However, no matter how long she waited, there was no change in Dominic’s composed attitude.

Finally reaching her limit and running out of breath, Karina pushed against Dominic’s shoulders. But unconsciously, Dominic pulled her head back towards him.

As if still, he’s not yet satisfied.

“Puha! Haa. Haa.”

Only after hitting his shoulder several times as if surrendering did Dominic come to his senses and let her go. Catching her breath, Karina hit Dominic’s shoulder hard.

“I almost suffocated!”

“Ah. I apologize.”

He was so focused that he didn’t feel anything. Unlike Karina who had to take several deep breaths due to lack of oxygen, Dominic remained completely composed.

“What’s this. Don’t you run out of breath?”

“Hmm. Lady Crawford, you might need to do some swimming.”

Dominic said with his usual neat face, without batting an eye, suggesting that her lung capacity seemed a bit lacking.

“S-swimming?”

“The Naval Command regularly conducts survival swimming training in the sea. Family members can come too. If you tell Lucas, you can join the training together.”

“No. I’ll pass.”

Karina grumbled and immediately rejected the proposal.

“Brigadier General, you’re too much. Who kisses for this long… And I’m not so bad at kissing that I need to learn swimming just to rub lips!”

“Swimming is good exercise. Even aside from kissing.”

“No!”

Karina raised her hands.

“If I go, the training will surely be a mess.”

Karina exaggerated dramatically. She absolutely did not want him to know that as soon as she heard the word ‘swimming,’ she had imagined a shirtless Dominic Winchester.

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone would lose their minds seeing me in a swimsuit.”

While making this brazen comment, Karina imagined Dominic’s reaction.

She thought he would respond as if it was absurd.

But Karina was wrong.

“That… would be true.”

Dominic frowned and nodded. Karina just blinked at his agreement with her statement.

‘What’s this, suddenly.’

Karina waved her hands and hurriedly took back her words.

“I’m joking, just joking. I was just saying.”

“No. This won’t do. I apologize. Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Dominic returned to his brusque responses. His attitude suggested swimming was completely out of the question.

Karina didn’t know.

How suddenly irritated he felt when he imagined Karina in the revealing swimsuits worn by young ladies who came with their families. And how perplexing it was to feel such emotions.

Yet he couldn’t help thinking that Karina Crawford in a swimsuit would surely enchant the entire navy and then some.

Faced with this unexpected reaction, Karina quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, that’s not important. You won’t be like this when kissing Lady Lindid, right?”

“Ah?”

Dominic slowly closed and opened his eyes. His attitude suggested he couldn’t understand why Karina suddenly brought up Olivia’s name.

But soon, Dominic realized.

‘I see.’

This was all practice.

Practice since he failed to kiss Olivia Lindid.

Today he experienced many unfamiliar emotions multiple times. Dominic was truly confused, encountering so many sides of himself he didn’t know existed.

When had he ever forgotten his feelings for Olivia?

Yet while kissing Karina, thoughts of Olivia completely vanished from his mind.

“Listen well, Brigadier General. Kissing isn’t a lung capacity competition. You shouldn’t think so unromantically. Okay?”

“…I see.”

“I’m healthy and confident in my stamina, but Lady Lindid is more delicate than me, isn’t she? She can’t keep up with your monster-like stamina.”

“…Yes.”

Karina slightly frowned. Dominic’s responses to her nagging came half a beat late.

“Brigadier General?”

Karina snapped her fingers in front of Dominic’s face. The light returned to his dazed eyes at the sound.

As Dominic raised his head, his gaze caught on Karina’s lips.

Plump and soft. Now that he knew their texture, they were slightly swollen from their prolonged kissing.

‘Damn.’

Feeling something surge up from his stomach, Dominic hurriedly turned his gaze away from her face.

Karina had no way of knowing what Dominic was thinking.

She was a bit taken aback by Dominic’s sudden avoidance.

‘Did I hurt his pride?’

Worried that she might have nagged too much in her confusion, the back of her head tingled with guilt.

“A-anyway. That’s what I mean. You understand, right?”

Karina fumbled with her words. For some unknown reason, seeing Dominic embarrassed made her feel the same way.

“I should go home now. It’s getting late.”

Having kissed more than necessary, there were no remaining tasks for today’s meeting.

