5. A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Part 2)

In the study, in Cecilia’s room, in Ethan’s room, in the empty library…  

Sparks flew between them several times a day. By now, they could tell what the other wanted just by looking into each other’s eyes. Shame, resistance, and even the faint guilt that lingered had all faded the more their bodies intertwined.  

It was a relationship where they ignored complicated emotions and only connected physically. A relationship that lived solely in the present moment, as if tomorrow would never come. A relationship where they demanded nothing yet shared their most intimate selves.  

Though it was an utterly imperfect relationship, ironically, Cecilia found a sense of completeness within it.  

Day by day, Cecilia discovered sides of herself she had never known. Desires she hadn’t even realized existed gradually awakened. She, who had lived without coveting anything, found herself wanting more and more.  

Ethan touched the most primal parts of Cecilia. She loved the way he looked at her. She loved the sound of her name on his lips, the delicate way he tucked her hair behind her ear. She loved how he carried the same scent as her after bathing, and she marveled at the memories they were creating together.  

Was it always this easy for someone to become a part of one’s daily life?  

Cecilia felt like she was experiencing a late adolescence, drowning in a newfound giddiness. She knew she wasn’t her usual self, but she couldn’t pull away from Ethan.  

However, their connection wasn’t always physical. Cecilia enjoyed her conversations with Ethan just as much as, or even more than, their intimacy.  

While Ethan couldn’t match Cecilia in etiquette or refinement, he had a wealth of experiences. Cecilia loved listening to the stories he shared about his travels to various cities. Having never left the capital Belfort or the Godwin Estate, Cecilia saw the world outside of high society through him.  

“How can your body be so hard…”  

Unlike Cecilia’s body, which was as white and pristine as untouched snow, Ethan’s body was covered in scars, big and small. Cecilia liked tracing the fine lines of his muscles and the faded marks of time on his skin. Ethan often tried to stop her, saying his body looked rough, but Cecilia thought of his scars as a condensed record of his life.  

Ethan often found himself helplessly aroused by Cecilia’s innocent touch. But most of the time, he answered her questions calmly.  

“This one…”  

“It’s a burn scar.”  

Today was no different. For Cecilia, who was intently examining the palm-sized burn scar on his back, he willingly lay face-down on the bed.  

Her lukewarm fingertips lightly touched his smooth yet firm skin, as if afraid to press too hard and cause him pain.  

“When did you get this scar? It looks quite old.”  

“I got it when I was young. Around four or five years old.”  

“You were that young?”  

Cecilia’s eyes widened in surprise. Ethan nodded.  

“The orphanage was always short-handed. With so few adults, the older children had to take care of the younger ones.”  

“Oh…”  

“But even the older children were still just kids. Clumsy and careless, accidents were common.”  

“Accidents?”  

“Someone was carrying boiled water to adjust the bath’s temperature when the handle of the old kettle broke. The water splashed everywhere, and I happened to be nearby.”  

Ethan’s voice was calm, as if it were no big deal. But Cecilia frowned deeply, as if she were the one in pain. She gently stroked the scar and murmured,  

“That must have hurt a lot.”  

Ethan shifted slightly, propping himself on one elbow to lie at an angle. Meeting Cecilia’s gaze, he continued his story about his childhood.  

“Things improved significantly after the Earl began sponsoring the orphanage.”  

At an unexpected moment, the face of a loved one suddenly came to Cecilia’s mind, tugging at her heart. Her clear eyes wavered slightly.  

“My father?”  

“Yes.”  

“How…”  

“I don’t remember much, but I do recall he left a very good impression.”  

Cecilia, who hadn’t thought of her father in a long time, smiled faintly. Seeing her smile, Ethan continued in a soft voice.  

“The day the sponsoring noble visited was always a tough day for the children.”  

“Why?”  

“There was so much to prepare. We scrubbed the floors until they were spotless, stood with perfect posture, and smiled brightly.”  

Cecilia’s eyes sparkled as she urged him to continue. Ethan smiled faintly and resumed.  

“The Earl always visited without notice. He would bring rare, sweet treats for the children, pat their heads gently, and then leave.”  

Cecilia chuckled and nodded. Her father, who couldn’t ignore the thought of his daughters, was always generous to the children. His warm and kind nature matched her memories of him perfectly.  

“Yes, that’s the kind of person my father was.”  

“I’m grateful for those memories.”  

Watching Cecilia light up as if she’d received a gift, Ethan felt sorry for not remembering more. He wanted to share more stories, but his memories from that time were faint, like shadows.  

Ethan’s face transparently reflected his thoughts. Seeing this, Cecilia chuckled softly and said,  

“If my father were alive, he would have been proud of you, Ethan. He would have said you’ve grown up to be upright and admirable.”  

Cecilia reached out and ruffled Ethan’s hair. His short strands poked through her fingers, feeling coarse and slightly stiff, unlike her soft hair.  

