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Episode 70

Through the dress, I could feel Cael's firm thighs beneath me.

At the vivid sensation, I squirmed, and Cael took my hand, speaking.

"Calm down, Rielle."

His voice landed right in my ear, and I automatically turned my head.

When I did, Cael's face, looking at me with a faint smile, was so close.

His handsome, captivating face, his purple eyes, that seductive beauty mark—

all within a handspan's distance.

So close that my breath, rushing out in excitement, could reach his face!

"Wh, what's with this position...?"

My heart was already pounding wildly.

I could feel my face growing hot—it must have been bright red like a tomato.

Trying to keep my breath from reaching his face, I exhaled and asked as steadily as I could.

"It's called the lover's pose."

"I didn't ask what it's called!"

At his brazen answer, I looked down and glanced at his hand, which was shifting my legs.

My two legs, which had been straddling one of his thighs, were now neatly settled between his legs.

My shoulders and arms, pressed against his chest, felt awkward. I tried to adjust my posture, but the feel of his firm thighs beneath me made me flinch.

In the end, I just froze, unable to move.

"You can lean back comfortably."

As if to say not to worry, Cael wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me into his embrace. I finally let out a shriek.

"Ah! Sir!"

My face grew so hot I felt like I might burst from embarrassment, so I covered my face with both palms.

But Cael leaned down and whispered softly in my ear.

"Shh!"

"Huff."

"Rielle, look at me."

His breath, clinging to my ear, and his deep, pleasant voice resonated.

Quietly waiting, he finally coaxed me to lower my hands and look at him.

Though he was much taller than me, sitting on his lap put us at eye level.

Meeting his gaze, Cael finally nodded with a satisfied smile.

"I understand you're shy, but you'll need to hold out a little longer."

"...Pardon?"

"The guest will be arriving soon."

"...Ah!"

"Before Lady Haridview, we'll need to emphasize that we're lovers even more."

"Th, that's true."

Understanding his meaning, I nodded.

Yes—showing her that we were lovers was the surest way to make an impression on a young lady visiting over an engagement issue.

I gave him a reproachful look.

"If you'd told me in advance, I wouldn't have been so surprised."

"I didn't know when she might enter. If I was too sudden, I'm sorry."

"Ah, I see. No, it's fine."

"So don't be too shy—just lean on me."

"...Okay."

I complied, relaxing my stiff body.

Resting my head on his shoulder and leaning an arm against his chest.

"Now this feels right."

At his satisfied words, I forced a laugh and tried to calm my racing heart.

"But... aren't I heavy?"

"You need to eat more, Rielle. I was surprised at how light you are. I thought you ate quite well compared to other ladies when I saw you at meals."

"......"

I hadn't expected him to notice how I ate.

As he said, I did eat well—even asking for seconds when desserts or delicious things were available.

But hearing him say it made me feel shy.

To avoid the embarrassment, I changed the subject.

"S, so when do you think she'll arrive?"

"Well..."

Cael had let me lean on one shoulder, his other arm draped over the back of the sofa, his face resting on his hand.

Then he just gazed at me. The weight of his stare made me look down and hurriedly speak.

"Since it might take a while, shall I get off for a bit?"

"If you do and she walks in, it'll ruin the act. Better not."

"Ah, that's true."

Since he wasn't wrong, I fell silent again.

Cael, still gazing at me, asked.

"Are you bored?"

No—my heart is pounding so hard I feel like I'm having trouble breathing.

I couldn't say that, so I reluctantly nodded.

"Well, just sitting here like this is a little..."

"Speaking of which, Rielle—your eyes."

"...?"

At his words, I looked up instinctively.

His gaze met mine, as if he'd been looking down at me all along.

"When I was on the battlefield, I used to look up at the night sky every night. Did you know that the countless stars in that sky move and change with the seasons?"

"Um... is that so."

Hearing him suddenly bring up his past, I listened closely, holding my breath.

"Among those moving stars, there are some that never change, regardless of the season."

As he explained, I thought of the North Star in my world.

"A large star sits at the center, and smaller stars gather around it, forming a cluster... I watched that star cluster every day for three years to keep going. In that place where there was nothing else."

Seeing Cael's expression, which I couldn't quite define, I felt solemn.

Just watching war footage from movies or other countries was enough to remind me of how cruel and terrifying it was.

How must he have endured, so young, in such a place?

Not knowing what words could comfort or empathize, I just waited silently for him to continue.

"That star cluster looks just like your eyes. So much so."

"Oh..."

Caught off guard by his unexpected words, I opened my mouth in surprise.

Amused by my reaction, his eyes crinkled.

Then he pressed his index finger against my eyelid.

"That's why, when I first saw your eyes, I couldn't look away. I don't look at the sky as often as I did back then, but I still sought it out sometimes. Now that I have your eyes before me, there's no need to search anymore."

His words were so hard to believe that I wore a dazed expression.

I couldn't make sense of what he was saying.

Even more, he pressed his finger to my eye again and emphasized.

"Like a cluster of stars in the night sky. Those ones."

I couldn't take it anymore.

"Pwah!"

When his finger touched my eyelid, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding and took a deep breath.

I had no room to worry about my pounding heart or flushed face anymore.

"Heh, why were you holding your breath?"

At my reaction, Cael finally burst out laughing.

Seeing that, I decided it was time to ask the question I'd been waiting for.

No matter how I looked at it, Cael's actions seemed to suggest he liked me.

Since we were contract lovers, emphasizing our relationship in front of others was understandable—but there was a limit.

Yet Cael sometimes said or did things that were uncharacteristic of him, even when we were alone.

It felt like he truly had some feelings for me.

At first, I dismissed the thought. The second time, I almost asked, but held back, thinking there's no way.

But now, it was different.

I steeled myself and decided to ask him honestly.

"Cael, there's something I want to ask—"

Knock knock—

"!!"

Oh, my timing.

Before I could finish, a knock came from the door, followed by the butler's voice.

"Your Grace, Lady Haridview has arrived."

"Show her in."

"Yes."

At Cael's permission, the door opened.

Rosaly Haridview entered, holding something, and her eyes met mine.

"!"

She stared, without looking away, at me sitting on Cael's lap in a lover's pose.

With a rigid expression.

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