While Lariette and Doha were chatting in the rear garden, Asrahan sat alone on the office sofa, reading.
In his heart, he wanted to secretly keep watch in case that priest made any moves on Lariette, but he refrained because he knew she would dislike it. In truth, the servants were reporting back to him every now and then.
All the documents on his desk had already been processed. Of course, by tomorrow another pile of papers requiring his approval would flood in, but at least there was nothing more he had to do today.
What he was currently reading was a book. Moreover, one with a very familiar title.
This book, which Halstein had forced him to read, contained far more substantial content than Asrahan had expected.
There was so much he hadn’t known. It was all the more so because he had absolutely no dating experience.
‘I nearly would have been in big trouble if I hadn’t read this.’
Asrahan thought to himself, stroking his bandaged chin with his index finger. The invaluable advice for a successful relationship naturally evoked his admiration.
Especially when he read the following passage, Asrahan, in his great surprise, opened his eyes wide in a manner most unlike him.
It was information that Asrahan, for whom this was his first relationship, had never even considered. Asrahan muttered in bewilderment, his face drained of blood.
“She’ll grow tired……?”
Even merely uttering the word was already terrible. Imagining Lariette telling him she was tired of him and wanted to break up made his heart sink.
Naturally, Asrahan had not even considered the possibility that he might be the one to tire of Lariette.
However, the anxiety that Lariette’s feelings might someday change wriggled in his stomach. She was beautiful and lovely; it was entirely possible she might meet someone better than him and leave.
Asrahan clenched the hand holding the book tightly against the surging passion that flared up within him. Soon, resolute determination filled his ice-blue eyes.
‘I will never rush.’
So that Lariette would not tire of him. Asrahan muttered inwardly.
However, the novice learning about love from a book did not know that the pace of physical intimacy was not something that could be decided by one person alone.
***
After Doha left, Lariette headed to his office to purify the curse on Asrahan’s upper body.
The reason she had chosen the office, unlike before, was simple. Because if there was a bed, the situation might take a strange turn.
Lariette was quite tolerant of skinship, but she was not yet mentally prepared to do that with him.
But this was merely “not yet”; it was certain it wouldn’t take very long until her preparations were complete. She also had more than enough will to do that sort of thing with Asrahan.
The purification in the office proceeded without issue.
Of course, seeing his firm chest and wonderfully excellent abdominal muscles, the urge to seduce him welled up again, but Lariette barely suppressed it. Because today there was something else she wanted to do.
Asrahan also clenched his fist and endured the tickling sensation. The advice he had read in the book earlier filled his head.
In his field of vision, he saw a small hand placed on his chest. And together with it was the mark of the curse, which though faded thanks to several rounds of purification, was still distinct.
Skin like rags and a body as though covered in spiderwebs. It was a shameful, terrible sight.
‘To think I dare reach for her with a body like this.’
Asrahan bit his lips firmly at the sense of sin and remorse that dominated him once more.
“……Phew, all done.”
“Is your body alright?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to collapse.”
Though she was a bit tired. Lariette added with a faint smile. Asrahan looked at her with worried eyes.
But her tired appearance was only momentary. Thinking even such time was a waste, Lariette suddenly sprang up. And looking at him with sparkling eyes, she suggested,
“Asrahan! What kind of date should we go on today?”
“Were you not tired?”
“Looking at your face gives me strength, because you’re so handsome.”
At her appearance, fluttering her eyes and flirting, Asrahan let out a small laugh. Lariette was the first person to ever say such things to him.
Asrahan hurriedly began buttoning up his shirt. He was terribly embarrassed by her gaze falling on his half-naked body.
Lariette hmmed and racked her brain intently. But no good ideas came to mind.
She opened the notebook she had brought and skimmed through her list of desired dates.
(Complete)
(Complete)
Since the purification of the curse on Asrahan’s upper body was not yet finished, going somewhere to swim seemed like something he wouldn’t want.
Hot springs, the sea, festivals, night markets, and so on were the same. Not only would going now be too much, but since he disliked crowded places, there was no way he would enjoy it.
Then what was something they could do right away today? Lariette groaned and diligently searched further through the list.
And soon she discovered something worthwhile and jerked her head up.
