Chapter 26

In the middle of the room, a table was piled with mouthwatering food. I slowly picked up some meat with my fork and ate it, glaring at Ian sitting next to me.

“You’re so annoying.”

“I know you’re lying.”

His leisurely smile only pissed me off more. In the end, I’d only managed to escape after Ian came inside me twice in the bathroom. And even that only ended because I’d screamed my head off about being hungry. If not for that, I’d probably still be clinging to Ian, getting rocked back and forth.

After we finished, Ian had meticulously washed my body. It was embarrassing, but I didn’t have the strength to resist, so I just stayed still—and he looked absolutely delighted. Of course, after we got out and I saw my neck covered in angry red and purple marks, I couldn’t help but be horrified.

‘He was incredible in the original game, but…’

Ian in reality seemed even worse. I wondered just how much of him I could actually handle. It was worrying.

“You’re thinking about something else again.”

Ian’s voice dropped sharply.

“No.”

“Thinking about that bastard again?”

Despite Ian’s fury, I’d completely forgotten about Angelo’s existence.

“He’s probably either running for his life or being dragged to prison right about now.”

“Angelo’s on the run?”

“They’ve been tracking him for kidnapping you.”

Ian went on to explain: While he’d been fighting monsters under the emperor’s orders, rumors had spread throughout the empire that Angelo had kidnapped me and fled.

Things became even more serious because he’d ignored the emperor’s order to kill the monsters and left with me; by now, he’d likely already been surrounded by the imperial knights.

‘So this is the end.’

I felt sorry for Angelo. It wasn’t that I felt sorry he’d been caught helping me escape. I didn’t feel guilty about that—not after what he’d done. This was just the consequence of his own bad choices.

‘I just pitied him for not being able to let go of a love that had already ended.’

I just pitied him for being faced with a bad outcome because he couldn’t let go of Elicia and made a strange choice. Then, curiosity suddenly hit me.

“How did you know I was there?”

Instead of answering, Ian ruffled the hair on the top of my head.

“Did you think I only put a tracking spell on the bracelet?”

Suddenly, I remembered how Ian had cast a tracking spell on the Red Dragon’s tongue when he caught it.

But something didn’t add up. Angelo and I had been together for over a month. How could someone with such exceptional magical skills not notice a tracking spell on the top of my head?

“Casting tracking spells on humans or monsters isn’t easy, and they’re hard for others to detect.”

“It was that difficult?”

“Yeah. But I pulled it off because I take after my mother.”

Without thinking, I looked at Ian’s hair. It was jet black, just like his mother’s.

“I’m better at tracking spells, but Angelo’s better at other magic. I waited for him to leave.”

“Ah…”

“It was ridiculous how he was looking for a house to live in with you, not even knowing his place.”

Ian’s hand wrapped around mine.

“I came late to give you time to miss me.”

“…”

“Did you think about me a lot during that time?”

Ian’s eyes were fixed on me, almost obsessively.

“I’ve also strengthened the barrier around the estate so he can never come again. You won’t be seeing him anymore.”

As I looked at Ian, I felt strange. I knew it wasn’t the case, but why did I keep…

“Do you like me?”

“Yeah.”

Ian affirmed it immediately without hesitation. In my head, I knew Ian liked me as a friend.

Of course, what we’d done together… if I thought about it coldly, wasn’t that something you could do even without being in love? But looking at Ian now, I couldn’t help thinking he liked me as more than a friend.

“Ellie, I know now that you like me too.”

“Right.”

Seeing how confidently he said that, I guess he really does just like me as a friend.

“If you like me, why did you leave with Angelo? That’s what I don’t understand.”

“Well, there were circumstances… Anyway, I’m sorry for leaving without saying anything.”

“I’ll let it slide this time.”

What a relief. If I treated Ian well for a while, we could go back to being close friends like before. Even though I was left weak from Ian’s so-called revenge, it wasn’t a bad situation for me either way. I was back at the ducal estate, and I’d been intimate with someone I liked, hadn’t I?

“I’m still furious when I think about it, but at least this incident made me realize my own feelings.”

“What?”

Thump-thump. My heart raced. It felt like Ian was saying he liked me as more than a friend. I’d been disappointed so many times before, yet somehow I was getting my hopes up again.

“It wasn’t until you actually left that I finally understood how Father felt.”

“Why are you suddenly bringing up your father?”

“Like how Father stopped Mother from socializing, worried she’d run off with some friend like you.”

I had a bad feeling about this. Could this be…?

“See? There’s no need to make friends. We only need each other. We’re in love, after all.”

It must be my imagination that the happy ending from the original game suddenly came to mind. I swallowed nervously and asked.

“Love?”

“Yes, we’re in love.”

“You mean you love me as a friend?”

I asked precisely to avoid jumping to conclusions again. Since we were so close, we’d even had sex, and he might think that built an even deeper friendship.

“Do I look stupid enough to sleep with a friend?”

Yes.

I couldn’t bring myself to share my honest thoughts.

“I won’t confuse you anymore.”

“So you really mean it? You love me romantically?”

“Yes, Ellie. I truly love you.”

My face flushed at the intensity in Ian’s voice.

***

“Hic, hngh, haa.”

I don’t know how much time has passed. Ian ravished me relentlessly, only pausing to sleep and eat.

Since returning to the estate, we hadn’t stepped foot outside the room. We barely wore clothes. It really hit me how much Ian had been holding back when we first reunited. His stamina was incredible, and he was rough. The more times he came inside me, the more varied the positions became.

“I love you.”

“Haa, ahhng.”

“You love me too, right?”

And he frequently confirmed that we were in love. If I didn’t express it clearly enough, he’d thrust into me even more roughly, so I tried my best to tell him as often as he needed to hear it.

That wasn’t all. The marks on my skin kept multiplying—reddish marks that only increased day by day, never fading. In retaliation, I bit his shoulder, but he actually enjoyed it. He even pressed his shoulder to my mouth, telling me I could bite him more. He seemed to want us to bear marks of each other.

In a way, I understood. Ian acted like he wasn’t, but he was anxious. Angelo still hadn’t been caught.

At the time I returned to the ducal estate with Ian, Angelo—who had been surrounded by the imperial palace knights—had already vanished without a trace and was still wanted. Maybe that’s why.

“Even if Angelo comes for you, you won’t go with him, right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Ian kept seeking reassurance from me. He only seemed at ease when I told him I wasn’t going anywhere. By now, I’d gotten used to bathing with Ian. After we washed up, he’d carry me and sit me on a chair at the table in the room. While we bathed, the servants had set out our meal. It had become our familiar routine.

He was affectionate when we were together. He’d cut my meat for me or even feed me. Like now.

Ian had definitely turned dark, just like he did in the original story. But being with him like this didn’t feel suffocating at all. It was completely different from when I was with Angelo.

“Actually, I only recently realized I liked you.”

“Why are you saying that out of nowhere while we’re eating?”

“Now that I think about it, it seems like you’ve liked me for a really long time.”

I take it back. Being with Ian suddenly became uncomfortable.

“Don’t think about that stuff.”

“Remember when I used to avoid you and you cried, pretending it was sweat?”

“It really was sweat. Please, just eat.”

“Actually, I didn’t avoid you because I disliked you. I just felt worthless to you, and it made me hate myself.”

“Okay, I get it. Stop now.”

“So maybe I already liked you back then too.”

Angelo had disappeared, ending his trip down memory lane, and now Ian had started reminiscing instead. Of course, I hadn’t actually liked Ian back then. I’d cried because I was pissed off that he kept avoiding me. But seeing Ian so happy about it, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth. If I argued back, I’d just end up with a sore back in bed.

After we finished eating, Ian downed his tea. It was different from the rooibos I drank. He had one cup a day of some light brown, nameless tea.

“What kind of tea is that?”

Whenever I asked out of curiosity, Ian would kiss me instead of answering. As if he didn’t want to tell me.

It wasn’t until two weeks after returning to the ducal estate that I gained a bit of freedom. Ian, as the head of the household, could no longer put off the work that had piled up. Thanks to that, my unintended days of being naked all the time also came to an end. Of course, he still finished his work as quickly as possible and would spend all his time holding me when he returned.

Unlike Ian, whose range of movement had expanded, I still stayed in my room all the time. I understood well enough that I had to remain in the mansion where the barrier was strong since Angelo hadn’t been caught yet. But I didn’t even go out into the hallway.

Partly because, unlike Ian, my stamina wasn’t great, so I mostly slept when I was alone. But more than anything…

‘Ian doesn’t like it.’

I remember Ian from the original game. After his corruption, he wanted Ethel, the female protagonist, to remain under his control. And when Ethel tried to escape, didn’t he shatter her ankle? So for the sake of my own ankle’s health, I had to wait patiently until his guard came down.

In fact, when he finished work and returned to the room, if I greeted him warmly, he would visibly brighten and pull me into his arms. Seeing him like that made even me feel good.

But after spending three whole weeks cooped up in the room just waiting for Ian, I realized something.

‘I get why Ethel ran away.’

I was starting to get bored. I was already stuck lounging around in the room, and Ian was the only person I had to talk to. I don’t know what kind of training Anna received, but even my personal maid avoided having personal conversations with me.

At some point, the situation had become such that if I had any inconveniences in my daily life, I would tell Ian instead of the maid. I communicated exclusively with Ian. Because of that, being confined to just the room felt even more suffocating.

“What are you thinking about?”

Ian asked as he fed me a piece of meat. When I was with him, Ian wanted me to focus solely on him. I knew that, but I couldn’t help mulling it over.

‘Shouldn’t I be allowed to leave the room by now?’

It had been over a month since we returned to the ducal estate, and I’d been perfectly well-behaved without causing any trouble. While it was true that Ian had become corrupted, it was still milder than in the original.

