“Hope?”

“A hope that a better tomorrow will arrive.”

Liv slowly raised herself.

“Even if it’s not such a grand fortune… At the very least, tomorrow might be better than today.”

“Have you always cared for your sick sister with that kind of mind?”

His question sounded more like curiosity than mockery. Tilting his head, the Marquis stared hard at Liv.

“Believing she will get better someday?”

“Yes. And in the end, I was given hope. It’s thanks to you…”

Trailing off, Liv hesitated for a moment before looking at the Marquis with a calm gaze.

“Because you listened to my prayer, my Lord.”

The Marquis remained silent. He stood there, his expression shrouded in such ambiguity that she couldn’t decipher his thoughts. She had always been aware of his talent for maintaining a poker face, but now it seemed he had honed that skill even further.

It was reassuring, at the very least, that he didn’t seem to mock or belittle her. This suggested that he was treating Liv’s sincerity seriously, genuinely listening to what she had to say.

The silence lingered in the unusual ambiance. Liv was the first to break eye contact. Having shifted down her gaze, she began to move her body. With the Marquis about to exit the room, she also needed to prepare herself to head home.

She was about to make her way to the bathroom as she usually did when the Marquis suddenly opened his lips.

“Stay over.”

It was all too apparent to Liv that these were not the hollow words he had always given her.

If he gave her an order disguised as a suggestion, Liv had no means to refuse. It was unlikely that the Marquis would take into account her personal distaste about being left alone in the cold room. Despite this, Liv responded on impulse.

“I can’t sleep alone.”

Impossible. She wasn’t a child, so how absurd it was if she couldn’t sleep alone. Alas, she had already spoken of it.

Seeing the Marquis respond with a raised eyebrow and squinted eyes, Liv quickly began to utter her excuse.

“… Well, it’s become a habit since I’ve been sleeping with Coryda.”

Embarrassment washed over her a moment later. She awkwardly brushed her hand over her neck and slowly shifted her gaze away from the Marquis.

For a brief moment, she must have been going mad. Her greed must have surged uncontrollably as she indulged in the Marquis’ benevolence. The more the Marquis remained silent, the more her face turned a shade redder.

It was when Liv, who was unable to deal with her embarrassment any longer, decided to say she would just sleep alone.

“Wash up and go outside.”

Oh, is he telling me to just go home?

She interpreted it in that way, but then the Marquis added with a distant tone.

“I don’t sleep in Verworth.”

“… Sorry?”

Liv looked at the Marquis with puzzled eyes. The Marquis wore an impassive face, but there was an inexplicable, subtle laugh in his voice.

“Didn’t you ask me to put you into sleep?”

He regarded her as though she were a young child frightened of the darkness.

She might be able to rectify the situation by confessing now that she hadn’t meant it, that it was just a joke. However, Liv couldn’t bring herself to do that. There was no way to tell when the Marquis, who had always left without even sparing her a glance after their sex, would be inclined toward such a caprice again.

Liv swallowed nervously and descended from the bed. All she could do was wish for her racing heart to eventually settle down.

***

One of the prevalent misconceptions people held about Demus was that he was entirely incapable of engaging with others.

To clarify, Demus wasn’t “incapable” of interacting with other people, but rather “unwilling” to do so. However, the distinction remained obscured to most. His consistent avoidance of people had left no room for anyone to discern the difference.

This apparently applied to Liv as well. Her eyes opened wide when she found out that Demus could actually sleep with another person in the same bed all night. Demus couldn’t fathom the extent to which he seemed like an unapproachable beast in her mind.

He was left utterly flabbergasted by it, but it didn’t matter anyway. By now, she must have realized that her assumption was a misapprehension.

“I have clearly communicated the situation to Miss Coryda. Additionally, we have dispatched some guards around your house to ensure her safety, so you can rest easy.”

Liv finally heaved a sigh of relief. Even though she had made up her mind to stay overnight, she couldn’t hide her concern for Coryda who was alone at home. Philip continued to give Liv a few more pointers and then quietly retreated.

The space they occupied was one of many rooms in the Lanxess manor. It wasn’t Demus’ private bedroom, but the room was too exquisite to be designated as a guest room.

Maybe it was because they had done it before in the Lanxess manor. Liv didn’t look particularly awkward about sleeping in this room.

This brought back the memory of how he had previously thought that he didn’t want to let her leave this manor.