Chapter 163. Preparation
The bedroom was decorated so romantically that it made one’s head spin.
The bed placed in the center of the room was wide and large.
Thin, transparent lace curtains hung down from the ceiling and gently wrapped around the end of the bed.
Red rose petals were scattered over the white bedsheets, and the soft lights filling the room sparkled like starlight.
When I breathed in, a dizzyingly sweet scent slipped into my nose.
It was a room that would suit newlyweds spending their first night together.
With my eyes wide open, I turned to look at Loic.
‘Did Loic prepare this?’
But he looked even more flustered than I was.
“What on earth is this…!”
Panicking, Loic quickly grabbed the handle and shut the door.
“W-would you like to eat something first? You only had a sandwich earlier, so you must be hungry.”
“Sure.”
I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed as I stole another glance at the room.
When we headed to the dining room, this time a full-course meal was laid out on the table.
Perhaps a heating magic tool had been used, because warm steam rose gently from the soup.
“When did they prepare all this?”
As I sniffed at the savory smell, the dishes looked a little different from the ones at the Grand Ducal Castle, yet strangely familiar.
“Huh? This is Madam Marie’s cooking!”
I exclaimed while looking at the golden roasted chicken leg.
“You can tell just by looking?” Loic asked.
“Of course! This is part of the ‘couple’s night package’—!”
I was speaking proudly when I suddenly realized something and clamped my mouth shut.
A romantically decorated bedroom and a full-course meal.
More luxurious than usual, but…
‘This is the couple’s night package!’
Now it made sense.
Yesterday afternoon, Cecilia had suddenly asked to borrow Leta and the maids for a while.
She refused to explain and must have sent them ahead to prepare the villa.
Even the excuse about the knights arriving late felt like part of her plan.
‘Wait, then…’
Does that mean tonight, it’s just Loic and me at the villa?
Isn’t this basically a couple’s night?!
The moment that thought hit me, my face burst into flames.
“So… a couple’s…” Loic murmured.
His neck, partially hidden by his hand, had also turned bright red.
“Seriously, this is driving me crazy.”
I sank into the bathtub Loic had filled with warm water, dipping myself up to my chin.
Madam Marie’s food had been delicious.
…Or at least, it probably was.
Honestly, I couldn’t taste anything the entire meal.
Couple’s night.
Couple’s night.
Couple’s night.
Those words kept floating around in my head.
Loic seemed just as nervous.
He even missed the garnish twice when trying to scoop it with his spoon.
‘Maybe he thinks today is his chance?’
He said he would seduce me, but he hasn’t really tried that hard yet.
What should I do?
If he tries, should I give in?
‘I still haven’t made up my mind.’
I glanced at the small table beside the bathtub.
Perfumed oil, flower petals, soft towels.
Everything for bathing had been perfectly prepared.
‘Just in case…’
I picked up the expensive bottle of scented oil and poured it generously into the tub.
Soon, a sweet floral scent filled the bathroom along with the steam.
Not having made up my mind?
I scoffed at my own hypocrisy.
‘I’m already fully prepared to fall the moment Loic touches me.’
We kiss several times a day already, so wouldn’t it be stranger not to give in?
Whenever those hot lips touch me, all my messy thoughts disappear.
Lately, it feels like my thirst keeps growing.
Every time I see Loic struggling to stop himself, I even think about just going all the way.
‘No, still… that’s not right.’
Everything has its proper time and order.
Even if we move forward, we should first share our feelings properly.
‘It probably won’t happen, but if Loic gets impatient, I should calm him down.’
The thought of him being overly proactive made my cheeks lift unconsciously.
I tried to wipe the sly smile off my face as I rubbed my arms with a soft towel.
‘Right, I don’t have any clothes to change into.’
That thought hit me as I stepped into the dressing room after my bath.
All our luggage had been loaded onto the baggage carriage, so I hadn’t brought a single outfit.
When I opened the wardrobe just in case, my eyes widened.
Inside was a pink negligee with thin shoulder straps.
The deep neckline was decorated with luxurious lace, and the hem fluttered like flower petals.
At a glance, it was incredibly revealing.
‘Cecilia!’
No matter what, isn’t this too much?!
