Chapter 31
After returning to the room, I started worrying about whether I’d have to bathe together with Clayton because of what had happened earlier. But he said he’d wash up in another room and left, so I ended up bathing alone.
Which was… a huge relief!
Although, strangely, I felt a bit disappointed. Not that I hadn’t seen Adrian’s bare body before — the last time things auto-triggered, I’d seen him shirtless.
But beautiful things aren’t something you only want to see once — human nature is to want to see them again and again!
Still, with Joshua gone, could the two of us really spend the night together without anything happening?
Ugh. Just the thought of it was dreadful.
When I came out of the bath, the room was definitely warm, but my body felt cold. So I threw on a slip and opened the door — and there was Francis standing right in front of me.
“Come in for a moment.”
“Uh? Ah, y-yes…”
So much for him being a “virgin knight” — I guess this sort of thing embarrasses him.
I’m a virgin too, okay! Well, not this body, but mentally, I still am! So don’t worry — I’m not going to eat you alive!
“What is it?”
“You kissed me earlier. So now you owe me an explanation.”
“Ah.”
Francis clenched his fist and laughed as if he found something amusing, and for some reason, I couldn’t help staring at his smile tonight. Maybe it was because he was still wet.
His soaked clothes clung to his toned body, revealing a firm chest beneath the fabric. Just imagining what that body looked like under his shirt made me swallow hard. No doubt the Captain of the Royal Guard had muscles everywhere — you could see it from how solid his arms were. And honestly, it wasn’t my fault my gaze kept drifting somewhere indecent every time he breathed in and out.
It’s all because Francis got all temptingly soaked in the rain!
“Sir Francis, you should take a bath too. You’ll catch a cold.”
“This much is fine.”
“If you get sick, you’ll just pass it on to me.”
“I’ll be careful not to.”
“Instead of that, just say what you came to say, then switch out and go wash up.”
He nodded obediently, and my hand almost went up to pat him out of habit before I stopped myself.
“Now, tell me!”
Why did Princess Gracie keep you by her side? How did she? What kind of leash did the Emperor put around your neck? Why did you hate me — no, her!
“Must you really hear it?”
What, are you sulking because it was just a peck and not a real kiss? And seriously, why did you kiss me in the first place? Because I look like your princess? Because when I wear this mask, I remind you of her?
“Why don’t you want to talk about it?”
“As I said before… because I’m afraid Your Highness wouldn’t look at me the same way after hearing it.”
How I look at you?
I see you as the man who once killed me. But also the man who now pities me. And the man who’s so handsome it makes me lose focus every time I see him. The man whose lips are so red I want to touch them with my fingers. The man with the perfect abs and firm thighs, who even looks beautiful when he cries!
And yet — I know you’re the man who begged to belong to my sister. So yes, I can scold you mercilessly even if I find you attractive!
“How do you want me to look at you, then?”
“I’d like… Your Highness to see me as someone… ugh…”
He backed away as I leaned closer.
“Someone special.”
“You are special. You’re my guard.”
“Is that all?”
“Well, what else do you expect, Francis Patella?”
An uninvited guest had appeared. Adrian. His expression had gone stiff for some reason — perfect timing, of course.
Oh, f*** my life, it’s so hard to hear someone’s tragic backstory, damn it!
“There can only be one concubine.”
“Who? Joshua?”
“Yes.”
So you’re quite fond of him, huh? You three must’ve hung out a lot.
“Leave us.”
Francis looked at me as if asking, Do I really have to? I smiled at him. He drooped instantly and walked out, looking exactly like a puppy that just got scolded for peeing on the carpet. Poor guy. But I’m not in the position to comfort him — go cry to your princess!
“Why were you two so close again?”
“I was just asking about the thing you didn’t finish saying earlier.”
“What thing? The part about ruining his life?”
“Yeah.”
Adrian was dressed rather casually. As expected from my fiancé, he apparently had his own residence in the imperial palace — though it seemed he mostly stayed at his mansion outside the palace grounds.
“The Patella family has only one child.”
“A marquis family, wasn’t it?”
“Right. He’s the only heir of House Patella. Do you know why a marquis’s son ended up as the captain of the guard?”
“How would I know? That’s why I asked.”
He gently brushed my hair back, but the damp strands tugged unpleasantly at his fingers. Then he took a towel from nearby, draped it over my head, and pressed down as he continued.
“Because of a rumor you started.”
Oh no. Lord, I already feel like I shouldn’t hear this.
