Chapter 9
One of Claude’s eyebrows rose upward.
The woman’s words were rude, but he had no grounds to argue.
“Then may I explain the lessons now?”
The woman, wearing the smile of a victor, asked calmly. Despite dealing with others’ affairs of infidelity, her clear eyes shone brightly in the dim room. Seeing this, Claude clenched his jaw tightly and averted his gaze.
If she had been a newbie who couldn’t hide the excitement of winning the previous exchange, he might have felt less irritated.
“Prince.”
Felice’s gentle call made Claude furrow his brows.
“Claude.”
“…Yes?”
“Since I haven’t publicly announced myself a prince, let’s use ‘Claude’ even when we’re alone, just in case.”
“Understood. Then, Claude, may I ask a few questions before the lessons begin?”
“Do you have more questions?”
“I’ve only asked one so far. There are other things I need to know beyond whether you have a lover.”
Reluctantly, Claude nodded and crossed his legs.
Felice took out a notebook, a quill, and an ink bottle from her worn leather bag and set them on the table.
Prepared, she opened the notebook with a relaxed posture, as if the room were her private study.
“Since you said you currently have no lover, I’d like to ask some questions about that. May I ask the names of any former lovers you’ve had?”
“Former lovers…?”
“Yes. It would be helpful if you could tell me about any past relationships. Please be as thorough as possible.”
“…None.”
Felice’s hand paused over the notebook as Claude answered. The quill, which had been gently moving, lifted away from the page, and her gaze shifted to Claude.
“Are you sure you really have no experience in love? If you lie, it will interfere with the lessons.”
“Do I have to swear on the River Styx or something?”
“…No. Understood.”
Felice scribbled something in the notebook.
Then she naturally moved on to the next question.
“Is there any particular reason you avoid women?”
“Well… I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Hmm…”
The answer, or lack thereof, was met with silence. Felice, lost in thought while writing, lightly tapped her chin with the back of her hand.
After a brief pause, she looked up.
“Have you never once considered a woman as a romantic partner? Or perhaps, do you find yourself not excited even when seeing a woman’s body?”
“Are you asking if I like men?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Claude let out a long, exasperated sigh, folding his arms and twitching his eyebrows.
“If it’s difficult to answer…”
Felice’s monotonous voice had a professional tone.
“…I like women.”
Swallowing his irritation, Claude answered quickly, eager to move on.
“Alright, understood.”
Felice nodded lightly and once again jotted something down in her notebook.
Claude glanced at the notes with a frown, then tilted his head crookedly.
For some reason, he anticipated the next question.
“You like women, and… there’s no physical reason otherwise?”
As expected.
Claude uncrossed his arms and leaned forward from the backrest, bringing himself closer to the table. His green eyes, looking up at Felice, appeared innocent despite the nature of the question.
“How far do you intend to take these rude questions?”
“I’m only asking what’s necessary as a relationship coach.”
“Next thing you know, you’ll be inspecting my s****l performance.”
Claude tossed the remark with as much sarcasm as he could muster, yet Felice’s green eyes didn’t blink, she nodded calmly.
“Of course. Some men lose confidence in the bedroom and often avoid intimacy with their wives. Could that be your case?”
Felice, not averting Claude’s gaze, seemed ready to note that down immediately.
“If I say yes, will you believe me?”
“Of course. …It’s not unusual. Like a cold, it can be easily cured. But avoiding it only makes things worse.”
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