162 - Fragments of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 162
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I was hesitating, unsure of what to do. He slightly twisted his shoulder, trying to slip my hand off.
Michael Ayres wanted an intimate act of gently patting his firm, bulging muscles, an action that seemed too close and informal for a man and woman to share.
At the same time, as if considerate of my dazed state, he lowered his head deeply. The ear peeking out from his flowing hair was no different than usual.
Was this the same innocent knight who used to blush at a mere kiss on the back of my hand?
It was as if a large beast had surrendered, prostrating itself and begging to be caressed.
Even with his head bowed beneath my palm, exposing the crown of his head, he willingly did so without hesitation.
A perfect submission that even a slave couldn't easily display. It made me feel like I had become the noblest person in the world.
I didn't move. Not because I couldn't, but because my mind was blank. I was not used to such subtle enticement, as opposed to blatant coercion, and my throat felt parched.
Sir Ayres's ever-changing demeanor, enough to make me lose my mind, was also a factor in freezing me.
He would act purely innocent, like someone who knew nothing, and then suddenly become so calm and sensual, making it impossible to regain my senses.
"Is it not allowed?"
After a moment, he slightly raised his head to look at me. His eyes, now calm and serene as if the previous heat was a lie, were simply beautiful.
There was no disappointment or longing, just a quiet inquiry as if it couldn't be helped.
I remained silent. I was forced to meet his gaze, but that didn't mean I would let my stiff tongue move as he wished.
When I didn't say anything, Sir Ayres smiled faintly. He gently took my hand that was on his shoulder, as if understanding, and lowered his head again.
The knight's face was directed towards my wrist, exposed white by the rolled-up sleeve. Then, a soft, fleshy sensation pressed firmly against my delicate skin. The warm breath emanating from his tightly closed lips and the tip of his nose tickled my fragile skin.
I flinched at the strange sensation, pulling my elbow back, but my wrist, trapped in his long fingers, remained unmoving. He simply continued to press his lips down, as if it had to be done. Very reverently, as if time had stopped.
The beautiful man everyone longed for was kneeling at my feet, engraving a tribute of reverence and a trace of sweet affection on my wrist with the most serious expression.
The pure heart, devoid of any lust, made my vision dizzy. My heart was beating in time with his breath. I stopped breathing and bit my lip tightly as I felt the inside of my stomach tighten.
"Thank you."
His voice, flowing into my ear, made my cheeks feel like they were burning. This sly man had performed such a bold and dizzying act without my consent to comfort himself, and then glossed over it with a word of thanks.
It started with him getting up as if nothing had happened and smiling brightly again. It felt like I shouldn't frown and say "You're being rude" in a cold voice.
He's good at hitting and running, as expected.
I quickly hid my wrist, which was burning as if it would leave a mark, under the voluminous lace sleeve and chewed on the tender flesh inside my mouth.
I didn't know what to say to him, who was thanking me, so I took a slow breath, trying to buy time to think.
Normally, I would have mocked him in a cold, calm voice, "Where did the person who was embarrassed by me before go?" but when I tried to do so, I couldn't open my mouth.
I knew I had to be wary and keep pushing him away, but strangely, my heart didn't move.
Was it because he was wagging an invisible tail with a face full of innocence, as if he was simply happy? Or was it because he was catching me off guard like this, making my heart flutter, and I didn't know how to defend myself?
In my previous life, the only sincere man I had seen was Sir Halberd, and the rest were all idiots who were just trying to get into a woman's pants and weren't even worth dealing with.
They despised my skin color—tan and golden like well-baked bread—but they couldn't take their eyes off my breasts when they swayed slightly, and they would only swallow hard.
Some even made blatant advances, thinking that I would be easy like my Mother. I could handle conversations that veiled sexual innuendo or words that were close to mockery, but I couldn't find any of the consideration or small favors that they showed to other ladies.
So, Michael Ayres's approach was unfamiliar.
Could someone become so bold if they truly liked someone?
While I was troubled by such absurd thoughts, Sir Ayres had already returned to his seat and was drinking his cold tea.
His expression was calm, as if he had heard the footsteps of the maid bringing in more hot water and had returned at the exact right moment. I was the one who felt wronged for being awkward and restless.
Perhaps that's why. Even though I should have asked about the Crown Prince, I couldn't say anything until he returned to the Imperial Palace.
I had just acted like a fool, dazed by the unfamiliarity of a man who had acted like a spoiled dog, begging to be comforted and loved, and then ended up doing what he wanted.
Michael Ayres was becoming an increasingly difficult man to understand.
In the past, I was like Sir Halberd's shadow. Except for scheduled events, I always followed him around, watching his back. As if I didn't care about my pride, like that.
Looking back now, I was a complete idiot, but at the time, I thought it was the best thing to do.
Of course, I was a very foolish woman at that time, so my behavior of chasing after Sir Halberd was also clumsy.
