CHAPTER 26…………
. Reward Me!
The bathroom connected to Mic’s bedroom in the Eastern Palace was filled with hot steam.
He was leaning back in the large bath, his body submerged in the water. His damp black hair was thrown back in weariness, and his eyes were closed.
His shoulders, rising above the water, were hard and knotted like stone. My heart ached, wondering if it was the weight of responsibility pressing down on them for so long.
Without realizing it, I reached out toward him. I wanted to gently ease the tightness in his shoulders with my hands. But—
SPLASH!!
Just before my hand could touch him, I was suddenly yanked with great force and toppled headfirst into the bath.
I thrashed about clumsily in the water. The grip on my wrist was so strong it felt like my bone might snap.
“Gah—! Mic! Cough, cough!!”
“Leah?”
Startled, he immediately loosened his grip.
“Sorry. Are you hurt? Did I scare you?”
Cough, cough! “Of course you scared me! Luckily, I’m not hurt.”
Panting, I rubbed my sore wrist and gave him a not-so-mean glare.
“Sorry. My habits from the battlefield still linger. I really didn’t mean it.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m the one who startled you. It’s just… your shoulders looked so stiff, I instinctively…”
What I didn’t add out loud was: It seemed like your shoulders were carrying too much burden, and I wanted to help lighten it, even just a little.
He was a proud man—maybe he didn’t want to show weakness in front of me.
But that worry was unfounded.
“You’re right. My shoulders are too tight and sore. So you, do something about it.”
Suddenly, he slumped his shoulders and shoved his broad frame right in front of me.
“It’s too late. Thanks to someone dragging me into the water, my dress is soaked and heavy. I can’t even lift my arms anymore.”
I smacked his bare shoulder and pushed him away. The waterlogged dress really did feel as heavy as a boulder.
Then a mischievous glint sparked in his eyes.
“Is that so?”
He slipped an arm around my back. When I jerked in surprise, trying to retreat, the corner of his lips curved upward.
“If your arms are too heavy to do what they were meant to, I’ll just have to help you.”
“…Help me how?”
“Nothing much.”
Suddenly, his arms tensed, and—riiiip!—the back of my dress tore wide open.
“Good heavens, Mic!!”
“Shh, hold still.”
“Hold still?! Are you kidding me?”
He had torn off my wedding dress before, too. I was starting to wonder if he had some odd fetish for ripping dresses apart.
Desperately clutching the slipping fabric, I resisted, but he easily seized both my wrists with one hand, while the other stripped away the ruined dress in pieces.
“It’s already soaked and impossible to take off cleanly. Tearing it off is faster.”
In his hands, the dress quickly became several scraps of fabric. He scooped them up and tossed them out of the tub.
Ah… Madam Russo had poured her heart and soul into making that dress! She’d be devastated if she knew.
But I didn’t even have time to mourn the dress before he went on to rip away my cage-like petticoat.
He looked ready to strip off the rest of my undergarments too, so I quickly grabbed his hand.
“That’s enough! Without sleeves, I can move my arms now.”
Even though I felt embarrassed in just my underthings, I turned him around and pressed him to sit. Mic obediently offered me his shoulders.
I poured a generous amount of fragrant narcissus oil onto my hands and began gently massaging his shoulders.
His muscles were so tense they felt like they were kicking my fingers off, but I wasn’t some weakling, either!
I’d been training diligently with the sword and keeping up my stamina. My grip had improved. With more pressure, his muscles slowly started to loosen under my touch.
“If it hurts, say so. I’ll go gentler.”
Satisfied, I leaned close to his ear and whispered, my weight pressing on his shoulders.
SPLASH!
Once again, I was yanked forward with overwhelming force.
I nearly toppled into the water, but his strong arms caught me across his shoulders, sparing me a full dunk.
One second I’d been massaging him from behind, and the next, in a blink, I was straddling him face-to-face.
His deep navy eyes blazed like they were ready to devour me. My mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard, wetting my lips with my tongue. His gaze turned even darker.
“This is an invitation, isn’t it?”
“What… what do you mean—?”
Before I could finish, his lips crashed into mine. My mind reeled.
Pressed by his strength, I was driven underwater. Even there, he devoured my lips, relentless, as if starved for days.
Soon I couldn’t breathe. If this went on, I’d drink the whole bath dry.
I struggled, and finally he pulled us both upright, still holding me. Water cascaded down from my hair in a torrent.
