From the night Silvio called her his lover, his attitude towards Idyllia changed visibly. He not only considered her reputation as a virtuous noblewoman but also spread rumours around the court about their potential engagement, likely using his subordinates. This made people view them as a couple engaged to be married, softening the sharp glances they received. At the same time, Silvio was deepening his relationships with nobles outside the Leveaux family and secretly strengthening ties with the Leveaux members, thereby increasing his influence at court. It was during this period that a minor incident occurred.

On that day, Silvio was invited to a deer hunt hosted by the King and was in the forest near the palace. Idyllia, along with other ladies, awaited their return at the hunting lodge. Suddenly, Silvio returned, accompanied by Robert, his subordinate, who wore a stern expression. As she went out to meet them, Idyllia noticed the bandage on Silvio’s upper arm was soaked with blood, causing her to turn pale.

“Silvio…!”

“It’s nothing serious. Really, it’s nothing,” Silvio repeated, while Robert urged him,

“Just get inside,” and pushed him into an empty parlour. Idyllia quickly asked for hot water and clean cloth before following them.

“What happened?”

“A stray bullet grazed my arm,” Silvio responded lightly. Robert continued irritably,

“The bullet flew towards the Duke, who was nowhere near the deer. Either the shooter had terrible aim, or they were skilled enough to graze him intentionally.”

“Robert,” Silvio admonished his subordinate before looking up at Idyllia.

“It was an accident. Don’t worry.”

“An accident…?” she asked anxiously. He shrugged.

“I felt like someone was targeting me, but without proof, it’s an accident.”

“…”

“Call me again,” he suddenly requested in a sweet voice, making her blink.

“What?”

“When you greeted me earlier, you called me by name.”

“Silvio?” she repeated, confused.

“No, you didn’t say it like that.”

“Um…” She thought back and realised what he meant. In her distress, she had used the familiar form of his name.

“…Silvio,” she whispered, and he nodded, eyes narrowing in approval.

“That’s better. From now on, call me that when we’re alone.”

A knock on the door announced the arrival of a servant with hot water and cloth. Robert took them, setting them on the table with a thud before tying back his long, wavy brown hair.

“I’ll take care of it, so take off your shirt.”

“No, I want Idyllia to do it.”

“Well, well…” Robert paused, his tone laced with hidden meaning.

“Be careful.”

Known for his charm with women, Robert’s gaze always held a cold edge when it came to Idyllia. Feeling bewildered,

(Did I do something to offend him?)

Idyllia wondered, while Silvio glared protectively at Robert, who merely shrugged.

“By the way, can I punch that shameless king who pretended to know nothing?”

“Of course not.”

“How about returning the stray bullet to him?”

“Keep it as a fantasy,” Silvio replied with a wry smile. Robert reluctantly nodded and left the room. Silvio sighed and sat on a chaise lounge, starting to remove his jacket.

“Sorry, my subordinates are all quite hot-headed—”

“That just shows how much your regiment respects you,” Idyllia said, approaching the chaise. She picked up the hot water and cloth from the low table and sat beside Silvio. She cleaned the wound, applied disinfectant, and covered it with clean gauze before securing it tightly with a bandage. As she tended to his wound, Silvio spoke slowly, his eyes watching her movements.

“It wasn’t easy at first. Our regiment was a mix of foreigners, unlike the regular army. Many of them had chequered pasts… I didn’t fit in at all. I was too reserved. Fortunately, I had specialised strategic knowledge, so they valued me for that and promoted me. I worked tirelessly, and before I knew it, I was in this position…”

“And now you lead them admirably.”

“As a result, I’ve become quite rough around the edges,” Silvio said with a laugh, reaching out to grab Idyllia’s wrist and pulling her to sit next to him. “While I was in Mediolam, I worried about you more than myself. Wondering how you were doing…”

“I was… I was in a state of confusion for a while, thinking you had died…” Her heart raced as she gazed into his moonlight-coloured eyes. “Knowing you were alive made me incredibly happy.”

“I felt the same. The moment we reunited, I couldn’t stop myself—” They stared at each other for a moment before he gently pressed his lips to hers.

“────…!” Idyllia was left speechless in a different way. This was their first kiss since reuniting. Despite their many intimate encounters, he had always avoided kissing her until now. But now, Silvio was claiming her lips, and when he finally pulled away, he gazed at her with a smouldering look.

“I’m sorry for not contacting you for so long. I knew this would happen if we met, so I didn’t want to see you.”

“This?”

“Being utterly captivated by you, just like before.”

“Silvio…” As Idyllia lowered her eyes under his intense gaze, he took it as a signal and kissed her again, this time more fervently, changing angles repeatedly.

“Mm…”

Before she realised it, Idyllia found herself lying on the chaise lounge, Silvio’s strong body pressing down on her.