Chapter 16

That evening, in Amelie’s room, Kailo stood before her, his expression unreadable as he repeated her words.

“…What did you just say?”

“I said I won’t do this anymore. Not tonight, not ever.”

“Why?”

His question sounded oddly urgent. Amelie studied his face.

She had hoped, perhaps foolishly, to see some trace of vulnerability or regret. But his expression remained as arrogant and composed as ever. There was no sign of the desperation or longing one might expect from a man rejected by his lover.

Her chest ached with a dull, stinging pain, but her resolve only strengthened. With a deep breath, she spoke again.

“I’m not obligated to warm your bed whenever you please.”

His piercing blue eyes bore into her, as if trying to consume her whole. Amelie hesitated for a moment.

There was no need to bring up Marcus. Mentioning him would only make her seem pitiful, as though she were clinging to excuses.

If she truly wanted to sever ties, it was better to be cold and decisive.

“I am the tutor of the Estricen household, not your plaything.”

“…Amelie.”

“I’m tired of this kind of relationship. It’s shameful, especially in front of Ethan.”

“What does that boy have to do with anything?”

Kailo’s tone suggested he genuinely didn’t understand, and Amelie found herself stunned.

‘He doesn’t get it?’

She felt a wave of confusion. It dawned on her that she barely knew the man she had fallen for.

She had been so swept up in her feelings for him, so consumed by their physical connection, that she had failed to see him clearly. Shame and despair washed over her, making it impossible to lift her head.

A strange sense of betrayal sent a chill down her spine.

“Forget it.”

Amelie turned her back to him. She didn’t know how to face him anymore.

“Staying at the Ducal residence is something I should reconsider. Until now, I’ve been staying here without complaints, taking into account the concern your reputation, Duke. But now, with things as they are, the original purpose has become meaningless.”

“Wait a moment, reputation? Amelie, I think there’s some misunderstanding. The reason I suggested you stay was simply…”

Amelie bit her full lips tightly. She was afraid of what might come out of his mouth next.

What if he said it was only to make it easier to have her body? If she heard such words, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to bear the pain.

“Your Grace.”

Interrupting him mid-sentence, Amelie turned away. Her face, deliberately hardened into a cold and proud expression, gleamed under the moonlight.

“The contract is ending soon, isn’t it?”

For a moment, Amelie thought Kailo wore an utterly terrifying expression. At the same time, his face seemed pitiful, like a lost child.

‘It must be my imagination.’

As if to confirm her thoughts, the Duke’s expression soon returned to its usual calm demeanor. That cold, rational wall she had felt when she first met him was intact.

“…Is that your decision, Amelie?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. If that’s the case.”

A bittersweet sensation spread through her chest. Amelie was dumbfounded by her own reaction.

‘What is this? Why am I disappointed?’

Was I hoping he would ignore my refusal, say he desired me regardless, grab my wrist, throw me onto the bed, and kiss me passionately?

That would have been disrespectful to her. At least in that regard, Kailo had shown her a modicum of respect.

Yet, his easy retreat left her feeling as though his emotions were neither desperate nor intense. It was as if her presence didn’t matter much to him. To Kailo von Estricen, her significance was just that small.

“Have a pleasant night, Lady Amelie.”

Kailo, who had escorted Amelie to her bed, kissed the back of her pale hand. Amelie deliberately tilted her chin upward, accepting the kiss with a haughty air.

The moment his lips parted from her skin, the process of their hands separating felt excruciatingly slow. But Amelie turned her head away as if rejecting the lingering sensation of their contact.

His persistent gaze lingered on her profile, illuminated by the moonlight.

***

Days passed without burning passion through sleepless nights or tormenting agony and nightmares.  

Even though things had gone as she wanted, she felt no joy. She hadn’t collapsed from overwhelming pleasure or exhaustion, yet she felt even more tired when she woke up in the morning.  

