‘Did I do something unnecessary?’
Damie was frozen with fear. In that moment, she instinctively realized, Acard Valerian was not a man she could handle on a whim, especially with her lack of experience.
His heated gaze seemed to pierce through her chest, even through the damp fabric. This made her nipples stand erect. She felt an urge to cover herself in shame, but an inexplicable sense of anticipation and excitement surged within her.
At that precise moment, as he looked down at Damie with an intrigued expression, he twisted his lips and whispered.
“You’re wet.”
Acard’s whisper, so close to her ear, was unusually sweet. His low, decadent tone made her ears feel like they were melting. With just his voice, he shook Damie to her core. Then, he pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to her.
“Please, use this.”
“…Thank you.”
Only then did Damie snap back to reality. Rumor had it that Acard enjoyed playing with women who were ripe and sweet. The moment he discovered her inexperience, this small transgression would undoubtedly end.
So, Damie forced a smile, trying to appear accustomed to his kindness. She struggled to keep her hand from trembling as she accepted the handkerchief and bowed her head.
“You are a kind person. My name is Damie of Count Primula’s family. May I know your name, sir?”
Her voice came out more flirtatiously than she intended, which was fortunate.
In truth, there was no way Damie didn’t know his name. Acard was a prominent figure in the vibrant capital’s social circles. Hence, he could easily dominate this remote northern region. Nevertheless, pretending not to know his name and asking was quite endearing.
Acard lifted one corner of his mouth into a crooked smile but decided to play along.
“My name is Acard, second son of Duke Valerian and Captain of the Royal Knights. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
His large hand skillfully enveloped Damie’s hand, then slowly brought his lips to her sticky, honey-covered hand.
Unconsciously, Damie held her breath as she looked down at Acard kissing her hand. The mere touch of his lips felt like a burn.
At that moment, his tongue, which had slipped out between his well-shaped lips, licked her hand sensually.
‘……!!’
The spot he licked was the same place Damie had provocatively licked earlier. Acard slowly traced that area with his tongue as if it were an indirect kiss. The hot, slightly rough texture of his tongue was stimulating.
His beautiful eyes looked at Damie provocatively as he smiled. When their eyes met, Damie’s face flushed. She now understood why women fell for him despite his notorious reputation.
Acard Valerian was irresistibly seductive, sophisticated, and beautiful. Faced with him, her mind went blank, unable to maintain any sense of rationality.
Damie forgot even to pretend otherwise, staring at Acard with admiring eyes. Acard, too, kept his gaze fixed on her, still holding her hand even after their introduction.
“I hope this isn’t too forward for a first meeting.”
Acard’s voice, thicker with desire, began to speak.
“If the lady doesn’t mind, how about tonight…”
Just as the words Damie had been longing to hear were about to leave his lips,
“Please wait a moment, Sir Acard!”
Cesare suddenly interrupted with a smiling face. The intimate atmosphere between them shattered instantly.
Damie suddenly took a deep breath, realizing she had completely forgotten about Cesare’s presence for a moment. She had been entirely absorbed by Acard.
“……”
Meanwhile, Acard’s displeasure at Cesare’s interruption was evident. He glanced at Cesare with a blank expression. Even without a single word, his presence as a Royal Knight Commander was intimidating.
But Cesare was no pushover. He met Acard’s gaze with a bright smile and spoke.
“We met earlier, didn’t we? This is my sister, Damie. She is my most cherished ‘family.’”
The implication was clear. Cesare wanted Acard to remove his hand from Damie. Acard responded with a crooked smile.
“Family, you say.”
He repeated Cesare’s words mockingly, then turned to look Damie over openly.
“That’s quite an interesting statement.”
Damie felt a bit anxious at his ambiguous words. What if Acard withdrew now? Unconsciously, she looked up at him with pleading eyes.
Acard was fully aware of her gaze. With the woman wanting him so openly, there was no reason to allow another man to interfere. With a twisted smile, Acard mocked Cesare.
“Do you look at ‘family’ with such lustful eyes? Like some kind of beast.”
Acard spoke as if he could see right through Cesare. Confident in his superior position, his insults were unrestrained and sharp. The unexpected attack left Cesare stiff.
Indeed, Acard was more than just a handsome playboy. He was a formidable figure in the tumultuous capital’s social scene. Unhesitatingly crushing a weaker rival was his nature.
Cesare gritted his teeth, glaring at his competitor. A chilling blue anger began to form in his dark eyes. Seeing this, Damie bravely intervened.
“Hold on a moment.”
The atmosphere was becoming too heated. Acard had done so much for her, she couldn’t just stand by. She had initiated the seduction, so she had to take responsibility for the situation.
Damie quickly understood what she needed to do. With slightly trembling hands, she clung to Acard’s masculine arm. Then, she raised her chin haughtily at Cesare and smiled.
“Thank you for your concern, brother. But I am already a mature woman. So now, I need a gentleman to escort me instead of family. Don’t you agree?”
“Indeed, my Lady.”
Acard, initially taken aback by her arm-in-arm gesture, smoothly smiled. To him, this situation was just another entertaining game. Damie’s response had pleased the capricious Acard greatly.
A woman with spirit deserved to be treated accordingly. Acard drew her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulders provocatively. He left Cesare with a parting shot.
“Then, we adults should take our leave for some private time. It was a pleasure meeting you, young lord of Primula. I wish ‘family’ well.”
Cesare finally lost his composure at Acard’s last taunting words. He glared at the retreating figure of Acard embracing Damie, feeling a chill run down his spine.
But Damie wasn’t afraid. For the first time, she felt exhilarated despite her bold actions. Cesare’s incessant “sister” act had grown tiresome. She felt a refreshing sense of liberation as if she had torn through his sticky web.
“Damie.”
At that moment, she heard Cesare’s voice calling her from behind. She paused, then regretted it. She should have pretended not to hear and walked away. Her mistake was evident.
As expected, Cesare’s voice, disturbingly soft, followed.
“Count Primula will be saddened to hear of this. I believe, as a wise child, you wouldn’t want to worry your father.”
Count Primula, Damie’s father, had remarried after losing his wife. For Damie, “family” meant her father alone.
Cesare’s cunning mention of her father was akin to a threat. Damie let out a bitter laugh.
Acard was arrogant and aggressive, but he was untouchable by Cesare. Realizing this, Cesare resorted to manipulating Damie instead. It was typical of him.
“Did you call me a wise child, brother?”
Damie turned back with a faint smile. Her gaze, unyielding for once, made Cesare frown. He sensed something was amiss.
“I have told you many times. I am not a child.”
Damie paused, then clung more tightly to Acard’s arm, her ample chest pressing against him. The solid feel of his arm excited her and gave her an unknown courage.
“I am a mature woman. So, I don’t need my father’s permission.”
At that moment, her father was away on business. By the time he returned, her “little adventure” would be over.
Leave a Reply