Chapter 16

“Then, I’ll start.” Irene pulled on her sash and her robe tumbled around her feet. The peignoir nightgown, secured by only a few buttons, was the next item to fall to the floor. Even though she remained clothed in a slip, the enchanting outline of her body clearly shimmered under the dim red glow of candlelight that lit up the darkness.

Kael almost blurted out, “Start what?” in his surprise. No, hadn’t he just said it was time to sleep? So, what had led to this? ‘She seems to have misunderstood… What should I do?’ Kael ruffled his wet hair, as he tried to analyze the situation calmly.

It’s not like he wasn’t shocked by his predicament, but it wasn’t the first time he’d seen the naked female form, so he didn’t overreact. One of the most important lessons taught as part of his successor studies emphasized the importance of propagating the imperial bloodline. Thanks to his thorough and rather explicit sex education, which began from a young age, he was able to feign a leisurely composure. Wanting to spare Irene embarrassment and lessen the awkwardness, Kael thought it’d be best to avoid making a fuss by going along with her and ending the situation as quickly as he could. Thus, after taking a deep breath, Kael said calmly, “Being bold is good, but… what’s the rush?”

“Achieving my purpose is my top priority.”

“That’s an interesting choice of words.”

Droplets of water dripped onto the floor from Kael’s still damp hair. As he rubbed it with a towel, Kael slowly approached—each step bringing him one step closer to her.

“I’ve spent a lot of time on the battlefield, so I won’t be much good since I have no experience. I apologize in advance for that.”

Irene didn’t even consider the situation to be embarrassing as her mind was singularly focused on being over and done with it. She had received an order and she would do what was needed to follow orders. What was about to happen was just a means to achieve her goal—nothing more, nothing less.

“Everyone has a first. You don’t have to be good at first.”

“Still, I have received a simple education. It’s not that I don’t know anything,” Irene replied indignantly. There was something about Kael’s skillful composure that unsettled her, or rather, upset her. She thought, ‘There’s no way a man could still be inexperienced at twenty-five. So, why…’

“Education?” Kael asked.

“It was my duty to come here. In order to fulfill my duty, a man and a woman must take off their clothes and caress properly.” Irene sounded like she was reciting an official decree, as she spouted embarrassing words with a casual indifference.

By then, Kael had closed the distance between them to the point where they could see each other well if they properly gazed at one another. Kael didn’t stop and instead circled behind her. Irene’s calm and blunt expression surprised him, and he wasn’t confident he could properly deal with her while facing her. He didn’t realize that his ears had grown red in contrast to the timid smile that hung on his lips.

“Once we do it, we’ll know. And about the clothes…”

Kael bent down to pick up Irene’s discarded gown. No, he was going to bend down, but at that moment the wind suddenly blew away the heavy clouds that darkened the night sky, instantly flooding the room with bright moonlight. Brighter than the candle, the immaculate moonlight illuminated Irene’s soft white skin, making it appear even more translucent.

‘My gosh. I was too proud.’