Suddenly, a red light seeped in through the window.

Awakened in the dawn, Casius was persistent as if trying to hold onto the fleeing Adeline.

The excited voices they exchanged only subsided after the morning sun rose.

Even so, due to the unabated passion they felt for each other, the two could not easily fall asleep.

While Adeline leaned on Casius feeling his body heat, Casius’s large hand stroked her hair.

“It tickles.”

At those words, Casius pulled her even closer.

Contrary to her seemingly reluctant words, Adeline simply surrendered her body to his lead.

“This is the only way I can believe what’s in front of my eyes.”

Casius gripped Adeline’s waist tighter, as if afraid she might suddenly disappear like a mirage.

So that she could never be separated from him.

Adeline did not reject his touch. Rather, as if welcoming his obsession, she snuggled deeper into his embrace with a smile curling her lips.

As Casius caressed Adeline’s hair, a sudden unnecessary thought crossed his mind.

“By the way, what happened to Count Levrance’s son?”

Adeline had been languidly enjoying Casius’s touch, like a cat basking in sunlight by the window.

Her dreamy mood quickly sobered at Casius’s words, as if cold water had been poured over her.

“……”

She pondered countless times over their uncertain future together.

She had never sincerely uttered that she would never leave his side.

“…I won’t go.”

Adeline’s answer yesterday was not given lightly.

Seeing how the empire’s only duke, known for being strong and cold-hearted, couldn’t hide his emotions in front of her alone.

Adeline too decided to deliberately ignore this obvious fate that foretold an unfavorable future for her.

Because she couldn’t bear to abandon him who was right in front of her.

Giving her all was not an easy thing for her either.

The first time they slept together might have been due to getting swept up in the mood, unable to control herself.

But tonight with him was truly giving her all.

Adeline couldn’t answer the duke’s question.

If she opened her mouth, it felt like the emotions she was trying so hard to hold back would leak through her teeth.

“Adeline?”

Unaware of her emotions, the duke called Adeline’s name once more, as if to heighten her welling feelings.

She swallowed her emotions forcefully and spoke.

“…Why are you asking about Hailo?”

“Isn’t he the one who came to the duke’s castle looking for you? I’m asking as the master of this castle.”

‘You’re not still suspecting me and Hailo, are you?’

Hailo was just a childhood friend she had grown up with.

A friend she had always taken care of since childhood, a business partner who helped with her work, and now someone who always looked after and worried about her.

Moreover, hadn’t he come because he was worried when there was no reply to the letter he sent?

No matter how much Casius misunderstood, she didn’t want to make excuses by denying such a precious friend.

“Hailo just came because he was worried about me. More importantly, what are you planning to tell the servants?”

Adeline changed the subject, afraid of revealing her hardened expression.

At her follow-up question, Casius raised himself to sit up leaning against the bed.

“They’ll find out I’m not pregnant. Will I… be able to stay here?”

Adeline asked indirectly, unable to utter the word ‘mistress’ with her own lips.

Although she used the servants as an excuse, Adeline herself was unsure.

Whether it was a miscarriage or never pregnant to begin with, it would be endlessly gossiped about by the servants.

‘Haa.’

Adeline sighed.

It was then that Casius, who had been keeping silent, opened his mouth.

“There is a way, actually.”

Adeline raised her head to meet his gaze.

“Why don’t you marry me and stay here as the duchess?”

“That’s absurd! How can we get married?”

Adeline unknowingly furrowed her brow, revealing her bewildered emotions.

“Have you forgotten we’re from opposing families? Besides, I came here to escape the crown prince. If it’s known that I’m here…”

The thought alone was horrifying.

Her father Severus, and even the crown prince, would send people to take her back to the capital.

The future after that was obvious. She would soon die at the hands of the crown prince.

“What does that matter?”

At his flat voice that seemed not to care about her life at all, Adeline clutched the bedding.

A feeling of hurt settled in her heart.

With her emotions upset, she no longer wanted to be in the same bed as Casius.

Just as she was about to get up from the bed.

“You can remain here not as Lady Adeline of the Credion Marquis family, but marry as Del, a commoner.”

Adeline’s eyes widened.

He would accept her as his duchess not as the lady of a marquis family, but as Del, a commoner.

It was a choice that would bring him no benefit whatsoever.

Casius met her gaze straight on, as if he were completely serious.

Well. When had this man ever lied?

Adeline’s hurt feelings subsided as if they had never existed.

“Well, how about it? Is that enough to become a duchess?”

He looked at her intently, as if demanding an answer.

After a long silence, Adeline parted her lips.

“Give me some time to think about it.”

Because it wasn’t a matter that could be decided immediately based on emotions.

With those final words, Adeline left the bedroom.

Several days passed since then. Adeline was walking down the corridor after leaving the bedroom.

The duke’s sudden proposal had given her headaches for days. Adeline, who still hadn’t given him a proper answer, needed some fresh air.

She needed to cool her overheated mind.

As she neared the reception room, she encountered the head maid passing through the corridor.

Adeline requested an early tea time from the head maid.

“Yes. The weather is nice today. Shall I have it prepared on the terrace of the reception room?”

Seeing Adeline’s downcast expression, the head maid cautiously suggested tea on the terrace.

“That would be nice. Please do.”

Adeline replied as if it didn’t matter where, and sat down on the terrace of the reception room, closing her eyes.

As the tea table was being set up, Adeline enjoyed her tea while gazing at the garden spread out beyond the terrace.

As she looked at the garden without thinking, her mind seemed to become a little more at ease.

At that moment, a small change occurred in the garden scenery where only leaves had been swaying in the wind.

A familiar figure was striding back towards the duke’s castle.

It was Hailo Levrance, whom she had believed had returned to his territory.

Adeline stared blankly at the change in the garden before suddenly realizing and jumping to her feet.

“Hailo, you haven’t left yet?”

As if doubting her own eyes, Adeline tried to get a little closer to him. She leaned over the railing as far as she could.

Even on second glance, it was indeed Hailo.

Without time to think, Adeline rushed out of the reception room and headed for the first floor lobby.

Sure enough, Hailo was standing in the first floor lobby.

Adeline, coming down the stairs, met eyes with Hailo entering the first floor lobby.

“Adeline. Let’s talk for a moment.”

What was there to talk about?

There were too many eyes watching. Unable to turn Hailo away again, Adeline guided him to the reception room.

‘……Hah.’

Once again, her head throbbed with a headache.

Casius, who had fallen asleep without realizing it, only woke up for a late lunch. Perhaps exhausted from the downpour, he had been taking naps he usually didn’t for the past few days.

Quite some time must have passed, as the sunlight entering through the window was beating down on the blanket.

He got up, made simple preparations, and set out to find Adeline.

After leaving the bedroom, Casius strode towards the reception room upon the butler’s word that Adeline was there again with Hailo.

As Casius neared the reception room, he furrowed his brow at the noise coming from beyond.

In reality, it was Hailo and Adeline bickering as their disagreement remained unresolved, but to Casius, it just sounded intimate.

A space for just the two of them, without him. Casius, who found the sight utterly displeasing, entered the reception room without knocking.

“It seems the count’s son has become quite comfortable in the duke’s territory.”

As if disliking the seemingly close relationship between the two, Casius began to mock Hailo.

Seeing Adeline chatting with Hailo in the reception room, leaving him behind in the bedroom, a feeling of hurt began to rise.

A mischievous desire to create an awkward situation for both Hailo and Adeline blossomed in Casius.

“Since you’ve come all this way, why don’t you stay to witness our wedding, young sir?”

So he uttered words that were uncharacteristically half-impulsive.