“How about cooking together? I’ve always wanted to try this with my lover!”
Cooking affectionately with her lover! It was something she absolutely had to do before she died. Just imagining Asrahan wearing an apron was too cute and sexy.
“Cooking…… did you say?”
“Yes! Don’t you like it? Hmm?”
Lariette thrust her face in front of his as if acting cute. Flustered by this, Asrahan reddened at the ears and unconsciously blocked her approach with his hand.
When the large hand covered her face, Lariette put strength into her head as if dissatisfied. But no matter how much she pushed, his hand wouldn’t budge.
‘Oh, trying to block me with strength?’
Lariette scoffed at his desperate resistance. Then she quickly planted a smooch on his palm.
“What……!”
“So, do you hate it?”
Asrahan’s face flushed red, and he hurriedly withdrew his hand. His palm was hot as if burned by fire.
Lariette smiled shamelessly and pressed him for an answer. And naturally, there was only one answer he could give.
“No, I would like that.”
***
Halstein, like the capable butler he was, finished all preparations in short order.
By the time Lariette and Asrahan entered the kitchen, it already had the appearance of a “perfect kitchen for a sweet lovers’ cooking time.”
“The pancake ingredients are all prepared! Shall we try making these?”
“Yes.”
At the sight of ingredients and tools prepared so perfectly, Asrahan inwardly let out a brief exclamation of admiration for Halstein.
He also seemed to see Halstein’s figure claiming, “Master! My descendants shall repay you!”
“Asrahan, put this on first!”
Sparkling eyes poured onto Asrahan. Lariette was holding out an apron to him.
It was a design far too cute for Asrahan to wear. White lace was attached all over it, and a dainty ribbon decorated the center.
“……I don’t believe this is my size, however.”
Asrahan quickly retreated. Imagining himself wearing that apron made chills run down his spine.
Never, no matter what happened, did he want to wear it. He thought this resolutely.
“Still, I think you’d look cute…….”
Lariette muttered in a voice plastered with regret.
A handsome man with bulging muscles wearing a small, cute apron—wasn’t that just too good? If he wore only the apron without a shirt, it might be even more perfect.
However, she recognized this as far too lecherous a thought, so she didn’t push further. She resolved to make him wear it someday when their relationship had deepened even more.
Lariette had no intention of wearing something so cute either. In the end, the apron was shoved to a corner without being worn by anyone.
Soon, the affectionate cooking time began.
Lariette put the already-measured flour, milk, eggs, and other ingredients into a large bowl and began mixing. It was stiffer than she thought, requiring a lot of arm strength.
“Asrahan, stir this for me a bit. My arms hurt.”
“Yes, understood.”
Her appearance, asking with her brows drooping low, was cute, so Asrahan smiled faintly. Yet when he tried it, the batter mixed far too easily.
Meanwhile, Asrahan was replaying the scene from earlier when Lariette had kissed his hand, over and over in his head.
Though he had resolved to take things slowly just a few hours ago, the stimulation was too intense.
He had already noticed Lariette’s temperament of rushing forward without hesitation, so he thought he somehow had to persuade her.
But saying directly, “I’m afraid you’ll tire of me, so please let’s go slowly,” was too embarrassing.
And saying, “My body is ugly and terrible, so I dare not touch you,” would wound his pride too much.
Asrahan stirred the pancake batter diligently while subtly gauging Lariette’s mood.
The Count of Kandel, of all people, furtively watching his lover’s mood because he was too embarrassed to ask her to slow down their progress. It was something no one would believe.
“Lariette.”
“Hm, yes?”
“I have a request.”
Asrahan swallowed dryly and hesitated for a moment. The memory of himself saying not long ago that he wouldn’t be able to hold back if she provoked him further made it even more embarrassing.
To convey his intent, however indirectly, he slowly chose his words.
“Shall we…… take it a bit slowly.”
“Take what slowly?”
Was he talking about cooking? Lariette tilted her head.
Asrahan was too ashamed to put words like skinship, contact, or progress into his mouth, so he moved his lips for a moment. And soon he found another word.
“I mean our progress.”
And this was something utterly impossible to understand immediately unless one read his thoughts. Asrahan, a novice at dating, mistakenly believed that this much would be sufficiently understood.
