It's Too Late for Regrets - Chapter 9.11

“If it’s something you give, I’m happy with anything. Please, sit down.”

 

Ines let out a short sigh and stepped back, then plopped down heavily into the chair. Only then did the man sit down opposite her again.

 

He still showed no expression, but there was clearly a different feeling than before. It was relief and happiness that she had finally bent to him.

 

He didn’t like being controlled by Isa. His voice came out harshly on its own.

 

“I don’t think a ruler of a nation should do something like stalking.”

 

“I know. Spread rumors, report to the emperor, do whatever you want.”

 

Ines laughed in disbelief. This man was a duke.

 

“Are you aware that you just said something very cowardly?”

 

The power difference between them was clear.

 

If she were the empress, or at least the emperor’s fiancée, they might have been somewhat equal. But now, without even a wedding, she was just a count’s daughter.

 

“You clearly know I would never say that to Your Highness…”

 

“No. What I just said is honest.”

 

But it seemed his thoughts were different.

 

Leon corrected her words bitterly.

 

“You are always above me.”

 

“…”

 

“From the start. You played above my head. You used me as you wanted…”

 

When Ines looked confused, he quickly added,

 

“But it’s okay. Now, I want you to please stay above me. Do whatever you want to me…”

 

He switched between polite and casual speech at will. Regardless of what he said, this tone made him completely unpredictable.

 

Sometimes he seemed like he was talking to Celia, sometimes to Ines.

 

Sitting here longer would only mean being tossed around again.

 

“…Half an hour. You definitely wanted only that much, right?”

 

Ines picked up the newsletter she had thrown on the table as if ending the conversation.

 

Leon’s mouth went dry seeing Ines’s expression, which showed no signs of softening.

 

Under the table, his thigh trembled as if about to spring up. No matter how tightly he clenched his hand that twitched toward her, he couldn’t stop it from moving forward.

 

When he tried to grab the teacup from her hand, she pulled back again.

 

The faint touch of her skin barely brushing his finger was insanely warm—this was the only thing left to him.

 

“…”

 

Unlike him, Ines was unnervingly calm. He was desperate to touch her more, but she was cold.

 

Finally, he had no choice but to bring up their son.

 

“Caesar is doing well. He catches colds sometimes, but it’s nothing serious. It won’t happen again, never.”

 

“…”

 

“He’s a picky eater, but he never skips meals.”

 

“…”

 

“Today Caesar was tired, so I sent him home early. If you want to see him, come to the mansion anytime. Or next time, I’ll bring the child with me.”

 

Ines stayed silent for a long time. Leon’s voice gradually softened.

 

Maybe she noticed he was mentioning Caesar to catch her attention, but she still didn’t look at him.

 

As if he wasn’t there. As if she completely denied his existence…

 

Something inside Leon slowly began to change.

 

Yes. She was so wary of him, it was too late to start over and win her favor step by step.

 

Appealing to her completely empty affection was useless.

 

The pity that once flickered in his green eyes darkened, replaced by the look Eleanor’s people feared the most.

 

The eyes of a predator observing its prey’s weakness.

 

Noticing the sudden change in his mood, Ines’s hand flipping the newsletter paused briefly.

 

Her eyes unconsciously met his arm resting on the table, then quickly dropped.

 

“Ah.”

 

He caught the reaction in an instant. Without thinking, Leon touched his neck and loosened his cravat.

 

The green cloth slipped softly to the floor.

 

“…”

 

Ines sighed quietly, almost inaudible.

 

He stared at her without blinking, then reached for the button tightening his collar.

 

The first thing he always did when spending the night with her was undoing his cravat and shirt buttons.

 

Ines still didn’t meet his eyes, but Leon sharply noticed that her gaze was fixed on a certain part of the newsletter.

 

Holding his breath briefly, she slowly exhaled, her lips trembling.

 

Her tongue lightly traced the inside of her lips…

 

When the button at his neck popped open, Ines blinked a couple of times fast.

 

All those small signs were exactly how Ines often acted when there was a heated atmosphere between them.

 

Found it. A slow, heavy smile appeared on Leon’s lips.

 

In contrast, Ines bit her tongue hard, realizing her mistake.

 

“That crazy man…”

 

She shouldn’t have let him watch her like this.

 

On the night of the masquerade ball, Leon saw through her identity with just one look.

 

He knew her too well.