Even the most oblivious person could easily notice how openly I was digging into his whereabouts.
Foolishly, I couldn't control my overflowing heart and spilled it everywhere. Even when others asked mocking questions, I thought they had recognized my love and blushed hideously on both cheeks. So, it was only natural that I was ridiculed by others.
But back then, as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, the first thing I did was figure out how to accidentally meet him and say even one more word. I had the vain hope that if I saw him every day, he would take pity on me and treat me a little more kindly.
Sometimes, I felt so miserable and pathetic, and there were times when I wanted to give up, but when I saw his face, all those sorrows disappeared, so I couldn't give up. As soon as I made eye contact, the resentment and complaints disappeared in an instant, as if painting over them with white paint.
Even though I was treated poorly, I was just happy. I was just happy. My heart was beating so hard that I couldn't breathe. At the same time, I became greedy.
I wanted to hold the Bishvarts Family's noble sword that everyone longed for in my arms. If I did, I felt like I would know what it felt like to be loved—different from maternal love.
So, I urged the maids to find out what he was doing all day. Even though I knew that his schedule didn't change every time, I was anxious that even a slight deviation would disrupt our meeting.
Perhaps no one encountered me as often as Lustewin Halberd. He wasn't a cunning man who would cancel or change his plans to avoid someone he disliked, so it couldn't be helped.
And I, the foolish Sis, was so happy at the chance encounters. With a face as gaunt as a skeleton, I grinned, giving an ugly smile. Trying to look as kind as possible.
Ah, how coldly his expression hardened when he saw me like that, how much deeper the wrinkles on his forehead became, I can still see it vividly when I close my eyes.
Even if he reluctantly greeted me, his stiff back line was as if he wasn't sincere.
The soft and firm shoulder that Roena had leaned on had no kindness to be found. His tense appearance towards me was reminiscent of a cold pebble. It looked smooth on the outside, so I grabbed it without thinking, but in reality, it was so hard that I felt like I couldn't dare to dig into it, a sense of frustration.
And now that I've returned, his previous route hasn't changed, so it wouldn't be difficult to meet him if I wanted to.
But at first, I didn't move because I wanted to give up my feelings, in the middle, I stayed away because I was afraid of the Knight of Clear Hearing's change, and now, I couldn't easily narrow the distance because of the awkwardness I had shown in the rematch with Sir Ayres.
Even when I smiled while looking at the book that Sir Halberd had secretly gifted me. The Floral Crown he gave me was also kept in Capsa, still holding the thrill of that time.
But when I thought of him, the Knight of Clear Hearing, the Bishvarts Family's sword, Roena came to mind and my heart pounded.
Even though it was only once, I felt a sense of distance after overlaying that perception on him. Even though what he did was perfectly natural, I thought of it as an insurmountable wall, and I felt like I couldn't see him as before. It seems that after vowing to let him go and not care, I had really cooled down.
...But why do I look through the book he gave me every night before going to bed?
No, if the Crown Prince hadn't brought up the story about Sir Halberd, I wouldn't have had these worries. If he hadn't stirred me up, it certainly would have been.
The Crown Prince, whom I met again, was surprisingly calm. Even though he knew that I had gone to meet Perinnil without his knowledge—no, he couldn't have not known—he pretended not to know and showed the same attitude as usual.
It was so ordinary that it seemed like he wouldn't care anymore since the kidnapping had failed. Thanks to that, he and I were able to face each other as if nothing had happened.
But it was unexpected that Lady Roshan was not by the Crown Prince's side. He usually avoided meeting alone to avoid social scandals.
The social circles were so promiscuous when it came to sex and romance that shocking scandals broke out several times a day. The nobles were so tolerant of momentary pleasure that they would willingly throw themselves into even taboo relationships, as long as they could avoid gossip. So, it was nothing for them to secretly fall in love with a friend's wife.
Therefore, if it became known that we had met alone today, it was clear that it would be on the lips of gossips who liked to talk about others for at least a week. It wouldn't be fatal, but it was an uncomfortable situation for me, who hated such noise.
But the Crown Prince didn't care about any of this and took me to the open garden of the Imperial Palace and calmly drank tea.
I had come, tense, thinking that he would interrogate me about Perinnil, but all he did was talk about Sir Halberd. Most of them were trivial, very silly questions.
I wondered what he was up to, so I subtly avoided the questions he threw at me, and he narrowed his eyes and chuckled.
"It seems you have no interest in the knight of your family."
I bowed my head and carefully replied, "I am sorry." Because there was a suspicious smile on his lips, I couldn't easily say that it wasn't true. It couldn't be helped because the Crown Prince only smiled like that when he had ulterior motives. So, I dodged like a loach.
Well, it's not a big deal that he's trying to shake me up, but if the subject is Sir Halberd, it's very different.
Most of the Crown Prince's questions were, "Are you close to your family's knight?"
