Clodine fidgeted beneath the blanket pulled up to her chin, nervously adjusting the front of her nightgown.

The fabric was thick, unsuited to the weather and the entire front was lined with countless tiny buttons from collarbone to ankle. Beautiful, yes, but impractically difficult to put on and remove. It had taken quite some time to change, even with Merian’s help. Remembering the large question mark that had practically been stamped across Merian’s face earlier made Clodine flush in embarrassment but she remained quite proud of her choice.

‘What kind of woman does he take me for…?’

Even in the darkness, heat bloomed across her cheeks.

‘Until you can properly ride, you’ll need separate training with me. To build stamina and flexibility.’

‘Who else would you do such vulgar and intimate training with, if not me?’

Clodine was not so naïve that she failed to understand the implications behind Ahazan’s heated touch and suggestive words. Thinking about having heard such things in broad daylight out in the open no less made her face burn anew. True, no one else had been present… but that large-eyed pony, Sandy, had been staring the entire time. The man truly had no shame.

‘He used to be so proper.’

Even when they were alone in a fully enclosed room in the past, he had never so much as taken her hand without restraint. They said men were most passionate in their youth, yet somehow, in Ahazan’s case, the opposite seemed to be true.

“Clodine.”

His voice appeared behind her like a ghost.

So absorbed had she been in her thoughts that she hadn’t even heard the door open. Panic flashed across her face, and she quickly shut her eyes, pretending to sleep.

Though she lay facing the door, goosebumps prickled along her back. Even with her eyes closed, she could sense him approaching, stopping just beside her. When he bent down, she felt his breath warm and familiar brush close.

“Open your eyes. I know you’re not asleep.”

It was embarrassing to be caught every time. For a fleeting moment she considered feigning innocence, but in the end, she opened her eyes calmly.

Ahazan’s face hovered dangerously close. She met his gaze directly, a trace of dissatisfaction knitting between her brows.

“I won’t do it.”

Her voice was small but firm.

Ahazan tilted his head slightly.

“Won’t do what?”

He knew perfectly well what she meant. The feigned ignorance made him look like a sly serpent. Clodine pushed herself upright on the bed. Ahazan straightened as well, leaning casually against the window, forcing her to look up at him.

“That vulgar and intimate training you mentioned earlier.”

Understanding dawned in his expression. ‘Ah, that.’

He let out a quiet laugh.

“Weren’t you eager to have your knight released as soon as possible?”

“That has nothing to do with the kind of training you implied.”

“Nothing to do with it?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, lifting a brow. Even like this, his sharp features and solid build radiated undeniable masculinity.

He was no longer the young man she had once known. After spending nights with him again, Clodine, who had only recently awakened to physical pleasure for the first time in her life could not deny the change.

‘It’s just desire. You cannot let yourself be ruled by instinct. You must master it, Clodine.’

Even attaching the word desire to her own feelings felt scandalous but she chose honesty over denial. Suppressing the flutter rising within her, she spoke with composed dignity.

“Just because I have shared your bed before does not mean I will allow such things recklessly in the future. If that is what you assume, you are mistaken, Ahazan.”

She believed she had made herself clear.

But Ahazan stared at her with puzzlement then suddenly burst into laughter.

“So that’s how you interpreted it?”

“…Interpreted?”

Now it was Clodine’s expression that stiffened.

Ahazan laughed for quite some time, clearly amused.

“Of all the things… that’s what you thought I meant.”

Still smiling, he straightened and stepped closer.

Before she could retreat, his arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, she found herself kneeling on the bed, pressed stomach-to-stomach against him.

Her lips parted in startled silence.

“If you were expecting such stimulating training, I suppose I should meet your expectations.”

His long fingers began undoing the buttons of her nightgown from the top down.

“What is this kind of nightwear? It’s troublesome.”

The air between them thickened charged not merely with heat, but with something far more dangerous: anticipation born from misunderstanding, desire tangled with pride.

And neither seemed willing to yield first.

