Chapter 66
“Just… I was wondering if this is really right.”
At my sulky tone, Alperen gave me a puzzled look.
“What is?”
He genuinely didn’t seem to know. Somehow that made me feel even more wronged, so I glared at him.
“You said we should practice, but why haven’t you done anything?”
At my blunt question, his eyes went wide.
A moment later, the tips of his ears turned red. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and careful.
“Can I?”
“You said you would.”
“Well, yes, but…”
He rubbed at his lips as if hesitating, then spoke gently.
“I don’t want to force it. There’s no rush—we can take it slow.”
It wasn’t like I was forcing anything…
The truth was, at some point I had started enjoying this fake relationship more than he did.
I liked watching him fumble and worry as he played at being my lover.
I wonder what kind of face he’ll make when we kiss for real.
But saying let’s do it myself? Too embarrassing.
And besides, what did “slowly” even mean?
Summer would be here soon. Who knew what would happen then…
Was it really okay for me to keep being selfish like this?
I bit my lower lip, unable to answer.
But then his hand came up and tilted my chin, stopping me from chewing at my lips.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
His expression shifted, suddenly serious, as if he’d noticed I wasn’t reacting the way I usually did.
“Can I kiss you?”
Despite his blushing cheeks, his eyes held the calm confidence of a grown man.
He started with a question, but before I could answer, his face slowly leaned closer.
“Hm? Deli.”
His low, honeyed voice tickled my ears like candy melting on the tongue.
The sound of it, the blue eyes boring into mine—it was overwhelming.
Since I still didn’t answer, his lips brushed the corner of mine instead.
Smack.
Like a bird pecking for seeds, his kisses scattered lightly along my lips, making me shiver.
The scenery around us disappeared the moment our eyes locked.
It felt like walking a tightrope above the clouds.
Maybe I should just let it happen.
We’d be breaking up next week anyway.
What harm was there in keeping at least one memory like this, as his fake ex-girlfriend?
It was only the two of us here, after all.
I’d already suffered heartbreak thanks to my own arrogant plan. Surely I could allow myself this much.
If we were going to part ways anyway, wouldn’t it be better to try everything I could with him now, so I’d have no regrets later?
All the dates we’d never had came to mind.
And the kisses, too.
So I made up my mind. I tilted my head slightly.
Smack.
Alperen froze in shock.
Our lips had brushed without warning.
If I pulled back now, we could still call it an accident.
But I didn’t. Instead, I leaned in, ready to press deeper—
“Deli.”
His voice rasped as he whispered my name, eyes asking what he already knew.
He wanted to hear me give permission.
So I looped my arms around his neck and said,
“Kiss me.”
The moment those words left my lips, Alperen yanked me tightly into his arms.
* * *
Lately, Alperen had felt that Rodelia’s heart was changing.
It had been about a month since they’d started their fake dating.
Yet now, they acted like a real couple.
They went on dates, held hands—and now, they were sharing kisses.
In truth, a “fake” relationship known only to them wasn’t much different from a real one.
And all of high society already believed they were lovers.
Part of that was because Alperen had deliberately let the rumors spread.
For something that had begun as just a ploy to keep her close, the results were better than he could have imagined.
Her determined personality probably played a big role in that.
But if he could just be sure that she had opened her heart completely—
Then I’ll ask her to be mine for real.
That thought alone made his days brighter.
All the obstacles had been swept away already. He had confidence now.
He’d thought it would take a long time, that he’d have to earn her affection little by little.
But before he could even begin in earnest, luck had dropped into his lap.
“Kiss me.”
That bold declaration, pressed against his lips, drove him wild.
The woman he’d always handled so carefully, afraid she might break, was now in his arms.
His fingers tangled greedily in her silky hair.
Her lips—once off limits—were finally his, and he was drunk on the taste.
The fact that she, who had always insisted on calling it fake, had taken the initiative this time—it thrilled him.
So much that he felt a sting of fear: if he gained someone this precious, what if he lost her just as suddenly?
Part of him wanted to keep her hidden away, never letting anyone else see her.
He was already jealous whenever she so much as spoke to another man.
If Rodelia knew the truth, she would probably run away in shock at how possessive he really was.
Alperen forced himself to stay calm, brushing gently over the tender flesh inside her lips.
Her small, hesitant tongue met his clumsily.
Her shaky breaths, the stubborn way her arms stayed locked around his neck, the way she squeezed her eyes shut in nervousness—
It was all so unbearably lovable he thought he might go mad.
“Rodelia.”
His lips curved with the hungry confidence of a predator—though in truth, not an ounce of calm was left in him.
He wanted nothing more than to devour her.
But pretending at patience had long since become second nature.
Blushing, Rodelia whispered shyly,
“I think… it’s even better than I imagined.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Why did we hold back this long?”
She murmured the words with all the seriousness of a scholar making a great discovery, completely unaware of how indecent they sounded.
“Hahaha.”
Her innocent sincerity shattered the tension, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
Still grinning, he stole another kiss and whispered low against her lips,
“Then from now on, we won’t hold back.”
“Oh.”
“You can use me however you want. I’m yours.”
The words made her face turn as red as an apple.
She shut her eyes tight in embarrassment, but his thumb brushed them open gently before he kissed her again.
This sweet fruit was for her fake lover alone.
* * *
The first time had been the hardest.
After that, the second, the third… came easy.
That day, like two people just learning how, we couldn’t stop. Every time our eyes met, our lips found each other.
Under the excuse of “practice,” we indulged shamelessly.
But really, who could resist him?
My heart felt like it would burst. In those moments, it seemed like Alperen was completely mine.
Did he like it too?
He hadn’t said one way or another, but the way he kept brushing his lips against mine suggested he didn’t mind.
Even when my lips grew sore and I surrendered, begging for mercy, he only let me go with a face full of regret.
Like the saying goes—once a thief discovers the joy of stealing, they’ll go on all night.
By the time I returned to the mansion, Mei spotted me right away and whisked me into my room.
Only then did I realize the state of my lips.
They were puffed up like a little fish.
Mei sighed, handing me an ice pack.
“Honestly! Thank goodness I was the first one to see you. If the Duke or the Young Master had caught sight of this, the whole mansion would’ve been turned upside down.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“So, was it good? That’s what I really want to know. That’s why I’m covering for you.”
Her eyes glinted mischievously.
Was it good?
“…Do you even have to ask?”
Mei leaned forward eagerly.
“I’ve never tried it, so you’d better tell me. In full, detailed, and very vivid description, if you please.”
She sat politely, as if ready to take notes.
