Chapter 30: Traces (2)
There was a time when she foolishly thought that repeated touches might eventually turn into love.
But now, Eleanor’s green eyes looked up coldly, without any feelings.
“Traces on my body mean nothing. It’s not like I actually wanted to roll around in bed with you, right?”
But the man didn’t seem to think the same.
He reacted as if everything was strange and confusing.
“You… stop talking like that.”
“Well, it’s because your reactions are fun. Oh, don’t tell me you’re jealous?”
“…Nonsense!”
The man immediately got angry.
His grip on her hand became hotter, like he couldn’t hold back his emotions.
That only made Eleanor smile more deeply.
So you’re also someone who can get flustered. Your heart beats, your voice rises, your ears turn red.
It was so fun teasing him.
She almost forgot how she had tried to emotionally distance herself from him ever since returning to the past.
“So really, there’s no reason for you to be angry. Why are you acting like this?”
Eleanor could wear any mask she wanted.
This was the right way to provoke him—to make him bite her shoulder.
She raised her other hand and lightly scratched the muscle on his body that was so close she could feel his breath.
“If not that…”
“…”
“Then am I insulting you in some way I don’t know about?”
“What?”
His eyebrows twitched uncomfortably, but they were still beautiful.
His sharp, clear eyes locked with hers.
For a moment, Eleanor felt like she couldn’t breathe.
She bit her lip, recognizing this familiar feeling.
The feeling of being pulled in just by making eye contact.
No, she shouldn’t.
She mentally put up iron bars around her heart.
Her teasing lips instantly turned cold.
With a harsh voice, even she found cold, Eleanor asked,
“Are you trying to scare me like this? So I look pathetic when you grab me roughly?”
“What are you talking about?”
Kylus’ face changed, but this time for a different reason.
“That’s not what this is.”
His simple denial felt strange.
He was unfamiliar—so unfamiliar it felt odd.
Her sharp tongue reacted without thinking.
“It won’t work. I know someone much scarier than you.”
He was about to let go, but then gripped her hand again.
Eleanor looked down at his hand, now showing veins from tension.
His handsome face turned even fiercer.
“What do you mean by that?”
His low voice was rough like metal scraping. Eleanor suddenly felt tired.
“I mean, you don’t have to act tough. These marks—these things—they’re meaningless. So, Kylus…”
When she moved her hand, he followed. She grabbed his collar and pulled—he didn’t resist.
“Here. Your mark on my neck and shoulder.”
So close that their noses almost touched, Eleanor whispered like a warning,
“Leave your mark where everyone can see it.”
“…”
“So they’ll think, ‘This woman is so loved by her husband.’ They’ll question how the marriage between enemy families turned out like this.”
His hot breath touched her soft skin and tickled her.
She felt his lips touch her neck.
Was he unsure of what to do? Did he really need her to explain how to leave a mark?
“What’s this?”
“…Huh?”
But he didn’t move for another reason.
His touch felt different from hers—it was like a knight’s hand.
He rubbed a spot on her shoulder, exactly where her father’s cane had hit her.
‘Ah!’
Her face must’ve shown something she couldn’t hide.
She remembered the moment right before her death, when her father slapped her.
“This smell… is it a magic potion?”
“…!”
“Why is something like this on you?”
Eleanor flinched.
But his warm hand didn’t let her go.
The man who had been so careful just moments ago suddenly opened her clothes and leaned over her shoulder.
“Eleanor, tell me.”
He was someone who knew injuries—fighting was nothing new to him.
He had to recognize the scent of healing potions.
‘What should I say?’
She didn’t want to admit she was sometimes hit by her stepfather.
She didn’t want pity.
“It’s nothing. Just a small injury.”
That’s why she’d spoken casually, even joking about being poisoned.
A scared animal makes loud noise. That’s what Eleanor was doing now.
“…Wait, is that really what matters right now?”
She reacted sharply.
She reached up and grabbed the duke’s hair.
He had been leaning over her shoulder but now turned his head, glaring fiercely.
“Hey.”
“Dear, I’ve been waiting all this time.”
“…Let go.”
“I can’t.”
Their faces were close enough to see clearly.
Eleanor curled her lips into a smirk and whispered,
“You just need to bite and leave a mark. Why talk so much?”
He scoffed, twisting his lips.
“You’re the one hiding something.”
“Whatever I’m hiding, I don’t need to show it all.”
“…I see.”
The look in his eyes showed her provocation had worked.
He wrinkled his brow, gave a dry laugh, and stared intensely.
Their eyes met.
Like a beast baring its teeth, he said,
“Fine. But remember—you started this.”
Then he moved.
“…!”
He grabbed her shoulder tightly.
His hot breath turned into burning heat.
“Ugh!”
He sucked on the soft skin near her weak spot.
“Ah.”
Eleanor tried to pull away, startled, but he didn’t let her move.
Like a predator catching a young deer, he bit down and held on for a long, intense moment.
She gasped and clutched his clothes, holding her breath.
By the time she came to her senses, her usual proud self was gone.
“Haa, haa…”
He stared intensely at her.
“Happy now?”
Eleanor bit her lip.
“You really…”
She glared at him, breathing heavily, her face red.
“There was no need to go this far.”
“Didn’t you say I could bite all I want?”
She touched the spot he had left a mark on, her fingers trembling.
The man finally pulled away, brushed back his messy hair, and twisted his lips.
Eleanor, still red-faced, suddenly said,
“Stay the night.”
“…What?”
Even though she saw how surprised he looked, she couldn’t help it.
“I already told you why.”
He frowned, then folded his arms and let out a laugh.
He wiped his face roughly and said with a sigh,
“…Fine. Do whatever you want.”
He climbed onto the bed, making it sink slightly as he came closer.
He lay down beside her.
The bed was big enough that there was still plenty of space between them.
Seeing him lying next to her gave her a strange feeling.
She had once wished that the space next to her in bed wouldn’t be empty.
She realized she had been gripping the sheets tightly. Slowly, she let go.
Feeling the tingling on her skin, she turned her back to him and lay down.
“I didn’t do this because I wanted to.”
“Oh, I see.”
She pretended it was nothing, but that was as far as she could go.
The spot he touched still ached—it was embarrassing and shameful.
“You’re more childish than I thought, Your Grace.”
“It’s an honor, Madam.”
His sarcastic voice came from behind her.
Eleanor tightly shut her eyes.
She could clearly hear his awkward breathing behind her.
If this had been the past, both of them would’ve been shocked to even share a bed.
‘I never imagined I’d sleep beside you.’
Strangely, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
But slowly, his calm breathing and the warmth coming from behind began to relax her.
Her tense body began to loosen, and her eyelids grew heavy.
Was he also starting to fall asleep behind her?
As her muscles relaxed, sleep began to take over.
* * *
But Kylus wasn’t asleep.
In fact, he was stunned.
‘She’s really sleeping?’
After everything that just happened, she was lying right next to him, breathing calmly.
He couldn’t believe this woman.
She was really something else.
