Jealousy

Based on the usual logic of the nobility, obtaining Julian wasn't difficult. No matter how special a man was, as long as both families had the need, he could become a bargaining chip placed on the scales. Tania naturally came for this reason. However, she couldn't quite grasp Losiya's temperament, and she wasn't sure if the other party would really agree to her request.

Now, Losiya's words stirred an unexpected interest in her.

"I don't need anything else." Losiya half-turned her head, her sea-blue eyes under the brim of her hat holding a kind of dignified aura that seemed to grasp one's very soul.

"As long as you kneel down, lick my feet, and let me put a slave collar on you." She said indifferently, as if uttering something soul-shaking was no big deal.

Upon hearing this, the corner of Tania's mouth twitched. With a somewhat awkward smile on her face, she asked, "If I do that, will you give him to me?"

This step of hers was more like advancing by retreating. She believed that after hearing her say this, Losiya surely wouldn't follow through.

But Losiya replied without hesitation, "Of course not."

"...Then were you just toying with me earlier?"

"I was serious, of course. Think about it — as my slave, you'd be considered mine. Julian is also mine. Calculated like that, wouldn't you have 'indirectly touched' him too?" Losiya said coolly, her tone laced with a hint of mockery.

"That's not a funny joke." Tania withdrew her smile, and while assessing Losiya, cold thoughts began forming in her heart — she had to make her regret this.

Losiya led Tania into the manor. The maids had already been waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing Losiya, they bowed respectfully.

"Tania, stay for a few days." Losiya extended her arms toward Tania as a gesture of hospitality.

Tania lazily glanced at the elaborately dressed maids, her gaze shifting unnaturally around. After scanning the room and not finding her target, she retracted her eyes with disinterest.

"Milady, was the journey smooth?" Alice stepped forward to ask.

"No problems." Losiya took off the veil covering her hat, which Alice received.

"Where is Julian right now?" Standing close, Losiya asked in a soft voice.

"In your study."

Hearing this, a smile couldn't help but form on Losiya's lips. Julian had gradually become more informal with her without even realizing it — which was just what she wanted.

Of course, this only applied to Julian. If anyone else dared treat her that informally, she wouldn't tolerate it.

"Make sure Tania is well looked after. I'm going to check in." Losiya casually 'left' Alice behind.

But before she could take even two steps, a figure that lifted her spirits came down the manor's grand staircase.

Julian's long, silvery-white hair shone under the sunlight, taking on a golden luster. His fair hand rested on the stair rail, slender fingers gliding lightly along it.

Dressed in a white shirt and light blue pants, Julian's steps were less hurried than usual. As he walked down in front of everyone, even those in the manor who had seen him many times up close couldn't help but be captivated again, as if struck by some kind of charm spell.

That pure, gentle face now had a healthy, rosy glow, making him even more alluring. Typically expressionless, Julian now showed visible surprise and joy — something that made him shine even more in everyone's eyes.

He walked quickly, almost jogging to Losiya's side.

"Did you know? Just now I—"

Before Julian could share his excitement, Losiya made sure he couldn't say another word.

That irresistible force pulled him straight into her arms, his face buried in Losiya's chest, his voice muffled and unclear.

The maids all lowered their heads, thinking to themselves that their lady was still as unrestrained as ever — doing whatever she pleased.

The manor maids might have taken it lightly, but Tania could no longer stay calm.

Sour, angry, and jealous all at once, she coldly watched the affectionate scene between the two. In her heart, she quietly added yet another layer to her revenge plan.

What truly drove her mad was that Julian didn't look like he was being forced at all. His complexion was much better than it had been during the auction. His appearance, posture, even his skin looked healthier.

Originally, Tania had just been bluffing when she said those things to Losiya. She knew what kind of person Losiya was — not exactly a paragon of virtue, but definitely not someone who would force the weak.

Unless the other party had willingly fallen into her trap first...

Tania pondered with a hidden expression.

In Losiya's embrace, Julian's faint resistance looked more like shyness. His expression betrayed no objection at all. After Losiya whispered something into his ear, he seemed completely conquered, his face flushed as he rested it against her shoulder, burying his beautiful features into it.

Losiya gently ran her fingers over the flower-shaped birthmark at the corner of Julian's right eye. Feeling ticklish, Julian uneasily rubbed his cheek against her chest, turning his head away in a pouty manner, avoiding eye contact.

But that only aroused the lady's desire even more. She grasped his chin, lowered her head, and pressed her lips to his.

Their lips met. Before Julian could react, her fragrant tongue slipped between his lips, crossing the boundary, searching out his tongue to play with it. The two exchanged saliva, one breath mixing with another.

Losiya nearly forgot herself. Her fingers had already reached Julian's collar. This outfit was one she had chosen for him — and the collar was adorned with a pure emerald.

Fortunately, she came to her senses in time. What just happened could still count as teasing, but if it continued, it would become something else entirely. Her rationality ultimately won, preventing her from doing anything truly indecent in front of the manor's residents.

In fact, for Losiya, there was another reason. Just as she was about to undo Julian's collar, what stopped her wasn't rationality but possessiveness — the thought that if she undid the collar, everyone would see the hickeys she had left on his collarbone the night before.

She helped fix his collar and finally let him go.

But someone still saw it — Tania noticed the reddish marks at Julian's collar. For a moment, she even felt a flash of anger toward Julian himself. In just a few days, he had been devoured by her to the point of giving up both body and soul. What a lowly creature.

Negative emotions festered in her heart, and the venom of regret gnawed at her from within.

She might not have liked Julian that much to begin with, but seeing something she had set her eyes on completely fall into someone else's hands — and be thoroughly conquered — was intolerable for someone as arrogant as she was.

Ordinary people probably wouldn't understand Tania's kind of stubborn, twisted thinking.