Only the figure of Iris was captured in those deep, clear eyes.
Iris felt like she was going to become lost in such eyes as Keivrand's hot breath brushed against the tip of her nose.
She held her breath and stared at him for fear of her breath reaching his nose.
There was a stir in the pit of her heart. The calm ripple quietly spread and stimulated it. In her last life, the eyes of a man were just objects of fear and disgust.
Therefore, she was perplexed by this strange feeling while facing Keivrand's grayish-blue eyes.
She exhaled inadvertently.
Keivrand's thin lips moved slightly, as if Iris' breath that had leaked through her red and moist lips had tickled him.
It was so close that it felt warm even though their lips didn't touch.
She wanted to move away from his blood-red lips, which seemed as if it wanted to swoop in at any minute, but she stood straight and looked at him.
"Aren't I too big to swallow whole?"
Keivrand's eyes narrowed.
"We'll have to wait and see."
The low breath that flowed out grazed Iris' lips.
Iris slowly closed her eyes and then opened them.
She was determined to do anything for this new life.
It wasn't a big deal to go to bed with Keivrand Green who had given her a great opportunity.
Beyond his ample eyelashes, she could see that he was waiting for an answer.
Straight forehead and thick eyebrows with slightly raised ends.
The deeply seated eyes shone as if they were testing her.
Before long, she opened her mouth.
As soon as her answer fell, Keivrand's thick arms pulled her slim waist.
His hot body pressed against her thin robe.
He laid her onto the bed with his arms around her waist.
The long, silver hair with a tinge of pink scattered like petals on the bed.
Iris felt Keivrand's firm body pressed against her stomach and the soft bed against her back.
The big gown that was wrapped around her body opened at the top, revealing her round, slender shoulders.
Keivrand lowered his head and kissed her shoulder.
Feeling his hot lips pressed down like a brand, she flinched.
Inadvertently, he gently grabbed her wrist.
The large hand squeezed her thin wrist and was placed against the side of her face.
His lips, which had been holding onto her shoulders, came up along the shoulder line and stopped at the back of her neck.\n
As soon as his hot breath passed her throat like a shackle, she recalled her previous life.
In her last life, the weight of Alfred that had pressed against her.
She held herself back from screaming.
She closed her eyes tightly and opened them, resolved to accept the situation entirely.
Closing her eyes and avoiding the situation was for the stupid, fragile Iris Hutch of her past self.
Iris Green of this life wouldn't close her eyes in the face of any fear.
Therefore, she suppressed her fear and stared at the ceiling with her teeth clenched.
She didn't even realize that Keivrand's breath, which had been brushing against the back of her neck, had faded away.
"You're like a stone, Irie."
Only when Keivrand's soft voice was heard did Iris move her eyes.
His face, which was near her neck, was already facing her.
"Whether a woman is a stone or a flower, isn't it up to the man to make that flower bloom?"
Keivrand looked down at Iris quietly.
She thought perhaps he was angry. Blaming a man in bed was completely challenging their pride.
However, she had no intention of taking back her words.
Keirand, who had taken offense to this, would show one of two sides.
He would either force himself onto her out of anger, or he would never touch her again because his pride was hurt.
It didn't matter which of the two it was to her.
Keivrand gently swept the corner of Iris' eye with his thumb.
The touch was so gentle that she was a little surprised.
She had thought he would be angry.
Keivrand, who had carefully arranged her messy hair on the bed, laid quietly next to her.
She turned her head towards him.
When Iris asked, Keivrand turned his head and faced her.
"I like to eat when it's hot."
"Oh, you're also picky. But what can I do? I don't get hot easily."
"Well. We'll see about that, Irie."
She thought it was nice to hear his soft voice.
The tension escaped from her shoulders. She felt exhausted as soon as she closed her eyes.
A lot had happened today.
Although she wanted to adjust her gown, a heavy feeling overcame her and she felt it difficult to move her hands.
As she fell asleep, she heard his voice again.
Well, would that be the case?
She had never had a good dream.
However, she thought the sweet voice she had heard before she fell asleep was quite pleasant.
As Keivrand listened to Iris' even breathing, he quietly slipped out of bed.
He, who was the master of the house, had many things on his plate after Venerable Count Green had left everything to him and retired.
