Erwin frowned impatiently but ultimately held back his irritation, reminding himself that Noelle was, after all, a guest he had personally invited.

"Don't you understand? When a man says he's interested in a woman, it means exactly what you think it does," Erwin replied.

Noelle let out a cold laugh, which made Erwin raise an eyebrow.

"You don't actually like me," Noelle said. "Even now, talking to me, you're clearly struggling to hold back your impatience. So, why force yourself?"

Erwin clicked his tongue. "So, you do notice."

"Yes, I do. So, whatever it is you want, why not just say it outright? Let's not waste each other's time." Erwin stared at Noelle for a moment before suddenly laughing. "No wonder Hendrix married you. You are very interesting, indeed. You're right. I'm a very busy man, so I be straightforward-I want to sleep with you."noveldrama

If Noelle had anything in her mouth at that moment, she would have spit it out instantly. Even without that, her stunned expression said it all.

Erwin's gaze had swept over her body several times, finally lingering on her sheer cover-up.

"Did you and Hendrix have fun last night? I saw the marks on him this morning. But I'm not into that kind of thing. Women should behave themselves in bed, so I hope you won't leave any marks on me later. Understood?" "What a lunatic," Noelle cursed internally.

She knew it. From the first time Hendrix had brought her to dinner with him, she could tell that Erwin was the same kind of person as Hendrix-an utterly unhinged maninc.

What she hadn't expected was just how far his madness extended. How warped did someone have to be to say something like that so casually and calmly?

Noelle took a deep breath and said, "Sorry, but I'm not interested in you."

"What did you say?" This time, it was Erwin's turn to look credulous.

Noelle simply met his gaze and repeated herself-this time in a'crisp Edalanese accent.

Erwin was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Why? Because you're married to Hendrix? Are

you going to parrot what he says about loyalty and fidelity? But Hendrix isn't here now, is he? And honestly, I'm not really interested in you. I'm just curious as to why Hendrix married you."

Noelle remained silent.

After a moment's thought, Erwin added, "Oh, right. You liked that painting, didn't you? I can give it to you- or -name your price. Whatever you want

"Sorry. I'm not interested," Noelle replied, her voice as calm as ever.

The expression on Erwin's face slowly faded, replaced by a cold, blank look.

That empty expression suddenly reminded Noelle of Hendrix. He always looked like this right before he lost control. But the man in front of her wasn't Hendrix. Noelle knew that if she fell into Erwin's hands, she wouldn't stand a chance.

So, she quickly added, "There's no need for you to be curious about anything. My marriage with him was arranged

by our parents. You know how he is-at his cure, he's still a very traditional man. His father's gone, and to honor his late father's wishes, he had no choice but to marry me.

"And didn't he already tell you that day? There's nothing special about me. It's just that he wanted to get married, and I happened to be there at the right time."