Moonlight, a swing, a silver-haired girl, and the open pages of a book.
Everything combined to be as beautiful as a painting.
The maid, Xiao Ai, stood behind her and spoke cautiously, “Miss…”
“Shut up.”
Lina’s reprimand was notably softer than usual, as if she were afraid of waking something up.
Her gaze never left the silver-haired girl for even a single moment.
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
Time seemed to lose its meaning.
Then, she finally took a step and walked toward the swing.
Tia looked up.
She had long since sensed the figure intruding into the garden, but she did not know who it was.
As for whether it was the Marquis’s Daughter…
‘How could it be? Right now, she should be attending a banquet at another manor.’
Thinking this, she hadn’t looked up until the person arrived right in front of her.
Raising her head, Tia carefully scrutinized the woman before her.
She felt that while the other woman wasn’t as beautiful as Mephia, she was still a first-class beauty.
Except…
Why were those eyes staring so fixedly at her?
And if she wasn’t mistaken, those eyes were filled with amazement and obsession, as well as a certain burning, greedy light — as if she wanted to eat her whole.
Tia closed the book and stood up from the swing.
Her skirt swayed gently with her movements, creating silver ripples under the moonlight.
She tilted her head slightly and asked curiously, “Who are you?”
Lina looked at her, and her heart skipped a beat.
“You must be Tia. All of Hela City is talking about you — about your gentleness and your kindness.”
Her voice was much softer than usual.
“I originally thought these were nothing more than exaggerations, but now it seems…”
Her gaze lingered on Tia’s face.
From her eyes to the bridge of her nose, and then to her jawline, she was unwilling to miss a single detail.
“But now it seems the rumors didn’t say nearly enough. You are too beautiful, more beautiful than any woman I have ever seen.”
Tia’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
“Who are you?”
She had a terrible answer forming in the back of her mind.
Lina smiled slightly.
She then lifted her skirt and performed a standard noble’s curtsy.
Her movements were elegant and fluid, impossible to find fault with.
“Lina, the daughter of Marquis Claude, and…”
She took a small step forward, moving closer to Tia.
“… your suitor.”
Tia took half a step back, her lips twitching.
“Lady Lina, you must be joking.”
She could understand the first part, but what did ‘suitor’ mean?
Could it be that she was already interested in her?
Isn’t this too fast?
Lina shook her head.
“I never joke.”
As she spoke, she took another step forward.
Under the moonlight, the distance between the two grew shorter.
Tia could smell the faint scent of perfume on her and could see the increasingly burning flame in those golden eyes.
“Miss Tia, do you know? Before I came to Hela City, I originally just wanted to relax and avoid some trouble, but from the moment I saw you — “
She reached out and gently grasped the girl’s hand amidst her panicked gaze.
” — I don’t want to leave.”
Tia tried to pull her hand away, but Lina was clearly holding on tight.
At the same time, she continued with her sweet words:
“Just as the stars and the moon always appear together, I want to be by your side forever, Miss Tia.”
Tia lowered her head and gave a tactful refusal.
“Lady Lina, this is only the first time you’ve met me.”
“What is the difference between seeing you for the first time and the 100th time?”
She tightened her grip on Tia’s hand slightly, and then said clearly, word by word, “Miss Tia, I have fallen in love with you at first sight.”
Tia froze for a moment, an awkward smile appearing on her face.
“Miss, you… you are being too passionate…”
“Passionate?”
Lina interrupted her.
“No, Tia, this isn’t even the start of my passion.”
She took another step forward.
Tia instinctively took a step back.
Lina took another step.
Tia continued to retreat.
One step, two steps, three steps, until Tia’s back hit the cold wall.
Lina stood before her, so close that she was almost pressed against her body.
The moonlight shone from the side, casting their shadows onto the wall, overlapping them like a still life painting.
Lina reached out and propped her hand against the wall beside Tia.
Her face was no more than a fist’s distance from Tia’s.
The aura around her became increasingly hot, and even her breathing began to accelerate, carrying a strong, impatient desire.
“However,” she leaned into Tia’s ear and lowered her voice to a whisper, “soon, you will know what my true passion is.”
Tia’s breath hitched slightly.
She looked at the eyes so close to her own and felt the burning desire radiating from Lina.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
The Eros Energy inside her body surged instinctively at that moment.
Just a sliver.
Just a sliver would be enough to make the woman in front of her faint completely, making her forget everything that happened tonight and forcing her to back away from this corner.
But she didn’t move.
After all, if she acted now, her persona as a frail Daughter of a Count would likely be exposed.
Pushing Lina away, she lowered her voice and said with a hint of anger, “Lady Lina, please calm down.”
Seemingly noticing the anger in her tone, Lina paused for a moment.
Then, she gave a light snort, ignoring the girl’s attitude and letting her own desires spiral toward the edge of losing control.
“Calm? I am very calm, Miss Tia.”
She leaned forward, her presence becoming more aggressive.
“Didn’t you want to know what my true passion is? I am only…”
She reached out her finger, intending to gently lift Tia’s chin, but she was caught halfway by the latter.
Even so, it didn’t stop her actions.
“I am only satisfying you.”
Lina clearly intended to take things a step further, but at that exact moment, a deep sound of coughing came from not far away.
“Cough, cough.”
Lina’s movements came to an abrupt halt.
She turned her head.
Earl Harris stood at the entrance of the garden, his face livid.
He gripped his cane, his eyes deep and cold, radiating an indescribable sense of danger.
“Lady Lina.”
His voice was low, yet it pierced clearly through the excessively silent night.
“What brings you here?”
Lina looked at him, and after a moment of hesitation, she let out a light laugh.
She slowly withdrew the hand she had propped against the wall, took a step back, and stood up straight.
Her posture was calm and elegant, as if everything that had just happened was merely an innocuous joke.
“Lord Earl, I simply… couldn’t wait any longer.”
She turned her head to look at Tia, who was still leaning against the wall.
She licked her bright red lips, her eyes full of regret and longing, as well as a dangerous, lingering aftertaste of an interrupted moment.