Chapter 12

 

The cuff of her sleeve, which she was clutching tightly, trembled helplessly.

And yet—she had the nerve to say all this.

“Your friendship must be something extraordinary.”

The woman bit her lip tightly. Kallain, watching her with idle amusement, added lazily,

“Enough that getting thrown out of the grand duke’s manor means nothing to you.”

She had gone to great lengths to perform her dance before him. Which meant she had a reason for coming to Detroit.

So, had she already achieved that goal?

Or… was it never that desperate to begin with?

Even so, to show a willingness to leave peaceful, stable Detroit—over a single friend trembling in a corner somewhere—was laughable.

“Surely you understand the weight of what you just said.”

“If I’m of no use, I said I’d return to Frozen.”

Her eyes met his directly, unwavering.

Did she really not understand what would await her if she went back there?

No—she knew. Of course she did.

She was simply using that knowledge as a weapon, fully aware that he wouldn’t want to let her go.

She stood tall, as if to flaunt her resolve, and slowly straightened up.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

Her body turned, deliberately slow, toward the door.

Her steps were hesitant, as if inviting him to stop her.

“…If you really want, we could try it once.”

“What… are you saying?”

Sylvia turned back toward him, her face full of confusion.

Her thin eyelids trembled helplessly.

As he rose from his seat, Sylvia flinched and shrank back.

She looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes—like a startled rabbit.

Standing before her now, she looked even smaller, more fragile than before.

He felt like a predator before a truly delicate creature.

Well, at this point, he might as well lean into the role.

“I can’t tell from indirect purification,” he said. “Not sure how skilled you actually are.”

A stronger ripple passed over her already shaken gaze.

“To see if there’s really any of that ‘usefulness’ you talked about.”

His reflection filled her wavering eyes, glimmering like waves.

“If I’m going to go through the trouble of sponsoring you—tying you to this house—I need to know if it’s worth it, don’t I?”

Of course, the truth was, he’d already confirmed it that day.

Judging her purification skill through indirect means hadn’t been difficult.

It usually was—but in her case, her ability was exceptional.

All the more reason he wanted to confirm it—again and again.

“I don’t keep useless people around me.”

Like a madman driven by thirst.

“Prove it. If there’s something you want.”

Of course, it wasn’t as if he’d actually cast her out if she refused.

As Sir Jayden had said, finding a Purifier of this caliber was like pulling stars from the sky.

In the meantime, the woman seemed to steel herself—her face stiffening with resolve.

Her uniquely determined gaze pierced straight through him.

Fluttering lashes, trembling pupils, lips pressed firmly shut—

The sight alone, enough to stir guilt, was instead painting his mind in entirely obscene colors.

A woman whose beauty could bring down kingdoms… and yet did she know the weapon she carried?

She stared straight at him, unwavering.

And just like that, she began to move toward him—slowly, deliberately.

She didn’t do anything, and yet every movement felt like seduction.

Her quivering eyes soon disappeared behind her lowered lashes.

That faint apricot scent wafted past his nose.

A fragrance that seemed to belong only to her—of all the scents she could have, this one suited her.

As she came closer, she lifted a foot.

Her small, delicate body suddenly closed the distance between them.

And then, without warning, her soft lips caught his.

The pressure was faint—barely holding on, like it could slip away at any second, just like her fragile body.

And through that touch, a pale, white energy slowly flowed in.

As it always was with purification—light contact only allowed for gentle transfer.

But even so, the amount and purity of what flowed into him from her was extraordinary.

For the first time in his life, Kallain felt a sense of peace take hold of his body.

It was dangerous—addictive. A feeling that left him thirsting no matter how much he drank it in.

And yet, all the more reason to stay still, to simply observe how much she was willing to give.

Like he was clenching her desperation in one hand—watching her struggle, just to see what she would do. Cruel. Deliberate.

Flustered, the woman leaned in more, pressing herself closer.

That soft sensation was now laced with a deeper, richer sweetness.

As her bold movements stirred something inside him, he could no longer resist.

When he pulled her waist closer, her fragile body trembled in his arms.

As he gripped her tightly, like he might crush her, she stumbled back in surprise.

But of course, all that resistance was meaningless—she never escaped the grip of his hands.

When he slowly traced a finger along her, she twisted away, breath hitching.

She was already out of breath, gasping like she couldn’t take it anymore.

Her heavy, heated breaths filled the room with warmth.

