Chapter 100 — Crossing the Terrace (2)
“…But my legs feel so weak.”
I was barely holding myself up with Loic’s arm.
If he let go now, I felt like I’d collapse.
“Ah…”
At my words, Loic suddenly scooped me up with one arm and carefully set me down on the nearby sofa.
“Is this better?”
Standing before me, he leaned down close.
‘But does he really have to get into such a serious pose…’
While I hesitated, Loic searched my eyes for permission—then pressed his lips to mine again.
The kiss that began lightly soon deepened.
His tongue moved softly inside my mouth, sweet as if savoring candy, leaving me unable to think straight.
‘Why is he so good at this, when it’s my first time?!’
My head turned to mush.
Before I knew it, Loic had one knee on the sofa, one hand gripping the backrest, the other wrapped firmly around my waist.
The sounds of our lips meeting echoed strangely in my ears.
Every time his hand on my waist shifted, goosebumps rose along my skin.
As he pressed forward, I sank further back into the sofa.
“Annette.”
Between rough breaths, Loic whispered my name.
His eyes were wet with emotion, and the trembling shadow cast across my face sent a rush of ecstasy through me. Slowly, I wound my arms around his neck.
Our breaths tangled again as our lips met once more.
The gentle rocking of movement woke me from shallow sleep.
Someone was carrying me carefully in their arms.
The strong arms that supported me laid me softly down onto a bed.
My eyelids were too heavy to open properly.
When I tried rubbing my eyes, a large hand gently caught mine and tucked it back under the blanket.
“Loic?”
“Please, sleep a little longer.”
His tender voice rang in my ears.
Blinking several times, I finally saw Loic tucking the blanket around me.
“The sun isn’t up yet.”
“You’re leaving already? You barely slept.”
“I’m fine.”
Meeting my gaze, Loic bit his lips shyly.
The bold man from last night had turned back into the bashful Grand Duke.
“I’m sorry. Yesterday I… overdid it…”
Loic trailed off, unable to finish.
‘Because we kissed so much until late at night.’
Understanding his unsaid words, my ears burned too.
Thinking back, it felt like we had done something outrageous.
Loic cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I’ll tell Whitley not to wake you until you’ve rested enough.”
“I’ll see you off.”
“No. Please don’t get up. I’ll be at ease that way.”
I tried to rise but was gently stopped, so I sank back under the blanket.
“Then… travel safely.”
“I will.”
After a pause, Loic leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
“…!”
Before I could react, he quickly left the room.
Clack.
The door shut, and his footsteps faded down the hall.
I was suddenly wide awake.
‘Oh no! Oh no!’
I buried myself under the blanket and kicked furiously.
It wasn’t just that I got carried away by the mood.
No—last night, Loic kissed me until I nearly fell asleep.
What started on the sofa turned into lying together, and even then, we stayed embraced, lips meeting again and again.
The problem was… it had felt so good.
‘Is it supposed to feel this good?’
Of course, Loic was incredibly handsome, strong-bodied, and even his voice was attractive—plus he was gentle and considerate. Of course kissing such a man would feel nice.
But still, last night had been dizzying, almost overwhelming.
‘Should I have stopped him?’
But thinking back, if I faced that gaze of his again, I doubted I could have refused.
‘And anyway… it was for healing purposes.’
From outside came the sound of horses.
Wrapped up in my blanket, I stepped onto the terrace.
Loic and the knights were mounting their horses.
Just as Loic got into the saddle, he spotted me and his face brightened slightly.
‘Come back safe.’
Instead of shouting, I mouthed the words. He seemed to understand, giving a small nod.
I stayed at the terrace, watching until Loic and the knights had fully passed through the castle gates.
I didn’t want to think too deeply right now.
What was done was done.
As the last knight disappeared beyond the gate, I took a long, deep breath.
Marzella sat uneasily in the shabby office of an information guild.
The receptionist across from her looked more like a mercenary than a clerk, his appearance rough and threatening.
‘Still, I came here with a recommendation. He can’t be a total fraud.’
She tried to hide her nervousness, clasping her hands together.
Recently, she had been lying low at the Grand Duke’s castle.
The maids whispered that she was embarrassed because the head maid had been replaced by Benet, but in truth, Marzella was hiding because of the Grand Duchess.
From the circumstances, it seemed Annette knew Marzella was the culprit.
‘Or… maybe she doesn’t? But then why hasn’t she questioned me?’
Nothing was clear, leaving Marzella constantly on edge.
Even asking young master Tiern about Annette’s outing that day had been a mistake—his attitude toward her had shifted ever since, as if he suspected something.
Amid this turmoil, Lady Maisel secretly sent her a message.
The letter ordered her to stir up trouble in the shopping district during the delegation’s visit.
‘I already got into so much trouble because of this…’
But the letter also carried a veiled threat. She couldn’t ignore it.
So Marzella bribed a stable hand to introduce her to the information guild.
The receptionist hesitated, clearly reluctant to accept the request, making her impatient.
Finally, Marzella spoke firmly:
“Just make it look like radicals are rioting in the shopping district. Shout insults at the Grand Duchess, smash up some shops.”
“The problem is… this has to happen while the Rondoris delegation is there, right? The knights will be guarding the area. That makes it difficult.”
The receptionist scratched his head.
“You know how thoroughly they searched after the Goldrain incident? Anyone caught would lose their head. No one will want this job unless they’re paid like it’s their life at stake.”
‘Hmph, so he’s just asking for more money.’
Marzella lifted her chin.
“If the job’s done properly, you’ll get life’s worth and more.”
The receptionist snorted but finally agreed, drumming his fingers on the desk.
“Then pay the deposit first.”
Marzella hesitated briefly, then took a jeweled brooch from her clothing and placed it on the desk.
“What’s this?”
“Collateral. Once the job’s done, I’ll pay you even more. Just get started.”
Raising a brow, he examined the gemstone, then reluctantly accepted it.
“Fine. But you’ll still owe more later. This is only the deposit.”
‘That brooch was expensive…’
Watching it disappear into the guild’s safe, Marzella sighed in relief.
She had no choice.
Last time, when she’d hired random drunks from a tavern, it had nearly exposed her.
This time, though costly, she could trust the guild to handle it securely, sparing her from taking risks herself.
And in any case, she planned to charge the full cost to Lady Maisel.
‘If she can’t pay, I’ll squeeze it out of the merchants’ guild leader instead.’
Maisel might think she was the only one holding power over Marzella, but Marzella also had the means to expose Maisel.
The three of them—Maisel, the guild leader, and herself—were tied together in shared fate.
“Don’t sell that brooch. I’ll be back to reclaim it.”
With that warning, Marzella left the guild feeling somewhat lighter.
But as she exited, the receptionist, watching her from the window, slipped the brooch into a small pouch and handed it to a guild member.
“Find out where this was made, as fast as you can.”
A sly smile curved across his lips.
