Chapter 188

 

As Leroy’s lips brushed against Iona’s heated ear, he felt her flinch.

 

Maybe it was because fresh flowers were scattered nearby, but the scent of her skin was mixed with the fragrance of youthful blossoms.

 

Even that was intoxicating.

 

Just as Leroy was about to press his lips against hers again, a thirst rising within him, Iona, who had been keeping her eyes closed until then, suddenly spoke.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“...For what?”

 

Leroy, who had instinctively stopped his movements, asked, unable to hide his bewilderment.

 

He couldn’t think of any reason why she would need to apologize.

 

Iona, who had hesitated for a moment, lifted her eyelids slightly to look up at him.

 

With a strangely dejected expression, she spoke.

 

“I did my best to prepare, but somehow, I feel like I ruined everything.”

 

Leroy swallowed a laugh.

 

If she knew the state of his lower half, she wouldn’t be saying such things.

 

But, since it was a rather embarrassing subject to mention outright, Leroy struggled for a more refined way to express himself.

 

In the meantime, perhaps she had gathered her thoughts.

 

Suddenly, a look of determination appeared in her eyes.

 

“I’ll try harder next time.”

 

It almost sounded like a soldier promising, “I will correct it swiftly,” in a strict, disciplined voice.

 

At her typically Iona-like remark, a hint of laughter crept into Leroy’s voice.

 

“Next time? Do you plan on confessing twice?”

 

“Let’s just forget this ever happened.”

 

“That’s a bit of a problem.”

 

Leroy responded with clear reluctance.

 

Deciding that actions would be more persuasive than words, he began to remove his shirt.

 

Without bothering to unbutton the few buttons it had, he pulled the shirt over his head and carelessly tossed it to the floor.

 

For a moment, Iona was rendered speechless, her eyes fixated on his suddenly exposed, bare body.

 

Leroy grabbed the back of her knees and swiftly pulled her toward him.

 

“After making me the happiest man in the world, trying to pretend it never happened is a bit cruel, don’t you think?”

 

Realizing the meaning behind his words a beat too late, Iona’s face flushed red.

 

Or perhaps it was because his hand had wandered into a rather dangerous place.

 

It wasn’t difficult to remove her clothes, as she was only wearing a chemise and an indoor gown.

 

As Leroy pushed aside the bothersome fabric of her skirt, he suddenly paused, noticing something odd.

 

Something that should have been there wasn’t.

 

The layers of undergarments that always made things difficult for him had vanished without a trace.

 

Leroy placed his hand gently on Iona’s smooth thigh, falling into a long silence.

 

Only after a few moments did Iona manage to speak, her voice strained.

 

“This...?”

 

Her mind had come to a complete halt.

 

She wasn’t quite sure what she was saying, or even what she should be saying.

 

That’s when Iona raised herself slightly and planted a brief kiss on his tense lips.

 

She wrapped her hands around his neck, gently playing with the back of his head, before pressing her lips against his again, this time more firmly.

 

In a daze, Leroy responded to her kiss, allowing himself to be guided by her lead.

 

His grip on her legs gradually tightened.

 

The kiss, which had clung so intensely, only parted after what felt like an eternity.

 

And yet, even then, they were barely a finger’s width apart.

 

The two of them, their foreheads touching, took a moment to catch their ragged breaths.

 

Iona looked into his eyes and whispered softly.

 

“I was wondering what I should wear... but I wasn’t sure what your taste was, Duke.”

 

At that, Leroy humbly admitted it: he was a lazy man.

 

He realized, in a stark moment of clarity, just how half-heartedly he had prepared for his confession.

 

Every missed opportunity with her was due to his own lack of effort.

 

Leroy, thirsting for more, licked his lower lip, deeply reflecting on his shortcomings.

 

‘At this rate, maybe I should let her tie me up to make up for it.’

 

He wasn’t sure if Iona had such dangerous preferences, but regardless, he was more than willing to match any situation she desired.

