2.3

She had told him to drink carefully, but it hadn’t been long before…

“…Lucian, are you drunk?”  

The problem was that she had absentmindedly responded to his coaxing, filling his glass and matching his pace.  

Now she was paying for it.  

After finishing his third glass, Lucian’s gaze had grown hazy.  

“Who knows…”  

His slurred words were all too clear. Iliana groaned, feeling lightheaded herself.  

Maybe she should make some tea. Her trembling hands fumbled as she tried to pour.  

Her gaze kept drifting toward Lucian.  

She didn’t even realize how obvious her actions were for someone trying to hide a one-sided love.

Iliana blinked dryly as she studied the man sitting across from her.  

Ah, it’s Lucian. But why are his cheeks redder than mine? He definitely drank less than I did.  

“Lucian.”  

Meeting his unfocused eyes, she opened her mouth to speak.  

The thought that his eyes were like jewels crossed her mind.  

No, that’s not it.  

“You seem pretty drunk. Maybe some tea—”  

“Lana.”  

Her suggestion was cut off before it could be completed.  

Or rather, it was trapped in her mouth.  

Lucian had pulled her cheek toward him.  

What… What’s going on?  

While her brain scrambled to process the situation, her body followed Lucian’s lead.  

Her posture wasn’t great.  

She ended up half-sprawled over Lucian on the sofa, feeling heat spread all the way to her neck.  

Their proximity left her unsure where to look.  

The faint scent of wine lingered at the tip of her nose.  

Not knowing if it was coming from her own lips or his.  

If Lucian pulled her any closer, it would be just like that night…!  

As if powerless to resist, she squeezed her eyes shut.  

With her vision blocked, her ears and nose became more sensitive.  

The deepening scent made her heart pound wildly.  

What should I do? Was he really going to kiss me?  

As her mind went blank, his breath brushed her ear.  

“Your cheeks are so soft, Lana.”  

“…?”  

“Your cheeks. They’re soft.”  

When she opened her eyes, she met Lucian’s steady gaze.  

He smiled faintly as he stroked her cheek.  

His long fingers brushed against the downy hairs on her skin, grazing the edge of her ear.  

“Ah…!”

Her heart pounded as if it had moved to her ears. 

Had he heard the pulse? 

She tried to pull away, but Lucian cupped both sides of her face, holding her in place.  

Heat rose to her cheeks. Lucian’s persistent gaze as he studied her ash-gray hair only made it worse.  

“Lana, you’re all red.”  

“Ugh, Lucian…!”  

She tensed her body, intending to push him away. Yet, Lucian only followed her movement, his thumb leisurely brushing against her cheek.  

“It’s as red as your lips.”  

“….”

“Lana.”  

He called her name, his thumb slowly tracing her lips. Perhaps because her plump lips were slightly pursed, the touch of his hand against her left cheek felt even more vivid.  

When Iliana opened her mouth to let out a flustered sigh, his thumb slipped inside, as if he had been waiting for the opportunity.  

“The inside seems to be an even closer shade.”  

“Wait, ah…!”  

His unrelenting touch grazed the inside of her mouth. Pressing firmly against her tongue, then releasing it, his thumb scraped against the roof of her mouth, bringing back memories of that night.  

The long fingers that had filled her so thoroughly, exploring her mouth.  

And now, those thick fingers were in her mouth.

Ah.  

This couldn’t be happening.  

A damp sensation spread below. No, it wasn’t her imagination. She could distinctly feel the w*tness pooling beneath her.  

Her vision spun. Her thoughts were a chaotic mess, and all she could do was gape wordlessly. Lucian, meanwhile, stroked the corner of her lips with his thumb, smiling.  

“Do you have something to say, Lana?”  

“Why are you… asking that…?”  

“Because your lips are moving like a fish gasping for air.”  

The heat rising to her face made her eyes sting. His thumb, brushing over the creases of her lips, made her insides itch. She wanted to escape, yet a part of her wanted to stay like this forever.  

Did he hear the sound of my racing heartbeat? 

He pressed down on her lower lip with satisfaction.  

“If you have any questions, I’ll answer them. So feel free to ask.”  

Even though his words, loosened by the wine, were far from suave, they sent a wave of heat pooling below.  

His thumb pressed against her pliant lips, then his index and middle fingers slipped into her open mouth, tracing her teeth and scraping them lightly.  

“…!”  

Iliana hurriedly pulled away. Finally managing to break free, she gasped for breath.  

“Hah, hah.”  

Lucian’s gaze, filled with what seemed like disappointment, made her head spin.  

Her vision blurred. She belatedly covered her lips with the back of her hand. Yet, her body, long disconnected from reason and swayed by alcohol, moved impulsively.  

“Lucian, that night. Why… why did you, why did you kiss me…?”  