Startled by Ahazan’s sudden shift in demeanor, Clodine lost her composure. Grabbing his fingers firmly with both hands, she said,

“Stop, Ahazan…! If I misunderstood something, I—”

She had meant to say I’m sorry so stop whatever you’re about to do.
But her words were swallowed by his voice.

“You provoke my enthusiasm like this and then tell me to stop?”

As Ahazan showed no sign of slowing down, Clodine instinctively arched her back away from him. Yet at that very moment, he released the waist he had been holding so tightly. She fell backward onto the soft bed with a startled gasp.

Ahazan easily parted the front of her nightgown where several buttons had already been undone. His eyes swept over the pristine white undergarment she wore beneath. Without warning, his hand slipped beneath her skirt.

“W–wait…!”

Clodine cried out sharply, but he paid her no mind. As if merely confirming something, he briefly ran his hand over the thin undergarment she wore then withdrew it with a satisfied smile.

“You wore proper underclothes, Clodine.”

She could not fathom why such an obvious fact needed to be verified in so brazen a manner.

“What exactly are you trying to do?”

She stared up at him in shock as he leaned over her.

“You’ll find out soon enough. Take off the nightgown, Clodine.”

“What?”

“If you don’t want to, then stay still. I’ll remove it myself.”

His tone was firm.

Looking up at the faint smile playing on his lips, a large ripple of unease flickered in her eyes.

***

Night deepened. Moonlight streamed through the grand window, bathing the palace in blue.

Merian, holding a candle, walked quietly down the corridor. For some reason she had been unable to sleep and had decided to check whether everything was in order outside the Empress’s chambers.

Then she frowned sharply.

The five attendants who should have been standing politely by the wall near the window were instead pressed tightly against the Empress’s door, behaving suspiciously.

“Oh, my goodness…”

“What is happening…?”

“Shouldn’t someone stop them?”

“Stop what? Don’t be ridiculous!”

As Merian approached, she realized they had their ears pressed against the door, eavesdropping intently. Their faces were flushed with embarrassment, yet they stifled giggles as they glanced at one another.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Fearing her voice might carry inside, Merian spoke in a hushed but sharp tone. The attendants jolted upright.

“L–Lady Bennett!”

“We—we weren’t—!”

“We were only concerned for Her Majesty…!”

Merian fixed them with a stern glare.

“Speak properly at once. What exactly were you listening to?”

“We weren’t trying to eavesdrop, Lady Bennett…!”

“That’s right! We were only worried something might have happened to Her Majesty, please forgive us!”

Their faces were scarlet. Claiming they had not been listening to what was clearly the Empress’s private affairs was absurd.

Merian had carefully selected attendants of exemplary conduct for tonight’s watch, yet here they were.

“You realize what you’ve just done—!”

Just then,

“Ah–Ahazan…! S–stop…!”

A loud voice burst from inside the Empress’s chamber, cutting Merian’s reprimand short.

“More… I can’t… please, stop!”

“You can endure it, Clodine.”

“I can’t…! It hurts!”

“If you bear it just a little longer, you’ll be fine.”

“Wait, Ahazan…! Ah—!”

The Empress’s cries echoed through the corridor, interwoven with the Emperor’s deep voice, clearer and louder than usual. On occasion, faint sounds had slipped past the doors before, but never like this.

Merian stared at the chamber door, eyes wide.

“Stop… no more… I can’t…!”

The voice reverberated without pause. Merian’s own face reddened nearly as much as the attendants’.

“C–cough.”

Awkwardly, she covered her mouth with her fist and cleared her throat.

Perhaps the attendants’ claim that they had been worried was not entirely false.

After a moment’s consideration, Merian spoke firmly.

“I will stand guard here alone. All of you, return to your quarters immediately. If even a word of what you heard tonight spreads beyond this corridor, you will all be expelled from the palace. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Lady Bennett. We understand.”

Once they had retreated, Merian was left alone in the dim corridor.

She shifted uneasily for a time, then, realizing how improper it was to linger, covered both ears with her hands.

‘They are particularly… passionate tonight…’

But even with her ears blocked, the sounds carried faintly through the door.

The Empress’s desperate voice and the Emperor’s unyielding secret night lesson continued on and on threatening to end, yet never quite doing so.