Chapter 72
Chapter 72
“…I think you might break your foot. Shouldn’t we check?”
My gaze kept dropping downwards. A soft breeze tickled my forehead as Kin chuckled.
“Are you worried about me?”
Of course, I’m worried! I might cripple the Duke!
I nodded earnestly.
“Well, if my wife is worried, I can’t refuse.”
I prepared to be lowered, assuming that was what he meant. But he didn’t release me. Confused, and still anxious about his potentially fractured foot, I looked at him. He shrugged.
“…?!”
One hand behind my shoulder blade, the other supporting my back, he lifted me completely off the ground. My feet dangled in the air. Suddenly, we were eye level.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Can you focus now?”
He grinned playfully. I wanted to say no, but the words caught in my throat. He was so close, I could barely breathe.
He started moving, carrying me with him. I was suspended, my legs dangling uselessly.
“This is how you dance. Understand?”
How am I supposed to understand anything dangling like a puppet?!
I shook my head, scowling, but my protest was ignored.
“Here, you step back, then forward. And finally, you turn.”
Fearing I might fall, I instinctively clung to him as we spun.
The room whirled, but my gaze remained fixed on Kin. My grip, tightened by fear, brought us even closer.
“And that’s it. See? Understand?”
He stopped moving. Understand? How could I?
You’re the reason I can’t focus!
Our breaths mingled, his calm and even, mine rapid and shallow. With each breath, our chests brushed against each other.
Our eyes locked, suspended in the air. His breathing grew subtly ragged. I stared at him, momentarily lost, before snapping back to reality and quickly averting my gaze.
“I don’t get it at all. This isn’t working. Put me down.”
“Really? It’s working for me.”
What good is it if it’s working for you?
I could feel his gaze burning into me. I pleaded with him to put me down.
“If you insist.”
His hands left my back, and I braced myself.
Then, he seamlessly shifted his hold, one arm supporting my back and the other sliding beneath my knees. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck.
He looked down at me as he began to move again, my body swaying gently with his steps.
“Perhaps it’s best if you leave the dancing to your husband, my dear.”
Is he planning to carry me like this at the ball? Horrified, I blurted,
“Everyone will stare!”
“Does it matter if they stare? We can always find a place where no one will see us.”
Even I, oblivious as I could be, understood the implications of disappearing with him at a ball. I tried to maintain a neutral tone.
“If we’re at a ball, why would we go somewhere private?”
“Why not? That’s why there are terraces, gardens, and even empty rooms you can lock from the inside.”
He whispered, his voice like a shared secret.
“My little fairy has never been to such places, has she? I can show you around.”
“…You make it sound like you’re a regular.”
“Me? Do you think I’m that kind of man? I’ve been patiently waiting, devoted only to you, dreaming of taking you to these places.”
Like whispered endearments between lovers, he spoke of love without uttering the word.
“There’s so much I want to do with my wife.”
He carried me towards a table.
“For example, let’s pretend this is a terrace.”
He set me down on the tabletop.
“I’d sit you here like this.”
He placed his hands on either side of my thighs, his body caging me in.
“Admire your lovely face.”
His expression, devoid of its usual playfulness, grew serious as he leaned closer.
“Like this.”
There was nowhere to escape, and no desire to.
Like someone bewitched, I stared back as his lips met mine. He lingered, gently nipping my lower lip.
“And then, I’d tease you.”
His lips were hot. No, my entire face felt flushed.
We’ve kissed before, but this…this is…
I stared at him, speechless. His face was flushed too, but unlike me, he didn’t seem embarrassed. He just studied me with a serious gaze.
“Ailee.”
He murmured my name, and that’s when the alarms in my head finally went off. I pulled back before he could deepen the kiss.
“I…I need to use the restroom.”
I seized the moment of his surprise and slipped from his grasp, fleeing the room. His bewildered voice followed me.
“There’s one in here.”
I pretended not to hear and quickly closed the door.
I’d only intended to create some distance, not actually escape. I had nowhere to go, after all. It was just a way to defuse the situation. But as the door closed and I faced the empty hallway, a sudden headache struck.
“Ugh.”
A wave of nausea washed over me, and the world began to spin.
What’s happening?
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