Matthew asked with a beaming smile. As he asked slyly, like someone who already knew the answer, Riu had no choice but to nod, biting his lip.
“Yes. It’s delicious.”
The taste was on a different level, so much so that he couldn’t even remember what the wine he’d had until now tasted like. Even though it had disappeared from his mouth, the flavor lingering on the tip of his tongue felt as though it had been infused with vanilla.
As if he had drunk a love potion, the wine made him feel giddy, and Riu moistened his mouth once more.
“It’s a blend of fruity and floral notes. I thought you would like it, but I didn’t expect it to be this much.”
“Thank you for being so thoughtful. It’s really delicious….”
His cheeks grew flushed after just a few sips. Whether he knew it or not, Riu emptied his glass.
“Drink slowly. We still have plenty of time left.”
Matthew picked up a piece of fruit in front of him and placed it in Riu’s mouth. Watching Riu eat deliciously with his small mouth, Matthew smacked his lips. Like a predator.
“Come to think of it, Matthew, I don’t think I’ve seen your paintings yet.”
“Why? Do you want to see them?”
Riu nodded repeatedly as he accepted the wine Matthew poured. For some reason, even though he had been in a painting group with Matthew until now, it felt like he had never seen his work even once.
He was certain Matthew was more skilled than he was. Feeling a sense of regret, Riu took a sip of wine and set the glass down.
“Why do you want to see my paintings?”
“Well, I’m curious about what kind of style you paint in.”
With a still-bashful face, Riu rubbed the rim of the glass with his index finger. Every time he did, a faint sound occurred, making Riu flinch and hook his finger around the stem of the glass.
“I feel good. You’re finally showing interest in me.”
“….”
“I’m glad it seems like you’re opening your heart little by little. It makes me feel like my efforts weren’t in vain.”
Whether he knew his methods were wrong or not, he let out a light laugh and emptied his glass.
“I’ll show you soon. If that’s what you want, Riu.”
“When will that be?”
“The day I think you like me a lot.”
Matthew smiled brightly as if that day was approaching soon.
“I’m going out tomorrow. I’ll bring back the painting tools you like, too.”
At the word “outing,” Riu’s face brightened with joy. However, he quickly composed his expression and replied calmly.
“Painting tools, I’m so happy.”
Riu breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Matthew gradually trusting him.
“Is there nothing you want to eat today?”
“Huh? Oh… melon. I want to eat that.”
Since he couldn’t miss this opportunity, Riu hurriedly named the first fruit that came to mind. It just so happened that the fruit he mentioned was right in front of him.
In his embarrassment, Riu stabbed a piece of melon with his fork and put it in his mouth.
“Melon always seems to taste good no matter when I eat it.”
Seeing Riu chewing as if it were delicious, blue veins rose on the back of Matthew’s hand gripping his glass. At the same time, Riu swallowed the fruit he was eating and held out the fork to Matthew.
“Do, do you want to try some too?”
It was a simple gesture of kindness offered seeing that Matthew wasn’t eating anything. But he set down the fork Riu held and grabbed Riu’s fingers.
“I want to eat something else.”
As soon as Matthew finished speaking, Riu’s fingertips touched the edge of Matthew’s lips. Unlike the chilly wind, a warm heat could be felt, making Riu’s eyes tremble.
“I’d rather kiss you….”
“…”
“You’re pretty.”
He replied shortly, watching Riu, who wanted to hide his hand. No matter how many times he heard it, those words never seemed to get old.
“You should have another glass.”
His closed, soft lips parted, and his breath touched Riu’s fingertips and vanished multiple times. The soft yet damp breath made his whole body feel like it was burning up.
“H-hand, please….”
As soon as he finished speaking, Matthew bit the tip of Riu’s fingernail. The nibbling sensation felt like it was traveling from his fingertips to the top of his head.
“Why aren’t you drinking? You have to drink for us to play more interesting games.”
Riu’s eyes welled with tears as he watched Matthew licking the bitten area with the tip of his tongue.
“When you’re doing this… how can I drink?”
With a slight tremor, Riu gripped his fingertips.
“Then I guess there’s no choice.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ll just have to help you.”
As if doing him a favor, Matthew stood up and approached his side with a glass. Still staring at Riu, he swirled the glass once and tilted his eyes provocatively.
“I wonder if this wine will be sweet, or if your mouth will be sweet. Aren’t you curious?”
“…No.”
“I am, though. And I might as well help you drink the wine while I’m at it.”
Holding the wine in his mouth, he overlapped his lips with Riu’s.
Simultaneously, the liquid flowed into Riu’s mouth along his invading tongue.
“Hng….”
Reflexively swallowing, Riu’s Adam’s apple moved slowly, and the area under his eyes flushed a pale red.
“You’re the same as ever–stimulating and seductive.”
Speaking in a voice thick with sensuality, he poured wine into Riu’s mouth once more. Perhaps because it was wine given by him, it felt exceptionally sweeter.
