07.

“Tea! Just… bring me some tea.”

“…Tea?”

Riad, who had allowed her a brief reprieve from the tension, let out a soft, incredulous laugh as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He shifted closer to her on his knees, closing the distance between them with ease. Henesstia’s body tensed as though she had been bitten on the back of her neck.

“B-because it’s cold…”

“……”

It was an obvious excuse, but Riad paused, maintaining a bit of distance, and simply stared at her.

Henesstia could barely meet his gaze, the embarrassment too overwhelming. Everywhere his touch had lingered on her body burned with a flush of heat, and the unfamiliar sensations tightening in her belly heightened her sense of vulnerability.

She sneaked a glance up at him, only to catch his eyes before quickly lowering her head again, overwhelmed by shame. His intense gaze remained on her, focusing on the tear stains glistening on her cheeks. After a brief moment, Riad let out a quiet sigh and stood up.

Henesstia had fully expected him to ignore her request, but to her surprise, despite the obvious strain on his aroused body, he turned away without protest.

It was only then that she exhaled the breath she had been holding. Her hands shook for an entirely different reason now, and she could hardly muster any strength. In her dazed state, her eyes followed his retreating figure as he calmly slipped his nightgown back on.

Quickly, Henesstia scrambled to adjust her own clothing, her eyes darting around the bed that was now a mess from their earlier struggle.

‘The vial… the vial…’

She cursed herself for losing track of it in her panic. After a quick search, she spotted the small bottle that had rolled beneath the bed.

Henesstia hurried to get up. As she bent down to retrieve the vial, her weakened body, still shaky from the earlier encounter, lost its balance.

With a loud thud, she fell to the floor.

As Henesstia tripped over the blanket and fell dramatically to the floor, she could only gasp, her body twisting awkwardly.

“…!”

Riad, who had been dutifully pouring the tea as though it were a mere distraction, turned sharply at the loud sound. Seeing her sprawled out on the floor, he dropped the teapot without a second thought and hurried toward her.

“What are you doing?”

“I… no, I tripped on the blanket…”

She attempted to explain, but as she tried to prop herself up on one arm, a sharp pain radiated through her, causing her to collapse back down. Her face turned pale, and the pain made her breath catch. Riad’s expression darkened immediately as he knelt beside her.

“Stay still.”

The hands that had roughly touched her moments ago were now pressing firmly on her shoulder.

“…Ah!”

Before she could even brace herself, a wave of pain surged through her, so severe she bit down hard on her lower lip to stifle a scream. She wished he would let go.

“I’m holding you steady. Try moving your arm up and down slowly.”

“I-It hurts…”

She couldn’t tell if the pain came from his grip or her injury. The heat from earlier had vanished, replaced by a pallor on Henesstia’s face as she winced. Riad, noting her distress, released his grip.

“It doesn’t seem like the bone is broken…”

“Ugh…”

“Maybe it’s the muscle… I’ll get some medicine—”

Still clutching her arm, Henesstia instinctively tugged the blanket up to cover her chest. Riad, clearly focused on the situation at hand, stood up and was about to head off when he froze.

“What’s that?”

His eyes narrowed as they landed on the suspicious vial. Henesstia, panicked, realized he had spotted it and quickly tried to hide it, but her flustered behavior only made things worse.

Riad reached for it before she could even react, his long arm easily snatching up the bottle.

“This isn’t mine.”

His voice was low and detached.

The warmth that had filled the room dissipated, leaving a cold tension in its wake.

“What exactly is this?”

His voice was sharp, dripping with suspicion.

The tone was so harsh that Henesstia found herself stumbling over her words, trying to explain.

“It’s… it’s just… it’s medicine for me.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ve been… I need to take it regularly…”

“So, you brought this ‘medicine’ all the way to my chambers?”

Henesstia nodded her head vigorously. As she reached out, hoping he would return the vial, a sharp pain shot through her arm, causing a cold sweat to drip down her face.

Riad seemed to hesitate for a moment at the sight, but it was brief, and his relentless questioning resumed.

“And you expect me to believe that?”

The vial rolled lightly in his hand. Henesstia, frozen in place, frantically searched her mind for another excuse, but nothing came to her.

“I thought it was strange when you suddenly started talking about tea… so this is what you’re up to? Listen closely, my esteemed lady. I won’t die from some pathetic poison.”

“Poison? No! It’s not poison! It’s really just medicine…”

Realizing the misunderstanding, Henesstia raised her voice in defense. She never imagined he would think she had brought poison into his chambers. Desperately, she stretched her arm higher to retrieve the vial, but Riad effortlessly evaded her attempt, pulling his arm back.

He easily restrained her hand and trapped her between his knees, pushing her down with a slight force.

“Ugh…!”

The back of her head hit the bed, though not too harshly.

He dangled the vial in front of her, the liquid inside sloshing back and forth.

“Is that so? If it’s just medicine, why don’t you drink it?”

A gulp echoed in the room. Her body, which had been flushed with heat moments ago, went cold.

