Chapter 15

“And I was being honest, you know?”

“Huh?”

“The part about telling you to take your clothes off if you’re upset. Honestly, I don’t care about other women, I’m not curious about them, but if you undressed… At least, I think I’d feel a little embarrassed, just like you.”

Was ‘embarrassed’ really the right word? Lucien found the word awkward even as he said it, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. He was annoyed he couldn’t find a better word, but there was no helping it.

It was the same when he caught glimpses of her skin through the fluttering edges of her shirt in the heat. He felt flushed, embarrassed, and his whole body tingled, unsure where to look—yet he kept getting curious, wanting to see more, wanting to uncover everything. It was a restless desire.

Perhaps he was even worse than Serenia, who simply got embarrassed. Lucien instinctively held back the rest of his thoughts.

“And if you weren’t a woman, I’d be in more trouble.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“How am I supposed to explain this?”

The hand he’d been gripping tightly beneath the seawater moved slowly, brushing against something. Lucien frowned reflexively, his expressionless mask slipping for just a moment. Others might not have noticed, but he couldn’t escape Serenia’s gaze.

Lucien was flustered. And embarrassment? Why would Lucien…?

It felt as though she’d brushed, however briefly, the very edge of his emotions—elusive, hard to grasp. That was when Serenia finally realized what the hard sensation beneath her fingertips meant. For all his boldness in tossing off his upper clothes without hesitation, his trousers were pressed painfully tight around his rigid arousal, restrained as though by armor.

Startled, Serenia’s fingers curled up, sending ripples through the water. Lucien bit his lip, letting out a small groan, trying to hide his embarrassment and continuing in a brusque tone.

“If you weren’t a woman, then what am I supposed to be aroused by? I’d have to call myself a pervert.”

“…Why are you acting like this? Since when?”

“When you got into the water? You really have no sense. Don’t ever come into the sea dressed like this in front of other guys. Honestly, ha, you don’t even need to undress—everything’s already visible.”

Every word Lucien spoke was laced with a heavy sigh. He pressed closer to her, wanting to shield her silhouette with his own shadow. The thin, soaked fabric clung to Serenia’s curves, showing everything.

“Because of me?”

“Who else is here? You think I want people to say I’m some crazy guy who gets aroused swimming in the sea?”

“But that’s… weird. Why with me…?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s like they say, late-learned habits are the hardest to break. Because of you, I feel like I’m going through puberty all over again.”

Lucien rambled on, not sure if he was making excuses or confessing, saying he used to think that even if he got married, it would be a platonic love, that he had no such desires—until she broke something inside him.

Knowing Lucien’s intended spouse was Princess Erisa, Serenia naturally pictured her as the heroine of his platonic love. The new information made Serenia’s head spin.

Was this the story of Lucien, who once dreamed of platonic love with the Princess, now awakened to physical desire by heartbreak and a sudden night of passion?

Serenia felt awkward and uncomfortable, almost like she was a temptress or a demon corrupting a man mourning lost love—but at the same time, a small thrill ran through her.

If he dreamed of a platonic love with the Princess, then maybe she was his first, and that childish satisfaction made her heart race.

She’d always heard love was a beautiful feeling, but why was hers always so full of selfish, out-of-place desire? Serenia’s expression grew so complicated it couldn’t be described in one word.

But Lucien, feeling a shiver of pleasure from her touch, only tightened his arms around her. His long, lazy breath was thick with heat.

“You made me like this, so take responsibility.”

“W-what am I supposed to do…?”

Serenia replied brusquely, trying to suppress her pounding heart. Otherwise, she felt her dark desire to possess him might burst out. Whether Lucien understood or not, he calmly buried his nose in Serenia’s wet hair.

“Did you forget? I promised to stand in for you until you gave up your one-sided love. So you have to cooperate.”

“Huh?”

“A contract only works if both sides benefit. I’m letting you keep your crush on my brother and even acting as your stand-in—doesn’t that mean I’m getting the short end of the deal?”

Serenia’s scent, intensified by the water, wrapped around Lucien. Animals seduce each other with pheromones, and he felt drunk on hers, no different from a beast. Thinking of his constant arousal, he really wasn’t much different from an animal.

Lost in thought, Serenia fell silent, making Lucien anxious enough to steal a short kiss. Their lips brushed softly, sharing only a hint of warmth.

“Isn’t this better than dwelling on heartbreak? I’ll make sure you don’t remember any sadness.”

“…Is that so? You sound so confident.”

Lucien had never felt his emotions and desires run so wild for someone before, so he tried to cover it up with bravado. Serenia frowned slightly at his playful declaration.

‘He doesn’t even know who I really like…’

The more she shared her body with him, the further away giving up her crush seemed. In fact, her obsession with him only grew, but Serenia couldn’t refuse Lucien, who smiled sweetly and openly seduced her.

Maybe it was Lucien, who’d lost his long-time fiancée to his brother, who wanted to empty his mind and forget all sadness. That thought made Serenia’s chest ache a little.

Lucien, forcing her to give up her crush, was no different from her, using his misunderstanding to satisfy her own desire. Serenia reached out to him, thinking she was no better.

Lucien didn’t seem to even consider rejecting her—he was smiling arrogantly. Annoyed by his smirk, Serenia twisted her lips and kissed him, only for Lucien to wrap his arms around her waist and bite her lips urgently, as if to stop her from playing around. Their red lips pressed together, and their legs tangled beneath the splashing waves.

The cool sea breeze blowing from the horizon was nowhere near enough to cool the heat between them as they held each other.

* * *

On the fogged-up mirror, the silhouette of a n*ked body moved passionately. Even if it wasn’t clear, it was recognizable enough that Serenia’s face blushed as she looked at her reflection.

“Hng…”

A short m*an melted in a warm voice. Every touch, sliding through soft white bubbles, left a trail. Lucien, unable to wait even for a moment to wash, had barged into the bathroom with her, heating her entire body with his touch. He’d claimed he was only helping her wash, but the spray of water stung her sensitized skin, and wherever the bubbles slid away, Lucien had already left red marks.