Chapter 4 – Seize (Part 3)

A week later, a banquet was held at the manor of Baron Elroa. It was a banquet held to find a bride for their second son, who had just graduated from the academy.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

Olivie stood in front of the three-sided mirror, looking at the maids lined up behind her, led by Elcia. Seeing the determined faces of the maids reflected in the mirror, she also composed her expression.

“Let’s start.”

The maid’s fingers turned white as she gradually tightened the corset from the waist up.

“Miss, hold your breath a little.”

She felt like she might faint if she held it any longer.

But it was Olivie herself who had told them not to show any mercy.

“Gasp.”

Drawing in her remaining strength, she lifted her chest as much as possible and held her breath.

“Done, done!”

The maid who fastened the tightening hook at the top of the corset pulled the string tightly. As a result, Olivie’s already ample bosom was pushed up and squeezed to the point of being excessively voluptuous.

“Wow, Miss. You look incredibly beautiful today.”

Thanks to the corset, her already slender waist and torso were so thin that they could be grasped with one hand, and her chest was swollen as if it might burst. She was wearing only an ivory corset, with her wavy hair cascading down her back. Bathed in sunlight, she looked very alluring.

“Flattery.”

Knowing it all too well, Olivie just smiled.

Honestly, Olivie’s appearance was not particularly outstanding. Her hair was a reddish-brown, her eyes were an unremarkable brown, and freckles spread thinly across her nose and cheeks.

She was a bit distant from the young ladies called “absolute beauty.” However, the elegance she exuded was exceptional. Moreover, she was cheerful and smart. Men liked her, and so did women. Of course, the gaze of women contained a slight mix of envy and jealousy, but generally, they were favorable.

However, today, it was impossible to utter the words that she wasn’t outstanding.

Once she donned the dress and accessories that suited her well and even had her hair done, it was clear that Olivie would be the star of today’s banquet.

Thinking so, a spark flickered in the eyes of the maids.

‘Today, we will put our soul into it.’

Elcia lightly clenched and unclenched her fist as she stood close to Olivie.

After a long five-hour preparation, the world outside the window seemed ready to be dyed in orange as if preparing for the darkness. Olivie, who had prepared the carriage lest the red light seeping through the clouds disappear, looked up at the sky. But halfway down the stairs on the first floor, a servant boy urgently bowed his head.

“Miss.”

“What is it?”

“Well, a guest from the Tanner family has arrived. He mentioned there was an appointment.”

It seemed Olivie hadn’t expected Robin Tanner to accompany her to the banquet. Hearing the servant’s questioning voice, Olivie narrowed her eyes.

“Tanner, you mean Robin Tanner?”

“Yes.”

Just to be sure, she confirmed, and the servant nodded vigorously. Olivie tilted her head in curiosity.

‘Weren’t we supposed to meet at the banquet hall?’

Of course, it would have been best if he escorted her from home. Honestly, Olivie thought it was enough if he just entered with her.

‘He really seems to be planning to do it properly.’

She smacked her lips as she looked at the door visible over the servant’s shoulder.

Realizing his intention made her feel unnecessarily guilty.

She also knew well that he didn’t enjoy banquets or social events. Even so, she had threatened him with his weakness for her own purposes.

‘This makes me feel like a bad person for no reason.’

It felt like her debt to Robin was increasing that much more.

But she couldn’t just send back someone who had come.

“We agreed to go to the banquet together.”

She nodded toward the servant as if it was an arranged plan.

“Ah.”

At Olivie’s words, the servant boy nodded and scratched the back of his head.

Thinking he had meddled unnecessarily, the boy stepped aside to open the blocked path. As Olivie was about to pa$s by his round head, she stopped.

“Don’t tell Father and Brother.”

“Yes.”

She didn’t want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

She had confided her plan to her mother, the Countess, but her stubborn father would surely not allow it. It was about raising her reputation by using a man and then marrying into a neighboring country.

‘Since even Mother initially showed reluctance, Father would be even more so.’

