Banessa chuckled softly as he hugged Dana from behind. The feeling of Dana’s soft, bare back against his chest was too good. Just a few days ago, he had been overwhelmed by the emptiness of life. Yet, in just a week, everything had changed. Perfectly.
“Sis, I’ve always thought this, but you smell really nice. You must use some really good perfume.”
“It’s good, but there’s no way the scent would still be there. I took a bath earlier.”
“Hmm, that’s true. But why do I still smell it?”
“Aren’t you imagining things…?”
“I don’t think so…”
Banessa buried his nose into the back of her neck again. Could it be a mistake? But the scent only grew stronger. The more he inhaled, the more intoxicating it felt.
“Whether it’s perfume or not, it smells amazing. It’s like there’s something addictive in it…”
Perhaps this is how a cat feels when it’s high on catnip. As he inhaled in a daze, her scattered hair slightly got in the way.
At that moment, Dana gathered her hair and pushed it over her shoulder. Banessa smirked and mumbled to himself.
“Heh, as expected, you’re the best, sis.”
Adjusting his position, he entwined his leg with Dana’s. Though they had already been close without any gap, now they were completely tangled together.
Dana chuckled lightly in response. The warmth from their contact made her feel just as good.
‘He’s like a human heater.’
Was it because Banessa used purifying fire? His body temperature was slightly higher than others. Being close to him felt like touching a heated stone, warm and cozy. He would make the perfect heater for the winter.
Feeling warm and drowsy, sleepiness overcame her. There was still time before sunrise. There was still time before the first task of the day. She had already told the attendants to come late. She decided she would take a quick nap, send Banessa off, and then summon the attendants. That was her plan, but—
“Sis… you smell too sweet. It’s so sweet… I feel like I’m going crazy. Can I lick you? Just a little nibble, please?”
Dana, with her eyes still closed, fumbled for the hand wrapped around her waist. Interlocking her fingers with Banessa’s large hand, she murmured.
“No. You can’t…”
“Ah, why not?”
“I need to sleep… I haven’t slept for days because of you.”
“It’s only been a week.”
“A week… is that short? If you start whining again, I won’t let you in tomorrow.”
“Ah, no, please don’t.”
“Try practicing some restraint. How long do you plan to keep coming like this?”
“I feel like I’ll go crazy if I’m alone. I keep thinking about you.”
“You’re an adult, you should be able to control yourself.”
“I’m already the embodiment of self-control. How can I try any harder? Besides, I leave before dawn, right? Please? Sis, please?”
At Banessa’s whining, Dana suppressed the rising corners of her lips. If Banessa caught her smiling, it would be over.
From her experience over the past week, she knew that if she got caught, she would be teased until dawn.
“Sis, I was thinking… what if I don’t go back and just hide in your room? Should I hide under the bed? How about the wardrobe? Maybe under your office desk? That way, I can see you even during the day.”
Just thirty minutes ago, he had been as wild as a beast, and now he was whining like a puppy caught in the rain. The difference was maddeningly adorable. In the end, Dana couldn’t hold back her laughter. She stifled the sound, but her cheeks twitched.
“Sis? Are you laughing?”
Banessa, who had been whining, perked up his ears. He quickly lifted his body and flipped Dana onto her back. Dana tried to control her expression, but it was already too late. Banessa’s eyes were filled with delight.
“Knew it.”
In an instant, his voice deepened. A shiver ran down Dana’s spine. She bit the inside of her lip to stop herself from showing any reaction. Staring into Banessa’s flickering, crimson eyes, her heart began to race.
“You were laughing, weren’t you?”
“…I don’t know.”
Even as she spoke curtly, a sense of satisfaction filled her stomach. This fierce man was growing more obsessed with her by the day. She had tamed a beast that no one else could.
“Sis.”
A red tongue licked her lips. The sensation of that tongue trailing across her body vividly resurfaced in her mind. Her breathing quickened on its own. Banessa’s smile deepened.
“I can bite you, right?”
Hot breath tickled her sensitive neck, and Dana shivered slightly. Thick fingers intertwined with hers, as if to warn her not to think about running away. In the end, she gave in, hugging his head close.
“Take it easy. Got it?”
“Don’t worry. As always, I’ll take it easy. You just stay still. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Yet before, huh, you said to, hmph, let me handle it.”
“I can’t decide on rank or marriage on my own. But everything else, I can. I’ll do anything for you.”
His sultry whispers continued, filling her senses with a familiar sensation that quickly spread throughout her body. As she exhaled heavily, her grip on his shoulders tightened.
「Love or marriage, just pick one for me.」
「…Wait, is that a proposal?」
「If I propose, will you accept it? Do I even have the right to do that?」
A week ago, Banessa had proposed to Dana. It still felt like a dream to her. She had indeed fallen for him first and wished for him to fall for her, but she never expected things to turn out so perfectly.
When she heard of Banessa’s return to the country a week ago, she had feared the worst.
In truth, she didn’t know how to face him.
