* * *
“Ateol.”
“Yes.”
The reporters quickly scribbled something in their notebooks.
Every eye in the room was fixed on me and Ateol.
The carriage arrived, and I gestured lightly in its direction.
It was a signal for him to get in.
Ateol bowed deeply before stepping inside.
I followed suit, taking Serta’s hand as I climbed in, stealing a glance toward the reporters.
They wouldn’t be able to see my expression because of my hood, but they would know I had looked their way.
As soon as the carriage door closed, the reporters scattered like ants doused in water, eager to write their articles.
By tomorrow, rumors would spread throughout the empire—rumors that I had proposed to Ateol.
Inside the quietly moving carriage, Ateol broke the silence.
“You must already know, Tower Master.”
“Know what?”
“I’m not the kind of man who takes this kind of invitation at face value… And it’s quite late.”
Another teasing remark. I replied without looking at him.
“So what?”
“Hmm.”
“Stay at the tower tonight. I’ll have a carriage ready for you in the morning.”
“…Are you serious?”
It seemed like he had only meant to tease, but he was the one surprised by my words instead.
In this situation, letting Ateol stay at the tower was almost akin to a marriage announcement.
Of course, it would work in his favor.
But that didn’t seem to be what had caught him off guard.
“You’re not seriously suggesting I stay in the guest room, are you?”
I glanced at him.
Was this one of those situations where someone invites you over, saying, “My place is open to you anytime!”—only for you to arrive and find the house completely empty?
Like inviting someone over after doing everything except getting married, only to tell them to sleep in the guest room.
“Of course, the guest room.”
“How disappointing.”
“Unless, of course, you somehow can’t find your way to my bedroom.”
“…….”
Ateol shut his mouth.
Beating him in a verbal spar felt like a major achievement.
He remained silent all the way to the tower.
Cloden greeted us without the slightest hint of surprise.
Even though our guest was unexpected, the dinner and drinks were prepared without a hitch.
For once, Ateol spent the evening being perfectly polite.
It was as if he was trying to prove he no longer needed the nickname the Imperial Scoundrel.
And then, in the early hours of the morning—
Lying in bed, my blanket pulled up to my chin, I heard the faint scrape of the doorknob turning.
A sliver of light crept in from the hallway.
The light gradually widened before being blocked by a shadow.
Then, with a quiet click, it disappeared.
Footsteps approached leisurely, and the bed dipped under the weight of another person.
“Thankfully, I didn’t lose my way.”
Ateol’s lips brushed my cheek as he spoke.
Without opening my eyes, I turned away.
A soft chuckle followed, as if he found my reaction amusing.
He didn’t chase after me but instead traced his fingertips along the protruding bone at the nape of my neck.
I wanted to ignore it, but his touch was too deliberate.
My body flinched involuntarily.
“You were under the covers, and yet, your body is so cold.”
“…….”
His hand was warmer than mine—warmer than they should have been after walking down the hall.
Not much I could do about that.
It was just how my body was. Instead of answering, I curled up, and his hand slipped under my collar.
At least inside my clothes, my temperature was closer to his.
“What should I call you?”
“…What?”
“You said you’re not really Yuri. Then what should I call you?”
Oh, right. There was that issue too.
I opened my eyes.
The dim bedside lamp cast a soft, hazy glow.
“Yuri.”
I sensed him tilting his head behind me.
Maybe he thought it was strange to give the same name.
“My real name is also Yuri. So just call me that.”
“Ah… What an interesting coincidence.”
“Who knows? Maybe I ended up in this body because we shared a name.”
“That does sound plausible.”
Ateol murmured, then fully climbed onto the bed, wrapping himself around me from behind.
A faint trace of his cologne lingered in the air as his broad frame completely engulfed me.
His nose pressed against the back of my neck—like he was taking in my scent.
I had washed thoroughly, so there shouldn’t be any weird smell.
Still, I felt oddly self-conscious.
When I squirmed, trying to shift away, his arms only tightened around me, nearly squeezing the air out of my lungs.
“Let go. It’s suffocating—”
“Shall I obey? Though I think… you don’t really want me to.”
Ateol’s hand suddenly slid in front of me.
I gasped and tried to recoil, but there was nowhere to go.
His palm lightly grazed over me through the fabric of my clothes.
I could feel the faint heat rising inside me.
Embarrassed, I pushed at him, but he only adjusted his hold, pressing me even closer against his body.
Our legs tangled, and I felt it—he was already hard.
Through the fabric, it was impossible to miss.
What the hell? I hadn’t even done anything.
When I turned my head, Ateol gave me a playful wink. Unbelievable.
“What did you even do to end up like this?”
“I’ve been imagining it all day—holding you like this.”
“Y-You say that with a straight face…?”
“That’s just how scoundrels are.”
I swung my arm to hit him, but instead of landing the blow, my hands clung tightly to the thick muscles wrapped around my chest.
Ateol’s fingers deftly slipped between my legs.
The thin blanket crumpled as he tugged it away, his palm pressing directly against bare skin.
His grip tightened, and the soft flesh of my inner thigh yielded easily under his touch.
He kneaded it, as if savoring the feel.
His other hand moved to my chest, skimming over it lightly, teasingly. I grabbed his wrist.
“If you’re going to touch, just do it. Otherwise, don’t bother.”
“Hmm… That almost sounds like a request.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Ateol leaned in and breathed against my ear.
A shiver ran down my spine. I hated that trick.
As I trembled, he chuckled and whispered—
“Why don’t you just ask me to touch you?”
“…….”
A ridiculous demand.
For a split second, I almost blurted out, ‘Fine, do it.’ But no.
Instead, I curled up, shielding my chest with my hands.
It was stupid, and I knew it. But I couldn’t help it.
Ateol let out a quiet laugh before covering my hands with his own.
Then, he guided them down, slipping them inside my collar.
The cool air made my skin tighten.
My nipples were already slightly hardened.
Ateol brushed my fingers over them.
“Stop!”
“I was just wondering if you preferred touching yourself instead.”
“Of course not—!”
His plan to tease me had succeeded perfectly.
Before I could pull away, he swiftly replaced my hand with his own.
His large palm covered my chest, his thumb lazily circling my nipple before pressing down.
“Ah…”
ꔚ
A small moan escaped before I could hold it back. Ateol seemed thoroughly pleased.
As his touch grew deeper below, my body was pulled back until I was completely pressed against him.
Something firm and hot nestled between my cheeks.
Embarrassed, I tried to shift away, but all that did was make me rub against him instead.
I quickly abandoned the attempt.
Ateol slowly stoked the heat within me.
His fingers hooked onto the strings of my undergarments, and with a smooth motion, the knot came undone.
The fabric slid away, and the restraint on my arousal disappeared.
His hand wrapped around me, first stroking lightly, then gradually moving in slow, deliberate caresses.
“……Hnn, ngh…….”
* * *
