Episode 77

“Are you going to put your clothes back on?”

“You won’t be able to see it unless I take them off.”

“Then what’s the point of touching? You should be looking instead.”

“That’s true.”

Yurian couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed by how quickly Yvonne rejected the chance to touch him. It was different from how he was holding back his own desire to touch her—she seemed to refuse without any emotion, as if it didn’t matter to her at all.

“Yes.”

Yvonne said this as she looked at Yurian. He felt a wave of nervousness wash over him as her gaze settled on him, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed dryly. For some reason, seeing him do this made her feel strange. A tension she had never felt even when lying in bed next to the Marquess.

“Madam, please look carefully.”

“….”

Yurian let out a soft laugh as he tossed his shirt aside, far away. Yvonne understood why he had done so, knowing that he probably intended to leave it far enough that he wouldn’t put it back on anytime soon. She picked it up and placed it near him again, knowing he would need it later.

Though slightly upset by her gesture, Yurian forced a smile as Yvonne returned her gaze to him.

“Why don’t you scratch it yourself, Duke?”

“You should do it.”

“I told you, it’s Eveline.”

“Let’s call it a pet name.”

“My pet name is Eve.”

“I like Yvonne too.”

His insistence seemed silly to Yvonne, but since she planned to leave once the pact was confirmed, she didn’t argue further.

“Do as you please,” she said.

When her eyes once again landed on his chest, Yurian took her hand, examining her short nails with a small smile before using her hand to scratch his chest.

“Your nails are short.”

“Mine are much shorter,” Yurian replied, taking her small, round hand in his and scratching his chest with it. It felt like trying to make a cat’s claws come out against its will.

As her nails grazed his skin, a faint mark resembling the color of his skin but with a slight reddish hue appeared—a symbol of the pact.

“Now, try it on yourself,” Yurian said.

“Fine. Can you step out?”

“I’ll turn around.”

Yvonne found his cheeky response oddly familiar.

“Leave the room.”

“You might forget the symbol if I leave.”

“No, just go.”

“Fine, I’ll wait outside the door.”

“…Okay.”

Yurian laughed brightly, both disappointed and amused by her firm tone. Yvonne found it strange that his laughter made her feel better, as if she were reuniting with a long-lost friend.

“Are you really going to leave?” she asked.

“I’m going,” he said.

“Good.”

Yurian turned around three times before finally stepping out of the room. Imagining him standing shirtless, wearing only pants, right outside the door made Yvonne smile without realizing it.

“Yurian,” she called out.

“Yes,” came his voice from beyond the door.

“Keep talking.”

“I think platinum blonde suits you well, Yvonne.”

“Your eyes are beautiful too,” she said.

As she adjusted her torn clothes, she couldn’t help but feel bitter, remembering how she had fled here without even the time to fix her ripped garments after what the Marquess had done. The solitude of the room was both comforting and lonely at the same time.

If the Marquess really had the power to manipulate her memories, why had he done it?

Had the kindness he’d shown her all been a lie? Pretending to care for her, only to push her off a balcony later.

And yet, he had claimed he wanted to hold her.

“Duke Leonhardt.”

“Please call me Yurian, or even Yuri.”

“We’re not close enough for pet names.”

“What kind of closeness does that require?”

“To be intimate.”

“Then let’s become intimate.”

Yvonne couldn’t help but smile at how easily Yurian spoke to her. He was somehow comfortable to be around and didn’t feel threatening.

She finished taking off her clothes, realizing only now that her torn nightgown left more than half of her chest exposed. It was only now that she noticed how little she had been wearing, perhaps because she had been too preoccupied with Yurian.

She had never seen a man with such a beautiful body before, which might have been why she had been so distracted.

Yvonne raised her hand and gently scratched her chest.

“Nothing’s showing up,” she said.

“I think I need to scratch it for you.”

“You’re not just lying because you want to touch me, are you?”

“I do want to touch you, but I’m not lying.”

His honesty made her feel more at ease. As a sign of permission, she stood up and opened the door.

Yurian, who had been leaning against the doorframe, his face flushed all the way to his ears, turned around when she opened the door. Seeing him embarrassed, Yvonne felt reassured, as if his bashfulness made him more relatable.

