Chapter 1.14

When she opened her eyes, the carriage had already come to a halt. He was awake as well.  

“You’re up? We just arrived.”  

She blinked in a daze. Sleep still lingered in her eyes, making her vision blurry. Karl Lavresion slipped his hands under her arms and, with a grunt, lifted her up.  

“Ugh, what, what are you doing…?”  

The drowsiness that lingered in her dissipated halfway. As she squirmed, he picked her up entirely. Before she knew it, she was cradled in his arms like a princess.  

“Ah!”  

Embarrassed by the childlike position, she flailed her arms and legs, but he didn’t budge.  

“Shh. I specifically told the staff not to greet us. They’re all asleep. But if you keep squirming like this, won’t you wake them up?”  

At his words, she stopped moving her limbs. The surroundings were dark, undoubtedly the middle of the night. As she relaxed and stayed still in his arms, he finally began to walk forward.  

“You slept well.”  

“…”  

“I even kissed you secretly, but you didn’t wake up.”  

“What, what?”  

Really? 

She frowned at him, and he nodded as if it were true. It didn’t seem like a joke.  

“I didn’t use my tongue, though.”  

“W-What are you saying…?”  

As she stammered in embarrassment, he remained unfazed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Her face grew hot. He playfully tapped her cheek and laughed.  

“Let’s do it in the morning when you wake up.”  

In the end, she buried her burning face in his chest to hide her embarrassment. He burst into laughter.  

The villa was more spacious and luxurious than expected. Even in the dark hours of dawn, the interior was visible thanks to the lanterns hanging on the walls. The first things that caught her eyes were the large fireplace and several portable heaters. All of them were blazing with fire, making the villa warm and cozy.  

The window frames were spotless, without a speck of dust, and the curtains were immaculate. It was evident that the place had been well-maintained. Just being there made her feel welcomed.  

“Let’s go to bed, Leti.”  

Still holding her in his arms, Karl Lavresion climbed the stairs. He carried her to a room on the second floor and laid her down on the wide bed there. The room was unlit, making it difficult to discern the interior. He approached her as she lay down and began removing her shoes.  

“What are you doing? You said we’d wait until tomorrow…”  

When she grabbed his hand, suspecting he might be trying to undress her, he let out a small, incredulous laugh.  

“You’re going to sleep fully dressed?”  

“Oh… No…”  

So, he was just helping her undress. Feeling embarrassed, she let him carefully remove her clothes. The tight, restrictive layers of her dress, shoes, and socks were removed, leaving her in just her chemise. He neatly folded the clothes he had taken off her and then began taking off his own.  

He removed his shirt and trousers, leaving himself in only his undergarments, and lay down beside her. Then, he pulled her into his arms.  

“…It’s stifling.”  

“But I like sleeping close to you.”  

He buried his nose and chest into the crook of her neck. She knew that trying to push him away would only make him cling tighter, so she simply closed her eyes.  

A strange place, a strange bed, and Karl Lavresion…  

Just a few months ago, she couldn’t have imagined herself in such a situation. 

Was this really okay? Was this right? 

Uncertainty weighed heavily on her heart. 

Was mother… worried about me, or resenting me?  

Even with her eyes closed, the thoughts wouldn’t go away. Perhaps it was because she had briefly dozed off earlier.  

“Leti.”  

He called her. She opened her eyes.  

“You’re still awake, aren’t you?”  

“…I can’t sleep.”  

“You’re thinking again, aren’t you?”  

He stroked her cheek. She didn’t respond, but her silence was an answer in itself.  

Just because she didn’t want to think didn’t mean the thoughts would disappear. It wasn’t something she could control. She had always been like this, even as a child—always lost in thought.  

Her thoughts would often spiral in strange directions, leading her to jump to conclusions or try to guess others’ emotions, which only doubled her pain.  

It was a pattern she couldn’t escape.  

Pain and wounds might dull over time, but they never truly disappeared. Even if buried deep within, they would resurface occasionally, bringing tears to her eyes.  

In the end, what ruled her was self-loathing and depression. She had never escaped those two emotions. Realizing this had only come to her recently. Before that, she had been tearing herself down without even noticing it.  

But just because she realized it didn’t mean the facts changed. She was still depressed, still a worthless illegitimate child. Just a slightly pretty face, with no friends to speak of.  

