Early Morning.
"Whoo... whoo..."
The cold wind battered against the paper window, making a creaking sound—like nails scraping against metal—completely disrupting any chance of a peaceful morning sleep.
"Sigh..." Lucas reluctantly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling. Not even a lazy morning was allowed.
"Awwoo... awooo..."
The panda, Caesar, let out a roar while tugging at the blanket. Lucas shifted toward the edge of the bed, looked down at the foot of it, and saw Caesar biting the blanket and shaking his head.
"Caesar, you're not sleeping in today? Did the noise wake you up too?" Lucas reached out to stroke Caesar's head, wiggling his fingers to tease him.
"Awoo..."
Caesar sat on his haunches, waving his paws at Lucas's fingers. He just barely missed each time, making him so anxious that he let out a loud cry.
"Creak!"
The door slowly opened a crack. First, a pair of fox ears peeked in, followed by the head of a fox-eared girl squeezing through. Her eyes scanned the room, landing right on Lucas's black ones.
"..."
Annie blinked in confusion. Why was the young master up so early today? She had planned to use his hands for her morning chest exercises.
These past few days, if it wasn't Mina keeping Lucas company, it was Amelia coming over to occupy his bed for a few nights—claiming to be his daughter. That had caused quite a stir in the castle.
Because of that, Annie hadn't had a single chance to make her move. But today, waking up to snowfall, she was sure the young master would sleep in. She just hadn't expected him to already be awake.
"Come in," Lucas beckoned lazily. "Why are you up so early?"
Last night, Lucas had played poker with Annie, Helen, and the others until around two in the morning. The main reason it went so late was that Catherine, Dahlia, and Eliza had joined in, making the game livelier and harder to end.
"Young Master."
Annie's face was slightly flushed as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. She avoided Lucas's gaze, feeling a bit guilty—after all, she had come with a special purpose in mind.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow and looked at Annie in confusion. He shifted his position, lifted a corner of the blanket, and patted the bed beside him. His voice was soft and inviting.
"You're wearing too little. Come up and warm yourself for a bit."
The fox-eared girl was dressed in a thin nightgown, with only a coat draped over her shoulders. Lucas could see her body trembling slightly from the cold.
"Huh?"
Annie froze, her eyes staring blankly at Lucas. The blush on her cheeks deepened as she lowered her head, hesitantly shuffling toward the bed.
"Aren't you cold?"
Lucas sighed helplessly. He reached out, grabbed the fox-eared girl's arm, and pulled her onto the bed. Then, he tugged off the coat draped over her shoulders and tucked her under the blanket.
"…"
Annie shivered as she was suddenly enveloped in the warmth of the bed, her body reacting with a burst of goosebumps.
"Still cold?"
Noticing her trembling, Lucas wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his embrace. His voice was gentle.
"It's snowing outside, and the wind is strong. Why did you come out wearing so little?"
"I… I…"
Annie stammered, her face completely red. Even her neck was flushed. The faint scent of Lucas filled her nose, and she could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Her mind went blank.
This was the first time the young master had held her like this—inside the blankets, no less. A flood of inappropriate thoughts rushed into her head, making her heart race even faster.
"You what? Are you not afraid of getting sick? If you catch a cold, you'll have to get a shot."
Lucas's lips curled into a teasing smile as he whispered, "A shot in the butt, you know."
"Ah?!"
Annie instantly snapped to attention, shaking her head frantically. "No way! I'm not sick!"
As if to protect herself, she even covered her backside, afraid that Lucas might actually follow through with his words.
"If you don't want a shot, then you need to dress warmer and take care of yourself." Lucas reminded her gently.
"Mm-hmm, I got it!"
Annie nodded obediently. Shots were one of the things she feared most.
"You came so early—did you need something?"
Lucas reached out and stroked the fox ears atop her head.
"I… I…"
Annie's lips parted slightly, her eyes shimmering with a faint mist. She unconsciously pressed her legs together and rubbed them slightly.
"Hmm? Could it be about the shadow puppet show?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow and said softly, "The show doesn't start this early. You'll have to wait a bit longer—it won't begin trial performances until ten o'clock."
Yes, the shadow puppet play had already finished rehearsals. The performers were recruited from Sedona City, and after a few days of training under Lucas, today was the big day for its premiere. It was currently around five in the morning—five hours before the show would begin.
"N-No, that's not it…"
Annie shook her head slightly, her face burning red. Then, in a voice softer than a mosquito's buzz, she whispered,
"Young Master… Do you really like… me?"
"Huh? Annie, what did you say? I didn't hear you. Speak up."
Lucas turned his head toward her, bringing his face close to hers.
"Uh…"
Annie's face turned an even deeper shade of red. Her eyes, misty with embarrassment, made her look like a delicate, helpless little creature.
The two locked eyes, and the air between them grew thick with an unspoken tension.
Annie shyly gazed at Lucas's face. A hint of expectation flickered in her eyes as she slowly closed them, waiting…
Lucas wasn't an inexperienced boy anymore. Anyone who wasn't a fool could tell what the fox-eared girl wanted.
Slowly, he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers.
"Mm~"
Annie's body trembled slightly. Her tightly shut eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, only to snap shut again the instant she saw Lucas's face so close.
She… was finally kissing the young master.
This feeling… it was nothing like what was described in The Noble Girl's Love Diary.
No, it was so much better—her heart was pounding wildly, and the softness of his lips made her want to sink deeper into the moment…
"Haa…"
Lucas's breathing grew heavier, and his arms tightened around her, pulling her even closer.
Under his guidance, Annie—though clumsy at first—began to respond to him instinctively, following his lead.
"Tap, tap, tap…"
Footsteps echoed outside the door.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from outside, followed by Nicole's puzzled voice.
"Why is the young master's door open?"
"Uh…"
Annie's body stiffened instantly. Her eyes flew open, and in a panic, she wiggled away from Lucas. Flustered and embarrassed, she dove straight under the blanket, curling up and completely burying herself inside.
What kind of reaction is that?!
Lucas froze for a moment, feeling the warmth of Annie's face pressing against his lower abdomen.
Before he could even process the situation, Nicole stepped into the room.
At that moment, he immediately understood what the fox-eared girl was trying to do.
"She's totally embarrassed."
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
300 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.