ITTRAETML 89 💥

~Chapter 89~

To Larvihan, Lovelace was like someone who saw everything in the world—someone with the spear of a god. He should have admitted long ago that the shield he had put up around himself was already broken.

He hated when emotions made things complicated, so he didn’t welcome any feelings that came from Lovelace.

Emotions were useless and exhausting. That’s why he tried to ignore them.

He kept telling himself he would only act this way while Lovelace held her power, and only until he got it back. He lied to himself, saying his feelings for her were just an act…

But—

“It was pointless.”

Larvihan lowered his head and gazed at the woman lying scattered on the bed.

She was an elegant conqueror.

Larvihan kissed Lovelace all over. Her skin was soft.

Suddenly, Larvihan stopped.

He felt a strong urge to keep this defenseless woman in his eyes forever. If he could, he wanted to tattoo her image all over his body.

“Larvihan…”

When Lovelace didn’t feel his touch for a long time, she called out to him in a trembling voice.

Larvihan came back to his senses. There was no time to get lost in feelings. His heartbeat got faster, and his body tensed.

He bit Lovelace’s ear. She let out a small gasp.

“Larvihan, kiss me.”

It was something she would never normally say. Larvihan felt his blood boil.

He slid his hand through her hair, leaned in, and their lips crashed together in a rough kiss. Their tongues tangled, and a moan rose up from her throat.

Lovelace wrapped her arms around the back of Larvihan’s neck.

“Larvihan, a little slower…”

He didn’t want to hurt her, so he pulled away with effort.

Lovelace opened her arms to him. Her white, slender arms shone in the moonlight like the Milky Way.

“I want you, Larvihan.”

Damn it, Larvihan was ashamed at how little self-control he had left. What if he gave in and then regretted it?

“Larvihan, hurry…”

Lovelace sounded desperate. She truly longed for him.

“Larvihan, I love you.”

Whenever Larvihan tried to say something, Lovelace whispered again and again that she loved him, that she liked him. Her words touched Larvihan, wrapped around him, and drove him to the edge.

He treated Lovelace as if she were a precious jewel, handling her so carefully that not even the tiniest scratch could be made.

His gentle touch excited Lovelace even more. She gasped again and again, and so did Larvihan.

Their heartbeats, which had been running at different speeds, finally matched as one. Sweat, from neither of them knew who, soaked the sheets. The night existed just for the two of them.

Before sunrise, Lovelace looked down at Larvihan, who was sleeping soundly. She was already dressed and ready to leave.

The man who had made her feel ecstasy so many times was now sleeping deeply, for once.

Lovelace reached out and brushed back his messy hair. Her fingers lingered on his sharp nose. He really did have a face that made anyone stare in awe.

“At first, I fell for your face.”

She pressed the corner of his lips upward.

“Next, I fell for your smile.”

She rested her head on his chest. The steady sound of his heartbeat comforted her.

“After tasting the warmth that no one else knows, I couldn’t escape you.”

Slowly, Lovelace managed to pull herself away from Larvihan.

“It didn’t matter if I never got it back.”

She continued her quiet confession.

Her feelings couldn’t be put into just the words “I love you.”

“Even now, I feel the same. I just want you to be happy. I don’t want you to be held back because of me.”

She pressed a kiss to Larvihan’s forehead.

“Goodbye, Larvihan.”

She carefully stepped down from the bed, watching him again and again. If she stayed any longer, the sun would rise.

Soon, the effect of the medicine she had given Larvihan after their last night together would wear off.

Lovelace squeezed her eyes shut and left the room, forcing herself not to look back. She only looked ahead as she walked away.

After the door closed, Larvihan opened his eyes. It was as if he hadn’t been asleep at all—he stared straight at the door.

At breakfast, people who had enjoyed the party slowly came down to the dining room. They all looked a bit rough.

“Has the Count… left?”
Baine checked and asked Judith after seeing Larvihan was gone.

“She left at dawn,” Judith replied.

