Chapter 1

“…Wasn’t it?”

“Ugh.”

Why did my body ache so much from the moment I woke up?

Had I fallen asleep in an awkward position last night? Every time I shifted, a groan slipped out against my will.

‘Did Mary forget to close the window by mistake? No, that can’t be. It’s the middle of winter. Don’t tell me I caught a cold? My head’s been throbbing for a while now….’

Perhaps because the day had begun in discomfort, the lingering drowsiness slowly faded.

“…?”

As her mind gradually cleared, Luciana realized—rather belatedly—two things she had overlooked in her half-asleep state.

‘Wait… I’m naked?’

First, beneath the blankets, she wasn’t wearing a single thread.

‘And… a man?!’

More shocking still, someone was fast asleep, holding her in a comfortable embrace.

The moment she sensed something was terribly off, Luciana’s heavy-lidded eyes snapped open.

“Huh—!”

Just as expected, a firm, solid chest filled her vision.

‘What is this.’

Not soft or rounded, but square and solid—it was unmistakably a man’s.

Her eyes widened as though she’d been struck by lightning.

Freshly awake and foggy-headed, this situation was far too much to process. She had gone so rigid she had nearly forgotten to breathe.

‘What on earth happened?’

When Luciana finally inhaled, the unfamiliar scent lingering at the tip of her nose flooded deep into her lungs.

“…!”

A cool yet heavy fragrance tickled her senses.

Every hair on her body seemed to stand on end. Without realizing it, she tensed her lower abdomen.

Why was her face heating up just from catching his scent?

It was dangerous enough that she nearly bit her tongue. A warm breath escaped her lips.

Flinch.

Unfortunately, that breath brushed against the man’s body.

He stirred immediately.

Tight.

“…!”

As though embracing something precious, he tightened his arms around her.

‘Ah—!’

Luciana felt the unmistakable presence of the man against her and sucked in a sharp breath. The vivid awareness made her face burn.

Waking naked beside a stranger, his scent soaked into the sheets.

It didn’t take long for her to recall the previous night—her first ball—and how she had overindulged in the sweet atmosphere and even sweeter drinks.

‘So… it happened.’

She wasn’t foolish enough not to understand what that meant.

‘The headache must be a hangover. And the muscle aches… for the same reason.’

Even as her mind cooled with realization, her startled heart pounded wildly.

‘Why is my heart racing like this?’

She swallowed carefully, worried he might hear it.

It wasn’t that she placed some grand meaning on chastity. The Empire wasn’t particularly strict about such things.

It was simply that she had made a drunken mistake—something she hadn’t even done in her previous life—and a twinge of self-reproach and worry crept in.

‘I’ve had the mind of an adult while living in a minor’s body for so long… Maybe I let the reins slip. I didn’t even know this body’s tolerance and drank like a fish.’

She had made a complete mess of things—and blacked out on top of it. Entirely her own carelessness.

Yes. What was done was done.

Regret wouldn’t change anything. Realizing her agitation was pointless, Luciana steadied herself.

‘Still… who is he?’

As her thoughts settled, curiosity about the man she had spent the night with bloomed.

“Mm…”

A low, pleasant murmur slipped into her ear.

‘…Nice voice.’

Her dandelion-yellow eyes slowly softened.

Was it really appropriate to be this calm after causing such an incident? Yet leaning against his warm upper body and listening to his sleepy sounds made her feel oddly languid—like a cat basking in the sun.

His deep voice, the subtle scent that made her want to hold him again, and the firm muscles so suited to her taste planted a quiet anticipation within her.

Gulp.

Though her memory was hazy from the alcohol, the roughness in her throat suggested he had likely performed quite well.

“Mm…”

“Ah!”

As if punishing her for her indecent thoughts, the man suddenly tightened his hold even further.

“?!”

Her crimson lips brushed against his firm chest before she could react.

‘What—!’

Luciana jerked back as if she had crossed some forbidden line, pressing her lips tightly together.

“Ugh.”

The faint sound of friction from her lips was followed by a heavy voice above her head.

From that moment on, the muscles wrapped around her shifted subtly.

‘He’s awake.’

An odd tension filled the air.

What would he say first? What kind of face would he make?

Countless thoughts branched through her mind in mere seconds.

They weren’t lovers. He didn’t owe her tenderness.

Still, they had shared a night.

She simply hoped they wouldn’t part in awkward embarrassment.

She had hoped that.

“Tch, damn it!”

But as if mocking her expectations, the man greeted her with rough hostility.

“Ah!”

Hadn’t he just been holding her close like a lover?

Before even offering a polite word, he shoved her away.

As if brushing off an insect.

The way he acted—as though last night had been the greatest mistake of his life—made her earlier fantasies seem laughable.

Luciana was, naturally, dumbfounded.

Did he think she was the only one flustered here? Swearing was one thing—but shoving her outright?

‘Ugh, that hurts. What kind of manners are these?’

A hollow laugh nearly escaped her, but she calmly pulled the blanket over herself and sat up. Her pink hair, disheveled in every direction, fluttered with the determined motion.

‘Anyone would think I dragged some poor innocent man here and devoured him.’

The force behind his rejection felt far too strong to be mere surprise.

‘Think about it rationally.’

She might have lived a lonely life without even a casual lover or fiancé until adulthood, but she wasn’t some barbarian who would abduct an innocent man and steal his virtue.

She had been drunk.

People joked that alcohol could grant superhuman strength, but how could an ordinary noble lady overpower a well-built man?

And he wasn’t some soft scholar who had lived buried in books—his body clearly bore the marks of long training.

Such a man couldn’t have been controlled by a woman half his size.

‘It’s obvious if you think about it for even a moment.’

If nothing else, she had to clear up that misunderstanding.

“Excuse me.”

Luciana called out, her voice laced with displeasure.

Let’s see that face of yours.

She lifted her chin confidently to look at the man she had spent the night with.

And met a pair of eyes as chilling as rubies dipped in blood.

“…Huh?”