“…”
Back in the third prince’s palace, Diana sat on the bed, glaring at the lingerie package lying in the middle as if it were a bug. How am I supposed to get rid of that?
Neither Mizel nor Belladova knew that Kayden and Diana were a contract couple. If Bella were to see that lingerie in such a situation… just the thought gave her goosebumps.
She couldn’t ask Bella or any other servant to get rid of it. If the contents were accidentally revealed, she might die of shame that very day.
It felt wrong to summon a spirit to get rid of it… but touching it herself gave her the creeps.
Uum. She had brought it unwillingly, but now she had no idea how to deal with it. I guess I’ll secretly burn it later. She felt sorry for Esdil, who had painstakingly made each stitch of the lingerie, but she had no choice.
Resolving herself, Diana took a deep breath. Just as she mustered the courage to reach for the lingerie packet… Knock, knock.
“Diana, it’s me. I’m coming in.”
A knock sounded, and the door opened without warning. At the same time, she remembered that today was her night to sleep with Kayden, and they frequently entered each other’s rooms without any special permission.
Diana silently screamed and grabbed the lingerie packet, throwing it under the bed. In her haste, she lost her balance and sat down next to the bed with a thump, making a fairly loud noise.
“…Diana? What are you doing there?” Kayden looked at Diana, who sat on the floor clutching the sheets in pain, with a strange expression.
Diana forced a smile as if nothing was wrong. “You’re here.”
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“No, not at all.”
“For someone who isn’t, that was quite a noise.”
“You’re mistaken.”
Despite Kayden’s repeated questions, Diana remained firm. However, he continued to look at her suspiciously and then froze, having discovered something behind her.
“Diana.”
“I’m really fine….”
“Not that, but don’t move. There’s something under your bed. Something… like a ghost.”
“…What?”
Her heart sank in an instant. Diana froze in place, unable to move. Her mind went completely blank.
A ghost? Diana had experienced the unbelievable event of regression herself. So she couldn’t help but believe in ghosts, a somewhat ambiguous existence.
While Diana was paralyzed with excessive fear, Kayden approached her cautiously as if confronting a wild animal. After signaling her to be quiet, he carefully reached under the bed. Rustle.
…Huh? That sound… no way… She felt a chill more terrifying than when she heard the word ‘ghost.’
Diana turned around in an instant as if breaking ice. But it was already too late.
“So this is….”
Kayden stopped short, realizing that what he pulled out from under the bed wasn’t a ghostly remnant but a provocative red lingerie Diana had hastily shoved there.
Silence followed. The two were at a loss for words and simply closed their mouths.
Kayden finally broke the long silence. He looked at what he held in his hand and then at Diana, speaking up. “This….”
“It’s not mine.”
“It was under your bed….”
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“This is your room….”
“This isn’t my room?”
“What are you saying?”
So cute, what am I going to do with you?
Kayden covered his face with one arm and burst out laughing at Diana’s panicked, nonsensical response. His laughter made Diana’s face turn red in embarrassment, a rare sight.
“…Give it to me. I was going to throw it away since I was forced to accept it as a gift, so don’t misunderstand.”
“It looks new. Isn’t it a waste?”
“Not at all. So please, give it to me.”
Diana tried to snatch the lingerie from Kayden’s hand. But he raised his arm high and dodged, making it difficult.
“I said give it…!”
In the end, Diana raised her voice and reached out. But perhaps due to poor control, her body tilted.
“Ouch.”
Diana ended up knocking her face into Kayden’s chest. When she looked up while holding her aching nose, Kayden’s face was right in front of her.
“…Ah.”
Realizing how close their lips were, she felt a sudden heat in her lower belly.
Diana quickly stood up and stepped back. She intended to put some distance between them, but Kayden silently stood up and closed the gap again.
“Um, if you have something to say, please do it from there…”
Diana took another step back, timidly protesting. But immediately, her knee hit the bed, causing her to lose balance and fall backward. Plop—
Diana reflexively closed her eyes but then opened them at the soft sensation supporting her back. And she held her breath.
“…Diana.”
Before she knew it, Kayden was on top of her, almost pinning her down. He placed one hand beside her head and laughed softly.
“Diana.”
At the low call, a chill ran up the back of her neck, giving her goosebumps.
Kayden began unbuttoning his shirt with his hand, not supporting himself on the bed. Diana parted her lips to stop him, but for some reason, no words came out. The atmosphere emanating from Kayden, who completely dominated her view, stifled her breath.
Click— The sound of the last button coming undone was particularly loud in her ears. Diana stared blankly at Kayden’s fully exposed upper body, captivated by it.
Kayden’s body was aesthetically perfect. Each muscle, sculpted with a craftsman’s dedication, moved with his every breath. She couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the sight.
Noticing her gaze, Kayden curved his eyes into a leisurely smile. “Do you want to do this with me?”
The languid whisper tickled her ear, causing Diana to reflexively hunch her neck. At that moment, Kayden grabbed the tie of her nightgown.
Ah. Diana froze, holding her breath.
Kayden slowly, very slowly, began pulling the tie of her gown. She watched the scene with trembling lips.
I should stop him… But seeing Kayden’s face filled with a desire for her, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
In the end, when the tie was about a hand’s breadth away from the loop, Diana tightly closed her eyes. With her eyes closed, she took small, shallow breaths, but her gown remained untouched.
…What is this? Half of her wanted to open her eyes and check, while the other half was afraid to see Kayden’s face.
As Diana lay conflicted with her eyes closed, she heard a small laugh and felt a light kiss on her forehead, like a butterfly’s wing.
“Why are you so tense? Breathe, I’m not going to do anything.”
“Ah…”
Only after hearing those words did Diana consciously take a deep breath.
Kayden backed away lightly and began buttoning his shirt again. Watching him sit awkwardly on the bed, Diana let out a resigned sigh and covered her mouth.
…Wait. Did I just… feel disappointed? She thought it was a sigh of relief. But a fleeting ache in the corner of her heart. That was undoubtedly ‘disappointment.’
I think I’m getting weirder…
Realizing this, Diana was silently horrified. Her heart pounded with emotions she couldn’t quite identify.
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Poor Kayden! It’s good that he’s respecting Diana’s discomfort though. Keep going like this, Kayden, you’re doing just fine 😘
Thank you translator for keeping up with chapter releases, I’m very grateful!