“You must have been lonely, too.”

It was strange.

Isabella had lived alone in the mountains for two years and never thought about being lonely.

Yet, for some reason, his words gave him comfort.

“Is that why you want to have a lot of children?”

“Well, that’s true. I like children very much.”

Isabella answered awkwardly.

She felt like this was an interrogation.

“Then I’ll cooperate with you as much as I can. I think three is a little too much. I don’t think two would be bad as well.” Duke Kyar replied calmly, and Isabella hurriedly put down the fork on the plate.

“Oh, I think I’m already full. I should stop eating.”

Isabella was not even in a relationship yet, but she couldn’t keep up with this man who had already thought of marriage.

‘It would be best to avoid any kinds of conversation with him.’ Isabella thought as she got up from the chair and opened the bag she had brought.

After taking out a medicinal book from her bag, she went to bed and sat there.

The hot spring must be gone now.

Snow had been falling non-stop, so she thought about reading the book she brought first.

When she returned to Rubella Castle, she planned to create treatments about rare diseases for Ria in advance.

The genetic disease still had time to develop, but she wanted to make it in advance and give Lia medicine as a gift.

Fortunately, Duke Kyar no longer attempted to talk to her.

Yet, his gaze still lingered on her.

She tried to ignore his persistence to win her over entirely, but it was not easy.

Isabella admitted that she could be naive and quite dense, but she was not stupid enough not to recognize the desire in his eyes.

The night was approaching, and she was scared of it.

She just wanted the time to pass slowly until the night fell.

**

Contrary to Isabella’s wish, time went fast, and it was already nighttime.

Fortunately, the snow had stopped in the meantime, but too much snow had piled up, and it was too late to return to Rubella Castle.

Isabella had finished washing up inside the cabin’s tiny bathroom.

She was troubled upon seeing Duke Kyar lying in bed when she got out.

Would it be better if she could just sleep on the floor?

To do that, she would have to spread a blanket on the floor.

Sleeping on the bed would be more comfortable, but she was not confident in sleeping next to Duke Kyar, who stared at her with so much passion.

Why can’t she see any extra blankets in this cabin?

Isabella agonized about it for a long time.

She took her time to approach Duke Kyar.

Then, she grabbed the edge of the blanket underneath Duke Kyar’s body and pulled.

“Your Highness, I’m sorry, but can I use this blanket? I can’t sleep on the floor without—-”

Isabella hadn’t even finished her words before Duke Kyar wrapped his arms around her waist.

He didn’t exert a lot of strength from his muscles.

He settled her on the bed as if she didn’t weigh a thing.

She was already in his arms regardless of her will.

Isabella had no idea where to look.

She tried not to be conscious of the solid chest that his robes had exposed, but she just couldn’t help it.

“What’s wrong with you, Your Highness?”

“Don’t be nervous. I won’t do anything.” He murmured huskily as he held her hand that clutched the blanket.

How many people wouldn’t be nervous in this situation?

“I told you this about this before. I’m so naive that if you tell me you will just hold my hand and sleep, I will believe you–”

“Don’t worry. I’m keeping my purity before marriage.”

He cut her off, and Isabella’s blue eyes gave him a slow blink.

“What? What did you just say?”

Isabella didn’t understand what this man was talking about.

“I already told you. You must be patient and endure it.”

Isabella smirked.

Why in the world was he holding back?

Of course, she admitted his solid chest had tempted her a little bit, but that was all.

She never wanted to touch and pat those pectoral muscles or anything like that.

“If you want to be intimate with me tonight, you should hurry up and marry me.” He said, and Isabella removed her gaze off his solid chest and turned her head to the side.

“Ha! What the hell? I have no thoughts of doing that either.”