“Oh my, Genon Young-shik looks so handsome today as well.”

“Indeed he does.”

As one person spoke, the ladies beside her chimed in agreement while covering their mouths with fans.

Genon Young-shik was very famous in social circles as a playboy.

It was widely rumored that he changed the woman he took to his bedroom every night, and that he met with any woman wearing a skirt regardless of age or marital status.

The rumors were actually true.

He always enjoyed gaining women’s favor with his constantly smirking expression and kind manners.

Karina raised her indifferent gaze to look at Genon Young-shik.

Despite having generally handsome features, his thin eyelids and narrow lips gave him a subtly vicious impression.

But even that, the ladies chattered, was charming.

As soon as he entered, Genon Young-shik looked around as if searching for someone.

Then his eyes met directly with Karina’s.

Upon spotting Karina, he smiled, curving the corners of his mouth.

Karina thought he looked like a hyena that had found its prey.

Genon Young-shik immediately approached the table where Karina was sitting.

“Oh my! Genon Young-shik is coming this way!”

“How wonderful. Did you see him smile just now?”

The ladies made a fuss.

Arriving at their table, Genon opened his mouth.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Duchess. I am Pegison Genon.”

Genon Young-shik greeted her gently in a soft voice.

Karina, who had been watching him with a cold gaze, returned the greeting flatly.

“…Pleased to meet you, Genon Young-shik.”

“If it’s not too presumptuous, may I join you?”

“…”

Karina made an expression of reluctance.

But as expected, Caroline stepped in first to welcome him.

“Of course. Welcome, Count Genon Young-shik.”

“Thank you, Grand Duchess.”

Karina did not miss the meaningful glance exchanged secretly between the two after they exchanged formal greetings.

“The weather is truly lovely today. It’s a perfect day for strolling in the garden, basking in the warm sunlight and taking in the fragrant scent of flowers.”

“My, how romantic.”

“To speak of good weather so elegantly. You truly exude refinement.”

The surrounding ladies chattered noisily.

Karina ignored their prattle and looked around the venue with an indifferent gaze.

After briefly exchanging trivial conversation with the ladies, Genon suddenly whispered to Karina.

“Who are you looking at so intently, Duchess?”

“I wasn’t particularly looking at anyone.”

Karina replied in a flat tone to his question.

Nevertheless, Genon looked in the same direction as Karina and spoke.

“It’s Countess Grace Strict.”

At the end of Karina’s gaze was the elderly noblewoman she had seen earlier.

“At a glance she looks very gentle, but she’s actually quite stubborn and unyielding, with an inflexible character.”

“…”

Genon said something that could be taken as either an insult or a compliment.

Without looking at Genon, Karina said:

“I’m aware that Countess Strict is a person of upright character.”

“Do you really know? If you exchanged just a word or two with her, you’d realize how old-fashioned she is.”

Genon said playfully in a light tone.

“…I don’t know what your intention is in saying that, but I’d rather not hear any more.”

Karina cut off the conversation, not hiding her displeasure.

“Oh dear. I apologize if I’ve offended you.”

Genon took Karina’s hand and kissed the back of it.

“…!”

As Karina tried to immediately pull her hand away, Genon didn’t let go.

“Ah, your hand is so smooth. Is it because your heart is equally gentle?”

It was unpleasant how he subtly massaged Karina’s hand with both of his.

The ladies sitting nearby glanced at Genon and Karina with deeply furrowed brows.

More precisely, they shot jealous gazes and annoyed expressions at Karina.

‘Hah.’

Karina found it absurd.

“It’s so soft, just like a baby’s skin.”

After speaking, Genon rubbed his lips against the back of Karina’s hand once more.

“…!”

The slimy feeling made her skin crawl.

‘This is unbelievable!’

Greatly displeased, she shook off Genon Young-shik’s hand as if brushing it away.

And she openly showed her displeasure in an obvious manner.

Even so, Genon Young-shik persisted tenaciously without losing his smile.

“You’re even more beautiful than I’d heard.”

From their first meeting, he flattered her excessively and acted overly familiar with Karina.

“Even a red rose blooming freshly under warm sunlight is but a mere weed before you, Duchess.”

Inwardly retching, Karina replied in a frigid tone.

“Your praise is excessive.”

“Excessive? I’m sincere.”

And without permission, he brought his face close to Karina and whispered disgustingly in her ear.

“Perhaps because you’re as beautiful as a flower, it seems you even smell of flowers, Duchess. Bees might mistake you for a blossom and follow you.”

Karina furrowed her brow sharply and leaned back, feeling a rising sense of physiological revulsion.

“If it’s not too presumptuous, might I trouble you for a tour of the mansion?”

“It would be presumptuous.”

Karina flatly refused Genon, who was pushing forward with a brazen face.

Seeing Karina’s firm attitude, Caroline beside her tried to catch the wind.

