109. Stop me
Kaitlyn bit her nails until she tasted blood.
For several days, she just stayed in her room with her hair down and a ghost-like appearance.
I know what you did to Kanoa and her bastard.
The fear she felt the moment she received the letter did not subside at all, but was still squeezing her neck like a noose.
Who knew, and how did they do this?
There were only two people in the world who knew the secret.
Jetson, who planned it and put it all into action.
The trembling pupil naturally headed towards her husband's room. Jetson would be holding his bottle as usual.
At first, Jetson was also put on the suspect list because her instincts warned him not to trust anyone.
But no matter how much she thinks about it, she doesn't think he would have sent the letter. Jetson is an accomplice and a stupidly loyal person. Why would he dig his own grave?
“Yeah, no.”
Kaitlyn shook her head and left the room with the candle. Feeling through the pitch-black darkness, she opened the door to the side room where Jetson was.
A skinny old man noticed her and quickly bowed down.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
His eyes flashed sharply.
“How many years have you been working for me?”
“It’s been 40 years.”
The old man's gravelly voice often made Kaitlyn feel unbearable.
Everything was the same as it was that day long ago. She came to him in a state of agitation, and he followed orders calmly as he did now.
“You are not just a servant. You are also my trusted friend.”
“...those are too kind words for this worthless guy.”
Kaitlyn tried not to glare at him coldly. Even though he was her confidant and had blood on his hands, she always got goosebumps when she saw Jetson.
She never imagined that she would have to ask him for another favor...
But her late father always said that if she wanted to get to the top and have the world at her feet, she had to use people like Jetson.
'He is like a rat. He will crawl through all the dirty filth and bottom and do all the dirty work for you. Take care of him. Then you will achieve everything you want.'
Kaitlyn opened her mouth slowly, recalling her father's advice.
“There’s another problem. It’s your turn to take care of it.”
Kaitlyn handed him the envelope.
“We have to find out who sent this.”
Jetson checked the contents. His pupils, which were rarely shaken, shook greatly.
At that moment, Kaitlyn was sure. Jetson was not the culprit. The person who sent the letter was much more cunning and skilled in plotting.
“Do you have any suspicions?”
A thousand names came to Kaitlyn's mind.
“Take this first.”
Kaitlyn handed over the pistol she was holding.
Emilia woke up in an instant. Her sleepy pupils were wandering around the dark room, then she sensed a presence and turned to the side.
There was Hardius.
He sat cross-legged on the single sofa, turned toward the fireplace, and stared at the crackling flames.
She could tell from the dampness still in his hair and the loose fit of his robe that he had just finished bathing.
Emilia quickly raised her upper body. His gaze, which had been fixed on the wood fire, turned to her.
“When did you come?”
Emilia asked quietly, overcome by a strange sense of shame.
“About an hour?”
Emilia's head turned to the desk clock. Her eyes widened as she saw the hour hand approaching the number 2.
“The story has become long. His Majesty the King has become quite drunk.”
As he spoke, Hardius also held a glass in his hand. The man’s golden-colored side and the strong scent of whiskey swept deep into Emilia’s stomach.
It was a strange thing.
Just smelling unfamiliar smells made her want to vomit, but Hardius' body odor mixed with the scent of alcohol didn't cause any reaction.
“Why... aren’t you sleeping?”
The dry pupils glanced at her and then fixed themselves on the fireplace again. After a moment, a low, deep voice echoed through the silent room.
“I heard you had trouble sleeping. You had nightmares.”
Emilia, who understood the meaning a beat later, looked slightly surprised.
“Are you doing this because of me?”
“Could there be any other reason?”
Hardius answered like that and took a sip of his alcohol. Emilia, who had been blankly staring at his rippling Adam's apple, turned her head away in surprise.
“I’m... okay. You must be tired... Go back to your room and get some rest.”
