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Rachel was shocked by what Lucian said. Still in his arms, she looked up to try and see his face.
As he was already looking down at her, his eyes curved as their gazes met.
Her heart was pounding. When they were younger, what she told him came to mind one after another.
Come to think of it, Lucian kept it as a promise, even though it was reckless.
And even though it’s been a very long time, he never forgot it.
Rachel went up on her tiptoes and folded her arms around his neck.
He was so lovely. And she was so grateful for him not forgetting his promise with her.
“So it’s like that. Finally… I’m in Brother’s schedule. Hehe, we can drink tea together anytime now.”
Back then, she had to pay attention whenever they were eating together.
As if to compensate for that time, Lucian had now ascended to the position of Duke, laughing and eating well unlike before.
At this moment, Rachel wasn’t thinking about the Duke or the Duchess at all.
She only wanted to congratulate Lucian, who overcame his unfortunate past while rising to where he was now proudly.
He held tightly then, simply holding her slender waist that was enough to fit in his large hands, then he lifted her up.
“Kyaaa!”
Carrying her in one arm as he hugged her, Lucian had a smile on his lips, her favorite smile.
He hated that she was satisfied with only drinking tea with him, but she was so lovely that he only gently sat back on the sofa with her.
He placed Rachel on his thigh.
“No, but what is this?”
Rachel pouted because she seemed to think that she was being treated like a child.
Knock, knock.
Then, Amber came in while pushing a trolley. Amber brought ripe grapes, sweet refreshments and cold tea just as Rachel ordered.
Being the competent maid that she was, she set it up right away, and Rachel tried to get off Lucian’s thigh.
But Lucian slinked his arm around her waist and didn’t let her go.
She could only sigh deeply as he didn’t budge, as though he was a root of a tree that would need to be dug up.
“Brother, are you really going to be like this?”
“Ray, grapes.”
As much as Rachel knew Lucian well, it was the same the other way around as well.
“Alright. I’ll get you the ripest ones.”
Look at her now.
How she acts, looking only at grapes because of his request.
As though she had forgotten that she was trying to get out of his lap, he comfortably hugged her as she picked which grapes to feed him.
“Now, your grapes are here. Knock knock, knock, knock knock knock.”
Hearing those words that were like a secret code to the two of them alone, Lucian smiled naturally.
Lucian took the fresh grape into his mouth, a green one that was like her beautiful hair. He savored the taste of the grape by licking his lips that had been touched by her fingertips briefly.
And that same fingertip came back to his lips again after she had picked another grape to give him.
Lucian didn’t miss the opportunity. As he bit the grape, he also licked her finger with his tongue.
“Ack!”
Surprised by the touch of hot flesh, Rachel’s eyes met Lucian’s. But slyly, Lucian feigned ignorance and had an innocent expression.
“That’s weird. Did I feel it wrong?”
Rachel was preoccupied with choosing grapes and feeding them to him. Each time, Lucian fulfilled his dark desires in various ways.
He touched her waist for no reason, or caressed her from the crown of her head, down to her nape, stroking her soft hair.
—You’re a more insidious bastard than I am.
Enzo muttered as he reacted to Lucian’s deep, dark emotions, but Lucian didn’t even retort.
Truthfully, Enzo wasn’t wrong.
As Lucian swept Rachel’s hair back, he found something under her right ear.
There should be nothing that he didn’t know about Rachel, but as he pushed her hair back, he found an unfamiliar discovery.
“Brother? Why? Is something there?”
Rachel turned her head because she gathered her long emerald hair together and had it on one side.
Lucian gently took her chin and returned her to her original position.
After seeing that small dot under one of her ears, he felt a dark curiosity about what could be below her neck
Were there any other small dots on her pale body below this point? That’s…
His molten gold eyes moved from her ear down to her exposed nape.
“Why aren’t you answering? Is there really something on me?”
Lucian, whose adam’s apple had bobbed several times, replied with a low sinking voice.
“No… It’s just, there’s a mole here.”
“Ah, right. There’s a mole there. I think I have a lot of other ones.”
At her answer, Lucian’s heartbeat sped up. Even though it felt like he was doing something he shouldn’t, he couldn’t help but ask.
“…Where else?”
