“Oh, Mother. Of course, we should let you come in. It would be perfect if we all had dinner together.”
Damie forced a sweet smile. Judging by Louise’s stiff expression, it seemed she hadn’t anticipated Acard’s visit either. Seizing this opportunity, Damie quickly jabbed at Louise.
“Lady Louise must have known in advance, right? After all, you’re such a c.l.o.s.e relative that you personally relay Lord Acard’s intentions. So, would you tell me? Why has Lord Acard visited my home to see my ‘easily tiresome’ face?”
Louise was upset by those words, but unlike before, she couldn’t open her mouth easily. She seemed to be afraid and cautious about something. It was an attitude unlike Louise, who usually rushed in without thinking.
Just as Damie was thinking something was odd, suddenly, a deep, rich, and intensely masculine scent wafted to her nose.
“Damie.”
Lips that were close enough to touch her ear called her name. It was an incredibly sweet pronunciation, as if stirring cream in tea with a tongue.
“…Lord Acard.”
Damie looked at him, startled. Seeing him again after two days, he still had a dazzling face.
Wearing a suit that well-suited his sturdy build, and revealing even teeth as he grinned, his face was astonishingly handsome.
Damie, who had unconsciously been captivated by his gaze, suddenly came to her senses. This was her first time sleeping with a man, so she didn’t know how to face a man she had spent the night with.
“Countess Primula. And… Lady Damie.”
Fortunately, Acard knew exactly what to do. Donning the mask of a gentleman in front of his stepmother Noella, he offered a polite greeting.
“I apologize for this unannounced visit. I’ve prepared a small gift of apology, please accept it.”
Before she could refuse, her hand suddenly felt heavy. It was a pretty box made of finely grained wood, lightly finished and painted in various colors, decorated with gold leaf and tiny jewels.
“I do hope you like it.”
Acard opened the lid of the box with a sensual smile. Inside was a colorful array of macarons that brightened one’s eyes just by looking at them.
Almonds, the main ingredient of macarons, usually grow in the warm southern regions, making them a rare treat in the north. Moreover, these macarons were unlike any she had seen before – beautifully shaped, colorful, and with luxurious fillings.
Damie was momentarily captivated by their cuteness. Seizing this opportunity, Acard swiftly placed a bouquet of flowers in her other hand.
“Ah, and lilacs have bloomed in the garden. Their fragrance was so lovely, it reminded me of you.”
The fresh, sweet scent of lilacs filled her senses. Having effectively occupied both her hands with gifts, Acard pulled the defenseless Damie closer. He then mischievously kissed her pale cheek.
“I haven’t forgotten your kindness to me at the last party. I’ve come to repay that kindness, so please don’t reject me as rude.”
Acard’s way of speaking was extremely cunning. He clearly understood Damie’s intention of ‘Let’s end it with one night.’ Yet, ignoring this and barging in on his own, he was speaking as if the choice of this relationship was up to Damie.
Unfortunately, his brazenness was perfectly masked by the capital’s crafty social etiquette. Noella watched Acard’s bold approach with a reddening face. Then, fidgeting, she hugged young Leon and quietly left the room.
“I-I’ll excuse myself for a moment. Since guests have arrived, I should prepare dinner.”
Thus, the only third party left in the room was Louise Perilla. She looked strangely uneasy, while glaring resentfully at the gifts in Damie’s hands. At that moment, Acard turned his head and smirked crookedly at Louise.
“Louise Perilla.”
Unlike when he addressed Damie, his voice was cold when speaking to his cousin. As befitting someone who commanded the Royal Knights, his call carried a strong sense of intimidation.
“What brings you here to the Count Primula’s residence?”
“I… I came to speak with Lady Damie.”
Louise flinched at the frosty interrogation but forced herself to lift her chin. Her frozen demeanor was more akin to addressing a superior rather than a cousin. Observing this, Damie thought.
‘They don’t seem very close.’
It was different from how Louise had acted as if she were close to Acard, claiming to represent him. The distance between them was evident.
“Speak? About what? I’ve never heard that you and Lady Damie were acquainted.”
Acard raised an eyebrow as he questioned Louise’s response. His pressing attitude made Damie feel puzzled.
“Speak, Louise.”
Louise was his distant cousin. Yet, Acard was pressuring her like a loan shark threatening a debtor. His intimidating presence was so overwhelming that the usually ill-tempered Louise couldn’t utter a word.
