# 33
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Ariana swallowed as she slowly approached him.
She was half anticipating what would happen next, but when Kenneth pulled her into his lap and sat her down, she was surprised.
"Yes!"
As their chest approached, she felt her face heat up due to his scent emanating from his neck.
She tried to change her position, but that only led to more embarrassment, so she quickly turned her gaze to the window.
But she realized that the glass reflected her image, so she chose to stare at his shoulder instead.
The hand holding her waist tightly was hot like fire, making her spine shiver uncontrollably.
“You didn't say you'd enjoy the rest of your time with me, right? Now it's your turn.”
“But, here?”
Ariana looked around anxiously.
This is a place to work and discuss official matters. Why does he leave the bedroom proper?
Kenneth pointed to the documents with his other hand.
“Because I have work to do, and you have nothing to do.”
Ariana made an effort not to frown.
Who made her a doll on a shelf? Who put her in a position where she's blindly waiting for him to come?
'Don't let anger control you.'
Anger and frustration require love, but she doesn't love it.
There was no reason for her to complain about her body being tired.
'But, let me consider this a good thing.'
If this man is taking measures to prevent “mistakes,” there must be some effect…
Ariana put her arms around Kenneth's neck.
“Yes, that's true. You make sense.”
“I who have nothing to do must come.”
Ariana put her hand on his tie.
“…I will do my best.”
The silk tie slipped from her hand, flowing smoothly to the floor.
* * *
The usually cool air of the workroom was stifling with an unusual heat.
But the evening breeze gradually began to creep into the heat-saturated space.
Kenneth was looking at Ariana as she lay down.
Near her little head, there was an upside-down picture frame.
A frame containing a newspaper photo of Ariana smiling happily in another man's arms.
Kenneth slowly turned his gaze from the frame to the real Ariana.
Ariana was breathing deeply, her face pink. Her lips, swollen from biting, were slightly open.
Just two hours ago, she was making sounds, but now it seemed as if she couldn't even make a hum.
Kenneth remembered the muffled plea he heard when she moved her lips.
'Help me...'
'How?'
As he looked at her face, he expected her to say that she couldn't go on.
In the middle of it, he realized that Ariana was pretending. She succeeded in untying the tie, but then she struggled funny.
But Ariana was more excited than he expected. Maybe a little suspiciously. She gently took his hand and extended it around her waist.
'...I can't be alone'
He remembered how he lost his mind because of the Empress's gift and rushed towards her, but he stopped in the middle of the matter, but she was the one who clung to him with greater determination.
'What on earth are you thinking?'
This woman is a hypocrite, should be hated, and her hidden intentions are puzzling.
But he decided not to ask out loud.
What's the point of worrying in this relationship now?
These feelings belong to those with weak hearts.
Even if Ariana said something, how credible is it?
At that moment, Ariana, with closed eyes, let out a soft moan.
“Mmm...”
Kenneth brushed back a strand of hair stuck to her cheek and sneered.
“Being exhausted means you have no conscience, Ariana.”
“What does that mean...”
“Looks like I'm the one who did everything this time too.”
Ariana's face turned from pink to dark red.
He expected her to respond nervously, but her eyes were expressionless, as if she had never looked that way before.
Ariana tried to get up, leaning against the desk, wiggling her hands.
“I'm sorry...if it's that bad, I'll try again.”
“Just a moment-”
“Enough.”
An exasperated wrinkle appeared on Kenneth's brow.
He didn't know about the old days, but Ariana was more adept at getting on his nerves than he expected.
She is energetic where she doesn't need to be, and displays a strange stubbornness at times when she should admit to being tired.
He picked her up as she stumbled while trying to get up.
"Yes …!"
Ariana made a muffled sound of surprise, but she was helpless, so she surrendered to his embrace as if she was being pulled into him.
Her ears were already red.
“Just a minute, like this again-”
“Ariana, I know very well that you treat me as an object of pleasure.”
He frowned, treating her like someone who was thinking strangely, pointing to some items falling on the ground.
“But knocking more things off the desk won't help.”
“It appears that these documents will need to be rewritten.”
When he clicked his tongue softly, Ariana's shoulders shrunk. Kenneth silently watched the last of the sunset light glint on her lowered eyelashes.
Before he was immersed in the silent beauty, he turned his head to look out the window.
“So, stay calm.”
Ariana slowly leaned towards him. Neither of them spoke.
He had called her into the workroom late in the afternoon, but the sky outside the window was now a dull purple.
“...I heard you summoned that journalist again.”
“You heard about that...?”
“Is there something going on in this palace that I don’t know about?”
But calling her a journalist might be questionable.
Ariana rolled over in his embrace, whispering.
“I liked what she did this time, so I asked her to take care of me in the future.”
“Finally, you're starting to put your clothing budget to good use.”
Kenneth sneered coldly as he grabbed her waist. Even with light movement, a faint moan escaped.
"Yes!"
“Prepare yourf to leave.”
“My lord Duke, just a moment...”
“We won't be coming back here for a while.”
Ariana didn't answer as she was tired, but she put her arms around his neck and nodded.
Kenneth closed his eyes when her hot cheeks touched his neck.
The burning hatred still burned his throat, but this was tolerable now.
'It's still acceptable.'
As long as he is in control in this relationship.
As long as she clings to him.
But before leaving, he will have to properly warn those who need warning.
* * *
When the Duke's family announced their plan to move to the south, the high society of Lentia was abuzz.
Even if Duke Clifford preferred attending business meetings to social parties, there were those who hoped that he would attend.
So, before the family left, invitations poured in from people rushing to make appointments to meet. Among them were families exploring the possibility of accompanying them to the south.
In both cases, the Duke's family had to adapt to those whose plans were somewhat disrupted.
They decided to go out to foreign hunting grounds with other families whose dates did not match.
When Kenneth had just returned, people were reluctant to invite him to activities that might remind him of the old tragedy: guns, the opera, charities, long travel.
But without these activities, interaction between people was impossible, and more importantly, he could not bear to let the past subjugate him.
Therefore, although he was not fond of hunting previously, after his near-death experience, he became more immersed in it.
The target appears in the scope.
Then he ends his life.
Takh-!
The sharp smell of gunpowder passed his nose, and smoke rose from the gun's barrel. What kind of small, insignificant animal he had caught did not matter much to Kenneth.
'This is a qualification.'
It was similar to what he had experienced before.
After turning from prey to hunter, the opera house incident was no longer even a nightmare. When the servant brought the injured prey, mild cheers rose around him.
“Wonderful, Sir Duke!”
“Perfect injury this time too.”
As he responded to the insignificant compliment, he focused his gaze on a man with platinum blonde hair.
Damien Baptiste was constantly looking towards the Duke's Palace a little while ago.