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The shock didn't fade easily because it was an act I never expected to receive from Yulan.
The sound of the mwah had come from my lips.
If it had been a bisous—a light brush of the cheek as a sign of affection—I wouldn't have been this surprised.
But what he did was an overly intimate gesture, the kind one only receives from parents during childhood.
Seeing me shudder as if I were having an allergic reaction, Yulan let out a burst of laughter and leaned his head against my shoulder.
“Was it a different person who was kissing me just a moment ago with the intensity of someone trying to pull out my tongue?”
Every time he chuckled, his warm breath brushed against the nape of my neck.
For a moment, the sensation felt so excessive that it almost stung my shoulder blades, making me shrink my neck back.
Only then did he lift his head slightly and speak teasingly.
“Your neck is so sensitive. I was just laughing.”
“Sensitive? It’s not like that!”
I shrieked, then quickly bit my lip, feeling embarrassed.
Still, fearing he might think the sensitivity was my fault, I quickly added:
“It’s not that I’m strange, it’s you…”
“Me?”
“You’re the one making me sensitive. Laughing right against someone’s neck and all…”
The nape of the neck was a part of my body I had never been conscious of in my entire life.
In the first place, would anyone deliberately focus on such a spot to gauge their sensitivity?
Having been born a noble, it was a natural course of events for my entire body to be handled by others.
Even though the hands of several, perhaps dozens of people had passed over me, I had never found any ‘sensitive’ spots on my body.
If I was reacting to the point of instinctively shrinking away, then naturally, the problem must lie with that man.
I rubbed the nape of my neck, where the fine hairs were standing on end.
Whether thanks to this or because of it, the atmosphere that had been growing sticky during the kiss was appropriately broken.
“…Anyway, I’m fine.”
“I didn't say there was a problem… No, never mind.”
He shook his head slightly and gave a refreshing smile.
The natural gap between his lips reminded me of our kiss once again.
Just as my mind was becoming confused, he threw a massive boulder of a comment.
“It feels quite pleasant to be the only one who knows your cute side.”
“…!”
“I’ll be looking forward to seeing how much more you'll let me know, Imperial Princess.”
If it weren't for the title ‘Imperial Princess’ he added, I would have remained lost within that sentence for quite some time.
I barely regained my senses by squeezing my eyes shut and opening them again.
When I pushed his shoulder with force, he was pushed away easily, unlike before.
If I felt a strange sense of emptiness seeing him completely separated from me without a single point of contact, was that already a problem?
I tried to regain my reason by deliberately digging my nails into my soft palms.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Yulan knew exactly how to bring Evgenia’s reason back in an instant.
“Seeing as the Imperial Princess enjoyed herself more than I expected, I feel as though I’ve received more than enough payment.”
Yes, this was simply an act for ‘payment.’
That was certainly how it started.
However, her pride would not allow her to simply nod in agreement.
‘As long as the name hasn't been erased, this was just a kiss. If I accept this, it’s as if I’m someone who sells my body for a price.’
Frowning, Evgenia wiped her lips ostentatiously and spoke.
“No, let’s act like this never happened.”
“Hmm?”
“The name wasn't erased, and we just kissed; insisting that this counts as payment isn't very ‘Imperial Princess-like,’ is it?”
Yulan let out a small snort at Evgenia’s words.
But she maintained a steadfastly serious attitude.
Soon, Yulan shook his head slightly as if admitting defeat and replied.
“If that is what puts your mind at ease.”
“Then, tomorrow… are you coming?”
“That depends on the details of the request.”
Good, we were back to talking business.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, I pulled out the plan that had been tucked away in a corner.
My mind, now cooled down, quickly formulated a clean set of instructions.
“My father will leave the office around 7 PM tomorrow. I want you to cause a commotion at the main gate just before his carriage reaches the Duke's residence. Don't let yourself be kicked out; insist that you absolutely must see the Duke.”
“A typical commoner would have their head fly off for that, so the token you mentioned will be what prevents that.”
“Right. This is an item that caused a huge… scene when I lost it once. Anyone who has worked at the Duke's residence for a long time wouldn't be able to miss it.”
