Chapter 4 (Part 3)

As her gaze drifted away again, Kayev felt a growing sense of unease. He had come to talk to her, but for some reason, things didn’t seem to be going well. To have a proper conversation, he felt he needed to somehow lift her mood…

“You can tell, can’t you? It’s been a while since I’ve seen a horse, so I was excited…”

Unable to admit that she had hesitated because she didn’t want to part with the sugar, Celestia trailed off.

Her wistful gaze at the horse seemed oddly affectionate, and it made Kayev feel a twinge of discomfort. But he soon let out a deep sigh, realizing that he was being ridiculous for getting upset over her affection for a horse.

“If you went through the trouble of stealing it, you should’ve thought about eating it yourself instead of giving it to the horse. You’re not still thinking of yourself as the Lady of Danverton, are you? If an opportunity comes, don’t hesitate to take advantage of it and look after yourself.”

Though his words were meant to be for her benefit, his tone remained sharp due to his foul mood.

Celestia’s expression quickly turned sulky at Kayev’s scolding words.

He regretted it immediately. He hadn’t intended to criticize or argue with her, yet his words kept coming out wrong. At this point, he wondered if he should sew his mouth shut, but he needed it open to have a conversation.

“…Are you hurt anywhere? Or uncomfortable?”

“Hurt?”

Celestia frowned, as if she didn’t understand what he was asking.

“I’m not hurt, and I’m not uncomfortable… Why? Do I look unwell?”

“That’s not it…”

“Oh…”

Seeing Kayev’s face flush with embarrassment, Celestia finally realized why he had asked such a question.

The memory of the scene she had been too startled to recall earlier flashed through her mind, and her face grew hot as well. She quickly lowered her gaze again.

“I’m fine. I’m not hurt. Well… it was a bit sore the next day, but I’m fine now. What about you? Are you okay? You said you took some strange medicine.”

Flustered, she fixed her gaze on Kayev’s collar and began to ramble. Though she still felt a slight residual ache and muscle soreness, it wasn’t enough to worry him. In truth, what troubled her more than her physical discomfort were the memories of that night that kept resurfacing.

But Kayev’s expression darkened as he stepped closer when she mentioned being sore.

“Let me see.”

“W-What?”

His approaching demeanor was so intense that she instinctively stepped back.

“Let me check. You said it was sore. I wasn’t in my right mind that night, so I don’t know how much or how hard I pushed you. I need to see for myself.”

Seeing the oddly serious look on Kayev’s face, Celestia realized he wasn’t joking. She couldn’t help but feel incredulous.

“By sore, you mean… Are you seriously asking to see down there?”

“Yes.”

His response was so straightforward that all she could say was:

“Kayev, have you lost your mind?”

But he pressed on without batting an eye.

“I’m perfectly sane.”

“Then… have you been drinking?”

“I told you, I’m in my right mind.”

“It doesn’t seem that way. If you were, you wouldn’t be saying such things to me.”

“You said it was sore and painful. Since I caused it, it’s only right that I check.”

His attitude was so matter-of-fact that Celestia briefly wondered if she was the one being unreasonable. But no, the conclusion was clear: Kayev must have lost his mind.

“I told you I’m fine! If you’re that worried, just call a doctor.”

After a moment of thought, Kayev shook his head.

“That’s not an option. The Ruden family’s physician is a man.”

“So?”

“So? Are you seriously suggesting I let another man see between your legs?”

Despite Kayev’s reproachful tone, Celestia didn’t back down and frowned in return.

“If it’s just showing an injury, what’s the problem? Haven’t you ever shown a female doctor your injuries?”

As a young lady from a noble family, Celestia was accustomed to a life where having a family physician was the norm. The family doctor was always the one who knew the health and ailments of the household members best. Showing one’s body to the family physician for treatment was never considered strange.

Of course, some shy or conservative noblewomen preferred female doctors over male ones, but Celestia wasn’t particularly like that. Gender was a secondary concern. Ever since her status had fallen, she couldn’t even see a doctor when she was ill, so whether it was a man or a woman, she thought it would be good just to have access to one.

Kayev, angered by Celestia’s nonchalant question, couldn’t refute her words and could only let out a frustrated breath. 