Naturally he didn't even have the time to care for a woman and had thought that would be the case forever.
He stood by the bed and looked down at Iris for a moment.
As someone who had no interest in women, he had heard many rumors about Iris, the flower of Duke Whittle.
That she was so beautiful and gentle. That Duke Whittle was so fond of her to the point of never wanting to show her to the public. That if she got even a small cut on the tip of her finger, Duke Whittle would tear up.
However, there were other rumors.
Such as the fact that she was the result of Duke Whittle and a maid.
And that she was treated worse than a maid in the Whittle family.
Such rumors were so insignificant that they were thought to have been spread by those who wanted to undermine others, and were written off as false.
Now that I see it, I guess not all of it was false.
Iris was a strange woman.
She seemed arrogant and strong, but also seemed fragile as if she would break down. Sometimes, like she had said, she looked like a weed that had lived in the depths of hell.
There was something about her that a finely raised nobleman could never have. And unlike ordinary women, those things kept pulling at Keivrand's heart.
He wanted to know what it would feel like to hug her and see how she would react, so he had placed her onto the bed.
However, she had reacted differently than what he had expected.
She still maintained her lofty expression, but he, who was sensitive to other people's feelings, could see she was terrified.
"Who hurt you, my dear Irie?"
He pulled up a blanket and placed it on Iris.
"Don't tell me Duke Whittle did something bad to you?"
The face of the greedy Duke Reuben came to mind.
"If that's the case, I'll show him hell."
He didn't have to go that far for her. She was just an ally who had taken his weakness and made a deal with him.
This marriage was only for each other's benefit.
However, he had grown fond of her.
The arrogant strength that flowed through her body and the sorrowful weakness that sometimes leaked out.
Or the shyness and the pleasant smile that she would unknowingly show at times.
Affection didn't necessarily have to form just because they were a man and woman. Affection could also arise from an alliance.
Just because he had married her for political reasons didn't mean he intended to treat her thoughtlessly.
Whatever the reason for this marriage, she was Countess Green.
You're now the flower of the Green family, Irie. So...You can bloom without fear. Everything in the Green family will move for you.
He came out of the room and walked down the hall. Soon, someone came to his side.
It was Juliette Merdi, Keivrand's personal maid.
Juliette, daughter of Viscount Merdi, had been serving as Keivrand's personal maid for three years now.
"Count. Shall I bring you some tea?"
"No. You don't need to, so take a rest."
Keivrand spoke coldly as he walked to the study room.
The study room where his men were supposed to be waiting for him.
Juliette continued to walk behind him.
He stopped and looked back at her.
"Do you have something to say?"
Juliette hesitated, then looked up at Keivrand.
"Are...are you really getting married?"
"I'm not getting married. I'm already married."
For some reason, it seemed as if Juliette's expression had brightened up a little.
"A political marriage. It was so sudden that I was wondering what was going on..."
"That...your wife is from the Whittle family..."
"If you're trying to talk about my marriage, stop it."
Keivrand said coldly as he turned to the study room.
Juliette no longer followed Keivrand's footsteps.
Quietly staring as his broad back disappeared, she let out a sigh.
She had admired him ever since she first saw him as a child. Because of Juliette's father, she was able to step into Count Green's mansion and became his personal maid.
Unmarried noblemen would often form a relationship with their personal maids and even get married.
She was sure that he would show interest in her someday. She was often told that she was pretty since she was young. There was also no lack of men who had proposed to her.
It had been three years since she had been by his side.
However, he hadn't paid any attention to her.
He didn't seem to have another woman, so she believed that one day his eyes would turn to her, saying he was just too busy for love.
But suddenly, she had heard that he was marrying the flower of Duke Whittle, Iris.
Iris, who was rumored to be as beautiful as an elf.
She had heard that many men were anxious to marry her, but she had never dreamed that Keivrand would be one of those men.
So it wasn't like that. It's just a political marriage.
As evidence, Keivrand didn't even throw a wedding.
No matter how grand or big the marriage was, he didn't seem to have any intention of having a wedding for Iris.
The dark clouds that had hung over her ever since she had heard about Keivrand's marriage scattered.
She turned around with a big smile on her face.
1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc...in the comment section or DM me on Discord at Yasi#9824.