The corners of the man's mouth curled up crookedly as he swirled his glass.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have a room of my own. It seems that our grumpy King has locked all the other rooms.”
Emilia tried hard not to open her mouth stupidly.
“Well, if another door had been open, I would still be here.”
He muttered dryly, still not looking at Emilia.
“You must be tired.”
"It's okay."
There was a lingering sense of drowsiness somewhere in his firm yet precise pronunciation. Realizing that he was drunk, Emilia fell into a strange feeling of being drunk herself.
Hardius showed no intention of giving in. She blinked, pulled the blanket back up, and squeezed her eyes shut.
Of course, sleep had long since run away. After a few minutes, Emilia sat up again.
“How about lying down here?”
Her hand patted the empty space next to her. The bed was as wide as the ocean, big enough for two people to sleep on.
"It's okay."
Hardius answered without even looking up.
“You can’t just sit there.”
"When I was doing search training, I would stay up for 48 hours straight. But I'm still alive and well, so don't worry about it and just go to sleep."
Despite the harsh and cold tone of voice, Emilia was caught in a state of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She wasn't even cold, but her body kept trembling.
Pulling the blanket up, she stared at the ceiling, waiting for time to pass. Her mouth, unable to hold out for even a few minutes, began to move again.
"Master,"
"Why?"
“...I can’t sleep.”
Even though she had her back turned, she could sense that he was flustered. She gathered her courage.
“Will you stay by my side?”
There was silence for a few seconds.
He put down his glass and roughly ran his hand through his hair. The moment she felt his long body heading towards the bed, Emilia buried her reddened face in the pillow.
After a while, the mattress sank, and the clean scent of a man came rushing in like a tidal wave. Emilia tried to relax her stiff body.
She said the incredible words, 'Please stay by my side,' which even she couldn't believe, but now that it has actually happened, she doesn't know what to do or how to do it.
Time passed by in a dry silence.
The man, lying face up to the ceiling, covered his forehead with one arm. Between the calm and clean breathing, Emilia was overcome by an unbearable feeling whenever she heard a slightly rough breathing sound. Her mind became clearer, and her senses became more and more sensitive.
Her head, which was turning white, began to spit out random words.
“Yes. I can’t believe it. Everything about this moment is unreal. I’m sure it’s the same for you, Master.”
“...”
“But I’m still trying. To love the child here... in here... and to accept the relationship with you, Master.”
Emilia gently placed her hand on her lower abdomen.
“Of course, the Duchess... I still don’t get it at all. To be honest... I just want to continue living like I am now. While continuing to work at Latang... Oh, did I mention that I’m in charge of the accounting there?”
At this point, she thought he would say something, but the man behind her remained annoyingly silent.
"...sleep?"
"No."
The man's voice answering was muffled, as if he had swallowed grains of sand.
“How could I possibly sleep?”
The moment she heard those words, the heat that started in her mind spread throughout her body. Emilia's body, seized by impulse and heat, moved on its own. Emilia carefully stretched out her arm and found the man's hand that had been lying around.
She felt him freeze at the slightest touch. Her mouth began to utter something she had never imagined.
“Uh, I read in a book... that... men are allowed... so as not to harm the child...”
"Stop."
But contrary to what he said, Hardius grabbed Emilia's shoulder and turned her towards him.
"Stop."
The cold whispers grew closer and closer, and he finally lowered his face to find her lips. Emilia trembled at the soft and sweet kiss and opened her mouth without realizing it.
His tongue entered with a groan.
The man wearing the thin gown was hot. The heat rising from his lower abdomen engulfed his entire body as if he had been swallowed by a fire pit.
When the long, drawn-out kiss ended, Hardius was panting heavily, as if he had just finished a strenuous workout.
“You have to stop me. Do you know why?”
Even so, he roughly pushed his excited body towards Emilia's waist. His hot hands tightly grabbed her lower abdomen.
“If this kid here was a guy... if I had that kind of confidence, I probably would have had you.”