Even in bed, he didn’t push me to the point of passing out—if I seemed to be struggling, he’d slow down and show consideration. So if I voiced my discomfort, wouldn’t he listen to me? I should just ask confidently, but I kept finding myself reading Ian’s mood.

‘Still, I need to say something.’

I slowly opened my mouth.

“…….”

I opened my mouth confidently to ask for what I wanted, but I really only ‘opened my mouth.’ I was still watching Ian’s mood because of my guilt over running away.

“You seem to be thinking about something else. What is it?”

When I didn’t answer, Ian pressed persistently. He was probably still conscious of Angelo.

“I was thinking about you.”

“I’m right here, so there’s no need to……”

His lips twitched with pleasure. This was my chance. The mood wasn’t bad, and we weren’t in the middle of an intense physical conversation that would make it hard to speak.

“Ian, I’ve been thinking about something.”

“What is it?”

“I’m starting to feel a bit stifled.”

“About what?”

Ian rested his chin on his hand, focusing on me.

“I feel like I’ve been cooped up in this room too much lately. Of course, it’s not that I hated it! I chose to do it myself.”

I tried to speak confidently while watching Ian’s mood. Of course, 90% of it was true. Ian had never told me to stay locked up in the room. I’d just stayed in the room on my own because, having played the original game, I knew that running away in this situation would only put me in danger.

“So I was thinking, maybe I could at least walk around the main building?”

“I see.”

Ian’s fingers brushed my fingertips. He tapped my nails lightly and asked,

“But why did you suddenly start thinking that?”

“I’ve been living like this for over a month now. And strangely, the maids won’t talk to me.”

“Is there really a need to talk?”

Seeing him roll his eyes as he answered, it seemed Ian really was the one leading the effort to ostracize me.

“It’s fine now since you’re here, but when I’m alone, I get bored.”

“I see.”

Ian’s fingers slipped between mine, interlocking them.

“You must’ve forgotten, but I used to be someone who socialized with people quite a lot.”

After speaking threateningly, I realized my mistake too late.

Maybe it was because I thought Ian’s anger and wariness had mostly dissipated. Without realizing it, I spoke roughly, like I used to. Fortunately, Ian didn’t seem fazed and just chuckled it off.

“I’ll talk to the maids about it.”

Ian had realized it too. The fact that I wouldn’t run away again.

“As you know, since Angelo still hasn’t been caught, you can’t leave the mansion. But walking around the main building is fine, I suppose…”

I waited for his next words, putting on the kindest smile I could manage.

“Give me a kiss and I’ll think about it.”

“Just a kiss?”

“Honestly, that’s a little weak.”

As I wrapped my arms around Ian’s neck, the corners of his lips curled up. When our lips met, his strong arms tightened around my waist.

Our soft tongues tangled with wet, messy sounds. I was the one who started the kiss, but Ian’s tongue slipped between my teeth and thoroughly explored my mouth.

“Mmm…”

This time, Ian’s lips moved to my neck. He sucked so hard that I could tell, even without a mirror, that there was another red mark. He really loved leaving his marks on my body.

My body felt like it was floating. Ian lifted me into his arms and strode toward the bed. Just a month ago, this position would have embarrassed me to death, but now I was used to it. Of course, what would happen next was still embarrassing.

When my back sank into the soft bed, our lips met again. Ian’s hands stripped off my dress, and cool air brushed against my bare skin. His large, hot hand cupped one of my breasts. With his other hand, he began unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time. Maybe because he couldn’t undress as quickly as he wanted, Ian’s brow furrowed.

Actually, up until now, Ian had always torn off not just my dress but his own shirt too, showing just how desperate he was. After so many ruined clothes piled up, I’d warned him about it this morning. He’d pouted in complaint, but I guess he was taking my warning to heart after all.

I stifled a laugh and reached for Ian’s shirt. As I unbuttoned it from the bottom up, Ian pressed his lips to mine again.

“Mmm, ah…”

As Ian’s hand, which had been unbuttoning his shirt, rubbed between my legs, my thighs twitched. In the end, I was the one who ended up undressing Ian.

“Looks like you’re not quite done yet?”

As I wrapped my arms around Ian’s neck, he bit my earlobe and asked. I bit his shoulder before running my hand down his firm abs. When I pulled down both his pants and underwear together, his cock sprang free.

At the same time, Ian’s fingers slid inside me. As they moved gently back and forth, as if rewarding me, I felt a moan threatening to escape, but I bit my lower lip and tried to hold it back. It was just embarrassing. The way those purple eyes stared at me so intently, observing me at a moment like this.

Ian stroked my hair and added another finger inside. Up to this point, it was still bearable. Just up to this point.

“Ah, ngh, mm…”

As Ian’s hand moved faster, I finally couldn’t hold back and sounds escaped. Only then, looking satisfied, Ian briefly kissed my lips before pulling his fingers out from inside me.

The moment I felt disappointed, a pressure completely different from his fingers pressed in.

“Ngh…”

Ian slowly pushed himself inside me, letting out a languid sigh. Even though he’d been inside me every day, his size was still overwhelming, and I found myself holding my breath without realizing it. As if telling me to relax, Ian’s long fingers slowly traced down my waist. I breathed slowly, accepting him inside.

When I had taken him in about halfway.

“Ah!”

Ian raised his upper body and thrust all the way in. The intense pressure made me grip the bedsheets tightly. Ian lifted my legs up, let out a groan, and pulled his cock out almost completely before pushing it back in all at once, making my mouth fall open as a moan burst out.

“G-gently… ah, ngh.”

As his pace quickened, the pleasure began to envelop my body, stimulating my inner walls even more. The wet, squelching sounds from where we were joined echoed vividly. All I could do was grip the sheets tightly and accept the pleasure Ian was giving me.

He loved leaving marks on my body, and this time was no exception as he bit and sucked at my skin. The only difference from usual was that this time he was obsessively focused on leaving marks only on my ankles.

“Haah, Ellie…”

“Ahhh…!”

My legs, which had been pointing toward the ceiling, now folded toward my face. As my body folded nearly in half, Ian’s cock pushed even deeper inside me. Seeing my ankles flushed red in spots made me feel strange. It was as if invisible shackles had been locked around them.

Had he noticed my mind wandering for a moment?

“Mmnh, ah, ahh!”

Ian thrust into me so fast I couldn’t even breathe. The overwhelming pleasure made me claw at his arms as tears streamed down my face.

“S-stop, hah…”

Normally Ian would have slowed down, but this time he tensed his muscles as if ready to burst and thrust into me rapidly. He was expressing his displeasure with his body because I’d asked for even the slightest bit of freedom.

“Ahh, pleaase, ah…!”

“Yeah, I love you too.”

Ian twisted my plea to suit himself. His excited panting stopped along with his thrusts, and he came inside me, leaving his mark.

But I knew this wasn’t the end. I wrapped my legs around Ian’s waist and gave myself over to the pleasure as it started all over again.

When I opened my eyes, the large window was the first thing I saw. The deep, dark sky was gradually growing lighter.

‘When did I fall asleep?’

I remembered everything clearly up until Ian came for the third time. He’d been unusually rough, making me sob as my body trembled from the intense pleasure.

“Ugh, stop it, you bastard, ahhng!”

I remembered holding back my moans and cursing when the fourth round started… Of course, even when I cursed, I think Ian just told me he loved me.

“Ahhh…”

My throat was hoarse, and my nipples, which Ian had teased relentlessly, were so sensitive they stung just from brushing against the sheets. On top of that, maybe because of how roughly he’d used me yesterday, I could still feel him inside me.

When I pulled back the covers, I saw Ian’s arm wrapped around my waist. I tried to sit up, but the heavy weight I felt below made it difficult.

‘No way?’

I looked down with anxious eyes.

The heavy sensation wasn’t my imagination. Ian had fallen asleep with his cock still inside me. The traces of our lovemaking had dried white on my inner thighs.

Even soft, Ian’s cock had an overwhelming presence. It took quite a while to slowly move my hips to pull it out.

“Ngh…”

Because Ian’s cock scraped gently against my inner walls as it slid out, and the remnants of our sex trickled between my legs, I had to bite my lip hard to hold back my moans.

‘Almost there!’

I had reached the peak. Just as I let out a small sigh and was about to pull out the glans—

“Aah!”

Without warning, Ian’s cock plunged deep inside me. His strong arm wrapped around my shoulders from behind, holding me in place so I couldn’t escape, and I was forced to feel his cock swelling inside me. The fluids pooled inside acted as lubricant, allowing Ian’s cock to slide in and out with ease.

Ian’s cock thrust roughly into me, his lips sucked on my shoulder blade, and his fingers rubbed my clit. The overwhelming pleasure made my toes curl.

“Ah… To think you’d want me first thing in the morning.”

“Ngh, no, haa, I was, nnh, trying to pull out…”

“You wanted me, didn’t you? Surely you weren’t trying to run away.”

He slowed his pace, stirring inside me with a slow, grinding roll of his hips as he asked. Ian definitely knew I’d been trying to pull out. Yet he pretended otherwise while moving his hips, which was infuriating, but arguing about it would only make things harder for me.

“Ah, hng, no, haa, haah.”

“I knew it.”

In an instant, my view shifted from the window to the ceiling as Ian got on top of me.

“I prefer facing each other.”

I agreed with Ian’s sentiment, but I didn’t have the strength to respond. All I could do was let out excited moans beneath him, tingling with sensation.

***

I was forced to stay in bed the entire time, having been thoroughly ravaged by pleasure until the sun reached its zenith. Meanwhile, Ian, who had exerted himself even more than I had, left for his office perfectly fine. He only told me I was free to move around the mansion now.

‘As if he left me with any energy to move around.’

All I could do was lie there and curse Ian.

Still, thanks to Ian telling the servants, I was able to have a personal chat with Anna for the first time in ages while she tidied my room. Who knew human interaction could be this precious? We didn’t talk about much, but I was so happy I nearly cried.

