Usually, he wouldn’t have acted this way. Instead of threatening her or getting angry, making a polite request to pretend she hadn’t heard would have been more in line with Dominic’s character.

However, Karina’s unyielding responses lit an unfavorable fire in Dominic’s inflexible nature.

To think she eavesdropped on others without any manners.

“I never thought you’d dare use the word ‘manners’ in such a way. Basic manners, you say.”

Dominic’s eyes openly scanned Karina from head to toe.

“One might say it’s basic manners to pretend not to notice a lady returning home in broad daylight wearing the same dress as yesterday.”

“W-what did you say?”

Karina stammered in surprise. Her flustered response gave him a childish sense of satisfaction. Dominic raised the corner of his mouth.

“How do you know whether I wore this dress yesterday or not?”

“You underestimate a Brigadier General of the Naval Operations Command. That heavily wrinkled dress can hardly be called your usual attire. And you seem tired. Your eyes are full of sleep. You must have been busy with something. So busy you couldn’t even remove your makeup before spending the night.”

“Listen here, Dominic Winchester.”

“And none of the jewelry you usually wear abundantly is visible today.”

Indeed, from earrings to necklaces, bracelets, and rings — not a single piece remained.

“This is what should be ignored out of basic manners and white lies. Eavesdropping on others’ conversations and making excuses shows not only a lack of basic manners but also poor breeding.”

Dominic felt momentarily triumphant at Karina’s response as she trembled with clenched fists, unable to say anything.

Just as he was about to propose a compromising threat to keep each other’s secrets, Karina’s mocking voice reached him.

“How impressive.”

“…What did you say?”

“I said you’re so impressive.”

Her beaming face was full of venom.

“You’re so impressive, yet you can’t even properly kiss the woman you like? Oh my! How unfortunate.”

She spoke in a tone that showed not even a grain of sympathy.

“I guess they don’t teach kissing techniques at your impressive Naval Operations Command. That seems to be what the Brigadier General really needs.”

Karina smiled with gently curved eyes. However, the pupils hidden within those soft eyes were slightly unfocused from fatigue.

In her extremely tired state, Dominic’s shocking words had made her lose her grip on sanity.

I’ll shut that detestable mouth.

Taking a step toward Dominic, who stood with his mouth slightly open at a loss for words, she spoke in a clear tone.

“I bet you just tried to force it ‘clumsily’ with strength. So obvious. Hey, Mr. Second Son of the great Winchester family. Did you just say I lack proper breeding?”

Her long, white fingers approached Dominic’s neck and suddenly grabbed his cravat.

Caught off guard, Dominic’s body was helplessly pulled forward. Like a dog being pulled by its owner holding the leash.

“I don’t want to hear such words from someone who can’t even properly handle physical intimacy between a man and woman.”

Karina tilted her head slightly.

“Let me teach you something. You said your noses bumped and you couldn’t kiss. When kissing, you tilt your head like this.”

Her lips met Dominic’s, which were slightly parted in shock.

The strength in Karina’s arm holding the cravat was so weak that Dominic could have easily broken free with a single movement. But he couldn’t even think of doing so. The situation happening to him right now felt completely unreal.

What is happening right now?

Before his thoughts could properly process, something soft entered between his lips.

Dominic unconsciously let out a moan at the soft and warm thing touching his tongue.

First kiss.

His first kiss with a woman he considered the worst.

However, her skillful kissing made him completely forget that it was Karina Crawford who was kissing him.

How much time had passed?

When Karina’s lips pulled away, Dominic felt an inexplicable slight regret. And following that regret, like the alternation of high and low tides, embarrassment and shock washed over him in succession.

“What… what just… no.”

Unlike his earlier sharp words, Dominic stammered like a fool, which made Karina laugh softly.

Then she slowly wiped her mouth with her thumb. Like someone who knew there would be lipstick smeared there from having kissed many times before.

“Even the impressive Naval Brigadier General can’t help but look dumbfounded.”

She said with a seductive smile.

“Well, I’ll be going now. There’s no reason for me to see you out when even my brother doesn’t. Surely you know the way.”

She didn’t wait for an answer and immediately turned around, leaving him alone in the empty room.

“Oh right.”

Standing at the door, Karina turned back as if remembering something. Looking at the still dazed Dominic with contemptuous eyes, she said.

“Look in a mirror before you leave. My lipstick might have smeared on your mouth. And by the way. You seem to be quite mistaken about something.”

Just thinking about it made her blood boil again. Not hiding her irritated expression, Karina frowned.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if you’re curious about what I did yesterday, ask Lady Lindid.”

Then immediately with a bang, the door opened and closed.

Unconsciously mimicking Karina’s action by slowly wiping his lips with his thumb, Dominic muttered to himself.

“Olivia?”

* * *

She walked down the corridor almost at a run, taking quick steps. Worried that Dominic might catch up to her.

‘I’m crazy. I’m crazy. You’re really crazy, Karina Crawford.’

While it was true that she sometimes made mistakes when sleep-deprived…

‘I’ve never made such a huge mistake before!’

Karina hurried her steps. It felt like the grim reaper — no, Dominic might burst out from behind a door and grab her shoulder at any moment.

Upon reaching her room, Karina clutched her head in distress.

‘Why did it have to be Dominic Winchester…!’

For Karina, Dominic was an inviolable territory that should never be touched. Absolutely not. Karina had too many reasons why she should never get involved with him.

First, he was her brother Lucas’s closest friend. The end of relationships between men and women was usually not amicable. Therefore, it was Karina’s principle never to get involved with anyone closely connected to her family.

Second, it was because of Dominic Winchester’s personality. The serious and inflexible Dominic was not someone who could pursue casual relationships from the start. Therefore, she couldn’t approach Dominic with the same casual attitude as with others.

Lastly, it was because of his deep and long-standing unrequited love. While he might think he was managing his feelings well, Karina knew too well about his one-sided love.

“Haah.”

The sigh that escaped her lips flowed back into her ears. Her mind was as troubled as her deep sigh. At the same time, the title of a certain book floated into Karina’s mind.

<Where Her Eyes Fall>

A reverse harem novel featuring four male protagonists, <Where Her Eyes Fall.>

It was not only a novel that her past self had read many times but also served as the motif for this world.

Dominic Winchester was…

One of the protagonists of that novel.

The male protagonists of <Where Her Eyes Fall> each had their distinct characteristics, as expected of a reverse harem novel.

The cynical handsome man.

The passionate handsome man.

The handsome man who stirred maternal instincts.

Dominic was in the childhood friend position, a character who walked a delicate tightrope between friendship and love.

As befitting a member of the military Winchester family, Dominic was set up as someone who had lived a life keeping women at a distance. That he had only liked Olivia since childhood.

An ascetic and rational soldier. The scenes where Dominic, typically indifferent and brusque to others, looked only at the female protagonist Olivia and felt uncontrollable desire were quite popular among readers.

That is, until the part where it was revealed that he was too inexperienced with women to satisfy Olivia.

―What? Give me back my Dominic.
―Knock knock? Author? Please open the door, Author?

As public opinion plummeted, complaints from those who had supported Dominic as the male lead flooded the comment section, but Dominic had served his purpose after being used to teach Olivia the lesson that physical relationships between men and women are just as important as emotional connection.