Emilia's body stiffened in shock.
“But Emilia, she could be a girl. So that’s not good.”
The body that touched her slender waist began to move back and forth. Every time he thrust, the drunken man's breath broke against the nape of her neck. It was a promiscuous act that was only to relieve his own desires, but Emilia felt her body getting hotter.
“I can’t let you do what prostitutes do.”
The actions that were completely different from the words continued. His long fingers lifted the clothes and gently stroked the bare skin of her lower abdomen. Emilia let out a hot breath and curled up like a cat.
“You know better than anyone how impatient I am.”
The man's fingers slowly moved downwards, but he was unable to penetrate deeply and just hovered around.
“So you stop me.”
The voice of a man at his limit broke into pieces as it reached her ears and the back of her neck.
“Tell me to stop.”
The man's other hand slowly came up and gently squeezed the plump mound like a delicious fruit. Blood rushed to the already sensitive area, and his breathing became labored.
He dug his teeth into the back of her white neck and pushed up the hem of her nightgown to her waist. Goosebumps ran down her spine.
He rubbed his body against her bare skin again. The warm heat starting from her waist made her melt like wax.
“If something goes wrong with the child, you will never forgive me. I will not take reckless risks. I have finally gotten hold of you.”
After finishing his calm words, he increased his speed.
The nape of her neck was bitten, and hot breath poured out. The man's body that had been rubbing her roughly became stiff for a moment, and he vomited hot things onto the small of her back.
A hazy dawn.
Jetson, who had his master's pistol tucked into his waistband, immediately boarded a single-seater carriage. After half a day's ride, he arrived at the vicinity of William Richard's mansion.
The first person his master had identified as a 'suspicious person' was none other than William Richard. From now on, he must be followed and his every move must be monitored.
Jetson parked his carriage in a dark alley and waited for William Richards to come out.
He was silently holding his breath and only blinking his eyes, completely unaware that there was another shadow chasing him.
Kaitlyn bit her nails until she tasted blood.
For several days, she just stayed in her room with her hair down and a ghost-like appearance.
I know what you did to Kanoa and her bastard.
The fear she felt the moment she received the letter did not subside at all, but was still squeezing her neck like a noose.
Who knew, and how did they do this?
There were only two people in the world who knew the secret.
Jetson, who planned it and put it all into action.
The trembling pupil naturally headed towards her husband's room. Jetson would be holding his bottle as usual.
At first, Jetson was also put on the suspect list because her instincts warned him not to trust anyone.
But no matter how much she thinks about it, she doesn't think he would have sent the letter. Jetson is an accomplice and a stupidly loyal person. Why would he dig his own grave?
“Yeah, no.”
Kaitlyn shook her head and left the room with the candle. Feeling through the pitch-black darkness, she opened the door to the side room where Jetson was.
A skinny old man noticed her and quickly bowed down.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
His eyes flashed sharply.
“How many years have you been working for me?”
“It’s been 40 years.”
The old man's gravelly voice often made Kaitlyn feel unbearable.
Everything was the same as it was that day long ago. She came to him in a state of agitation, and he followed orders calmly as he did now.
“You are not just a servant. You are also my trusted friend.”
“...those are too kind words for this worthless guy.”
Kaitlyn tried not to glare at him coldly. Even though he was her confidant and had blood on his hands, she always got goosebumps when she saw Jetson.
She never imagined that she would have to ask him for another favor...
But her late father always said that if she wanted to get to the top and have the world at her feet, she had to use people like Jetson.
'He is like a rat. He will crawl through all the dirty filth and bottom and do all the dirty work for you. Take care of him. Then you will achieve everything you want.'
Kaitlyn opened her mouth slowly, recalling her father's advice.
“There’s another problem. It’s your turn to take care of it.”
Kaitlyn handed him the envelope.
“We have to find out who sent this.”
