Chapter 6

Kailo moved behind her. His blue eyes darkened as they traced the curve of her waist, which tapered gracefully before disappearing into her skirt.  

The lingerie, designed to reveal rather than conceal, featured delicate lace and thin ribbons that connected the upper and lower pieces.  

His large, firm hands brushed against the waistband of her skirt, unfastening the button. Amelie stiffened momentarily before straightening her posture. The skirt, which had rested snugly on her hips, fell to the floor with a soft rustle.  

Kailo’s gaze slowly traveled over her now nearly bare figure.  

The thin lace that clung to her hips seemed fragile enough to tear with the slightest pressure. It wrapped tightly around her soft, white curves, accentuating her shape.  

The straps that crisscrossed her chest extended down her back, disappearing between her hips. The lower garment was similarly made of sheer lace and thin black straps, offering minimal coverage.  

The lingerie, impractical in its design, was infuriatingly difficult to remove. To free her from the lace wrapped around her hips, he had to undo the clasp at the back. Then, he needed to unfasten the straps that bound her body.  

The design ensured that a man’s hands would inevitably come into contact with the wearer. Realizing this, Kailo’s gaze darkened once more.  

Nevertheless, he carefully reached for the clasp and unfastened it. His movements were deliberate, as if afraid that even the slightest mistake might tear the delicate fabric.  

“…Hmph.”

As Kailo unfastened each hook one by one, he noticed Amelie’s body tremble slightly. 

Curious, he realized that the temporary tugging of her undergarments to undo the hooks was stimulating her tightly bound intimate area. When Kailo paused momentarily, Amelie turned her head slightly to glance at him. As he undid the final hook, she bit her lip gently while keeping her head turned. 

The pale skin of her lower back, now exposed beneath his hands, twitched and twisted faintly. 

“All done.”

Kailo finished untying the strings fastened to the back hooks. The tension pressing against her chest was released, causing the soft, full flesh to bounce lightly.

“Thank you…! I’m so sorry for imposing like this.”

Before Amelie could turn around, Kailo quickly covered her nearly bare body with a robe. 

“Take your time getting dressed and come out when you’re ready. I’ll send someone to assist you.”

“Ah…”

Before she could respond, he turned abruptly and left the room. The door closed with a loud slam that seemed to echo in her ears.

“Is he angry?”

Amelie murmured gloomily. No matter how much she thought about it, the situation was unbearably embarrassing.

“Did he noticed?”

Nina had insisted, ‘This is the kind of undergarment meant to fit snugly,’ and had tightened the strings excessively. Because of that, every time Kailo had loosened the hooks to remove the undergarment, the strings covering her private areas rubbed against her skin. It hadn’t been an issue when she tried it on and took it off in Nina’s workshop, but just now, her heightened sensitivity, likely due to nervousness, made the sensation unbearably vivid.

“Should I quit? …No, I can’t.”

She dreaded the thought of facing the Duke during the next lesson, but she couldn’t easily give up her position as the Duke’s family tutor. It was a hard-won job.

Fortunately, the Duke didn’t mention her reaction or the undergarments at all. As long as he didn’t make an issue of it, she decided to hold on to the position—at least until she saved enough money to re-enroll in the academy.

‘I also don’t want to part ways with Ethan so soon.’

After taking off the offending undergarments and hanging them up, Amelie put on the indoor clothing Kailo had left for her. 

The loose flannel pajamas and the thick, luxurious robe were clearly designed for a man. While the length fit her adequately, the width and shoulders were slightly too large. 

It seemed like they belonged to a boy about her height. Ethan was still too small to wear such clothes, and it was unlikely they belonged to the Duke, given his broad frame and larger physique.

‘Could these be from the Duke’s childhood?’

As she cupped her cheeks with the slightly oversized sleeves, the faint scent she often caught when near him wafted to her nose. It was a comforting fragrance.

“Huh?”

Amelie placed her hand over her chest. There it was again—that sensation. Her heart felt as if it were malfunctioning, beating erratically.

***

“Miss Amelie, Young Master Ethan was rather impolite today. Please have a safe trip back.”

“Oh, not at all! He was just playing around and made a little mistake, that’s all.”

Amelie waved her hands dismissively.

Shortly after Kailo left, one of the Duke’s servants came to retrieve her shirt. Fortunately, her undergarments dried quickly in the well-ventilated room, and her shirt was promptly cleaned and returned to her in pristine condition.

