Kallion's violent words made Yuliana freeze in place.
But the hesitation didn't last long.
Yuliana stared straight into his eyes, as if daring him to see how far she would go.
She ignored her trembling fingertips and slowly lifted the hem of her nightgown up to her waist.
Kallion's gaze wavered as he watched her.
Yuliana didn't notice his moment of hesitation and turned around, pressing her chest to the bed and lying down.
It was a raw and revealing posture—not something you'd expect between a couple about to share their first night together.
Trying to hide her shaking hands, Yuliana gripped the bedsheets and tightly shut her eyes, just hoping this moment would pass quickly.
The hem of her gown had rolled all the way up to her shoulder blades, revealing her soft, pale lower back and round hips.
Though her undergarments still barely covered her, her skin was so pale it was hard to distinguish the fabric from her body.
Kallion stared blankly, almost mesmerized.
Then, a burning tightness stirred below his waist, accompanied by a dark urge.
He had expected her to resist, to run—but instead, she quietly lifted her gown and exposed herself to him.
It was captivating, and at the same time, it stirred something ugly deep inside him.
Grinding his teeth, his jaw tensed.
Without any gentleness, he harshly pulled down her undergarments.
Yuliana flinched slightly at his touch, but he grabbed her hips roughly and threateningly, making sure she couldn't escape.
There was no foreplay. No tenderness.
Her body tensed up in fear.
If he forced himself on her like this, all she would feel was pain.
But Kallion acted like a torturer trying to break her will, gripping her waist tightly.
His mind and body were a complete mess.
The moment he saw her usually composed self laid bare like this, he couldn't control the heat flooding his head.
He didn't even know anymore if this was anger or pure lust.
Whether she understood any of this or not, her quiet compliance—like a child waiting for punishment—only made him more restless.
Unable to hold back anymore, Kallion cursed under his breath.
At the same time, Yuliana felt something hot and blunt press against her from behind and tightened her grip on the sheets.
'Just hold on… just a little longer.'
This was something she had to do anyway.
She didn't care about how or why—it didn't matter to her.
As she braced herself for the pain to come, trembling in fear, Kallion suddenly spoke in a low voice.
"Why are you crying?"
Yuliana flinched.
'I'm crying…?'
She slowly touched her own cheek with the hand gripping the sheets.
Only then did she realize—she was crying.
A look of confusion spread across her face.
Was I… expecting something gentle from him?
Did I really hope for some kind of closeness, like a normal couple would have…?
"I asked why you're crying."
He was trying to be patient, holding back his desire as best as he could.
Yuliana quickly wiped her tears, afraid he might stop the act altogether.
"I'm just… happy."
Kallion scoffed in disbelief.
She said she was crying because she was happy?
What part of this harsh, unloving act could make someone cry from joy?
Was this really the kind of woman she was?
Lloyd suddenly came to mind.
She's probably done this with him, too. A woman who cries out of joy doing this?
Irritated by the thought, Kallion gritted his teeth and brought himself to her entrance.
Yuliana felt the unfamiliar and terrifying sensation and gasped.
"Hnngh…!"
She tried to suppress it, but the tears wouldn't stop.
Even she didn't know why she was crying.
Was it from shame? From how pathetic she felt?
'Don't cry, Yuliana. You need to do this if you want to meet Denian. Just hold it in.'
The more she told herself to be strong, the more her lips trembled with soft sobs.
"Damn it!"
Kallion suddenly cursed and pulled back.
He hadn't even entered her.
Standing far away from the bed, he faced away from her, panting as he tried to calm himself down.
He quickly threw on his clothes, buttoning his ripped shirt clumsily.
Without even looking at her, he growled in a cracked voice,
"Sorry, but I don't sleep with women who cry."
And with that, he stormed out of the room coldly.
Left half-naked on the bed, Yuliana turned to face the ceiling.
A flood of emotions rushed in.
Shame, humiliation, a strange sense of relief, and the sinking fear that her chance to meet Denian was slipping away again.
Covering her face with both hands, she sobbed quietly.
Her tears continued falling, soaking into the bedsheets.
***
After that night, Kallion treated her with an icy coldness.
He completely ignored her, as if she didn't exist.
Maybe it was because of how he felt…
Or maybe rumors had started spreading that she was the one who leaked Valdormer's confidential information to Silverstel.
The mansion staff, too, looked at her with the same cold gaze she had received when she first arrived.
All her efforts to run the estate flawlessly as its mistress felt meaningless now.
She didn't care if they or Kallion were cold to her.
But she couldn't let the false accusation—that she leaked secrets—go unchallenged.
So she summoned Layla to the drawing room.
"You called for me, my lady?"
Layla smiled politely as she took a seat across from Yuliana.
Yuliana calmly lifted her teacup.
Kate, who had been serving tea, noticed her signal and quietly left the room.
"Take back the lie about me leaking information to Silverstel."
At her direct words, Layla's eyes widened slightly—then she smiled softly.
"My lady, I only reported to Lord Kallion what I saw with my own eyes."
Yuliana's hand tightened around her teacup.
At least it wasn't shaking.
"You mean that half-burned letter? It was nothing more than a letter asking how I was doing."
Yuliana's cold tone made Layla smile faintly.
"The beginning was burned, so no one knows what it actually said. I just gave Lord Kallion what remained and told him the envelope had no sender."
Layla then slowly lifted her teacup.
"I never directly said you leaked any secrets. He made his own judgment."
Then, she smiled with confidence.
"If Lord Kallion trusted you, he wouldn't have suspected you over something like this."
Yuliana's grip on the cup tightened again.
The fact that Layla was right only made her more furious.
Maybe she should've never exchanged letters with Lloyd.
No, maybe she shouldn't have burned that letter at all.
Would things be different if she hadn't?
Probably not.
Eventually, everything would've pointed back to her, because Kallion already denied her existence and saw her with contempt.
As Layla looked at Yuliana's tense face, she added casually,
"Whether or not you and Lord Lloyd actually exchanged confidential information… only you two would know. Oh, maybe he's already told Lord Kallion everything."
Yuliana flinched at those words.
Kallion had said something similar.
But she still couldn't believe it.
Why would Lloyd lie?
There was nothing for him to gain.
The Lloyd she knew wasn't the type to tell such lies.
As she got lost in her thoughts, Layla stood, having only taken a single sip of tea.
"I'm sorry, my lady, but the mansion is in chaos over the leak. Please excuse me."
Layla bowed politely and calmly left the room.
Yuliana couldn't stop her.
She couldn't yell at her.
She could only sit there, silently clenching her fists like someone who had already lost.