Chapter 90

“Clarette, don’t hold back your voice.”

“But if someone overhears…”

“There’s no point worrying about that. Eventually, it’ll get louder.”

“Is it really that painful?”

“Well, it’s not just pain, but…”

How could he explain this? Lionel sat up for a moment and looked down at her.

Clarette’s back, with everything but her underwear removed, was quite sensual. Her pale skin was flushed where he’d touched, and with her skirt still on, her already slender waist looked even narrower.

He felt a strong desire to strip her completely and see everything, and his body was already so tense it bothered him.

Lionel let out a short sigh to cool the heat in his mind.

Instead, he loosened Clarette’s dark hair and gently tousled it with one hand. When she glanced back anxiously, Lionel bent down and kissed her cheek and ear.

His warm breath and hot skin brushed over Clarette’s exposed flesh.

While Clarette bit her lip and tried to stifle her sounds, Lionel began undressing her further. Her face grew so hot she couldn’t bear to look back.

Eventually, even her underwear covering her chest was removed, and the soft skirt was gently pulled down and pushed to a corner of the bed.

While she was tense and curled up, Lionel’s hand touched her shoulder. Gently guiding her to turn over, Clarette slowly moved her body.

Lionel’s gaze as he looked down at her was warm and honest. She could see exactly where his eyes roamed over her body, so Clarette couldn’t meet his gaze and shrank back.

“If you stare at me like that…”

“Clarette.”

Lionel gently held her chin as she kept turning away. Leaning in, he met her face with the most earnest and serious eyes she’d ever seen and asked,

“Don’t avoid me. You should look at me, too.”

“I want to, but… I’m embarrassed.”

“It’s all right. This is supposed to be embarrassing.”

When Lionel sat up, Clarette finally looked straight at him. His body, wrapped in soft darkness, was so close.

Her gaze slowly followed his muscular arms, broad shoulders, thick chest, and slender waist. Now, instead of admiration, she felt desperate longing, and asked him in a trembling voice,

“Lionel, do you feel it too? Embarrassed, nervous, like me…”

“I never used to.”

Lionel smiled awkwardly and reached for his belt. He pushed it aside toward her skirt and slowly began to remove his trousers.

“I’m nervous tonight, too. I don’t know how you’ll react.”

As if to prove it, Lionel’s Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed quietly. Clarette looked at his face, then slowly down.

With his trousers off, Lionel was now dressed only in underwear, just like her. It was the same familiar look as when he’d posed as her n*de model an hour ago.

But the silhouette before her was completely different from what she knew. Clarette gasped and parted her lips, and Lionel looked down at her, as if she was frightened, and asked,

“Clarette, do you really want me? What we do from now on, there’s no going back.”

“I know. I’m not scared… Well, honestly, I am a little… worried…”

She glanced at that place, which was far beyond what she’d expected, then shut her eyes tight. ‘How am I supposed to…?’ The question kept swirling in her mind and she almost wanted to cry, but Clarette steadied herself and said,

“Still, I… want you.”

With her consent, Lionel slowly leaned over her. He gently stroked Clarette’s skin and whispered,

“I’ll make it hurt as little as possible. It’ll still hurt, though.”

“…Yes.”

“It’ll get better over time, so just endure tonight somehow.”

He pressed closer, and Clarette’s heart pounded. She felt trapped, unable to escape, completely under his control.

As promised, Lionel did his best to make sure she could accept everything. As his kisses poured down, Clarette’s mind grew hazy, and he slowly began to move his hips.

As she embraced a man for the first time, Clarette realized Lionel had been telling the truth.

No matter how much she tried to relax, the first time was overwhelming and painful. Even though it wasn’t a hot night, sweat broke out, and tears welled up in Clarette’s eyes and spilled over.

It didn’t take long for her first loud m*ans to turn into sobs. Lionel willingly gave himself to her, struggling as she did.

Clarette bit his shoulder and dug her nails into his back and arms, barely enduring the unfamiliar sensation. Lionel soothed and comforted her, helping her adjust slowly.

“Hng, Lionel, please, stop…”

“Mm, just a little more.”

Feeling Clarette’s ragged breaths, Lionel didn’t miss a single moment of her unraveling.

The reward after such a long wait was so sweet. Like savoring a treasured candy, Lionel finally enjoyed the precious night he’d been allowed.

* * *

At last, what was bound to happen had arrived.

Head maid Susan went straight to Duke Valentin’s bedroom as soon as she heard the report from the bedroom maid.

“It’s true, Head Maid. The master didn’t sleep here last night.”

Just as the maid said, the duke’s wide bed was as neat as it had been after yesterday morning’s cleaning. Susan quietly raised her eyebrows in thought.

Surprisingly, it was the first time Duke Valentin had stayed out without notice. She’d heard that, as Captain Lionel, he hardly ever spent nights in the official residence.

‘Is he starting up his bad habits again? Well, it’s been four months since he inherited the title, so he’s held back for quite a while.’

Where and with whom the duke spent the night was not the servants’ concern. But at least, they needed to know where he’d slept.

Susan immediately sought out Butler Oliver. As expected, Oliver sighed deeply, looking troubled.

“Strangely, the bedroom lights were off early last night. I thought he was going to sleep early since he’d just finished recuperating…”

“Is he in Moerven? He didn’t take our carriage, so maybe he went out another way.”

“He’s so free-spirited, it’s hard to tell. Let’s wait until afternoon and see if he returns.”

“Could he have spent the night somewhere in the mansion?”

“Why would he go anywhere else with a perfectly good bedroom…”

As Oliver spoke, he and Susan both thought of the same place and trailed off. He cleared his throat and suggested to Susan with a reluctant expression,

“Then, let’s have Diane check the annex. Don’t tell the other servants.”

So Diane, following Susan’s instructions, headed to the second floor a little earlier than usual.

‘The butler and head maid really do have vivid imaginations. There’s no way those two are in that kind of relationship. Even though the master denies it, they still don’t believe him…’

Before going to Clarette’s bedroom, Diane first headed to the corridor with the studio. It was after breakfast, so Clarette was likely to be there.

But when she knocked and entered the studio, it was empty.

‘Even the easel is gone. Is she painting in the garden already?’

Diane went out to the corridor and looked down at the garden, but Clarette wasn’t there either.

Where had the easel, always in the studio, gone? Diane wondered as she headed to Clarette’s bedroom.

* * *

Bright morning sunlight filtered in through the bed curtains. Clarette opened her eyes in a daze and looked at the distant window.

‘I’m so tired…’

She tried to get up as usual, but her body wouldn’t move as she wanted. Every part of her ached, as if she’d exercised intensely.

‘Why am I so heavy…’

As Clarette sat up slightly, Lionel’s arm, which had been draped over her shoulder, slid down to her waist.

His strong arm, marked with red scratches everywhere…

“Lionel!”

Clarette shouted his name in a panic, quickly turning around. At her sudden loud voice, Lionel, still asleep, frowned and stirred faintly.

“Mmm.”

He seemed to want to sleep more, hugging Clarette’s waist and pulling her close. She grabbed his shoulder in a panic and shook him.

“How can you still be here? The sun is already up… Lionel!”

As Clarette grew anxious, he finally opened his eyes slowly. Still dreamy, Lionel reached out and gently stroked her cheek.

“You’re up early, Clarette. You can sleep more if you’re tired.”

“It’s not early at all. By now, everyone must be up and about—what are we going to do…”

And, as Clarette feared, someone knocked on the bedroom door.