“By the way, is the Duke very busy? I had something to ask him, but I haven’t seen him.”

At her question, the butler looked uncomfortable.

Since her first lesson, Kailo had always personally made time to see her off. For some reason, however, he hadn’t shown himself after the earlier incident.

‘Could he be feeling unwell?’

After changing into her clothes, Amelie decided to visit Kailo’s office. She wanted to personally thank the Duke for his kindness, despite the inconvenience she had caused.

She knocked on the door but heard no response. Assuming he wasn’t there, she turned to leave but froze when she heard a faint groaning sound.

At first, she thought she had misheard, but the sound continued to come from inside the office. It resembled the low growl of a large beast or the suppressed groans of someone in pain.

She was about to run off to find help but stopped in her tracks.

The low, clear tone was unmistakably Kailo’s. There was a strange heat in his voice that made Amelie’s mind feel hazy and caused a ticklish sensation near her heart.

‘What is this?’

In the end, Amelie fled from the door without doing anything. Even now, the Duke’s office door remained firmly shut at the top of the stairs.

“Could the Duke possibly have an undisclosed illness?”

“Pardon? Oh, no. He’s perfectly fine, so you needn’t worry.”

Relieved, Amelie let out a sigh. She had been feeling guilty for running away and leaving someone who might have been sick, but it seemed there was no serious issue.

“It seems that something urgent has suddenly come up. If you’d like, I can relay your question to him.”

“Oh, I just wanted to ask if Ethan’s next lesson could be conducted outdoors.”

She had intended to discuss it earlier during their meeting, but the unexpected events had disrupted their conversation.

After conveying her plan for the outdoor lesson to the butler, Amelie left the mansion.

***

“How did it go?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, the day you wore the white shirt. I gave you my secret weapon. Didn’t anything happen that day?”

Nina’s eyes sparkled like they did whenever she looked at newly ordered fabric for her designs. By now, Amelie was starting to feel curious herself.

‘Why does she keep assuming something would’ve happened?’

Although Nina had dressed her in outrageously provocative undergarments that day, no one would have noticed if Ethan hadn’t accidentally drenched her with water.

Still, remaining silent now felt like admitting something had indeed happened. After some hesitation, Amelie decided to speak.

“Well, actually, the Duke saw the undergarments.”

“What? Really?”

Despite having pressured her as if something was bound to happen, Nina seemed utterly shocked upon hearing the truth. Amelie, finding her reaction slightly irritating, recounted the events at the Duke’s mansion.

“So? So? And then?”

When Amelie mentioned being alone with Kailo in a room, Nina’s eyes gleamed brighter than ever before. Upon hearing that he had removed her skirt and unfastened the hooks on her back, Nina grinned mischievously.

“And then? Did it happen?”

“What are you talking about? He just covered me with a robe and left.”

Nina’s previously ecstatic expression turned icy.

“What? He saw you soaking wet in your shirt, saw you practically n*ked, and even helped you out of your wet undergarments, and yet nothing happened?”

“Yeah.”

“That guy must be impotent. No matter how handsome a man is, if he’s useless in bed, he’s good for nothing. Hmm, Amelie, let’s find someone else. Keep your job for now, though.”

“Um…”

Nina, who had just diagnosed one of the Empire’s most sought-after men with erectile dysfunction, was already moving on to her next thought.

Meanwhile, as she pressed a pin cushion against her wrist, Nina stomped her foot in frustration.

“Still, what a waste!”

Amelie, who had been debating whether to mention the groaning sounds she’d heard from the office, widened her eyes in surprise.

“Did he seem different from usual? Like heavier breathing or… um, something noticeable in his trousers…?”

“Nina! What on earth are you saying?!”

Amelie wanted to block her ears. In hindsight, she felt relieved that Kailo’s reaction that day had been so composed. If, as Nina suggested, he had tried to initiate something inappropriate, she would have felt uncomfortable enough to want to run away.

She thought back to his calm demeanor as he helped her. His low voice, steady and unhurried footsteps, and the soft indoor clothes that warmly enveloped her entire body. The clothes carried the pleasant scent that was uniquely his.

Everything about him felt subtle, as if wrapped in a fine layer of high-quality muslin. In contrast, the touch of his fingers on her back had been hot and firm.