“What...What are you doing!”
“Considering that, didn’t you search the empty office quite diligently?”
“...!”
Karina bit her lower lip at his comment.
Jeremiah, who had reached the level of a Sword Master, couldn’t have missed the presence of a person even though there was only a wall between them.
He even knew what she had been doing just a moment ago.
Karina was so surprised that she ended up shouting back.
“...That’s what I wanted to ask.”
Jeremiah said, narrowing his brows.
Karina quickly turned around and calmed her surprised heart.
“I...I came here because I have something to tell you.”
“...That’s what I wanted to ask.”
Jeremiah said, narrowing his brows.
Karina quickly turned around and calmed her surprised heart.
“I...I came here because I have something to tell you.”
She was so surprised that her voice jumped around without warning.
“Considering that, didn’t you search the empty office quite diligently?”
“...!”
Karina bit her lower lip at his comment.
Jeremiah, who had reached the level of a Sword Master, couldn’t have missed the presence of a person even though there was only a wall between them.
He even knew what she had been doing just a moment ago.
‘You knew that, but you still watched, didn’t you? With your symbol.’
Karina grumbled that his symbol was annoying.
Karina, who had suppressed her complaints, decided to be shameless since it had come to this.
“I knocked clearly. It’s the fault of the person who wasn’t there.”
“Ha.”
Jeremiah snorted in disbelief.
“If the owner isn’t there, you can just search through his stuff? I don’t know what etiquette is.”
“I’m in a bit of an emergency.”
Karina crossed her arms and answered in a twisted tone.
She felt Jeremiah approaching her from behind.
Jeremiah placed his hand on the door and stood right behind her, asking,
“So. What were you looking for?”
Karina turned around at his questioning words.
“That’s... Huh!”
And she was so surprised that she couldn’t continue speaking.
‘What! Why are you still naked!’
Jeremiah, who had approached her, was still naked.
Karina was so flustered that she didn’t know what to do.
But this time, she didn’t turn around to avoid him.
Instead, she was swearing with her eyes while her face was crumpled.
'Why on earth are you not wearing clothes, you idiot!'
Karina screamed inwardly.
Still, she didn't know where to look.
But for a moment, she was determined not to make the same mistake as last time.
Karina bit her lip.
'If I turn my head away in embarrassment, it'll be the same as last time.'
Karina thought back to the situation Mikhail had been in when he was changing his uniform a while ago.
'I absolutely hate that!'
She didn't want to be in that situation where she felt like her weakness had been exposed, like that, to Jeremiah.
'Never to anyone else, but to Jeremiah!'
Karina opened her eyes wide and looked straight up at Jeremiah.
She could see each and every drop of water slowly flowing down his wet, dark hair and his white, clear skin.
His sculpted features were completely captured in Karina's field of vision as the drop of water flowed down.
Smooth, shining skin like honey, dark eyebrows, high nose bridge, clear, plump red lips, and sharp jawline.
Below that, water droplets flowing down the strong neckline passed his protruding décolleté and straight collarbone and went down to his firm chest.
However, Karina did not look down and stubbornly stared straight into Jeremiah’s eyes.
Then, his moist red lips opened, and a low-pitched voice with no highs or lows clearly penetrated her ears.
“Tell me. What were you looking for?”
“...”
Karina could not open her mouth despite his question.
If she spoke now, her voice would tremble.
If that happened, she would not be able to even pretend to be okay and stand.
Karina rolled her hands into fists and held on.
“...”
Jeremiah raised one hand and cupped Karina’s chin.
“Aren’t you going to tell me?”
He swept her lips, which were not opening, with his thumb.
“...”
Jeremiah met Karina’s gaze who was looking straight at him with an expressionless face. His deep and dark eyes, like an abyss, stared at her intently.
How much time had passed?
A drop of water gradually gathered from the ends of his wet hair and fell onto Karina’s cheek.
Then, Karina’s eyelashes fluttered thinly in surprise at the cold sensation.
At that signal, Jeremiah’s face came closer to Karina’s.
They were so close that they could feel each other’s breaths as if their lips would meet at any moment.
Karina’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
She wanted to step back without realizing it.
However, she managed to hold on without stepping back.
As if she would never run away no matter what he did.
At some point, a faint sigh escaped Jeremiah.
It was an ambiguous feeling that felt like a sigh or a laugh.
The two people’s gazes which had been tightly intertwined in the air slowly drifted apart.
Jeremiah took a step back.
“Get out.”
“...Yes?”
