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I looked away, embarrassed—he was looming so close above me.

‘I like seeing him like this, but… why is he like that?’

His expression was more shocked than any I’d seen before.

“Did you see something bad? Why are you like that?”

I started to get worried.

When our eyes met, his pupils trembled violently. Then he carefully buttoned the shirt I was wearing from collar to hem. He even picked up a beach towel a short distance away and wrapped me tightly in it again.

Only then did I realize the reason.

‘But there’s just the two of us here?’

Anyone watching might think I’m completely naked.

When we went to Yuno, men and women strolled around in thin, light clothing; some men wore only shorts. Vespera had watched then without reacting, so since this was a private beach with just the two of us, I thought there’d be no problem.

‘They call it a bikini, but it’s not that provocative.’

I stamped my foot, staring down at myself wrapped tight in the towel.

‘In R-rated web novels they wear next to nothing when walking around! So scandalous!’

I felt wronged— I didn’t want to play in the water wearing a trailing dress; I wanted to plunge in, flap my arms, and swim joyfully. Secretly, I wanted to show him a new charm—my slim, attractive figure.

“…Not good?”

He only met my eyes after confirming no bare skin showed. I was flushed red enough to suggest I’d visited a volcano, but I thought he’d get used to it.

“Do you even realize that you are a noble?”

“…Yes?”

Vespera’s expression returned to normal, stiff as an ice slab.

“Even if your title was only recently restored, a lady showing bare skin in public like this… Don’t you know nobles must maintain modest behavior and dignity?”

No—do I have to hear this because I wore a swimsuit at the pool?

“This is the castle I was given, and there’s no one here.”

“What if the servants had come in?”

“They’d probably just think I’m playing in the water. I’m not completely undressed.”

“What kind of clothes are those—tatters!”

“Tatters?! I tried to dress well to look good.”

‘Fine, then I don’t care anymore.’

I couldn’t reason with his rigid attitude. My clothes didn’t need anyone’s permission, so I slipped off the towel and unbuttoned his shirt one button at a time.

“Then go in first. I’ll stay and play unladylike by myself!”

He approached with a terrifying look, rewrapped the towel around me, and slung me over his shoulder.

“Kyaaah! What on earth are you doing!”

“I don’t think you understood a single word I said. We’re going back.”

“What? The water fun is just starting…!”

“You’re absolutely not allowed until you throw away that hideous outfit and put on something decent.”

“Hideous?!”

“No. Abso. lute. ly. not.”

So I returned to the castle without even touching the water.

I mean, risqué couple lingerie comes in all sorts of outrageous designs—why make such a fuss over a standard swimsuit?

I hadn’t expected such an intense reaction. After stomping around I quickly grew gloomy—we came to enjoy the atmosphere and ended up fighting.

“Is this the difference between worlds?”

After today, I could really feel it.

I’m from the modern world, so while a swimsuit might be surprising, I never expected such a fuss. I like summer and wear light clothes; living at home in suffocating dresses never appealed to me.

“Don’t you know that nobles must maintain modest behavior and dignity?”

Modesty here felt like a rule from a historical drama—could I accept that? My thoughts kept spiraling.

‘Okay—the swimsuit, fine, if he dislikes it I won’t wear it. But what about everything else? Do I have to monitor every outfit? If we’re married, will I be forced to behave like a noblewoman and run the household? Forced to host prim tea parties? In this world, if you don’t marry, even with a good connection you can’t spend the night together?’

Things that felt natural and obvious to me were very far from the modest noble he described.

‘My soul settling here wasn’t enough. To fully blend in, I had lived in my previous world too long.’

I had finally confessed and hoped for a sweet romance, but a larger hurdle awaited. Even lovers in the same world break up over personality, values, religion—my conflict came from a more fundamental difference in assumptions.

I needed a solution. I was tired of being treated as an unladylike woman every time.

‘He’s not at fault.’

He’d been born into this world and trained in strict noble etiquette. Cold and arrogant, he nevertheless diligently fulfilled those old-fashioned duties—could such a man imagine meeting a lover with such a radical mindset?

“We need to talk.”

I was sad and gloomy, but I couldn’t let the relationship continue like this; I hadn’t taken him lightly either.

I ordered meals brought to our rooms separately. I had a lot to think about and needed time—if I saw his face like that, careless words might spill out.

“It’s suffocating, really.”

They say traveling abroad brings emotional hardship—apparently that applies to another world too. Since arriving, I’ve faced more mental than physical struggles.

I went outside to watch the dimming night sky; staying in my room only produced useless thoughts.

“The castle’s night view is very beautiful. It’s a fine night—go and see it.”

I asked a steward for a good spot and decided to go to the top of the castle. I took off the trailing dress and put on comfortable pants and a shirt. Come to think of it, since coming to this world the only other time I wore pants was when I infiltrated Rinus. Maybe it was an instinctive effort to adapt.

‘Is this the place?’

I quickened my stride and reached the top. The view opened out; the territory lay below at a glance.

‘This is the territory I will rule from now on.’

The peaceful coastal land never bored me. Stars stitched across the sky, twinkling as if greeting their master. I was glad I’d come out.

‘Screw it.’

I lay down right then and there. The Private Beach incident seemed to have loosened some rein controlling me. The night sky was enchanting, like a planetarium; my worries felt like pinpricks compared to the vastness. I stared up, still mesmerized by his red eyes.

“Cornelia.”

In that moment, the starry sky shifted to the Duke’s face.

“Vespera?”

“I hope you’ll quickly think of a pet name to call me.”

He reached out to steady me as I tried to get up.

“You said you dislike ‘Vess.’ How did you get up here?” he asked, brushing dust from my clothes with his hands.

“I don’t like it because it sounds like a woman’s name. I thought you liked open spaces.”

He came looking for me without asking the steward. Seeing his face, my irritation melted; his beauty was unreal.

“You said you disliked ‘Bebe’ and ‘Vera’ too.”

“I’m not as cute as you.”

He swooped in again. I couldn’t speak until he finished dusting me off. After inspecting me down to the last detail, he stared at me intently.

“Why? Is my outfit displeasing you again?”

“…Are you feeling a bit better?”

He seemed to be checking my mood rather than my clothes; I replied sullenly.

“Well. It seems the Duke was angrier than I was.”

“That’s why I came to apologize. I’m sorry.”

“…Yes?”

His unexpectedly sincere apology drained my resolve. What? The empire’s top elite apologizing this quickly—does he have no pride?

“It was an unfamiliar situation, so I couldn’t remain calm. I should have listened to you calmly. Your—the sight flashed before my eyes, and I only thought to cover it with something.”

Despite his stiff expression, he admitted he was flustered. Seeing him run a hand over his face, unable to meet my eyes as he confessed, touched something inside me.

“Vespera, aren’t you curious why I haven’t been able to accept your feelings until now?”