Chapter 1.4

Satisfied? 

Her sharp gaze seemed to say, but Robert simply gestured toward the asparagus beside the carrot with his eyes. Violet’s face scrunched up even more as she reluctantly chewed and swallowed the asparagus. Next came broccoli, onion, and celery, in that order.  

Only after she had finished all the vegetables and completed her meal did Robert’s eyes curve into a radiant smile. His already long, almond-shaped eyes stretched further, exuding beauty.  

“Well done.”  

As she took in his praise and that dazzling smile, it felt as though a refreshing breeze had suddenly swept through the room.  

Robert’s appearance, more striking than that of most beauties in high society, was far too radiant for someone in the role of a butler. His looks truly shone when he smiled, emanating an indescribable aura.  

Perhaps it was because of that smile. His praise carried an inexplicable power, and despite being a noble, Violet somehow felt pleased by it—all because of a single smile from her butler.  

Robert, fully aware of his charm, often used it to manage Violet, as he had just done. Still, she didn’t mind, as it was him.  

As her gaze naturally traveled from his finely sculpted features down to his lips, memories of the earlier nursing session replayed in her mind. The warmth of his touch, the wet sensation of his tongue, the loud sounds, and the indecent words—all of it heated her senses. Violet, feeling flustered, lightly brushed her neck.  

“Don’t be embarrassed.”  

Noticing her reaction, Robert spoke first.  

“It was merely treatment. Just as you would use a cold towel to cool a fever, I simply relieved the milk that was flowing.”  

His calm and composed expression showed no hint of embarrassment.  

“Do you have experience?”  

“Of course not.”  

“Really?”  

Even though she knew he wasn’t lying, Violet couldn’t resist asking again. Robert, clearing away the plates and cutlery, gave a faint smile.  

“I belong to you, My Lady. I exist solely to serve you.”  

Hearing the same answer as always, Violet felt a deep sense of satisfaction well up inside her.  

That’s right. He was hers.  

From a young age, Violet had always needed to have whatever she wanted, and she had grown up in an environment where that was possible.  

The Marquis Laurent family, having made great contributions during the founding of the empire, had maintained its lineage and amassed immense wealth thanks to the exceptional business acumen of successive Marquises. Aside from the Imperial Family, they owned the largest estates in the empire, and their influence extended to every corner of the upper class, leaving no rival in terms of prestige or power.  

As the only daughter of such a family, Violet had been showered with love wherever she went and could have anything she desired. Expensive dresses and jewels, luxurious perfumes and carriages—everything was hers. Even her chefs and tutors were considered the best in the empire, and she only kept servants who suited her preferences.  

Perhaps because she obtained things so easily, she also grew bored of them quickly—whether they were objects, clothes, jewelry, or even people.  

She once replaced her dance instructor simply because she didn’t like their voice and dismissed her piano teacher for being too tall. Even her personal maid was changed every few months, often without any particular reason, simply because she felt like it.  

The only exception to this pattern was Robert, the one person she had kept by her side for a long time.  

She had first met him six years ago. At the time, she was still a child, and Robert had just reached adulthood. That day, Marquis Laurent had been holding interviews to hire a secretary.  

By chance, Violet had seen him and couldn’t help but gasp. His elegant shoulders, long legs, toned physique, and perfectly balanced proportions; his flawless white skin; his finely sculpted features; his long lashes framing hazel eyes; and his golden hair fluttering over his forehead—it was as if every part of him had been crafted to perfection.  

She had never seen anyone so beautiful. The young Violet was slightly shocked to realize that such a handsome man could exist.  

The phrase “aesthetic perfection” seemed to have been coined just for him.  

Being someone who naturally gravitated toward beauty, Violet found herself unable to focus on anything else for days, with Robert’s face floating in her mind. She wanted to see him again, talk to him, and look at him whenever she wanted. Eventually, her desire to possess him grew, much like wanting to place a beautiful doll on her bed.  

When she pestered her father about it, Marquis Laurent ended up hiring Robert as her personal butler. In truth, Violet didn’t particularly need a butler at her young age, but the Marquis couldn’t refuse his only daughter’s request.  