However, that joy was extremely short-lived.

“Not a single letter really came?”

“No, unfortunately…”

“Ian told you to lie, didn’t he?”

“Oh no, he didn’t.”

…I was having a reality check about my relationships again.

“I guess we weren’t close enough for them to even ask how I’m doing.”

Even though news had spread throughout the empire that the kidnapped Duchess Bellocchio had returned, no one had contacted me. I knew full well that Angelo and Ethel couldn’t send letters since they’d disappeared. But the fact that I hadn’t heard from my own sister or Celine was genuinely shocking.

Naturally, I suspected Ian had intercepted the letters, so I discreetly asked Anna, but apparently not…

“Are you sure not even a single letter came from my sister?”

I asked again, unable to believe it.

“She’s probably just busy with wedding preparations.”

Not even from my own flesh and blood… It’s been over a month since I returned, and she doesn’t have time to send me a letter because she’s busy with wedding preparations?

I was skeptical, but I decided not to doubt it any further. Besides, Anna had been serving me since before I married Ian. If she said so, I had no choice but to accept it.

After all, my sister had been engaged to Massimo for over two years now, so it wouldn’t be strange for her to start preparing for the wedding.

‘But I didn’t get a letter from Celine either?’

Not to toot my own horn a bit, but I even saved her life, and she can’t even ask how I’m doing?

And since I’d become a duchess, I’d expected some random nobles to contact me under the pretense of concern, trying to build connections. But what’s with this situation?

Just to be sure, I called over Elena, another maid, and asked her. Elena and I had maintained a close bond after helping each other deal with our respective fathers. She was the most trustworthy maid after Anna.

“Have any letters come for me?”

“No, there haven’t been any.”

“…I see.”

In the end, I had no choice but to accept it.

“How am I any different from Ian?”

I was in no position to criticize Ian for not having friends. I didn’t have any either.

“I don’t reach out either.”

Muttering complaints to myself, I got out of bed once my strength had returned. I left my room and trudged to Ian’s office.

Actually, I’d never once visited his office since he became duke. That made sense—hadn’t I been cooped up in my room lately? Plus, before we returned to the ducal estate, I was too busy and confused with preparing for divorce and escape. And because Ian was avoiding me, I was afraid of getting hurt, so I never went.

‘He used to act like even touching me was a burden.’

Now loving me isn’t enough—he acts like something terrible will happen if we’re not pressed against each other every single day. Hasn’t he changed too much?

I flung open the office door without even knocking.

“What the—what’s going on?”

Ian, who had been glaring murderously at the intruder who’d barged in without warning, broke into a bright smile when he saw it was me.

I stepped inside and looked around the office. The interior layout was much the same as before. The only difference was that where a portrait of Ian’s parents had once hung on one wall, now hung a portrait of the two of us.

“Are you busy?”

“No. Did you miss me?”

“Just bored.”

“I’m glad you came.”

He strode over and pulled me into his arms. Even though we’d been pressed together until this morning, he couldn’t hide how happy he was to see me.

“I have something on my mind.”

“What is it?”

He asked as he tucked my hair behind my ear.

“It’s been over a month since I came back—why haven’t I received a single letter?”

The hand stroking my hair paused for a moment.

“That’s been bothering you?”

“Of course.”

“See? I told you all that socializing was pointless.”

Ian looked absolutely delighted.

“Do you think there might be a problem with the mail delivery?”

“That can’t be it. I have time for a quick walk together—want to go out?”

Ian quickly changed the subject, grabbing my shoulders from behind and walking toward the door. I brushed his hands off, making it clear I didn’t want to go.

“I don’t have that kind of stamina.”

“True, you do have weak stamina.”

“You’re just abnormally strong.”

“Now that I think about it, I need to build up your stamina. You get tired so quickly in bed.”

“That’s because of you!”

Ian’s lips pressed against mine, cutting off the rest of my words.

“Want to have a snack in the dining room?”

“…We’re eating dinner in a little while.”

“Then should we go to the bedroom?”

“I want to watch you work.”

I knew what would happen. If I went to the bedroom with Ian now, the same thing that happened last night and this morning would happen again. Besides, since it had been a while since I’d been out of the room, I wanted to enjoy being outside a little longer.

But something was off. I’d said I’d keep him company, yet Ian didn’t look particularly happy about it. In fact, he looked troubled.

“Why, what were you working on?”

“Just working.”

“I’ll watch from the side, so keep working. You’re busy, aren’t you?”

“No matter how busy I am, I can always spend time with you.”

To say something so cheesy in everyday life instead of in bed… I was struck by how much Ian had grown. Still, I didn’t want to steal time from a busy Ian. More importantly, there was something I needed to confirm.

“I’ll just watch from the side. Work.”

“I need some time to clear my head, too—”

“Just work.”

When I pointed firmly at Ian’s table, he let out a small sigh. Watching him, I was certain. Ian was definitely scheming something behind my back. As I turned toward the table, Ian quickly returned to his seat. Then he hurriedly organized the papers on the table.

“Wait.”

“Hm?”

“There’s something I want to check.”

“It’s fine. It’ll just give you a headache if you look.”

When I approached Ian, he hid the stack of papers he was holding behind his back and took a step backward. Because of that, the distance between us didn’t close. Seeing that, I was certain—those papers were something I wasn’t supposed to see.

If this were the old Ian, sneaking away like that would have been perfectly natural. But the current Ian was different. He was the type who would happily rush forward ten steps to pull me into his arms if I took just one step toward him.

“You’re getting a little too close.”

Before I knew it, Ian’s back was against the bookshelf, and his eyes wavered. I walked even faster, closing the distance, and reached for the stack of papers in his hand.

“Shoot, missed it.”

But Ian was faster. When he raised his hand high, I couldn’t reach the papers no matter how hard I jumped.

“It’s all boring stuff anyway. Nothing to worry about.”

“Still, I can look at it, can’t I?”

“How about looking at my face instead of these papers?”

Seeing him suddenly try to charm me with his looks confirmed my suspicion—he was definitely hiding something. I’d been suspicious from the moment I entered his office. When I’d barged in, Ian had greeted me warmly while quickly shuffling those papers together.

“I’ll check out those papers first, then look at your face.”

“Can’t you look at my face first?”

I stared up at Ian’s face. He was trying to act casual, but both his cheeks were flushed red.

‘Wonder if this’ll work again.’

My hand, which had been reaching for the papers, moved to Ian’s face instead. When I cupped both his cheeks, he looked flustered. But his right arm holding the papers remained raised high.

“I want to kiss you.”

I stood on my tiptoes, but given our massive height difference, I couldn’t reach him unless he bent down.

“That looks difficult.”

His upper body lowered just a little.

“I still want to.”

“I was trying to hold back in my office.”

Ian couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling up as he lowered his head. As our lips crashed together roughly, I instinctively closed my eyes.

With the fluttering sound of papers falling to the floor, Ian’s hand wrapped around the back of my neck. I sucked on Ian’s sweet tongue, eagerly tangling our tongues together. Then I realized, belatedly.

‘Right. I was trying to check what was written on those papers.’

I hit Ian’s shoulder and chest, but his lips, still locked onto mine, wouldn’t let go.

“Mmph—Ia—”

When I couldn’t take it anymore and pinched his shoulder, thankfully his lips finally pulled away. Instead, they landed on my neck. Ian playfully bit me with his teeth as he grew harder.

“Back then, whenever I touched you, my heart would race so fast I thought I might die, so I avoided you.”

I remembered. Back when he’d flinch and push me away at even the slightest touch.

“That’s why you wondered if I had some kind of contagious disease.”

“Sorry. I really thought something terrible was going to happen back then.”

I tried to push away Ian as he kissed my neck, cheeks, and earlobes, but it felt too good to resist. I could feel myself getting wet as Ian pressed against my stomach. Maybe I’m becoming more like Ian, giving in to my desires too.

“Ellie, won’t you look at me?”

Ian’s voice was quite desperate, but I couldn’t grant his request. Given the current mood, if I turned my head toward Ian, my lips would definitely end up swollen. I stubbornly kept looking to the side before lowering my gaze. On the floor, the bundles of papers Ian had dropped were spread out widely.

‘I want to check what’s written on those papers…’

Before I knew it, Ian’s lips had traveled down to my collarbone. Now it felt like heat was rising not just in my face but throughout my body. I wanted to check the contents of the papers, but my attention kept drifting to wherever Ian’s lips touched.

“Hng, Ian, wait a second.”

At my desperate plea, his lips finally left my skin. Thanks to that, I could focus on the papers.

“Then look at me.”

Of course, I immediately felt Ian’s breath against my ear.

“Seriously, just a second. I need to check something.”

Maybe it was because my voice suddenly became firm. Ian’s arms, which seemed like they’d never let go, released me and I was free. I bent down to pick up the unknown papers.

“W-wait.”

Only then realizing his mistake, Ian hurriedly started gathering the papers. But this time, I was faster.

“What’s this?”

I picked up two sheets and fluttered them in front of Ian as I asked.

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

“How can I not worry?”

Flustered, Ian tried to snatch the papers from my hand, and I hid them behind my back while glaring at him.

“Don’t touch them.”

“The thing is…”

“Quiet.”

Unable to approach any further, Ian could only watch me nervously as I ignored him and checked the words densely written on the papers.

The first sheet was a letter my sister had written to me. The letter, which filled a whole page, was full of worry for me.

The other sheet was an unfinished letter Ian had been writing. It said, “I’m doing well and getting plenty of rest, so don’t worry.”

“What is this?”

“A letter.”

“It’s for me.”

“That’s right.”

“Oh, so you knew?”

Ian nodded as if it were obvious, which only made me angrier.

“And you sent a reply without even telling me?”