Seeing me gasp for breath, he murmured with a flicker of guilt,
“Strange… whenever you’re in water, you drive me insane.”
His long fingers brushed the water from my face.
“How is that my fault? I only wanted to loosen your shoulders!”
I grumbled once I caught my breath.
“This is uncomfortable. Come up here.”
He pulled me closer until I was seated on his thighs.
When he tugged me tighter, my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.
“Much better.”
Mic buried his face against my neck, satisfied.
“Mic, doing this in the bath is a little…”
“Then you shouldn’t have stepped in here to begin with.”
His lips trailed from my neck down to my collarbone, sending heat surging through me.
My hands tightened on his shoulders, my body arching on its own.
When his fingers slid down my spine, tingling jolts spread through me like lightning.
Unable to bear the strange sensations, I clung to his head.
“Mic…”
“Be honest. You were bored at the banquet, weren’t you? That’s why you came to me.”
Wait—banquet?
Suddenly my mind cleared. I pushed against his shoulders, creating space.
He looked up at me in confusion.
“Mic, why did you come up already?”
“What?”
“The main course hadn’t even been served yet! I worked so hard preparing everything. If you don’t eat it, all my effort is wasted!”
He stared at me in disbelief.
“So that’s why you came?”
“Of course! The banquet is for all the knights who fought in the campaign, but without you there, what does it mean to me?”
I pouted, lips pushed out.
“And what about Chef Modavi? He nearly collapsed twice from the stress of preparing everything. And you, Prince Miclock, didn’t even touch the main course!”
“…Hm. I see now.”
When he nodded in understanding, I perked up.
“Then you’ll go back down and finish your meal?”
But instead of answering, he tugged off my undergarment in one swift move. I shrieked, covering myself.
“Mi-Mic! What are you doing?!”
“I finally get why the banquet food didn’t satisfy me.”
His hot, broad hand brushed my face, and I shivered, a sigh slipping out despite myself.
“What I want is right here. No banquet could ever compare.”
“Mic, you must be exhausted. You need a bath, food, sleep, and rest—”
“Shh.”
He cupped my face, nibbled my lower lip, then kissed my upper lip softly.
“I fought so hard, just to come back to you. So, so hard.”
Then he kissed my forehead, my nose, my eyelids. I stared at him, spellbound.
“Like you said, I tried my best not to let a single scar touch my face. Look—see? Not a scratch.”
He guided my hands to his face.
I traced him slowly—his forehead, his strong brows, down his nose, over his lips, and along his cheeks.
“You’re right. Not a scratch. Well done.”
“So… reward me.”
His faint smile and expectant navy gaze reminded me of a giant puppy waiting for praise.
How could someone be both devastatingly handsome and this adorable? It was unfair. He was truly face-genius.
“Ha… I can’t deal with you.”
I gave in, looping my arms around his neck. Our lips met, and we shared breathless, passionate kisses.
Even when we pulled apart for air, his lips trailed over my cheek, jaw, and neck without pause, as though he couldn’t bear to be separated.
“Leah, you’re so sweet and soft…”
A shiver of bliss ran through me. My soul was utterly consumed by him.
Our fervent movements rocked the bath until water sloshed and spilled over the edges.
The banquet hall, once bustling with laughter and chatter, was now empty.
By nightfall, the nobles had returned to their estates, while most common-born knights and their families moved to the guest residences in the West Palace that Leah had carefully arranged.
They would spend a joyful night together before tomorrow’s royal palace tour.
Millie kept hearing people praise Leah’s banquet as perfectly organized, and she couldn’t help but feel proud, as if the compliments were for her.
Just then, Steward Colin approached.
“Millie, you should rest now too. You worked hard preparing for the banquet.”
Overjoyed by his words, Millie stretched her arms wide and let out a long yawn. It really had been a whirlwind four days for her.
“Millie!”
Hearing her name, she quickly dropped her arms and turned. Standing there in his neat uniform was Ralph.
Though he looked exactly like Freddie, his aura was entirely different. Millie marveled at it every time.
If Freddie was like a rough hunter, Ralph was more like a cold scholar.
“Sir Ralph, all the knights and their families have gone to their lodgings.”
“So it seems.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. Instead, he handed her a box.
“Your scarf gave me luck and brought me back safely. I wanted to thank you.”
“Oh wow, this is…!”
Millie’s eyes sparkled as she opened the gift.