Karina looked blank at the sudden order to swear.
Jeremiah grabbed Karina’s shoulder and pushed her back.
“...?”
Karina was pushed back without even realizing it by the slow hand.
“Wait a minute. I clearly said I came here to tell you something.”
“Do it later.”
Jeremiah turned around and slammed the bedroom door shut in front of Karina.
“...Huh?”
Karina blinked.
Karina, who had been staring at the closed door, came to her senses after a long time.
‘What? I didn’t say anything and was kicked out?’
Karina muttered with a bewildered face after realizing the situation.
“Why...?”
‘Ha, this is ridiculous.’
Jeremiah brushed back his dripping hair, showing his discomfort.
Karina was shocked at how unfazed she was by the sight of the man’s naked body.
‘Shouldn’t she normally be more flustered?’
It was the first time she had been flustered by him.
Even then, she seemed more surprised by the fact that there was a person than by the sight of his naked body.
‘Isn’t she just too unguarded around men? Surely she wouldn’t act like that in front of that escort?’
As soon as he thought of that, his discomfort level crossed the line.
Jeremiah furrowed his brow. He recalled her eyes that had stared straight at him.
They seemed to be transparent glass beads that contained a lush green forest. His throat was parched at those blind gazes directed at him.
The moment he touched her stubbornly pursed lips with his thumb, Jeremiah felt a dizzy feeling. Her slightly flushed cheeks and plump lips looked so tempting. He almost kissed her without realizing it.
Karina grumbled that his symbol was annoying.
Karina, who had suppressed her complaints, decided to be shameless since it had come to this.
“I knocked clearly. It’s the fault of the person who wasn’t there.”
“Ha.”
Jeremiah snorted in disbelief.
“If the owner isn’t there, you can just search through his stuff? I don’t know what etiquette is.”
“I’m in a bit of an emergency.”
Karina crossed her arms and answered in a twisted tone.
She felt Jeremiah approaching her from behind.
Jeremiah placed his hand on the door and stood right behind her, asking,
“So. What were you looking for?”
Karina turned around at his questioning words.
“That’s... Huh!”
And she was so surprised that she couldn’t continue speaking.
‘What! Why are you still naked!’
Jeremiah, who had approached her, was still naked.
Karina was so flustered that she didn’t know what to do.
But this time, she didn’t turn around to avoid him.
Instead, she was swearing with her eyes while her face was crumpled.
'Why on earth are you not wearing clothes, you idiot!'
Karina screamed inwardly.
Still, she didn't know where to look.
But for a moment, she was determined not to make the same mistake as last time.
Karina bit her lip.
'If I turn my head away in embarrassment, it'll be the same as last time.'
Karina thought back to the situation Mikhail had been in when he was changing his uniform a while ago.
'I absolutely hate that!'
She didn't want to be in that situation where she felt like her weakness had been exposed, like that, to Jeremiah.
'Never to anyone else, but to Jeremiah!'
Karina opened her eyes wide and looked straight up at Jeremiah.
She could see each and every drop of water slowly flowing down his wet, dark hair and his white, clear skin.
His sculpted features were completely captured in Karina's field of vision as the drop of water flowed down.
Smooth, shining skin like honey, dark eyebrows, high nose bridge, clear, plump red lips, and sharp jawline.
Below that, water droplets flowing down the strong neckline passed his protruding décolleté and straight collarbone and went down to his firm chest.
However, Karina did not look down and stubbornly stared straight into Jeremiah’s eyes.
Then, his moist red lips opened, and a low-pitched voice with no highs or lows clearly penetrated her ears.
“Tell me. What were you looking for?”
“...”
Karina could not open her mouth despite his question.
If she spoke now, her voice would tremble.
If that happened, she would not be able to even pretend to be okay and stand.
Karina rolled her hands into fists and held on.
“...”
Jeremiah raised one hand and cupped Karina’s chin.
“Aren’t you going to tell me?”
He swept her lips, which were not opening, with his thumb.
“...”
Jeremiah met Karina’s gaze who was looking straight at him with an expressionless face. His deep and dark eyes, like an abyss, stared at her intently.
How much time had passed?
A drop of water gradually gathered from the ends of his wet hair and fell onto Karina’s cheek.
Then, Karina’s eyelashes fluttered thinly in surprise at the cold sensation.
At that signal, Jeremiah’s face came closer to Karina’s.
They were so close that they could feel each other’s breaths as if their lips would meet at any moment.
Karina’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
She wanted to step back without realizing it.