“You needed to rest, and what’s yours is mine too, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

Ian hurriedly cut me off.

“And what’s mine is yours. We’re married.”

“Hmm…”

I calmed down a bit. By Ian’s logic, I came out way ahead. After all, the Bellocchio family’s wealth rivaled the imperial palace. Noticing I’d calmed down, he smiled prettily with the corners of his lips turned up. But soon his expression became troubled.

“But letters are a different matter, aren’t they?”

“Huh?”

“It’s a letter my sister sent to me. Don’t tell me you’ve been intercepting other letters too?”

It had been strange. I wasn’t like Ian, treating others as if they didn’t exist. My social circle might be small, but I’d maintained fairly good relationships with people—not receiving a single letter was absurd.

“Hurry up and tell me.”

Maybe because he knew nothing he said would get through to me. Ian finally came clean. He said that as soon as word got out that I’d disappeared, my sister came to the ducal estate. Celine had also sent a letter saying to contact her anytime if he needed help finding me.

After I returned to the ducal estate, both my sister and Celine had sent multiple letters asking after me, but Ian had replied on my behalf, saying I was doing well.

“Why would you send letters for me? Without even telling me.”

It was an utterly incomprehensible action. To secretly reply to letters while even hiding the fact that they’d arrived in the first place. Was it hereditary after all? Ian was doing exactly what his father had done—the very behavior he despised so much.

“No touching me until you explain.”

Perhaps because I was being so firm about it, Ian ran his hand through his hair with a complicated expression before slowly opening his mouth.

“The truth is, there was a trap in the letters.”

“A trap?”

“There were letters impersonating the Marquis of Evra and Celine.”

I listened carefully to Ian’s explanation. He said that as soon as I returned to the ducal estate, two letters arrived as if they’d been waiting for that moment. The letters were supposedly from my sister and Celine, and the handwriting matched theirs, but the more he read the contents, the more suspicious he became.

“Both of them were inviting you to their estates. That’s where I found it strange.”

“Why on earth?”

“You’d been away from the ducal estate for so long—they would’ve known you’d be in rough shape when you got back. But instead of coming to see you, they insisted on inviting you over.”

“That could just be how they are. Besides, my sister is family. Her house is also the house where I lived as a child.”

Though of course, it was the real Elicia who’d lived there, not me.

What’s more, Ian said the letters inviting me kept coming every two or three days, almost as if they were urging me to leave the ducal estate’s powerful barrier. Letters saying they’d come visit me arrived occasionally too, but Ian was wary of those as well, thinking they might be another of Angelo’s traps.

“You hid my letters just because of that?”

“I had no choice but to be suspicious. Angelo still hasn’t been caught.”

“…So you’re saying Angelo impersonated my sister and Miss Celine to send those?”

“It’s highly likely. Right now, the barrier around this place is at maximum strength. The moment you step one foot outside the gate, Angelo could approach you again.”

Ian let out a deep sigh, saying there had been evidence of someone attempting to infiltrate the ducal estate through teleportation.

“Fine. Let’s say Angelo sent fake letters. If you were suspicious, you could’ve just written back to my sister and Celine to ask. To confirm whether they really invited me to the estate.”

“Of course I asked. Strangely enough, the letters containing questions about whether they actually wanted to meet you never got replies.”

Ian said that not only did his follow-up letters asking if they really wanted to meet me go missing, but even his replies—where he told them I was doing well—were frequently lost. He added that my sister had even sent another letter once, saying she was writing again since there’d been no response for so long, checking on my well-being once more.

“That’s why I couldn’t send your letters either.”

Ian pulled several letter envelopes from the drawer and showed them to me. They were the letters I’d written to my sister and Celine after returning to the ducal estate, which he hadn’t sent.

Hearing it all laid out like this, Ian’s actions did make some sense. If it was true that Ian’s letters had been frequently going missing, then any letters I sent would definitely end up in the wrong hands.

Still, there was something else that bothered me.

“The letter I just read didn’t say anything about inviting me or coming to visit.”

It was just a letter asking how I was doing. Yet Ian had still hidden the fact that a letter had even arrived, which irritated me.

“You never know. They could be working with Angelo, or maybe they’re being blackmailed by him and have no choice but to try to contact you.”

“You…”

I was about to tell him to have a little faith in people, but I shut my mouth. He’d already been burned by Angelo once, which had made him even more guarded.

“I’m not the only one who thought that way. If I’d been hiding it all on my own, you would’ve caught on right away.”

Come to think of it, Anna and Elena had said that not a single letter had arrived for me. They’d lied to me too.

Most of the mansion’s servants had known about the letters arriving but pretended not to in front of me. They’d been keeping the whole letter situation secret out of concern for me, or so they claimed.

“You should’ve just told me the truth. Hiding the fact that letters even came at all is too much.”

“I didn’t want you to start worrying about Angelo again. I hated the thought of that.”

Ian was still anxious, even now.

“Ian, let me say this properly while I have the chance.”

Wanting to put his mind at ease, I spoke from the heart.

“Just think of me back then as if I was temporarily possessed by an evil spirit.”

It had been a time when I’d been desperate, thinking I might die if I didn’t escape from Ian.

“Now, even if Angelo tried to contact me, I’d never leave.”

“Even if it’s not Angelo, if anyone else approaches you, you must not leave me.”

“Okay. I promise.”

“Yeah. Alright. I’ll try to trust you more too.”

Ian took my hand and smiled gently. I felt at ease. I’d given Ian my own kind of reassurance, and it was true that unlike him, I maintained amicable relationships with others. Now that I knew the secret, Ian wouldn’t be able to hide letters from me anymore.

“You have to show me all the letters that have come so far.”

“Alright. Later.”

Ian answered while pulling me into a tight embrace from behind. I was smiling as I read a letter from my sister, who was worried about my condition, when something hard pressed against my back.

‘Don’t tell me that thing from earlier is still…?’

Anxiously, I turned my head to check. My suspicion was correct. When had he even pulled his pants down? I quietly swallowed as I looked at his cock, its dark red veins prominent.

“I was trying to hold back, but then you kissed me.”

In the end, I was laid down on the table before I could finish reading the letter. Had he forgotten our promise not to tear my clothes, no matter how urgent things got? A ripping sound—riiip—came from around my waist as fabric tore. The moment my lower half was exposed, my legs were spread wide.

“Hah…”

Ian kneaded my thighs while rubbing his cock beneath me. The sensation made my lower body tense up.

Was it because the location had changed? It felt especially embarrassing. Plus, with our portrait hanging right beside us, I couldn’t even turn my head away. It was as mortifying as looking in a mirror.

“Do you know what the first thing I did was after I became duke and our portrait was hung here?”

“What…? Ngh, why are you asking that now…?”

My lower body was already getting wet, wanting his cock inside me, but he asked such an unexpected question.

“I masturbated while looking at your portrait.”

“What?”

“I avoided you because I felt like I’d die if I touched you, so I would come here and do it every day.”

Now that I thought about it, after becoming duke, Ian would recoil from me whenever we touched, then rush out of the room. I’d thought he was being overdramatic and making it obvious how much he disliked me, but apparently he was just in a hurry to take care of his situation.

“Before that, I had to force myself to hold back until you fell asleep.”

“Hold back what?”

“I masturbated while looking at your sleeping face.”

“Since when…?”

“Since you asked if I could make an heir with you.”

“Are you insane?”

I tried to kick him in betrayal, but Ian quickly grabbed my ankle, thwarting my attempt.

After I’d shouted about whether we could make an heir, he’d started acting uncomfortable about touching me. He’d push me away and shake me off at the slightest contact, which had hurt my feelings—but all that time, the bastard had been doing that while I slept…

“You crazy—ngh!”

Ian’s cock plunged all the way inside in one thrust, cutting off my words.

“Being with you really is the best, but…”

“Ahh…”

The feeling of him grinding against my inner walls sent tingles from my head to my toes. When Ian slowly caressed my belly, my stomach tensed involuntarily. It made the pressure below even more intense.

“Fuck, feels like you’re gonna snap my cock off.”

Even as he said something outrageous, Ian looked pleased. I wanted to relax, but it was difficult with him constantly caressing my belly.

“You know what? When my cock’s inside you, you can see it right here.”

I looked down at my stomach. Just as Ian said, the part where his cock was buried bulged out. As if to give me a better view, Ian slowly pulled his cock back before plunging deep inside again. I stared blankly as my belly flattened and swelled with his movements.

“I wish it was only me inside you. We don’t need an heir or anything like that.”

“No, but, ah, ngh, hah…”

“Only I should be inside you.”

Ian pressed down on my belly as he began thrusting rapidly. The overwhelming pressure made me gasp involuntarily.

“Ngh, your hand, haa, haaand… Hngh.”

I wanted to tell him to move his hand, but it was like I’d forgotten how to speak. Between the pressure and the intensifying pleasure, I could barely breathe.

When Ian pressed his upper body against mine, the pressure intensified even more. He breathed air into my mouth. I wrapped my arms around Ian’s shoulders and felt every bit of the orgasm he gave me. I ended up unable to leave Ian’s office for much longer than I’d expected.

***

After that long conversation with Ian about the letter incident, the letters from my sister and Celine safely reached my hands. Though the envelopes had been opened, I only received letters from them worrying about my health, as usual, but I didn’t mind. It must have been Ian’s intention to keep me from getting involved with Angelo. Of course, I felt the same way.

Because they knew about this, my sister and Celine told me not to worry about replying and just to stay healthy. My sister even said she’d postpone her wedding until I could go out without worrying.

‘Now I feel bad for no reason.’

I resolved to use Ian’s money to buy my sister an expensive wedding gift.

At this point… there was one more thing bothering me.

‘Why am I not getting pregnant?’

Of course, I wasn’t desperate for a child right now either. But not getting pregnant was strange.