I hurriedly opened the next wardrobe, but it was completely empty.
It felt like Cecilia had firmly decided not to allow any other clothes.
With no choice, I put on the negligee.
The fabric was so soft that it wrapped comfortably around my body the moment I wore it.
Once it was on, it wasn’t as embarrassing as I expected.
‘Well… it is a bit sexy.’
Because Annette’s skin was quite fair, the pink negligee suited her better than expected.
What would Loic say when he saw me?
He’d probably be so flustered he wouldn’t even be able to look properly.
I felt shy wearing it, but honestly, I was also curious about Loic’s reaction.
Gathering my courage, I opened the door leading from the dressing room to the bedroom.
That was when I saw Loic’s bare back as he paced in front of the bed.
Loic was half-naked.
Below his broad shoulders, his well-shaped back muscles narrowed toward the center, forming clear diagonal lines.
Before I could even admire him, I narrowed my eyes.
Loic had something tied around his neck.
Something that looked like a ribbon.
Every time he moved his thick arms, his back muscles flexed roughly.
Wait, what is he doing while naked?
“…Loic?”
At my call, Loic hurriedly untied the ribbon as if he’d been caught and awkwardly turned around.
With his upper body completely exposed, Loic stood there wearing only his pants, loosely holding a red ribbon in his hand.
I let out a small gasp.
Was this the first time I’d seen him like this under such bright light?
His firm chest muscles and thick arms showed overwhelming presence.
His solid abs rose and fell gently as he breathed.
When my gaze reached the hollowed line below his waist, the tips of my ears turned red without me realizing it.
Earlier, after finishing his bath in the other bathroom, Loic had opened the wardrobe and frowned.
Inside hung only a luxurious red satin ribbon.
‘Why is there a ribbon in the wardrobe?’
Puzzled, he searched further and found a pair of pants, but no shirt no matter how hard he looked.
As he wondered if he should check somewhere else—
‘I heard there are cases where people only wear a ribbon on bare skin.’
Leon’s voice echoed in his head.
At that moment, Loic realized the ribbon’s purpose and screamed internally.
‘Why would they do something like this without being told?!’
Now that he looked again, it seemed even the remaining clothes had been deliberately removed.
There wasn’t even a simple robe to be found.
After struggling in the dressing room for a long time, Loic finally entered the bedroom wearing only pants and holding the ribbon.
The bed was decorated in a way that forced anyone to think improper thoughts.
Unable to approach it, Loic awkwardly sat down on the sofa.
After sitting still for a while, he became conscious of his exposed chest.
Tsk.
After pressing his chest a few times, Loic stood up and did about two hundred push-ups.
When he pressed his chest again, his muscles felt far firmer and fuller than before.
Only then did he feel a little relieved.
That was when his gaze drifted to the red ribbon he had left some distance away.
‘Should I try putting it on, at least once?’
Hesitating, Loic picked up the ribbon.
Not knowing where to tie it, he fumbled for a while before barely managing to knot it around his neck.
“…Loic?”
The moment he turned toward Annette, he lost all words.
Annette stood there wearing something light and fluttering.
Below her damp hair, her flushed white face showed.
Her wide blue eyes sparkled, and her slightly parted lips were red and tempting, as if juice might spill out at any moment.
Annette was… so beautiful it made his mind go blank.
“What are you doing?” she asked, looking at the ribbon in his hand.
But no words came out.
Loic’s gaze instinctively dropped lower.
Below her snow-white shoulders, her soft, full chest rested.
He knew exactly how soft and tender that pale skin was.
To keep from losing his reason, Loic clenched his fists tightly.
“Why… aren’t you wearing clothes?” Annette asked softly.
“T-there was only this in the wardrobe.”
“Same for me.”
When Annette hugged her arms shyly, the fabric clung to her body, revealing the soft curve of her waist.
The moment he saw that, his lower body grew painfully tight.
He couldn’t give her his clothes, and he had never been in such an awkward situation before.
Should he order someone to bring the luggage immediately?
As he hesitated, Annette timidly stepped a little closer.
“Are we… using the same bed?”
She looked up at him with a pure face.
“…Do you not want to?”
The words slipped out of Loic’s mouth on their own as his eyes lingered on her white skin.
