Chapter 4 (Part 5)

While she was smiling dreamily, Eden’s soft voice reached her ears.  

“About the magical potion you’re using for your thesis—can I ask what made you decide to create such a potion?”  

The idea of helping people heal from the trauma buried in their memories was, even upon reflection, an unexpected side of her. He hadn’t imagined that someone with such an unblemished, innocent face would be conducting such research. After swallowing the lingering taste of the alcohol in her mouth, Sienna carefully chose her words.  

“Well, um, it all started because of Levi.”  

“Levi? Who’s that?”  

The name sounded like it could belong to a man, and Eden raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed. 

Could it be Sienna’s first love? Did she want to forget the memories of her first love because of some trauma? 

However, the words that reached Eden’s ears were entirely different from what he had imagined.  

“Levi was the name of a puppy I raised. When I was young, I once invited the children of noble families over, and Levi went missing during the gathering.”  

Feeling the need to elaborate, Sienna added a bit more detail.  

“I’m not a noble myself, but because my father is the head of the Onyx Trading Company, we had connections with several noble families. He thought it would be good for me to build relationships with noble children from an early age, so he arranged the gathering on purpose….”  

Samuel, the founder of the Onyx Trading Company and Sienna’s grandfather, originally came from a family of tenant farmers. One day, he ended up saving the life of a lord, and as a reward, he was gifted a small piece of land. That land later became part of a city redevelopment plan, and with the substantial compensation he received, he was able to establish the trading company. His son, Landon, who is Sienna’s father, inherited the company and expanded it significantly.  

Now, it was said that no minerals distributed throughout the Empire bypassed the Onyx Trading Company. Because of this, people often joked that their family made a living by digging up the ground.  

Once a certain amount of wealth is accumulated, the desire for honor naturally follows. Both her grandfather and father hoped that Sienna and Montague would build connections with the nobility and climb to greater heights, which is why they arranged such gatherings. However, the result was that Sienna only developed a negative perception of nobles.  

“At first, we played well together, but once they found out I was a commoner, they stopped including me. Then, to tease me, they secretly took Levi into the forest and ended up losing him.”  

The noble children, who had assumed Sienna was one of them because of the grand Onyx family mansion and the pretty girl dressed in a fancy gown, changed their attitudes the moment they learned she was a commoner. Perhaps they couldn’t stand the idea that they had been trying to win favor with someone of lower status than themselves.  

As soon as she realized Levi was missing, Sienna cried and searched the entire forest until she finally found him. However, Levi had been severely injured, possibly attacked by a wild animal roaming the forest. Feeling that Levi’s injury was entirely her fault, Sienna suffered greatly.  

Even after Levi recovered and lived a long life until he passed away as an old dog, her guilt never went away. Her trauma only began to ease slightly after Levi’s death, thanks to a vivid dream she had one night.  

In her dream, Sienna vividly watched her younger self desperately running around in search of Levi. The little girl, crying as she pushed through the untamed bushes, didn’t even notice her legs being scratched all over. Eventually, she found Levi, injured and collapsed.  

The girl sobbed uncontrollably as she hugged the struggling puppy, who, despite his pain, licked away her falling tears with joy at being reunited with his owner. Watching this scene, Sienna was finally able to forgive her younger self, even if just a little. She became certain that what had happened wasn’t her fault and that Levi had never resented her.  

Realizing that simply facing and confronting the past could help heal wounds, she developed a small wish to help others like herself confront their memories. This was why she chose the magical potion as the topic of her doctoral research.  

“Maybe the reason I’m working so hard to earn my doctorate is because I want to gain even a minor noble title, something that might not mean much to others.”  

After all, she had long blamed herself, thinking that what happened to Levi was because she wasn’t a noble. Sienna let out a small laugh, her eyelids fluttering slowly.  

Perhaps it was because of the rising intoxication, but she found herself spilling truths she’d never shared with anyone else. Was she already drunk, despite trying to act sober? Otherwise, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to imagine that the Duke was looking at her with such a tickling gaze.  

No, she told herself it was just a drunken delusion, but deep down, she hoped it wasn’t.  

Her growing feelings for him had reached a size she could no longer ignore, leaving her unsettled. She wondered what he thought of her.  

Were those tickling gazes, his increasingly kind demeanor, and his casual touches merely the comfort of someone who had shared physical intimacy with me? Or did they carry even a small hint of affection for me?  

Her curiosity clashed with her reluctance to know the truth, creating a contradiction in her emotions. Sienna took another sip of brandy, trying to ignore her complicated feelings.  

“…That must have been difficult for you.”  

“Mm… It’s all in the past now. I’m fine.”  

Hearing Eden’s low and warm voice made her feel even more comforted. Sienna, who was gazing at him in a daze while exhaling hot breaths from her heart that felt like it was being squeezed tightly, soon directed her gaze toward his chest, where he was unbuttoning a few buttons as if he felt frustrated or stifled.

Was it the lingering effects of the previous day? Even the slightest relaxation of her mind sent her thoughts spiraling in strange directions. She now knew all too well how those thick chest muscles would rise and fall, and how they would feel to the touch, making her throat feel even drier. Sienna took another sip from her glass and glanced at his chest again.

Meanwhile, Eden, who had been loosening his collar to ease his pounding heart, noticed where her gaze had settled. He hesitated for a moment before letting out a faint laugh. Even in the middle of a serious conversation, what could he make of such an impure gaze?

But his hesitation didn’t last long. He leaned down and pulled Sienna’s arm, catching her off guard and causing her to easily fall into his lap. His sticky, low voice reached her ears as she suddenly found herself sitting on his knees.

“Why are you looking at me like that again, Sienna, hmm?”

“……”

So it was obvious. Embarrassed for a moment, feeling as though her inner thoughts had been exposed, she quickly recalled that this wasn’t the first time she had felt ashamed in front of him. Resigning herself, she spoke her honest feelings.

“…I want to touch you.”

Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, as if she was whispering while borrowing courage from her intoxication. Yet, Eden heard it more clearly than anything else. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple moving visibly, and let out a low chuckle.

Sienna, who had slightly hunched her shoulders upon feeling the ticklish breeze on her nape, lowered her head even further as he guided her hand. The moment her palm touched his firm yet soft chest muscles, her face turned a deep red. Slowly, she raised her head, her gaze meeting his. As soon as their eyes locked, Eden’s jet-black hair spilled over her blushing face.

“Hhng….”

The rich scent of brandy mingled on their tongues. The natural movements of their entwined tongues became increasingly skilled, igniting her further. Her hand, which had been roaming over his firm chest muscles, gradually slowed in response to the deepening kiss.  

Chup, chup—each time their lips parted, the wet, frictional sound echoed through the quiet air. As if savoring a sweet candy, he greedily sucked on her mouth, his tongue intertwining with hers. He carefully stroked her soft, light grayish-blue hair, finding great satisfaction in the sight of her nestled in his arms.  

The feel of her hips against his thighs had already caused him to swell and harden below. Each time he flicked the tip of his tongue against her small, delicate tongue, Sienna’s breathing grew ragged, and her body arched in a graceful curve. His hand, which had been caressing her hair, slowly moved downward.  

Eden’s hand, which had been tracing the curve of her slender back, soon slid to rest above her chest. Imagining the soft mounds rising prettily beneath the fabric of her dress, he let out a low groan and lifted her into his arms.