Before Seyard could say anything, Kisa blurted out her sincere feelings like rapid fire.
“I’m completely sober now. This time I’m saying it with a clear mind. I want you.”
She firmly grasped Seyard’s hand.
“You’re right that I’ve been a bit anxious lately. My nanny says it’s pre-wedding depression, and whether that’s true or not, it’s also true that I’ve tried to forget that anxiety by leaning on you.”
But, she said, bringing Seyard’s hand up to her cheek.
“Regardless of that, I want you. Look at me. Do I look anxious right now? Does it seem like I want you out of a feeling of being chased or trying to escape?”
Last night, having asked Seyard to stay with her and being rejected was embarrassing.
Yet her feelings for him had only deepened.
He had chosen to carefully consider Kisa’s feelings rather than prioritizing his own desires.
Because of this, he had suffered through the night without sleep, yet showed no sign of his struggle in front of Kisa who was under the influence of alcohol.
Could there be anyone else in the world who truly cared for her like this?
‘I really do like this Seyard.’
No, love him.
So she wanted to be with him as soon as possible.
This feeling was unrelated to the selfish hope of forgetting her anxiety—it was a pure desire to see another side of the person she loved that she didn’t yet know.
Kisa looked straight into Seyard’s eyes.
Though her heart was pounding and she felt incredibly shy, she had no desire to run away.
“Seyard, I love you.”
Where had that coward gone—the one who couldn’t even protest against the shameless person who ruined her precious dress?
She realized that she had changed quite positively in just two or three years.
And the person who had helped her change the most was right in front of her.
“I want you.”
So don’t hold back anymore, Kisa was about to continue.
But those words were swallowed by lips that suddenly covered hers.
“Mmph.”
It was a kiss more animalistic than anything Kisa had experienced in the past few months.
She had thought she was fairly accustomed to kissing by now, but that had been ignorant arrogance.
With her mind gone blank, Kisa was busy just trying to handle her partner’s intense movements.
While Seyard changed angles to explore his lover’s mouth, the most Kisa could do was hold onto his shoulders with trembling hands.
If she didn’t, she felt like her legs would give out and she would collapse at any moment.
She simply endured everything like someone facing powerful waves with her bare body.
How much time had passed? Only when she could no longer properly distinguish even that did Seyard finally release Kisa.
“Kisa.”
Reddish-brown eyes stared intensely at Kisa, making her heart skip a beat.
At that moment, Kisa’s knees weakened inexplicably, and she nearly slumped to the floor.
Fortunately, two arms holding her waist prevented such a mishap.
“I prided myself on having quite good patience.”
With an impatient expression and voice unlike his usual composed self, Seyard said:
“But it’s not enough to decline twice in a row when seduced by the woman I adore. So if you want to back out, now is the only chance.”
“Seyard……”
“Are you confident you won’t regret this?”
The answer was already decided.
Kisa silently nodded.
Seeing her firm indication of consent, Seyard didn’t delay any further.
Holding Kisa’s hand, he led her in the completely opposite direction from their original destination of the entrance.
Needless to say, it wasn’t the time for a leisurely stroll.
But when he grabbed the doorknob of a room after just a few steps, Kisa cautiously spoke up.
“Um, Seyard. This is……”
It was a room unfamiliar to Kisa. Even when he had given her a tour of the mansion a few days ago, he hadn’t specifically mentioned this room.
“Ah,” he exclaimed, resolving Kisa’s curiosity.
“It’s the guest room.”
“Guest room? In this location?”
Clearly, this place was quite far from the area where Duke Hillan’s guest rooms were located. After all, she was currently staying there herself.
“It’s a room prepared for visitors with mobility difficulties. We can’t assign rooms that require climbing stairs to such guests.”
“Ah, I see.”
Indeed, being on the first floor and close to the entrance, this room seemed convenient for coming and going.
That much she understood. But her question wasn’t completely answered yet.
Why had Seyard chosen this room now?
As if reading Kisa’s expression, Seyard bent down and whispered in his lover’s ear.
“This is the closest bedroom.”
It was a low, deep voice.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have the patience to go all the way to my bedroom or the room where you’re staying.”