‘What a strange relationship.’
Damie decided to remember this odd feeling she had now.
“Why are you interfering in my and Lady Damie’s matters? This is too much, Lord Acard!”
At this point, Louise, unable to hold back any longer, protested with a trembling voice full of resentment.
Although Damie disliked Louise, she agreed with her words this time. Acard had no right to interrogate Louise. After all, he too had visited the Count Primula’s residence without notice.
The atmosphere around them instantly froze. Acard was smiling, but his eyes were as sharp as blades when looking at Louise.
“Listen well, Louise. My time in the north is short. So, I don’t want to waste it. It’s annoying when pesky flies keep interrupting my social interactions.”
Despite the scathing warning, his voice was chillingly soft. After silencing Louise, he glanced at Damie with a smile.
Damie, who had stepped back to observe the verbal sparring, momentarily blanked out. His deep violet eyes seemed to be undressing her with their gaze.
Regardless of his reputation, Acard was a man capable of captivating anyone. He smiled with satisfaction after momentarily monopolizing Damie’s attention.
Whenever the seemingly proud and calm Damie would occasionally gaze at him in a daze, he would feel elated, as if intoxicated. Her innocent yet enchanting gaze made his blood boil.
Louise, suddenly alienated between Damie and Acard, bit her lip. Towards her, trembling with humiliation, Acard spoke in a cold voice.
“It seems you can’t take a hint.”
Acard’s gaze, now averted from Damie, instantly sharpened. He took a step towards Louise and leaned in. Then, he spitefully spat out towards her contorted face.
“It means get the hell out of here right now.”
Louise’s face turned bright red, having been openly insulted in front of Damie. Most gentlemen would mind their language in front of a lady. But Acard mockingly sneered at this convention and verbally abused Louise.
‘…He really has a nasty personality.’
Damie looked at Acard’s profile with slightly disgusted eyes. The temperament of this angel-faced man was worse than a devil’s. But even this seemed attractive, probably due to his exceptionally good looks.
“Ugh, you’re too much!!”
Finally told to leave, Louise stormed out. She left even more dramatically than when she had arrived.
Acard, the final victor, grinned as if flaunting his maliciousness. He then took the bouquet from Damie’s hands and carelessly placed it on the table.
Towards her now empty hands, his sun-tanned, sturdy copper-colored hands intertwined like tree branches. His well-shaped fingers leisurely spread apart her delicate fingers. Then, he interlocked their fingers tightly like a trap.
“Hello.”
Left alone, revealing his true colors, he whispered with a languid smile.
“…What brings you here?”
Damie asked, trying to shake off the effect of his voice. It was puzzling why Acard had come to see her when they were supposed to be having a one-night affair.
Hearing her question, Acard’s smile deepened.
“My, can’t I come without a reason? After such a passionate night we shared.”
With no onlookers, Acard’s tone became much more intimate. Damie’s cheeks flushed at the reminder of their past encounter. Enjoying her reaction, Acard reached out to caress her face.
“If I had known you’d leave like that, I wouldn’t have been so gentle. Worried it might be too much for your first time, I couldn’t even fuck you properly. Had I known, I would have pounded you until your thighs were raw.”
Damie was too shocked to respond. The words coming from his lips, with lowered snow-white eyelashes and deep eyes, were incredibly vulgar.
Yet, due to his overwhelmingly handsome face, she found it absurd that she didn’t feel disgust.
“Now that we’re alone, let’s be honest.”
Acard frowned, tugging at his cravat as if it were suffocating. With his rough movement, the cravat quickly loosened, revealing his shirt front. This exposed a glimpse of his hollow collarbone and well-toned chest muscles.
“That night, it was clearly your first time. Wasn’t it?”
He pressed, licking his lips and flashing predatory eyes. The topic she had wanted to avoid until the end finally surfaced.
“Why did you do it?”
Acard’s question implied many things. Even if young people these days are sexually liberal, the first time is still special.
He wanted to know why Damie had given her precious first time to a rake like him. Having been unwittingly involved in her first experience, he felt entitled to demand an explanation. Faced with this sharp interrogation from the man she’d spent the night with, Damie’s face clouded over.
“…Why do you want to know?”
She stepped back awkwardly, avoiding Acard’s gaze. But with every step Damie retreated, he strode forward.
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