“No wonder she gave us so much good wine. She wanted us to sleep well.”

“That’s not it. She was really thanking you for all your hard work,” Judith said gently.

Judith had watched Lovelace’s happiness up close while preparing for the party.

No one knew Lovelace’s true feelings better than Judith. So it was Judith’s job to pass those feelings on.

“Come on, let’s eat. We all promised to work harder from now on, remember?”

Two nights ago, while Lovelace wasn’t looking, Paulo’s guardians gathered and made their own promise.

They agreed to take good care of Harmelda while Lovelace was away, so she could rest easy and be happy when she returned.

“Got it. You really are the Count’s right hand.”

“I’m a maid.”

“Who sees you as just a maid? You’re her right hand.”

“Maid.”

No matter what she was called, Judith insisted on her title.

“Judith.”

Just as Judith was about to eat her soup, Larvihan called her. Judith’s neck went stiff.

Even without looking at Larvihan’s face, she could imagine what was coming.

“If I die, bury me somewhere sunny, Baine,”
Judith whispered to Baine, then got up.

“You’re awake, Duke. We were going to send your breakfast to your room…”

“Forget breakfast. I know you have something to say to me.”

“Couldn’t I just eat before dying…”
Judith swallowed her words and gave a thin smile.

“Yes, Duke. I’ll go to your room.”

Larvihan glanced over everyone in the dining hall, as if memorizing each face.

When their eyes met his, they quickly looked away, burying their heads in their bowls. Larvihan’s mouth curved to one side.

“Seems like everyone but me knew. That’s just great.”

Larvihan left the room without saying more. Judith mimed picking up her spoon toward the frightened crowd.

“I’ll take the scolding, so everyone eat.”

Maybe her first job after Lovelace left Harmelda was just to survive.

“You should have left a letter, at least.”

Judith grumbled to herself as she hurried after Larvihan.

Up ahead, Larvihan opened the bedroom door—still filled with the scent of Lovelace from the night before. Judith’s face turned pink when she saw the messy bed.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Excuse me?”

Judith was worried about Lovelace’s health and asked again. Larvihan frowned.

“Sorry, Duke.”

“Don’t call me Duke. That title gives me chills, especially from you.”

“Sorry, Captain.”

Larvihan sighed deeply. Part of him wanted to strangle Judith for not telling him about Lovelace’s plan to leave—but Judith was someone Lovelace cared about.

Even with Lovelace gone, Larvihan couldn’t do anything that might hurt her.

“Damn it.”

He hated and liked that about himself.

“Everyone got a job from Lovelace, right? What about me?”

“Um… you didn’t get one…”

“Nothing?”

“Yes…”

“So everyone—Judith, Baine, and all those folks in the dining room—got something to do, but not me? How am I supposed to believe that?”

“It’s the truth.”

Larvihan laughed in disbelief.

“So she didn’t think about me at all before she left.”

Was he supposed to just sit and wait for her? Was this hell? If so, she shouldn’t have confessed so sweetly, shouldn’t have looked at him so longingly if she was just going to vanish.

He couldn’t help but resent Lovelace now.

“Fine. I’ll find my own role. I have things to finish anyway. And I’m still Paulo’s tutor, right? No arguments?”

“No, sir.”

“Prepare a room for me. I’ll stay here until Lovelace comes back.”

“Captain, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Well… You know you’re the reason the Count had trouble, right?”

“So?”

“She ran away so things like that wouldn’t happen again.”

“Just say it simply.”

“If you and the Count break all ties, she’ll be safe.”

Judith had to be brave. Sometimes a loyal follower has to say hard things straight.

Larvihan’s eyes grew cold. He stepped closer to Judith. His big hand hovered near her neck.

He didn’t touch her, but it looked like he was thinking about the most painful way to break her.

“I’m only holding back because I don’t want to touch you with the same hands I touched Lovelace. Don’t push your luck. I could make you disappear any time.”

Judith rolled her eyes instead of replying. If she spoke, he might rip her mouth apart. She already missed Lovelace.