That woman is also speaking with feigned politeness, but in the end, the conclusion is to mind my own business…

A cold smile appeared at the corners of Kardian’s mouth.

What on earth did he do that everyone is in such an uproar about?

He had not caused them any harm. They say he tried to kill Damion on the battlefield, but didn’t that end in failure?

As a result, Damion returned to the capital and grew into quite a decent gossip among the nobles, so it could be said that he had actually guided his life onto a better path.

The same was true for Ansi. There was a time when he gave a little push to her father’s self-destruction, but no one knows about that. Rather, she became close to Damion afterwards and even got married, so this too turned out for the better.

Then why do they look at him as if he had tormented them?

Kardian stared penetratingly at Ansi.

Her blue eyes shone with an absurdly brazen light. That gaze trying to protect Damion was both interesting and irritating to Kardian.

And… suddenly he became curious.

What would it feel like to have that brazen light beside him, rather than facing it?

The sunset light filled the room. Damion raised his head only when he noticed the documents he had brought from the capital for review were tinged red.

He stared blankly out the window. As he looked at the color Ansi disliked, he was reminded of her again. An unresolved tightness constricted his body. His expression sank into distress.

At that moment, there was a sound of the door opening with a click.

Oops. Damion hurriedly composed his expression.

“Did you enjoy your sightseeing?”

The corners of his mouth stretched prettily. He put down the documents and gracefully approached Ansi.

“Yes. What did Damion do today?”

“I looked at documents all day. There’s a quota to meet during the vacation period.”

Damion glanced at the table behind him. In truth, he had gone to the annex to meet Kardian, but he had no intention of telling Ansi about that.

Ansi quietly nodded her head.

“The weather was nice, and the mansion was splendid. It was too good a day to stay indoors.”

“You left me behind on such a nice day.”

“Ah…”

Damion shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. Then he narrowed his eyes at Ansi, who let out a sigh as if flustered.

“Play with me tomorrow, Ansi.”

All the emotions and agonies he had felt today were hidden behind that smile.

It really felt like everything would magically be alright if he spent time with her tomorrow. Perhaps he had dug himself into a hole by being alone, and being together might bring him back to his senses and reality.

Just like last night, when he had revealed that he was an illegitimate child with startling ease. He would say what needed to be said, and hide what needed to be hidden.

Even now, it’s like that. His head feels much lighter than before. Just from facing her.

“I will.”

Ansi answered stiffly. However, it didn’t feel like the conversation was over. She was staring at him intently with a pondering look, her head tilted up.

He couldn’t tell exactly where her gaze was focused. Whether she was looking at his face or his hair.

Ansi’s expression gradually became more serious. She raised her hand, spreading it wide, and wiggled it back and forth. She still seemed to be contemplating something related to him.

Ah. Perhaps something was stuck in his hair?

Somehow his face felt hot. Damion casually ran his hand through his hair. Then he discreetly checked his hand, but there was nothing there.

Ansi was still staring at his head.

“…Why are you doing that?”

Damion finally asked the question.

As if the question was a trigger, Ansi stopped her dancing hand and eyes. Instead, she tugged on Damion’s clothes. Damion obediently followed her lead.

“Sit down.”

They had arrived in front of the sofa. Damion sat down with a puzzled look. Ansi, who he thought would sit next to him, remained standing even after seating him. Damion leaned forward and opened his mouth.

“What’s the matter…”

The words didn’t continue.

Ansi embraced Damion. A faint floral scent emanated from her soft form. Sweet and fragrant, yet unutterably sensual.

Damion’s body stiffened.

Ansi stroked the back of his head. With stiff and clumsy movements, but slowly and carefully.

A tingling sensation slid from the tips of his hair to his toes where her touch landed. In an instant, emotions welled up fiercely like waves, as if he had suddenly become intoxicated.

It was bewildering. Both her sudden action and himself finding comfort in that sudden action.

“Ansi, why are you doing this?”

Damion forced a laugh. He felt he needed to hide his stirring emotions. Lest she think him pathetic for reacting as if he had been waiting for this, as if he had been expecting it. Perhaps she had already seen his true nature in some way he didn’t know.