It was so sweet he couldn’t keep his senses, and Riu instinctively moved his tongue to find his. But Matthew pulled his lips away slightly as if he wouldn’t give him what he wanted so easily.
“Aren’t you being a bit too proactive?”
Following his quietly whispering voice, the heat escaping between their mouths touched the tip of Riu’s nose and vanished. When Riu looked at him longingly, Matthew tilted Riu’s chin up.
“Do you want to? How much?”
“A lot….”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Matthew kissed him. Tilting his head slightly, he nibbled on Riu’s lower lip.
“Haa….”
In the atmosphere that had heightened to the point of being sticky, Riu felt a hot surge of heat rising within his body, whether from the alcohol or the excitement.
Riu slowly pulled his lips away and gasped for air.
“It really is sweet, even more than the wine you drank.”
Riu flinched at his voice, which was saturated with intimacy. He lowered his head slightly and quietly wrapped his arms around Matthew’s neck.
After confirming Matthew’s departure, Riu sprang up from the bed. He took out the neatly folded clothes from the shelf next to the bed and hurriedly pulled them on.
Over the past few days, the carriage transport time Riu had confirmed was 10:00 AM. At that time, the gates of the villa always opened and a carriage entered.
It was now past 9:00 AM. It was still early, but Riu went to the window to scout the surroundings.
Certainly, Matthew’s guard had loosened lately. It was partly because he had become submissive, but there were also knights who had become lax in their long hours of duty.
Knock, knock.
Startled by the small knock, Riu flinched and took a deep breath. Soon, he cleared his throat and told the person to enter.
“Are you awake? I stopped by to ask what you would like for your meal. Shall I tell them to prepare it immediately?”
“No, I just woke up so I don’t have much of an appetite yet. So I was thinking of taking a walk in the garden for a bit.”
When Riu smiled brightly, as if walking would improve his appetite, Mason stepped aside and said,
“I will follow you.”
Judging by Mason’s reaction, it seemed the range he was allowed to move around in had expanded significantly.
“Then I will tell them to bring the meal after you return from your walk.”
“Yes, please do that.”
Riu walked toward the garden with a polite smile.
As he strolled through the garden, Riu saw the carriage entering in the distance. According to the time he had calculated beforehand, the carriage only stayed for about five minutes. It departed immediately after unloading the goods.
The distance from here to the kitchen was about three minutes. Even if he snuck into the carriage, he had to stay safely inside for about one minute.
“Um… I forgot to bring a wrap. Could you go get it for me?”
“Then perhaps we should go together….”
“My legs hurt a bit. I’ll wait here quietly, so don’t worry.”
Seeing Riu’s adamant request, Mason let out a small sigh. Since there were no servants passing by nearby, he nodded his head.
“Then please stay here for a moment.”
“Yes, I will. Thank you.”
Riu smiled with a face that looked utterly harmless and innocent.
Eventually, Mason disappeared toward the way they came at a brisk pace.
At the same time, Riu hurried toward the kitchen, moving as stealthily as possible to avoid being seen.
“The items this time are very fresh and good.”
“Of course. These are ingredients carefully selected and brought from the Imperial Palace.”
Overhearing the conversation between the coachman and the chef, Riu learned that the food he had been eating came from the Imperial Palace.
Why? He knew the Count Davir family was an ally of the Imperial family, but he hadn’t realized they held this much influence.
Once again, Riu realized how formidable Matthew’s family was.
“Well, I’ll be going now.”
As soon as the farewell was said, the chef went inside. Only after confirming that even the servants had completely disappeared did Riu take the chance to slip into the carriage while the coachman was mounting his horse.
“Huh? What was that noise?”
“What?”
“Didn’t you just hear a strange sound?”
Riu had tried to close the door as carefully as possible, but it seemed the coachman had heard something.
“What noise? I didn’t hear anything.”
At the whispering voices of the two coachmen, Riu’s heart pounded wildly. If Mason were to come down now, it was only a matter of time before he was caught.
Please….
Riu held his breath, wishing for them to depart quickly. Fortunately, it seemed God was still on his side, as he felt the carriage begin to move.
“Haa….”
But he couldn’t be relieved yet. Not until the carriage had completely left the villa….
Riu sat up from where he had been hiding under the seat. He peeked out the window to check the situation outside.
He saw Mason in the distance, holding a wrap and looking around. Then, sensing something was wrong, he ran toward the kitchen.
It was only a matter of time before he was caught. There was about one minute left until the carriage reached the villa entrance.
Riu grew anxious and bit his nails. All he could do was hold his breath and pray that the carriage would pass through safely.
Had Riu’s wish reached the heavens?
The carriage safely exited the villa, and only then did Riu let out a long, dry breath.
“Thank you….”
He had never once thought that God existed. Even if He did, he thought He wasn’t on his side…. Now, he planned to go to the temple and offer prayers occasionally.
Riu pondered how he would get off this carriage. Although he had escaped safely, he knew that jumping from a moving carriage could lead to a major accident. Then, he suddenly discovered a wooden crate inside the carriage.