There was no parent who would like to send their cherished daughter to a distant place where they might see her once or twice a year.

However, she couldn’t choose from the remnants left in the Plen social circles.

‘I must steel myself.’

With a deep breath, Olivie, determined to be of even a little help to her family, walked outside.

“Lord Tanner.”

Olivie slightly bowed her head and then looked at him. It was just a suitable smile, but her eyes were filled with resolve. It was as if Robin in front of her was invisible.

Only her purpose mattered.

And…

“Miss Elphano.”

Robin, with a very faint smile in response to Olivie’s reaction, nodded and extended his hand. With his elegant and courteous demeanor, the faces of the maids following turned uniformly red.

Robin Tanner.

The maids were well aware of the rumors about him.

The best husband material in the current Plen social scene.

Such a man was extending his hand toward their lady with his handsome and graceful demeanor, so how could the maids’ hearts not flutter? They thought perhaps Robin Tanner had feelings for Olivie.

And as if Olivie hoped for such glances, she smiled gently, lightly placing her fingertips on his hand as she climbed into his carriage.

The carriage, filled with an awkward silence, sped into the darkness without delay.

With a speed and direction that knew exactly where to go without her having to say a word, Olivie withdrew her gaze from the window.

Beyond the gla$s window of the carriage, which was open from half a span below the ceiling to the height of his elbow, the moonlight poured in as if chasing the carriage. Perhaps because it was a full moon, the bright moonlight was enough to reveal his detailed expressions, making his handsome face shine.

‘He’s handsome.’

He was a man who suited the moonlight more than standing under the sunlight. It wasn’t simply because of his blonde hair and fair skin.

Emily, who looked just like him, was much more beautiful and radiant under the sunlight.

‘Maybe it’s his personality.’

Emily was a kind and pure child, but Robin was far from pure.

‘I should have run away.’

Recalling the night when he stared at her with murky eyes, Olivie cleared her throat lightly, feeling embarra$sed. However, the image of Robin licking her body all over had already vividly come to mind.

From the way he teased her n*pples with the tip of his tongue, swirling it around her ar*ola, to how he deeply sucked her plump, fair br*asts, leaving red marks here and there. Then, a few days ago, she had caressed the red marks in the mirror, recalling the sensations of that day.

Recalling those moments, heat gathered below, making Olivie tense her thighs. Still, her underwear was slowly getting damp.

If someone were to lightly touch and spread her, it felt like it would flow down her b*ttocks.

Feeling as if she had become a lecherous woman, she tightened her lower body and took a deep breath.

“Haah.”

But perhaps because of the tightly laced corset, her breath wouldn’t go deep, only rising and falling rapidly on her chest. It felt as though the constriction was squeezing her entire body.

Who would have thought it would be so difficult to take a deep breath in and out?

‘Did I tighten it too much?’

She tried to twist her body slightly to find a more comfortable position, but it was so tightly fastened that she couldn’t find any relief. However, there was no way to escape this constraint until the banquet was over. Just when she thought she might need to make a quick appearance and leave, she barely managed to exhale.

Swoosh.

Robin roughly drew the curtains on both sides of the window and gently pulled Olivie’s hand, seating her on his lap.

“You!”

“Shh.”

Olivie, startled by his action and about to shout, bit her lower lip when Robin pointed to the front window.

If she screamed here, the coachman and Elcia in the front would surely open the window, and they would see her sitting on Robin’s thigh.

Unable to bear such humiliation, Olivie glared at him fiercely.

‘This lecher!’

But he brushed off her sharp gaze with a light laugh and placed his hand on the upper part of her chest, which was pushed up.

“What are you doing now!”

But her words of protest were blocked by his kiss, and her weak resistance lost its strength to Robin’s hand wrapped around her waist. As she clung to his neck, forgetting even the smudging lipstick due to the deep kiss that reminded her of that day, his left hand naturally slipped inside her dress.

“Ah.”

In an instant, his hand swept up her thigh, and he quickly pulled the string of her dress with the hand on her waist.

“Haah.”