Chapter 1.2

Liat had firmly refused Alvin’s request to sleep in the next room and finally reclaimed some time to herself.  

After pushing the man—who was twice her size—out the door, her wrist tingled, so she lay on her bed, rotating her wrist.  

“Huu…”  

With a deep sigh, silence filled the room. Her own time at last. She savored the peace that settled into the quiet space.

Staring blankly up at the ceiling, her thoughts began to wander, seeping into her mind.  

‘When would Alvin and my family stop being so overprotective? Was I really going to marry Alvin and spend my whole life with him like this?’

“Marriage, huh…”  

She could imagine herself in a white dress, standing next to Alvin, holding hands and smiling, but for some reason, she couldn’t picture anything beyond that. Other than the clothes, nothing seemed different from usual.

It wasn’t that she lacked imagination. If anything, being cooped up in the mansion had only increased her daydreams.  

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t picture what would happen after the grand ceremony, especially the things that happened at night, not during the day.  

“The wedding night?”  

She and Alvin, who blushed just from getting poked with a book?  

Liat pictured her childhood friend’s goofy expression and flushed face and couldn’t help but laugh.

Even their engagement was more a rumor than a fact; not even a ring had been exchanged.  

Because they were always together, everyone assumed they were engaged, but there were no official documents between the two families, so it was all just gossip.

‘Neither of us even thinks about anyone else…’  

Since they were the obvious choice for each other, she vaguely assumed they’d always be together in the future, too.

Marriage between noble families was a major event, so it was usually arranged by the heads of the families. Most nobles promised their futures through political alliances, but in Alvin and Liat’s case, the seat beside them remained empty.  

It was only possible because the Duke and Marquis were rare parents in the Empire who put their children’s feelings before the family’s benefit.

‘I have to get married anyway, so I guess it’ll be with Alvin. But I don’t think I’ll ever see him as a man…’  

‘So would we just live together like friends for the rest of our lives?’

While Liat was screwing up her face and thinking hard, a knock sounded at her door. She told the maid to come in and sat halfway up in bed.  

The familiar voice belonged to her personal maid, Delin.

“My Lady, I’m sorry to disturb you so late, but I have something to tell you.”  

“Yeah, what is it?”  

“Madame Deming, who was supposed to visit for lunch tomorrow, has had something come up and won’t be able to make it.”  

“I see, got it. Then tell the coachman to change the time I’ll be visiting Alvin tomorrow. And… don’t tell Alvin about this.”  

After watching Delin bow and leave, Liat buried her face back in her pillow.

The thoughts that had been crowding her mind vanished with that brief conversation.

“Oh, right.”  

Where her worries had been, the book she hadn’t finished reading in the library now took their place. Liat quickly got up and headed to her desk.

Even though she knew there was no one else in her room, she didn’t let her guard down.  

Her hurried hands snatched up a book. Instead of the thick black hardcover she’d been reading with her childhood friend, she picked up a thinner one with a pale pink cover.

She hurried under the covers, hiding her face, worried someone might see.  

It was a book secretly given to her by Lisa, the book-loving library servant. The “strange woman” Alvin referred to, Lisa was the only one who brought Liat things with the scent of the outside world, understanding the feelings of a young lady who rarely got to go out.

‘This novel will be even more fun! It might be different from anything you’ve read so far, so be careful not to get caught.’  

Lisa had whispered secretly to Liat, her own face turning red.

‘What could be so different about it?’  

Liat settled comfortably in bed and turned on her lamp.

So absorbed in the story, she didn’t even notice the moon waning. For a little while, she forgot reality and was swept up in the love of the novel’s main characters. With only the final chapter left, she flipped the pages even faster.

It was just as the main characters were sharing a deep kiss, exploring each other’s breath.  

As Liat swallowed nervously and turned the page, a sudden knock sounded at the door.

“Ah!”  

It was a polite knock, but to someone reading a racy book and swallowing nervously, it sounded like thunder, as if she was being punished. Startled, she hurriedly shoved the book under her pillow and tried to act casual.

“My Lady!”  

“Y-yes? What is it?”  

It was the maid who had come to inform her of Madame Deming’s absence. Entering before the young lady’s permission was poor etiquette, but seeing the maid’s urgent expression, Liat asked what was wrong.

“I… I saw the light still on in your room and thought something terrible might have happened…”  

Seeing the maid’s pale face, Liat forgot to scold her and ended up comforting her instead.

Because of Alvin’s overprotectiveness, even the servants hovered around her.  

Liat explained how safe her life was, even showing the maid she was turning off the light and lying down. Only then did the maid apologize and leave, relieved.

