arms that were holding him tightly. It was a first. Her hugging him of her own volition, not out of necessity.

After a moment’s consideration, Kaius wrapped his arms around his wife’s back, overlapping them. The red sunset beautifully illuminated the two in that pose.

***

Siella was diligently carrying out the order to find out what book Ariel had brought.

Now, with both of their masters away from the mansion, was the perfect opportunity. As Ariel’s dedicated maid, she had no problem entering the bedroom. Carrying a few cleaning tools, she entered and began to look around, pretending to tidy up the room.

First, she searched the display cabinet, then the dressing room, but there was no book. She thoroughly checked the bed and between the pillows beside it, but still nothing. The only places left unchecked were the dressing table and bathroom. Neither seemed appropriate for storing a book.

Fearing that staying too long might lead to a report to Butler Raymond, Siella left at that point and sent a carrier pigeon with a short message saying, “Could not find the book.”

However, that carrier pigeon didn’t get far before it was shot down by an arrow. Because of the incident with Demian, Kaius had marked all the carrier pigeons of the duke’s household and ordered that all other carrier pigeons be shot down. The knight on patrol who had just shot down the pigeon picked it up and headed towards their captain, Carsen.

***

It was only after thoroughly soaking his shirt that Ariel stopped crying. Her slightly downcast eyes cast a dark shadow beneath her wet lashes. Kaius, who had been watching her the whole time, released his hands from the embrace and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Brought back to her senses by his touch, Ariel looked at his now ruined clothes.

“Ah. Your clothes…”

More than feeling embarrassed about making such a spectacle, she felt sorry for ruining the clothes of a man who was always so neat. Thinking this wouldn’t do, Ariel’s eyes began to wander around. They stopped at Kaius’s coat pocket. For some reason, she stared at the pocket for a long time before looking up at Kaius.

“What is it?”

“Um… Can I use your handkerchief?”

Kaius chuckled at the unexpected request and tilted his chin. He had been about to take it out himself, but changed his mind and instead put his hands behind his back, waiting patiently. At this, Ariel slipped her hand into his pocket. The small movement made Kaius’s hands tense involuntarily. She quickly found his handkerchief and began dabbing at the wet shirt.

“What should we do… It’s a mess.”

Kaius chuckled at her words, which sounded almost like a whimper. It was then that his hand cupped Ariel’s chin. As he lifted her chin, her eyes widened slightly in surprise, fully taking him in.

Ariel’s lips around her mouth were still reddish from how vigorously she had rubbed them. As Kaius’s fingertips touched the lips where Ludvian’s hand had been, Ariel flinched and turned her face away. Kaius let out a low laugh and moved his hand to her hair. Again, she shrugged her shoulders slightly at his action, causing Kaius to let out a quiet sigh as he released Ariel.

After a short while, Ariel’s gaze slowly returned to him. Kaius gazed deeply for a long time into those golden eyes that trusted him.

“Your Excellency, I apologize, but it’s almost time for your appointment. What would you like to do?”

At Lemon’s voice from outside, Ariel’s eyes widened.

“What about your clothes? Should we go to the boutique now?”

As Ariel tugged at his arm with both hands, looking as if she might run out at any moment, Kaius turned her around.

“The clothes are fine.”

Ariel, who had been flustered, looked up at him at his words.

“I’d like you to join me for this appointment, but if it’s too difficult, we can postpone it.”

“…Pardon?”

Large golden eyes. Reddened eyelids and cheeks, and lips redder than usual.

Kaius’s Adam’s apple moved slowly without him realizing it, as his gaze was captivated by her face. He laughed softly at her innocent look, tilting her head in confusion as she stared at him with questioning eyes.