Chapter 8

‘It might be too much to take all of them at once.’  

Caught between the enticing titles, she spent more and more time in front of the shelves, trying to decide which to read first.  

‘I want to read that one too.’  

Her gaze landed on a thin book on the topmost shelf. Although it wasn’t a new release, it was a renowned work that her professors had recommended during her time at the academy.  

The surroundings were quiet. Amelie assumed that the Duke had left silently to avoid disturbing her, especially since quite some time had passed.  

The top shelf was visibly high enough to seem dangerous, but fortunately, there was a ladder nearby.  

“Up we go.”  

She set down the books she had gathered and climbed the ladder.  

‘Just a little more…’  

Due to her short stature, even standing on the top rung of the ladder, her hand couldn’t quite reach. As she stretched on her tiptoes, she suddenly wobbled precariously.  

“That’s dangerous!”  

A panicked voice and the sound of a crash rang out simultaneously. Her footing slipped, and her vision flipped upside down.  

The pain she had expected never came. Instead, she felt something firm and warm beneath her. Strong arms wrapped securely around her small shoulders.  

“Um…”  

A faintly bitter scent, one she occasionally caught when standing close to the Duke, filled the air. Amelie instinctively placed her hands on whatever was within reach and extended her arms to lift herself up.  

A low, suppressed groan escaped.  

“Huh…?”  

Her peach-colored eyes blinked open, finally taking in the scene before her.  

Books scattered across the floor from the fall, and lying amidst the mess was Kailo von Estricen, the Duke himself.  

His well-groomed black hair was disheveled, revealing his handsome forehead. His piercing blue eyes, as clear as glass, glared at her sharply.  

Following his gaze, Amelie realized where he was looking. Shocked, she couldn’t even let out a scream. 

It was the season when summer was approaching. That day, she had worn a loose, lightweight dress with a wide neckline to work.  

Ordinarily, it was just a breezy, comfortable dress. But in her current position—on all fours, with her hands and knees on the ground—it would have exposed her undergarments and bare skin completely to the Duke’s view.  

To make matters worse, her long, flowing skirt had ridden up when she fell.  

From her thighs to her partially exposed backside, a firm hand slid slowly upward.  

“Do you always wear undergarments like these?”  

His voice was lower and rougher than usual, carrying a hint of menace. Although the Duke had noticed her undergarments before, he had never openly commented on them in this manner.  

“Well… uh…”  

When his large fingers tugged at the ribbon tied at the back of her waist, Amelie flinched. Her body jolted, causing her ample chest to bounce slightly within her dress.  

“…Ha.”  

The undergarments she wore that day were almost too revealing to be called undergarments. They consisted of little more than silk strings tied together in various places, barely covering her most intimate areas.  

The design was such that pulling any of the strings would inevitably stimulate sensitive spots.  

“What is this supposed to be?”  

“This, um, it’s just… a preference…”  

“A preference?”  

“Ah!”  

Amelie let out a soft gasp, her breathing growing heavier. Kailo hooked his finger around one of the strings and tugged gently. Each time he did so, a strange sensation tickled deep within her, making her body flush with heat.  

‘This feels… strange…’  

It was an unfamiliar, almost unsettling sensation, as though her body was responding in ways she couldn’t control. Yet, instead of feeling repelled, she felt a growing sense of frustration.  

The silk string, which had been perfectly dry moments ago, was now damp.  

“Is this really your preference in undergarments?”  

The Duke’s voice was low and heavy, as if reprimanding her for wearing something so indecent. His austere appearance made her feel as though he was chastising her for her improper taste.  

‘If he thinks the tutor has such inappropriate preferences… he might fire me.’  

Amelie quickly came to what felt like an obvious conclusion and shook her head.  

“No, it’s not my preference, it’s just…”  

Before she could finish her sentence, Kailo’s hand tightened its grip.  

As the string was pulled taut, it pressed firmly against her sensitive skin. The sudden intensity of the sensation caused her slender waist to arch. At the same time, the string across her chest shifted, briefly exposing a glimpse of her peach-colored n*pple before it disappeared again.  

