I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand

However, things went awry because Raven had an untimely cold. She had already replied that she would attend, so her position became ambiguous.

As the Duchess, it was no exaggeration to change her answer that she would attend, but Raven seemed unwilling to do so.

However, Themis was restless for fear that Raven, who was still sick, would go to a party.

Raven put her chin on his hand and said with a worried expression.

“I had something to talk about to Countess Fabro…”

“I’m going to write a letter to her saying that my wife won’t be able to attend, so please take a rest.”

“But…”

Raven, who intended to talk to Countess Fabro about finding Merria a fiance, shut her lips.

Angela Fabro was an outstanding matchmaker, and as much as she liked to gossip, she was well aware of others’ dirty secrets.

So, it was clear that Angela’s list of groomsmen would be decent and good-natured that went through the eyes of experts.

Themis, who didn’t know Raven’s intentions and thought that his wife felt sorry for not attending Angela’s party, offered words of consolation.

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t it be okay to invite the Countess to the next tea party?”

“Changing the decision for the first time might hurt her feelings. The next time she invites you, you might be able to attend.”

Raven sighed and shook her head.

It would seem obvious if she asked for a separate meeting, so all the plans she had to approach Angela at the party went awry.

In Raven’s response, Themis turned to his two daughters.

“Hmm. How about sending the kids to the party? It’s probably better than not attending.”

“I couldn’t go to parties for a while because of my new assistant, Dad.”

There was only one left in Serinia’s determined refusal. Three pairs of eyes turned to Merria, who was fiddling with flowers.

“Well then, Merria. You should go there. Didn’t you say you were thinking about appearing in society soon?”

“What? Oh, by the way.”

I was going to start socializing gradually, but I didn’t mean to go and suddenly show up. But I couldn’t think of anything to refute because I had previously said that I would soon return to society.

While she smiled awkwardly, Raven began to react violently in a positive mood.

I was going to introduce her to Angela later anyway, but it was a good opportunity to get her acquainted.

When Serinia, who wanted to pass on the annoying party, joined, it was decided that Merria would go to Fabro’s party.

With the poor excuse of not having a dress, Themis even gave me pocket money, so I went to Miolo’s dressing room in the morning.

Due to the tight schedule, I decided to have one of the previously ordered dresses that was complete rather than ordering a new one.

After countless hours of trying on, revising, and repeating until evening, Miolo said with sweat on her forehead that the dress would be perfect on time.

The carriage slowly entered the mansion when it was time to convey her heartfelt comfort to Miolo, who had been unexpectedly abused and overworked out of nowhere.

As soon as she got out of her carriage, Lexie ran to her, stomping her feet as if she had been waiting.

Merria asked with a puzzled face as Ruben approached her with an urgent look.

“What’s the matter?”

“Miss! you have a guest.”

“Who, Lilith? Derek? Or Karina?”

I called out the names of the people who could be called my guests one by one, but Ruben shook his head one after another.

Merria, realizing her small circle of relationships, handed the hat that she was wearing to Lexie.

Then I turned to look at Lexie with the question of who the hell it was, but she just avoided my eyes, but there was no answer.

She left behind the two people who couldn’t talk because she thought it must be one of the prince’s people, and headed to the place where the guest was waiting.

The weather was quite warm now, but after that, the wind was still cold, so it was good for a walk.

Merria turned to the last corner of the road towards the garden, breathing in the growing scent of flowers.

Then an unexpected figure came into view. There was her lover, whom she hadn’t seen for a while.

The first emotions she felt were a surprise, wonder, and joy. And the last thing that followed was frustration.

I hoped that his stiff face would loosen, but I thought it would be better if he looked at me with that expression. Then I wondered if this little rock would melt and disappear.

It occurred to me that the source of these contradictory emotions was the mind.

Merria wasn’t sure about anything.

Without realizing it, her eyebrows turned to a frown. She moved on with her unresolved problem on her chest.

“Did you wait long?”

Her lover slowly turned away when she asked a placid question.

A bit of tension and resentment leaked out of his hardened expression.

Merria had many things she wanted to ask.

But I didn’t ask anything. Because any more intimacy would only delay their

“I just had something to tell you.”

Merria looked at him with a dry smile.

Reukis nodded his head slightly, still with a stiff face.

“I’ve just returned from a trip, so if you don’t mind, could you wait for me in the parlor?”

