Episode 26

As we repeatedly share love… our affection for each other will deepen over time.

Just imagining it made my nostrils flare.

There was also the option of starting with physical intimacy, but with Apollion’s personality, that seemed nearly impossible.

I crumpled the ink-stained paper and threw it away, then collapsed onto the desk.

“So, what exactly am I supposed to do…”

I can’t just walk up to him and say,

‘Actually, I know how to break your curse. You just need to like me, give me your body, your heart, and your love. So, why not try loving me?’

That’s not an option.

“Ha…”

What kind of image did Sonia have? She was pure, lovely, and had an innocent, childlike smile.

But Petunia had a cool impression. Her eyes were sharp and her nose was too defined to be considered pure.

Moreover, her piercing blue eyes only added to her cold image.

I quickly ran to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. I tried various cute expressions with my hair tied in two braids, but I still didn’t look innocent.

“What am I doing…”

Standing in front of the mirror, puffing my cheeks, I felt a wave of harsh reality wash over me. I hadn’t done such things in college, let alone high school, and here I was doing it at my age.

Dragging my indoor slippers, I headed to the bedroom. After all the fussing and samba dancing, I was completely drained.

If I had known this would happen, I would have played some dating sims before getting possessed. Then, it wouldn’t be so difficult to win him over.

I threw myself onto the bed. The soft sensation against my body made me feel my fatigue melt away.

‘To think of spending a hot night with Apollion in this bed…’

With thoughts that would shock Apollion, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

＊＊＊

Petunia observed that Apollion’s day started relatively early.

Compared to the nobles of the capital who partied late and slept in, he was indeed diligent.

Servants rarely entered his bedroom. Apollion removed his mask when he slept.

Naturally, he locked his door tightly, making his bedroom practically off-limits to the servants.

Apollion was adept at living without the help of servants.

He always woke up at a fixed time to start his day.

The first thing he checked every morning was the mirror.

Every morning, he checked his face with a hopeful heart, only to see no change and put the mask back on.

Tying the mask tightly was like a ritual for him.

Dressed lightly, he took a bottle of water from a servant and headed straight to the training yard to train his stamina and martial skills.

While Apollion was diligently wielding his sword, the servants collected his laundry and trash and began their assigned tasks.

By the time his shirt was soaked with sweat, the day had dawned, signaling the lazy mistress’s waking time.

Petunia only crawled out of bed after hearing from a maid that breakfast was ready.

At first, she would hurriedly get up and dress up nicely, wanting to look good for Apollion.

Soon, realizing those efforts were pointless, Petunia chose to sleep a bit longer. It was a very wise and efficient choice.

Still, she couldn’t show her disheveled appearance to the servants, so she tied her curly hair into a single braid and draped a shawl over her shoulders as a gesture of courtesy.

By the time Petunia, still groggy, sat down at the dining table, Apollion, having finished his training and showered, entered the dining room.

The tea, typically known for opening the door to the night, peculiarly opened their morning.

Petunia seemed to have adapted to the tea by now, while Apollion, unsurprisingly, had no interest in what kind of tea he was drinking.

“Today’s main dish is a light and digestible pine nut porridge.”

“Cough!”

At the chef’s words, Petunia spat out the tea she had been drinking. It was a scene reminiscent of a dragon spitting fire, hot and intense.

Because of this, Apollion, sitting across from her, got an unexpected face wash.

Of course, thanks to his mask, his face stayed dry, but his neatly dried hair and freshly changed shirt were not spared from the spray.

Even though he had showered not long ago, his now-wet hair hung down, soaked with the tea.

“S-sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

Apollion calmly wiped his face with the napkin in front of him. The only one flustered was Petunia.

Petunia grabbed her napkin and went over to Apollion. She started to delicately wipe his wet face and neck.

“Are you okay? Really?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t get wet anywhere else?”