“Go ahead.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Yurian bit his lip, his earlier confident demeanor completely gone.

“You seemed so bold earlier.”

“I thought you might like that more.”

“Who said that?”

“My instincts told me so.”

Though he said that, the truth was he wanted to see her resolute and proud response to his boldness. Yurian always found it both embarrassing and delightful to look at Yvonne. And he always wanted to be around her.

“Your instincts are wrong.”

“Yes.”

Though he knew she was teasing him, he didn’t mind. She was smiling now, unlike the serious expression she had earlier. Even if she thought of him as a fool, as long as she could smile like this, it didn’t seem so bad.

“Duke Leonhardt.”

“Yurian, please.”

“Are you always this easy to fluster?”

“Only when Yvonne touches me.”

Yurian’s voice trembled as Yvonne took his wrist and led him further into the room. He didn’t want to do anything she disliked, yet he couldn’t control his emotions as they surged up. He didn’t want to be the kind of person who couldn’t control his desires, though. Like a boy experiencing the first rush of love, being around Yvonne left him confused about what to do. Yet, when his mind cleared, he would try to rein himself in.

He wanted to appear perfect in front of her. But whenever they were face-to-face, his thoughts would scatter, and he would end up saying strange things. His original plan had been to be patient, to give her time until she opened up to him. But his impatience kept making him forget that plan. And whenever Yvonne reacted with fear, he’d feel a wave of self-reproach, which made him back off. Only for Yvonne to relax and tease him again.

And he loved that cycle. He couldn’t help but enjoy it.

“Now, scratch it,” she said.

“What if it leaves a mark?”

“It might leave a small one.”

Yvonne glanced at the long red mark her nails had left on Yurian’s chest. He smiled, pleased that she was looking at his bare torso. He found it adorable how she’d look at his chest, then shyly glance away, only to return her gaze.

Yvonne placed his hand on her chest, and Yurian involuntarily tensed, trembling under her touch. She found his shaking amusing and couldn’t help but tease him.

“I told you to scratch it, not press down so hard.”

“Ah…”

He tried to pull his hand back in embarrassment, but Yvonne held onto it, not letting him. Yurian, being someone with enhanced physical strength, worried that if he wasn’t careful, his touch could hurt her fragile body.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, then hurry up.”

“…Yes.”

Yurian’s face felt like it was on fire. Even so, he did as she asked, lightly scratching over her heart.

“If you scratch that lightly, it won’t turn red.”

“I can’t do it.”

“Then relax.”

“Yes…”

As she gripped his hands, guiding him to scratch harder across her chest, Yurian trembled, letting out an unintentional sigh of pleasure.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“…Nothing.”

Yurian, feeling like his face was going to explode, covered his face with his free hand. But no matter how he tried to hide, his flushed eyes, dry lips, and the way his throat moved as he swallowed revealed just how nervous he was, as if he was about to faint.

“Duke Leonhardt.”

“…”

“Yurian.”

“Yes?”

The sound of his name from her lips made it even harder for him to maintain his composure.

“You’re so flustered, it feels like I’m doing something wrong.”

“…”

Yvonne released his hand, and for a moment, Yurian imagined her touch had left a burn on his skin. Yet, he wanted to hold her hand again, to keep that warmth from slipping away.

“Look,” Yvonne said.

Blinking to clear the blur from his tear-filled eyes, Yurian looked at her.

Seeing Yvonne staring back at him so calmly, while he was in such turmoil, only made him more anxious. Yet, at the same time, he felt reassured. Yvonne seemed at ease with him, which brought him some comfort.

“Don’t look at my face. Look at my chest.”

“…Yes.”

His gaze lowered to her chest, where the same pact mark that was on his own had appeared.

“Can I touch it?”

Yurian asked impulsively.

Okay so in the next chaps yurian will call Yvonne cuz In the original Korean raw text, the name used is likely “이본느” (Ibonne), which directly translates to “Yvonne” in English. If Yurian was calling her by her original name, it would have been “이본느” in the raws. So im translating what Im getting in raws.