“Okay.”

Merria ordered Lexie to guide Reukis and went straight to her room.

✿

Shortly before Mary arrived, the faithful maid went to tell the Duchess, who was lying in the bed of the news.

“Who’s coming?”

“His Majesty, Grand Duke Frederick, is here.”

“…” 

“The Grand Duke has come to visit the young lady. What should we do?”

Lynette, who has worked as a maid since Themis was still young, explained the current situation with a steady voice even after seeing Raven with round eyes in surprise.

Shortly before sunset, Grand Duke Frederick, with a determined expression on his face, came to see the young lady.

Merria, the person involved, was out, and the people working at the Rackester were confused about what to do because they had not heard the message that she was going to meet him.

However, Ruben, the butler, eventually took charge of Reukis because he couldn’t keep the Grand Duke waiting at the front gate.

While Ruben was running out of time, Lynette had come to report to Raven.

Today, Themis was on the way to work, saying that he would be arriving late to deal with the agenda for the newly formed Knights.

The fever had already gone down a long time ago, but Raven, who had been lying in bed all day to keep up with Themis’ request, was itching and bored.

It was a golden opportunity to speak with Grand Duke Frederick, whom she had only heard of through rumors, in the absence of Themis.

Raven said without covering the corners of her slightly curved lips. It was an innocent smile that didn’t suit the Duchess.

“It’s time for dinner. I’ll eat in the dining room today, so please take the Grand Duke to the parlor for now.”

“Yes, madam.”

After leaving the room, Lynette heard that Lexie had taken Reukis to the parlor, and she headed straight to the kitchen.

It was to inform Hans, the peaceful chef who knew nothing, that a huge guest had arrived.

✿

Reukis sat still in the quiet parlor, staring at my hand. There was a gift box in his large, wounded hand.

Reukis opened the box with a careful touch, and a bunch of roses tied with a red ribbon appeared.

Having confirmed that even one petal was unharmed, Reukis closed the lid with a satisfied face and put it down next to his knee.

Soon after, Merria, who had been primped by Lexie, entered the parlor, neat. Her expression hardened when she saw the table with only a cup of tea.

I glanced at the maid in the room and sat down on the sofa opposite of him, with the freshly brewed coffee I had just made and poured in front of him as well.

I told the maid to go out and when the door was closed, I clearly expressed my displeasure and looked at Reukis.

“Why are you only drinking tea?”

Reukis had been thinking about what had offended her the whole time she entered the room.

She probably thought he refused because he didn’t want to be found out that he liked desserts like last time.

But he shook his head because he had his reasons.

“While we were waiting, the Duchess asked us to have dinner together. So I said I don’t need refreshments.”

“My mother?”

Merria widened her eyes in response to the unexpected answer and glanced at Reukis.

Dinner with Raven and Reukis at the Rackester. It was such an odd combination.

She remembered that Themis had said he would be late earlier, for a moment, and she nodded lightly, noticing that Raven was the current decision maker in this house.

To have the right to make a decision meant that she had to treat the guests accordingly.

It would not be necessary for ordinary aristocrats to do so, but since Reukis was the only Grand Duke, it was clear that she recommended dinner as a greeting suitable for the time.

There was no way to understand Reukis’ mind who agreed to it, so Merria decided to solve the most important problem.

“Ah. Then, shall we finish what we talked about earlier?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Merria thought there might be a reason behind Reukis’ visit.

She never told him why, but Merria kept showing that she was reluctant to let Reukis come to Rackester. It was something she had done with the invincible word of

As if Reukis knew her heart, he sent her a letter but did not visit her. However, he, who had been busy lately, suddenly appeared like this and sat on the sofa in the living room of their mansion.

Meria cut the silence that followed and said. “Was there any reason you came to visit me?”

A slightly edgy tone that makes one feel distant. For some reason, Reukis remembered the day he first talked to Merria.

It felt like the Merria I met after a long time, who was sitting opposite me in ‘MIRO’ and naturally ignoring me.

Come to think of it, Merria said she had something to tell him.

He was certain. What she was trying to say would never be what Reukis expects.

Reukis curled his dry lips. “That… Merria.”

“Yes.”

“…”

“Yes.”

Reukis didn’t say anything in response to her successive replies.

The silence that came again briefly passed through the parlor. It was not Reukis’ words but his actions that soon broke the heavy silence.