She thought Leon might be angry. However, he treated her with a unique, drowsy, and relaxed expression.
âThe maid is a sinner and must be questioned. She canât see you now, so go back.â
âShe was trying to hurt me. Canât I see her? Itâll only take a second.â
âShe tried to harm you, but she was caught for trying to harm my guest. Because you are nothing in this castle without me now.â
On purpose, he was trying to press Dana by scratching her pride. The reason why he did that was obvious. He felt bad about her refusing to marry him.
Leon could have felt bad about showing such an attitude, but somehow his heart seemed to be bright, so Dana was relieved.
âSomething wonât change just because you see it, but I just wondered why she did it and what kind of person she was.â
âYouâve become too curious. When did you start being like this?â
It was not unreasonable for Leon to say this. Danaâs personality had changed a little since she returned from outside.
ââŚâ
She didnât feel it, but whenever pieces of lost memories were fitted, they changed her.
Move, donât stay still. Find out anything, and remember it.
When Dana was silent, Leon closed his mouth and looked at Danaâs side. As he lowered his eyelashes and watched her lost in thought, he felt nervous.
âFollow me. There are a lot of ears here.â
âOkay.â
As the two started walking together, Lily and Ahil fell a little further away. Leon looked back and made them back away.
Before long, they walked along the promenade and went to the glass greenhouse in the back garden. Lily and Ahil couldnât cross the door of the greenhouse and bent down.
Dana may not have known, but from the days of the Tertius Royal family, only their blood relatives and spouses were allowed in.
Leon led Dana into such a place without any explanation.
âMarriage isâŚâ
When Leon said the word marriage, Dana flinched and looked at him.
âEven if you donât like it, thereâs nothing you can do. Because thatâs what I decided.â
â⌠Oh. What do you mean?â
âWhy? Letâs not talk about marriage.â
When Leon made eye contact again, Dana was heartbroken in a different way than before. Had Leon given up on her? If it was a marriage that he could easily give up, what would it have meant if he had done it in the first place?
Even if he thought aside from his desire, she still had to be more under his protection. Should she just say that sheâll get married?
âNo, itâs not right.â
She couldnât even think about what would happen if the real Dana Deniz appeared.
But to break up with him right now, she was even less confident she could endure it.
What should I do?
Leonâs mind was also disturbed when Dana couldnât even open her mouth due to confusion.
To talk about marriage as if nothing had happened, of course, he said it to remind her, but he regretted bringing it up himself.
In the first place, she had no choice, and Leon had no intention of canceling his decision.
His position was the same, and the extremely selfish idea that even her opinion didnât matter remained unchanged.
If I forced this on her without her consent.
He was going to force her to proceed. Of course, he was, but his mind was dizzy waiting for her answer.
Then Iâll be hated.
He wanted to smile. He wasnât used to being wary of someone or being hated, but it felt so natural.
Nevertheless, he didnât mean to change it.
It was true that he wanted to keep her wanting him even if he had to tie her up.
In fact, the idea that it didnât matter had disappeared.
And it was proven the very next moment.
âAre⌠are you serious? Are you talking about marriage?â
âOf course⌠No⌠â
Leon, who was about to answer right away, felt embarrassed for a moment and shut up. If she was cold at the dining hall, now she was looking at him with grumpy eyes full of resentment.
âWhy are you looking at me like that? Why are you crying?â
âIâm not crying. You didnât see it right.â
Dana quickly turned her head to avoid his gaze, telling an obvious lie. She wanted to clearly understand Leonâs mind.
If it was a marriage that would eventually happen as he wished anyway, it wasnât something she could change, whether she resisted or accepted him.
A little more clarity was all she needed. So she wanted to shake his heart and get it out of him.
This was more important than whether she would be Dana Deniz or not.
âWhatâs wrong with you? Do you hate marrying me that much?â
Leon, who tried to treat her as affectionately as possible, grabbed Danaâs wrist and turned it roughly.
The force pulled Danaâs body and she crashed into him. Their eyes met as they were very close.
âYes, I donât want a marriage of that kind.â
Leon couldnât hear the last words. He secretly knew what Danaâs words meant but the words, âI donât want marriageâ, triggered him.
A mean statement popped out of his mouth.
âYou talk carelessly without knowing the topic. You donât want it? Do you think you have a choice?â
Leon lifted Danaâs chin and pulled it closer. His red eyes blazed as if they were going to eat her up. However, Dana was a little relieved to see his eyes.
She unknowingly provoked him a little more. She was pushing.
âAre you saying that you will force marriage without the consent of the bride? Do you think that makes sense?â
âThere is nothing that I couldnât do if I wanted to. Itâs the same with you. What are you going to do if you donât want to? Why? Are you going to run away this time?â
âThereâs nothing you canât do⌠Ah!â
In an instant, Danaâs lips were sucked into his mouth. His tongue, which dug roughly, stirred wildly around her mouth.
Dana blinked in surprise and closed her eyes, reeling from the force. His behavior was too sudden to refuse a kiss.
Her lips, which were hit so hard that she couldnât breathe, tingled. Dana had to tiptoe to adjust the height because he didnât let go of her chin while standing stiff.
Even at this moment, his masculine musk was rushing in and his legs were relaxed.
Ah, Iâm a woman who really reveals herself.
She had to grab one of his arms because she thought she would lose her balance with dizziness.
She was running out of breath. She grabbed his arm and shook it, but he remained stiff. Breathing through the nose was insufficient, and gradually, she reached his neck.