Her voice cracked like dry leaves crumbling underfoot. Iliana’s head drooped, unable to meet his gaze.  

Changing the word “sleep” to “kiss” was the last thread of her rationality. Even so, it was a dangerous question to voice.  

She closed her eyes, retreating as far as she could. The weight of his green eyes, boring into her disheveled hair, made her break into a cold sweat.  

“Lana.”  

His voice calling her name was calm.  

“Iliana.”  

Yet, why did hearing her name from his lips feel so intoxicating?  

When she bit her lip and finally looked up, his expression came into view. He had already understood the meaning behind her question.  

Lucian, his eyes languid, rested his arm on the chair as he asked, 

“Did we… kiss?”  

He seemed genuinely confused, unable to hide the troubled look in his eyes.  

Her heart sank. She thought she had hit rock bottom, but apparently, there was still further to fall.  

“N-no, that’s not….”  

The heat that had risen in her cheeks quickly cooled. Her trembling fingers struggled to deal with the flood of words she couldn’t take back.

As he watched her struggle to find the right words, his gaze narrowed.  

Iliana, her mind working sluggishly, froze when she felt warmth against her cheek.  

His leisurely touch burned.  

“Should we try again?”  

“W-what…?”  

“The thing I can’t remember.”

Before she could protest, Lucian’s scent invaded her space, his lips brushing against her soft skin.  

If you don’t like it, say so.  

Even as he pulled back slightly, his lips found hers again, his actions infuriatingly courteous. Actually, correction: he was unmistakably a drunken gentleman.  

The repeated pecks left her breathless. The warmth that left and returned to her lips made Iliana raise her hand to block him.  

“…You won’t remember anyway.”  

“True.”  

He chuckled softly, kissing the palm of her hand before pulling it away.  

As he pressed another kiss to her lips, she found herself yielding.  

Before she knew it, her back was against the cushions. Lucian, confirming she was now lying down, grabbed her chin and murmured, 

“Breathe, Lana.”  

Sliding his tongue past her parted lips, Lucian slowly teased the roof of her mouth.  

The thick muscle mixed with her saliva. His tongue slid along her tender gums, and when he sensed her losing focus, he would suck on her tongue playfully, leaving her unable to think.  

“Mm. Hah… ngh.”  

Please, please, Lucian. Stop.  

A pitiful whimper escaped her lips.  

His gaze, pinning her down as he trapped her between his thighs, was relentless.  

Was it because of her disheveled reflection in his eyes?  

The memory of that night flooded back, and Iliana pressed her knees together.  

Lucian’s hand crept between the buttons of her dress. The lukewarm touch trailing down her back heightened her sensitivity.  

“Hah, ah….”  

The wet sound of their lips parting was obscene.  

Lucian’s dark hair brushed against her neck.  

Was this really okay?  

Was it okay to repeat that night again?  

This time, could I really pretend nothing happened when he inevitably asked, “Did we… sleep together?”

Oxygen returned to her brain, which had been clouded by tension and pleasure.  

Iliana, barely regaining her composure, noticed something strange.  

“…?”  

His breath against her skin was faint.  

Shifting slightly, she looked at Lucian’s face.  

His flushed cheeks, his relaxed expression, and his closed eyes.  

The mole beneath his eye, his face slackened in sleep—she had seen it countless times before.  

Iliana’s thoughts came to a halt.  

He had fallen asleep.  

Lucian Declan had fallen asleep.  

Lucian Declan.  

“Ah….”  

Realizing the weight pressing her down was his sleeping body, her face flushed deeply.  

Guilt, embarrassment, and frustration followed in quick succession.  

Damn it.  

A hollow laugh escaped her lips before fading away. 

How could he sleep in this situation? How could he fall asleep?!  

A wave of anger surged and ebbed, leaving her shoulders trembling. Perhaps she was too aware of Lucian’s weight, so her movements were minimal.  

“Ah, right.” 

She couldn’t stay like this. She had to move. If she continued to feel his weight, her entire body would ache for entirely different reasons.  

Iliana glared at the cord hanging at the end of the room before squeezing her eyes shut.  

“Lucian Declan…”  

She muttered his name in frustration, her voice laced with a mix of emotions as she stared at his peacefully sleeping face. After much grunting and groaning, she finally managed to free herself from him.  

It was a secret she would keep to herself that his head kept nuzzling her hand, causing her to almost drop him three times.  

“Mm… Lana…”  

You guilty fool. If you act like this in the capital, you’ll be nothing more than the most desirable man who wants to flirt. Got it?

Her flushed face burned as she grumbled under her breath. Iliana slung his arm over her shoulder, her mind boiling with an ever-growing list of curses.  

“Ah, you… you wretched lump of trouble…”