And each time, her rose-colored lips let out soft, helpless moans—like a fragile creature crying out.

Those sweetly broken sounds soaked into his ears, and for a long while, she writhed in his hands.

All the while, the pure white energy that flowed into him from her was overwhelmingly clean. Paradoxically so.

When he finally released the waist he’d gripped like it might snap, the woman slowly raised her face.

Even drenched in sweat, her expression was sinfully alluring.

“…Is that enough?”

Then yes—until his desire was spent, he would play the role she wanted. As the one beneath her terms.

“Fine. I’ll be your sponsor.”

But that didn’t mean he’d give in easily.

“Until the day you’re no longer useful.”

Only then did the woman turn fully toward him.

Her eyes curved gently, as if she’d just caught herself a perfect mark.

And for the first time, he saw her smile.

It was breathtaking.

A pure, harmless smile—so innocent it seemed carved from something holy, as if a saint had taken human form.

And yet… the words she had spoken earlier were anything but innocent.

“Thank you.”

That line, though, did sound genuinely pure.

She was supposed to be just a business partner.

And yet for a fleeting second, he had the insane thought that he would do anything just to see that smile again.

It was that dangerously beautiful.

As she slowly tucked her hair behind her ear, the motion was graceful—almost noble.

‘I’ll sign the contract the butler prepared, right away.’

TL/N: To those getting confused with me.
“모네를 대공 전하께서 후원해 주셨으면 해요.”
“I’d like Your Grace to sponsor Monet.”

“좋아. 후원자가 되어주지.”
“Fine. I’ll be your sponsor.”

“네 쓸모가 다할 때까지는.”
“Until the day you’re no longer useful.”

TL/N: He sas he’ll sponsor her not Monet so…

* * *

The man who stopped me just as I was about to turn away sat me back down and immediately had me fill out the contract right in front of him.

Whether it was because he had a compulsive need for order or just perfectionist tendencies, he didn’t take his eyes off me the entire time I was writing.

Because of that, I couldn’t even breathe until I put the pen down.

No—truthfully, I hadn’t taken a proper breath since entering this room. As if I’d forgotten how to breathe.

That’s how overwhelming his presence was. I felt like nothing more than a paper doll standing in front of him.

I wasn’t even really speaking—I was just reciting the lines I’d prepared like a machine, not knowing if they were making sense.

That’s why, when he told me I wasn’t that necessary, I felt completely lost.

I was sure he had brought me all the way to the grand duke’s manor because he thought I had value…

A storm of thoughts had clouded my mind.

That’s when I made my final move.

I told him I’d leave.

I wanted him to stop me—but my heart trembled at the thought of him not doing so.

If that happened, my hope of finding my brother would vanish completely.

Fear surged through me, and in the midst of it, the Grand Duke held me back.

It was a conditional offer, as if he’d sentenced me to stay only “until I cease being useful”—but even so, it was something.

With a soft scratching sound, the quill completed its signature on the contract.

When I looked up, I could feel even more clearly that his gaze had been locked on me the entire time. Just as I was about to rise and say my goodbye, he spoke.

“Does that friend of yours know you’re going this far for her?”

I flickered in the sharp light of his eyes.

“I’m not doing this because I want her to know.”

Of course, I knew well that the Grand Duke had no obligation to save Monet too.

It was shameless of me to ask—but I did because he could.

Still, he wasn’t some protector of justice, uncovering the truth to offer salvation out of virtue.

I was here simply because I was useful to him.

And if that use disappeared, so would I.

I felt that reality all the more painfully through our conversation earlier.

If he hadn’t needed me, he never would’ve brought me here in the first place.

That wasn’t necessarily wrong, but it did make me uneasy.

In any case, staying at the manor was clearly to my advantage if I wanted to recover my memories—and if he changed his mind, I’d be thrown out without mercy.

There was a curious glint in his sharp eyes as they swept over me.

“Or… did you go to fetch something and get blackmailed into this?”

“She’s not that kind of friend.”

“What a touching friendship.”

Maybe it was just my bias against him, but his words sounded sarcastic.

Still, I wasn’t in a position to argue about that right now.

“Thanks to you. I’m grateful.”

His gaze clung to me all the way out, relentless.

Only when I returned to my room and opened the window did I finally feel like I could breathe again.

The light in his room was still on.

It felt as if those sharp eyes were still watching me—so I shut the window and turned my back to it.