Lady Highland quickly apologized after seeing Kallion's displeasure.
"I-I'm sorry…"
Her husband, Felix, added awkwardly,
"She didn't mean any harm. Please forgive her."
Kallion didn't answer and just continued eating.
So I spoke in his place.
"It's fine."
But honestly, I hadn't expected Kallion to react so strongly to talk about children.
Then again, maybe it was only natural.
I remembered what he said in my first life when I told him I was pregnant:
"There is now another Heister bloodline."
To him, the child was only a stain—an unwanted extension of Heister blood. He had hated the idea.
So, of course, he wouldn't welcome a child between us now.
For me, the child had been a gift. For him, it was something else entirely.
Back then, my heart broke for Denian, unloved even by his own father.
But this time, it didn't matter. In this life, the two of them would never even meet.
As the atmosphere grew awkward, Felix tried to change the subject.
"By the way, the value of Vendel pine has suddenly skyrocketed recently."
That caught Kallion's attention.
"Vendel pine?"
"Yes. From what I've heard, the Imperial family has been buying up all the bark. They've even signed exclusive contracts for entire pine groves."
I already knew this, but calmly continued eating.
"But it's not even useful for building materials," Kallion said. "What would they need it for?"
"I don't know the details," Felix admitted. "That's all I've been able to learn. But with the Imperial family already involved, it's far too late for anyone else to profit."
His wife sighed regretfully.
"If I had known, I would've bought some in advance. Who could have guessed that bark, which only peasants used for tea, would become so expensive?"
Then she looked at me.
"Don't you agree, Madam?"
I smiled politely.
"I wouldn't know much about business."
She nodded knowingly.
"Of course. You haven't been mistress of the house for long, after all."
The unspoken words were clear: someone like me, uneducated by the Heisters, couldn't possibly know about trade.
She wasn't wrong—at least not about the old Yuliana.
I only smiled gently.
Then, in her usual lofty tone, Lady Highland added,
"If you ever need help, please ask me. A mistress must know a little about managing business."
I let her words wash over me and smiled thinly.
"Of course."
As I turned back to my meal, I noticed Kallion staring at me.
When I looked at him questioningly, he quickly averted his eyes and ate as if nothing had happened.
***
Later…
Even after dinner, Kallion stayed lost in thought.
He couldn't shake Yuliana's words—"I don't know about business."
But his butler, Cliff, had reported otherwise: that Yuliana seemed to be personally trading with the Bas merchant group.
And from what he had seen, she was perfectly capable of managing the Valdormer estate's finances.
So why pretend ignorance in front of Lady Highland?
She was hiding something. He could feel it—and the thought chilled him.
What if she was really working with the Heisters?
His hand clenched into a fist just as Yuliana's voice broke his thoughts.
"Kallion?"
She was waiting by the carriage. He quickly offered his hand to help her up and didn't sit until she was safely inside.
"Let's go," he said.
The Highland couple stood at their gate, watching their carriage disappear.
"It seems the rumors are true—Lord Kallion is completely taken with his wife," Lady Highland said flatly.
Felix frowned. "Watch your tongue."
But she went on carelessly,
"At this rate, Valdormer will fall under Heister's daughter's spell."
Felix glared coldly until she finally fell silent. Then he muttered under his breath,
"Lord Kallion would never forgive the Heisters. He can't. Otherwise, we would be in trouble."
***
In the carriage back…
The silence was heavy until Kallion spoke first.
"Why did you lie to Lady Highland?"
Yuliana stiffened and looked at him.
He continued, "You've managed Valdormer's estate perfectly well. Why act clueless?"
Understanding, she let out a small sigh.
"I only played along. I didn't want to spoil the mood."
Kallion frowned.
"Why would you play along with her?"
His persistence made Yuliana stare back at him, annoyed.
"What exactly is bothering you?"
He couldn't answer.
What bothered him?
That she had secrets from him.
That she was planning something as Yuliana, not as Valdormer's lady.
And that if he pressed her too hard, she might just leave him without hesitation.
He hated all of it.
"…Are you hiding something from me?" he asked quietly.
Yuliana stayed silent for a moment.
Of course she was.
She had married him with her own motives.
She had shared his bed only to conceive the child he would never want.
She had been using Valdormer's resources to secure her child's future.
There was no way their relationship could ever be free of lies.
So she answered coldly, without guilt:
"No. I'm not hiding anything."
Kallion's fists tightened. He leaned in close, their faces almost touching, his breath hot with anger.
"Not hiding anything?"
Their eyes locked—both refusing to back down. The tension between them was thick and heated.
Then Yuliana suddenly grabbed his collar and kissed him.
Kallion froze in shock.
Her soft lips pressed firmly against his. The sensation made him shudder, and a muffled groan escaped before he shut his eyes and kissed her back.
Before long, they were both devouring each other's lips desperately.
Kallion cupped her face, kissing hungrily, but stopped himself with sheer willpower when he remembered they were still in a moving carriage.
Breathless, he looked at her disheveled face, eyes filled with confusion.
"Why…?"
Why kiss him all of a sudden?
But Yuliana's answer was calm, almost indifferent.
"Isn't this what you've been wanting all day? Isn't that why you've been treating me so well?"
After last night, when he hadn't been able to stop himself from taking her over and over, it wasn't a strange assumption.
Her bluntness made Kallion frown.
"What…?"
"If that's not it, then what other reason could there be?" she asked coolly.
His pride stung, Kallion clenched his jaw.
"Yuliana."
Before he could say more, she climbed onto his lap, straddling him.
He froze, stunned, as she leaned close and whispered,
"Stop beating around the bush. Just do what you want right now."