There was no word from the side for a while. A few seconds passed.
"Ha."
A soft, empty laugh tickled my ear. I was sure. Dante also remembered that conversation from long ago. I turned my head slightly and saw a smile on Dante's lips. As soon as I saw that, a sense of relief welled up in me and my heart soaked. It was the first smile I had seen all day.
'I guess you're not really angry with me.'
I mustered up a little more courage and spoke.
"What do you usually do when you can't sleep like today?"
"Bad things."
Dante answered abruptly.
"Drinking
alcohol. Smoking cigarettes. Etc."
"..."
They were all really harmful things. I thought of the amber liquor that Dante often held in his hand and asked absentmindedly.
"And?"
"..."
There was no answer. I turned my head and stared at Dante. Drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes. There must have been more than just that when he couldn't sleep.
"And then?"
Dante said in an indifferent voice, pretending not to know. I stared at him, his eyes narrowed and silent. It was a well-known story that Dante would often invite singers to his bedroom. After a brief silence, Dante finally turned his head toward me.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
I shook my head and apologized. The question suddenly flew out of my head, but it wasn't really my problem to begin with.
"Your Highness is a full-grown man, so you can invite anyone at night and do whatever you want-"
"I think you're making a big mistake."
Dante quickly cut me off.
"I've indeed invited singers to my bedroom, but I've never done anything weird."
Dante frowned after saying that.
"No. I guess I did make them do weird things."
My heart raced at that moment. It's none of my business who that person is with in bed. I thought that just a few seconds ago... I stared at Dante's lips, waiting for his next words, to the point where even I found it strange. Finally, he continued.
"I told them to sing."
"..."
"A lullaby that children would sing."
My mouth opened slightly at the completely unexpected answer. There were rumors that someone had been called to Dante today, but I had never heard anything about what was going on inside.
"Singing...?"
Dante turned to me at the blank voice. His gaze, almost blatant, rested on my cheek.
"Only singing?"
"Yes."
He answered briefly and slightly twisted his lips. His face seemed to think it was funny that he was saying such things.
"But even the most famous singers are no better than a child."
I couldn't say anything as I looked at that self-deprecating smile.
Thump, thump, thump.
The only sound that came to my ears was the sound of my heart beating fast. When I didn't answer, a tense silence settled into the air again. I pressed my fingernails against my palm, and suddenly, without realizing it, I blurted out something completely unexpected.
"If you can't sleep... Shall I sing you a lullaby?"
Dante's lips hardened. His red gaze stared at me.
"What?"
Did I say something in vain? I continued to speak, blaming myself. I couldn't hold back my words, so I had no choice but to push through.
"It might help a little."
"...No. That's enough."
Dante answered in a blunt voice.
"Didn't I tell you? You don't have to do things you don't want to do."
"I'm saying this because it's not something I don't want to do."
The answer flowed out without me knowing it. I was a little surprised by the answer that came out so easily, but it wasn't wrong.
I've never hated singing. When I was young, I actually really liked it. There were times when I would eagerly wait for an opportunity to show off my skills in front of people. It was so long ago that it now felt so unfamiliar.
'Well. It was so long ago.'
Children usually sound cute no matter how they sing. And since I practiced every day back then, it must have actually sounded pretty good. But I had never sung in front of people since that incident where I was embarrassed. Even when I was alone.
While I was trying to shake off the thoughts that were popping up, there was no answer from Dante. How much time had passed?
As the silence grew longer, the will that had suddenly surged up sank like a deflated balloon.
"But it's been so long since I last sang."
Dante had invited famous singers. Dante, who was familiar with their songs, would not be impressed by my mediocre skills. It might have sounded horrible, like the sound of an instrument that was not in tune at all.
'I brought it up for nothing.'
I was needlessly excited by the fact that Dante still remembered the song I had sung in the cave long ago. I added in a small voice.
"Forget what I just said. I'll Practice a little when I am alone, and then..."