It was, as she said, merely a matter of showing an injury. Yet, for some reason, the mere thought of the family physician at Ruden Manor examining her private areas made his blood boil.

“Anyway, that’s not going to happen.”

Unable to find a logical argument, Kayev resorted to the classic method of stubbornly insisting on his stance. Then, he shifted his approach to try to placate the disgruntled Celestia.

“Sure, showing it to a doctor is a good idea. But the family physician at Ruden Manor is currently away. Just in case, I brought an ointment that works well on wounds, so wouldn’t it be better to just show me quickly and get it over with?”

Even as he tried to persuade her, Kayev steadily closed the distance between them.

Celestia, stepping back to keep her distance from the dangerous aura he exuded, eventually found herself against the wall. There was nowhere else to retreat.

“D-Don’t do this, Kayev. You know better than anyone that this is a strange request.”

“I just want to make sure your body is okay.”

But Celestia clearly saw the fire igniting in his deep gray eyes.

At their now closer proximity, Kayev’s voice dropped to a whisper. What had started as a childish quarrel was now taking on an increasingly suggestive atmosphere.

“If I can just confirm that you’re not seriously hurt, I’ll leave as you wish. So, let me take a look, alright?”

As if switching tactics, he now adopted a low, sweet tone, as though whispering an intimate confession. The heat of his breath brushing against her ear made Celestia’s entire body flush.

Exasperated by his persistent and seductive persuasion, Celestia eventually shouted in resignation.

“Fine, look! If you’re so desperate to see, then go ahead! While you’re at it, why don’t you write a book about it too?”

It was a cry born of embarrassment and frustration. But despite her bold words, her face turned bright red.

Fortunately, Celestia wasn’t embarrassed by her flushed face because Kayev’s face was just as red as hers.

The two young adults, their faces glowing like apples, stared at each other.

Kayev, now pressing his body even closer, left her breathless with his proximity. His strong frame loomed over her as she leaned against the wall, and she couldn’t help but notice how much more muscular he had become. Her heart raced wildly.

“You gave me permission.”

His large hands trembled slightly as he grabbed her waist.

The heat of his touch made Celestia briefly wonder if he had been drugged again. But the clarity in his eyes reassured her that he wasn’t under the influence this time.

“Still, I can’t just lift your skirt here.”

“Then what exactly do you plan to do?”

Embarrassed by his actions and frustrated by the unbearable tension, Celestia snapped at him in a high-pitched voice.

Kayev, however, seemed to have forgotten his original intentions. His expression softened into something more suggestive as he gazed down at her.

“Let’s go to my room. There’s a bed there…”

Celestia was utterly flabbergasted.

“Are you seriously suggesting that I go to your bedroom, lie on your bed, and let you examine between my legs right now?”

Perhaps realizing how shameless his proposal sounded, Kayev hesitated for a moment.

But the scent of Celestia, lingering so close to him, was clouding his judgment. Had he become addicted to her fragrance in just one night? Kayev found himself wanting to breathe in her warmth endlessly.

His mind, already far from functioning properly, was fixated on the bizarre goal of inspecting her private area. Her refusal only made him more desperate.

As a result, his mouth began spouting whatever came to mind to persuade her.

“If you didn’t want this, you shouldn’t have stepped into my bedroom in the first place. Don’t you agree?”

His voice, low and rumbling like a threat, made Celestia protest.

“Do you think I went there without a second thought? The butler summoned the maids in the middle of the night! He said you weren’t feeling well and urgently needed someone to care for you!”

But Kayev’s darkened eyes remained fixed on her without wavering. Even in such a moment, Celestia hated how her heart trembled under his gaze.

“The butler clearly explained that the care I needed involved attending to me at night.”

“…Regardless! It’s true you needed help, isn’t it?”

“So, even knowing what that help entailed, why did you want to help me?”

“Well…”

As she hesitated to answer, Kayev gently brushed her bitten lip with his thumb.

Although his words were meant to persuade her, he found himself genuinely curious about her reasoning. He recalled his earlier resolution to scold her thoroughly so she wouldn’t dare repeat such reckless behavior.

“Go on, explain. What were you thinking when you volunteered, ready to embrace me? Do you realize how dangerous and reckless that was?”

He chose to ignore the fact that he himself was the most dangerous person to her at that moment.