Please Kill Me - Chapter 27

“Don’t be stubborn.”

And the next moment, Leonid was toppled onto the bed.

Yekaterina leveraged her weight and pushed him over.

‘What’s happening now?’

He thought of playing along, but this was quickly turning into a real threat to his well-being, whether it be his virtue or his life. Considering he was technically under attack by a member of a rival family, it was strange that his thoughts were leaning more towards playful banter.

‘Is insanity contagious?’

Leonid sighed at his own absurd thoughts, then wrapped his right arm around Yekaterina’s waist, pulling her close and flipping their positions.

Now, the roles were reversed.

As Leonid propped himself up with his good left arm to maintain some distance, the two in the dark assumed a posture fitting for the night.

Yet, in such a scenario, Yekaterina showed no particular reaction.

Just calmly gazing at Leonid, then turning her head towards the window by the bed.

It was as if she hadn’t been the one to initiate this nighttime ambush.

‘Damn it.’

This situation made it seem as if he was the one harboring unsavory intentions. Leonid inwardly cursed.

Part of him found the woman under his arm momentarily alluring.

It would have been preferable if the night’s darkness had obscured her, but, unfortunately, Yekaterina shone all the more in the gloom.

Her silver hair sprawled over the bedsheet glimmered ethereally.

The dark eyes gazing up at him from beneath the moonlike glow of her face seemed even more captivating.

Yekaterina was, in fact, quite beautiful. Her usual expressionless demeanor and absurd requests had simply overshadowed her physical appearance until now.

Leonid felt unsettled by this new realization.

What kind of upbringing did they have at the Offenbachs to make her so bold as to enter a man’s bedroom without fear?

He sat up with a frown.

“I won’t ask why you came, just return to your room.”

“Just be quiet and cover yourself with the blanket.”

“Why the blanket now?”

Instead of answering, Yekaterina placed a finger on her lips and pulled Leonid closer with one arm.

The renewed contact made Leonid clench his jaw in frustration.

‘I’m going crazy.’

He would have wrapped her in a blanket and tossed her out long ago if he could. But with one arm feigned as injured, he couldn’t dismiss her as easily.

However, one thing became clear.

Yekaterina hadn’t come with any malicious intent to harm Leonid.

She was fully dressed, as if ready to go out at a moment’s notice. If she had harbored any frivolous thoughts, her attire would not have been so conservative.

Eventually, Leonid cursed under his breath and then voiced out loud.

“You’ll need to explain what this is all about in the morning.”

“Understood, so hurry up.”

What could possibly make her rush things to this extent?

Leonid suppressed his curiosity and compliantly laid down on top of Yekaterina. It didn’t take long to pull up the blanket and cover themselves. He made sure to prop himself on his elbows, maintaining a certain distance between them.

Yekaterina, once under the blanket, turned her head back towards the window.

Her persistent gaze compelled Leonid to follow suit.

As he turned his head, a palpable presence could be felt even without seeing – the window silently opening, the slight disturbance in the air.

Could it be?

As their eyes met inadvertently, a silent acknowledgment passed between them.

Only then did Leonid begin to piece together the purpose behind Yekaterina’s strange actions.

Someone had sent an assassin. The realization sent a slow chill down Leonid’s spine.

‘An actual intrusion.’

It was not so much the presence of an intruder that chilled him, but the fact that he had failed to notice it sooner.

Under normal circumstances, he would have easily detected such an intrusion. Especially when the intruder had closed enough distance for their presence to be noticeable, he would’ve picked up on any window opening from some room.

But tonight, Leonid’s attention had been entirely consumed by Yekaterina. The commotion caused by her intrusion into the residence also played a part, making it difficult to notice an additional set of footsteps in the corridor.

Suddenly, Leonid recalled the dinner they had shared earlier. Yekaterina had abruptly asked a question while they were drinking wine.

-…Is a window open somewhere?

Had Yekaterina sensed something from that moment?

Leonid’s previously lax nerves tightened instantly. Though his realization was delayed, he was no stranger to combat. His eyes swiftly assessed the situation.

‘The sword is at the side of the desk.’

But with Yekaterina here, he couldn’t use his right arm.

While it wouldn’t be difficult to kill an assassin with just his left arm, capturing them alive was another matter.

To identify who sent the assassin, he couldn’t just kill them.