Having finished speaking, Evgenia carefully handed the necklace to him.
Seeing him receive it with equal care, Evgenia’s demeanor naturally softened.
“And tomorrow night, the soldiers guarding the main gate will be the ones who have held their positions the longest, right?”
A smile naturally formed as the plan progressed seamlessly to the next step.
Excited, I nodded cheerfully and continued.
“Yes, and I want you to give me something that can serve as a token of your affection. Tomorrow night, using the excuse that I lost that token, I’ll scatter all the new soldiers so that the commander and vice-commander have to guard the gate, even if only for a moment.”
“It would be even more perfect to meet a lover blocked by the commander, along with the dramatically recovered token.”
“Oh, that’s not bad. Then, when my father gets out of the carriage, would it be the most picturesque if I were hugging you?”
Thinking it over, showing the image of passionate lovers would provide a greater visual shock than a commoner facing the commander alone.
If I wore moderately light clothing, it would show how deep my relationship with my lover was…
A detailed picture began to form in my head.
As if staging a play, the lighting, temperature, humidity, and even the characters' attire were all vividly visible.
It was Yulan’s light touch that pulled me out of my daydream.
“Uh, huh?”
“I’ll prepare my attire perfectly on my own, so wouldn't it be better for you to head back quickly? I think Madame Magnolia is reaching her limit.”
“Ah…”
I had completely forgotten.
Of course, considering the sisters Sona and Sena, who had stolen my soul just by sharing a carriage for a moment, time might not be that tight, but…
‘Madame Magnolia is a precious bridge, so I must cherish her.’
I hurriedly checked my appearance, smoothing out the creases of my dress and sleeves.
After using a mirror to tidy up my slightly disheveled hair, I reached out toward Yulan.
Smiling at my action, he responded by leaning his upper body slightly.
“Shall we go then, my lady?”
“Yes, please.”
When did I stop fearing being led by Yulan’s hand?
It wasn't that my meetings with Yulan had been frequent, nor had the time spent together been very long.
However, the conversations we shared during those brief and few encounters were incredibly deep.
It was more than enough for me to observe the human known as Yulan Artlux and reach my own conclusions.
‘Yulan probably thinks the same of me.’
I didn't expect physical attraction to get involved, but well, such things can happen between people experiencing such intimate skinship for the first time.
At least, that was how it was in the pulp novels I had read until now.
‘After all, novels are stories about people…’
But seeing as I felt something akin to jealousy even regarding a task for a request, perhaps reality is a bit different.
I’ll just have to ask someone with plenty of experience to resolve this part.
The moment Evgenia made up her mind, a violent sneeze erupted from the distant Magnolia Boutique.
“Achoo!”
“Oh my, Miss Anna. Do you have a cold?”
“I heard even dogs don't catch summer colds; could it be my sister?”
“I heard even fools don't catch summer colds; could it be my sister?”
“I’m fine, Madam. …Sona, Sena, I’ll deal with you two at home.”
Anna let out a giggle as she looked at Sona and Sena, who had instantly shut their mouths.
She thought it would be nice if someone, whoever they were, was thinking of her right now.
* * *
The House of Duke Martir.
Geographically, it wasn't far from the center of the capital, but no one dared to easily set foot in its vicinity.
Such was the immense prestige of the House of Martyr, and the head of the house, Duke Martir, was a terrifying existence, almost like a ghost story.
Under the Duke's power, the residence was always quiet and peaceful.
…Except that today was not one of those ‘usual’ days.
“Wait, stop right there.”
A burly middle-aged man blocked the path of a man who had walked right up to the gate, scanning him from head to toe.
“You’re not a postman, nor a servant of the Imperial Palace or another noble house. Who are you?”
Looking at his clothes, he was nothing more and nothing less than ‘Commoner 1’ seen on the street.
The shaggy hair covering his face only increased the suspicion.
In the tension-filled situation, the man casually raised both hands to show he was harmless and replied.
“I am the lover of Evgenia Rose Martyr, the sole Imperial Princess of this House of Duke Martir!”
In a voice loud enough to pierce the ears of everyone watching from a distance!
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