Lariette saw his serious gaze and racked her brain to interpret his meaning. Then she soon nodded as if she understood.
“Yes! Let’s take it slow.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“What for, something like this.”
Lariette lightly tapped Asrahan’s shoulder and laughed. Asrahan also smiled back in relief.
‘Since it’s his first time cooking, he must mean for us to proceed slowly, right?’
But contrary to his expectations, Lariette had completely misunderstood. Since they were in the middle of cooking, it wasn’t strange to mistake his meaning.
She smiled brightly, never imagining that “progress” referred to the progress of their physical intimacy.
Soon Asrahan began concentrating on cooking again. On the table was the pancake recipe Halstein had prepared.
“Would you like to try grilling it yourself?”
“Hmm, I’ll try first!”
Lariette placed the batter on the heated pan with a determined face. With a sizzle, a savory smell began to rise.
Placing the batter was no problem. Though she poured a bit too much. But she had absolutely no confidence in flipping it.
Having seen it somewhere before, she wanted to deftly flip the pancake by hand instead of using a spatula.
Believing it wouldn’t be too difficult, Lariette lifted the frying pan without hesitation.
Fwoosh-!
And so the pancake left her. Soaring up into the air, toward the floor.
Lariette watched the afterimage of the pancake brushing past her side, her mouth wide open. She couldn’t show such a pathetic figure in front of Asrahan.
She flicked her fingers at a speed faster than any moment in her life.
At that moment, a gentle breeze blew between Asrahan and Lariette. It softly enveloped the pancake, cooked on only one side, and soon made it land back on the frying pan.
Sss-
The sound of the other half cooking pierced the silence.
She had used magic just to avoid dropping a pancake.
“Ta-da!”
Lariette was mortified, but she deliberately smiled exaggeratedly as if nothing had happened. At that, Asrahan finally burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
It was a hearty laugh most unlike him, who only ever wore sullen expressions. Lariette pouted her lips and grumbled at him to do it now.
And Asrahan, who was clearly cooking for the first time, grilled the pancakes far too perfectly. Feeling deprived, Lariette lightly perched herself on the island table.
Then she was almost at eye level with Asrahan. She slowly looked around with a rather satisfied mind. Since Asrahan had laughed at her, she was looking for something to tease him about in return.
Maple syrup, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream to put on the pancakes caught her eye. There was also a great variety of fruits.
“Asrahan, which do you prefer, maple syrup or whipped cream? Or chocolate sauce?”
“If I had to choose…… chocolate would be better.”
“Then say ahh!”
Lariette smiled brightly, dipped a strawberry in chocolate sauce, and held it near his mouth.
Asrahan looked at her with a greatly bewildered face. He wore an expression of not knowing whether to open his mouth or not.
As if urging him on, Lariette poked his lips with the strawberry. Sticky chocolate sauce adhered to his red lips.
In the end, Asrahan obediently opened his mouth and ate the strawberry. The sweet-bitter chocolate and the tart flesh of the strawberry harmonized in his mouth.
“Ah, it got on the side of your lip.”
At Lariette’s remark, Asrahan raised his hand to wipe it off. But Lariette quickly snatched his hand and stopped him.
At that, Asrahan looked at her with a suspicious gaze, and Lariette smiled softly and quietly drew closer to him.
“This is the kind of thing a lover wipes off.”
After finishing her words, Lariette moved without hesitation.
Her arm caught the back of his neck and pulled him toward her, and her face drew even closer.
Slurp.
Along with an unfamiliar sound, a moist sensation touched the corner of Asrahan’s mouth.
Lariette had licked away the chocolate near his lips.
Thump.
Asrahan’s heart bounced as if struck by a mallet. He looked at her sitting on the table with shaking pupils, as if he couldn’t believe it.
He wanted to believe what he had seen and heard was an illusion. Hadn’t she agreed to go slowly just moments ago? There was no way she would do such an outrageous thing immediately.
To make matters worse, Lariette impishly dipped her finger deep in chocolate and rubbed it over her own lips.
Sticky chocolate smeared over her lips.
“Now it’s your turn, Asrahan.”
Lariette smiled coquettishly, her pink hair tousled every which way.