“You used to worry about my heir, didn’t you, Ellie?”

“Mmph…!”

“Soon, you’ll have our child growing inside you.”

Ian, who had come to find me after I’d run away, said that as he came inside me. And after that, too, on days I wasn’t on my period, he always finished inside me. Sometimes he even seemed disappointed when it leaked back out. We’d repeated this dozens of times, yet I hadn’t gotten pregnant—it was absurd.

“I wish it could just be me inside you. I don’t need an heir.”

Of course, when we did it in his office recently, Ian had said something like that, but haven’t we been having sex with a very high chance of pregnancy all this time?

Whose body was the problem, exactly?

“Thinking about something else again?”

Ian glared at me as he downed his tea. It was some nameless tea he’d taken to drinking ever since I returned to the ducal estate. I was curious what it even tasted like and tried to steal a sip, but he stubbornly ignored my request and drank it all himself.

“Are you wondering what kind of tea it is?”

“It’s for us.”

Once again, Ian didn’t give me a proper answer. Today, his secretiveness was particularly annoying. Maybe that’s why a sharp edge crept into my voice without me realizing it.

“I think we should have a physician examine us.”

“Are you feeling sick?”

I felt a little guilty seeing Ian look at me with such concern, but I still needed to say what was on my mind.

“We’ve been doing it for two months now and I’m still not pregnant.”

“What have we been doing?”

The way he deliberately curled his lips into a smile as he asked grated on me.

“What do you think? What we were doing just a moment ago!”

“Hmm…”

He set down his teacup and looked at me with his arms crossed. The cup was completely empty, not a single drop of tea remaining. Just how good for him was that tea that Ian drank it so religiously every day without fail? Maybe the secret to his inexhaustible stamina in bed lay in that tea.

“Ellie, are you only being intimate with me to have a child?”

“That’s not it, but…”

“I have no interest in having a child. It was simply to confirm our love.”

‘For just confirming love, isn’t he a bit too persistent about it?’

The thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t voice it out loud.

“But you always… let it out inside me…”

“Let what out?”

Ian rested his chin on his hand with an intrigued expression. He definitely knew. He knew I was too embarrassed to say it outright and had just called it “that.”

“…A-anyway, the fact that we’ve done it so much and still haven’t had a child means there must be a health problem.”

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with our health.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“This tea I drink every day prevents pregnancy.”

He rubbed the smooth surface of the teacup as he spoke.

“We’ll have a child as late as possible.”

“Good grief…”

Listening to Ian’s resolute voice, I was certain. He loved being intimate with me. Since we couldn’t have sex during pregnancy, he was definitely putting it off as long as possible. It made sense—these days, Ian would get hard and move toward me from the slightest touch.

“Right before Father left, he finally gave me some halfway decent fatherly advice.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that once you have a child, your attention toward me might diminish. So he told me to have children as late as possible.”

“That’s what he called advice?”

“He said his biggest regret in married life was letting Mother get pregnant with me.”

Ian casually uttered words that should have wounded him deeply.

“Ian, don’t be too hurt. Your father…”

“Of course, I understand what he meant.”

I tried to comfort him by saying his father wasn’t normal when it came to married life. But he agreed with what his father said. I couldn’t understand it.

“After Mother became pregnant with me, she poured her attention into me. Father said they fought over that, and eventually Mother left.”

“That’s not your fault. Your father, he’s…!”

How could I say it? That he was a madman whose obsession had twisted into jealousy toward his own son?

Besides, Adria hadn’t left because she was exhausted from fighting with a husband who couldn’t hide his jealousy of their son. She’d left because of the suffocating control he’d exerted throughout their marriage. I let out a small sigh and tried to change the subject.

“It’s fine for now, but if we keep going without having a child, people will start questioning our relationship.”

“Forget what other people think. Pay attention to me.”

I must be pretty crazy myself. Because every time I saw Ian begging for my attention like this, it made me feel good. But no. I had to be the one to keep my head on straight.

“Anyway, we’ll have to have a child eventually.”

“You’re right. I’ve already decided when that’ll be.”

“And when’s that?”

“When I’m confident you’ll give me more attention than the child. Or where you’ll try to leave me. Though of course, the latter must never happen.”

He said it with a playful smile, but I knew he meant every word. Ian really was a special kind of crazy.

“We should spend as much time together as we can before we have a child.”

Ian had somehow moved closer and lifted me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. It seemed we were past the point where I could persuade or soothe him with words. For now, I decided to comfort Ian, who was inwardly trembling like a puppy with separation anxiety, and let myself rest in his arms.

***

A month had passed before I knew it. Ian seemed to be in a good mood lately. Part of it was because we’d been getting along without conflict, but there was a bigger reason.

“I haven’t gotten any impersonation letters these days.”

It had been over two weeks since I’d received any of those unsettling letters. Moreover, there hadn’t even been a trace of anyone trying to break into the estate.

Just in case, a few days ago I’d worked up the courage to send letters to my sister and Celine for the first time in ages. They were nothing special—just notes saying I was healthy and doing very well—but I’d worried Angelo might intercept them. Fortunately, contrary to my concerns, both letters reached their intended recipients.

Of course, I was suspicious at first. What if Angelo had intercepted my letters and impersonated them in his replies? But thankfully, my sister and Celine must have anticipated my doubts, because they each included their own personal touches.

Celine enclosed a flower from the Liveri estate’s garden, while my sister drew a picture on the back of her letter. The same picture I’d seen when I visited the Evra estate to see her that one time. I could tell it was really from her by how earnestly yet clumsily it was drawn.

“Do you think Angelo’s given up?”

“I doubt he’d give up that easily……”

Ian remained on high alert, as if his arm were tightly wrapped around my waist. I still couldn’t leave the estate, but I had no complaints.

‘This might be Angelo’s trap.’

His lingering attachment to her was so strong, he created a new Elicia. He even mistook her for the real Elicia I had loved so much. Someone like that wouldn’t back down easily. He might be waiting for the moment my guard dropped and I went outside.

He even possessed magical abilities powerful enough to turn back time. Because of that, I had to build my strength to be ready for any danger.

“Fuck.”

“Excellent. You’re full of energy today, my lady. Let’s do twenty more swings.”

As soon as Ian’s father left the estate, I had no choice but to resume the swordsmanship lessons I’d quit. Since I had no magical power and couldn’t use magic, this was the best way to stand against Angelo.

My reason was to prepare for an encounter with Angelo, but Ian agreed to help improve my stamina. He said I got tired too quickly whenever we were close. He also muttered something about how, since he’d always be by my side, there wouldn’t be any situation where I’d have to face someone alone, or something like that.

When I said I wanted to resume swordsmanship lessons, Aaron—my current instructor and a knight of House Bellocchio—was very pleased. Seeing his reaction only made me feel worse.

“Even if I swing a sword, won’t I just lose the moment Angelo launches a magical attack?”

The increasingly intense daily training made me speak more sharply.

“He won’t be able to attack you anyway, my lady. And His Grace will protect you, so your life won’t be in danger. But in a truly critical moment, a sword could prove useful.”

“…….”

“So let’s keep practicing.”

I hated how Aaron never gave me a break.

And a new bracelet became a daily accessory on my wrist. It had a design similar to the one I’d thrown away when I escaped from Ian last time. Ian fastened the bracelet around my wrist himself, smiling brightly.

Does this one have tracking magic on it too? As soon as I received the gift, I rubbed the purple gem on the bracelet and looked at Ian suspiciously. Ian kindly explained.

“I put a top-grade magic stone in that gem.”

“Why?”

“In an emergency, a sword will appear for you.”

He said the magic stone would monitor my condition while I wore the bracelet. He added that when I felt I was in danger, it would put a sword in my hand.

However, because it used such complex magic, the top-grade magic stone would need to be replaced every two months. It was an item with far more impressive magic than I’d expected.

“Wow, that’s really amazing. There’s no tracking magic, right?”

“…This bracelet will protect you. So you must always wear it.”

Though Ian dodged my question, given the situation, I decided to just let it go.

A week passed.

“Angelo’s been caught?”

Ian gave a small nod and handed me a letter. The letter, made of luxurious paper, said that Angelo had been captured in a village near the capital and was now imprisoned in the imperial palace dungeon. Could this be another setup? I couldn’t shake my doubts, but the imperial crest stamped in the corner was unmistakably real.

His trial would be held in two months, and until then, he would remain in prison.

‘With the Leglorie family’s status, they could have pushed for a faster trial.’

Prison life was harsh—not just for nobles, but even for slaves who’d grown up suffering. That’s why nobles would use their money and connections to move up trial dates if their family members ended up in the imperial dungeons.

But Angelo’s trial hadn’t been moved up. That meant the House of Leglorie had completely abandoned him.

Was it because I’d reported that Angelo’s magical abilities were far greater than expected? He was confined with magic-restraining devices on his arms and neck, and fortunately, he wasn’t resisting. The letter noted that he just sat in a corner, staring blankly at the wall.

‘That’s some intense love.’

Having lost his goal, Angelo seemed to have given up on everything. Lucky for me, though it didn’t exactly bring me relief. I worried he might be a fake Angelo given his exceptional magical skills, but the latter part of the letter stated they’d confirmed through extensive testing that he was indeed the real Angelo.

“It’s good that bastard’s been caught, but there’s a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Now that Angelo’s been caught, they said it would be good if we attended the dance party.”

The Founding Festival was coming up. Ian and I had declared we wouldn’t attend, afraid that going out might trigger some incident involving Angelo. But now that the troublesome Angelo had been caught, the Emperor had issued a command for us to at least attend the dance party.

The Imperial Palace had also been secured with protective barriers to guard against attacks, and the second page stated that since this was the first Founding Festival since we became Duke and Duchess, they really hoped we would participate.

“Now that Angelo’s been caught, I guess we can go.”

“I don’t want to.”