Jetson checked the contents. His pupils, which were rarely shaken, shook greatly.
At that moment, Kaitlyn was sure. Jetson was not the culprit. The person who sent the letter was much more cunning and skilled in plotting.
“Do you have any suspicions?”
A thousand names came to Kaitlyn's mind.
“Take this first.”
Kaitlyn handed over the pistol she was holding.
***
Emilia woke up in an instant. Her sleepy pupils were wandering around the dark room, then she sensed a presence and turned to the side.
There was Hardius.
He sat cross-legged on the single sofa, turned toward the fireplace, and stared at the crackling flames.
She could tell from the dampness still in his hair and the loose fit of his robe that he had just finished bathing.
Emilia quickly raised her upper body. His gaze, which had been fixed on the wood fire, turned to her.
“When did you come?”
Emilia asked quietly, overcome by a strange sense of shame.
“About an hour?”
Emilia's head turned to the desk clock. Her eyes widened as she saw the hour hand approaching the number 2.
“The story has become long. His Majesty the King has become quite drunk.”
As he spoke, Hardius also held a glass in his hand. The man’s golden-colored side and the strong scent of whiskey swept deep into Emilia’s stomach.
It was a strange thing.
Just smelling unfamiliar smells made her want to vomit, but Hardius' body odor mixed with the scent of alcohol didn't cause any reaction.
“Why... aren’t you sleeping?”
The dry pupils glanced at her and then fixed themselves on the fireplace again. After a moment, a low, deep voice echoed through the silent room.
“I heard you had trouble sleeping. You had nightmares.”
Emilia, who understood the meaning a beat later, looked slightly surprised.
“Are you doing this because of me?”
“Could there be any other reason?”
Hardius answered like that and took a sip of his alcohol. Emilia, who had been blankly staring at his rippling Adam's apple, turned her head away in surprise.
“I’m... okay. You must be tired... Go back to your room and get some rest.”
The corners of the man's mouth curled up crookedly as he swirled his glass.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have a room of my own. It seems that our grumpy King has locked all the other rooms.”
Emilia tried hard not to open her mouth stupidly.
“Well, if another door had been open, I would still be here.”
He muttered dryly, still not looking at Emilia.
“You must be tired.”
"It's okay."
There was a lingering sense of drowsiness somewhere in his firm yet precise pronunciation. Realizing that he was drunk, Emilia fell into a strange feeling of being drunk herself.
Hardius showed no intention of giving in. She blinked, pulled the blanket back up, and squeezed her eyes shut.
Of course, sleep had long since run away. After a few minutes, Emilia sat up again.
“How about lying down here?”
Her hand patted the empty space next to her. The bed was as wide as the ocean, big enough for two people to sleep on.
"It's okay."
Hardius answered without even looking up.
“You can’t just sit there.”
"When I was doing search training, I would stay up for 48 hours straight. But I'm still alive and well, so don't worry about it and just go to sleep."
Despite the harsh and cold tone of voice, Emilia was caught in a state of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She wasn't even cold, but her body kept trembling.
Pulling the blanket up, she stared at the ceiling, waiting for time to pass. Her mouth, unable to hold out for even a few minutes, began to move again.
"Master,"
"Why?"
“...I can’t sleep.”
Even though she had her back turned, she could sense that he was flustered. She gathered her courage.
“Will you stay by my side?”
There was silence for a few seconds.
He put down his glass and roughly ran his hand through his hair. The moment she felt his long body heading towards the bed, Emilia buried her reddened face in the pillow.
After a while, the mattress sank, and the clean scent of a man came rushing in like a tidal wave. Emilia tried to relax her stiff body.
She said the incredible words, 'Please stay by my side,' which even she couldn't believe, but now that it has actually happened, she doesn't know what to do or how to do it.
Time passed by in a dry silence.