However, she managed to hold on without stepping back.
As if she would never run away no matter what he did.
At some point, a faint sigh escaped Jeremiah.
It was an ambiguous feeling that felt like a sigh or a laugh.
The two people’s gazes which had been tightly intertwined in the air slowly drifted apart.
Jeremiah took a step back.
“Get out.”
“...Yes?”
Karina looked blank at the sudden order to swear.
Jeremiah grabbed Karina’s shoulder and pushed her back.
“...?”
Karina was pushed back without even realizing it by the slow hand.
“Wait a minute. I clearly said I came here to tell you something.”
“Do it later.”
Jeremiah turned around and slammed the bedroom door shut in front of Karina.
“...Huh?”
Karina blinked.
Karina, who had been staring at the closed door, came to her senses after a long time.
‘What? I didn’t say anything and was kicked out?’
Karina muttered with a bewildered face after realizing the situation.
“Why...?”
***
‘Ha, this is ridiculous.’
Jeremiah brushed back his dripping hair, showing his discomfort.
Karina was shocked at how unfazed she was by the sight of the man’s naked body.
‘Shouldn’t she normally be more flustered?’
It was the first time she had been flustered by him.
Even then, she seemed more surprised by the fact that there was a person than by the sight of his naked body.
‘Isn’t she just too unguarded around men? Surely she wouldn’t act like that in front of that escort?’
As soon as he thought of that, his discomfort level crossed the line.
Jeremiah furrowed his brow. He recalled her eyes that had stared straight at him.
They seemed to be transparent glass beads that contained a lush green forest. His throat was parched at those blind gazes directed at him.
The moment he touched her stubbornly pursed lips with his thumb, Jeremiah felt a dizzy feeling. Her slightly flushed cheeks and plump lips looked so tempting. He almost kissed her without realizing it.
As soon as he realized that, a bitter smile escaped his lips without him knowing.
'I'm crazy.'
His already uncomfortable mood was getting even more twisted.
Jeremiah glanced at the door.
He felt that Karina had not yet left and was still waiting behind the door.
"Whew."
His sigh deepened.
Jeremiah, having calmed down, quickly dried himself and put on his clothes.
All he could think about was getting her out of hia room as quickly as possible.
When Jeremiah opened the door, Karina was still standing where she had been pushed earlier.
Her arms were crossed and her expression was very angry.
“So what do you want to say?”
Jeremiah asked the main point without saying anything about moving.
“Remember? It was my idea to hold the tea party that Caroline suggested as a charity event that also serves as a regular meeting.”
Jeremiah nodded as if to tell her to continue.
“I want to personally manage the entire event and the reception of the guests. I will do it all by myself, without Caroline’s help.”
“Go ahead.”
“Yes...?”
Contrary to Karina’s expectations, Jeremiah easily gave his permission.
‘I thought you would say no because I don’t know much about the Northern Banquet.’
Still, she heard Jeremiah say that she should do it alone.
She was satisfied that the risk of Caroline finding out about her plans or interfering with them was reduced.
But she still had something else to say.
What she was going to say was more important.
Karina hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“I want to send the invitation with the family seal, not the Grand Duchess.”
“...?”
Jeremiah asked, tilting his head slightly.
“You want to send the invitation with family seal, not Grand Duchess?”
“That’s right. What I was looking for earlier was also the family seal. I need it when sending the invitation.”
'I'm crazy.'
His already uncomfortable mood was getting even more twisted.
Jeremiah glanced at the door.
He felt that Karina had not yet left and was still waiting behind the door.
"Whew."
His sigh deepened.
Jeremiah, having calmed down, quickly dried himself and put on his clothes.
All he could think about was getting her out of hia room as quickly as possible.
***
When Jeremiah opened the door, Karina was still standing where she had been pushed earlier.
Her arms were crossed and her expression was very angry.
“So what do you want to say?”
Jeremiah asked the main point without saying anything about moving.
“Remember? It was my idea to hold the tea party that Caroline suggested as a charity event that also serves as a regular meeting.”
Jeremiah nodded as if to tell her to continue.
“I want to personally manage the entire event and the reception of the guests. I will do it all by myself, without Caroline’s help.”
“Go ahead.”
“Yes...?”
Contrary to Karina’s expectations, Jeremiah easily gave his permission.
‘I thought you would say no because I don’t know much about the Northern Banquet.’
Still, she heard Jeremiah say that she should do it alone.