Having kept the kind, meticulous, and, above all, beautiful Robert by her side, Violet had now grown into an adult.  

Returning after clearing the table, Robert poured her tea and calmly outlined the plan moving forward.  

“For now, it’s important that no one discovers your condition. I’ll personally attend to you for the time being. I’ve already sent Lily, your maid, on leave after she received a letter saying her mother was unwell. I’ve also informed the other staff that you’re resting due to exhaustion from the debutante ball in spring and the subsequent string of banquets, so they shouldn’t disturb you unnecessarily.”  

“……”  

“Fortunately, the Marquis is very busy with the business he’s pursuing with the Imperial Family, so I’ll make the reports as I used to. I’ll tell him that you’re doing well.”  

“……”  

“In the afternoon, I’ll send someone to investigate the shop owner. If it was a street vendor on Avenue, there must be others who saw it. There might even be someone else suffering from side effects caused by purchasing the wrong potion. I’ll also look into whether anyone knows about your symptoms, if there’s a separate cure, or if there’s another solution.”  

It had only been that morning when she told him about her symptoms, yet Robert had already calmly devised a plan to resolve the issue.  

“Do you think there’s a way to reverse this?”  

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll make sure you recover.”  

His reassuring words gave Violet immense relief. She felt as though Robert, her ever-capable servant, would find some miraculous way to undo the side effects of the leaking br*ast milk and make it as if it had never happened.  

Then Violet could go back to living as the social butterfly of the aristocracy as she once had—showcasing her beauty, dancing, and basking in the admiration and envy of others.  

She felt foolish for having agonized over it alone for five days out of embarrassment. Feeling optimistic that things would work out, Violet leaned back against her chair with a slightly relaxed expression.  

“I’ll come back and relieve your chest again tonight.”  

“Again?”  

“It needs to be done consistently and frequently. Your milk will refill quickly, and if it’s not relieved, it’ll harden again. That will hurt all over again.”  

Violet couldn’t help but frown. She absolutely detested pain. Mastitis had been the most excruciating experience of her life.  

“I’ll make sure to relieve it gently.”  

Robert smiled faintly as he spoke such embarrassing words without hesitation. His sweet voice mixed with suggestive words made her ears burn red again. Violet fanned herself to cool her heated body and took a sip of tea.  

By the third sip, Robert took a step closer. Wondering what was going on, she set her teacup down and looked up at him. The playful expression on his face had vanished as if it had never been there. Their gazes met in midair, and after a moment, Robert’s red lips parted slowly.  

“My Lady.”  

“Yes?”  

“Please promise me one thing.”  

His hazel eyes, now serious, had settled into calm stillness. Even the air around him seemed to grow tranquil. Violet, sensing the change in atmosphere, tilted her head curiously.  

“What promise?”  

“Whether it’s Duke Antoine or anyone else, promise me that you won’t ruin your beautiful chest for someone else.”  

“……”  

“Just promise me that.”  

For a moment, Violet was at a loss for words, frozen like a broken doll. 

Did he think I had done this because I didn’t value my own body? That wasn’t true.  

Robert had always emphasized the importance of cherishing herself, treating her with utmost care and devotion. Violet knew this well and had always held herself in high regard. This incident had been reckless, but it wasn’t without reason.  

“I didn’t do it to ruin myself.”  

Despite his gentle admonition, she felt wronged and upset. Though she spoke to him in a light, playful tone, drinking an unfamiliar potion had taken courage. It had been an act born of desperation. At times like this, Robert truly didn’t understand a woman’s heart.  

“Men… like women with big chests, don’t they?”  

“There are foolish men who do, yes.”  

“You’re a man too, Robert.”  

“But I’m not of those foolish men.”  

“At the very least, Duke Antoine must be.”  

It wasn’t the first time Violet had seen Duke Antoine’s gaze linger on women with their chests half-exposed. Though it was widely acknowledged that no woman in the empire could rival Violet in beauty, there was no guarantee that her beauty would last forever.  

She was young and beautiful now, but eventually, she would age. Her once radiant, glowing skin might wither like a water-soaked leaf, and her body might double in size after childbirth. But a large chest wouldn’t shrink with age—it wouldn’t disappear.