Chapter 5.2

Leonid’s hurried steps took him straight toward the garden as he left the Crown Prince’s office. He descended the stairs two at a time, only to meet Broin coming up from below. 

Ordinarily, Broin would have bowed his head in greeting, but this time, he maintained direct eye contact with Leonid as he silently ascended the stairs. 

Leonid, too, said nothing, though he felt a strong urge to stop and confront Broin, to demand an explanation for his behavior.

The scene Leonid had witnessed earlier was still fresh in his mind.

While staying late to assist Alehin, Leonid had taken a moment to rest by the window. From there, he had seen Katia and Broin walking together into the garden. The two stood facing each other, engaged in what appeared to be a calm conversation. 

Though their words were inaudible, Leonid had strained to observe their interaction, as if he could discern their dialogue by reading their lips.

He saw Katia lower her head in slight embarrassment before lifting it again. Broin’s expression shifted from tense to smiling. Then, Broin stepped closer to Katia. Leonid’s hand, which had been resting calmly on the windowsill, clenched into a tight fist.

For a moment, Leonid nearly opened the window to shout.

When Broin leaned down and pressed a kiss to Katia’s cheek, Leonid felt his insides churn. Katia froze, unmoving like a statue, as Broin said a few words before turning and leaving her alone.

Surely, Broin hadn’t confessed to her…? 

Leonid’s heart pounded. He repeated to himself that it couldn’t be true. Katia had told him she wasn’t interested in Broin. It couldn’t be. Besides, if the two had decided to further their relationship, Broin wouldn’t have left her standing there alone.

At the landing of the stairs, Leonid turned back. As if on the same wavelength, Broin, who had just reached the top, also stopped and looked down at him.

An uncomfortable tension lingered between them. Broin, no longer wearing his usual friendly smile, glared at Leonid with a hardened expression before clicking his tongue and disappearing around the corner.

Though a lower-ranked aide had clicked his tongue at him, Leonid chose not to reprimand him. In fact, he felt oddly relieved. Broin’s sour mood likely meant that Katia had rejected him.

Leonid quickened his pace. Though he wasn’t exerting himself enough to be out of breath, his heart raced wildly, and his breathing felt labored.

Turning the corner outside the building, Leonid came face-to-face with Katia, who was walking back with slow steps. She stopped in her tracks, startled to see him.

“Phew… Katia.”

Catching his breath, Leonid softly called her name. Before Katia could respond, he spoke again.

“Let me take you home.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll escort you home.”

Leonid extended his hand. Katia hesitated for a moment, staring at his large hand, before cautiously placing hers in his. The firm grip that enveloped her hand felt, much to her dismay, comforting. 

Allowing herself to be led by him, Katia walked in silence, the warmth of his hand filling her with conflicting emotions.

After rejecting Broin’s confession and then seeing Leonid’s face, Katia realized something faintly. If she were to be with someone, she wished it would be Leonid. Yet, she also felt that opening her heart to him any further would be dangerous.

Her fear of being hurt made her instinctively withdraw into herself.

The two sat in Leonid’s car as it drove down familiar streets. Whenever they left work together, the driver would naturally head toward Katia’s home. On such nights, Leonid would often stay at her place.

After the car dropped them off and disappeared, Katia reached out and took Leonid’s hand. Surprised by her gesture, Leonid looked at her with wide eyes. Smiling faintly, Katia asked, 

“You’re coming up, right?”

Leonid, looking as if he were under a spell, nodded. For the first time, Katia found his expression endearing. She laughed at herself for thinking so. Now, of all times, why was she feeling this way? Brushing aside her thoughts, she gently tugged on his hand.

“Come on, then.”

Together, they climbed the stairs to Katia’s home. Katia feared that Leonid might hear the sound of her pounding heart. It felt as though someone had reached into her chest, gripping her heart tightly and squeezing. The pressure made her chest ache, and she found it a little hard to breathe. It wasn’t the climb that left her winded; it was entirely her emotions.

As they neared her home, Katia’s thoughts grew clearer. She knew exactly what she needed to do. First, she would open the door and invite Leonid inside. Then, she would embrace him, running her hands over him as if he were too precious to let go.

The sound of the door unlocking seemed unusually loud. Leaving behind the faint noises of other homes, Katia stepped inside. She turned to face Leonid, who was still standing at the doorway. Strangely, unlike usual, he didn’t immediately follow her in. Perhaps, like an animal, he had sensed something instinctively.

Standing silently, Leonid watched her. Katia extended her hand toward him again.

“Come in, Leonid. Are you just going to stand there?”

Leonid hesitated, finding Katia’s unusually tender demeanor unfamiliar. Yet, he lacked the strength to refuse her outstretched hand. Without resistance, he took her hand. As soon as he stepped inside, the door closed with a soft noise, and the faint background sounds from earlier vanished entirely.

Katia approached Leonid and clasped both of his hands tightly. The man’s face, a mixture of joy and bewilderment, was tilted down toward her. Cautiously, Katia pressed her lips against his. Each time their lips met, the refreshing scent of his breath lingered at the tip of her nose.

Leonid stood still, his eyes slightly lowered, allowing Katia to take the lead. Her playful, childlike kisses—lightly brushing and pulling away—were tantalizing but filled with affection, making his heart race. Her gray eyes, hazy with anticipation and excitement, were so endearing that he wanted to embrace her immediately, carry her to the bed, and lay her down.

Though they had seen each other’s bare bodies countless times and shared vulnerable moments, tonight felt different. Like inexperienced lovers discovering each other for the first time, they hesitated to touch one another.

When Katia gently sucked on Leonid’s lower lip, he couldn’t suppress the heat rising within him and let out a soft groan. His head tilted closer to hers, more assertively this time. Finally, as Katia firmly grasped his shoulders and deepened the kiss, Leonid wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Mm…!”

Their lips locked tightly. Leonid’s tongue, which he had barely restrained, ventured into Katia’s small mouth. He explored thoroughly, teasing the tender, sensitive flesh inside and stimulating the underside of her tongue. Katia held onto his shoulders as if clinging for dear life, her head spinning from the overwhelming sensations.

Leonid was always persistent yet gentle and greedy when it came to her. Noticing her body heating up, he pressed further, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. He entwined her hesitant tongue with his, pulling it toward him. As Katia helplessly followed his lead, Leonid found her utterly irresistible.

The wet, sticky sound of their mingling saliva sent a tightening sensation to Katia’s lower abdomen. Leonid’s large hand slowly caressed her trembling back, lingering around her tense shoulder blades. Each time his hand moved, Katia flinched and shivered.

“Haa…”

Their lips parted slowly. Their glistening lips, slick with shared saliva, met briefly again before separating once more.

Leonid’s darkened blue eyes gazed at Katia’s face as if trying to etch her image into his memory. He kissed her flushed cheek, then moved to her ear. Katia wrapped her arms around his neck as he nuzzled her earlobe and neck, lowering her head shyly. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze; it was too embarrassing.

Yes, she was embarrassed. Confronting his affection and deciding to reject it made her feel self-conscious. Her heart pounded and trembled at his kisses and touches. While the feeling of being loved was blissful, the thought of letting it go filled her with despair.

As Leonid nibbled at her neck, Katia whispered softly, 

“Let’s go inside…”

Instead of answering, Leonid lifted Katia into his arms. She let out a small yelp and instinctively clung tightly to his neck. With one arm under her shoulders and the other beneath her knees, Leonid carried her inside with determined strides.