1.3

He pressed his thighs together and swallowed hard. Then, with careful resolve, he gently took Larisa’s hand, which had been resting on his thigh, and placed it back on her lap. Just as he was about to let go, Larisa caught his hand instead.  

“Don’t you like it?”  

“No, that’s not it. But…”  

“Then why stop me?”

We’re dating, aren’t we? So, is it wrong for me to touch you?

Her voice carried a subtle, teasing tone. Pavel had no way to resist her. His face flushed bright red as he nodded awkwardly. Watching him, Larisa let out a soft laugh before finally letting go of his hand.  

She thought to herself that teasing him too much might scare him off. He was, after all, like a monk who had never even met a woman. Perhaps he needed a little more time.  

Larisa crossed her legs, rested her arms on her knees, and propped her chin on her hand, gazing at Pavel.  

“So, do you know why I called you here today?”  

“To be honest, I don’t.”  

“To tell you the truth, I thought you’d know what to do when I called you. That’s how other men acted.”  

Whenever she invited someone to her home, they would pretend otherwise at first, but it wouldn’t take long before they eagerly tried to approach her. Of course, she had invited them with that intention in mind. Naturally, she had expected Pavel to act the same way.  

But to her surprise, he was sitting there, merely blushing and looking flustered.  

Even after hearing her words, Pavel showed no sign of being shaken. Larisa found herself feeling a little annoyed.  

He says he likes me, but he doesn’t even seem jealous or anything.

Pouting slightly, she called out to him.  

“Pavel.”  

“Yes.”  

“I’m bored and completely uninterested right now.”  

“What can I do for you? I don’t know much, but if you tell me what you’d like, I’ll do it.”  

“If I tell you, you’ll do anything?”  

Pavel suddenly realized that she had been asking the same question—’Will you do anything?’—since the previous night.  

Why is that so important to her? 

He couldn’t quite understand. What could she possibly want from him that would be so difficult or demanding? Still, Pavel, who had trained himself both physically and mentally for years, didn’t think fulfilling her request would be all that challenging.  

“I’ve already promised. Whatever you want, I’ll do it.”  

“Then take this off.”  

Larisa motioned toward the ribbon tied at her chest and smiled sweetly.  

Pavel blinked, unable to immediately comprehend her words. 

What… take what off?

Before he could process it, Larisa grabbed his hand and guided it to the ribbon on her chest. Then, she slowly leaned back, pulling him along with her.  

As she led him, Pavel found himself awkwardly positioned over her body.  

“L-Larisa.”  

“You know how to untie a ribbon, right?”  

“Yes, but this is…”  

“Do you know what the best game is for lovers to play?”  

With a mischievous grin, Larisa whispered softly.  

“It’s making each other’s bodies feel good.”  

“But we’ve only just started…”  

“You said you’d do anything I wanted.”  

At her words, Pavel stammered, unable to respond. Of course, he had said that, but still…  

When Larisa lay back, the swell of her chest was pushed up awkwardly by her dress, making it appear uncomfortable. If the ribbon were untied, the chest hidden beneath it would undoubtedly be revealed.  

But… was this really okay? Was it acceptable to indulge in her body like this, right after agreeing to date?  

Pavel had only proposed a relationship to protect Larisa from being forced into an unfitting marriage—not because he ever intended to act on any desires toward her. He could swear he had never entertained such thoughts before.  

Yet Larisa, as if she didn’t care about Pavel’s inner turmoil, issued her command.  

“Hurry up, Pavel. Untie it.”  

At her words, Pavel found himself unable to resist any longer. From the beginning, it had always been difficult for him to go against Larisa’s wishes. Hadn’t he already promised to do whatever she wanted?  

Perhaps, deep down, he had even anticipated this kind of situation from the moment he agreed to truly date her.  

The reasons why he had decided to date Larisa in the first place vanished from his mind. With trembling hands, Pavel grasped the end of the white ribbon and gave it a gentle tug. The ribbon unraveled easily.  

However, the scene he had imagined—where the front of her dress would fall open—did not occur. The dress remained tightly secured around Larisa’s chest, with only the ribbon hanging loosely.  

As Pavel looked at her blankly, not understanding what had just happened, Larisa burst into laughter.  

“This is just a decorative ribbon. Did you really think untying it would make the dress fall off?”  

“…Oh.”  

