Casius was in the middle of inspecting the Duke of Torpeo’s territory after a long time.

Was it because he had been absent for a season? Reports were frequently coming in that the nobles were becoming increasingly unruly in his territory and harassing the women in the villages.

“I heard the duke took in a commoner as his mistress, and her figure and face are quite a sight to behold.”

“Oh, have you heard? They say she’s so desperate to show off her body that she only chooses dresses that are low-cut everywhere.”

In the smoky underground gambling den.

It was just as the duke was entering the gambling den in the corner of the village where he had heard there were the most problems.

He paused his steps at the unexpected topic of conversation he heard. The duke leaned against the side of the door and silently focused on their conversation.

“Of course. Isn’t that what mistresses do? Desperately trying to sleep with a man even once. They should fulfill their duty even if it means stripping everything off!”

“You. Your filthy mouth is still the same. Is that how you seduced the baron’s daughter too?”

“Haha. I’ve had the baron’s daughter, so how could I not have a mere commoner mistress?”

“But still, how dare you covet the duke’s woman.”

They were enjoying gambling, using the harassment of not only commoners but also lower noble ladies as a topic of conversation.

“Even the prettiest flower becomes boring if you look at it for too long. When the duke throws her out, I, Baron Neville, will quickly pick her up.”

“She’ll probably have to go back to the brothel, but if you save her, she’ll throw herself at you naked. That’s right.”

“Hahaha. If that happens, I’ll show you all that voluptuous body…”

The corners of the duke’s mouth, who had been listening silently, began to curl up crookedly. Adeline was being gossiped about just as he had intended.

Eric was unable to enter the gambling den, blocked by the duke. Eric felt puzzled by the duke leaning against the door of the gambling den without taking any action.

“Your Grace. Is something the matter?”

“We’ll come back another time.”

At Eric’s call, the duke stepped away without even surveying the gambling den, leaving without hesitation.

Outside, dawn was already breaking due to the long inspection. The duke headed straight for the carriage returning to the ducal residence.

The small sense of satisfaction he had felt in the gambling den was changing into something unpleasant with each step he took.

Seated in the carriage, Casius was unable to smooth out his furrowed brow, wrapped in an indescribable dirty feeling.

“If you save her when she should be going back to the brothel, she’ll throw herself at you naked. That’s right.”

Overwhelmed by the rising unpleasantness, Casius leaned back in the carriage.

It was strange.

He had made Adeline his mistress and deliberately had her wear revealing dresses expecting rumors like this to spread.

But hearing those words directly left him feeling inexplicably displeased and in a terribly low mood.

His heart churned, feeling as if insulting Adeline was like insulting himself.

The more he tormented Adeline, the more she was the one being whittled away.

‘But why do I feel so filthy about this?’

The duke couldn’t shake the feeling of gnawing at himself.

There was no one to blame. He was the one who had degraded her as his mistress. He was the one who had ordered her dress designs to be changed to more revealing ones.

All of this was Casius’s own doing. He had intentionally tormented Adeline out of a desire for revenge, yet now he felt displeased at her being treated that way.

Casius could only loosen his cravat in frustration at this laughable situation.

Casius became confused about what he truly wanted.

Adeline was not a woman who should be gossiped about as sexual entertainment for others. Casius was at a loss for where to begin containing the rising irritation.

Casius had the carriage hurry even more. Today was the day Violetta was visiting.

After what happened in the bedroom, Adeline blatantly avoided Casius’s gaze.

If possible, she didn’t even go near the office where he might be. Not only that, she would make various excuses to avoid mealtimes.

But.

Adeline glanced at the duke seated on the sofa in the center of the toilette room.

He sat with his legs crossed, flipping through a catalog that Madame Violetta had brought.

‘Why is this man here now?’

A man looking down with an extremely annoyed expression.

There’s no way he, as a man, would be interested in a catalog that only noble young ladies would care about.

‘Does he mean to suck my blood dry in the same space this time?’

It seemed perfect for indigestion even though she hadn’t eaten.

Just as she was about to sigh.

“My lady, take a deep breath!”

Adeline inhaled sharply instead of sighing at the strong force tightening her corset.

As her lower abdomen was mercilessly constricted, Adeline’s chest rose up.

“The dress I brought today will emphasize the lady’s figure more beautifully if the waist is tightly cinched.”

Adeline was already struggling just to stand, having not eaten anything.

In an instant, the corset was fastened and Adeline put on the dress Madame Violetta had brought.

It was a design so daring it was embarrassing to even call it a dress.

The neckline was deeply cut, and the dress clung tightly to Adeline’s curved body.

There were certainly no noblewomen who wore such dresses.

It was a design more suited for the red-light district. Adeline’s face turned pale, beyond blue.

But Madame Violetta cheered, seemingly uninterested in Adeline’s reaction.

“Oh my, it suits you perfectly, my lady. Indeed, only Lady Del could pull off such a design!”

“…”

“Your Grace, what do you think? Isn’t the lady truly beautiful?”

Adeline couldn’t lift her head.

She had felt his gaze on her from the moment the dress was tightened to fit her body.

