So this man has such thoughts too.

Lumiere felt somewhat strange.

That even a man who seemed so perfect felt such imperfect possessiveness toward his lover.

What struck her next was a thrill.

The fact that this man loved her enough to feel anxious sent shivers through her whole body.

And lastly came sympathy.

‘……Why do you seem so pitiful?’

Though he had no reason to seem pitiful, her heart strangely ached repeatedly.

When she pushed him away, when he clung to her, and even when he treated her preciously like he’s begging her not to push him away.

They were truly dual and ironic emotions.

“……Well, I’ve been having such thoughts endlessly.”

He laughed dryly like he had just made a trivial joke.

A strange silence settled in the carriage.

Lumiere thought about something for a moment, then looked at him while sighing small resignedly.

And spoke,

“If I run away from you, I think you’ll definitely find me.”

He met her eyes indicating he listened intently to her words.

“But I don’t think you’ll confine me or forcefully hold onto me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong—”

“Instead you’ll seduce me again.”

Lumiere shrugged and glanced at him.

That irritatingly handsome face.

A perfect subject.

Subtle expressions gradually settled on the face that moved her heart more than any sculpture.

“To somehow make me fall for you again, to make my whole daily life shake because of you, to make me think about you all day long….. You’d probably do that.”

“……”

“Like now.”

Karl’s blank-looking eyes suddenly grew wide.

He unconsciously reached out and grabbed her wrist while speaking.

“Don’t tell me now……”

“No.”

Lumiere tried to pull her hand away while denying it for now.

But his firmly gripping hand wouldn’t let her go.

Desperately, like holding onto his lifeline.

“Lumiere, look at me. Explain to me one more time what your words just now meant.”

“I hate it. And let this go. It’s suffocating.”

Lumiere tried to break free from him with a slightly reddened face but his hand holding her wrist showed no sign of letting go.

I take back what I said earlier!

He was a leech who had clearly made up his mind to confine and hold onto her and never let go.

“You lift me from hell to heaven in an instant and pretend not to know? You really are a cruel woman, huh?”

“Oh my god! Why am I cruel? H-hey? Why do you keep pulling? Wait a minute, hey, who said you could hug me?”

“I don’t know either. How would I know what my hands are doing?”

No, just look at how this man talks?

Lumiere looked at him with an incredulous face and pushed against his chest while struggling to break free from his embrace.

Then her slipping hand touched his abdomen area, and something strange brushed her hand.

“What’s this here? Wait, Karl….. What is this?”

Karl flinched for a moment and quickly grabbed both her hands, pulling them to his chest.

Then he skillfully smiled while trying to divert her attention.

“It’s a belt. It’s nothing. More importantly, about what you said earlier……”

“No, wait. Something’s strange?”

Sometimes a woman’s intuition could be more accurate than any evidence.

Though brief, she clearly saw his face subtly contort.

Though less than a second, what settled in Karl’s eyes was bewilderment.

Lumiere pulled his hands off with superhuman strength and instantly pulled up his shirt hem.

“……”

Silence filled the cramped carriage.

Lumiere faced the revealed truth with her mouth slightly open without realizing.

“W-what is this……”

His stomach, no, to be specific, his side was wrapped tightly in bandages.

Blood spots had risen on the white bandages, probably from moving too much.

Lumiere looked at him with a hardened face.

“What happened? Why is this, why are you injured?”

“Just fell down. It’s nothing.”

“Do you take me for a fool? Who gets injured like this from falling!”

“……Hmm, that excuse really was terrible.”

“Karl! Don’t try to brush this off lightly. This isn’t an injury that can be brushed off so lightly!”

In that moment, the newspaper she read this morning flashed in Lumiere’s mind.

Violent protest breaks out in Fondre Street!

Lumiere thought of Karl immediately upon seeing that article.

And damn it, her intuition seemed right.

“This is from there, isn’t it? Fondre Street.”

Karl smiled awkwardly at her words that hit the truth right away.

“You really are excessively brilliant.”

Lumiere unknowingly squeezed her eyes shut and held her forehead.

What exactly happened on that street that day?

And what did this man do there?

No, what does he usually do when he’s out?

Though she didn’t know much about Karl, she had already noticed he was no ordinary businessman.

Unclear whereabouts, excessive guards.

And obsessive interest in House Tartien.

The suspicious points were endless.

This man gives her too many openings.

He acts like he doesn’t care if she knows his weaknesses.

But that shouldn’t happen.

Though someone like her couldn’t possibly be a threat to him, others might use her to threaten him.

‘Like that damn man!’

The thought pierced through her mind, making Lumiere flinch and shrink back.

Her unfamiliar but distinct scream.

Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.

“Lumiere……?”

She remained frozen, clutching her throat.

No, in reality, it was only a few seconds, but to her, it felt like an eternity.

She slowly caught her breath while frowning and holding her throat.

Her face remained pale.

“…… Ah, I suddenly felt dizzy…… It’s nothing.”

“That doesn’t seem like nothing? Look at me for a moment.”

“I’m really fine, it was just momentary.”

“Lumiere.”

The situation had reversed completely from moments ago.

Karl gently held her cheek to make her look at him when she kept insisting she was fine when she clearly wasn’t.

“You told me not to take things lightly, so why are you trying to brush off your condition?”

“……”

“Are you okay? Tell me again, Lumiere. Whether you’re really okay or not.”

Lumiere looked at him with trembling eyes and slowly shook her head.

She wasn’t okay at all.

Though momentary, the experience of being unable to breathe was terrifying.

She felt like she’d been in death’s embrace.

Karl looked at her with something crumbling in his expression.

A sigh resembling a sob escaped his lips.

With his fingertips still holding her cheek, he caressed her soft skin and parted lips.

Then slowly, like falling, he leaned toward her.

The two joined lips slowly parted, and their breaths intertwined like they’d become one.

Karl grabbed her shrinking waist and pulled her close.

Their bodies locked together without any gap, their hearts pressed against each other.

Karl parted her lips fully and deeply invaded.

He licked and explored her thoroughly, like he wanted to know everything inside Lumiere.

It was strange.

Lumiere felt her breathing stabilize oddly the more their breaths tangled.

Though it should have been the opposite, kissing him calmed her down like artificial respiration.

Karl’s hands supported her waist and nape, lifting her up.

Lumiere found herself on his lap, and they overlapped their breaths countless times.

Hot breaths filled the narrow interior.

Karl’s lips, which had been nibbling her lower lip, gradually moved down along her jaw.

The scarf around her neck fell away, revealing her slender nape.

Karl paused briefly at the worsened marks.

“The wounds have increased.”

“…… Don’t touch them, what if it’s a skin disease?”

Lumiere pushed him away, blushing while breathing heavily.

His head burrowed into her nape while gazing at her with sorrowful eyes.

“That’s not possible.”

He murmured while deeply sucking her nape demonstratively.

“…… Even if it were, I wouldn’t care.”