Chapter 11
**CHAPTER 12: The Moonlit Trap**
Adeline had seemingly changed her target from Noah to the household staff in order to win his favor. She was probably planning to cling to this estate, win over the maids’ affection, and then behave as if she owned the place.
She was taking advantage of the Miller Duchess’s absence.
‘Well, even if she does, she won’t be able to surpass Lady Aria.’
The most punctilious among the maids, Head Maid Aria, would surely never tolerate the sight of Adeline’s antics.
‘Smiling?’
The servants looked as if they were savoring every juicy bite of watermelon, exclaiming in delight each time they swallowed a piece. They were spitting juice, their voices thick with how delicious it was.
Adeline burst into loud laughter, wondering what was so amusing.
One of them approached her, watermelon in hand, thrusting it toward her as if to offer a bite. She was practically trying to feed her.
‘What the hell is this?’
Noah’s eyes narrowed sharply. He let out a hollow laugh at the light loyalty that had already been stolen by Adeline over a mere slice of watermelon. He lightly grabbed the servant’s wrist, which was trying to touch her.
“Where do you think you’re putting your hands?”
His mouth fell open in shock. He had never seen such disrespectful behavior from a maid before, even in his noble circles. The feeling of being insulted by another noble ignited a fierce blaze in his chest.
Adeline looked startled and lowered her eyebrows before obediently taking a bite of the watermelon.
“Hah!”
She was going to eat that? If she had shouted at her to let go right away and slapped her cheeks, Noah could have looked the other way. But she had simply pushed the hand gripping her wrist away and continued eating the watermelon without a word.
“How utterly pitiful.”
Noah ground his teeth. Yes. That was exactly why he hated her. No man would ever like a woman who looked so foolish.
Noah began glaring at Adeline through the window, as if she were a real person. Adeline had always been bothersome, and his dislike for her remained unchanged.
Yet he found himself wondering what on earth there was to laugh at between them?
Was he in pain? The man who was supposed to be engaged to her was sick?
She hadn’t smiled elegantly in front of him?
As Noah’s thoughts continued, he suddenly realized he was overthinking her too much and shook his head. He must have caught a fever from the heat. What did that have to do with him?
“Handle it yourself.”
Adeline, unable to stand the sight of it, pulled the curtain shut.
What am I doing, locked up in here because of her?
How terrifying it was that he had spent time holed up in the room instead of enjoying a refreshing swim by the lake or indulging in pleasant sex on a cool evening.
“Hah…….”
Noah tilted his head back. Crack. The sound of bones shifting rang sharply. His body, which had been pretending to be sick for days, had reached its limit.
Adeline.
‘I have to find a way to get rid of her.’
Noah stretched his body as if she were standing right in front of him.
“Master Noah.”
At that moment, Adeline’s voice reached him. Noah thought he might be hallucinating.
“Adeline. May I come in for a moment?”
He realized it was not a hallucination. Noah slid off the bed for a moment. He could not even bring himself to lie down again, so he roughly sat on the edge.
The moment permission was granted, the door opened.
“What are you doing?”
“…….”
Ignoring her question entirely, Noah narrowed his eyes.
Her words had not even registered in his mind.
‘Why is she…?’
Adeline, dressed in a thin indoor dress, was drenched in sweat. Judging by the way her chest rose and fell rapidly, she must have run here. The neckline of her sky-blue dress had darkened with moisture. Her fair skin, likely tanned by the sun, radiated a warm heat that grew more intense the closer she came. The faint scent of sweat, instead of being disgusting, tightened Noah’s throat until it felt nearly painful.
Adeline, looking extremely seductive, smiled sweetly like a child and set the watermelon down. Her upper body leaned in as she picked up a piece cut just right.
Noah hurriedly pressed the back of his hand against his nose.
What is she trying to do?
Noah felt his heart race and his lower body grow heavy. Damn it. His mood was terrible.
Yet Noah tried to dismiss his physical reaction as nothing more than that of a healthy man. If his lower body had not failed him, he would have stood up just from her shamelessly seductive appearance.
