Chapter 65
“Why? You always smell so good.”
“There… ah!”
Kaisa buried his nose against her skin and took a deep breath.
The blatant act of sniffing made her spine tingle.
Her whole body bristled with goosebumps — whether from shame or excitement, she couldn’t tell.
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
It was obvious he was. He wanted to see her flustered out of her mind.
“I only told the truth.”
Even as he met her indignant eyes, Kaisa didn’t lose his smile and leaned in closer.
“From your soft neck too.”
“Mm!”
His sharp nose brushed against her nape, tickling her.
“And behind your ears.”
The affectionate gesture made him seem like a big, friendly dog.
Shariel couldn’t help but giggle.
“Shariel, you smell sweet everywhere.”
While her senses were hijacked by the teasing touches on her most sensitive spots,
a hand slithered up like a snake and tugged at her waist tie.
Since she had changed clothes for treatment, Shariel was only wearing a light nightgown under a loose robe.
When the belt was pulled, the robe slipped off naturally.
“Sometimes I want to eat you whole.”
Through the thin fabric of the nightgown, her pale skin was almost visible.
Kaisa stared at her flushed, peach-colored complexion and smiled.
“I wonder what taste you’d have if I rolled you on my tongue…”
She knew it was a joke, but she couldn’t bring herself to laugh —
not when he looked as if he were genuinely salivating over a delicious meal.
He hooked a long finger under the shoulder strap of her nightgown and pulled it down.
The unheated air brushed her skin, raising goosebumps.
When they first met, she hadn’t known what kind of man Kaisa was.
She’d been so terrified that she might literally be eaten alive.
“You won’t, though.”
But now, she knew he would never hurt her.
“…Right?”
Her pink eyes shimmered with the trust she had built over time.
Yet, for some reason—
Kaisa’s face, when he met that unwavering gaze, subtly hardened.
“I…”
His Adam’s apple bobbed tensely.
His eyes dropped to the small cut on Shariel’s finger.
“Are you sure I won’t ever hurt you?”
The question was strange, but she could answer without hesitation.
“Yes.”
Shariel nodded.
At some point, she had come to believe it completely —
that this man before her would never endanger her in any way.
The hand that had been pressed to the bed tightened, veins bulging across his skin.
Only the crackling of the fireplace broke the stillness.
“My lord. Are you inside?”
Knock, knock.
From outside, Edwin lightly tapped on the door to announce himself.
“I know you’re in a foul mood, but this is an urgent matter.”
Kaisa turned his head as if he had been waiting for the interruption.
“I’ll be out shortly.”
By the time he rose, every trace of the earlier desire had vanished from his face.
“You said you wanted to wash up earlier, didn’t you? I’ll have them heat your bathwater. Rest for a while.”
His soft lips brushed her forehead.
The air that had felt so charged moments ago melted into a gentle, tender kiss —
so much that she wondered if she had imagined the earlier tension.
In a daze, Shariel watched him leave and then returned to the bed.
When she fell back, the soft sheets enveloped her like a cloud.
“…He’s gone.”
A strange feeling lingered. She touched her still-damp lips.
‘It really was that kind of mood.’
She had been sure something more would happen.
Realizing how disappointed she was made her cheeks burn.
‘Stop thinking weird things.’
After all, relationships required both sides to feel the same.
Pushing too hard would only burden the other person.
“….”
‘But maybe with Kaisa, it’d be okay.’
She thought of how he often showed affection openly, even in front of others.
Given his boldness, he might even be happy if she took the lead.
‘Then maybe I’ll wait until he’s finished with his meeting.’
But today, Shariel’s body had been pushed far beyond its limits.
She’d run herself nearly to death through the forest — exhaustion was inevitable.
No brief rest could soothe the deep fatigue settling in.
“So sleepy…”
She kept yawning.
By the time the servant knocked to tell her the bath was ready,
Shariel could barely keep her eyes open.
She bathed, crawled into bed again — and still, the man didn’t return.
* * *
The musician’s slender fingers plucked the dozens of strings on his instrument.
The sound was exquisite — elegant notes filled the grand hall,
richer and deeper as they resonated through the space.
“As expected. I heard you once played at Babylon’s Royal Theatre — your skill is remarkable.”
Good music was said to lift spirits, and indeed it did.
The guests, cheered by the orchestra’s performance, chatted happily.
Truth be told, they had reason to be excited even without the music.
“Ah, how delightful! It’s been so long since our last banquet!”
It hadn’t been long since the long war with the Rabbit Tribe had ended.
Kaisa had refrained from holding court banquets,
focusing instead on national recovery and reconstruction.
But finally, today—
For the first time since the wedding, the Grand Banquet Hall of the palace was opened.
Though Kaisa himself lived modestly, he never forced his austerity on others.
Some nobles still held lavish balls in their own estates.
Yet a banquet in the royal palace was something else entirely.
The Grand Hall of the palace was the pinnacle of high society —
a dream venue for every aristocrat.
“My goodness.”
As Lady Nefir entered through the great arched doorway, she breathed a quiet sigh of awe.
“Oh, how splendid.”
Her feet sank into the soft, plush carpet,
and when she looked up, she was dazzled by the glittering chandeliers above.
They sparkled so brightly under the lights that it was hard to stare at them directly.
Marble pillars lined the hall, each accompanied by statues and porcelain displays.
But most striking of all were the massive tapestries on the walls —
spring gardens woven in colored threads so vivid they seemed almost alive.
“Good evening, everyone.”
But she hadn’t come just to sightsee.
In the ruthless world of high society, securing one’s place was no small feat.
Though Lady Nefir was kind by nature, she was also calculating enough
to survive among those who underestimated her youth.
‘Let’s see now.’
Scanning the room, she slipped naturally into a nearby group.
“What were you all discussing?”
The nobles holding glasses of wine turned toward her.
“Welcome, Lady Nefir.”
The most talkative among them — a young nobleman named Julius — greeted her.
“We were just saying what a joyous day this is.”
“It truly is.”
Lady Nefir accepted the wine he offered her.
She wasn’t the only one thrilled to attend a royal banquet.
As their lively conversation continued, Julius said casually,
“Well, if it weren’t for that incident during the Hunt Festival,
we might have been celebrating much sooner.”
At his words, the chatter died instantly.
The assassination attempt during the royal hunt a few weeks ago
had shocked everyone.
The target: Shariel Rosebin.
The criminal had dared to attempt the murder of the leader’s wife —
a blatant act of treason.
Worse yet, the captured assassin, Hans, confessed he’d been hired.
The one who had ordered the killing, he said,
was none other than Elder Javeni.
“That was indeed a dreadful event,” said Lady Nefir,
and another guest cautiously chimed in.
“Yes. And to think it involved none other than the Kuslri family.”
The House of Kuslri was among the oldest and most respected families in Varhad.
Elder Javeni himself was a central figure in the Council of Elders.
But treason was treason — no rank could excuse it.
If Hans’s confession were true, Javeni deserved punishment.
“This is outrageous!”
The Council of Elders defended Javeni fiercely.
They claimed there was no solid evidence —
that it was reckless to condemn such a venerable man
based solely on the words of a petty criminal.
Kaisa, however, maintained that a confession was evidence enough.
The dispute between him and the Council dragged on,
leaving Javeni’s fate undecided.
“Do you have any proof that I’m the culprit?”
Even imprisoned, Javeni remained defiant.
“Yes. Right here.”
The long stalemate was finally broken —
not by Kaisa or the Council,
but by his daughter, Olivia.
Her bold confession sent even greater shockwaves
than her father’s assassination plot itself.