The napkin brushed his jaw, slid down his thick neck, and reached his collarbone. As the unfamiliar touch reached areas where he had never been touched, Apollion flinched.

“Th-that’s enough.”

“What do you mean? You’re still soaked.”

Petunia placed her palm on his collarbone to check for any remaining moisture. Warm water mixed with his body heat soaked her hand.

Her hand, which was dabbing his neck and collarbone, slipped into his slightly open shirt and reached his chest.

It couldn’t be said that her touch was entirely without ulterior motives.

Apollion tried to endure the chilling sensation running down his spine, but eventually, he flapped like a startled pigeon.

Seeing this, Petunia regretfully smacked her lips and returned to her seat.

However, such events were frequent. The chef, who witnessed the entire scene, watched calmly as if watching a TV show.

After the grand duke couple’s noisy show ended and his turn came, the chef began to speak enthusiastically.

Petunia glared at him irritably, but the chef didn’t mind. This part had been previously agreed upon with Apollion, so there was nothing he could do even if Petunia glared at him.

“…As a side dish, we have prepared cherry tomatoes roasted with olive oil and basil. They were picked fresh this morning.”

“Thank you.”

After a long explanation, the chef finally finished.

Once he left the dining room, the two picked up their spoons and forks. In the quiet dining room, only the occasional clinking of cutlery could be heard.

Petunia silently ate her pine nut porridge, her eyes glinting with a mischievous light.

It seemed she had spat out quite a lot of tea, as Apollion’s shirt was wet enough to reveal the silhouette of his chest.

Though unintentional, Petunia felt slightly pleased with this accidental bounty.

She really liked seeing Apollion drenched in sweat, but she usually missed him after his morning training because she woke up late.

Whether Apollion was aware of Petunia’s thoughts or not, he was simply rolling a plump tomato in his mouth.

The chef’s claim of freshness was confirmed as Apollion bit into the tomato, and tangy juice burst out.

Red juice dripped down from Apollion’s lips as he chewed the tomato absentmindedly.

“…”

Petunia, holding her spoon mid-air, stared blankly at the sight.

His lips, stained with the juice, appeared vividly red.

Apollion dabbed his lips with the napkin and made eye contact with Petunia.

He placed the napkin back on the table and asked her,

“Is there still something on my lips?”

“…What?”

“The tomato.”

He said, pointing to his lips with his index finger.

Petunia’s gaze moved from his finger back to his lips.

“Oh.”

she exclaimed, understanding dawning on her.

A mischievous smile spread across Petunia’s face.

“Yes, there’s still some left.”

At her words, Apollion pressed the napkin against his lips again. He checked the napkin but found nothing on it.

“Not there, a bit lower.”

This time, he rubbed his chin with the napkin.

“A bit higher, to the right.”

Petunia said, struggling to keep her lips from curving into a smile.

Frustrated, Apollion ran his palm over various parts of his lower face.

“Oh, come here. That’s not it.”

She said, pulling herself closer and motioning for him to come closer. Apollion, eyes wide, leaned his face towards her.

“Here.”

Petunia reached out and brushed his right lip corner with her thumb.

“It was just a tiny bit, hard to clean up.”

In truth, there was nothing on his face.

But a red juice stain mysteriously appeared on her thumb.

She showed the stained thumb to Apollion and then put it in her mouth. His face turned as red as a tomato at the sight.

“Apollion, what’s wrong?”

“Yes? What?”

“Are you feeling sick? Your face is red…”

“No, no, nothing at all.”

Apollion lowered his head deeply to hide his blushing face and started eating his pine nut porridge with fervor.

Although it was just her putting a finger in her mouth, it felt strangely sensual.

Meanwhile, Petunia seemed completely unfazed by her actions, making him feel even more embarrassed.

Apollion felt like a scoundrel. He even felt a twinge of guilt towards Petunia, who had innocently tried to help him clean his face.

He had no idea that Petunia was smiling evilly down at the top of his head.