The grand duke paused for a moment before letting out a pleasant laugh.

“It seems the girl has finally grown up, just as you said.”

As soon as Willa left the office, the friendly smile vanished from the grand duke’s face.

The seasoned ruler leaned back on the sofa.

‘Grown up, hm… And yet, Cecilia must not grow up.’

Cecilia had to remain an ignorant, immature child, unaware of the ways of the world.

For how long?

Until the grand duke decided otherwise.

He was displeased.

There was an unexpected loss, and his carefully laid plans seemed to be subtly going off course.

‘By now, winter should have begun in Lagos, so there’s no way to get in touch.’

For two months, he would be left waiting helplessly.

‘Did I apply too strong a shock therapy?’

There were multiple reasons he had arranged Cecilia’s marriage this time.

One of them was to subdue her.

Though she had always been somewhat immature, lately Cecilia’s behavior had become increasingly brazen.

She seemed intent on flaunting her wealth and power.

It was necessary to rein her in before she grew older.

He wanted her to see him as both a reliable protector and a fearsome elder who could not be defied.

He had expected her to tremble in fear and desperately seek him out once she reached Lagos Castle.

The grand duke frowned.

Cecilia’s parting words lingered in his mind.

‘Gratitude…’

It sounded as though she was drawing a line between them.

The grand duke smirked.

‘As if she could draw a line.’

It was just a child’s sulking, upset with him.

He recalled Cecilia from just two months ago. People don’t change so easily.

And Cecilia had nothing—no allies, no knowledge. Her flailing was nothing more than the tantrum of a petulant child.

‘She couldn’t possibly know anything.’

Even her comment about leaving knights behind was likely due to Willa’s interpretation.

‘How should I handle the compensation payments?’

The grand duke began deliberating ways to minimize the payouts for the casualties.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

Cecilia woke up well past noon.

She immediately noticed that she was naked beneath the covers.

Puzzled, the memories of the previous night quickly came rushing back.

‘I slept with him.’

It had been impulsive, but she felt no regret.

Only a strange, restless feeling lingered.

As she tried to get out of bed, Cecilia winced and collapsed back onto the mattress.

Her entire body ached, especially her arms.

She tried to recall the source of the pain.

She had clung tightly to his neck the entire time.

How hard did I hold on to get muscle soreness in my arms?

“I must be crazy…”

As she muttered, she was startled by the hoarseness of her voice.

‘Ah…’

She remembered the cries she had let out the night before and shook her head vigorously.

Rising to a seated position, she realized her body felt stiff, but not so much that she needed to stay in bed.

She pulled the bell cord, and two maids promptly entered.

As they assisted her with washing, Cecilia noticed the red marks covering her chest.

There were numerous reddish traces around her chest, and her nipples were so sensitive that touching them stung slightly.

She felt aggrieved by his roughness.

‘Next time, I’ll tell him to take it easy…’

Without realizing it, she thought of a ‘next time’ and quickly erased the idea from her mind. It felt embarrassing, as though the maids attending her could read her thoughts.

Once she was fully dressed, one of the maids cautiously spoke.

“Madam, the lord has sent someone several times since morning to check if you were awake.”

“…Really? Why?”

“Not for any particular reason, but he seemed concerned about you.”

“Yes, Madam. He was worried since you hadn’t eaten and slept for so long.”

The lord hadn’t returned to his bedroom last night, and at dawn, the maids were called to tidy up the madam’s room. Rumors had already spread among the maids.

The lord and lady had finally spent their first night together.

The two maids’ faces were slightly flushed.

While attending to the madam, they had seen clear evidence confirming the rumors.