Thinking this, Karina tried to jump down from the box. But Dominic was faster.

“That’s dangerous.”

Before she knew it, Dominic had regained his senses and lifted her down from the box just as he had lifted her up.

The feeling of his firm palms touching the softest parts of her body was vivid. Karina’s face turned bright red.

“Were you planning to jump down from the box? What if you got seriously hurt?”

“Ha-hands.”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“H-hands.”

“What about hands?”

Karina screamed.

“Remove your hands! Hands! Hands! You lecher! Pervert! Playboy!”

“W-wait. Lady Crawford.”

Once might have been overlooked, but twice was impossible.

Karina unconsciously stepped back and covered her chest. Only then did Dominic understand why Karina was suddenly acting this way.

“Ah… ah, this… this is.”

Dominic’s face also turned red. He hadn’t thought about it at all until now, but suddenly became aware because of Karina’s reaction.

That is…

Karina Crawford’s chest.

Had touched his palms.

No, more than just touched…

“I’m sorry! I really didn’t mean to, I…”

“Aaahh! Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!”

Dominic’s face, which had reddened at understanding Karina’s rapid-fire words about it being the second time and letting it slide once, gradually turned pale.

* * *

Not a single word was exchanged between them as they left the alley. No, they couldn’t.

Only after regaining some sense did Karina finally realize Dominic’s state, his face as pale as a corpse.

And the fact that she had pushed the man before her too far.

It wasn’t that he intentionally molested her, it was just a simple accident. He might be insensitive, but he wasn’t a pervert or a playboy.

Had Dominic Winchester ever heard such words in his life?

Probably not.

Though he said nothing, it was written all over his face.

Exactly.

That he wanted to die.

Pretending not to notice Dominic muttering ‘pervert’ and ‘playboy’ beside her, Karina walked even faster.

When they returned to the main street, they parted ways without even realizing how they said goodbye. Only after confirming that Dominic was walking away in the opposite direction could she take a deep breath.

“Haah.”

Her head was throbbing, wondering how things had become so complicated.

Regret came flooding in.

She felt she shouldn’t have accepted that proposal from the beginning.

After returning home by carriage, Karina went straight to her room to rest.

In a lady’s daily life, which consists mostly of tea parties and balls as social gatherings, such disturbing events were rare.

Karina lay on her bed, kicking her legs. She also hit the bed with her clenched fists.

But doing so didn’t make today’s events disappear.

After causing quite a commotion, she finally calmed down. Karina, who had been lying like dead, raised her hands over her body.

As she placed her hands over her chest, she naturally recalled the man’s face and the feeling of his hands that had flustered her.

“Ugh!”

Karina jumped up from her spot.

Her face was as red as a tomato.

* * *

After that day, Karina canceled all appointments and became a recluse. Her uncharacteristic behavior quickly spread from mouth to mouth.

And naturally, this news reached Dominic’s ears as well.

A sigh escaped from Dominic as he was checking documents in his office.

After their outing that Sunday, his sighs had become almost habitual.

“Haah.”

With another sigh, Dominic clutched his head.

Why?

Why did he do such a thing?

He knew well that he wasn’t skilled with women, but what he did that day couldn’t be brushed off with such an excuse.

However, Dominic had no idea how to resolve this situation.

Pervert.

Lecher.

The words she had shouted while blushing stuck like daggers in his heart, especially coming from Karina who had always seemed so bold and unfazed by anything.

Simply apologizing.

Even if he didn’t mean to do it.

The fact that his hands had touched a lady’s… that place couldn’t be resolved.

Above all, his conscience wouldn’t allow it.

But he couldn’t let time continue to pass like this either.

Dominic irritably crumpled up the document he had been carefully writing for the past several dozen minutes. Even tasks that would normally take no time at all were taking longer because of the storm raging in his heart.

This won’t do.

Dominic Winchester.

Are you going to keep avoiding this cowardly?

Cursing himself internally, he rose roughly from his seat.

“Huh? Where are you going?”

But no answer came. The aide who had cheerfully greeted Dominic quickly stepped aside, his courage shrinking at Dominic’s fierce gaze.

There was a dangerous atmosphere that suggested getting involved would be trouble. Dominic seemed to have little room to answer his question.

He left the building with the fiercest expression the aide had ever seen.