CHAPTER 9

The milk was leaking out more than before, and she completely forgot to change the gauze in the middle. She was clearly aware of it, and she kept thinking in the back of her mind that she was breastfeeding.

She forgot about it while eating, drinking, and having fun. She hadn’t even dreamed that the milk would flow out faster than yesterday.

“This is insane….”

Carefully, so as not to make it worse, she took off the dress. From the gauze against her chest to the corset and the lining of the dress, everything was soaked with milk. She couldn’t get it all in and it was leaking out from her n*pples. Any more and there would have been a huge stain on her chest.

“Even now, it’s a big problem….”

She took out the soaked gauze and replaced it with a new one. She was embarrassed because she didn’t bring spare corsets and dresses. She could overlook the underwear, but the light blue dress was heavily stained on the left side of her chest. She should have quietly left it when she first noticed it, but she wiped it with a handkerchief, which made the stain worse.

… I need to go home.

The embarrassing area was prominently soaked, so she had no choice.

She dried the wet parts of the corset as much as possible and put it back on, then carefully put on the dress, covering her left chest with her arm as if she were casually massaging her right shoulder. She came out of the bathroom and walked through the relatively empty corridor.

“…….”

She couldn’t go to the crowded hall on the first floor.

She spotted a balcony at the back of the building. Taking advantage of the absence of people, she jumped down from the railing.

“Oh, my ankle….”

Even though it was the second floor, the ceiling of the first-floor hall was high, so her ankle hurt a bit. It was a good thing she learned how to land properly.

Avoiding the eyes of the people, she walked around the building and got on the waiting carriage. She sighed with relief and headed for the Duke’s mansion.

The carriage didn’t take long to arrive. Passing through the main gate and walking along the long path, she arrived at the mansion. The sun was still shining as she quickly disembarked. As she entered the mansion, she saw Dian staggering towards her.

“Rienn……?”

“Yes.”

She had been covering her chest with her left elbow since she stepped out of the carriage. She approached Dian naturally, pretending to adjust her shoulder.

“You’re back earlier than I thought. Is everything okay?”

Dian scrutinized her expression carefully.

“No, nothing happened. I just need to go to my room.”

She rushed to her feet, eager to get changed as quickly as possible, but Dian trailed behind her. Feeling exhausted, he stumbled, holding onto a nearby statue for support. She turned back for a moment, then went to Dian’s side and put one arm around his shoulder.

“Let’s go together.”

“Thanks.”

They walked slowly together.

The mansion was quiet, and a few more minutes wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“Was the wedding okay?”

“Yeah, it was fine.”

She was overflowing with thrill.

Dian kept looking at her, scrutinizing her expression. She glanced up and saw an expression of concern mixed with confusion. 

Was I too early, or did I look that bad?

She wasn’t sure what her look was like, but she couldn’t even force a smile.

“Rienn. Are you sure something never happened?”

“Well…”

“Yeah.”

Dian paused for a moment, stopping in his tracks.

Since he already knew I was leaking milk, should I just tell him?

She couldn’t explain this feeling of wanting to rush back unless it was the truth.

“Well… I leaked milk.”

She whispered softly and raised her elbow to show him.

“Oh.”

Dian’s eyes widened. 

Did I really need to show him?

He wiped the surprise from his face and pulled off the thin robe he was wearing. He came behind her and slipped it on, the large garment completely covering her upper body and falling to her knees.

“Oh, this is good.”

His warmth enveloped her, and it felt comforting.

“The clothes turned out like this, so I came back early to change.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Supporting Dian, they walked as quickly as possible without saying a word. They climbed the stairs and entered her guest room on the second floor.

Ah…….

Should I have taken Dian to his own bedroom?

Without thinking, he followed her. Although it was his own home, Dian looked around the room as if it were unfamiliar to him.

“Sit here.”

After hesitating for a moment, she sat him down on the bed.

“Don’t turn around, okay?”

“Sure.”

Dian sat down on the edge of the bed, his broad, lean back making her walk over to the coat rack.

Ugh, this feels awkward. 

The gauze was fine, but the corset was still damp. She didn’t notice she got wet, but once she did, it kept bothering her.

First, she removed her outer garment and dress, then the entire corset and cloth. She glanced at Dian’s back while she was only wearing her undergarments. She was sure he wouldn’t turn around, but it still felt strange to be doing this in the same space.

“…….”

She busied herself quickly. She wiped her chest with a dry cloth and changed into fresh clothes. New gauze, new corset, and an indoor dress. It felt fresh and crisp. 

After tidying up a bit, she approached Dian. She sat down next to him, feeling both pleased and embarrassed.

“I’m done. Here.”

She handed him the robe, and he turned his body to take it. As their eyes met, his expression was dark.

“You must have been very frightened.”

“Freaked out. I didn’t even notice it, Greta did. She said I spilled a drink….”

Come to think of it, I didn’t even say goodbye before leaving.

“But I came right out, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Other people either didn’t see the stain or thought it was a spill. Greta might have thought her reaction was weird, but Rienn wasn’t worried. She’s a bit tactless.

“If any problems arise, I’ll handle them. Don’t worry, Rienn.”

“I’m not worried.”

“You’ve been in trouble because of me.”

“Huh?”

She shook her head in surprise.

“It’s not because of you! It’s just that… I missed the timing to change the gauze. If I had done it on time, nothing would have happened.”

“You shouldn’t have to worry about these things. It’s my fault for being sick.”