The more this continued, the gloomier her mood became. While she was struggling with his absence, he was likely sitting at his desk with his usual composed and flawless expression, having already cast aside any lingering feelings.  

‘I need to leave this place soon.’  

Only three lessons remained in Ethan’s curriculum as stipulated by the contract.  

‘…Come to think of it, why did they hire a temporary tutor?’  

With the Duke of Estricen’s reputation and wealth, they could have easily hired a tutor with the best credentials on a permanent basis.  

Why, then, had they sought someone like her as a temporary tutor? The question came to her belatedly. But Amelie shook her head.  

It wasn’t an important issue anymore. She had nearly completed her lessons. What mattered now was teaching Ethan until the end and sorting out her feelings for Kailo as cleanly as possible.  

‘Should I buy Ethan a gift as a memento for the last lesson?’  

It seemed like a good way to part ways while leaving a fond memory of each other. But deciding what to give as a present was a bit of a dilemma.  

After all, even though Ethan was a child, he was still the heir of a ducal house. A cheap gift wouldn’t be appropriate. Yet most of her wages as a tutor had been saved for her academy registration.  

While Amelie was mulling over this, the butler, who had been organizing documents, called her.  

“Miss Amelie, a letter has arrived for you.”  

“Ah, thank you, Butler.”  

Amelie opened the letter she received. It was from Nina.  

Could you come to model for me today? With the launch approaching, there’s quite a bit of work piling up. We’ll likely finish late into the night. N.  

Amelie held the letter in her hands and hesitated for a moment.  

Thinking back, her strange relationship with Kailo had started because of the lingerie Nina had dressed her in. Up until now, he had made her wear Nina’s creations, admired her appearance, criticized her for being provocative, and torn countless pieces of lingerie to shreds.  

In a way, he had made Amelie vividly experience why Nina was launching a brand that sold “such lingerie.”  

If she spent the entire day wearing Nina’s lingerie, she might not be able to escape thoughts of Kailo.  

But then again, staying in this mansion also meant she couldn’t escape thoughts of him.  

The Duke of Estricen’s mansion was his domain, a space ruled by Kailo von Estricen. It was only natural. Particularly, her room and the area near Kailo’s office were filled with chaotic memories.  

‘Yes, it’s better to go.’  

Her decision was quick. Wearing provocative lingerie for intimacy and wearing it constantly while striking poses to assist Nina were entirely different matters. Perhaps focusing on work all day would help clear her mind.  

She might even earn a bit of extra money to buy Ethan’s gift.  

Amelie left the Duke’s mansion, leaving behind a note saying she was meeting a friend.  

* * *

A sudden storm struck.  

After finishing her work, Amelie hurriedly bought a gift for Ethan and rushed back, but unfortunately, she got drenched in the rain.  

By the time she reached the Duke’s mansion, she was a mess in many ways.  

Her golden hair was soaked, and her thin shirt clung to her, revealing the outline of her undergarments.  

In both hands, she carried shopping bags filled with Ethan’s gift and, as always, the lingerie Nina had insistently handed her.  

When she entered the mansion in this state, Amelie noticed a peculiar heaviness and chill in the atmosphere.  

‘Is it because of the storm?’  

It felt suffocating in a way that couldn’t be explained by the storm alone. As she lifted her head, she met the gaze of the Duke of Estricen, who was standing with his arms crossed, watching her.  

The moment his piercing blue eyes seemed to bore into her, her heart dropped.  

“Follow me, Amelie.”  

“Your Grace, I…”  

“That.”  

Kailo gestured to the shopping bags Amelie was holding.  

“Bring all of it.”  

“….”  

There was no room for refusal. She had planned to tell him she was leaving the Duke’s mansion if they met again, but now she couldn’t even open her mouth, let alone bring up the subject of leaving.  

Her wet clothes clung to her skin. The mansion was steeped in the eerie atmosphere of a stormy night. The only sounds were the rumbling thunder and the hurried footsteps of the two as they walked across the floorboards.