“Umm, I think my thighs and my rear end? Amber told me, but I’m not sure. I don’t really know where because they’re in a weird spot.”
“…Okay.”
The sound of his pounding heart could be heard in his ears. Lucian felt an unfamiliar heat blooming on his cheeks.
He had never felt this way before.
He had always been impulsive when it came to her, but this seemed to be the first time that he felt so shaken.
Reaching out slowly, he pressed down on the mole in front of him with his fingertip, the one on her nape.
“Hck, it tickles.”
Without answering her words, Lucian filled his greed by alternately touching her mole underneath her ear and the mole on her nape.
He touched them instead, pushing down the desire to press the dots underneath.
“Ah, I’m really ticklish!”
A white hand grabbed his finger. At the same time, the moment he made eye contact with her, Lucian couldn’t endure it any longer.
Her flushed face was so lovely.
So, he embraced her tightly. After taking her into his arms so tightly that she might break, he placed his lips over her exposed nape.
“Ah, really! Brother!”
Even as she scolded him in a higher voice, he couldn’t take off his lips from what he had already touched.
If he couldn’t do at least this, he was afraid of what else he would do.
His lips burned. Even as he buried his lips on the nape of her refreshingly sweet-scented neck, his thirst only got worse and worse. It wouldn’t disappear.
Tightening his hold on her waist in his arms, he remained that way, burying his head in her neck for a moment.
I want you.
I want you. I want to indulge in you.
As those dark emotions soared, black flames lit up behind his golden eyes.
In his head, Enzo snickered maniacally.
—If you want her, just take her. It’s as simple as that!
✦
The news of Lucian’s ascension to the position spread quickly. The Emperor as well had received word of it.
After the ceremony, he would greet the Emperor separately, just in time for the spring banquet to be held.
“Milady, please look at this.”
And that spring banquet was being held today. Since it’s a banquet hosted by the Imperial family, Lucian first planned to greet the Emperor there, then he would have a separate ascension banquet now that he was going to be the Duke.
Well, it felt like it involved a lot of preparing here and there, so everyone’s busy.
I looked at the box that Amber was showing me as I scooped some soup into my mouth.
Inside were accessories sent as a gift by Lucian. Necklace, earrings, bracelets and anklets.
It was a full set with everything except a ring. And apart from that, the gems embellishing those accessories were dazzling golden amber gems that seemed to shine just like his eyes.
The dress prepared for me in this spring banquet was a light green dress that was reminiscent of the color of young sprouts.
It was a light green color that was slightly different from my emerald hair color, but if my hair were to be seen under the sun, this color was similar.
To emphasize the bright hues of the dress, the chest area and waist area of the dress was covered in white lace.
To match this, the bottom of the dress had while lace as well, and I’ll be wearing white shoes.
“I think these will go well with your outfit today, Milady.”
As she spoke, Amber closed the box and showed another smaller box.
“Milady, the Young Master also sent this.”
“Huh? What’s this?”
Seeing the palm-sized box, I set down my spoon. The items inside were the same as the jewelry from a while ago.
But instead, they were very small.
I was perplexed, but Amber solved the mystery right away.
“I guess these were sent to Milady for your fashion doll.”
“W-Wow…”
No, Lucian.
I do like the fashion doll, but is it okay to make accessories like these for it?
At first glance, they looked like an exact replica of the real deal. I was a noble on the outside, but I was still often surprised by the Duke and Lucian’s spending habits.
Wasn’t there also a time when the Duke said that my own spending was insignificant?
By my standards, of course it was a bit surprising that Lucian sent me accessories for a doll.
“Now, Milady, let’s change your clothes.”
“Okay.”
I quickly got dolled up under Amber’s touch. Today, my hair was in an updo for the first time since the collar of my dress has lace that would cover all the way up my neckline.
Until now, I’ve always had my hair in a half ponytail or just let it all down, so the area around my neck felt empty.
“As expected, the dress and the accessories go really well with each other. As a final touch, let’s pin this.”
It wasn’t until then that Amber pinned a white corsage on me.
And at that time with rather impeccable timing, a knock resounded.
Knock knock, knock, knock knock knock.
Hearing the familiar staccato, I approached the door with light steps. And when I opened it, I saw him.
As usual, I appreciated his wonderful visage, and in an ecstatic mood, a familiar accessory caught my eye.