Part of her wanted to confront him, demanding why he had left without a word. But she was afraid that such an outburst might ruin whatever fragile relationship they still had. On the other hand, she couldn’t imagine welcoming him back with a smile, pretending nothing had happened. Her mind had been in turmoil by the time the meeting ended.
Her worries persisted. She thought, since everything was already ruined, maybe she should slap him hard when they met. But what if he left again, saying he hated her? Maybe she should lock him up so he couldn’t return to his Principality, though she doubted he would allow himself to be confined. He might just burn down the palace and leave.
After going back and forth between these wild thoughts, she always ended up with one conclusion.
Damn it.
Why did I have to fall for someone like him?
Gritting her teeth in frustration, she made a decision.
She would ignore him. Time heals everything. She wouldn’t meet him at all. She would let her advisor deal with him. As soon as she heard word of his Principality, she would tell him to disappear.
As soon as he left, she would marry any man she could find. No, better yet, she would marry right in front of him.
She would live well, showing off to that idiot who couldn’t see her worth.
But just this once…
She wanted to see his face.
It was in that reckless mood that she had gone to his bedroom to confront him.
And somehow, things ended up like this.
‘It’s because this bastard was just too adorable.’
Banessa might blame her, but the truth was, she had been just as bewitched by him. She had only played hard to get out of mild frustration, but he acted as if his whole world was crumbling. The more she teased, the more he clung to her in desperation.
The joy she felt at that time was indescribable. Each time he groaned, declaring how much he loved her, she had to hold back from blurting out her true feelings.
“No matter how I look at it, I’m at a disadvantage here. I’m the one who likes you, after all.”
Suppressing her smile, Dana wrapped her arms around his neck.
The truth is, I liked you first.
And now, I like you even more.
Why are you so cute? Couldn’t you be a little less adorable?
I feel like putting a leash on you so you can never leave me again.
‘Is this how those emperors felt when they ruined their kingdoms for a woman?’
Once, she had laughed at them, but now, she understood completely. The more her affection for him grew, the more she wanted to give him everything he wanted.
“Ah, Sis. I love you so much…”
Though her feelings deepened, Dana still hadn’t confessed them. While Banessa had rushed at her multiple times, declaring his love, she had yet to respond. She hadn’t even answered his proposal. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was the type to fall in love too quickly.
‘Judging by how he said he’s never even kissed before, that might not be the case.’
Then again, who knows? Maybe he simply hadn’t met a woman bold enough to approach him. Maybe that’s why he had no dating experience.
In that case, if someone else made a move on him like I did, would he fall for them too?
“Sis, what about you? Do you like me now?”
Thus, Dana decided to wait and observe him for a little longer.
Thanks to this, Banessa still didn’t know how she truly felt. He was simply happy that she hadn’t pushed him away.
Since then, they had maintained a rather peculiar relationship.
Officially, they were nothing, but every night, he came to see her.
She opened the window for him as if it were the most natural thing to do, and for a week, they had slept in the same bed.
Tonight was no different.
As Dana gently kissed his red hair, Banessa mumbled again.
“Sis, why aren’t you answering…?”
“…I’ll see how you do.”
“What?”
“I’ll give you an answer depending on how you behave.”
“Wait, really?”
Banessa shot up, lifting his head quickly.
“So, you’ll like me if I behave well? Is that really what you just said?”
The blind devotion in his eyes made her flinch. She opened her mouth without thinking.
“You… really need to learn moderation…”
“Moderation? What do I need to do?”
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
She almost let it slip—how irresistibly adorable he was and how he needed to tone it down a little.
‘No, I have to hold out a bit longer.’
The man in her arms was maddeningly cute, but for now, she had to keep him at arm’s length.
She knew it was a selfish choice, but she needed certainty.
“For now, just keep doing what you’re doing. It hasn’t been bad so far.”
“Just like now?”
Banessa grinned widely.
“Oh, so, I’m doing well, right? That’s what you’re saying?”
“I said it’s not bad, didn’t I?”
“Heh, Your Majesty. While you’re being generous, could you be a little more? Don’t be so stingy. Just call me cute once, please?”
“I take back what I said.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. It slipped out. Don’t worry, from now on, I’ll only say nice and polite things like you tell me to.”
Dana wrinkled her nose slightly. Her heart fluttered. What on earth did he eat to make everything he did this adorable?
“Anyway, you promised. If I keep this up, you’ll like me someday.”
“Don’t be too confident. It’s conditional.”
“I’m confident.”
“Where does that confidence even come from?”
“Do you remember my nickname?”
“Mad dog? Why?”
“Do you know why I got that nickname? Once I bite down, I never let go.”
Banessa grinned mischievously as he sat up. His playful gaze darkened with a deep possessiveness. Dana unconsciously tensed, gripping the bed sheet. The large dog that had been wagging its tail at her suddenly seemed like a beast ready to devour her whole.
“You’ve given me a chance, so I won’t ever let it go.”
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