While Noah was calming himself, Adeline, having rushed over without checking her own condition, looked at him oddly and offered the watermelon again.
“Please try one piece. It’s very refreshing.”
“…….”
“Hm?”
Leaning forward, Adeline’s hair fell slightly over her shoulder. A bead of sweat rolled down her neck and gathered at her chest.
Noah’s lips stiffened. He unconsciously swallowed. The scent that had been causing his thirst flooded his lungs.
It was dangerous.
His already heavy lower body swelled even more. If Adeline lowered her eyes for even a moment, his aroused appearance would be fully exposed.
Damn it, really.
Noah bit back his curse and covered his lower body with the blanket. His mood was terrible. Even if a healthy man could get aroused by a woman’s form… Wait, no, hold on—female?
Hah. Was he seeing Adeline as a woman?
“Master Noah?”
“What did you do to me?”
“Eh?”
The innocent eyes filled with genuine confusion ignited a fire in Noah’s chest. He closed his eyes and tried to calm the rising lust.
No. No.
Thinking rationally, Adeline had done nothing. She had simply run over offering watermelon because she was soaked in sweat. Especially since it was an extremely hot summer day, and Noah had not been able to relieve his urges for days.
Yes. That was why…….
He had simply been shaken for a moment. Not by Adeline herself, but by the female body, the scent of a woman.
‘Well, she’s a woman anyway.’
Noah convinced himself there was no romantic attraction to Adeline, only a biological reaction to her gender.
Finally regaining his senses, he opened his eyes. Adeline was still holding out the watermelon, smiling.
Had she caught a fever too? Was his expression so strange that it was making her dizzy? Adeline was not the type to exert herself for a man’s sake, so Noah could not really blame her.
Drip—drop.
Juice from the watermelon dripped down Adeline’s hand.
I want to lick it.
It might have been the heat. Noah grabbed Adeline’s wrist and pulled. The thin wrist bone, barely enough to hold in one hand, felt oddly fragile. He somehow managed to control himself and twisted his head to take a bite of the watermelon.
Crack—
Before he could even bite down, the juice spurted out and ran down Adeline’s forearm. Why did the juice feel so incredibly tempting today? He felt like he would die if he didn’t suck down every drop of that juice running down her wrist right now.
“Hmm…….”
The hand gripping Adeline’s wrist tightened. Seeing her wince as if in pain, Noah imagined something else.
Crunch, his teeth ground together.
“……It tastes good.”
It looks delicious too.
Noah stepped on his hidden true feelings. Delicious? What else?
“Ah. I’m glad.”
Adeline pulled her wrist away. There was a rebellious feeling in her attempt to flee. He did not want to let go.
Noah, gently pulling Adeline’s wrist, exhaled roughly. Adeline’s breathing was also slightly quickened.
He twisted his head and took a bite from the remaining half of the watermelon. As his lips grew closer to her wrist, his fingers, which had been pale and stiff, trembled lightly. They drew nearer as if about to touch.
“Hey, Master Noah…….”
Adeline pushed Noah’s shoulder lightly. He had been rushing forward as if to devour the entire green peel, but he slowly raised his eyelids.
“This is all eaten…….”
Why was he out of breath? Adeline pulled back her fingers that had brushed Noah’s lips. Noah’s eyes facing hers felt hot.
No. No way.
Noah had only eaten a watermelon. It was just because he had eaten it with a bit too much passion that the atmosphere had become awkward.
“Eat something else.”
“Something else…….”
Noah, who had been gripping her wrist, slowly released his grip. Adeline took her hand back as if waiting. Noah rubbed the corner of his mouth with his thumb.
My body is burning.
Adeline belatedly realized she was drenched in sweat. The moment she did, her heart dropped with a thud. She had been standing too close to Noah. It was only natural she would have his scent on her. Noah had endured it, which made her grateful, but also guilty, and her cheeks flushed with shame.
“W-watermelon.”
“…….”
