Chapter 46

“Oh, no, this is…!”

Evelina tried to rise up in a panic. However, because of the soap, both of them were already in a slippery state. Her palm pressed hard against his thigh but it kept slipping, making her unable to get up. 

Evelina couldn’t bear to lower her head, so she raised her eyes hard and closed her eyes tightly. However, even if she closed her eyes, something she shouldn’t see was in front of her. She could have forgotten it once if it was so insignificant. Rather, she might have wondered what was wrong with a dragonfly like that.

But it wasn’t just a dragonfly. Evelina was truly feeling threatened by life.

“Lina.”

“Ugh…”

She was stiffened by his embrace. Then, she soon gasped with fear yet compared to her, he remained motionless. Evelina struggled with a momentary fear, but eventually came to her senses in his presence and remained still.

“Don’t worry. You’ll never have to worry until Lina is ready.”

She would have pretended to be deceived if he had only seen her face and heard her words. But she felt the blood rushing to her face, her chest sagging, and her back straining as the hideous object stabbed her thigh. As a survival instinct.

“Calm down.”

His heart was louder when he said so. Evelina felt like she was going insane with the two hearts ringing in her ears.

“Well, wait a minute… Ugh….”

Then he released his arm. Evelina tried to get away from him, but as soon as their eyes met and her body hardened.

“Is it disgusting?”

“…No.”

“You don’t have to lie. I asked too much.”

“No, such a thing.”

Without realizing it, Evelina began to explain when he made a sullen face.

“Well, It’s the first… And… Ugh… And….”

She’s starting to feel sorry for herself for saying it.

“What if I die?”

Embarrassed, Evelina’s words did not stop. However, the moment she uttered the words, she was ashamed enough and stopped talking.

“Puh.”

Kaiden laughed at her words. Evelina felt for a moment how pathetic if he would find out as her face was about to burn.

“Lina.”

“…Yes.”

She sat up slowly and he sat down the same way. Then, he pressed her lower body with his hand and said.

“You won’t die.”

“…I know.”

“I can make you feel good enough to die.”

She looked at him, wondering if he was making fun of her. Then she became confused as she could see his eyes bend gently. It looked like someone who really wanted that.

“I need time to prepare myself.”

Evelina said it carefully trying not to tremble. Then he nodded, took the hair off her cheek, and placed it behind her ear.

“I am confident in waiting. But…”

Evelina stared at him as he blurted out his words.

“When I often can’t control myself, please tell me just like now. Lina is so pretty… I keep forgetting.”

She answered quietly, thinking he didn’t mean it. She struggled to think of anything she could say. The woman’s fingernail marks on his neck and the idea that it could never be his first.

“May I wash your face? If we keep delaying, I think Lina will catch a cold.”

Evelina responded cooperatively when her eyes met him.

“…Yes.”

She wasn’t really that cold. What the hell did Kaiden eat? He was warm enough even when she was near him. It was only because she was shivering that he seemed to mistakenly think that it was because she was cold.

“If you don’t want me to touch you, tell me. I’ll be careful.”

“…Yes.”

When her permission was granted, he squeezed the soap again. She thought that the cold temperature of the soap was normal. However, the soap that had passed through his hands was warm and not lukewarm. That warmth stroked over her chest.

“Well…”

In general, the servants who washed her did not touch her directly because they used a brush or sponge. Evelina closed her eyes in surprise at the unfamiliar touch she felt for the first time in her life.

But she opened her eyes gently as she breathed lightly. Before she knew it, he put a thin towel on her body again. Then she could see him supporting her flesh with his hand and stroking it underneath.

“It’s quite heavy.”

She was dying of shame at his words, yet she held it in. However, his hand crushed her flesh and soon wrapped it gently, making her feel strange. Without realizing it, she drew back inhaling. Then he pulled her body to him and pressed it with his palm.

Evelina was relieved when his hand slipped from her chest and went down to her abdomen. But she was nervous again when a warm touch stroked her abdomen.