‘My reading keeps getting interrupted today…’  

Just before she fully surrendered to sleep, Liat thought this was all rather silly and let out a snort.

* * *

As the morning sunlight shattered on the canopy and scattered golden brilliance across the bed, the lump under the covers squirmed, trying to break free from sleep.  

Eager to tease her childhood friend, Liat shook off her drowsiness and got ready to go out. She climbed into the prepared four-wheeled carriage, unfolded the newspaper she’d received in advance, and darted her eyes back and forth. As expected, Delin, sitting across from her, scolded her.

“My Lady, reading in the carriage might make you dizzy.”  

“I couldn’t read it before I left. I’ll just read the front page.”  

Liat quickly skimmed the articles, ignoring Delin’s warning.  

A scandal involving several noble families linked to a sl*ve trading syndicate was boldly splashed across the front page, souring Liat’s mood as soon as she opened the paper.

“It says some of the people running the sl*ve syndicate have been caught. Maybe the traffickers will lay low for a while.”  

“They need to be uprooted once and for all.”  

“…Yeah. I hope so.”

The current Emperor was so preoccupied with his own greed that he failed to protect the starving commoners. The Crown Prince had stepped in to manage affairs in his stead, but the prince’s lack of experience meant only those below him suffered, as he struggled to grasp the true state of the Empire.

Liat, feeling a wave of nausea, folded the newspaper and set it beside her. It was probably because she had tried reading in the jostling carriage, just as Delin had warned.

She tried to ignore whatever was trying to push into her mind, rubbing her sweaty palms against her dress as she turned her gaze out the window.

Before long, Liat became so absorbed in the scenery beyond the window that she couldn’t look away. The coachman’s gentle humming near her ear lifted her spirits even more.

This was one of the few precious moments when she could peek at the outside world. Since even this had recently become too “dangerous” and been limited, Liat was in high spirits.

She’d been shocked when Alvin bought the grand mansion in the Marquisate just to be near her, but being able to go out on the pretext of visiting him was satisfying.

“We’ve arrived, My Lady.”

Because Madame Deming had suddenly canceled, Liat had left earlier than planned to meet Alvin. Thinking of her childhood friend’s surprised face when he saw her arrive, she couldn’t help but crack a sly smile.

He would surely freeze up with that dumb look, then bounce around with joy at having more time together.

While she wondered how best to surprise him, the carriage arrived at the mansion’s front entrance.

Usually, it was proper to be guided by a servant, but she knew Alvin’s room so well she could find it with her eyes closed, so she walked straight there.

It wasn’t just familiarity that made her refuse the servant’s guidance. If she announced her arrival, she might miss seeing Alvin’s dazed expression. For a bigger reaction, she hurried up the stairs.

The room at the end of the right hallway.

The corridor to Alvin’s room was quiet. He was so sensitive to noise that, at early hours, he made sure no one stayed near his room.

Normally, she would have burst through the door, but this time, determined to surprise him, she began to open it quietly.

‘He should be awake, right?’

Knowing how sensitive he was to sound, she was extra cautious.

Successfully opening the door without a sound, the woman’s eyes landed on the man’s broad back. Just as she squeezed herself through the narrow opening to go inside—

Alvin’s back shuddered.

“Ugh, hngh…”

His excited breaths tickled Liat’s ears.

‘Was he feeling unwell?’

Seeing him bent over his desk, groaning, Liat froze in worry, forgetting all about her prank.

With his last m*an, the room filled with a strange noise.

Thud, thud, thud.

The sound was wet and sticky, like something damp, mixed with the noise of flesh rubbing together.

His elbow moved up and down rapidly.

Alvin was so focused on chasing pleasure that he didn’t notice her entering.

His fingers, rough and calloused from sword practice and scarred, moved quickly over his member. The hard calluses only made the sensation deeper. Gripping the firm shaft, Alvin stroked up and down with force, then slowly rubbed his thumb over the sensitive tip.

The slit quivered, releasing clear fl*id.

“Haa, huff, ha…”

Unable to handle Alvin’s rough movements, the chair legs scraped the floor, joining in the strange symphony.

‘Had the creaking always sounded so… suggestive?’

Liat felt her ears heat up. Alvin’s damp m*ans seemed to lick at her earlobe, then dig deep into her ear.

The wet, sticky sounds grew faster and louder, matching the rhythm of Alvin’s labored breathing. His groans, thick with desire, came in rapid succession.

“Ha, ah…!”

The low growl, like a beast in pain, deepened, and the man began to press his head against the desk as if he couldn’t stand it any longer.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the desk.

A soft white handkerchief was spread beneath his cheek. On the lower left corner, a crooked flower was embroidered—a handkerchief Liat had once given Alvin as a gift.