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After adjusting to the darkness for a moment, I could make out the rhythmic rise and fall of Etienne’s chest.

It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I felt disappointed!

Geez, is he really this relaxed sharing a bed with me? It’s our first night together, and I’m jittery as hell… Then again, he’s stuck living with me because he can’t divorce.

He probably doesn’t feel the same way I do.

But hey! I’m a woman too! Biologically speaking!

For a fleeting moment, I was looking forward when he said we’d share a room.

But now, it’s clear. He was definitely trying to tease me.

I admired his face, illuminated by the moonlight. The deep shadows cast over his features gave him a mysterious aura. Touching him felt taboo, like something forbidden that might curse me.

But things like that always get touched. By people like me.

I cautiously lifted my hand. My mouth felt dry, as if breaking some unwritten rule. My hand slowly approached, and after hesitating for a split second, the tip of my finger lightly brushed against the tip of his nose.

Holding my breath, I waited.

Would he bolt upright? Oh, a corpse bolting upright! Oh, a corpse bolting! [1]

A weird ditty from my vague memory popped into my mind.

Etienne’s breathing remained steady and quiet. I mustered the courage to gently stroke the bridge of his nose.

It wasn’t crafted by a surgeon, so how could it be so straight and tall?

Hmm, my nose is pretty too.

I touched my own nose with one hand.

My nose is soft, but Etienne’s feels firm.

I fiddled for a while, but Etienne showed no signs of waking. Seeing him, who always stood tall, so defenseless made a mischievous urge bubble up inside me.

He always teased me relentlessly.

I playfully let my hand wander more boldly.

Using two fingers, I lightly pinched his nostrils closed.

1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds…

A vertical crease appeared on his smooth forehead.

Oops.

I snickered silently and quickly removed my fingers.

Hyuuuu, air whooshed out angrily from his proud nose.

It was fun seeing his expression change at the touch of my finger. I felt a small sense of triumph.

Suppressing my laughter with a hand, I then brushed his eyebrows.

Every time I looked at Etienne’s flawless face, I felt an urge to touch it, atleast once.

Who’d have thought I’d get a chance like this?

From his eyebrows down to his nose, the line looked just like a work of art. The admiring hand naturally descended to his lips.

Goodness, how could they be so red without any tint?

Without even realizing, I subconsciously tapped Etienne’s lips with my fingertip.

They felt soft, warm, and somewhat intriguing. 

Of course, lips are supposed to be soft… but there was something oddly mesmerizing about them. 

Perhaps because he always seemed so unapproachable? It felt like I was glimpsing something forbidden.

Suddenly, his tightly pressed lips slightly parted.

Gasp.

For a fleeting moment, I glimpsed his neat white teeth behind the moist inner lip. Then, abruptly, my finger was sucked into his mouth. No, bitten.

Shock rendered me almost senseless.

Etienne’s eyelids slowly lifted.

…I’m doomed.

Before I realized, I was lying very close to him, my finger still in his mouth.

At best, this could be seen as a prank, at worst, an act of molestation.

Could this be considered normal for a married couple? Please, let it be.

Etienne stared at me, motionless, seemingly in between sleep and wakefulness.

I swallowed hard. Because of that slight movement, his gaze, which had previously dropped, traced a heated path from my lips back to my eyes.

When our eyes met again, his were so dark they almost looked black. I was paralyzed. My hair stood on end, and chills ran down the back of my neck.

Tick, tock.

The ticking of a clock, unnoticed till now, echoed in the room.

Gathering my wits, I managed to mutter.

“The thing is…”

At that very moment, Etienne swiftly rose. He pushed my shoulder.

“Ugh.”

With a muffled sound that couldn’t even become a scream, I crashed onto the bed.

In an instant, he was on top of me, filling my entire view.

I felt breathless. The sheer force of his presence seemed to press down on me from above.

I can’t resist this man. That thought came instinctively.

A span of time, brief yet seemingly long, passed by. Throughout, I simply stared blankly at him.

Moonlight filtering in from the window illuminated his pale neck.

Though his thick neck was masculine, the whiteness of his skin made it appear fragile and delicate, as if it could be marked easily.

That contradiction was alluring.

“The thing you did…”

Etienne’s voice was deeply suppressed. He spoke slowly, as if every word was an effort. I managed to raise my gaze to meet his eyes.

“You take responsibility.”

[1] It’s a ditty from a Korean drinking game ???? [public cemetry game]. 

The “????” (Public Cemetery) game is a spirited Korean drinking game. Players begin by selecting the starter using “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” The game is centered around chanting “At the public cemetery~ when I went up~ the corpse sat up abruptly! The corpse sat up abruptly!”, and the starter gives a “shock” gesture towards another player. Those adjacent to the “shocked” player then quickly respond with their own gestures and exclamations. If anyone makes a mistake, such as a wrong gesture or missing their cue, they must drink as a penalty. 

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