45

We went out to the balcony with our drinks.

Beyond the splendid marble balcony, the view of the dark, dewy garden unfolded.

Elegantly arranged garden trees, various rare flowers in full bloom, and a distant gazebo.

It was a garden worth exploring in various ways.

But at that moment.

“Earlier, you were dancing quite well with Count Lunebourg.”

A prickly voice echoed.

“Did you have fun?”

“…”

I barely suppressed a sigh about a topic that I had no interest in.

Why is he so sensitive about it?

In the first place, this debutante party wasn’t organized purely for my sake.

I recalled the nobles I saw earlier.

Among them, the faces of some nobles who seemed unusually terrified flashed in my mind.

‘Nobles who enrolled their family and acquaintances at Rose Cross Boarding School.’

Just by inviting them, it’s clear that this debutante party is a warning for them.

I casually shrugged.

“Well, Count Lunebourg is quite a good dance partner.”

“…”

Dante’s gaze became dangerously sharp.

I gently continued.

“But still, I am most delighted when dancing with you, Marquis.”

Upon hearing my response, Dante, who had been glaring at me, sighed deeply.

“Ah…”

Then, he seemed to settle in the chair on the balcony with a gesture as if to tap the seat next to him.

‘Does he want me to sit?’

I quietly sat next to him.

At the same time, Dante leaned his head against my shoulder.

Dante’s unique refreshing scent came closer.

I stiffened my shoulders for a moment.

‘What’s this?’

At the same time, Dante suddenly called me.

“Darling.”

“Yes.”

“I want to kiss you.”

Speaking as if asking, ‘Do you want to go for a walk tonight?’ so casually.

I momentarily didn’t fully understand what Dante was saying.

After a while.

Having swallowed my dry saliva, I responded.

“Well, if you want, Marquis…”

“Why, forcing someone who doesn’t want it is an asshole move, you know?”

Dante, rubbing his cheek against my shoulder, grumbled as if to say, ‘Listen.’

‘Ah.’

I felt my mouth being blocked for a moment.

Probably referring to the day when Lucian and I went for a walk.

At the same time, Dante asked me in a playful tone, “Still don’t want it?”

“…”

His tone was far from the usual oppressive one that made me breathless. Instead, it resembled that of a spoiled child who, even though he likes the other person, is too embarrassed to admit it honestly. It was like throwing a tantrum for no reason.

‘Well, Dante has been patient enough by now,’ I thought to myself and nodded silently.

Since the day with Lucian, Dante hadn’t forcibly imposed physical contact on me. Of course, he was extremely busy preparing for the debutante party, so there wasn’t much time to think about such matters.

‘…If he wanted to, he could have pressured me somehow.’

The fact that there was no sign of even attempting that indicated that Dante had made some effort in his own way.

In reality, if you are in a romantic relationship, kissing or engaging in a sexual relationship is not unusual. Above all,

‘Dante’s low spirits could cause trouble if they last too long.’

If a simple kiss could restore Dante’s mood, it was a small price to pay.

After fiercely tapping the imaginary calculator in my head, I leaned my head against Dante’s forehead.

Whispering gently, I said, “No.”

At that moment, I could feel Dante tensing ever so slightly.

I continued calmly, “I want it too.”

Suddenly, my perspective flipped.

Dante, who had pulled me close by the waist, stared straight into my eyes.

His crimson eyes burned like the sun.

I casually thought, ‘Someday, those eyes will swallow me whole.’

In that blaze, I imagined myself disappearing without leaving a trace.

Yet, for some reason, I felt that it would be okay.

At the same time, Dante twisted his lips at the corner and asked, “Did you say you wanted it, too?”

Dante kissed me as if he were going to devour me. Biting my lower lip gently, he persistently coaxed me to part my lips.

For a moment, my head spun.

“Ugh…”

My lips automatically parted, and Dante’s tongue coiled around mine, swallowing our breaths without leaving any trace. His skilled touch explored the contours of my mouth, caressing the delicate membranes inside.

A strange sensation overwhelmed me, draining the strength from my entire body. A muffled moan emanated from my throat as Dante’s fervent advances intensified. It felt as if he intended to consume me whole, making me tremble helplessly in his grip.