“My goodness, Duchess, don’t be so cold. It would be a great honor for Young-shik if you gave him a tour of the mansion. I’m asking too.”

“…”

At this nonsense, Karina just sipped her tea without answering.

“Come on, Duchess. Young-shik just wants to see the Grand Duke’s mansion. Is that really so difficult?”

“That’s right. There’s no need to be so coldly dismissive and embarrass someone like that.”

The surrounding ladies subtly rebuked Karina for refusing the proposal while defending Genon.

Karina turned her eyes to look at a small table in the corner near the entrance of the hall.

A single white calla lily was placed in a long vase on the table.

It was the flower Karina had given to Mikhail before the event began.

‘So the preparations are complete.’

Karina, who had been looking at it with an indifferent gaze, took another sip of tea.

‘So it’s come to this after all.’

Karina swallowed the sneer that tried to escape the corners of her mouth along with the tea.

Finally, Karina put down her teacup and reluctantly accepted the proposal.

“Very well. If everyone insists, I suppose I have no choice.”

[This is the timeline separator]

In the end, Karina agreed to Genon Young-shik’s request to show him the library, as she had done in the past.

As a result, she ended up walking around the interior of the mansion alone with Genon Young-shik.

“This is the library. The Grand Duke’s family owns rare books that are difficult to obtain, rare books imported from overseas, and various other valuable types of books.”

While she was in the middle of earnestly explaining as she led him to the library.

Click.

“…”

Suddenly, the library door closed.

‘As expected.’

Although Karina looked towards the door, Genon Young-shik, who had closed it, pretended not to know anything and looked at Karina.

‘Shamelessly playing dumb.’

She looked at the situation with dispassionate eyes.

The fact that the Duchess and an adult man were alone together in an enclosed space in the empty library could be problematic in itself.

That’s why when giving tours of the mansion, it was basic practice to always keep the room doors wide open.

In principle, they should have been accompanied by several maids or servants, not just the two of them.

But Caroline had made excuses about having tasks for the maids and servants, and took them all away.

And now, like this.

Karina found herself alone with Young-shik, who had a reputation as a playboy, in a locked library.

“Wait a moment. Let me open the door again.”

As she moved towards the door, Genon Young-shik blocked her path as expected.

He grinned at Karina and said:

“There’s no need to open it again. Seeing how you’re not at all surprised, didn’t you expect this to some extent, Duchess?”

“Expect? What?”

“There’s no need to pretend.”

Genon Young-shik suddenly began unbuttoning his shirt as he approached Karina.

“I know everything. That you felt the same way as me.”

“What nonsense.”

What she meant to think inwardly accidentally slipped out.

“…”

Genon Young-shik, who had paused momentarily, began approaching her again.

“Don’t come any closer to me.”

Karina warned Genon Young-shik.

Ignoring Karina’s warning, Genon Young-shik came right up to her.

“Are you going to scream? Go ahead and scream. If people come and see this situation, who do you think will be in trouble?”

Genon Young-shik leered at Karina with glistening eyes.

She almost burst out laughing at the pathetic threat she had heard the same way in the past.

Karina replied to Genon’s nonsense.

‘Who else? You, of course.’

But this time she only thought it to herself.

Thinking Karina’s lack of response meant she was scared, Genon boldly approached and grabbed her arm.

A chill entered Karina’s eyes.

‘I’ve been waiting for this moment!’

As soon as her arm was grabbed, Karina raised her other hand and slapped his face with all her might.

Slap!

The sound of the slap rang out clearly.

Karina pretended to be startled by the sudden grabbing of her arm and jumped.

“How dare you! To lay hands on me, the Duchess, without permission!”

Not stopping there, she aimed her knee at Genon’s vital point.

But just as she raised her knee to strike, Genon staggered.

Thud!

As a result, Karina’s knee hit his thigh instead of his groin.

“Argh!”

Even though he was only hit in the thigh, Genon clutched the struck area and whimpered as if in pain.

‘Look at this guy. Did he dodge?’

Karina clicked her tongue in disappointment.

But Karina had no intention of stopping here.

‘I need to pay you back for what happened in the past to feel satisfied. You scoundrel!’

As Karina raised her knee again to aim for his groin, Genon instinctively covered the area and quickly dodged.

At that moment, there was a sound of movement outside the door.

‘I’m not done hitting him yet!’

Karina quickly stamped the heel of her high heel onto Genon’s instep one last time.

“Oof!”

Genon’s face turned bright red as his foot was properly stomped while he was distracted by the noise outside.

‘Ha, got you.’

As Karina was feeling somewhat satisfied, Genon roughly grabbed her.

“Let go of me!”

As she struggled, he pulled her into his arms and fell backwards.

At the same time, the library door opened and Jeremiah appeared.

The sound of gritting teeth could be heard.

“So. What kind of situation is this now?”

Suppressed anger could be felt in Jeremiah’s low voice.

‘Finally he’s here.’

Karina lowered her head to hide her rising smile.