She was satisfied that the risk of Caroline finding out about her plans or interfering with them was reduced.
But she still had something else to say.
What she was going to say was more important.
Karina hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“I want to send the invitation with the family seal, not the Grand Duchess.”
“...?”
Jeremiah asked, tilting his head slightly.
“You want to send the invitation with family seal, not Grand Duchess?”
“That’s right. What I was looking for earlier was also the family seal. I need it when sending the invitation.”
To send it as the seal of the couple, the seal of the head of the family had to be stamped at the end of the invitation next to the seal of the Grand Duchess.
That way, it would be confirmed that the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess had discussed and agreed on the invitation together.
Karina felt embarrassed to make such a request after confidently mentioning divorce.
Even to herself, it seemed contradictory and shameless, but it was necessary for her plan.
“Why do I have to do that?”
Karina calmly answered Jeremiah’s question.
“That way, it would be more flattering.”
That way, it would be confirmed that the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess had discussed and agreed on the invitation together.
Karina felt embarrassed to make such a request after confidently mentioning divorce.
Even to herself, it seemed contradictory and shameless, but it was necessary for her plan.
“Why do I have to do that?”
Karina calmly answered Jeremiah’s question.
“That way, it would be more flattering.”
She omitted the words “as a couple.” and swallowed them inside.
She absolutely did not want to say it, even in vain.
“...”
Jeremiah, who had been silent for a moment, opened his mouth again.
“So divorce was just something you said?”
“...!”
Karina grimaced.
She did not want to use this method because she was afraid that he would misunderstand.
The weight of the words divorce that she had uttered with firm determination would become as light as dust.
“I hope you don’t misunderstand,”
Karina said solemnly with a stiff expression.
“My thoughts on divorce have not changed at all. I just thought there was no need to make a fuss until the divorce was ready.”
“Preparing for a divorce?”
Jeremiah, who had maintained a blank expression until now, narrowed his brows.
“Even if you don’t like it, it’s a marriage that was clearly made by imperial decree, so how can I just ask for a divorce without any preparation? I never thought it would be easy to get permission.”
Karina said in a tone that suggested it was obvious.
Jeremiah looked a little surprised as if he had never expected Karina to say such a thing.
“And the same goes for Marquis Milliner. Just because we’re from the same family doesn’t mean we have the same thoughts. If I were to get a divorce, my father would step forward and say no and sabotage it.”
“...”
“Don’t worry, I won’t use that as an excuse to get a divorce.”
Karina smiled leisurely.
“I would like you to cooperate with me for now, even if it’s just for the sake of a perfect divorce.”
“...”
Jeremiah stared at Karina with a meaningful expression on his face, not knowing what she was thinking.
Then he finally opened his mouth.
“How can I believe that?”
“If you don’t believe me, I can write you a memorandum.”
Karina said confidently as if she could write it right now.
“If I write the memorandum, you can lend me the family seal as I wish.”
She absolutely did not want to say it, even in vain.
“...”
Jeremiah, who had been silent for a moment, opened his mouth again.
“So divorce was just something you said?”
“...!”
Karina grimaced.
She did not want to use this method because she was afraid that he would misunderstand.
The weight of the words divorce that she had uttered with firm determination would become as light as dust.
“I hope you don’t misunderstand,”
Karina said solemnly with a stiff expression.
“My thoughts on divorce have not changed at all. I just thought there was no need to make a fuss until the divorce was ready.”
“Preparing for a divorce?”
Jeremiah, who had maintained a blank expression until now, narrowed his brows.
“Even if you don’t like it, it’s a marriage that was clearly made by imperial decree, so how can I just ask for a divorce without any preparation? I never thought it would be easy to get permission.”
Karina said in a tone that suggested it was obvious.
Jeremiah looked a little surprised as if he had never expected Karina to say such a thing.
“And the same goes for Marquis Milliner. Just because we’re from the same family doesn’t mean we have the same thoughts. If I were to get a divorce, my father would step forward and say no and sabotage it.”
“...”
“Don’t worry, I won’t use that as an excuse to get a divorce.”
Karina smiled leisurely.
“I would like you to cooperate with me for now, even if it’s just for the sake of a perfect divorce.”
“...”
Jeremiah stared at Karina with a meaningful expression on his face, not knowing what she was thinking.
Then he finally opened his mouth.
“How can I believe that?”
“If you don’t believe me, I can write you a memorandum.”
Karina said confidently as if she could write it right now.
“If I write the memorandum, you can lend me the family seal as I wish.”
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