What struck me as odd was that, despite being firmly held and manipulated, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, this pleasure…

My entire body seemed to lose its strength as Dante’s tongue wrapped around mine, sensually exploring every crevice. A suppressed groan escaped from the depths of my throat. Dante’s eyes narrowed, and he clung to me even more tenaciously, as if attempting to swallow me whole.

I shook like prey captured by a predator, my body helpless in his grasp. The peculiar thing was that, despite his forceful hold and vigorous movements, I didn’t feel a sense of discomfort. Rather, this sensation…

However, the strangest part was that, even with him gripping me and handling me as he pleased, I didn’t feel repulsed. On the contrary, this pleasure…

I closed my eyes tightly and leaned into Dante, clinging to him. In a whisper, I pleaded, “Wait, please…”

“What do you mean, wait?”

Dante’s deep voice murmured in a subdued tone. With eyes darkened by pleasure, he once again devoured my lips. Dante’s strong arms embraced me tightly, our breaths mingling chaotically, and his warmth intruding my space.

Everything felt excessively intense, and my head began to spin. “Haah, haah…”

Despite only sharing a kiss, my breaths became labored. However, at that moment…

“Are you really rejecting me?”

A confident voice echoed from below the balcony. Simultaneously, Dante abruptly ceased his movements.

“Do you really want to reject me when you know who I am? I am…”

It seemed like someone was having a conversation right beneath the balcony.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.”

Dante, who had been nibbling on my lips, irritably pulled away. The cool night air touched my flushed skin, and I shivered lightly.

Perhaps due to the remaining sensation of pleasure, my mind felt hazy. I glanced up at Dante with a dazed look.

“My lord.”

I called Dante with a subdued voice. Dante, who had pressed his lips against my forehead with a sigh, rose to his feet, grinding his teeth.

“That bastard…”

It seemed like he was even more frustrated after receiving some kind of rebuke at the peak of his agitation. If this continued, he might truly resort to throttling the unknown person below.

Feeling a sense of urgency, I urgently grabbed Dante’s clothes.

‘Why is he like this?’

With that meaning, Dante raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

For a moment, his eyes, which had only been rolling in their sockets, stopped.

I quickly blurted out something.

“Well, aren’t you busy? You should go back to the banquet now…”

“What?”

Dante’s eye corners shot up high into the sky for a moment.

‘Ah, did I make a mistake?’

I bit my tongue discreetly.

Apart from the ecstatic kiss with Dante, I honestly wanted to separate from this place before witnessing another brawl. It seemed like my true feelings were too obvious.

“A moment ago, you wanted to spend time alone with me.”

“…”

“Are you showing that you’re already tired of me?”

Dante shook off my hand with a snappy voice.

I swallowed my saliva.

Despite his playful tone, Dante’s eyes didn’t show any signs of amusement.

“What I meant was… Rather than having the Marquis scold those immature fellows and ruin his mood, wouldn’t it be better to go back and enjoy the party again?”

“If I tell you to leave quickly, does that mean it’s a thoughtful gesture with a profound meaning?”

Dante retorted with a sarcastic voice.

I managed a smile, trying to comfort Dante.

“I suggested going back to enjoy the party, rather than having Marquis scold those immature guys, in case you find it upsetting.”

Despite the playful tone, Dante’s eyes were not smiling.

“My intention was… If you’d rather leave and enjoy the party again.”

“Are you suggesting that I leave quickly because it has such a deep meaning?”

“Yes, how dare I show such impolite language to the Marquis?”

Smiling warmly, I exerted more force on Dante’s clothes.

Dante reluctantly took a seat.

However, despite my efforts, the man below the balcony continued to raise his voice loudly.

“No, do you have any idea who I am?”

Despite Dante’s irritated expression, the man’s voice continued to rise, causing Dante’s eyebrows to twitch in annoyance.

‘Oh, damn it. I tried to calm Dante down.’

Just as I was cursing myself, the voice from below suddenly declared, “I am Viscount Craig!”

In an instant, I felt a chilling sensation running through my entire body.

So, that guy.

He was the cousin who had confined Lucien to the solitary room at Rose Cross Academy.

At the same time, Viscount Craig confirmed once again that he had issued an order to assassinate.

“No, who the hell do you think you are to speak so insolently?”