"Do it. Then."
Dante's voice followed me a little impatiently. I looked around in surprise, and our eyes met with red eyes.
"Practice. Do it here."
Dante, who had already turned around to face me, urged me. If you do it here, it wouldn't be practice. That thought crossed my mind, but I couldn't say anything. I couldn't take my eyes off the red eyes that were fixed on me. I slowly opened my lips as if possessed by something.
"Ah..."
My voice began to flow out faintly. Fortunately, it didn't creak like an out-of-tune instrument. It definitely didn't sound so terrible that I couldn't hear it.
'I think I can sing it.'
I slowly moved the tip of my tongue, holding on to the small, blooming confidence.
A moonlit night...
It was the first time in a long time that I could say the lyrics. But the lyrics I used to hum every night in my mother's arms came out naturally, like breathing.
On a starry night.
Time slowly slowed down and finally stopped. It felt like I was dreaming. In fact, I was still a seven-year-old child, and this place was not the bedroom of the Duke of Heigenberg's residence, but an old cave.
Floating through the strange unreality, I moved my lips.
Close my eyes and quietly follow the starlight path to find my dream...
I slowly closed my eyes. Even though it was a song I hadn't sung in a long time, every note and lyric was vivid.
Singing and dancing with fairies...
A smile crept into my lips. This song was filled with only happy memories. A warm night and soft blanket. My mother's breathing as she patted my back and soon fell into a deep sleep. And...
"Sleep? Really?"
"..."
"Look at that. I told you it was effective, my lullaby... hehe."
Whenever I was stubborn, I would fall fast asleep before I could finish singing the first verse, and I would look down at her pretty face like an angel in a famous painting and feel proud.
Dreaming under the moonlight...
The song didn't go any further. Something warm and soft covered my lips.
"..."
My breath stopped along with the song. A uniquely refreshing scent flowed deep into my lungs. His strong teeth lightly bit my lower lip as if asking for permission. When I reflexively opened my lips slightly, a hot lump of flesh dug in roughly as if it had never been polite. The kiss was deeper and more intense than ever. Every time our lips met, small firecrackers exploded in my head. I felt so strange that I wanted to cry.
Why did I feel so overwhelmed just by the mere intertwining of flesh and flesh?
In order not to be swept away by the surging sensation, I grabbed Dante's nape. When my palm touched, his strong neck muscles tensed up, and he opened his mouth wider to swallow me deeply. When my breathing was so short that it felt like it was going to burst, he finally pulled away.
"Haa, haa..."
Our gazes exchanged silently, with irregular breathing as the background sound.
Was it because of the darkness? His red eyes were much more cloudy and deeply sunken than usual. The eyes didn't show any light was eerie, but I wasn't afraid. Just a tingling shiver ran down my spine. I could feel his heartbeat, pounding hard beyond our touching chests. That was unbearably joyful. It felt like the clearest proof that I wasn't the only one who was so agitated and confused.
Dante, who was looking down at me with his breathless breathing, muttered something low and cursed. Then he brought his lips together again, desperately. A large, warm palm wrapped around my shoulder. The thin negligee seemed like it would tear if he moved his hands even a little roughly. It was a moment when I tightly closed my eyes in a dizzying feeling.
"...Damn it."
With a fierce voice, he fell away as if it were a lie. I looked up at him blankly. Dante roughly stroked his hair and clenched his teeth. I could see a clear sense of self-loathing in his eyes.
"I didn't want this to happen. Not today."
He pulled away from me. As quickly as he had pushed in. With my head dizzy as if melting, I realized blankly that Dante had been worrying about what had happened to me that day. What had almost happened to Lucas?
"I'm sorry. Ariana."
Dante, who had stepped away from me, sat up abruptly. The bed, which had lost its heavy weight, swayed loudly.
"You can sleep comfortably alone. I'll be out..."
He couldn't finish his words. Dante slowly turned around to me. To be exact, my hand holding his arm.
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