“I intend to take you to a private room.”

I nodded silently in response to what Arsen said. Although it would be cooler outside, we would inevitably attract attention. A private room would be ideal for avoiding notice, however.

Once we passed through the doorway, the noise from the banquet hall receded slightly. When we entered the corridor, the air was cool and crisp. It was much easier to breathe, but as my tension eased, I felt the strength drain from my legs and the floor seemed to tilt faintly beneath me.

“Pardon me for a moment.”

Arsen stopped walking and suddenly took the hand that I had placed on his arm. As I looked up at him in confusion, he encircled my waist with his strong arm.

Startled, I drew in a sharp breath. His hand was so hot, even through my thin corset, that my mind went blank. Arsen, however, remained completely unfazed by my reaction.

“Your steps are unsteady.”

At Arsen’s quiet observation, I instinctively raised my head. His handsome face was far too close to mine.

“I can walk on my own……”

I barely managed to say it, but even to my ears, the words were far from convincing.

My steps slowed. Even as I struggled to remain upright, the floor continued to undulate beneath me.

Arsen stopped without removing his hand from my waist and asked,

“Would you rather continue like this, or shall I carry you?”

Startled, I stared at him. Had I misheard him because of the alcohol?

Arsen tilted his head slightly.

“Did you not hear me? I asked whether you wished to continue like this or have me carry you.”

So I had heard him correctly.

“Are you joking right now?”

Although nothing about him suggested that he was, I asked just in case.

“Do I look as though I am in the mood for jokes?”

Light from a wall-mounted candelabrum fell obliquely across Arsen’s face. He appeared as composed as a man who had never told a joke in his entire life.

‘I should have kept quiet.’

Regretting my unnecessary question, I pressed my lips firmly together.

“Shall we continue like this, or shall I carry you?”

After urging me for an answer without quite sounding impatient, Arsen glanced toward the end of the corridor as though judging the distance. I barely managed to force out a reply.

“Let us continue like this.”

Arsen’s fingers shifted slightly. I flinched without realizing it. He had merely tightened his hold around my waist, yet even that subtle change felt far too distinct.

‘What was I thinking, drinking alcohol?’

I moved alongside Arsen, cradled against him, in silence. With every step, the music from the banquet hall grew fainter.

Once we were completely out of sight, a wave of relief washed over me and my legs gave way. When I stumbled, Arsen pulled me closer. Beneath his formal attire, I could feel his solid body shifting heavily against mine.

He stopped in front of the innermost door at the end of the corridor. An attendant appeared from nowhere and quickly opened the door, quietly stepping aside.

The private room was quieter than the banquet hall, with considerably dimmer lighting. A small fire burned in the fireplace and cabinets and paintings adorned the walls. Several sofas of various sizes and lengths were arranged around the room, each accompanied by a small table.

After looking around, I let out a short breath. The pressure on my waist, the heat in my cheeks, and the sensation of the world tilting and righting itself whenever I turned my head all became more pronounced.

At that moment, I heard the faint sound of people talking in the corridor. My heart plummeted, and I hurriedly looked towards the source of the noise. Arsen immediately pulled me close and guided me into the room.

After closing the door, Arsen seated me on the long sofa. The moment my back touched the plush backrest, my body sagged limply. Although I felt somewhat more comfortable, breathing remained difficult. Now that I was seated, I could feel the pressure of the corset on my ribs more distinctly.

Feeling suffocated, I absentmindedly touched my chest before lowering my hand. Arsen stood directly in front of me, looking down. I had briefly forgotten about him while we were surrounded by people in the banquet hall, but now that we were alone in the room, his presence was overwhelming.

Unable to meet his gaze, I looked away. I could still vividly feel the sensation of his hand on my waist and the intense heat radiating from his body.

For some reason, my breathing quickened. I felt around my waist and chest, searching for the corset’s laces. However, my fingertips were weak, and I kept grasping at the wrong places.

“I will summon a maid.”

Arsen rose to his feet.

“W-Wait.”

I hurriedly stopped him, then spoke hesitantly.

“Could you do it for me, Your Grace……?”

It would be extremely troublesome if the maid were to witness the situation and start spreading rumors. My reputation could deteriorate even faster than it did in the original novel. Since Arsen wasn’t particularly interested in Judith anyway, I thought he might be able to help with this.

“It would be better to summon a maid.”

Arsen approached and bent down until our eyes were level. His dark-green eyes gleamed directly before me in the light.

‘Had they always looked like this?’

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but his gaze seemed different from the utter indifference I remembered.

“I am concerned that unnecessary rumors might spread. Even if the servants are strictly disciplined, there are always cracks through which gossip can slip……”

I had been speaking rather clearly, but my voice faltered. The moment my gaze became entangled with his piercing eyes, my words involuntarily trailed off.

“I am not saying the servants of the ducal estate are like that…… I only meant that servants generally tend to be……”

“I would never allow that to happen.”

Arsen’s voice was quiet but firm.

“Ah, yes.”

I answered halfheartedly and looked away. Coming from a man who had stood by while Judith suffered under all manner of malicious gossip, his words were difficult to trust.

“Very well. I will do it.”

Arsen readily agreed.

“Would you like to turn around, or shall I move behind you?”

The choice was mine. Without saying a word, I turned sideways and turned my back on him.

I became acutely aware of the laces constricting my body. With each breath, my back felt painfully taut and I could feel a dull ache already throbbing deep within my waist.

I heard the rustle of fabric. When I glanced over, I saw that Arsen was removing his gloves. My shoulders stiffened involuntarily.

Arsen spoke in a low, soothing voice.

“There is no need to be nervous.”

His words made me even tenser, and I clutched the folds of my gown tightly.

I felt his fingertips touch the tightly tied knots on my back. Even though he hadn’t touched my skin, I could feel my breath stop. Despite the layers of fabric between us — the corset and the gown’s lining — I could clearly feel exactly where his fingers were moving.

The knots loosened one by one. Arsen’s movements were so practiced and gentle that it seemed as though he had done this countless times before.

‘Just how many women has he undressed?’

Just as an inexplicable irritation came over me, the pressure around my body eased, allowing me to breathe. Feeling considerably better, I straightened my back and composed myself.

‘Whatever he has done, what does it have to do with me?’

As the tension loosened, the shoulders of my gown, which had been pulled upward, slipped lower.

“Shall I loosen it further?”

He asked while lightly touching a knot at the middle of my back.

‘What should I do?’

Since the gown had a square neckline cut deeply in both the front and back, loosening only three or four knots had already exposed half my back. However, it was still not enough for me to breathe comfortably.

“Yes, just a little more……”

My voice emerged in a slight tremor. Arsen moved his fingers again, easing the pressure on my ribs further.

Perhaps because my body was more relaxed, my other senses gradually became sharper. I could feel the warmth and movement of his fingertips, smell his scent so close behind me, and hear his steadily growing louder breathing, all with startling clarity, even through the haze of intoxication.

“How is it now? Do you feel better?”

Arsen spoke while still holding the laces. Tense, I drew in a deep breath. The room was so quiet that the sound seemed unusually loud. My cheeks burned at the thought that Arsen must have heard it clearly.

I nodded slowly.

“Better than before.”

Only then did he withdraw his hand from my back. I hurriedly straightened up and leaned back against the sofa. Even after Arsen had touched me, the heat lingered on my skin.

Arsen returned to the opposite side of the sofa and put his gloves back on. The way he meticulously adjusted them over each finger was so calm and collected that no one would have guessed he had been handling a woman’s corset moments earlier.