Riad kindly twisted the cap off the vial. The liquid inside had no scent, shimmering in front of Henesstia’s eyes.

“I… I…”

Heron had said it was a mild stimulant, something that could help with conception. She had intended to take it anyway, so there shouldn’t have been any reason to hesitate.

But in this situation… could she really drink it? She didn’t fully understand its effects. Yet, clearing up this misunderstanding was critical.

As she hesitated, her hand slowly reaching for the vial, Riad let out a bitter laugh.

“So it’s true… you were trying to kill your husband the moment he returned home.”

“Why… why would you think that?”

Poison? The thought of her procuring such a thing was absurd, let alone harming someone. How could he believe such a thing?

“Should I forgive you for being left to sleep alone for a year while I was at war?”

Riad dangled the vial mockingly before her. He pressed his knee firmly between her thighs, parting them.

With her legs resting atop his, Riad gripped the back of Henesstia’s head, pressing her further into the bed as he leaned closer.

“You know I wouldn’t die from this. Next time, I suggest you prepare a more effective method.”

His rough fingers trailed beneath her eyes, wiping away a tear as her body collapsed fully under him.

In one swift motion, Henesstia found herself flat on her back, with Riad hovering over her. She tried to steady her breathing, her heart racing at the sight of him atop her.

Clang! The vial Riad had been holding was flung across the room, crashing into the wall with a loud bang. The glass shattered into countless pieces, scattering across the floor as the chandelier’s light reflected off the shards.

“Hah…!”

Henesstia gasped, startled by the sound and the intensity of the situation.

Henesstia gasped as the sound of the crashing vial echoed in her ears, making her body tremble uncontrollably.

“Don’t be afraid over something so small.”

Instead of focusing on him, she gripped the blanket tightly in her hands. The intensity of his gaze weighed heavily on her, and all she could do was swallow nervously, unable to respond.

“We’re returning to the Count’s estate tomorrow.”

“…!”

His declaration came without warning.

In shock, Henesstia looked up, momentarily forgetting her fear.

At the end of her gaze stood Riad Ingel, watching her as if he were assessing her. His expression was unreadable, devoid of anger or any discernible emotion.

“N-no, we can’t.”

“There’s no reason why we can’t. I’m returning to my home, and I’m taking my wife with me.”

“But… your parents have been waiting for you for a long time…”

“I didn’t know you were so concerned about my parents. If it’s about money, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you can spend as much as you want at the Count’s estate. After all, you’re the only daughter of the Ardin family. I’ll ensure you have all the luxury you desire.”

Money wasn’t the issue. She hadn’t expected him to believe that she was living with his parents to drain their wealth.

At the same time, the words of the Baroness echoed in her mind, reminding her to keep him at the castle when he returned.

“You wouldn’t be able to pull stunts like this at my estate,” Riad said, his gaze flicking toward the shattered vial. The broken pieces on the floor were enough to obliterate whatever trust had remained.

“I don’t like repeating myself. If you don’t want to go with nothing but the clothes on your back, I suggest you start packing tomorrow morning,” he said coldly.

Henesstia closed her eyes, trying to suppress the overwhelming reality crashing down on her like a storm.

“…”

Seeing that she wasn’t responding, Riad muttered something under his breath before standing up and walking away.

“Damn it, I don’t even know where anything is,” he grumbled, rummaging around the room. Eventually, he found a small container and opened it to reveal a thick, white cream with a strong medicinal scent.

He returned to Henesstia, who was still lying on the floor, and reached out toward her. She flinched, curling into herself, expecting to be struck, but his hand only rested on her shoulder.

“…Ah!”

Riad easily untied her dress, more efficiently than before. Henesstia instinctively covered her chest, but he wasn’t interested in that. Instead, he scooped a generous amount of the cream and applied it to her reddened shoulder.

The pungent smell mixed with the cool sensation, spreading across her skin like ice.

“…”

Henesstia clenched her lips together and forced herself to endure, keeping her gaze steady as he applied the ointment with surprising gentleness.

His hands moved slowly, massaging the cream into her skin with the same careful attention he’d used to examine her for any other injuries. Despite his cold demeanor, there was no sign of irritation or frustration in his actions.

The chilling tension from earlier still lingered, but at least he didn’t seem poised to lash out at her again. What struck her the most was that, despite having been injured many times since their marriage, this was the first time someone had treated her wounds.

And that person was none other than Riad Ingel.

When he finished applying the ointment, his hand pulled away naturally. Henesstia, unsure how to react, mumbled a small, hesitant thank you as she watched him.

“…Thank you.”

Only then did she become aware of her almost-naked state and silently panicked. She hurriedly grabbed her discarded clothes and hastily tried to cover herself, while Riad, who had been so aggressive moments before, simply observed her calmly.

As if sensing it was over, she awkwardly stood up and glanced toward the door. Riad, however, moved to block her path, standing directly in front of her.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To… to my room…”

“That won’t be happening.”

He spoke without emotion.

“Why should I trust a woman who brought a suspicious vial into my chambers and just let her go?”