“What can we do? We have to go.”

It was the Emperor’s command. We couldn’t refuse.

I’d gotten so used to staying at the estate that it didn’t feel all that stifling anymore. The main building itself was enormous, and whenever I felt cooped up from being indoors too much, I could just walk around the garden. Recently, I’d started sword lessons, which expanded my range of movement to include the garden, so life wasn’t particularly inconvenient.

But maybe it was because I’d just heard we could finally go out freely again. I wanted to go outside as soon as possible. Even though I didn’t have many close friends, I wanted to meet other people and have conversations after so long.

“…You’re making it way too obvious how happy you are about this.”

Unlike me, Ian made it abundantly clear he wasn’t happy about this situation.

“Whatever. It’ll be nice to see people again after so long.”

“I thought everything would be over once Angelo was caught.”

Ian’s long fingers slid between mine, interlacing them. As I lowered my gaze to look at our joined hands, Ian caught my chin and tilted it up so I had to look at him instead.

“I’m not particularly happy about this.”

“Don’t forget how your parents ended up living apart.”

Ian shot me a sidelong glare, clearly displeased with my response. Of course, I didn’t want to bring it up like this, but I had no choice.

After all, Ian resembled his father far too much. If I wasn’t careful, he’d end up following the exact same path. So whenever he seemed about to cross the line, I deliberately brought up his parents to rein him in.

“Honestly, I’m uneasy about how easily Angelo was caught.”

“I was suspicious too, but the Imperial family thoroughly verified he wasn’t a fake, didn’t they?”

“Sure, they say that, but…”

“No more doubting. Even if you try to stop me, I’m going to that dance party, with or without you.”

“I have no choice. Just in case something happens, you need to stay right by my side.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

When I answered confidently, Ian let out a helpless chuckle and moved closer to me. I closed my eyes, now used to this situation.

“No.”

As soon as I entered the room and Ian lunged toward me, I blocked his lips with both hands and said firmly, “No.”

“Why?”

“Why? You really don’t know?”

Ian blinked slowly at me, feigning complete innocence, and I found his act utterly shameless.

The dance party was now only three days away, which meant that for the first time in ages, I’d be leaving the estate and breathing the outside world’s air.

What’s more, the public believed I’d been kidnapped by Angelo and was now resting at the Duke’s residence. Since this would be my first appearance in high society after so long, countless eyes would be on me…

“How am I supposed to go out looking like this?”

“Why? You look beautiful.”

“Only to you!”

I turned my back to Ian and sighed softly at my reflection in the mirror. My neck, collarbone, arms, and even the top of my chest were covered in reddish marks. If there were only one or two splotchy marks, I could’ve covered them with makeup or blamed bug bites.

“Who would believe I’m just resting, looking like this…”

Anyone would easily figure out that Ian and I, both in perfectly healthy condition, had been going at it intensely. That’s why I’d planned not to do this or that with Ian until the dance party. It was obvious that once we got physical, Ian would bite and suck on my neck and shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaving marks everywhere.

If we stopped now, most of the marks would fade by the day of the dance party, and any faint traces could be covered with makeup.

“That’s not a problem.”

Ian, standing behind me, wrapped his arms around my shoulders as he spoke.

“You can just wear a dress that covers your shoulders like this.”

“That’s not going to work.”

“That would be even better. Let’s go all the way and wear masks too. So no one can see you.”

“…….”

Having lost the will to argue, I shook my head from side to side instead of answering.

“Why? I’m anxious about other people looking at you.”

“You seem worried that other men might approach me romantically, so let me remind you—we’re married.”

With Ian by my side, there wouldn’t be any noble stupid enough to covet the duchess. Even if I were beautiful and charming.

“Angelo knew we were married too.”

“No, Angelo is different!”

How could I even explain this? Wasn’t he the culprit who created this absurd situation?

He dragged me here after I died in a traffic accident, then used my life as an excuse to make me run away from the ducal estate, so I still sometimes find myself being wary of Ian. On top of that, he arbitrarily decided to see me as Elicia, the one he truly loved.

‘Though a lot has changed since I came here.’

Ian, who once loved Ethel, was now professing his love to me.

“…Anyway, there won’t be anyone crazy enough to pull something as absurd as Angelo did.”

“I’m still anxious though.”

“I absolutely won’t go along with it. If someone bothers me, I’ll punch them.”

Maybe it was because I spoke so firmly. Through the mirror, I could see the corners of Ian’s lips curl up slightly.

“It would be a hassle for you to reject him, so I’ll just slash his eyes first.”

To say something so cruel with such a bright smile…

“Wow, you’re unbelievable.”

My true feelings slipped out between my lips before I could stop them. When I turned my head to glare at him playfully, his lips touched mine with a smacking sound. As if he’d been waiting for me to look at him.

“What the hell? Are you going to keep doing this?”

“Yep. I’m going to keep doing this.”

Our lips kept making smacking sounds. The ticklish sensation around my lips made me laugh without thinking, and this time he sucked on my lower lip. What started as a light peck gradually grew more passionate.

When I wrapped my arms around Ian’s waist, he cupped both my cheeks with his hands, and his soft tongue slipped between my naturally parted lips.

“Mmm…”

The wetter sounds grew louder as Ian’s tongue explored my mouth. One of his hands moved from my cheek to the nape of my neck, while the other wrapped around my back. Before long, the dress and underwear covering my body slid softly to the floor, leaving me naked.

How did things end up going in this direction again? Before I knew it, I was lying on the bed, Ian’s sticky gaze landed on me. His hand was kneading my breast. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but why do I still flinch every time he touches my nipples?

I was just gripping Ian’s shoulders tightly, enjoying his touch, when—

“Wait!”

The moist feel of Ian’s lips on my neck snapped me back to attention.

“Hm?”

He asked, his lips still buried against my neck.

“You can’t leave marks.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“Just try leaving a mark.”

“As long as there aren’t any marks in visible places, it’s fine.”

He had a point. As I nodded in agreement, his thick fingers pushed inside me. His hands tormented my breast and below simultaneously, making me gasp heated breaths as I pulled his head close.

I feel empty.

Ian seemed determined to keep his promise, only pressing kisses against my neck and collarbone with soft smacking sounds. There was no strong sucking or biting, yet somehow it felt strangely awkward.

Ian’s lips gradually moved lower. So slowly, as if deliberately trying to drive me crazy.

Finally, his lower lip grazed the peak of my breast. I bit my lip in anticipation. But Ian only took my stiffened nipple—already hard from all the stimulation—between his lips and teased it gently with the tip of his tongue.

That part wouldn’t show under a dress anyway… I couldn’t bring myself to voice my disappointment. After all, wasn’t I the one who insisted earlier that he couldn’t leave any marks? Suddenly asking him to bite me now would just make me seem… ridiculous…

“Ah!”

When Ian grazed his teeth against my nipple and bit down, a moan escaped me as my lower belly tensed. The sensation of his gentle gnawing made me pull his head even tighter against me. He lifted his gaze to look at me. Ian’s lips curved into a smile, his eyes hazy and unfocused.

The lips that had been tormenting my breast pressed softly against my forehead as the fingers that had been teasing me below slipped out. As I slowly caught my breath, feeling the loss, it happened.

“Haah…”

Ian hooked the back of my knee over his forearm and lifted me up. Before I could find my balance, his hard shaft slowly pressed into me below.

I slowly stroked the vein bulging on Ian’s forehead. I could tell he was trying his best to hold back.

No matter how much foreplay we had, taking in his size—far larger than average—was no easy feat. When I’d told him before that it felt like my body was splitting in half when he entered too quickly, he had, in his own way, been holding back.

“Ah, ngh, slower, please, hnngh…”

Of course, once he was about halfway in, his restraint seemed to crumble. Fortunately, the pain was at least bearable.

With each thrust, the chandelier on the ceiling swayed as if caught in an earthquake. Even as pleasure washed over me, I couldn’t let my mind go blank. I had to stay vigilant, making sure Ian didn’t leave any marks where they’d show.

Lips, cheeks, earlobes, neck, shoulders, collarbone. Ian’s lips touched me everywhere. Unlike usual, he didn’t bite or suck—just light, grazing touches. But when he reached areas that would be covered by my dress, he left his mark as always, sucking and biting hard enough to leave traces, as if claiming me as his.

“Phew, it’s a relief I’m not the only one feeling this way.”

He slowed his thrusts as he spoke.

“Hnn… What do you mean?”

“Once the dance party’s over, I’ll leave lots of marks on you again. So neither of us will feel disappointed.”

He must have noticed my disappointment. I felt flustered as his soft lips brushed gently against my earlobe instead of biting it.

“I’ll make up for all the marks I couldn’t leave before the dance party.”

“That’s a bit…”

I don’t think my skin will survive that.

I had no chance to object. My gaze shifted from the chandelier to the pillow. Face down, my chest pressed against the bed sheets while only my hips jutted up toward the ceiling.

“Hnn! Wait, slower, uhh…”

Contrary to my plea, Ian only picked up the pace, making my body shake faster. My mind went blank, unable to form a single thought.

Ian leaned his upper body down. His firm chest pressed against my back. He kneaded my breasts so hard it felt like they might burst, yet he didn’t slow down.

“Hah, mm, nnh, ah!”

The sensation of him biting down hard on the nape of my neck made my lower belly tense up again. My inner walls contracted so tightly I could feel the veins on his shaft.

Then, as he sucked hard on the nape of my neck, I gripped the bed sheets so tight they wrinkled. The strength drained from my hips that had been raised toward the ceiling, leaving me trapped between Ian and the bed. Even so, his hips didn’t stop moving.

Something was off. Ian had left marks all over my body before, but this was the first time he’d gone for the nape of my neck. That made sense, considering he preferred doing it face-to-face. Not that this was bad either. As I felt Ian’s lips pressed firmly against the nape of my neck, I realized it too late.

