Chapter 16

It was as if the things she said—like hair loss treatments and other nonsense—were actually serenades of love.

Sometimes, just like on the first night, Ash would gently press his forehead against hers and hold her warmly, adding sly flattery like, “I sleep better when you’re here, Doctor.”

Erin liked that, so she kept talking.

‘They say the Emperor of China tore silk just to see his concubine smile.’

She found herself saying whatever came to mind just to see Ash’s reaction.

Before she knew it, she’d shared all sorts of trivial stories—her childhood, likes and dislikes, almost everything except the fact that she’d reincarnated.

‘Of course, Ash listened to every bit as if it were all important.’

A perfect assistant, even in how he listened.

And the way he treated her like someone important, focusing on her…

‘It really felt like we were lovers…’

“Doctor?”

“Eek!”

Lost in her own warm thoughts, Erin jumped at Ash’s sudden appearance. Crack—the edge of the paper she was holding crumpled.

Only then did her rational mind return.

‘…I’m thinking nonsense again.’

It’s only natural for an assistant to listen well to their superior.

She hadn’t even asked how Ash felt, yet she was imagining they were lovers.

It felt like she’d gotten ahead of herself, like someone drinking kimchi soup before getting the rice cake. She wondered if this was what a one-sided crush felt like.

“Finished your report?”

While Erin was lost in emptiness, Ash glanced at the papers in her hand and asked.

“Oh, yes. Almost.”

Thanks to him, Erin snapped back to herself and looked over the paper she’d been writing.

“I just need to organize and polish it up.”

“Hm.”

Ash also looked quietly at what Erin had written.

She’d tried to keep it as neutral and objective as a lab journal…

But it was actually a report full of very private details—frequency, methods, amounts—of their relationship over the past few weeks.

‘It’s more like a relationship diary than a report.’

She had to, to prove the effectiveness of the contraceptive.

Erin stared at the report and sighed softly.

…To think she’d have to show this to Duke Aston.

Imagining showing this to someone with no connection to them made her feel a bit embarrassed. Even the Duke’s aides could see it.

Seeing the period and frequency written down made her blush even more.

‘We really did a lot.’

They’d done it every time they locked eyes in the lab. The two of them spent more than half the day there.

Erin’s eyes rolled over to the desk she was sitting at…

‘Ah, yes, A-Ash, there…!’

‘Yes. I’ll put it in, Doctor.’

‘Ah!’

It was the desk where Ash had laid her down and thr*st noisily.

And that rug…

‘Ah, mm, this position is weird, weird!’

‘I like it because I can go deeper.’

‘Ash, Ash…!’

‘At this angle, I could plant a seed right into your womb, Doctor.’

Ash had nearly folded her in half, lifting her hips into the air and pounding away.

And that chair, that sofa, that nightstand…

‘…Now I really get why we needed the extra room.’

Erin pressed her flushed cheeks and looked back at the report.

Embarrassing as it was, she could clearly see something in the report.

Clench. Erin confidently made a fist.

‘It’s effective as contraception!’

Despite all that, Erin showed no signs of pregnancy.

‘No cravings, no sleepiness, no abdominal pulling or nausea, my mood isn’t swinging.’

The physician Ash introduced her to confirmed she wasn’t pregnant.

Most importantly…

‘My last period was perfectly normal.’

Just in case, she even calculated her ovulation cycle and deliberately had s*x at risky times.

Even then, she didn’t get pregnant.

Wasn’t that proof enough?

‘It might be a huge success.’

Setting aside the embarrassment of sharing her private life, Erin’s heart raced with confidence. At this rate, Duke Aston would surely approve.

‘How much time is left?’

Of the ten months Duke Aston had granted, Erin spent four gathering ingredients and developing the product, another month finding clinical subjects.

‘After that, with Ash… now it’s the third month.’

Eight months gone, two left.

Erin counted on her fingers. Ash whispered as if reminding her.

“So you’ll bring it to the next report meeting?”

“Next meeting? When is that?”

The annual report meeting hosted by Duke Aston was also a kind of gathering. Other sponsors came to report, and a banquet was held.

“Less than a month left.”

So, subtract one month from the two remaining…

That left one month.

By Erin’s standards, this was a huge success.

‘Great!’

Erin smiled proudly, clenching her fist.

This time, she wouldn’t have to stand in the corner like a criminal. She could confidently present her results to the Duke.

‘There are still a few missing parts in the report, though.’

Erin glanced at the only blank section: ‘Subject Diversity.’

“Hm.”

There was no way to fill it. She and Ash were the only volunteers.

‘Unless I go find other men and collect their, um, s*men…’

Honestly, she’d long lost interest in that. She suspected the Duke would point it out.

‘But it can’t be helped, right?’

As she stared at that section, Ash, following her gaze, gently squeezed her shoulder, as if to change the subject.

“More than the report, Doctor…”

“Hm?”

“There’s something else you should pay attention to.”

“Like what?”

“For example, what you’ll wear to the meeting.”

“Oh! That.”

Erin turned to Ash and smiled brightly.

“It’s fine. Luckily, I have something to wear this time.”

Last time, her only suit got torn and she had to have it hastily repaired, which was nerve-wracking.

Thanks to Ash, her wardrobe was now full, so she didn’t need to worry.

“Did the clothes arrive?”

Ash nodded and brought in the box left by the boutique staff.

“Uh…”

Seeing the box, Erin hesitated. From the size, it was clear there were more than just two outfits inside.

‘I’m sure I only picked two…’

No doubt Ash had added a few more—clothes she hadn’t chosen but suited her perfectly.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Erin spoke.

“You don’t have to go overboard every time.”

“I told you, I’ve saved plenty.”

“That’s for your future.”

“This is for my future, too.”

Thump.

Her happily beating heart thudded at his words.

Erin unconsciously looked into Ash’s eyes. He just smiled playfully, his red eyes crinkling.

‘For his future…’

Why was buying her clothes for his future?

‘Because he likes me to look good for him?’

But hadn’t Erin told Ash that they’d part ways after the experiment?

So he didn’t need to care about her opinion, or say he wanted to look good for her.

‘Ash still doesn’t know how I feel.’

That she wanted to be with him longer.

…Actually, not just a little, but for as long as possible.

Yet he talked about the future like that.

Erin’s heart filled with a strange sense of hope, swelling bigger and bigger.

‘…Maybe I can think positively?’

She swallowed dryly as Ash looked down at her with a smile.

“Here! How should we handle this?”

A worker from the next room poked his head in. Ash, who’d been leading the renovations, turned his attention to the worker.

“Where are you talking about?”

“The pipes need to be replaced…”

“…I’ll be right back, Doctor.”

Ash’s warm smile vanished, replaced by a businesslike tone as he left with the worker.

Feeling oddly disappointed, Erin fiddled with the box from the boutique.

“…Huh?”

She noticed something wedged in the closed box—a note slipped between the packaging, only visible to someone opening it.

Erin unconsciously pulled it out. The note smelled of cheap ink and cigarettes.

“Was this mixed in by accident?”

She muttered, then froze as soon as she opened it.