Chapter 5
Her eyes managed to adapt to the darkness and confirmed that it was indeed him: Agares. The man who haunted her dreams every night like the Devil himself—the man who dominated her thoughts and interrupted her daily activities under the scorching sun.
Everything about him was beautiful: blond hair as bright as the reflection of moonlight in water, snow-white skin, and pale lips. It was him. This was her first time seeing him from such an intimate position. He was so close to her that she could even reach out and touch him if she dared. His appearance was statuesque. Even with his eyes closed, he exuded languid decadence. She felt like she was peeking into the bedroom of a young, beautiful god.
Isabel knelt on the floor and leaned on her hands as she motionlessly observed him. He looked much more delicate from this view than he did when she peeked at him from a distance. He was more beautiful in person than he was in her dreams.
Did he seriously fall asleep here? Isabel stared at him blankly, trying to calm her pounding heart. She didn’t know when else she would ever see this man from such close proximity if not now. He was a man she would never be able to reach even if she spent her entire life trying. Isabel had decided from the moment she stepped into the room that she would not leave with any regrets. Unknowingly, she slowly closed the distance between them.
She only registered what she was doing after she touched her lips to his. His lips were soft and tender, as if she had pressed her lips to a marshmallow. The scent of sweet liquor from his breath made her dizzy.
“Who is it?”
Isabel tore her lips from his in surprise when she heard his calm voice. Red irises swirled from beneath lazily opened eyelids. He regarded her drowsily. His diction, which was normally always delivered in a perfect accent, was vague, slow, and messy. Was he drunk? But he only had a few drinks today.
She had been watching him since the start of the banquet so she remembered exactly how much he had drunk. He had consumed two glasses of red wine and three glasses of white wine. She had never seen him drink hard alcohol, but Isabel had been observing him for a long time and was certain he would not be drunk from wine alone. Then, why couldn’t he sober up? Why was he in such a disheveled state?
Bewitched by his eyes, Isabel was breathless and entranced. She rose from her position and tried to run away. She couldn’t believe she had had eye contact with him, even if it was only for a moment. Isabel turned to flee but her hand was caught in a forceful grip. There was only one person that could have grasped her hand.
“Y-your Highness the Grand Duke.”
The voice that flowed from Isabel’s lips contained something that resembled despair. Agares smiled thinly at the stunned greeting. He was breathtakingly beautiful.
“Yes. Who are you? The goddess of the beautiful night?”
He had even lost his normal, formal speech, either because it was just the way he spoke in the bedroom or he was drunk from something. She could not pinpoint why.
“P-please let go.”
“You’re the one hiding in a man’s room.”
“I… I…”
It was true. She was the one who had come in to hide.
“It’s okay. I don’t bite.”
His enunciation was drunken and slow, his voice croaky. Agares slipped off his gloves.
‘Is this a dream?’
His snow-white hands, which were usually always hidden in those gloves, were beautiful. He had neatly-trimmed fingernails, shimmering like transparent glass. A hand as beautiful as a slab of ivory marble rested on Isabel’s bosom. His eyes were glazed over, intoxicated by drugs, alcohol, or something else entirely. But it didn’t matter. The pale-handed man began to unbutton Isabel’s dress.
Perhaps it was because he was under the influence of drugs, but the hand performing the action was clumsy. His forehead wrinkled with a frown. He bit his lip and attempted to tear the dress off. Isabel grabbed his hand and shook her head.
“N-no.”
He pulled at the cravat tied around his neck, seemingly out of discomfort. His delicate fingers popped a few buttons open, and his pale, strong neck came into view. Agares, annoyed by how uncoordinated his hands were in loosening the buttons, gripped his shirt and tore the buttons off in frustration, fully revealing his firm abdomen.