The Duke’s gaze darkened.  

“You claim you’re not seeing anyone, yet you wear undergarments like this, catering to someone’s taste.”  

“Ah… ah…”  

Her flushed cheeks and trembling breaths betrayed her. For the first time, Amelie began to feel a strange pleasure overtaking her entire body.  

The overwhelming sensation of shame only added to her distress. The thought that everything had been exposed made her heart pound wildly, and tears welled up in her eyes.  

To make matters worse, her hands were resting on Kailo’s chest, making her acutely aware of every subtle movement.  

Despite everything, she couldn’t stop herself from moving her hips to better respond to his touch below. For the first time in her life, she was experiencing self-pleasure on top of a man’s body.

“How obscene.”

“Ah, ugh…”

Amelie gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the embarrassing sounds escaping her lips, but it was futile. Soon, his other hand’s thumb parted her soft lips and slipped into her mouth.

“Haaah…”

“Who are you trying to seduce?”

“That’s… not it…”

“Are you entering the Ducal household to seduce the knights?”

Amelie flinched in shock.

‘Did he see all of that?’

Her face, which had been flushed red, quickly turned into one of despair. After seeing her surrounded by knights and speaking with them, and now witnessing this scene, there was no way to refute any misunderstanding.

“No, no, Your Grace.”

“Even when you dress modestly, they can’t seem to keep their heads straight.”

“Hngh!”

“If they saw you wearing something like this, they’d pounce on you like rabid dogs.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Kailo snapped the string of her undergarment sharply.  

The silk string, soaked with her fluids, struck her sensitive area, sending a shockingly intense sensation coursing through her entire body.

“Ahh!”

Her back arched like a crescent moon in response. Her stiffened body trembled against his, and a silent scream escaped her parted lips. Between her quivering thighs, a rich flow of her fluids trickled down.

She looked down at the man beneath her with blurred vision.

He seemed to be holding something back, his face contorted in discomfort as he took deep, ragged breaths.

“Y-Your Grace.”

As her senses gradually returned, Amelie felt so ashamed that she couldn’t open her eyes. How could she face the Duke after this? How could she possibly continue teaching his child after such a disgraceful display?

‘That was so reckless of me.’

She should have been more cautious, more mindful of the consequences. The thought of having to abandon Ethan’s lessons midway due to her own carelessness filled her with anguish.

On top of that, the realization that she had moved her hips in pursuit of pleasure on top of the Duke—of all people—made her feel utterly humiliated.

‘I can’t show my face in the capital ever again.’

Her body grew weak, and a wave of mental exhaustion washed over her. As she instinctively lowered her lower body, she suddenly froze.

‘Huh?’

There was something between her thighs. No, “something” wasn’t enough to describe it. It was hot and hard, pressing insistently against her leg, making its presence impossible to ignore.

‘This is…’

Even with her innocence, she wasn’t so naive as to not know what it was. Amelie’s lips moved soundlessly.

‘Didn’t he seem different from usual? His breathing was rough, and… his trousers were bulging…’

His trousers were indeed bulging. Through the fabric, stretched taut by her movements, she could see the intimidating outline of something large.

“…Hah.”

His breathing had grown heavier too.

‘Then…’

Could it be, as Nina had persistently claimed, that the Duke was also aroused because of me? That I wasn’t the only one who had acted shamefully?

Amelie swallowed hard.

She could feel his chest rising and falling rapidly beneath her hands. When she met his gaze, his eyes, clouded with heat, looked up at her, making her feel indescribably strange.

With her heart pounding uncontrollably, she abruptly stood up.

Then, as though fleeing, she dashed out of the library.

* * *

“Pardon…?”

“You heard correctly. His Grace has ordered that your position be changed to that of a live-in tutor.”

Amelie blinked blankly, the dark circles under her eyes making her appear even more dazed.

After fleeing the library without even taking the books she had so desperately wanted, she had spent a sleepless night tossing and turning.

She had debated hundreds of times whether or not to go to work but had ultimately decided to leave the house, determined to see Ethan’s face at least once more.

And the first thing she heard upon arriving at the Ducal household was this.