Chapter 18

“All done. Change your clothes and come out. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Contrary to her expectations, he let go without hesitation and closed the door behind him.

‘Expectations? Was I expecting something?’

Rosie stood there, confused, unable to move, still in the same posture as before. Theo was very gentlemanly, but also very strange.

Not only Theo, but Rosie herself was strange, too. Her mind grew complicated again.

When she changed and came out, Theo was waiting for her, leaning against the hallway wall.

“Let’s go. You must be hungry.”

Theo turned first and headed to the dining room. He didn’t walk beside her or chat as usual.

Because of his sudden change, Rosie felt like she might burst into tears at dinner.

* * *

Even after washing up and lying in cozy bedding, Rosie’s eyes remained wide open.

‘Is he still angry?’

Come to think of it, he hadn’t said he was okay or not angry in the carriage earlier. He just replied, “Okay.”

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have asked him to come with me.’

Maybe Theo was tired of her now.

He’d started their partnership to figure out his own feelings, after all.

She couldn’t sleep. Rosie began to toss and turn again.

After sunset, the forest outside was so thick with trees that even the moon was hard to see. The window was pitch black.

She wondered who was in the mansion.

It was just the two of them and probably the one servant Theo mentioned. Had the Deacon Earldom’s knight already left? She hadn’t paid attention earlier, too excited.

Even if there was a knight, he’d stay downstairs, so on this floor, only she and Theo were present. Suddenly, a fear she hadn’t considered crept in.

‘I’m a little scared.’

She clutched her blanket and swallowed hard. Then, far away, a wolf’s howl echoed. Rosie pulled the blanket over her head.

But the wolf’s howls didn’t stop—they kept coming again and again. A chill ran down her spine.

‘I can’t take this.’

Rosie jumped up, grabbed her pillow, and went to the door Theo had pointed out earlier.

Given his behavior today, it didn’t seem right, but she had no choice.

‘I’m too scared.’

She knocked very softly.

Knock knock.

Theo didn’t answer.

Knock knock knock.

Rosie knocked again. Still nothing.

But she couldn’t stop there; it felt like the wolf would break through the window any moment. Or maybe a ghost or something else.

Knock knock knock knock.

She knocked a little harder, but still no answer.

“Seriously, are you going to do this……”

Rosie, about to knock harder with a tearful face, heard a click as the door opened.

“Rosie, what’s wrong?”

Theo, with wet hair and a robe, looked at her in surprise. Rosie’s wide eyes traveled from his black hair to the open robe, down to his muscular chest, following the water droplets.

“I was washing up, so I didn’t hear well. Did something happen?”

As Theo pulled his robe closed, Rosie unconsciously swallowed.

“No, it’s just the wolves howling and it’s dark and a little scary…… I can’t sleep.”

Theo’s eyes rounded as he listened. His gray eyes sparkled between thick lashes, like a night sky.

“That’s right. You’re afraid of the dark. Come in.”

He stepped back and let her into his room.

Unlike her completely dark room, his was still bright. Seeing the pile of papers on the table, he must have brought work with him.

“Do you want to take a book to read? Or……”

Theo turned to look at her, but Rosie was already climbing into his bed. She felt slightly embarrassed when their eyes met, but her body was already halfway in.

“Sure, you can lie down.”

He smiled, but instead of joining her on the bed as she’d hoped, Theo went to the table.

“I need to look over something.”

He sat in the chair and picked up a document from the pile.

His thick eyebrows cast long shadows in the lamplight. Rosie lay quietly, studying his sharply defined face.

God must have been biased when making Theo. Otherwise, how could he have so much?

Face, body, status, ability—he lacked nothing.

The only sound in the quiet room was papers rustling.

“Are you still angry?”

Rosie, watching him, asked softly.

He shook his head with a smile.

“I’m not angry.”

“Liar.”

“Really.”

She pouted.

“You’re still upset about Count Keplan’s party.”

“That’s…… Anyway, I’m not angry.”

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

Theo’s eyes widened.

“You don’t come near me, and you won’t even look at me.”

‘Ah, talking about it makes me want to cry again.’

Her chin trembled.

Theo sighed lightly, lips curved, and sat beside her.

“That’s not it. I thought you’d be really shaken and your heart would be troubled, so I didn’t want to make it worse.”

His big hand cupped Rosie’s cheek. She pouted again.

“I’m not troubled at all. It’s actually more complicated when you act like this.”

His low laugh sounded like music.

“Here, I’ll stay with you. I can sleep in the next room if you want.”

Rosie dropped her blanket and tugged at his robe with a small hand.

“Sleep with me.”

Theo’s gray eyes deepened. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He stared at her for a while, then finally settled beside her.

Theo slipped under the blanket and pulled Rosie into his arms. His warmth melted all her worries. She wanted to be even closer. She wanted his hottest part to touch her.

“Theo, kiss me.”

“No.”

“Why?”

Rosie frowned, and Theo replied with a smile.

“I didn’t bring you here for that.”

“You’re mean.”

Rosie buried her face in his chest, lips pouting. His chest shook with a low laugh. She didn’t know where her feelings were going, but she knew she didn’t like this.

The wolf’s howl echoed again. Rosie flinched and cuddled closer to him.

“You don’t have to be scared. What’s scary when you’re with me?”

That was true.

Theo was so skilled with a sword that he’d never lost a match. His body was so well-built, few could beat him. Like Calvin, who’d been lifted and pinned against the wall.

Rosie looked up. Theo’s gray eyes were fully focused on her. She sat up and kissed him. It was the first time she’d initiated a kiss.

“Rosie.”

He looked surprised, but she kissed him again, silencing him. She liked the feeling of their soft lips touching. She pecked at him, then bit his lower lip gently.

Their positions reversed in an instant.

His tongue swept and sucked her lips, then invaded her mouth as usual.

She stroked his chest, exposed by his open robe. He flinched. She thrilled at the feeling that he responded to her touch.

She slid her hand down his chest to his waist, and he let out a m*an.

“Ro……sie. Stop.”

Seeing him struggle, Rosie was excited and stroked his waist. Her hand touched his hardened center. Under the thin sleepwear, it grew bigger with her touch, thick enough that she couldn’t wrap her hand around it. She stroked it up and down.

“Ugh, stop.”

She liked how he reacted to her touch. Rosie boldly slipped her hand inside his pants. His waist arched back.

“Wait, wait.”

“Shh, just stay still.”

She whispered in his ear and kept stroking his member. She could feel the rough veins under her hand. Unlike usual, tonight she felt like she was on top.

“Ha, ha.”

His member grew with her touch, and his m*ans deepened. The low sound was even more seductive.

Rosie sat up and climbed onto him. Theo’s eyes widened, but she smiled and pulled down his thin sleepwear all at once.

“Rosie!”

Before he could stop her, his member popped out. He groaned and covered his eyes with his hand.

“Don’t do this, Rosie. This isn’t right.”

He’d entered her body many times, but this was the first time she saw it so close.

Rosie leaned closer to his member.

‘How does something this thick fit inside me?’

Her comparison to a lotion bottle wasn’t wrong. Now she found both his body and hers fascinating.

“How does something this thick go in so easily? Does my body really have space for it?”

Still covering his eyes, Theo groaned,

“You’ve taken it many times.”

Clear fl*id dripped from the tip of the hard, dark shaft. Rosie brought her tongue close and gave it a gentle lick.

“Rosie!”

Theo, startled, sat up and grabbed her shoulder.