 

Of course, before that, he needed to savor the feast laid out before him.

 

As Leroy felt his rationality slipping away, he lunged toward her.

 

Contrary to all his worries, Iona’s approach hit his preferences perfectly.

 

Classics, after all, never go out of style.

 

***

 

“So, has your cold and flu completely passed?”

 

Iona asked in a calm, gentle voice.

 

At her words, Marsha, who had been standing there like someone guilty of a crime, visibly flinched.

 

Marsha clasped her hands in front of her thighs and cautiously replied.

 

“I have no excuse.”

 

“I asked about your health, yet you’re apologizing.”

 

“Though it was done out of concern for you, I regret lying. It won’t happen again.”

 

“Do I seem angry to you?”

 

“...No, you seem to be in a very good mood.”

 

After a long string of mechanical apologies, Marsha finally expressed her true thoughts.

 

Iona nodded as if that was the correct answer.

 

Her body ached all over from the laborious night she had spent, but she was in perfect condition.

 

Lying stretched out on the daybed, Iona reveled in the lingering sensations still coursing through her body.

 

It felt like a shame to have left the bed and returned to her daily tasks.

 

Apparently, Leroy felt the same way, as the man who was always up early for work had, for once, remained in bed that morning.

 

Though neither of them had slept much, they lay there, lazily holding each other. Even that felt good.

 

The entire time they lay together, Leroy gently stroked her back and arms.

 

Had Iona not suddenly remembered something she’d forgotten, she might have fallen back asleep.

 

“I’ve been curious about one thing.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“So, what have you prepared as my gift?”

 

It was clear that they had both been planning to exchange gifts, so Iona figured there was no need to hide it anymore and decided to speak openly.

 

She waited with an expectant look on her face, eager to hear his response.

 

She was deeply curious about what gift Leroy had prepared for her, especially since he’d even gone so far as to enlist Marsha’s help.

 

However, contrary to her hopes, Leroy seemed to hesitate.

 

Blinking his sleepy eyes, he absentmindedly played with her hair as he spoke.

 

“Well... I’m not sure.”

 

“I’ve already told you everything, haven’t I?”

 

“No, I really don’t know.”

 

“...”

 

“I did prepare something... but I’m not sure if it’s enough.”

 

As he said this, Leroy glanced down at Iona’s bare shoulder and mumbled, barely loud enough to be heard, “Not enough, definitely not enough.”

 

Wondering if he was too groggy to give a proper answer, Iona decided not to press him further. After all, he had exerted himself quite a bit the night before.

 

She wasn’t in a state to keep interrogating him either.

 

After their conversation trailed off, they both fell back asleep, only waking up a few hours later to return to their respective duties.

 

Though the mystery of his gift remained unsolved, Iona thought it might be fun to wait patiently and see what he had in store without pestering him.

 

Marsha, noticing Iona’s contented expression, seemed to sense this shift in attitude.

 

With a hint of suspicion, Marsha said, “You’re not asking me what I was up to when I went out.”

 

“I’ve decided to wait quietly, out of respect for the Duke.”

 

She, too, had almost rushed things out of her own impatience and nearly ruined everything.

 

The moment she lay down on the bed last night, feeling the petals brush against her arm, she had nearly gasped in shock.

 

In her haste, she had agreed to all the suggestions that seemed like good ideas, but once things got underway, she realized how excessive it all was.

 

‘I should’ve stuck with just the candles. Or maybe bringing in the orchestra, as Yudia suggested, wasn’t such a bad idea...’

 

Either way, scattering flowers all over the bed was probably a mistake.

 

It was a bit embarrassing to have the maids clear away the burnt-out candles in the middle of the night, but the flower petals were the real nuisance, clinging to their bodies throughout the entire ordeal.

 

Of course, the moment when he gently removed the petals stuck to her skin with his lips wasn’t all that bad...

 

‘No, actually, that part was great.’

 

Looking back, it felt like everything from the previous night had been absolutely perfect.

--- End Of The Chapter ----

 

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