“Wait, ngh, not there, it’ll leave a mark, ah…!”

For a moment, I’d been so swept up in pleasure that I’d forgotten something important. He couldn’t leave marks where they’d be visible. In the end, I’d failed to stop Ian from marking me.

“Tch, it’s in a place no one can see.”

Ian stopped moving his hips and bit down hard on the nape of my neck once more. Even after climaxing, he showed no signs of letting go. When I tried to push him away, he interlaced his fingers with mine to restrain me, keeping his teeth on my neck while his tongue gently rubbed against my skin. I felt like a pathetic herbivore caught by a predator.

“Hah… How is that not visible?”

“Just don’t tie your hair up.”

“…….”

It made sense.

“I wish you’d only be in pain for that one day.”

With a soft smack, Ian’s lips left my skin. His hands turned my body, and our eyes met.

“It’s only once a year. Just bear with it a little.”

As I lightly kissed his lips, I felt his cock, still inside me, swell again. His hips began to move once more.

***

The day of the dance party had arrived. I’d been unusually lucky since morning.

“I was just about to wake you, but you’re already up.”

“I just opened my eyes.”

I’d woken up completely refreshed on my own before Ian or Anna could wake me, and the head chef must have been in good form too, because breakfast was especially delicious.

And best of all, thanks to Ian keeping his promise, there was no problem even if I wore a dress that exposed my shoulders.

Thanks to the marks from my neckline to my collarbone and shoulders having completely vanished as if they’d never been there, I didn’t have to endure the hassle of covering them with makeup.

‘How long has it been since I’ve seen my skin this clean…?’

I was so happy I nearly teared up. Ian had seemed very impatient, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t give up on a dress made by the most famous designer in the Empire, whose appointments were almost impossible to get.

The shoulder straps were tied and secured with ribbons, and the skirt was made full with layers of lace. Made from the finest fabric, it didn’t feel scratchy against my skin at all, and the tiny jewels embroidered all over it sparkled with every step I took.

It was a bit embarrassing to say out loud, but the dress suited me perfectly, as if it had been made just for me. And Ian’s reaction when he saw me?

‘…Good thing I held back.’

He kept emphasizing—over and over again—that I had to stay right by his side, as if he couldn’t stand the thought of other guys laying eyes on me.

From the dress to the understated accessories, I loved the whole outfit. The only downside was that, because of the bite mark on my neck, I couldn’t tie my hair up when it was windy. Still, to have such a lucky streak! I had a feeling today was going to be a good day.

Ian, however, was less than enthusiastic.

“I really don’t want to go.”

Even inside the carriage heading to the palace, Ian made no effort to hide his displeasure.

While his personality had improved somewhat compared to the original story, Ian was still intensely possessive. He was openly showing his discomfort at the thought of me drawing too much attention from others at a party I was attending after such a long time.

He seemed to be the only one who didn’t realize how over-the-top he was being. Though I was well aware that it was also because we had left the mansion, which maintained a strong barrier.

“I don’t like this.”

Inside the carriage, Ian muttered while sitting pressed right up against me, despite there being plenty of room. His lips were buried against my neck.

“Calm down. With how lucky I’ve been since this morning, I have a feeling the dance party will go smoothly too.”

“…We’ll see.”

His hand fiddled with my bracelet.

Ian had only told me that a sword would appear from this bracelet in an emergency, but I could tell he’d also placed a tracking spell on it. He probably didn’t even trust that, and might have secretly cast another tracking spell somewhere on my body.

“Maybe I should’ve just pretended to be sick.”

“Do you think His Majesty would believe that?”

“…”

Ian was so healthy that he’d never even suffered from minor illnesses. Besides, who would believe that someone who hated attending social functions just happened to fall sick on the day of the dance party?

“The imperial family said they’d be extra careful. And Angelo is still in prison.”

I kept offering reassuring words to ease Ian’s anxiety. I mentioned that security would be even tighter at this dance party, and that I’d heard mages would be standing by to prevent Angelo from escaping.

“And you keep saying you’re anxious, but don’t you think I’m anxious too?”

“Why?”

“Look in a mirror.”

Ever since we were young, whenever we went to dance parties together, women would steal glances at him. And for good reason. With his sharp eyes and defined features, he had the kind of face that would draw attention even in rags.

He hadn’t even gone through an awkward phase. Year after year, as he grew taller and taller, I had to endure the piercing stares of noble ladies right alongside him.

Of course, he was reluctant to socialize with others and maintained an expressionless face in public, so the noblewomen never dared approach him in the end.

“I’m sure there were plenty of women who were drawn to you because of your looks.”

“It feels good hearing you say that.”

Ian seemed pleased by the compliment about his looks—I could tell by the way the corners of his mouth curved up so prettily. His personality was already insufferable enough, so I’d deliberately held back on praising his appearance, worried it would make him even more arrogant… Maybe I should’ve complimented him more often after all.

“Still, you need to stay by my side the entire party.”

Ian interlaced his fingers with mine.

“Okay.”

He still seemed anxious that Angelo might escape and come after me.

“Angelo’s been the only guy brazen enough to approach you so far, but you never know.”

“What?”

“There’ll probably be plenty of guys who fall for you at the dance party. I’ll make sure they get the hint not to approach you like I always do, but…”

I’d already planned to stick by Ian’s side the whole time anyway, since I had no interest in socializing with other nobles.

With Ethel and Angelo gone, the only people left to greet at the social gathering were my sister and Celine. And I was certain the nobles I wasn’t close with would bombard me with questions about Angelo.

At least, thankfully, no one would dare approach while I was beside Ian, who was so sensitive about others. So that’s what he’d been doing all this time.

“So that’s why no one came up to us? All this time?”

“Yeah. They’d start to approach, then flinch when I looked at them and head somewhere else.”

“…”

Either way, I should try to see the bright side—I didn’t have to force myself to socialize.

“Now that I think about it, I must’ve liked you for quite a while.”

“Where’s this coming from?”

“I really hated it when other guys approached you, even back then.”

Ian’s grip on my hand tightened. Thinking about it objectively, he seemed to be romanticizing his obsessive friendship phase as love, but I decided to just let him be mistaken.

I gazed out the window past Ian, who kept kissing the back of my hand. The cloudless, clear sky and large and small buildings passed by quickly.

If only the dance party could end without incident, just like now.

***

As always, the imperial palace remained splendid. Gold leaf decorations, intricate sculptures, and lavish decorations were everywhere.

The moment I entered with my arm linked with Ian’s, I could feel people’s gazes converging on us. I walked with my head held high, pretending not to notice at all, staring straight ahead.

Even during the first dance, I only looked at Ian. I was worried that if I accidentally made eye contact with anyone else, they’d approach me after the dance ended.

“You used to be too busy looking elsewhere.”

“…Forget about that time.”

Back then, I was obsessed with getting a happy ending and busy watching Ethel… Anyway, Ian seemed extremely pleased that I was focusing only on him.

“It’s been a while, Duke and Duchess Bellocchio.”

When the dance session ended, the Emperor made a point of approaching us to exchange pleasantries. Thanks to that, the nobles’ gazes focused even more intensely on us, making my fists clench. I must have used up all my luck this morning.

I deliberately pretended to listen attentively to his well-wishes, hoping he’d leave quickly.

“You’ve both been through a lot. The palace has strengthened its defenses and barriers, so please enjoy yourselves.”

The Emperor finally left, but it was too soon to feel relieved.

“Don’t look. Don’t make eye contact.”

As I muttered while deliberately staring at the elegant refreshments on a corner table, I heard Ian chuckle softly. Whether Ian laughed or not, I was dead serious. If I made eye contact with any nobles, they’d obviously come over to chat.

“If making eye contact with others bothers you that much, you shouldn’t be looking over there—you should be looking at me.”

A large hand grasped my chin and turned it to the side, bringing me to meet the eyes of the one who’d been by my side all along. Maybe it was just my imagination, but his violet eyes seemed to come alive when they met mine.

Ian kept his gaze fixed on me, as if he too didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone else. We stared at each other for a moment, then let out a small chuckle.

‘Ian is right.’

I’d felt uncomfortable the whole time looking elsewhere, but gazing at his handsome face made me feel much better. While I focused on Ian’s face, the stares of others didn’t bother me, at least for a moment.

“You two really do look close.”

At the welcome voice from behind, I turned to see my sister watching us with her fiancé’s arm linked through hers. Her face, which had been gaunt before, had filled out slightly—she seemed to be doing well.

“You’ve been well too, haven’t you?”

Instead of answering, she pulled me into a warm embrace. Though her body was slender, somehow it felt reassuring.

‘She’s definitely not my real sister.’

I’m living as Elicia now, but I’m not the real Elicia, am I? Yet somehow I felt a tender affection for her. Maybe it was because I knew the sisters’ circumstances, or maybe I was just too good at immersing myself in the role.

“I’m so glad you’re doing well.”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to come see you right away, but…”

“No, don’t be. I’m just relieved you’re healthy. I never imagined Angelo would do something like that.”

I pulled away from my sister’s embrace as she let out a small sigh, then glanced around nervously. I moved my head quickly, worried about making eye contact with other nobles, but it was easy enough to notice that Angelo’s parents hadn’t come.

“The Marquis of Leglorie has been keeping very quiet.”

My sister spoke softly, having realized who I was looking for.

“When they found out Angelo had kidnapped you, they came directly to me to apologize on his behalf. Since your husband wouldn’t meet with them, it seems they sent me a letter of apology instead. They haven’t left their estate since.”

“I heard Angelo is in the underground prison now.”

“Right. From what I can tell, they’ve practically abandoned him—they haven’t even tried to get their son out.”

The imperial palace was splendid and beautiful, but the underground prison was anything but.