“Right, that’ll work.”
Without hesitation, Riu opened the carriage door and threw a wooden crate outside. Simultaneously, with a neighing sound, he felt the carriage come to an abrupt stop.
As soon as his body lurched to one side, Riu took the opportunity of the stopped carriage to scramble out. The coachmen, who had belatedly discovered him, shouted for him, but Riu started running without looking back.
“Whew….”
He ran and ran for so long that he felt his lungs filling to the brim.
His throat was so sore it wouldn’t have been strange if he coughed up blood, and his Adam’s apple felt stuck to his throat, causing nausea.
Just as the strength was beginning to leave his legs, Riu felt that they were no longer pursuing him. Only then did Riu go to a large zelkova tree and gasp for breath.
“Hah…. Whew.”
He had finally escaped from that nightmare-like time. He didn’t know how to express this joy. Riu could not hide his happiness at the mere fact that he had escaped the deep sense of confinement.
But soon, a sense of futility washed over him. If he went home like this, Matthew, who would have heard the news, would likely already be waiting in front of it.
“Where should I go….”
First, he wanted to change out of these uncomfortable clothes immediately, but all he had was what he was wearing.
“…Haa.”
Even after coming out like this, there was no one he could rely on. The only people he knew were Renee and Albert.
Contemplating what to do, Riu remembered a story his mother had told him when he was a child. She said to ask a flower when in doubt. Riu plucked a single yellow daisy blooming at his feet.
“Go, don’t go, go, don’t go….”
Go…. The last remaining petal said so.
“But how can I go to Albert….”
They were only just beginning to become friends, so he was someone Riu worried about imposing upon.
However, at present, no one other than Albert came to mind. Regardless of the shame, Riu decided to ask him for help.
“Right…. I have no choice.”
If he were to be caught by Matthew again like this, all the effort he made to escape would go to waste. Since he didn’t want that, Riu decided to head down to a nearby village and hire a carriage.
“So he escaped?”
“I am sorry. If you give me just a little time….”
“If I give it to you, can you even catch him?”
A voice as sharp as a blade was pointed at the base of Mason’s throat. Though there was nothing actually there, Mason’s face turned deathly pale.
“I asked. Can you bring him back?”
He tapped the armrest of the chair he was sitting in, as if telling Mason not to provoke his mood any further. He seemed to be weighing how to deal with the person before him.
“If you give me just one more chance, I will surely not disappoint you.”
He was a lord who tolerated mistakes less than anyone. Mason knew that if he lost his trust in this state, he would live a life worse than death. The lord he served was, contrary to his public image, a terrifyingly cold man.
“I trusted you and kept you by my side because you’ve done your job well until now. But to think you would disappoint me in this way.”
His expression, which had been dry throughout, twisted into a contemptuous smirk. His appearance was beyond arrogant–it was almost haughty–but as if he were born to it, even that look exuded grace.
“Fine, I will give you one last chance. One, I think you know. This is the first and last chance I give.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
“Fire everyone at the villa. Including the chef.”
Because of just one person, numerous people lost their jobs. They had likely worked hard to reach those positions…. In his pity, Mason added words unlike his usual self.
“That is too many people. If you could give them another chance….”
“Mason.”
“Yes.”
“You’re being unnecessarily long-winded today.”
Even without adding an explanation, he knew what Matthew was going to say. Mason quietly closed his mouth and bowed his head.
“There’s no need to search near his house. He won’t have gone there.”
“…Then, would it be the Alexander Ducal house?”
“Most likely.”
“However, searching that place carries too much risk. The Alexander family is deeply trusted by His Majesty.”
The Alexander Ducal house.
It was one of the loyalist families that had pledged allegiance to the Emperor. If they were to carelessly lie in ambush at such a family’s mansion, there was no telling what kind of trouble might arise later.
“That’s why Kian is needed. For now, you go to the Duchy and have knights lie in wait nearby.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“I will take responsibility for everything that happens because of it.”
“By your command.”
Receiving Matthew’s order, Mason quickly vanished from sight.
“How long are you going to hide there?”
“Oops, I’ve been caught.”
Kian, who had been hiding behind the window curtains, revealed himself. As if he had been there from the beginning, he adjusted his glasses and approached Matthew.
“I thought a fun spectacle was about to unfold for once.”
“Shut up and sit down.”
Where had the kind demeanor he’d shown Riu gone? Matthew gestured with his chin for Kian to sit.
“Looking at your expression, it seems you’re very angry.”
“Know the time and place for your jokes.”
“Whoa, whoa, calm down. Are you really going to kill even your friend?”
In contrast to the tension-filled air, Kian sat down comfortably as if he were completely unaffected. Excluding family, Kian was the only person who could sit in such a posture before Matthew.
“So, what’s the favor?”
Kian asked, looking at Matthew, who still seemed displeased. As if the glasses were a luxury from the start, he took them off and set them on the table.
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