Chapter 21
Something slippery slid into Felice’s mouth. She frowned sharply and almost bit Claude’s tongue.
If she hadn’t made a determination to herself just before entering the room, she might have bitten him and drawn blood.
With the last thread of reason left as a teacher, Felice gripped his tongue and gently stroked his cheek, soothing him like a restless child.
Then she slowly sucked his tongue and released it, pushing him out of her mouth.
“Hah…”
Claude’s warm breath escaped like a sigh between parted lips.
It didn’t take long for his confused gaze to travel from Felice’s lips to her eyes.
Felice lightly kissed his lips. With a soft ‘smack’ sound, she smiled fresh and bright.
“Keep your kisses light, like mine. Afterwards, step back gracefully without losing your dignity.”
Felice gently pushed Claude’s chest.
He stared at her, dazed, and leaned back. Then, with a bitter laugh, he pushed his hair back from his forehead.
The once neatly slicked-back hair was suddenly tousled. His crooked smile hung lazily, and his regained relaxed posture led to draping one arm over the sofa’s backrest.
In a languid pose, he raised one eyebrow, silently asking Felice to explain why she stopped the kiss.
“…An assertive woman would be interested in a relationship where she takes the lead rather than a passive one. Of course, she’d want to maintain her pride. Though those two situations clash, they are subtly different.”
Felice straightened her waist and tidied her disheveled clothes.
“Give the woman the chance. It’s okay to think of it as teasing her a little. An assertive woman will surely be the one to approach you first next time.”
“Then, can I advance further in the third lesson?”
Felice met Claude’s gaze.
Still catching his breath, his chest rose and fell lightly, eyes filled with passion fixed on her.
If he was an impatient nobleman ruled by instincts, he’d probably have shut Felice up with his lips by now and started undressing her.
But Claude only watched her with an intrigued look.
There wasn’t even a hint of a gesture showing he wanted to take her right then.
<If you want to marry that man, never let him have the final say, even if he’s a smooth talker. Young ladies sometimes get tricked by little wolves; that’s why teachers like Felice exist.>
The ladies’ discussions before their daughters’ debut were always similar: Never give in.
Felice agreed.
<Unless you stay together until the very end, a woman’s value never diminishes.>
That was something Felice told a lady’s daughter.
But unfortunately, Felice was not a debutante on the marriage market; she was a tutor, and to Claude, she had no value as a woman.
If he disliked the lessons, she’d be fired at any time.
Felice nodded smoothly at Claude.
“Of course. By the third lesson, that imaginary lady will probably be more assertive.”
But one thing she was sure of: Once men fixate on their prey, they try to consume it to the very end.
Tutors like Felice were no exception.
So Felice had a little time.
He wouldn’t behave like a brute unless she allowed it, yet he’d still want to sleep with her.
Faces of young ladies flashed through Felice’s mind. She needed to arrange a young lady likely to catch Claude’s interest as quickly as possible.
But just like when arranging love matches before, if she simply showed him cards with names and statuses, he’d treat it like a chore.
Having never dated, he’d be vulnerable to a fated love.
Before the third lesson started, she had to find a lady who could inspire such feelings.
“When would you like the third lesson, Claude?”
Felice asked about the next appointment.
A meeting with a young lady by fate, and a tutor close to her.
It would likely be a love destined to succeed, but Felice planned to make their meeting as dramatic as possible.
The more dramatic the romance, the more grateful they’d be to Felice.
Then she could ask about her grandfather’s keepsakes.
“Four days from now sounds good.”
Claude’s answer made Felice nod with satisfaction.
“Understood.”
* * *
Two days later, Felice sat in Duchess Vanessa’s greenhouse.
The entire ceiling was glass, allowing the midday sun’s strong rays to pass through transparently.
The natural sunlight dazzled like a grand ballroom’s chandelier.
Felice admired the greenhouse carefully.
Tropical plants displayed lush green leaves, catching the eye, and exotic flowers hung from baskets in midair.
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