She closed her eyes and let herself be carried by the storm of emotions. Tears welled up before she knew it.  

“Leti.”  

He called her again. She didn’t open her eyes. She knew that if she did, the tears would spill.  

“Are you feeling uneasy?”  

“…”  

“Because you defied your mother?”  

That was part of it. But it wasn’t everything.  

She felt his gaze on her. Not wanting him to see her tears, she turned away from him with her eyes still closed. His arm, which had been wrapped around her shoulder, loosened.  

“Leti.”  

“Don’t talk to me anymore…”  

She didn’t want him to know she was crying. Curling up with her back to him, she tried to hide her face. In response, he said nothing and instead hugged her from behind. His hand wrapped around her waist, and his warm breath touched her back.  

Perhaps it was the warmth of his touch, or the solidity of his embrace, but the tears that had been welling up didn’t spill any further.  

As time passed, the single tear that had fallen dried up. He pressed his lips to the nape of her neck and asked softly, 

“Are you feeling better now?”  

“…Yes.”  

She felt a bit better than before. He turned her body so she was facing him. His eyes gazed into hers, as if searching for traces of her tears.  

“You cried, didn’t you?”  

“A little…”  

“Leti, you’re such a crybaby.”  

He stroked her tear-streaked cheek before pressing his palm against it firmly. The pressure caused her lips to pout forward like a duck’s bill.  

“W-What are you doing?”  

Her words came out muffled and slurred. He laughed heartily, clearly amused.  

“What do you think? Your cheeks are so soft, I couldn’t help it.”  

He pressed and released her cheeks repeatedly, as if they were his toy, before leaning in to plant light kisses on them. They were innocent pecks, like those exchanged between children.  

“Ugh, Karl!”  

When she called his name and pulled her head back, he widened his eyes.  

“My name.”  

He stopped kissing her.  

“You called my name for the first time.”  

Had I?  

Now that she thought about it, she never had. Seeing his delight, she found herself pulled tightly into his embrace.  

“Say it again.”  

“Again?”  

“Yes, my name.”  

“Karl.”  

“Keep going.”  

“…Karl.”  

Their lips met once more. This time, it wasn’t a simple peck. The kiss was deeper, more passionate. His tongue slipped into her mouth, exploring deeply.  

His firm tongue entwined with hers, their movements like two snakes coiling around each other. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation.  

Perhaps because her body was positioned slightly lower than his, his tongue reached deep into her mouth. It scraped against the roof of her mouth before moving to her soft palate.  

“Mm…”  

He began to explore the tender flesh inside her cheeks. Her tongue moved instinctively in response to his.  

The kiss lasted a long time. When their lips finally parted, both of their mouths were slick with each other’s saliva.  

He licked her lips as if to clean them, the sensation ticklish.  

“I wasn’t planning on doing anything tonight since it’s so late.” 

He murmured, slipping his hand under her chemise.  

“But you’re just too beautiful, Leti.”  

His hand cupped her bare chest. Already aroused from the kiss, her body responded to the new stimulation, releasing more moisture below.  

She was flushed with heat, unable to resist his touch. Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around his neck.  

Seeing her response, he smirked and pressed his lower body against hers. His arousal was evident, straining against his undergarments.  

“Damn…”  

Karl Lavresion cursed under his breath as he removed his undergarments. Then, he pulled her chemise off as well.  

“I can’t hold back anymore.”  

He growled, rubbing his glistening arousal against her entrance. Yet, instead of entering, he slid his fingers inside.  

“You’re so wet.”  

“Ah…!”  

He added two more fingers without hesitation. Her already soaked entrance accepted them easily.  

Squish, squish.  

Each movement of his fingers produced lewd sounds.  

“Ha…”  

He let out a sigh, lowering his gaze. His fingers glistened with her arousal, but he furrowed his brows and continued to stretch her insides.  

“Enough… That’s enough…”  

For the first time, she urged him. Her body craved something thicker and firmer than his three fingers. She wanted him to fill her completely, right away.  

“I can’t. If I rush, you might get hurt.”  

But he stopped her. He pressed against her inner walls with his fingers, carefully widening her.  

“Ah… Ah…”  

Her legs were spread to their limit, and when she could no longer endure it, her nails dug into his shoulders. Only then did he remove his fingers.