“I’ll bring more watermelon.”
Adeline had seemingly changed her target from Noah to the household staff in order to win his favor. She was probably planning to cling to this estate, win over the maids’ affection, and then behave as if she owned the place.
She was taking advantage of the Miller Duchess’s absence.
‘Well, even if she does, she won’t be able to surpass Lady Aria.’
The most punctilious among the maids, Head Maid Aria, would surely never tolerate the sight of Adeline’s antics.
‘Smiling?’
The servants looked as if they were savoring every juicy bite of watermelon, exclaiming in delight each time they swallowed a piece. They were spitting juice, their voices thick with how delicious it was.
Adeline burst into loud laughter, wondering what was so amusing.
One of them approached her, watermelon in hand, thrusting it toward her as if to offer a bite. She was practically trying to feed her.
‘What the hell is this?’
Noah’s eyes narrowed sharply. He let out a hollow laugh at the light loyalty that had already been stolen by Adeline over a mere slice of watermelon. He lightly grabbed the servant’s wrist, which was trying to touch her.
“Where do you think you’re putting your hands?”
His mouth fell open in shock. He had never seen such disrespectful behavior from a maid before, even in his noble circles. The feeling of being insulted by another noble ignited a fierce blaze in his chest.
Adeline looked startled and lowered her eyebrows before obediently taking a bite of the watermelon.
“Hah!”
She was going to eat that? If she had shouted at her to let go right away and slapped her cheeks, Noah could have looked the other way. But she had simply pushed the hand gripping her wrist away and continued eating the watermelon without a word.
“How utterly pitiful.”
Noah ground his teeth. Yes. That was exactly why he hated her. No man would ever like a woman who looked so foolish.
Noah began glaring at Adeline through the window, as if she were a real person. Adeline had always been bothersome, and his dislike for her remained unchanged.
Yet he found himself wondering what on earth there was to laugh at between them?
Was he in pain? The man who was supposed to be engaged to her was sick?
She hadn’t smiled elegantly in front of him?
As Noah’s thoughts continued, he suddenly realized he was overthinking her too much and shook his head. He must have caught a fever from the heat. What did that have to do with him?
“Handle it yourself.”
Adeline, unable to stand the sight of it, pulled the curtain shut.
What am I doing, locked up in here because of her?
How terrifying it was that he had spent time holed up in the room instead of enjoying a refreshing swim by the lake or indulging in pleasant sex on a cool evening.
“Hah…….”
Noah tilted his head back. Crack. The sound of bones shifting rang sharply. His body, which had been pretending to be sick for days, had reached its limit.
Adeline.
‘I have to find a way to get rid of her.’
Noah stretched his body as if she were standing right in front of him.
“Master Noah.”
At that moment, Adeline’s voice reached him. Noah thought he might be hallucinating.
“Adeline. May I come in for a moment?”
He realized it was not a hallucination. Noah slid off the bed for a moment. He could not even bring himself to lie down again, so he roughly sat on the edge.
The moment permission was granted, the door opened.
“What are you doing?”
“…….”
Ignoring her question entirely, Noah narrowed his eyes.
Her words had not even registered in his mind.
‘Why is she…?’
Adeline, dressed in a thin indoor dress, was drenched in sweat. Judging by the way her chest rose and fell rapidly, she must have run here. The neckline of her sky-blue dress had darkened with moisture. Her fair skin, likely tanned by the sun, radiated a warm heat that grew more intense the closer she came. The faint scent of sweat, instead of being disgusting, tightened Noah’s throat until it felt nearly painful.
Adeline, looking extremely seductive, smiled sweetly like a child and set the watermelon down. Her upper body leaned in as she picked up a piece cut just right.
Noah hurriedly pressed the back of his hand against his nose.
What is she trying to do?
Noah felt his heart race and his lower body grow heavy. Damn it. His mood was terrible.
Yet Noah tried to dismiss his physical reaction as nothing more than that of a healthy man. If his lower body had not failed him, he would have stood up just from her shamelessly seductive appearance.