‘This is oddly soothing.’  

Cecilia had been playing with his hair for a while when she suddenly felt his gaze on her. Meeting his eyes, she asked,  

“What is it?”  

“You’re just so beautiful.”

Ethan’s casual remark made Cecilia’s face flush a deep red. After a moment, she barely managed to regain her composure and replied with a feigned indifference.  

“You said you had no experience in romance, yet you say such things without batting an eye. And you’re so skilled at bed, too.”  

At this, Ethan widened his eyes in genuine surprise.  

“I was skilled?”  

Cecilia felt as though his reaction was teasing her. A man who made her crumble and melt several times a day had no right to say such a thing. She sharply withdrew her hand from his hair and retorted indignantly.  

“W-Would you call that clumsy?”  

“I wouldn’t know. Cecilia, you’re my first and only.”  

At his innocent yet straightforward answer, Cecilia’s lips pressed tightly together. His gaze, as intense as the midday sun, bore into her. Ethan grasped her hand and lightly kissed her palm.  

“I’m glad you seemed to enjoy it.”  

Ethan’s eyes curved playfully. His masculine, sensual features carried a hint of boyish charm that made him all the more refreshing.  

‘At this rate, I might really fall for him.’  

Feeling a sense of danger, Cecilia quickly changed the subject. She pointed to a faint mark on his right earlobe and asked,  

“T-This mark on your ear, what is it?”  

Ethan lightly tugged at his earlobe and replied,  

“Oh, it’s where I pierced my ear once, but it closed up.”  

“You pierced your ear?”  

Cecilia’s face showed her surprise at this unexpected story. In Belfort’s noble society, it was unheard of for men to pierce their ears. Such practices were generally regarded as barbaric relics of uncivilized cultures. To Cecilia, his words felt entirely foreign.  

She narrowed her eyes at Ethan. Though his gaze could be sharp, Ethan was overall a clean-cut, handsome man with a noble demeanor. If dressed in luxurious attire, he could easily be mistaken for a young king of any kingdom. Imagining him with an earring, Cecilia found her mouth watering.  

‘Not bad. Actually, it’s rather…’  

It was provocative. And that made it all the more attractive. In her imagination, Cecilia stripped Ethan of his clothes and adorned his bare ear with her own earring. She even envisioned a drop of crimson blood forming on his earlobe. Realizing what she was thinking, Cecilia snapped back to reality with a start.  

‘What am I thinking? He’s just sitting there.’  

Unaware of Cecilia’s increasingly indecent thoughts, Ethan continued speaking with a calm expression.  

“When I visited Harman, I lived with the indigenous tribe there for about a month. Piercing the right ear was part of their culture, so we all did it. Now, only the mark remains.”  

“Harman?”  

“A hot, humid island. You can reach it by sailing for about two weeks from Hessen.”  

Cecilia’s blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. Ethan’s voice, as gentle as if he were reading a fairy tale, continued.  

“It’s a place where everything is green, no matter where you look. If you go deep into the island, where the trees grow densely, you can’t even see the sky.”  

He reached out and tucked Cecilia’s hair behind her ear.  

“The sea is the same color as your eyes…”  

His hand slid down, lightly tracing the line of her neck.  

“And the sand is as white as your nape, dazzlingly beautiful.”  

“You must have enjoyed it. You look happy.”  

“Yes, it was a delightful experience.”  

Ethan smiled broadly and formed a circle with his hand.  

“If you swim into the sea, you’ll see countless fish about this size swimming right in front of you. They’re as colorful as dresses.”  

“Wow…”  

“The water is so clear that you can see the seaweed swaying like flowers.”  

“What’s the weather like?”  

“It’s usually sunny. It’s so hot that you have to wear almost nothing to endure it. But then, out of nowhere, rain as heavy as hail will pour down. The sky stays blue, but the rain falls—it was strange at first.”  

Cecilia frowned slightly.  

“That sounds uncomfortable.”  

“You get used to it. It’s not so bad. The rain stops quickly, and the blazing sun dries your clothes again.”  

Ethan met Cecilia’s gaze as he spoke.  

“In Harman, pale skin is considered beautiful. My skin was quite fair by their standards, so I was treated with great hospitality during my stay.”  

“Great hospitality…?”  

There was a hint of displeasure in Cecilia’s voice. She imagined Ethan surrounded by healthy, sun-kissed beauties with bronzed skin. As he said, they were probably half-dressed, flaunting their voluptuous figures to seduce him.  

Would Ethan have blushed innocently? Or perhaps he smiled charmingly? Maybe they shared light banter over meals or danced together by the fire. It was possible he even felt a slight attraction to one of them.  

Cecilia suddenly felt a wave of irritation. She couldn’t even understand the reason for her own mood swing.