“Is it strange? Are you uncomfortable, Damion?”

“No, it’s not uncomfortable, but…”

“Your body seems too tense. This is meant to soothe you.”

“Did I… look anxious?”

“No. Damion is the same as usual. But there’s also what I heard yesterday, and just… I’ve wanted to do this since yesterday. Even if nothing’s wrong, even if there’s no reason, having someone stroke you like this can calm your heart. You might need times like this occasionally, and I can help with that.”

Even if nothing’s wrong, even if there’s no reason.

I see.

It seems this is how normal families occasionally embrace and stroke each other. Without reason, simply for the purpose of bringing peace.

For Damion, it was the first time since his mother had sometimes hugged and stroked him when he was very young. He could barely remember how it felt back then now.

Damion closed his eyes. Ansi’s embrace and touch were warm.

So this is how it feels when someone strokes you. A feeling like being buried in clouds… floating yet soft and cozy. A sensation that far surpasses what could simply be called peace.

“…It is peaceful.”

Damion answered quietly, as if trying to contain the infinitely expanding sensation in his words, and surrendered to her touch.

Ansi lowered her gaze. Her hand stroking the man with closed eyes gradually became gentler after a few passes.

Embracing and stroking his head like this was something Sofia often did for her.

She had told Damion she was stroking him for no particular reason, but that wasn’t actually true. She did it because she felt sorry for the young Damion who had been hurt by Kardian, for the Damion before her now who was still hiding his wounds without being able to speak of it.

But she couldn’t say, “It must have been very difficult.”

She couldn’t show that she knew about the relationship between Damion and Kardian, that she knew how he had been treated in the Orphe ducal family.

If she did, he would likely cut off all contact with Kardian and the duke and duchess completely. It wouldn’t be right to act friendly with them while knowing, so pretending not to know was the right thing to do.

‘It’s difficult to maintain ties with the duke, duchess, and Kardian by putting Damion forward. But…’

There weren’t any other options either.

So she had to work twice as hard to enter the inner circle of Orphe.

Ansi de Orphe, who knows nothing. Ansi de Orphe, who doesn’t even know it’s the family of the man who killed her father. Thus, she had no choice but to become Ansi de Orphe who gives everything to Orphe.

Half a day was enough for deliberation.

Her purpose was that firm.

This unfamiliar feeling towards Damion de Orphe was also a purpose she shouldn’t interfere with.

The time in Sobelvio was short.

The original schedule was to stay there for only a week before returning to the capital. Having learned about Damion’s relationship with his family, she couldn’t insist on staying longer either.

Thus, a few days after returning to the capital.

Ansi’s brow furrowed as she walked through the square.

‘As expected, the capital is a bit hotter than the north.’

The weather here made her realize it was now summer. Under the suddenly intense sunlight, her wide-brimmed hat blocked the light while also trapping the heat.

‘Should I just take it off?’

As she was contemplating this, she entered an alleyway.

Suddenly, her hat was removed. Not by her own will. Ansi looked at the person in front of her with startled eyes.

“Rain.”

“…!”

Ansi’s expression hardened. Her face turned pale. A sensation of all the blood draining from her body overwhelmed her.

“It really is you. I thought I wouldn’t be able to find you since there was no trace of you, Rain, in the capital… To meet like this, I guess people who are meant to meet will meet, huh?”

Geris wore a face as if he had seen an old friend. However, the light in his eyes was chilling.

“Geris, why… are you here?”

The stiff question barely escaped her lips.

“Why am I here? Is that what you say to someone you haven’t seen in a long time, Rain?”

Geris’s face slowly hardened. Then he frowned and raised the corners of his mouth. His body shook. It was a laugh that gave an eerie impression.

An instinctive sense of threat enveloped Ansi. She slowly took a step back, then turned her body.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

“Ah!”

But immediately her hair was grabbed by Geris’s hand. The pain made her vision spin. Ansi glared at Geris with eyes mixed with fear and anger.

“Tell me, Rain. Why did you run away?”

Geris asked, bringing his face close to hers.