While Noah was calming himself, Adeline, having rushed over without checking her own condition, looked at him oddly and offered the watermelon again.
“Please try one piece. It’s very refreshing.”
“…….”
“Hm?”
Leaning forward, Adeline’s hair fell slightly over her shoulder. A bead of sweat rolled down her neck and gathered at her chest.
Noah’s lips stiffened. He unconsciously swallowed. The scent that had been causing his thirst flooded his lungs.
It was dangerous.
His already heavy lower body swelled even more. If Adeline lowered her eyes for even a moment, his aroused appearance would be fully exposed.
Damn it, really.
Noah bit back his curse and covered his lower body with the blanket. His mood was terrible. Even if a healthy man could get aroused by a woman’s form… Wait, no, hold on—female?
Hah. Was he seeing Adeline as a woman?
“Master Noah?”
“What did you do to me?”
“Eh?”
The innocent eyes filled with genuine confusion ignited a fire in Noah’s chest. He closed his eyes and tried to calm the rising lust.
No. No.
Thinking rationally, Adeline had done nothing. She had simply run over offering watermelon because she was soaked in sweat. Especially since it was an extremely hot summer day, and Noah had not been able to relieve his urges for days.
Yes. That was why…….
He had simply been shaken for a moment. Not by Adeline herself, but by the female body, the scent of a woman.
‘Well, she’s a woman anyway.’
Noah convinced himself there was no romantic attraction to Adeline, only a biological reaction to her gender.
Finally regaining his senses, he opened his eyes. Adeline was still holding out the watermelon, smiling.
Had she caught a fever too? Was his expression so strange that it was making her dizzy? Adeline was not the type to exert herself for a man’s sake, so Noah could not really blame her.
Drip—drop.
Juice from the watermelon dripped down Adeline’s hand.
I want to lick it.
It might have been the heat. Noah grabbed Adeline’s wrist and pulled. The thin wrist bone, barely enough to hold in one hand, felt oddly fragile. He somehow managed to control himself and twisted his head to take a bite of the watermelon.
Crack—
Before he could even bite down, the juice spurted out and ran down Adeline’s forearm. Why did the juice feel so incredibly tempting today? He felt like he would die if he didn’t suck down every drop of that juice running down her wrist right now.
“Hmm…….”
The hand gripping Adeline’s wrist tightened. Seeing her wince as if in pain, Noah imagined something else.
Crunch, his teeth ground together.
“……It tastes good.”
It looks delicious too.
Noah stepped on his hidden true feelings. Delicious? What else?
“Ah. I’m glad.”
Adeline pulled her wrist away. There was a rebellious feeling in her attempt to flee. He did not want to let go.
Noah, gently pulling Adeline’s wrist, exhaled roughly. Adeline’s breathing was also slightly quickened.
He twisted his head and took a bite from the remaining half of the watermelon. As his lips grew closer to her wrist, his fingers, which had been pale and stiff, trembled lightly. They drew nearer as if about to touch.
“Hey, Master Noah…….”
Adeline pushed Noah’s shoulder lightly. He had been rushing forward as if to devour the entire green peel, but he slowly raised his eyelids.
“This is all eaten…….”
Why was he out of breath? Adeline pulled back her fingers that had brushed Noah’s lips. Noah’s eyes facing hers felt hot.
No. No way.
Noah had only eaten a watermelon. It was just because he had eaten it with a bit too much passion that the atmosphere had become awkward.
“Eat something else.”
“Something else…….”
Noah, who had been gripping her wrist, slowly released his grip. Adeline took her hand back as if waiting. Noah rubbed the corner of his mouth with his thumb.
My body is burning.
Adeline belatedly realized she was drenched in sweat. The moment she did, her heart dropped with a thud. She had been standing too close to Noah. It was only natural she would have his scent on her. Noah had endured it, which made her grateful, but also guilty, and her cheeks flushed with shame.
“W-watermelon.”
“…….”
“I’ll bring more watermelon.”