It was an unexpected answer that made her body stiffen.
Until just a moment ago, his footsteps had been slightly hurried but didn’t give the impression of being that urgent.
Indeed, Seyard Hillan was a person who couldn’t be judged by appearances alone.
“It seems they haven’t locked the door since it’s the major cleaning week. Look. It’s quite neat.”
“…Y-yes, it is.”
Seeing Kisa hurriedly agree with his words while her ears and face turned as red as a radish, a deep smile appeared on Seyard’s lips.
“I should ask the staff to bring our meals to the room.”
The man said as he closed the door.
It seemed breakfast would be later than usual.
****
Count Theodore ruled a territory located northeast of the capital of the Sorbi Kingdom.
The territory was serene and beautiful, and had been peaceful without significant disturbance for decades.
One of the count’s pleasures was starting his day by tending to the flowering trees in his garden, which he personally cultivated as a hobby each morning.
But for the past few days, the count couldn’t fully enjoy that time.
It was because of one man.
“Hey, you.”
“……”
“Can’t you hear me?”
“……”
“Young Master Lowens!”
Only after hearing the loud voice did the man sitting on a stump at one corner of the garden turn around.
“What is it, Count?”
Despite being a freeloader, he glared insolently at his host.
‘Why did I ever let this bastard into my house!’
Count Theodore, with his eyes narrowed to slits, ground his teeth.
That cursed alcohol was to blame.
If he hadn’t been completely drunk, he wouldn’t have said unnecessary things to the young man who suddenly appeared one day, sweet-talking and catering to his whims, and he wouldn’t have been blackmailed because of it.
There’s no hiding it. The count was a collateral branch of the illustrious Hillan family and had been one of the relatives who most strongly opposed when the current Duke of Hillan, Seyard Hillan, inherited the family.
But that was ancient history.
After losing the legal battle against Seyard, Count Theodore chose to step back cleanly… no, reluctantly.
Naturally, regret remained, but he wasn’t stupid enough to cling to a fight with no chance of winning.
But that regret was the problem.
No matter how much he pondered it, the whereabouts of Seyard, who happened to be away from St. Pavela Monastery and in another region when the former duke, Vischer, died, seemed extremely suspicious.
Even now, months after the trial ended, the count secretly suspected that Seyard Hillan might have been the one who killed his own brother.
‘Still, I shouldn’t have told this bastard.’
Glancing sideways at Daniel Lowens, the count let out a heavy sigh.
This man had suddenly appeared here recently, demanding to be hidden.
From what he heard, Daniel had pretended to be resting quietly, then barely escaped the eyes of his watchers.
It seemed that the Marquis Lowens, concerned about friction with the Hillan family, had confined his son.
The marquis had probably noticed what his son was up to and taken measures.
But of all places, why did that sanatorium have to be adjacent to Count Theodore’s territory?
Because of that, Daniel Lowens, who had escaped almost naked, shamelessly came here.
Threatening that if the count didn’t hide him, he would immediately run to the capital and expose Seyard’s suspicions entangled with Vischer’s death to the press, while not hiding the fact that the count was the source of the information.
‘Madman, this madman!’
For the count, who had been trying to eliminate past grudges and establish an amicable relationship with Seyard, this was nothing but troublesome.
Whether unaware of these inner thoughts or just not caring, Daniel had been lurking around him for days, enticing the count.
To join forces and bring down Seyard.
It was truly absurd.
“Count!”
Just as the count was about to sigh again, the old butler came running from a distance.
“Count, a visitor has arrived!”
“What, a visitor?”
Having gotten into a difficult situation after receiving one wrong visitor, the count reacted sharply.
“What kind of visitor?”
“Well, that… it’s a monk I’ve never seen before.”
“A monk? Not some peddler disguised as a monk? Besides, why do you come to me every time someone you don’t know well visits? The butler should handle these things.”
Seeing the butler squirming, Daniel stepped in.
“What kind of monk is it?”
He seemed interested at the mention of a monk.
The butler hesitantly answered Daniel’s question.
“He says his name is Emil. He didn’t reveal the purpose of his visit, but says he has urgent matters to discuss with the count. Very important matters, he says.”
