“Christoph.”

Marianne’s tone elongated. Her voice contained an unusual playfulness that wasn’t typical of her.

Christoph had known from the beginning that she was intoxicated. It was from the moment Marianne’s cerulean eyes gazed at him intensely.

At such times, an exhilarating thrill coursed down his spine. A maddening hunger welled up within him. He wanted to devour whatever was in front of him.

Christoph swallowed slowly, trying to suppress the slow burning desire. As he silently stared at her, Marianne’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t ignore me, Christoph.”

“I’m not ignoring you, Marianne. I just lost my words because you, in your drunken state, are adorable.”

!”

For a moment, Marianne’s eyes widened. It was a bewildered expression, as if she had heard unexpected words in her intoxicated state.

Then, with determination, she raised her head firmly, giving herself a forceful shake.

“I’m not drunk. I’m perfectly fine.”

However, despite her assurance, Marianne’s upper body was already swaying from side to side. She staggered, her eyes half-closed.

Christoph slowly reached out towards her. It was a careful and cautious movement. After a seemingly endless amount of time, his fingertips finally touched her cheek.

It was soft. And warm.
He extended his curved fingers, even holding his breath. Very slowly, with the patience one might use approaching a wary cat.

Marianne’s cheek came into his hand. Perhaps he had thought she might pull away.

“…….”

Marianne pressed her cheek into his palm. She closed her eyes and brushed her cheek against Christoph’s hand.

Gulp.

Christoph swallowed without realizing it. Her sigh, sweet and heavy with the scent of alcohol, flowed from her parted lips. His pupils dilated, lost in the depths.

How to describe the emotions of that moment? It was like the feeling of a long-awaited cat finally allowing his touch, akin to a thrill, a rush, a euphoria.

“Marianne.”

His voice lowered. His rough breath mixed with her name. He used his thumb to gently stroke under her eyes, as if trying not to reveal his restlessness.

“Shall we go to bed? I should tidy up the bed.”

At his words, Marianne slowly opened her eyes. Christoph’s face was illuminated in her cerulean eyes, like the dawning sky. In those eyes, their souls met.

Damn it.

He was so on edge. Despite his efforts, Christoph couldn’t quench his thirst.

“No.”

Marianne refused outright. But Christoph didn’t give up. He continued to caress her cheek gently with his thumb, sweetly coaxing her.
“I’m drunk. Isn’t the way back not too far? No one will say anything if you decide to stay the night here. Even Mrs. List will wish you’d sleep and return rather than navigating the dark night. A soft bed and pillows that are incomparable to the boardinghouse are waiting for you.”

“But…”

Marianne’s voice trailed off. Her eyelids drooped as if she had fallen asleep mid-sentence.

Christoph was anxious. He wanted to hear her answer immediately. He wanted to nod and coax her.

Nevertheless, he exercised patience once again. His jaw tightened with effort.

“But?”

From Christoph’s lips, a slow and partly dry voice emerged. Marianne blinked her eyes slowly, hesitating as if in a daze.

“But… then I’ll waver again. I don’t want my heart to fluctuate because of you… Christoph. I want to be as calm as a vast sea. I want to be a sea that is undisturbed by anything.”

Like a vast sea after a sparkling star.

Christoph slowly swallowed. Just hearing her say that she didn’t want to receive his aversion shook his heart. He knew it wasn’t about him.

He didn’t want to incur Marianne’s hatred. He wanted to win her favor, to regain her affection. He hoped that she would look at him with the same fiery eyes as before.
In order to do that, he knew he had to step back like a gentleman at this moment. But he couldn’t find the words to say it.

The perfect opportunity to hold her in his arms once again was right before him. Who in their right mind would just twiddle their thumbs in a situation like this?

A scorching lava surged within him. It was a fiery heat that could erupt at any moment, an intense desire to take her to the bed right away, had swallowed him whole.

“…I’ll take you.”

Christoph exercised patience once again. He could confidently say that this was the moment he had exercised the most patience in his entire life.

His thumb brushed past beneath Marianne’s eyes. It lingered there as if full of regret, determined and persistent. And sticky.

“You can go by yourself. Louis will take you.”

Christoph, who had been picturing the kind face of the reliable stablehand, furrowed his brow slightly. A curt voice came from his lips.

“I don’t know if you’re aware, Marianne, but he’s a married man. He supposedly has a fox-like wife and two rabbit-like children.”

“Hmm?”

Marianne cocked her head, puzzled as to why this statement had suddenly surfaced. Then, she giggled, her eyes crinkling in amusement.

“Well, that’s convenient. It’s nice to know he has a waiting family.”