Chapter 10.4

“Come talk to me whenever you’re ready, Sieta.”

Sieta, the maid’s name.

It was the first time her master had called her by name. Her heart ached. The pain was sweet, but the throbbing grew.

Sieta’s eyes tightened. It felt just like when her master worried about her and gave her expensive medicine. Sieta didn’t know the words to describe her feelings, but she just felt like she would cry.

Alvin couldn’t say a word until she left the room. If he spoke, he felt he’d drag the maid to the basement for interrogation.

He wanted to t*rture her until she confessed everything, until she gave the answer he wanted…

“Alvin.”

“…Yeah.”

“Let me love you. Without hesitation.”

It was cruel, saying it that way, knowing he wouldn’t be able to move a finger.

“I know you’re upset and angry. But what crime does that child have?”

Liat was no saint. She also felt betrayed and wanted to interrogate the maid for safety’s sake. But all of this was that man’s fault. She had to keep her head.

“We’ll be alright soon.”

Liat repeated the words like a spell.

Her hand on his shoulder was trembling.

She decided to trust her instincts.

She didn’t lock up the maid because she believed she was her person. Even if people called her naive or optimistic, she didn’t care.

She believed Sieta would come to her with her story someday.

Liat could wait.

* * *

Liat had dark circles under her eyes from not sleeping properly for days. She kept dreaming of a masked man grabbing her nape.

The anxiety, like weeds, kept reappearing no matter how many times she tried to uproot it.

“D*mn Himbrid…”

The search party was stationed around his mansion, checking for anything suspicious, but there was nothing substantial.

Since he could use magic, they informed the Marquis and brought a mage for help. The Marquis told his daughter to forget everything and leave this matter to him, but Liat refused.

This was not anyone else’s problem—it was hers and Alvin’s. Unless she saw the roots being pulled out with her own eyes, she would fall back into the swamp of nightmares again and again.

The day she first lay with Alvin, unable to contain her excitement, she wrote to her father asking him to prepare an engagement ceremony. The date was now approaching.

She wanted to resolve everything before then, but d*mn Himbrid showed no signs of making a move.

“Liat, drink this.”

Ever since Liat recovered her memories, Alvin had been living at her mansion. When things stalled and she felt down, Alvin would come over and cheer her up—her only solace.

Some days, he would lie down with his muscular belly exposed, asking to be petted like a dog. Other times, he would crawl to her feet and rub his face against her ankle… Alvin, always affectionate, became even more so.

Liat was happy to have more to see, but sometimes she doubted his mental state.

“It smells nice. Thank you. But if you keep taking over Delin’s jobs, I think she’ll be sad.”

“…I gave her a handkerchief, so it’s fine.”

“What do you mean? Is Delin crying?”

Alvin stopped her from heading off to Delin with tired eyes, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head.

“I comforted her, so let’s drink tea. I learned from Delin—this one’s even better than last time.”

“Still…”

“I brought cake, too.”

“I can’t ignore your effort.”

She took the plate and sat down. Alvin followed, bringing a chair and sitting beside her.

A luscious strawberry was on top, and the white cream looked delicious. Liat scooped up a big bite with her fork and tasted it.

“It’s good.”

The fluffy cream melted on her tongue. She marveled at the soft texture of the cake. As she raised her hand to give Alvin a bite—

“…What are you doing?”

“What, what’s wrong?”

He hadn’t eaten a single bite, but a dollop of cream was already on his lip.

The fork was still in her hand. Despite his strong appearance, Alvin was a stickler for cleanliness. He would never eat cake with his hands, nor would he fail to notice cream on his lips. It was, in short, a kind of playful trick.

“You’ve been hanging out with Lisa lately, haven’t you?”

“Wh-when did I?”

“You didn’t like her before.”

“I didn’t.”

Alvin twitched his nose. Anyone living at the mansion could tell Alvin recently went to Lisa, chatted, and then read books.

‘Cute.’

Liat decided to play along with his trick. She wiped the cream with her thumb and sucked it into her mouth.

Whenever they had free time, they stuck together. Maybe it was to distract themselves from the anxiety, or perhaps neither could stand quiet moments.

“Liat…”

She enjoyed his ever-changing reactions.

His neck slowly flushing red like the sky at sunset, the sharp gaze that looked ready to pounce, the veins twitching in his arms as if he would grab her at any moment. Even the way his mood grew darker because of her actions seemed adorable.

“This is what you wanted, right?”

Alvin’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He showed exactly the reaction she expected, but her heart raced beyond all expectation.

Liat fed him the cake she held. Alvin never looked away from her as he chewed.

“…Don’t you want more?”

She picked up the strawberry she’d saved for last and pressed it to his lips. Alvin teasingly tapped her lips with the strawberry. The plump fruit squished on her lips, juice flowing out.

“Playing with food isn’t really my thing.”

Just this once, she’d make an exception.

She took the whole strawberry into her mouth. The sweet flesh pressed between their lips. The big strawberry couldn’t fit into his mouth.

Liat pulled away the mashed berry, leaving her lips feeling empty. Alvin opened and closed his mouth like a fish. After chewing the strawberry for a while, Liat swallowed it.

Then she scooped some cream onto her finger and dabbed it on his lips. No one could resist such a feast.

Liat gently traced the line between his upper and lower lip with her tongue. The rich sweetness of the cream made her smile. She parted his lips and slipped inside. She dipped her tongue into the pool of fruit on his tongue.

The sweet-tart flavor tingled her tongue.

“I thought there’d be something in your mouth.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t need to know.”

His mouth always gave her pleasure. When she first awakened to desire, she wondered if there was something special about his mouth, but now she knew. She liked him, so everything about him felt special.

She couldn’t just sit still in her bliss.

When she stood up, their lips nearly parted. Alvin lifted his head to follow her movement, and Liat found herself in a strange position, pressing her lips down from above.

She scooped up more cake with her finger and traced a line of cream down his exposed neck. The white cream contrasted with his dark skin.

Smack. Their lips parted. Liat gently kissed his fluttering eyelashes, then lowered her head toward the sweet path she’d made.

She tasted the strawberry-scented cream. As the cream disappeared from his neck, red marks bloomed on Alvin’s skin.

“Hm, mm, hm.”

Alvin hummed with pleasure, the vibration traveling to Liat as she kissed and nibbled his neck. She left careful bite marks.

“Don’t show these off to others—wear a scarf tomorrow.”

She left this warning for good reason. Because he’d walked around showing off the marks, her brother had come crying. Alvin even complained about his stiff neck and twisted it in front of Roigi.

“I don’t want my brother coming to me in tears.”

Alvin nodded and began unbuttoning his shirt. His thick fingers fumbled with the buttons, and while he undressed, Liat smeared cream on his body and licked it off.

“Liat, Liat…”

His shaft had long since hardened. Because he wore tight pants, the outline was clearly visible.

Trapped in his clothes, Alvin called out to her, desperate for permission.

“Just sit still.”

Liat pressed her knee against the bulge at his left thigh.