 

More precisely, he knew even the smallest habits that Ines didn’t know about herself.

 

But still…

 

“He can’t really be trying to undress, right…?”

 

Unfortunately, the way he moved to unbutton the second shirt button looked serious. The sexual tension made her skin prickle.

 

Ines slammed the newsletter shut before he could undo the third button.

 

“Be honest, Your Highness.”

 

Her head ached. At this point, avoiding was no use.

 

Ines finally raised her head and met his eyes squarely.

 

“What exactly do you want from me? If you only plan to tease me, then stop.”

 

“Honestly…”

 

“I’ve sat here for 30 minutes, listened to all your small talk. But you still don’t seem satisfied.”

 

“…”

 

“What do you really want from me?”

 

What she truly wanted. Leon echoed her words in a strange tone.

 

She asked what he had long wondered.

 

What exactly he wanted to do with her…

 

Leon spoke as if hypnotized.

 

“I just want… you to look at me again. Don’t avoid me, don’t push me away…”

 

Saying it was enough just to be here together was actually a lie.

 

If he dug a little deeper, a shameless desire would come out.

 

“I want you to love me again…”

 

And deeper than that, not just hearing love,

 

“And also…”

 

He wanted to touch her.

 

In the most direct and primitive way to feel her life.

 

It was a long desire that had controlled him since the first day they met, and now it was the most effective way to get a reaction from her.

 

His heart, shaken by her unexpected question, began to warm up.

 

He put his arm on the table and leaned toward her. Looking at the cold and unfamiliar woman’s face, he remembered her true face.

 

A thin, delicate face line, clear blue eyes like clean sea water, lips shining bright red like flowers dyed in color.

 

Lips that had seduced him from the first meeting…

 

Leon muttered in a hoarse voice.

 

“…I want to kiss you, Ines.”

 

“…”

 

“I want to hold you.”

 

Ines froze, forgetting to react.

 

Hold her, kiss her? It was so absurd that it didn’t even make her laugh.

 

Still, Ines was caught in the atmosphere he gave off and couldn’t move.

 

His gaze pressed down on her without hesitation.

 

She didn’t want to imagine it, but she couldn’t help thinking that one day he had looked over her naked body like this.

 

And she realized she was so used to that act that she was tamed.

 

It was shocking, even though it was obvious.

 

If they had been married before, even with a child, they must have had marital relations.

 

Maybe many times.

 

“…”

 

Ines imagined herself kissing that man in her mind.

 

What kind of man he was when he kissed. How he touched her and pushed into secret places. Even without memory, imagining was not hard…

 

As expected, it was not unfamiliar.

 

At that moment, Leon was imagining exactly the same scene with Ines.

 

His imagination was messier than hers.

 

His dangerous thoughts showed on his face. Ines bit her lips hard.

 

A sense of crisis came.

 

“No.”

 

Was she just scared when he came close to her?

 

“No, not that.”

 

Ines barely blocked her thoughts.

 

“If you’re trying to seduce me like this, stop.”

 

“Seduce…”

 

His voice was too sexual.

 

“Do you think I’ll give in if you seduce me?”

 

“That won’t happen…”

 

“If I do it, I do it.”

 

“…”

 

“That’s the best thing I do, Ines. You probably know that best.”

 

“What on earth…”

 

Ines felt dizzy. She felt caught by him for a moment, then freed.

 

She spat with contempt.

 

“You are shockingly honest.”

 

Leon leaned back in his chair again. But the hot desire he gave off remained.

 

“You told me to be honest.”

 

“Do you do anything I say?”

 

She teased, but the answer came quickly.

 

“Anything.”

 

“…”

 

“Anything you want. In this state, I might even serve under you…”

 

“Stop!”

 

Ines finally stopped listening and cut him off.

 

Sweat came from the hand clenched under the table. She gritted her teeth and snapped,

 

“You really are crazy like the rumors say.”

 

“I know.”

 

He answered gloomily.

 

“For a while now.”

 

No more talking. Ines took a deep breath and quickly let it out.

 

“You said you do anything I say. Then don’t look at me with those eyes again. Don’t watch or follow me like this.”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t even think about threatening me using the prince as a pretext, Your Highness.”

 

Her throat went dry as she spoke.

 

To calm her complicated feelings, Ines reached for the teacup.

 

Just as she brought it to her lips, he suddenly stood up like lightning and snatched the cup from her hand.