Lady Felice’s Secret Class - Chapter 59

Claude picked up his teacup for a moment.

As he sipped, his eyes drooped halfway, long lashes fluttering. That subtle motion made Felice, who’d been unconsciously leaning forward, quickly straighten up.

Her thoughts tangled, Felice picked up her own cup, trying to follow his lead. She couldn’t taste anything—the expensive desserts laid out before her seemed like nothing more than decorations.

Her grandfather’s sword… If she could pay off her debts with ten thousand francs and retrieve her grandfather’s keepsake, maybe she could restore a little of the Kelton family’s honor.

If all it took was being a ‘partner’…?

This was…

“She apparently has a submissive side.”

Claude’s voice broke into Felice’s racing thoughts.

Submissive?

Felice’s eyes widened again.

“In bed, she apparently likes to be dominated by her partner. She prefers a man who takes control. But during the day, she actually likes men who are the opposite—submissive to her.”

Felice nodded as if she understood, but inside, she was screaming. She’d heard of such relationships before, but this was definitely new territory.

What did it mean to ‘dominate’ someone in bed, exactly? And to want a submissive man during the day? What was that about?

“I see.”

But Felice answered calmly, taking another sip of tea.

From here, she’d have to be careful with her words. This was already a delicate topic, and if this was a rare preference, information might be hard to come by. Promising she could teach about something so unfamiliar could easily backfire.

Felice set her cup down, worry etched on her face as she looked at Claude.

“No matter how tempting your offer, I have to admit I haven’t actually taught anyone with such… specific tastes before. I might not be as much help as you hope. Are you sure about this?”

To her surprise, Claude nodded easily.

“Of course. I think I’ll be able to get more information about it myself.”

“Oh… Um, how do you plan to do that?”

“From her former partner.”

Claude smiled, and Felice frowned, cocking her head as if she’d misheard.

“…Sorry?”

“Is there a problem, Miss Felice?”

Claude actually seemed confused by her reaction.

“N-no, not at all.”

Felice forced a smile and shook her head, though she couldn’t quite shake her unease. She knew about his family background—Claude had been born from an affair, and his childhood was far from happy.

At their very first meeting, he’d openly expressed his distaste for infidelity.

Of course, that didn’t mean Lady Elise had had an affair, but given his upbringing, Felice assumed Claude would be pretty conservative about women.

Yet, now, he seemed strangely unbothered.

“So, can I take it you’re willing to do the lessons? I was worried, but I thought you’d be the perfect teacher.”

Claude said, smiling warmly at Felice.

“Not at all. Thank you for trusting me, even though I might not be the most experienced in this area.”

Felice replied.

“In fact, that might actually make it easier to win her over. If you know exactly what someone wants, you practically have the cheat code. If Lady Elise knows you can fulfill her fantasy, I imagine you’ll win her heart pretty easily.”

“Is that so? Then, Miss Felice, is there anything you want from a man?”

Claude’s tone turned suddenly inquisitive.

“Me? From a man?”

“Yes.”

“Can I ask why?”

“I’m just curious if most women feel that way. Was that too forward of me?”

“No, not at all…”

Felice trailed off. She really didn’t have any particular expectations from men. She hadn’t even experienced unrequited love, let alone had any clear preferences like Elise.

She’d never even been in a relationship, so she’d never had a chance to figure out what she liked.

Then her gaze met Claude’s blue eyes, and for some reason, the memory of what happened in her room flickered in her mind. She swallowed.

“Well… I’m not sure. I don’t think I have any particular… inclinations.”

Felice said with a faint, awkward smile, letting the question pass.