Chapter 2.4

As she sat there, frozen and unable to speak, Leonid’s lips curled into a smirk. He leaned in closer, and Katia froze like a mouse before a snake. She blinked, her lips trembling.

Leonid’s blue eyes burned with a fiery intensity. His gaze lowered languidly, lingering on her trembling lips before meeting her gray eyes. In a husky voice, he finally spoke.

“If you want my body, then by all means. Let’s do it.”

“W-what?”

“I don’t mind. But before that…”

Leonid’s nose and lips drew closer and closer. Lying on the bed, Katia tried to press her head and back against the mattress as if to escape him, but there was no way to flee through the bed. When their noses brushed against each other, Katia couldn’t even breathe. Leonid’s breath teased her lips.

“Don’t you think we should confirm whether you’re really satisfied with me?”

“W-what? Satisfied?”

“We didn’t finish last night, so how would you know?”

Katia almost let out a ridiculous scream. Something long, thick, and hot pressed firmly against her thighs and lower abdomen. There was no need to confirm it with her eyes. She swallowed hard and tried to turn her head away. She simply couldn’t face Leonid directly. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought she might die.

But as if he had anticipated her attempt to avoid him, Leonid’s large hand seized her chin. The crooked smile on his face was unfamiliar to Katia.

The Leonid Karev she knew wasn’t like this. He didn’t express much emotion, but he was gentlemanly and kind. Even when he drew boundaries, he never wore such a savage expression.

This man, looking as if he were about to devour someone, wearing such an indecent expression, was unimaginable to her. Yet the person before her eyes now seemed like a completely different man.

“Don’t run away.”

“C-Captain…”

“And last night, you called my name so easily.”

So call it again. 

His voice seeped into her like a spell. As if entranced, Katia whispered his name.

“Leonid…”

“Good girl.”

With a short word of praise, his lips covered hers. The kiss was deep and intense, as if he intended to steal all her breath, and Katia squeezed her eyes shut. Her hands clutched the blanket at her chest, unable to move.

Leonid chuckled through his nose, as if finding her endearing, and firmly cupped her face with both hands. His thigh pressed tightly between her legs, the muscles flexing against her still slightly tender flesh.

The faint pain mingled with a lewd desire bubbling deep inside her, making Katia twist her hips. It looked as if she were rubbing herself against Leonid’s thigh, but she wasn’t even aware of it.

Leonid kissed her as if he were about to devour her. If she showed even the slightest sign of retreat, he would dart in like lightning and seize her in his grasp. His tongue tangled with hers, pulling it toward him.

“Mmm…”

Katia let out a moan, weakly pushing against his chest with her fists. His kiss alone made her feel like she was suffocating, as if she might die. But Leonid showed no intention of stopping. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and tilted his head to deepen the kiss even further.

Katia’s pale face gradually turned a deep shade of red. She was out of breath, her toes curling. She pounded on Leonid’s chest with her fists before finally biting down hard on his lower lip. She must have bitten him quite hard, as the salty, metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

Only then did Leonid stop his assault on her lips. Though his lips left hers, his arms remained locked around her.

As air rushed back into her lungs, Katia gasped for breath. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she panted heavily.

“Haa… haa…”

She glared at Leonid while catching her breath. He licked the blood from his lips with a smirk.

“See? We won’t know for sure until we go all the way. This isn’t enough to tell how good we were together last night.”

Katia knew he was deliberately teasing her. She couldn’t understand why he was doing this to her. Perhaps he was taking out his frustration over not being able to stand by Marielle’s side. Just as she had done to him last night.

Katia quickly made up her mind. She bit her lip and nodded.

The moment she gave her consent, Leonid buried his face in her neck. His hand eagerly slipped between her legs. Feeling her body heat up, Katia thought, 

Damn it, whatever happens, happens. 

Never in her life had she acted so impulsively.

Resigned, she decided to let herself be consumed by Leonid.

After all, he’d already informed her office that she wouldn’t be coming in today. Might as well make the most of it.

Katia closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around Leonid’s neck. Her soft, swollen chest pressed against his firm torso like dough under pressure. As Leonid’s breathing grew heavier, Katia opened herself up to him. In that moment, one thought flitted through her mind.

‘Should I start taking contraceptives?’

Leonid’s touch was surprisingly satisfying. That day, Katia found herself with something she’d never considered before—a s*xual partner. And not just anyone, but her superior.

* * *

Despite having made such a crazy proposal to Leonid’s face, Katia hesitated for quite some time. She spent days watching him nervously, flinching every time he spoke to her. But since he acted as if nothing had happened, Katia gradually began to relax. At one point, she even wondered if it had all been a dream.

Fortunately, Leonid never initiated anything. In other words, he didn’t bring up the idea of continuing their physical relationship. For a moment, Katia thought he might have forgotten her insane suggestion.

But her assumption was soon shattered—in the most unexpected way.

Alehin and Marielle, having just started dating, were practically inseparable. Both of them claimed to have no prior romantic experience, so it was no surprise they were utterly consumed by their newfound love. Whenever Alehin wasn’t attending to his duties, he was almost always with Marielle.

Wherever they went, aides and guards followed. While not everyone could accompany them, the aides took turns shadowing the Crown Prince, and Katia was no exception. Today, she was once again trailing behind the couple. Although the guards rotated, Leonid was a constant presence.

‘Ugh, this is so painful…’

Katia frowned slightly as she watched the couple stroll through the Crown Prince’s garden, arms linked. The warmth in their eyes as they looked at each other was filled with tender affection. They were such an elegant pair that anyone would agree they were a match made in heaven.

Alehin glanced back with an awkward smile and made a request.

“Excuse me, but could you all keep a bit more distance?”

At the Crown Prince’s command, the aides and guards all bowed their heads. As they followed at a slower pace, Katia and Leonid ended up at the front of the group, with the other guards trailing two steps behind. Since they were within the palace grounds, security was relatively relaxed.

The silent procession continued for a while. Katia was more conscious of Leonid beside her than of the couple ahead, lost in their own world. 

Whether Leonid noticed her unease or not, he remained silent, walking steadily. 

Would light conversation have helped? 

Katia wondered, but dismissed the idea—it would only make things more awkward. She turned her head and sighed softly, completely unaware that Leonid had glanced at her.

It was when they entered the wisteria garden. Leonid suddenly stopped and grabbed Katia’s arm. Startled, she stopped as well, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Just as she was about to ask what he was doing, he muttered in a low voice.

“Don’t look ahead. Just close your eyes.”

What is he talking about? 

Before she could process his words, Katia instinctively turned her head forward. Her eyes widened, and she immediately shut them tight. But the scene before her had already burned itself into her memory. Leonid’s voice reached her ears.

“I told you not to look.”

Katia swallowed a sigh inwardly and opened her eyes slightly. She deliberately lowered her gaze to avoid looking at the scene unfolding in front of her.

Alehin was gently cradling Marielle’s head, his eyes closed. Katia could clearly see his lips pressed against Marielle’s. Of course, to the aides, they were nothing more than part of the scenery… but Marielle’s lips, under Alehin’s neat teeth, were being thoroughly crushed.

It felt like her heart was being tightly squeezed. She knew she would have to get used to such scenes, as she would see them more than once in the future, but seeing it right in front of her was still quite a shock.

As if he were watching her every move, Leonid whispered again.

“You’ll hurt yourself if you keep doing that.”

At his remark, Katia quickly released her lips from her teeth. She nodded slightly and inwardly murmured, “Thank you.” Of course, Leonid couldn’t have heard her thoughts.