Chapter 27
At a distance close enough for our breaths to mingle, I whispered softly. I could sense from his trembling breath that these words stirred him more than anything else I had used to tempt Richard before.
That attempt a moment ago to act as if he might kiss me had all been nothing but bravado; in truth, he still hadn’t crossed that forbidden line.
“Richard.”
Just calling his name drew all of his attention onto me. The precarious tension binding him made me want to push him into a desire he couldn’t resist.
I wanted to see him fall completely for me.
With slender fingers, I drew his neck closer. Compared to the chains that bound him, my pull was feather-light, yet he helplessly yielded, letting me guide him.
Watching him waver endlessly in my temptation, I drove the nail deeper with words that set fire to his impulses.
“This is my answer.”
When I claimed his lips, Richard froze, eyes widening in shock.
Clatter! A mop toppled over and hit the floor, but no one paid it any mind. I could have bitten his lips playfully, but I didn’t feel like it anymore.
Soon, his round eyes closed, and the fluster faded from his face, replaced by an almost frightening immersion.
His hand wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me deeper into his embrace.
“Ugh!”
Without meaning to, his fingers pressed against my nape with such force that a faint moan escaped my lips. Startled, Richard immediately loosened his grip, his hand flailing awkwardly in the air.
“If it hurts—no, I’m sorry.”
His damp voice seeped tenderly into my ear. In the brief pause where our lips parted, I saw his dazed, clouded eyes.
Did he know how obscene his expression was? Could this really be the same knight who was once so ascetic?
Perhaps I truly was a wicked witch. The thought that I could topple his convictions and blur his once-cold rationality thrilled me.
The shyness I’d felt when first receiving his response melted away quickly, replaced by a sensual exhilaration.
Just locking eyes with him felt like being set ablaze.
But I didn’t want to stop here. Dissatisfied, I grabbed the collar of his prison garb and yanked him toward me.
“It’s fine. Be quiet and keep going.”
“Mmph!”
“Focus on me.”
What had started with my initiative soon shifted, with Richard taking the lead. He was terrifyingly consumed by me.
He bit at my lips as though to swallow them whole, then sucked at them as if savoring the taste, teasing with his tongue until I could barely think straight.
As the kiss dragged on, our height difference caused his weight to lean onto me. I staggered under the pressure, but his hand swiftly braced my back instead of my shoulder. I clung to him, struggling only to accept him.
Just pressing and rubbing our lips together felt like erasing the world around us. I nearly forgot we were in a prison at all, drowning in dizzying sensations.
Perhaps I hadn’t seduced him—perhaps I had fallen to his charms instead. Maybe it was Richard who had been using the beauty trap all along.
When I met his deep crimson eyes through half-lidded lashes, a shiver coursed down my body, impossible to explain any other way.
His fringe tickled my forehead, his high-bridged nose, his unexpectedly soft lips—no woman could possibly resist him.
“Haa…”
We pulled apart, gasping desperately for breath. When I opened my eyes, his face was right in front of mine.
His gaze was so intent, so fixated on me, it felt almost obsessive. A fullness, almost like satiety, welled up inside me.
He too was catching his breath, face flushed, prison uniform disheveled where I had clutched his chest so tightly.
Seeing his usually austere face transformed, meeting my eyes with that expression, a nearly uncontrollable urge rose within me. So I wrapped my arms around his neck again.
He instantly tensed, but didn’t push me away—just waited obediently, almost expectant. It felt strange, as if he wanted more.
His chest still rising and falling unevenly, his voice came husky and low:
“What’s the next step?”
“…What? What did you just say?”
“Teach me the next step.”
I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. Flustered, I pressed my hands to his chest and pushed him back. He tried to lean in again, but froze at my resistance.
“W-What are you talking about? That’s it, we’re done.”
“So… you don’t know what comes after?”
I didn’t know whether to deny or admit it. If this went any further, my legs would give out, my head would turn blank—I wouldn’t be able to think at all.
“I liked it… Did you not, Veronica?”
“I liked it too.”
But I never imagined a kiss I began as a game would turn this serious. We couldn’t go on sneaking kisses in a dungeon forever. And cleaning time was nearly over.
It wasn’t a cozy or glamorous place—just a damp, dusty underground prison. Wasn’t it a little sad that Richard’s first kiss happened here?
His eyes, shining brightly, never left me. He gazed at me as if I were the only thing in the world, memorizing every twitch of my lips, every flicker in my eyes, every expression.
His gaze poured over me like sunlight, and I shivered under its intensity. He pulled me back tightly into his arms, nearly suffocating me in his heat and his burning stare.
But I knew I had to send him back before a guard noticed. Struggling against his solid arms, I managed to wriggle free.
“Enough. If we stay any longer, the guard will notice.”
Reluctantly, Richard released me with a heavy sigh. He seemed exhilarated, overwhelmed by the first contact of his life.
One look at his flushed face, moist lips, and fever-bright eyes would be enough for anyone to know what had just happened.
After we both caught our breaths, I slipped fully out of his embrace.
“Go back to your cell, Richard.”
“Ah…”
“Even if you don’t want to, endure it.”
His eyes clearly said he didn’t want to stop, but I squeezed my eyes shut and turned away. I couldn’t afford to be bewitched again by his unconscious, dangerous allure.
That night, as darkness fell over the dungeon, I couldn’t sleep. Hands folded neatly over the blanket, I just stared at the ceiling.
It feels too unfinished to just fall asleep. But if I go over to his cell, won’t I look too desperate? He should be the one to want me more.
I knew it was silly to act reserved when I had once come and gone from his cell so freely. But pride made me hesitate even over small things.
Sighing softly at my sweet dilemma, I rolled over.
From the opposite cell, I heard rustling as Richard got up from his bed. He couldn’t sleep either. A smile tugged at my lips before I bit them to hide it.
“Veronica, there’s something important I must tell you.”
Another love confession? Honestly, after the first one, it was as though he couldn’t stop baring his heart every chance he got. This must be what they mean about new lovers being insufferable.
Suppressing a laugh, I fanned my flushed cheek with one hand and asked coyly,
“What is it?”
He hesitated, making me wait.
“I wasn’t sure if I should say this… but I think you need to know.”
The serious tone wiped away my playful smile. Slowly, I sat up, my heart dropping at his expression, all trace of blush gone.
“It’s about the late Prince Georg. I’ve uncovered something—still just suspicion, no proof yet…”
“Tell me. Quickly.”
Impatient, I urged him on. After a pause, he continued.
“I believe the warden… killed him. To protect you.”
“…What?”
Words I had never imagined rippled through me like a boulder thrown into still water.