“Can I take away another towel?”

She shook her head as he tried to remove the towel that had been dangling around her waist. Then he smiled and went down below her.

Then he grabbed her toes and said.

“It’s always so small.”

Evelina saw him holding his own foot.

“Kaiden, hhhhhhh… It tickles.”

“Yes.”

She was perplexed when he sprang up her ankle as he rubbed her feet. Then she almost pulled her foot out of his thumb tickling her ankle. But the ankle was not easily dislocated.

Her leg brushed his face as she moved as if holding her breath. At that moment, the foam that had been buried touched his cheek, and he smiled liberally and stroked her leg.

Evelina grabbed his shoulder as his big hand stroked his calf and soon came up to his thigh.

“Well, stop…”

“Yes.”

At her words, he pressed her thigh and soon took her hand off.

“Can I join you in the bath?”

“…Yes.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder, saying so.

“Ugh…”

He was carrying her in his arms when he felt his body rising. Soon after Evelina came to her senses, she was going down to the bath like last time. She seemed to have to go into the bath after washing herself, but Kaiden went down.

Same as last time and this time too.

As they saw in the original, Evelina thought Kaiden didn’t know because he had never washed in such a large space. But, the fact that he could bring her in meant she didn’t feel like a threat to him.

Indeed, there was no way she could kill Kaiden. Rather, she wouldn’t know if he was angry and possibly strangled her. How can she kill him, whose family was at stake?

Thinking so, she stood there, clearing her head, which she struggled to calm her mind down. Then he touched a towel that stuck to her waist.

“This is…”

“I’ll tie it up.”

He didn’t untie it, but rather tied the towel around her waist.

“Lina has a really thin waist. It was hard for me to tie it up.”

She watched him tie it and loosen his grip. Soon after, when all the towels were tied around her waist, as he led her, she went and sat down.

The warm water clung to her chest. Evelina was trying not to see him. She had a hard time because his black drawers seemed clearer than before when they got wet.

On the contrary, she thought she would see him less when he sat next to her. Perhaps because she was close enough to reach his shoulders, she couldn’t see him unless she tried hard, but it was strange that she could feel his presence even though she only touched his shoulders.

“The music box that Lina has.”

“What? Oh, yes.”

Evelina recalled the silver music box I had carried since I was young. Come to think of it, the emperor initially seemed unwilling to allow whatever was brought from the marquis of Logias. However, it was strange that the music box was allowed.

“The sound from the music box was very good.”

“Oh, yes. Shall I play it on the piano next time?”

“Okay. Could I play the violin by any chance?”

“Of course.”

Of course, if Evelina was an aristocratic lady, she could play the piano and violin quite well. She was also talented in singing and dancing.

“Last time I saw you dance well, too.”

“Just for that song. I practiced a lot because I thought I would dance with Lina.”

Evelina wasn’t fooled by his honest words. But she didn’t think she should provoke him now, so she did.

No matter how much she hated him, her body reacted. Just as she is afraid of him and responds to his touch.

“I want to dance again next time.”

“Anytime. Shall we have a ball?”

“No. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s tea party.”

As Evelina changed the subject of the tea party, Kaiden smiled.

“Lina.”

“Yes.”

Evelina wondered if he joined the Dowager Empress scheme. There was a high probability that he knew even if he didn’t participate. She knew he would side with her to take the power of the Dowager Empress, so she tried to tell him first.

“I really want to be with you tomorrow.”

But it was Kaiden who said that. Evelina looked into his eyes as if to confirm his true feelings. But his eyes were looking straight at her as if he meant it.

As Evelina watched his red eyes move as if they were testing her, she comforted herself that his mask won’t deceive her.

“I do, too. I really want to be with Kaiden.”

She said so and smiled at him. Then she said, stroking his cheek so he couldn’t refuse.

“Can’t my mother join me tomorrow?”