It was known to be so wretched that, the moment you entered, the stench of filth would hit you, and all manner of insects and rats would scurry about. The palace seemed well aware of these rumors, but they said they had no intention of improving the conditions. Supposedly, they just wanted to make the criminals suffer a little more, or something like that.

Because of this, the prison was supposedly filled with endless sounds of complaints and screams, but Angelo, however, made no sound, offered no resistance, and simply sat there in a daze. Like someone who had given up on life.

There was even a rumor that a guard, wondering if he might actually be dead, had poked Angelo’s shoulder, but his body only swayed slightly without falling over. If that was true, then Angelo was still alive. Whether that was a misfortune or a blessing for him, I couldn’t say.

“Once things settle down a bit more for you, we’re planning to hold the wedding.”

I nodded as I watched my sister speak shyly, her cheeks flushed. Just looking at the eyes of her fiancé, Massimo, standing beside her, you could easily tell he loved her. They both liked each other from the start, so there was no need for me to interfere.

“I’ll make sure to get you an expensive wedding gift.”

With Ian’s money, of course.

Since the person in question was right there, I swallowed the rest of that thought.

My sister waved her hands, saying it was okay, but I firmly shook my head and casually told her to go home and think about what gift she wanted. As I said this, I unconsciously snuck a glance at Ian. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to catch on to my intentions. Completely oblivious to his money being spent in real time, he just smiled at me.

When I met Ian’s eyes, I suddenly felt my heart grow oddly ticklish, so I turned my head away. We’d made eye contact plenty of times before, but for some reason, I felt unusually self-conscious now. Maybe it was because there were so many people around.

“Why are you laughing?”

I glared up at my sister, eyes raised, but she kept laughing.

“Sia, you’re exactly the same as when you were little.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Whenever you’re embarrassed, you get all prickly. Just like right now.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Back when you used to— with Angelo—”

My sister stopped mid-sentence and closed her mouth. Just mentioning his name was enough to make the atmosphere among the four of us turn cold.

“Of course, that’s all in the past.”

Massimo emphasized “in the past” as he spoke.

“Right. It’s in the past. Ian, you know that, right?”

I looked at Ian with my best attempt at a smile, but unfortunately, his expression remained blank. Maybe it was because the atmosphere showed no signs of improving.

“I’d like some time alone with Daisy, so we’ll be going now.”

Massimo wrapped his arm around my sister’s shoulders. She gave me an apologetic look before leaving with him, leaving me behind. As a result, Ian and I were the only quiet ones in the bustling party hall.

“You must have really liked Angelo?”

“Well, we were friends.”

“…Doesn’t seem like you just liked him as a friend, though.”

“It’s all in the past now.”

I could have denied it, but I answered honestly. Though of course, those feelings belonged to the real Elicia, not me.

Besides, Ian seemed to have already figured it out, so a half-hearted lie here would only heighten his insecurity.

“It’s really ancient history. It was even before you used to find me annoying as a child.”

“…”

Still not looking pleased, Ian bit his lower lip.

“You’ll hurt your lip.”

I rubbed my thumb over his lip to stop him from biting it. His lips were moist and soft—tempting enough that I’d want to press mine against them if we were alone.

“I used to feel that way, but not anymore. You’re the only one I’ve ever kissed on the lips.”

“And it better stay that way.”

“Same goes for you.”

Ian wrapped his hand around mine as I fiddled with his lips. Guided by his touch, my hand naturally moved to rest against his cheek. I watched fondly as he nuzzled his cheek against my palm, then snapped back to reality when I felt piercing stares from around us.

We were at a ball, which meant the place was crawling with nobles.

Looking around, I found countless eyes watching us like we were some rare animals. My sister and Celine sent warm looks our way, but Liam made gagging motions. When I’d last visited the Liveri estate, I thought he’d matured after becoming a count, but apparently I was mistaken.

“People are watching.”

“So what?”

I tried to pull my hand away, belatedly embarrassed, but Ian had no intention of letting go. Being someone who didn’t interact much with others, he didn’t bother reading the room either.

“It’s not so bad for everyone to know we’re in love.”

“They already know we’re married, don’t they?”

Even so, Ian’s hand wrapped around the back of mine showed no signs of letting go, so I playfully pinched his cheek—not hard enough to hurt.

That’s when it happened.

BOOM!

An ear-splitting roar rang out in succession.

‘What’s going on?’

I looked around. The nobles were either flustered or frightened. Since I couldn’t see any broken walls or statues inside, the noise seemed to be coming from outside rather than within.

“Is it a monster attack?”

Ian let out a small sigh as he fiddled with his scabbard.

“How dare they set foot in the imperial palace. Deal with them at once!”

The Emperor issued orders to the knights in a calm and solemn voice before addressing the nobles.

“Everyone, there’s no need to worry. Though the monsters have broken through the barrier, they won’t be able to enter inside.”

The Emperor’s words were true. As proof, the monsters couldn’t get in and were making a racket outside with thunderous roars. At this, the nobles visibly relaxed.

The imperial palace had also been attacked by monsters before, so they must have set up quite a strong barrier, yet monsters have managed to invade…

‘Is this also the work of someone targeting the Emperor’s throne?’

With that thought, I turned my gaze to the angel statue in the right corner.

‘Thank goodness.’

The statue was enchanted with magic to protect the palace from monster intrusion. It was the result of research Angelo had conducted with my father under the previous Emperor’s orders. Having lived through countless time loops, Angelo’s magical prowess was exceptional, so as long as the statue wasn’t damaged, nothing bad would happen.

Just as I was thinking that,

“Kyaah!”

“What the—?”

The statue exploded.

I stared at the traces of the statue—pulverized beyond mere fragments—with a sense of emptiness before quickly turning my head toward the entrance. As if on cue, the doors burst wide open and monsters of all sizes poured inside, turning the interior into complete chaos.

‘Did Angelo escape?’

It was suspicious that the statue Angelo created exploded at this exact moment. But I’d heard he was wearing shackles and handcuffs that prevented him from using magic. They said even the most powerful archmage couldn’t use magic while wearing those…

While I was mulling this over, Ian tapped my shoulder and said, “Hide. I’ll take care of this quickly and come back.”

Right, avoiding the monsters comes first.

I nodded and ran toward the sturdiest-looking table.

Of course, since I regularly trained in swordsmanship, I could probably handle very small and weak monsters. But if I got caught by a large one in the process, I’d only be a hindrance to Ian, so I quietly crawled awkwardly under the table.

I sat down in place and looked to the side. The cozy space beneath the table was mine alone. A familiar spot. A familiar situation. The longing I’d buried for so long came flooding back.

Back then, I’d first met Ethel under a table too, during a monster attack…

‘I wonder if Ethel is alive.’

Ian said he’d killed her. But I believed her life hadn’t completely ended.

‘She must have returned to her original body.’

That’s why I was curious. Whether she’d made it back safely to the world she came from, whether she might be waiting for me, whether she was still enjoying the original game. But now wasn’t the time to worry about Ethel. The problem was the scene before me—the hall turned into complete chaos by the monster invasion.

Far away in a corner, I could see my sister and Celine tucked under a table. The nobles who hadn’t joined the fight had also taken shelter in various corners.

‘Everyone managed to hide well.’

With a much more relaxed mind, I watched the scene unfold. The imperial knights, along with anyone who could wield a sword or cast offensive magic, were all fighting the monsters.

Ian was cutting down the monsters approaching me one by one with an irritated expression, and the situation was turning in our favor. Before long, all the monsters that had invaded inside had been dealt with, and everyone was fighting hard to prevent the ones outside from getting in.

‘So who sent the monsters?’

It wasn’t easy for monsters to invade all the way to the imperial palace in the heart of the capital. Someone with malicious intent must have deliberately summoned them. Just like that day years ago when I first met Ethel.

The grotesque sounds from outside were also dying down, suggesting the monsters there were nearly cleared out. The nobles who’d been terrified now looked considerably more relaxed. I too crawled out from under the table, dusted off my skirt, and was walking toward my sister and Celine when—

CRASH!

My heart nearly dropped. If I had stayed under the table, I might’ve been seriously hurt—the wall on my side shattered as a new type of monster came flying through.

The mages launched magical attacks at the monster, but nothing worked. As if it had some kind of transparent shield covering its surface, the grotesque new creature showed no signs of damage whatsoever.

‘Am I just imagining things?’

I could’ve sworn the monster just made eye contact with me.

“Huh?”

I wasn’t imagining it. The monster charged straight at me, snatched me up like a claw machine grabbing a prize, and shot back out through the hole in the wall.

“Ellie!”

Ian rushed toward me in alarm, but the monster was already soaring rapidly into the sky. The mages tried to attack, but I could see them hesitating—they were worried they might hit me too.

“Why is it always me!”

I shouted in frustration, but of course the monster didn’t respond. I tapped at its legs, but it didn’t budge. I tried to hit it harder, then gave up. The ground was getting farther and farther away—if the monster dropped me now, I’d be dead on impact. I gripped its legs tightly and waited to be released.

A memory suddenly flashed through my mind. Back when I was running the swordsmanship club, supposedly to bring Ian and Ethel together.

During that monster subjugation, one of the creatures had ignored Ian and Ethel—who were actually attacking it—and launched a wind spell at me instead, even though I was just standing there doing nothing. Thanks to that, I was the only one who got blown off to some random location.

At this point, maybe I just had the kind of face monsters thought they could push around.

“Just how far are we going…”

Fortunately, the monster didn’t go far. It dropped me off at a corner of the imperial palace—at the very top of an incredibly tall tower—then left. The tower was so high that I could see the entire sprawling palace grounds at a glance from the top.

“Why did it leave me here?”

Why didn’t it just let me die quietly at Ian’s hands instead of doing something so pointless? As I was puzzling over the monster’s behavior—

“Sia, I’ve missed you.”

A desperate voice sounded from behind me.