ITTRAETML 45

~Chapter 45~

“It’s cold.”

Larvihan held Lovelace tightly as she tried to escape from his arms. When she gave up, he grabbed both her legs with one hand and pulled her up onto the bed. Then he lay down straight, folding his arms, and rested his head on her thighs.

“This—this isn’t what you said before!”

“I didn’t touch your fingertips, did I?”

With those words, Larvihan closed his eyes. Lovelace sighed as she looked down at him. It was partly her fault for being weak.

“Tell me. What did Madam Johan say?”

He shifted the topic, his tone plain—so plain it made her embarrassed about all the strange thoughts she’d just had. Lovelace pressed the back of her hand to her flushed cheek to cool down.

“It was about The Responsibility of Nobles. Turns out, Sirius wasn’t the one who wrote it.”

“Hm.”

“You’re not surprised?”

“I thought that might be the case.”

“Why?”

“The book got famous, and then he disappeared. By famous, I don’t mean it sold well—I mean people were paying attention. And right before he vanished, there was an incident.”

“What incident?”

“He went to give a lecture but couldn’t answer a single question. Got humiliated. That’s when I knew he was hiding something. He might not be the real author.”

“You’re smart.”

Lovelace stroked his hair like she often did with Paulo when praising him. His fine, soft hair slipped through her fingers.

“You’re seducing me.”

Larvihan suddenly grabbed her hand under his chin and opened his eyes. His gaze burned with desire, and Lovelace’s breath caught. She quickly looked away—if she kept staring, she’d melt into that heat.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Her eyelashes trembled as she spoke, eyes cast down.

“Then don’t do it again. It’s too easy to misunderstand.”

He let go of her hand. The spot where he’d held her still felt hot. Lovelace gripped her wrist with her other hand. Larvihan closed his eyes again.

“You were right. Sirius didn’t write The Responsibility of Nobles. It was his wife, Yellowgreen. Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Really?”

He answered half-heartedly, as if he didn’t care. Who had written the book—man, woman, or even a child—didn’t matter to him. What mattered now was that he was resting his head on Lovelace’s lap, and though the position was awkward, sleep was already tugging at him.

“You’re not interested?”

“There’s only one thing I care about these days, Rey. That’s you.”

“There’s only one thing I care about these days, Rey. That’s you.”

Heat surged through her.

Don’t fall for it. He’s only being nice to use me.

Fanning her hot cheeks with her hand, Lovelace continued explaining:

“Madam Yellowgreen used to be a well-known etiquette teacher for noble girls. But she fell in love with a poor scholar. They suddenly married, she lost her noble title, and work stopped coming in.”

It was a predictable romance—but reality wasn’t like novels. Reality wasn’t romantic.

“And the scholar she thought was hardworking turned out to be nothing but a smooth talker. Sirius.”

She shivered as if it had happened to her. That shiver tickled the back of Larvihan’s head. He wasn’t interested in the couple’s story, but hearing her excited, emotional voice was pleasing.

“So?”

“She wrote to earn money. But since she was a woman, she kept getting rejected. So she borrowed Sirius’s name.”

That was the beginning of the downfall. Sirius’s inferiority complex exploded.

“At first, he agreed easily. The money came in, and his name spread. But then, when The Responsibility of Nobles came out, lecture invitations followed. Guess what happened then?”

“They broke up?”

“Worse. Sirius was humiliated and ran into the forest. Madam Yellowgreen has been supporting her insecure husband ever since.”

“I see.” Larvihan muttered in a flat tone and shifted.

“Ah!”

His face pressed against her stomach, making her squirm.

“Don’t move. It’s uncomfortable.”

“Well, it’s uncomfortable for me too.”

“You can move me once I fall asleep.”

“There’s a pillow right there…”

She reached for one.

“…I like this better.”

“What?”

“Rey, I like your thighs more than a pillow. Soft, firm… just right.”

She shoved a pillow onto his face.

“Mmph, mmph!”

He struggled until she pulled it away.

“One more word and I’ll throw you out. Sleep quietly.”

Her sharp glare made him close his mouth at once. But a smile tugged at his lips.

Get a grip!

If she didn’t, that smile would completely undo her.

The spark Larvihan had lit was already burning inside her, and she couldn’t escape. Everywhere around her felt like flames. She covered his eyes with her hand.

“Please, just sleep.”

Maybe he really was tired, because Larvihan soon drifted off.

But the window, which she thought she had shut tightly, creaked open from the wind. Afraid the noise would wake him, Lovelace carefully tried to pull her legs out.

Instead, he grabbed her hand and tugged her down onto his chest.

“I’m not asleep yet.”

His voice was low and rough, but she didn’t hear the words—her ear was filled with the pounding sound of his heartbeat.

Was it his heartbeat? Or hers?

“I’ll give you your lap pillow again, so let me go.”

She tried to sit up, but his hand pressed the back of her head and gently pulled her down.

A kiss!

She knew it, but couldn’t escape. The moment his lips brushed her lower lip, time seemed to slow.

“This is just an experiment. It’s too soon to give up after only two tries.”

He whispered that it was just an experiment.

“You promised to give it back. You’re not planning to eat and run, are you? That would be shameless.”

He spoke like he already knew she’d try to run at the first chance.

“That would be wrong, wouldn’t it? Rey, you’re too kind for that.”

Won’t you open your lips?

And just like that, Lovelace was caught and kissed.

“Wake up, Countess. Did you sleep with the window open? The wind was strong last night, the room’s freezing.”

Judith closed the open window while nagging softly. Lovelace opened her eyes and immediately looked to her side. Larvihan was gone. A strange emptiness settled in her chest.

“Where’s Larvihan?”

“The Duke? Was he supposed to come? He hasn’t been visiting lately. Should I send a message to him?”

From Judith’s reaction, he must have left before she woke.

He definitely said he was going somewhere…

“Isn’t today the day Madam Johan is coming?”

Judith carefully wiped Lovelace’s face with a warm damp towel.

“Yes, that’s right. But—your lips are swollen.”

Her finger brushed Lovelace’s lips, making her flinch.

“Does it hurt? Maybe an insect bit you.”

Bitten… by Larvihan.
But Lovelace couldn’t say that. She forced an awkward smile and lied.

“My lips stung last night.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. When Larvihan bit her, they had stung.

“Should I call a doctor?”

“For something this small? No way.”

“But we do need to hire a proper personal physician. We could use this chance to test one’s skill.”

“What about the physician we contracted before?”

“Turns out he was a quack.”

Judith cursed under her breath, calling him a scammer who should be struck by lightning in the street.

“If you need to test their skills, why not hold something like a clinic?”

“A clinic?”

“More like a medical contest. Let’s watch how well they treat patients.”

“And where would you get patients?”

“Patients are everywhere.”

There was no real medical system in this country. For commoners, seeing a doctor was nearly impossible. If they posted a sign for free treatment, people would swarm like bees.

“Let Nora handle it.”

“Yes, Countess. I’ll tell her to make a detailed plan. But are you sure you don’t need a doctor? Your lips are very red… oh my! Now your face is red too! Do you have a fever?”

So this really happens outside of novels too…

Flustered, Lovelace said fresh air would be enough and hurried into the bathroom.

Maybe a cold bath will cool me down.

She dipped her hands into cold water but yelped and pulled them back.

No, I can’t do a cold bath after all.

She gave up quickly and turned on the hot water instead. Using rose-scented soap, she made fluffy bubbles. The thick fragrance filled the room, and she found herself liking it very much.

“Larvihan smelled good too… next time I see him, I’ll ask what soap he uses.”

But when she saw him next, Lovelace couldn’t bring herself to ask him anything.