PMBA | Chapter 16

“Gasp!”

“Aghhhh!” 

Thud.

Kyrie, about to crash onto the ground, landed in the Duke’s arms.

Despite him catching her, the impact from the fall was considerable. It was only natural that Kyrie, hitting her head against him, lost consciousness.

The onlookers gasped in shock. Some screamed. Those who arrived late, missing the spectacle, called out behind in confusion.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know, the mad dog…”

“Lady Elise and His Highness the Crown Prince were together…”

The commotion grew louder. Excited voices overlapped, creating a cacophony of sound.

“The mad dog attacked and cursed them!”

“Not only that, but…”

“The mad dog pushed Lady Elise down the stairs…”

He saw how the crowd exaggerated and distorted the story to their liking.

‘Ridiculous.’ 

Dominique easily dismissed their chatter. Although he hadn’t known Kyrie Ernberg long, he could picture the situation. The woman next to Lexion was the same one he’d seen the day before.

The woman who had flirted with Lexion, emanating a strong citrus scent. Lexion’s… lover, if one could call her that.

‘It’s probably true that that idiot was caught with her.’

But Kyrie Ernberg pushing the woman down the stairs?

‘I doubt it.’

Knowing the mad dog’s temper, it was more plausible that she would have tried to push Lexion. However, instead of correcting their gossip, Dominique looked down at Kyrie, unconscious in his arms.

At her pale, frightened face, and her fragile body, as if it would break from the impact against his.

“…Dominique.”

Lexion flinched, looking down at him from the top of the stairs. In that instant, Dominique read a mix of complex emotions in Lexion’s eyes.

‘Interesting.’

It was ridiculously funny to see Lexion’s reaction to the woman he had pushed landing in another man’s arms. Lexion stared at Dominique with an expression that suggested he was about to bite his lip.

Seeing that expression, Dominique spoke impulsively,

“As a gentleman, I’ll take care of this Lady, Lexion.”

“Dominique!”

“Shouldn’t you be attending to the other Lady?”

Indeed, the auburn-haired woman was clinging to Lexion, looking down at Dominique and Kyrie. Her previously indifferent eyes were now downcast. Then, turning back to Lexion, her eyes feigned fear.

“Your Highness, I’m scared. What if something bad happens to my sister…?”

“Oh dear. Don’t tremble, Elise.”

As the woman clung to Lexion, Dominique lifted Kyrie effortlessly and walked away through the parted crowd. The onlookers seemed to want to comment, but they closed their mouths, remembering that he was the Duke of Haswell.

Dominique found their behavior both amusing and satisfactory.

‘That’s how furniture should behave.’

That was the proper attitude for those who merely stood silently, existing as part of the scenery. Furniture that chattered, gossiped, and stirred up trouble had no value as furniture.

Dominique, without a trace of a smile, carried Kyrie back to the carriage they had arrived in. His interest was focused on the small woman asleep in his arms. So sharp and defiant when awake, yet so pale and docile when asleep, as if dead.

‘I thought I’d prefer her quiet and obedient.’

But it wasn’t so. He found her more appealing when she glared and argued with him.

“Lady?”

“……”

The unresponsive woman didn’t look well. Dominique made a quick decision. It would be better to take her to his mansion for treatment. He didn’t even consider returning her to the Ducal residence.

Fortunately, Kyrie wasn’t seriously injured. Only a slight bruise from hitting his hard chest.

The Duke’s physician, who exclusively treated Dominique, examined her and said she only needed some rest before leaving.

Lying in his bed with her silver hair scattered across the pillows, Kyrie moaned and tossed and turned, as if caught in a nightmare.

Instead of leaving, Dominique sat by her bedside the whole time, watching her while reviewing documents. Since it was common for him to not sleep while he was out on the battlefield anyway, giving up his bed wasn’t a problem.

Every time he heard a rustle, he would quietly glance over, the light coming in through the gap of the window outlining Kyrie’s features.

Her slightly parted lips, her furrowed brow, her clean face after he’d wiped off her heavy makeup with a wet towel. The unguarded, disheveled mad dog looked more like a young lady of her age than a social outlaw. A young lady, barely an adult, who likely knew nothing about adult affairs.

The thought of Kyrie, with that innocent face, sneaking into Lexion’s bed made him chuckle.

Time passed, and sunlight gave way to moonlight.

“Agh.”

With a choked gasp, her lips turned pale. Dominique clicked his tongue. Her ragged breathing suggested she was struggling to breathe.

“Hot…”

Kyrie repeated the word, the color draining from her face. Her hands weakly groped around her waist, as if wanting to remove her clothes. Her breathing became increasingly labored.

“Ugh…”

Her nausea worsened, and her skin turned as white as a sheet of paper. She looked as if she might faint any moment, despite the physician’s visit and treatment.

At that point, Dominique decided to intervene. He couldn’t have a corpse in his mansion.

“Excuse me.”

His hand reached for the bodice of Kyrie’s dress. As he pulled it down with a firm tug, white skin, similar to what he’d seen in Lexion’s room, filled his vision.

His gaze slowly swept over the tightly laced corset and the soft curves of her chest. With each hurried breath, her soft flesh rose and fell.

Her skin was still strikingly pale, perhaps even more so now that she was ill.

“Heuk…” 

Kyrie gasped again, her hands weakly fluttering over her corset. Her ragged breaths were distracting.

Dominique covered her hands with his own and placed his hand over her corset. He had never undressed a woman before, so he didn’t know how to remove it.

‘No choice.’ 

Rip. 

Dominique tore the corset without hesitation.

“Ha…”

Only after the constriction around her chest and waist was gone did she sigh deeply. Her breathing steadied, and a healthy flush returned to her small, plump lips.

As Dominique tore off the last lace of her corset,

“A little… more…”

An unexpected provocative words slipped from Kyrie Ernberg’s lips. As if asking him to undress her further, to touch her more.

“…Hold me.”

“Ha.”

The words that followed were even more outrageous.

Dominique looked up at the face of the woman whose corset he had just removed. To see if she was feigning sleep or truly unconscious. Her breathing was even.

He asked impulsively, 

“Did you do this with others, Lady?”

“…”

“With Lexion, too?”

He suddenly wondered.

If he hadn’t been in that room that night, instead of Lexion, would she have acted like this in front of Lexion?

The Lexion he knew wouldn’t have refused such an invitation, regardless of whether he was usually attracted to Kyrie Ernberg or not.

‘He has a weakness for women.’

The image of Lexion embracing Kyrie, his previous reluctance forgotten, flickered through Dominique’s mind. It wasn’t a pleasant image. It was almost repulsive.

As he pushed the thought away, her small, now rosy lips continued to murmur.

A single drop of sweat, traced a path down her pale cleavage, exposed by the loosened corset, and disappeared into the valley between her breasts.

At that moment, Dominique impulsively reached out and pressed his fingers against Kyrie’s lips.

Her murmuring lips were as soft and yielding as he had expected.

“Mmm…”

His thick fingers slipped slightly between her lips. He felt the smooth edges of her teeth and her small, warm tongue.

“…”

His curiosity, which had subsided, resurfaced. He wondered how she would react if he touched her. How her small brow would furrow, what expression she would make. How she would react upon waking to find him touching her.