The man, lying face up to the ceiling, covered his forehead with one arm. Between the calm and clean breathing, Emilia was overcome by an unbearable feeling whenever she heard a slightly rough breathing sound. Her mind became clearer, and her senses became more and more sensitive.
Her head, which was turning white, began to spit out random words.
“Yes. I can’t believe it. Everything about this moment is unreal. I’m sure it’s the same for you, Master.”
“...”
“But I’m still trying. To love the child here... in here... and to accept the relationship with you, Master.”
Emilia gently placed her hand on her lower abdomen.
“Of course, the Duchess... I still don’t get it at all. To be honest... I just want to continue living like I am now. While continuing to work at Latang... Oh, did I mention that I’m in charge of the accounting there?”
At this point, she thought he would say something, but the man behind her remained annoyingly silent.
"...sleep?"
"No."
The man's voice answering was muffled, as if he had swallowed grains of sand.
“How could I possibly sleep?”
The moment she heard those words, the heat that started in her mind spread throughout her body. Emilia's body, seized by impulse and heat, moved on its own. Emilia carefully stretched out her arm and found the man's hand that had been lying around.
She felt him freeze at the slightest touch. Her mouth began to utter something she had never imagined.
“Uh, I read in a book... that... men are allowed... so as not to harm the child...”
"Stop."
But contrary to what he said, Hardius grabbed Emilia's shoulder and turned her towards him.
"Stop."
The cold whispers grew closer and closer, and he finally lowered his face to find her lips. Emilia trembled at the soft and sweet kiss and opened her mouth without realizing it.
His tongue entered with a groan.
The man wearing the thin gown was hot. The heat rising from his lower abdomen engulfed his entire body as if he had been swallowed by a fire pit.
When the long, drawn-out kiss ended, Hardius was panting heavily, as if he had just finished a strenuous workout.
“You have to stop me. Do you know why?”
Even so, he roughly pushed his excited body towards Emilia's waist. His hot hands tightly grabbed her lower abdomen.
“If this kid here was a guy... if I had that kind of confidence, I probably would have had you.”
Emilia's body stiffened in shock.
“But Emilia, she could be a girl. So that’s not good.”
The body that touched her slender waist began to move back and forth. Every time he thrust, the drunken man's breath broke against the nape of her neck. It was a promiscuous act that was only to relieve his own desires, but Emilia felt her body getting hotter.
“I can’t let you do what prostitutes do.”
The actions that were completely different from the words continued. His long fingers lifted the clothes and gently stroked the bare skin of her lower abdomen. Emilia let out a hot breath and curled up like a cat.
“You know better than anyone how impatient I am.”
The man's fingers slowly moved downwards, but he was unable to penetrate deeply and just hovered around.
“So you stop me.”
The voice of a man at his limit broke into pieces as it reached her ears and the back of her neck.
“Tell me to stop.”
The man's other hand slowly came up and gently squeezed the plump mound like a delicious fruit. Blood rushed to the already sensitive area, and his breathing became labored.
He dug his teeth into the back of her white neck and pushed up the hem of her nightgown to her waist. Goosebumps ran down her spine.
He rubbed his body against her bare skin again. The warm heat starting from her waist made her melt like wax.
“If something goes wrong with the child, you will never forgive me. I will not take reckless risks. I have finally gotten hold of you.”
After finishing his calm words, he increased his speed.
The nape of her neck was bitten, and hot breath poured out. The man's body that had been rubbing her roughly became stiff for a moment, and he vomited hot things onto the small of her back.
***
A hazy dawn.
Jetson, who had his master's pistol tucked into his waistband, immediately boarded a single-seater carriage. After half a day's ride, he arrived at the vicinity of William Richard's mansion.
The first person his master had identified as a 'suspicious person' was none other than William Richard. From now on, he must be followed and his every move must be monitored.
Jetson parked his carriage in a dark alley and waited for William Richards to come out.
He was silently holding his breath and only blinking his eyes, completely unaware that there was another shadow chasing him.
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