The man’s gaze that had scrutinized her from head to toe.

“…Your Grace?”

Confusion tinged Madame Violetta’s voice as she called out to him again.

Adeline raised her head at the strangely long silence.

And the moment their gazes intertwined in midair, her heart sank.

The man’s eyes gleamed like those of a beast as he looked at Adeline.

The passion slowly filling those red irises, that desire directed solely at Adeline, began to sink into the abyss as quickly as it had flared up.

‘That dress is the problem.’

The duke had entered the toilette room intending to change all the dress designs. However, he had unknowingly been burning with desire at the sight of Adeline with all her body lines exposed.

Soon, the incident at the gambling den quickly came to mind, and he cooled down, but Adeline had already seen that momentary look in his eyes.

They weren’t alone in the toilette room. Not only were there numerous maids helping with the fitting, but Madame Violetta was right in front of them.

A man revealing his lust towards her in front of the servants. Shame engulfed Adeline.

“What’s the matter?”

“Perhaps you don’t like the dress?”

It was when the silence had stretched long enough for the waiting maids to whisper among themselves.

The duke who had slowly risen from the sofa approached her.

“It’s certainly beautiful. Madame Violetta’s skills are considerable. No wonder the noble young ladies are desperate to order your dresses.”

Where his gaze touched felt electrifying.

“I-I’m grateful that you appreciate it so. Then shall we proceed with this dress for the banquet you mentioned?”

The duke’s gaze refused to leave Adeline’s clearly exposed chest. When Violetta, who had hesitated momentarily at that blatant gaze, asked the duke for his opinion.

“However, it would be better to change this dress. I absolutely detest sharing what’s mine. Especially thinking of other men getting worked up looking at my Del makes my mood extremely low.”

Adeline’s heart burned with shame at the duke’s overtly suggestive words and actions.

“Besides, you’re so beautiful like this that I can’t control myself. Let’s have you wear this dress only in this mansion, when you’re with me.”

The duke approached Adeline and cupped her cheek with his hand held upright.

Adeline felt as if the thread of reason she had been barely holding onto was slipping away.

“I’m fine with it.”

“What?”

“Is there any reason I should only wear such a pretty dress in front of you, Your Grace? I’m sure it’s the same for other dresses anyway.”

At Adeline’s words, Casius was reminded once again of the conversations from the gambling den last night.

The unpleasantness he had felt in the carriage seemed to creep over Casius once more.

“Just let me wear this dress…”

Before Adeline could finish her sentence. He pulled her waist closer with his other hand.

In that moment, as she was drawn into his embrace, the man’s scent overwhelmed her.

“If you wear this dress, men blinded by desire will look at you like this.”

The unpleasantness he had suppressed was growing uncontrollably into anger.

The duke moved his raised index finger along Adeline’s collarbone down to her cleavage.

An endlessly boiling passion and anger. In the duke’s red eyes, these two conflicting emotions were burning in a sticky entanglement.

Adeline took a sharp breath.

“Ah. Was that what you were hoping for?”

And it wasn’t just Adeline who froze at his actions. The servants watching the scene, even Madame Violetta, were taken aback.

But true to her experience in dealing with nobles, she smiled as if nothing had happened.

It wasn’t unusual for young men and women to engage in intimate play while fitting dresses in her shop.

“What is this…!”

Just as Adeline was about to burst out with the resentment she had been holding back at the duke’s insulting attitude in front of so many eyes.

“Everyone turn around for a moment.”

The servants exchanged glances with each other in midair.

And the moment everyone turned around, he tilted his head and approached Adeline.

He came close as if about to devour her lips, but stopped just before their lips met.

Looking down at Adeline with half-lidded, decadent eyes, he whispered quietly in her ear.

“If you provoke me like this, it’s hard for me to control myself.”

He lowered his head, tracing Adeline’s slender neckline down to her collarbone where he paused.

“When I’ve made up my mind, follow quietly. Lady Del.”

With those final words, Casius deeply sucked on the pale skin of her neck.

As he pulled away, leaving it moist, an alluring sound spread through the toilette room.

“…”

Adeline desperately bit her lower lip hard.

She didn’t want to give the turned-around servants any reason to let their imaginations run wild.

And she didn’t want to be swayed by this man either.

As she used all her strength to hold back, not wanting to be moved by a man who was obsessed with tormenting her.

Casius’s lips, which had been teasing above her collarbone while watching Adeline like this, curved into a slanted smile.

He raised his other hand and gently pressed on Adeline’s lips. To prevent her from biting them anymore.

Then he slowly lifted his lips from her collarbone.

“Madame Violetta.”

His low voice, emerging from between his smooth lips, resonated through the quiet bedroom.

“Change the design of the dress for the banquet. Make it a dress that covers the neck completely, with no exposure.”

As if his words were a signal, the servants who had been turned around faced the two of them.

Madame Violetta did the same.

She looked back and forth between the duke and Adeline. Then her gaze fell on the red mark on Adeline’s collarbone.

In the quiet stillness, Violetta’s silently glistening eyes looked just like those of a hyena.