Chapter 06
A belated sense of relief washed over Yulia’s mind—relief that she hadn’t fallen—as she blinked blankly.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Perhaps because she had been startled, expecting to fall helplessly, her heart now began to race wildly.
‘What? Why is his body so good?’
Now that she had come to her senses, she could clearly feel the firm body supporting her from behind.
Yulia quickly tried to straighten up to get off the man.
“Excuse me… This is…”
She twisted her arm to free herself from his grasp, but perhaps thinking she was struggling because she was drunk, the man only held her tighter and pulled her into his embrace.
Deeply nestled in his arms, Yulia slowly turned her head and looked up at the man holding her firmly.
Dark green eyes filled her wavering vision.
‘Wow, he’s incredibly handsome…’
Meeting Yulia’s dazed gaze as she looked back at him, the man finally stood her upright.
“Can you stand? I have your room key. Should I open the door for you?”
Yulia slowly nodded.
The man looked down at her blank expression for a moment, then used the key to open the door to room 207.
He sighed and muttered,
“Just how much did you drink…? And that guy who just stood by watching this is an idiot too.”
“Wait a moment…”
Just as she was about to step into the room, Yulia turned around and approached him.
Then she raised her hands and wrapped them around his waist.
It was clearly meant as a hug of gratitude, but whether there was any ulterior motive, she didn’t know herself.
“What is this…?”
Startled by the sudden physical contact, the man stiffened up.
“Because I’m grateful. Thank you for bringing us back today.”
“Hah… You really have a terrible habit when you’re drunk.”
The man carefully grabbed Yulia’s arms and pulled her away.
Now facing him at a distance, Yulia looked up at him.
She could see his long eyelashes as his eyes lowered.
Then his straight nose, and a little further down, his full lips.
Whether it was because of the increased blood circulation from the alcohol, his red lips kept drawing Yulia’s attention.
Pretty lips…
“Why are you so handsome?”
Huh? Did I… just say that?
Yulia raised her right hand and carefully brushed the man’s face.
Her body was moving against her rational mind.
Actions driven by pure instinct surged forward without any filter.
“…You really are very drunk.”
This time, her gaze kept falling on his sharp jaw and smooth neck.
Yulia swallowed hard and moved her hand down to his neck.
She felt the man’s broad shoulders flinch.
Yulia couldn’t control the strange heat flowing through her body any longer.
She wanted to pull him into the room right now.
Unconsciously staring at his lips again, Yulia murmured softly,
“I want to kiss you.”
“…What?”
Yulia lifted her heat-hazed eyes and looked up at the man standing before her.
She took another step closer to him, stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“…”
The man looked at Yulia without a word, his eyes gleaming darkly.
After a moment’s hesitation, Yulia impulsively pressed her lips against his.
Their touching lips were hot.
Startled by the sudden kiss, the man clenched the hand that had been bracing against the door.
Yulia, lingering on his motionless, stiff lips, gently bit his lower lip as if urging him on.
At her small provocation, she felt the man, who had been rigidly frozen, waver.
Without stopping, Yulia slowly showered small kisses along his lower lip.
Then, the atmosphere of the man who had been standing still changed instantly.
The man took a deep breath and then lifted her, her arms still wrapped around his neck, straight up.
Veins rose on his forearms as he firmly supported her thighs.
Startled by the sudden change in height, Yulia felt his soft tongue slip between her parted lips.
His tongue moved everywhere inside Yulia’s mouth, overwhelming her as if to devour even her smallest breaths.
“Mmm…”
Forgetting even to breathe, Yulia struggled to accept him.
The man holding Yulia gradually pushed his way into the room.
Yulia tightened her arms around his neck, pressing her body even closer to his.
Finally, the open door to the room slammed shut.
After exchanging rough breaths for a while, they parted their faces slightly and shared a look.
“Haa…”
The corners of Cassian’s eyes were flushed red.
His gleaming eyes were filled with unmet desire.
“Ugh… I’m thirsty…”
Yulia woke up, frowning.
Her throat was parched with terrible thirst.
She stretched out her left hand, fumbling on the bedside table for a water bottle.
The water bottle she always kept on the table wasn’t within reach today.
“Where is it…”
Instead of the water bottle, her hand found her small bag.
Yulia slowly lifted her heavy eyelids.
After blinking a few times to focus, she faced an unfamiliar ceiling.
