Thump, thump.

The sound of my heart pounding rang all the way to my ears.

…No, was that the sound of Cassius’s heart?

Perhaps because of the scent of musk coming from him, my head felt dizzy and I couldn’t respond properly.

“I missed you… too.”

So all that came out of my mouth were these stupid words.

“Is that so?”

Cassius chuckled softly.

“It seems like a dream, that you want to see me like this…”

I pursed my lips.

What have I done to this man? The more I liked him, the more I felt like the things I had done to him before were coming back to haunt me like a debt.

“Cassius Brudenell.”

“Yes, Evelyn.”

“Do I really need to tell you how much I like you?”

His answer was not at all different from what I expected.

“Please tell me.”

The golden eyes, filled with heat, looked at me with a gaze that seemed to devour me. Why, the fact that I just happily accepted this gaze…

“First of all, I like that you’re handsome.”

“I’ve known for a long time that you like my appearance.”

“Then… I’m glad that you like me, too.”

“Who wouldn’t love you?”

“Then…”

I lowered my eyes.

“I like you because it’s you.”

Cassius didn’t respond to these words.

“I like you, Cassus, because you’re you, not because of anything else… so you don’t have to do anything for me.”

“It’s something I do because I like to do.”

He replied bluntly.

“I know, I like that part of you, too, but I need you to put your mind down a little.”

“….”

“No matter what you do, I can’t say I accept everything, but that doesn’t mean…”

I caught my breath.

Was it okay to say something like this? Perhaps, I would be giving indulgence to a man who has committed many evil deeds?

But even so, I had to say this.

I wanted to give him some peace of mind. I couldn’t possibly stand by and have Cassius Brudenell by my side, restlessly wondering when I was going to leave.

“I’m not going to hate you or come to hate you.”

“…Evelyn.”

“Should I say anything more than this?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he pulled me into his arms with crushing force. His black hair was disheveled in front of my eyes, and I was momentarily enveloped in darkness.

“I will never let you down.”

“You can let me down me—”

My words were cut off by Cassius’ movements as he consumed my lips violently. His tongue moved as if to steal my lips, as the watery sound gradually spread through the air. As I grabbed Cassius by the shoulders, I wasn’t frightened or angered by his violent behavior. Rather…

‘It feels good.’

He naturally sat me down on the sofa.

I gasped for breath and matched his movements. The heat I felt from Cassius Brudenell was enough to make my body go numb as if I was going to melt into the ground.

“Evelyn.”

He whispered in a low voice.

“I’m…”

“Sh.”

I covered his mouth.

“You don’t have to say it.”

“…Evelyn.”

“I told you before, no matter what you do, you’re not going to make me hate you.”

As if those words were a signal, Cassius moved his body greatly. I blushed at the swollen presence I felt beneath the stiff fabric.

…No, since my face was always red, should I say that it became even more red?

Cassius Brudenell whispered to me.

“…You should only have the best.”

“I have it now.”

I smiled back bashfully.

“Is there anything better than you?”

“….”

Instead of answering, he nipped at my neck.

“Hnng…!”

Unknowingly, a strange moaning sound escaped my lips before I could stop myself.

‘…Well, this is a little embarrassing.’

It was a point where I could understand the female protagonists in the R19 novel that I had read a lot. How could you hold back your moaning when you were with a man who had never been with a woman and could make this kind of body language?

I smiled and gazed up at Cassius.

“Here, do it.”

As if those words were a signal, he lifted me up easily. Holding me in a princess position, I then wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tight. His pounding heartbeat was oddly reassuring.

No, was it?

His heart was also beating irregularly, as if…

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‘…He must have been nervous like me.’

Veins swelled on his forearms. In its own way, it seemed like he was patiently enduring it.

‘He shouldn’t do that. That wasn’t what I wanted.’

Thinking so, I whispered to Cassius.

“You know, Cassius.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m going to say it one last time. No matter what you do… it’ll never make me hate you, so…”

Saying so, I kissed Cassius on the cheek while still being held by him before finishing my words.

“Do whatever you want.”

Whispering in his ear was a bonus.

“Evelyn.”

He opened his mouth in a low voice, then spoke in an unmistakable accent.

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

“Why would I have regrets?”

I widened my eyes.

“I’m with you.”

Fortunately, it seemed that there was no need to seduce Cassius further. He trudged across the soft carpet until we reached the huge bed.

I clenched my fists, damp with sweat.

In fact, I must have been more nervous than him.

Well, it was Cassius…

His name was the male lead of the R19 novel, so, of course, he would be good at it, right?

The problem was me.

Despite my boldness in seducing him, my hands began to tremble. Cassius gently laid me down on the bed and straightened my hair, which was all disheveled.

Then, he threw a thick blanket over me and patted me.

“…Cassius?”

As I glanced up at him with a strange sense of déjà vu, he gazed at me with an expressionless face.

“Are you saying you’re not going to do it now?”

“I told you.”

He stroked my hair.

“I only want to give you the best.”

“Cassius, I’m…”

“I can’t say that I’m the best right now.”

…Huh?

I blinked.

‘What… what a stupid thing to say?’

Stunned, I stared at him in disbelief.

“Not in the best condition? Then, what am I seeing?”

A perfect handsome man with a classical appearance, as if he was chiseled out of marble, but exuding an alluring atmosphere, was avoiding my gaze.

——I’ve seen him so many times I’ve gotten used to it, but that didn’t mean that there was a flaw in Cassius Brudenell’s appearance.

He averted his gaze and muttered in a low voice.

“I haven’t gotten all my muscles back yet… and my appearance that you like is still…”

I kicked off the blanket and sat up. So, he was saying this was all because he had lost muscle while he was in prison?

I glanced at Cassius.

“Are you sure the muscles haven’t come back? Then, what is this that I can see?”

He was dressed in a shirt, and even though it was a winter shirt that was a little thick, it still showed off his toned muscles.

“I’ve tried my best, but I’m not satisfied right now, so…”

“Is that so.”

I cut off his words.

“Now I realize that, unlike me, Cassius wasn’t quite ready for this yet.”

“It’s not like that!”

As he took a step closer toward me, bewildered, our eyes met. I didn’t know, but my eyes were probably glowing with a fair amount of residual heat, too.

I swallowed dry saliva.

The reason why he hesitated so much was me.

So…

My thoughts were quickly interrupted. It was because all of a sudden, Cassius pushed me onto the bed.

A large, graceful fingers lightly touched a button near my chest.

“…I can’t stand it any longer.”

His voice came right next to my ear.

“One thing… Tell me one thing, Evelyn.”

I didn’t say anything.

No, I couldn’t. My heart was pounding, and it felt like my brain was being taken over.

“Tell me you want me, please tell me.”

Cassius’s raspy yet alluring voice tickled my ears.

I pursed my lips, but there was no sound. The only sound that came out of my mouth was a gasp as if my breath had been choked. I could feel a tingling sensation on the nape of my neck where he had bitten and left a mark earlier.

“Ha, do you want me?”