Yuliana's eyes flew wide in shock.
She struggled, pushing against his hard chest that pressed painfully into her soft one.
No matter how tightly she clenched her lips or shoved at him, he only drove forward like a blazing chariot.
His rough, devouring kiss made her run out of air, and she was forced to part her lips to breathe.
He seized that opening and pushed in relentlessly.
"Mmph—!"
The fierce clash continued—she was twisting to escape, he was forcing the kiss deeper.
Her throat felt choked, her vision dimmed.
Then his hand thrust roughly under her skirt.
Startled, she flailed, but his hands—already too used to the heat of Dalrot—had her undergarments down in an instant.
A warning flashed bright in Yuliana's mind.
No! If this continues like this—!
Knowing from Dalrot that he would not "hold back," Yuliana fought desperately.
To protect herself and the child, she bit his lips as hard as she could.
He jerked back with a start.
"Haa…"
His eyes had gone dark and cloudy as he wiped his mouth without much expression.
Blood dripped clearly from the deep bite.
Kallion's gaze grew heavier at the sight of it.
Yuliana yanked her wrist free from his grip and slapped him hard across the face.
Smack!
Glaring at his turned cheek, she spat out her warning.
"Don't put your hands on me."
With that, she shoved the stunned Kallion away and left the room.
"I sent another donation to the Heloica Orphanage."
At Layla's report, Yuliana nodded.
"Thank you."
She had already arranged the ledgers so that the orphanage would keep receiving funds even after she left the mansion.
It was a tradition from the previous Lady of Valdormer, so neither Kallion nor Layla would dare touch it easily.
She had thought she would run the moment she had a child, but when the time came, there were so many ties tugging at her.
The Heloica Orphanage.
Kate, the maid from that orphanage who looked only to her.
And even Jared, who was faithfully keeping his promise by staying at Kallion's side for her sake.
She knew how dearly they cared for her, but she couldn't take them with her.
That would be better for everyone.
Even so, just in case, she planned to leave a share of the profits from the pine-bark business for them.
After finishing the paperwork, she stared absently at the setting sun outside the window.
Her days in this mansion were nearly over.
Once the Bas Trading Company finished preparing the returned funds, she would take them that very day and leave.
She had already bought the carriage for the escape.
The variable was Kallion's "shadow" on her.
The question was whether she could slip out of Valdormer safely while dodging the tail he had set.
Part of her wondered if he might feel relieved to see the enemy's daughter vanish before his eyes…
But then she remembered how Kallion had hunted her all the way to Saint Paul with burning eyes. If he realized she had run, he would chase her down no matter what.
She couldn't understand the mind of a man who despised and scorned her yet insisted on keeping her close. But two things were certain:
She had to protect Denian from the twisted Kallion.
And only she could protect her child.
She had just lain down to sleep when a knock came, late as it was.
"…Who is it?"
Puzzled, she opened the door—and froze.
Kallion stood there, face cold.
"Why are you—"
He had never once come to her personal room; the "official" couple's bedroom existed only for show.
While she was still stunned, Kallion walked past her into the room.
She frowned.
"What is it?"
Standing in the middle of the room, he looked back at her, expressionless.
"Did you forget tonight is our night to share a bed?"
He loosened his cravat as if annoyed.
"I went to the couple's bedroom and you weren't there."
Ah… she had forgotten.
Tonight was their scheduled night.
"We should do what you called our 'obligatory' relations," he added, almost mocking.
She bit her lip.
Since learning of the pregnancy, she had been busy preparing to leave Valdormer—and completely forgot about it.
"I'm not feeling well tonight."
He tilted his head, eyes suspicious.
"Weren't you the one who insisted we always keep the arrangement?"
As he undressed his shirt slowly, he approached, he revealed a deep collarbone and a firm chest. She turned her eyes away and stepped back.
"We… don't need to force this anymore."
He let out a disbelieving huff.
"What?"
"You didn't like that deal either, did you?"
Their nights together had been only to conceive Denian.
Now that she was pregnant, there was no reason to continue. In fact, she needed to be careful in early pregnancy.
"If it's just for show between the families, we can sleep in separate beds."
He growled, closing the distance.
"On whose authority?"
Pressed to the wall, she sucked in a breath.
She tried to slip past him, but his large hand seized her wrist and spun her back.
"Didn't you enjoy those two weeks in Dalrot?"
He brought his face close, breath hot with anger.
"For someone who says otherwise, you never once refused me."
His firm thigh slid between her legs under the thin chemise.
"If anything, you were the eager one."
His lips hovered just above hers.
"Stop," she said, pushing at him and turning her head sharply aside.
Bracing one hand on the wall beside her face, he pressed in close and growled:
"Stop what? Don't talk like I'm making things up."
She couldn't stand it anymore and glared straight at him.
"You despise me, and I hate you. What's the point of forcing this?"
She drove the final nail:
"You shudder at the very name Heister."
"…"
"Isn't it easier for you if I'm out of sight?"
Maybe she'd hit the mark—when she shoved his chest with all her strength, he actually stepped back.
As she smoothed the hem of her chemise and tried to get away, his hand grabbed her roughly again.
"So you plan to run from me like last time?"
His eyes flared with jealousy and rage, remembering when she fled to Saint Paul with Lloyd.
Seeing his state, she decided nothing good would come from continuing this, and tried to slip past him.
He caught her chin, forcing her to face him.
"Don't be ridiculous, Yuliana."
Sensing the danger in his eyes, she froze—just as his angry hand lifted her chemise.
"The moment you set foot in this mansion, the only way you leave is as a corpse."
Holding her chin so she couldn't turn away, he crushed his mouth to hers.
His heavy thigh wedged between her legs; she couldn't move at all.
Her struggle felt as useless as a butterfly pinned in place.
Pah—!
Only when he tore his mouth away did she gasp like someone surfacing from underwater.
Her face was flushed red; his eyes were murky and sunk deep.
Even though her gaze was sharp enough to stab if she'd had a knife, he didn't care. He only looked down at her with those heavy-lidded eyes and gently stroked her cheek.
"No—even in death, you'll be buried by my side. In Valdormer soil."
His lips trailed tight little kisses down her trembling throat.
"Not on Heister land."
At some point, her undergarments had already been stripped away by his hands.
Unlike a moment ago, his touch now slid softly along her shaking thigh, and he hooked one of her legs over his arm.