“You spread a rumor that he had a venereal disease.”
Oh my f***ing god.
“Who would believe that?”
“People who’ve spent a long time on the battlefield would find it plausible enough.”
“……”
“Because of that, his title as heir was stripped, and his fiancée married another man. And then she testified that she’d caught the disease from him. That wasn’t the only thing, but it was the biggest scandal.”
I forgot to breathe for a moment. His hands gently pressing the towel on my head brought me back to my senses. I looked up at him, trying to read his face, and he forced his frown away before continuing.
“So the Emperor agreed to restore his title — on the condition that he serve as your bodyguard. You promised that, and His Majesty granted your request.”
What a complete, utter trainwreck of a backstory! If I were Francis, I’d have chopped off her damn head along with every rose in the garden!
Princess Gracie, were you trying to die?
You pull something like that and then bring the guy in as your guard?!
“T-then what about his confiscated estate and title?”
“They were returned. The rank itself hasn’t been reinstated yet. You asked for that too.”
“Was I really that awful of a person?”
“You were cruel, yes, but you still had your own line you wouldn’t cross.”
“What line? You literally made up a rumor and threw someone’s life into the gutter!”
Francis — no, that poor man — it was impossible to believe.
What Princess Gracie had done was so terrible, so unforgivable, that redemption didn’t even seem possible.
“Maybe there were circumstances. But since you never told me, I don’t know what they were.”
Oh sure, ‘there were circumstances’ — as if that explains anything!
“Enough about him.”
Adrian exhaled slowly, then removed the towel. He tilted my face up suddenly, and when I turned away in surprise, he caught my chin.
“Such a cute little tease.”
That smiling face could melt a person’s insides — and even though my brain screamed no, my heart was yelling yes! Calm down, woman!
“Your pink eyes are beautiful as always.”
His lips brushed close enough to tickle mine, making it hard to breathe or think straight.
“Did you really lose your memory?”
“Why do you keep asking that?”
“Because every time I did this before, you were the one who came to me first.”
So Princess Gracie was quite… socially active, huh? Fond of saliva exchange too, apparently!
“I told you, I really did.”
“Then do you at least know what it means for us to spend the night together?”
“Yeah. But I don’t want to.”
“Didn’t you summon a bed partner almost every night?”
Even his scowl looked gorgeous — damn it, why do heartless pretty men pull off seduction so well?!
“Joshua and I… actually never did anything.”
“……”
“He was taken hostage because of me, and I didn’t want more rumors about him being abandoned to spread. That’s all.”
Being honest felt like the only way to avoid being devoured.
And considering he’d seen Joshua yesterday…
“So how much of your memory is gone?”
“Basically everything except for a short time before I fell into the water.”
Because that’s when I entered this game, after all!
“What kind of person was I before?”
He seemed to hesitate, then grabbed my arm and guided me to the bed. He didn’t seem like he was planning anything indecent, so I followed.
“If you’ve forgotten, I’ll help you remember.”
“I said I don’t want to sleep with you.”
“I’ll stop when you tell me to.”
“Really?”
I asked nervously, and he smiled softly — that dangerous, kind smile that made my heart flutter again.
“Really.”
“Really, really?”
“Yes. Really, really.”
When his lips neared, I dodged quickly. He chuckled.
“You’ve become a coward.”
“Yes. So please, Mr. Coward here would appreciate it if we could just talk instead.”
“Do you hate when I touch you?”
“No — I’m just scared, okay?”
He looked thoughtful for a moment, then smirked as his eyes gleamed mischievously. He rolled his body and pulled me on top of him. The bed dipped under our weight.
“What are you doing!”
“You used to like being on top of me like this.”
I thought about running, but since he wasn’t actually doing anything beyond putting me there, I stayed still. His solid body was visible beneath the thin fabric of my clothes — and damn, it looked good.
Something heavy pressed against me from below, making my waist tense, but I ignored it and looked down at him.
“And you liked touching me.”
Well, I can see why she did!
He took off his shirt. His body was beautifully built — not as statue-like as Clayton’s, but perfectly toned and balanced.
Even in the dim light, his skin gleamed pale and sharp under the moonlight, making it hard to think straight.
“And you liked touching here.”
He guided my hand to a long scar across his chest. My fingertips brushed the warm skin, and I felt him flinch slightly with each touch.
What a perverted man… and yet, I can’t say I hate it.
“How did you get this scar?”
“Do you want to know?”