“You really don’t know anything, do you, Pavel?”  

Larisa pulled Pavel’s hand, still holding the ribbon, closer and kissed the tips of his fingers one by one. Even though he realized she was teasing him, Pavel couldn’t bring himself to get upset. Instead, he chastised himself for even momentarily harboring improper thoughts about her.  

“I’m sorry.” 

“What are you sorry for?”  

Larisa playfully nibbled on the tip of Pavel’s index finger. Even that small gesture caused a heat to rise in his lower abdomen, leaving him flustered. He bit his lip and tightly shut his eyes, unsure of what to do.  

It would have been so easy to pull his hand away and stand up, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.  

He wasn’t sure what Larisa wanted from him. 

Was she simply playing around, or did she truly desire something more?  

But according to Pavel’s understanding, such… intimate acts were impossible on a first date. Or perhaps, that was merely his own hope.  

He had envisioned a slower, more careful approach—getting to know each other, gradually growing closer over time.  

This sudden narrowing of the gap between us, to the point of nearing something indecent…  

As Pavel wrestled with his thoughts, his face contorted with anxiety, Larisa quietly observed him.  

“Do you dislike it?” 

“It’s not that I dislike it…”  

“Then what?”  

“I was just wondering if this is really okay.”  

“Well, if I’m okay with it, then isn’t it fine?”  

Larisa released his hand and reached for his cravat. With a swift motion, the neatly tied fabric came undone and fell to the floor.  

As Pavel stared at her in shock, Larisa smiled sweetly.  

“Should I make it so you don’t have to think about it anymore?”  

“How…?”  

“From now on, just stay still and do nothing. Let me handle everything.”  

Her whispered words seemed to ensnare Pavel like a spell. Slowly, he nodded.  

Larisa gently pushed against his chest, and Pavel sank back onto the sofa, his legs folding beneath him. Larisa sat up and faced him directly.  

The first thing to go was his jacket. The impeccably pressed navy-blue garment slipped off and fell to the floor.  

Next, Larisa’s delicate fingers moved to the buttons of Pavel’s shirt, undoing them one by one.  

Pavel, startled, instinctively reached out to stop her hands. But when he met her deep blue gaze, staring at him intently, he froze and withdrew his hands.  

She had told him to stay still, so…  

Pavel’s breathing grew increasingly ragged. Larisa, having undone all the buttons, pulled open his shirt entirely. She gazed intently at his chest and abdominal muscles, sculpted like a statue from years of training. Pavel felt like he might die of embarrassment under her gaze.

“L-Larisa.”

“Shh.”

At Larisa’s gentle admonishment, Pavel pressed his lips together tightly.

Her hand brushed against his neck before slowly trailing downward. Her fingertips lightly grazed his taut chest, tracing the defined lines of his abs. Pavel’s chest rose and fell heavily.

“You’re beautiful—far more than I imagined.”

“Hah…”

“Take off your shirt.”

“Larisa, this is too… I mean…”

“Quickly. I want to see more.”

Pavel’s face turned impossibly red. His mind was in utter chaos, unable to process what was happening. The only thought that lingered was that Larisa wanted this. That was all. And so, Pavel removed his shirt.

He was known as an unbeatable knight, renowned for his sharp intellect and cool-headedness, but in front of Larisa, he felt like nothing more than an obedient, oversized dog.

Larisa moved behind him, sitting down as her hands explored the muscles rippling across his back. His broad shoulders and tightly packed back muscles could have been intimidating, but to her, they were simply breathtaking.

Her chest swelled with satisfaction.

The sight of a man with such a powerful physique, surrendering himself so meekly to her words, was undeniably endearing.

Her nails lightly scraped down his spine, causing Pavel’s body to shudder. His hands, resting on his thighs, clenched into tight fists. He hung his head, his lips moving soundlessly.

Larisa slipped her hands under his arms, cupping his chest with both hands. His massive chest barely fit within her small palms. As if by accident, her fingers brushed against his already hardened n*pples.

“…!”

Pavel held his breath, swallowing a groan. 

Oh, he’s too adorable.

 Clinging to his back, Larisa began to chatter softly.

“No one’s ever touched you like this, have they?”

“No… one… You’re the first, Larisa.”

“Oh my, how delightful.”

Her lips brushed lightly against the nape of his neck before pulling away.