Where is this?
Yulia soon realized she was inside a room at the Dunkirk Hotel.
She must have safely made it to her room after drinking heavily with her friends yesterday and gone to sleep.
She seemed to have drunk quite a lot, but there was no hangover, nausea, or heartburn.
She just couldn’t remember much of what happened last night.
‘The medicine Lady Catherine gave me must really work… I don’t feel dizzy at all…’
Lying under a wide, fluffy pillow and pleasantly rustling blankets, her body felt very comfortable.
Feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, Yulia closed her eyes again.
She was still caught up in the afterglow of last night’s party.
The new drinks she had tasted all evening were delicious, and the party atmosphere was just right.
She felt like she understood why people, despite their busy schedules preparing for the future, made time to drink and meet others.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so loudly, forgetting all her worries and concerns.
Smiling, Yulia turned over to her right side.
“Ugh?”
Feeling languid, Yulia turned her body and was so shocked by the shape clearly visible before her eyes that she almost screamed.
Her eyes wide open, she saw a strange man lying on his side facing away from her.
Yulia clamped both hands tightly over her mouth, which felt ready to let out a piercing scream.
In an instant, she was wide awake and all sleepiness vanished.
‘Wh-What is this…?’
Yulia quickly turned back, opened her bag on the bedside table, and dropped the single remaining vial of vision-improving eye drops into her eyes.
Blinking rapidly to fully absorb the drops, Yulia quickly turned her head again.
Beneath the disheveled blanket, she could see the man’s toned upper body, completely naked.
Thoughts of screaming and jumping out of bed, or grabbing the heavy pillow she was lying on and mercilessly hitting the man crossed her mind, but she hesitated, not wanting to cause a fuss, wake this uninvited guest, and face an awkward situation.
‘…Jerome?’
First of all, it wasn’t Jerome.
The man’s hair was pitch black.
Just who are you to be sleeping in my bed?
With a bewildered look, she scanned his back.
His broad, well-muscled back rose and fell evenly with his breathing.
Yulia stopped all movement and tried to calm her racing heart.
‘I-I must stay calm.’
She silently screamed, bumping the back of her head against the headboard.
Just then, the man, who had been sleeping with even breaths, stirred and turned over.
‘Hic!’
Yulia instinctively stopped squirming, pulled the blanket up to her chin, and squeezed her eyes shut.
She could hear her pounding heart.
The man, having turned over grandly, seemed to have woken up.
She felt his gaze as he turned towards Yulia and quietly looked down at her.
Yulia continued pretending to be asleep, waiting for his next move.
‘Is he flustered too? Is he as drunk as I am and doesn’t remember anything? Is this my room? Or his room? I wish he’d just pick up his clothes and leave first…!’
Still squeezing her eyes shut, Yulia’s mind raced. Then, a large hand touched her left cheek.
Yulia, who hadn’t imagined he would touch her, flinched violently.
“…You seemed to be groaning in your sleep all night. Did you sleep well?”
A soft, low voice settled in Yulia’s ear.
The owner of the slightly husky voice began gently moving the hand on her cheek, tenderly stroking her cheek and ear.
At the familiar voice, as if she had heard it somewhere before, Yulia slightly lifted her tightly closed eyelids.
The man’s large pectoral muscles entered her field of vision.
Argh…!
Yulia quickly raised her gaze to look at the owner of this astonishing chest.
Soon, as the man’s defenseless face, wearing a languid smile, came into view, Yulia couldn’t hide her shock.
“Ca… Cassian…?”
It was Cassian Isheide.
With his dark green eyes gently fixed on her, this man was undoubtedly Cassian Isheide.
Facing Cassian, Yulia opened her mouth in disbelief.
Instead of answering, Cassian smiled and pulled Yulia into his arms, hugging her tightly.
Fresh from sleep, his embrace held a warm and cozy heat.
Trapped helplessly between his arms, she couldn’t understand anything.
Why did she wake up in the same bed as Cassian Isheide? Why was he half-naked? And above all, what was this gentle attitude of Cassian’s towards her now?!
Yulia lightly pushed Cassian away.
She felt him, pushed back, look down at her with a puzzled face.
“Um… right now… this is, no… what is this situation?”
“What do you mean ‘what is it’?”
The moment she saw his harmless expression as he asked tenderly, Yulia understood.
Ah. I slept with this man.
