Chapter 7
If Ciel caught her snooping, he might take offense, so she deliberately refrained from calling out loudly in search of him.
Eris carefully placed the things she had brought on the table. Now all she had to do was leave without incident.
Creak—
Hmm? At the sound of movement behind her, Eris’s shoulders jerked.
“Miss Eris.”
That voice was not supposed to be coming from behind her right now.
“Miss Eris?”
Stay calm. Act composed and dignified. You can do this.
“Yes, Lord Ciel. I called for you, but you didn’t ans—”
The moment she finished setting everything down and turned around, Eris’s flimsy composure collapsed completely.
Naturally, the neat excuse she had prepared in advance died unfinished on her lips. Because the sight before her was far too overwhelming.
The first thing to disrupt her vision was his wet, disheveled silver hair. Clear droplets clung to the ends before falling one by one down the nape of his neck and onto his smooth shoulders.
“What are you doing hiding in here?”
“Ah, your clothes….”
The man’s broad shoulders looked as solid as fortress walls, while the lines running from his chest down to his abdomen seemed as though they had been painstakingly carved by a sculptor.
“Clothes?”
“Well, I knocked, but you didn’t answer….”
Water gleamed across his wet skin, tracing the ridges of his abdomen with every quiet rise and fall of his breathing.
Eris’s gaze unconsciously followed a single droplet downward, and her face flushed as vividly as the setting sun. Its final destination was the towel hanging precariously around Ciel’s hips.
“Why? Would you like me to take this off too?”
The instant his large hand moved toward his waist, horror swept across Eris’s face.
“No!”
“You looked like you were swallowing your drool, Miss Eris.”
“I-I did no such thing!”
“If you’re honest with me, I might take it off for you.”
“No, I told you that’s not it!”
Afraid the young duke might suddenly lose his mind and actually toss aside the towel barely covering his lower body, Eris stared wide-eyed at his teasing hand, keeping close watch on every movement.
His long, slender index finger tapped idly against his hip before finally going still.
“Didn’t you say it wasn’t for this sort of reason?”
“What?”
At the cold question that dropped between them in a smooth arc, Eris stiffly raised her head.
“Did being alone with me in this house change your mind?”
“What are you talking about…?”
“Do you want to have s*x with me or something?”
Ciel swept his wet hair back carelessly and strode toward her.
The rich scent of soap washed over her as he approached.
She needed to say no, but her head was spinning. Her thoughts ran completely out of control, unable to decide whether she should speak first or move first.
“Tell me honestly.”
By then, Ciel had already closed the distance. He lowered his head and whispered beside Eris’s ear.
“I-I think you’ve misunderstood.”
Eris finally managed to pull herself together, clenching her fists as she answered.
“So it was a misunderstanding? Really?”
“Yes. Didn’t you ask me to prepare a change of clothes? You didn’t answer when I called, so I had no choice. Besides, I have a duty to make sure nothing has happened to the person I’m supposed to protect.”
Hmmm. Ciel drew the sound out before taking a step back, giving a sly smile spreading across his face.
“All right. Then keep doing that from now on.”
“…Of course. As long as you don’t jump to unnecessary conclusions, Lord Ciel.”
“And if I do? Will you stop checking on me?”
The playful gleam in his eyes made it painfully obvious that he was teasing her.
Eris narrowed her eyes and chewed irritably at the tender inside of her lip. When she refused to answer, Ciel abruptly changed the subject.
“Miss Eris, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
“Yes?”
“Are you absolutely sure we’ve never met before?”
Eris looked up at the question, asked with a slight tilt of his head.
Ciel was studying every inch of her as though he intended to devour her whole. Avoiding that clear yet piercing gaze, Eris answered.
“Yes. Not that I remember.”
It would be better if he failed to remember her until the very end of this journey. Bringing up their connection from the past now would only deepen her guilt.
“I see.”
“Then I’ll leave you to rest. If you need anything, please call for me at any time. I’ll be staying in the first room immediately to the right of yours.”
“Miss Eris.”
The strange tension in the air seemed to press down on her entire body. Oblivious to how desperately Eris wanted to escape the room, Ciel stopped her yet again.
“Yes. Is there something else you need?”
“Can I truly entrust my back to you, Miss Eris?”
“If you doubt my abilities, I’d be happy to spar with you.”
“I’m asking whether I can trust you.”
Eris narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t trust you?”
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