3.2

“How dare you? Someone like you.”  

Just like Leon, Logan had also toyed with Ellen, so he had no right to insult her. Yet, he continued to disgrace her.  

At that moment, Leon, having lost his composure, lunged at Logan and threw a punch.  

“Why are you doing this to me? You don’t even like that woman! So why are you so worked up?”  

“That’s not something you should be saying.”  

Soon, the exchange of punches between the two became fierce.  

“Stop! Who gave you permission to fight in the training grounds?”  

The knights standing nearby immediately intervened to separate the two. Though it was called a fight, it was more of a one-sided beating, with Leon pummeling Logan after knocking him down with a single punch.  

“Argh!”  

Even though the fight had been stopped, Logan’s voice, filled with frustration, echoed through the air. Logan had thrown punches, but Leon had only been hit once and barely at that, leaving Logan furious.  

“Shut it! Both of you seem out of sorts lately, so you’ll be undergoing intensive training today.”  

Max delivered punishment to the two by kicking Logan in the stomach.  

Logan, who had fallen on his backside, glared angrily at Leon. He couldn’t understand why Leon would punch him just for insulting a woman he didn’t even like. 

Leon, on the other hand, stared coldly at Logan, silently warning him that if he insulted Ellen one more time, he wouldn’t let it slide.  

“Hah.”  

After finishing a more grueling training session than usual, Leon returned to the Guilford residence. The training had been so intense that he felt utterly drained.  

It was the first time he had ever fought with someone in the knightly order. While Logan often quarreled with other knights, Leon had never done so, which left the other knights visibly surprised.  

He could have endured it if Logan had insulted him. But he couldn’t stand seeing Ellen being disgraced. In that moment of boiling anger, he had charged at Logan.  

Why couldn’t I hold back?  

Leon couldn’t understand his own actions. Ellen was no longer a part of his life, so whatever Logan said about her should have had nothing to do with him.  

Yet, his actions today made it seem like he had fought because someone insulted his lover.  

Even though he was the one who had ended things, why was he acting as if he still had lingering feelings?  

He rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head from side to side. His neck felt unusually stiff today. He thought a soak in hot water might help.  

Perhaps relieving his fatigue would bring back some clarity.  

“You look more exhausted than usual today. Training must have been tough. You should wash up quickly.”  

Mia, who was used to seeing him return with injuries, didn’t even consider the possibility that he might have been in a fight. She simply waved her hand dismissively, giving him a disapproving look for being dirty.  

Covered in dirt and sweat, Leon headed to the bathroom to wash up.  

“Ah! Brother, the bathroom is under repair.”  

Mia’s voice called out from behind him just as he was on his way. Leon stopped in his tracks and turned around.  

Of all times, it had to be under repair now…. 

He looked troubled.  

“What about the bathroom next to the guest room? No one uses it, but it’s cleaned daily, so it should be ready to use. I’ll have them prepare hot water for you.”  

Mia suggested another bathroom.  

“Then I’ll use it just for today.”  

Though he wasn’t thrilled about it, he didn’t have much of a choice since his private bathroom was unavailable.  

Before entering the bathroom, Leon took off his clothes, wrapped a large towel around his waist, and opened the door to the bathroom.  

The bathtub, which had been prepared in advance, was filled with hot water, steam rising visibly. Leon removed the towel and stepped into the tub.  

As he leaned back, spreading his arms along the edges of the tub and tilting his head back, his weary body began to relax. Slowly, his eyes closed.  

“….”  

As time passed, his eyes slowly opened again. He felt as though some of his fatigue had lifted.  

Just as he was about to wash up and leave, he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.  

What’s that?  

He had explicitly told the servants not to enter, so there shouldn’t have been anyone coming in. Leon raised his head and turned toward the source of the sound.  

“!”  

For a moment, he thought he was dreaming. The room was filled with steam, making it hard to see clearly, but he could make out someone he never expected to see here.  

Leon tilted his head to one side.  

Was I hallucinating because I’d been dreaming about her so often lately?  

In his eyes, he saw Ellen, wrapped in a large towel.  

“?”  

Just to be sure, he rubbed his eyes and looked again. She was still there.  

“Ah!”  

Ellen, who had just noticed him, instantly turned crimson and shrank back. As Leon gazed at her intently, her cheeks flushed deep red, like pomegranate.  

Was she always this beautiful?  

Ellen had always been lovely, even in a dress. But now, wrapped in a thin towel that revealed the curves of her body, she looked irresistibly alluring.  

The soft curves under the towel confused him, looking both sensuous and provocative.  

Especially the enticing curve of her chest, her delicate frame, and her smooth legs—they made Leon feel his blood rushing to his head. Desire began to rise within him.  

“Am I dreaming?”  

Having dreamed of Ellen so often, Leon couldn’t tell if this was reality or a dream.  

If it was a dream, it felt more vivid than usual; if it was reality, it didn’t make sense. There was no reason for Ellen to be at the Guilford residence.  

“Yes, this is a dream. It’s definitely a dream!”  

At that moment, Ellen’s voice rang out, hurried and flustered.  

Leon’s half-lidded eyes, which had been dazed, slightly narrowed. It felt too vivid to be a dream, yet it still seemed like one.  

A faint laugh escaped Leon’s lips. He covered his eyes with his hand.  

How ridiculous. To think I’d started seeing visions of her even in the bathroom… I really must be losing my mind.  

Leon shook his head in disbelief at his own condition.  

What should I do?  

Ellen, on the other hand, looked around nervously, her expression troubled.  

She had come to the Guilford residence at Mia’s invitation, but she hadn’t expected a situation like this to unfold.  

Especially with the room filled with steam, she hadn’t imagined there would be anyone inside.  

‘I’ll help you out. Just trust me.’  

She had believed Mia’s words of assistance, but she hadn’t expected to be shoved into the same bathroom.  

She appreciated Mia’s help, but this wasn’t what she had wanted. If she had known someone was inside, she would have left immediately. If she had known it was Leon, even more so.  

The moment she opened the door, the sight of his wet, muscular body had left her unsure where to look, and she had quickly lowered her head.  

The only relief was that Leon seemed to think this was a dream.  

Does he not know I’m visiting the Guilford residence?  

Leon had returned much later than expected, so she hadn’t been able to meet him. Disappointed, she had taken Mia’s advice to wash up and rest for the night.  

But what was this situation? Why was she face-to-face with a n*ked Sir Guilford in the bathroom?  

Mia had tried to be considerate, but things seemed to have gone awry.  

Since this was their first meeting after he had broken up with her, Ellen felt awkward around Leon.  

Even in a normal setting, it would have been uncomfortable to see him, but to meet him in the bathroom, without clothes? If things went wrong, her efforts to reconcile with him might end before they even began.  

That couldn’t happen. To keep him thinking this was a dream, Ellen had to insist that it was. Only then could she avoid embarrassment when they met again tomorrow.  

Leon would already be surprised to learn that the woman he had broken up with was visiting his residence. If he realized they had met in the bathroom, it would shock him even more.  

“A dream, huh.”  

Leon still seemed dazed, unable to distinguish between dream and reality. Ellen decided it was best to leave quickly.  

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”  

After a brief farewell, Ellen turned to leave the bathroom.  

At that moment, Leon stepped out of the tub and grabbed her wrist.