Your Majesty, I’m Not that Man - Chapter 5: I Won’t Give You a Chance to Escape (4)

“Did you call for me, Your Grace?”

Robert, the steward, entered the study and bowed his head. Maxim glanced at the door Robert had closed behind him, then gestured for him to approach.

Robert quickly moved closer to the duke.

“When was the last time you had contact with Lavinia?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

Lavinia had entered the Imperial Palace. Before leaving, she had given instructions about what needed to be done in her absence, but there had been no contact since her departure.

“She cared for you dearly! Surely, she would have reached out to you… hasn’t she contacted you?”

Robert suppressed the urge to let out a bitter laugh, a skill honed over many years of service. So, now that she’s gone, you suddenly care? After treating her however you pleased when she was here?

“There has been no word from her since she entered the palace. As I understand it, letters can only be sent after the first month has passed.”

It had been almost four weeks since she left, but a few days still remained until the one-month mark. Upon hearing Robert’s answer, Maxim clutched at his hair and collapsed onto the sofa.

“If I had known this would happen, I would’ve listened to her from the start…! Instead, I let myself be swayed by Hans…”

Maxim muttered to himself, filled with regret. He should never have allowed himself to be persuaded by Hans to reinstate Albert as an adopted son. If he had not done so, perhaps the emperor would not have taken an interest in him.

Judging by his murmurs, it seemed that Hans had been the one who urged Maxim to bring Albert back as an heir. This had always been puzzling to Robert.

Even if Albert treated Hans politely, he had never been particularly affectionate toward him. So why was Hans so devoted to Albert? And why had the jealous Maxim tolerated it?

If they were lovers, His Grace would never have forgiven them.

The situation was impossible to understand. As Robert observed Maxim, the duke fell deeper into his thoughts. Making an old steward stand around and wait was inconsiderate, but Maxim didn’t care. To him, as with many high-ranking nobles, servants were little more than ornaments to the household.

“Even if she can’t send letters, she should be able to receive mine, right?”

“That should be the case. I understand that items sent from home, like letters or packages, can still be delivered to her.”

“Good! Then…”

Maxim leapt from his seat and strode to his desk. He pulled out a sheet of stationery and began writing a lengthy letter outlining his troubles. Of course, he avoided mentioning Hans and Albert’s relationship. He wasn’t sure how much Lavinia knew, and there was always the possibility that the letter could be intercepted.

Maxim hastily filled the page with his complaints and reread it before folding it up. Though he wasn’t particularly skilled as a duke, he did possess excellent penmanship.

He sealed the letter with the Wendell family crest, not even waiting for the ink to dry completely.

“Deliver this to Lavinia! If it’s her, she’ll find a way to send a reply.”

Whether Lavinia would actually want to send a reply was a different matter entirely, but Robert didn’t point that out. He accepted the letter from Maxim.

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Though Robert hadn’t read the letter, he was certain it contained no words of concern for Lavinia’s well-being or her situation.

Still the same foolish and selfish man.

The kind and steadfast young lady was gone, leaving behind only the shortsighted duke. Robert couldn’t help but worry about whether this foolish man could keep the Wendell dukedom afloat.

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“No… if you touch me any more… ngh, ah…!”

The delicate body sprawled on the bed trembled faintly. Cassion, looking utterly enamored with Lavinia’s squirming figure, leaned down and licked her nipple. Rolling the stiff peak side to side with his tongue, he drew shivers and soft moans from Lavinia.

“Haaahng… ahh, ahng…”

Seeing her lose herself in pleasure, drooling slightly, was so endearing it drove him mad. He was supposed to leave soon to attend to his duties, but the thought of leaving behind such an adorable Lavinia made his head spin. And it wasn’t as though he had far to go—just from this room to the next to handle official matters.

“Does it feel that good, Lavinia?”

Cassion’s playful question, tinged with laughter, made Lavinia’s face flush bright red. Her reaction was so cute that he chuckled, and Lavinia, embarrassed, shot him a sharp look.

“Ahhck!”

When he pinched her saliva-slick nipple and pulled it upward, Lavinia caught her breath. He tugged it to an almost teasingly precarious angle, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, drawing soft whimpers from her lips.

“Haa… I want to keep going.”

“Nngh, ahn… Your Majesty, please, stop…”

Though he hadn’t penetrated her, Cassion found all sorts of excuses to tease her sensitive spots, causing her to climax five times already. If one counted the endless peaks she experienced when she had fully taken him inside, the number would far exceed that.

Lavinia trembled, her eyes glistening with tears. He kissed and sucked her all over so much that it truly felt as though her body might break.

“All right, all right. If you look at me like that, it makes me feel softhearted.”

Liar! Just earlier, he had said the same thing but still made her climax twice more!

Lavinia resented him for his relentlessness, but his touch felt so good that she couldn’t truly hate him.

Releasing her tormented nipple, Cassion leaned in and kissed Lavinia’s lips softly. As he rubbed gentle circles around the sensitive area, a soft moan escaped her lips.

“You’re so adorable, Leni…”

Could there possibly be another man as attentive as this, even after climaxing so many times? Lavinia let out a contented sigh, savoring Cassion’s touch. If only he showed some restraint, their nights together would be even sweeter, but his desires ran too deep.

Knock, knock…

The audacity of someone knocking on the bedroom door made Cassion furrow his brow. For Lavinia’s sake, startled as she was, he quickly pulled the blanket over her bare body to cover her.

“I’ll be back, Lavinia. Should I call the maids for you?”

Though embarrassed, she thought it might be better. After being tormented by Cassion for so long, even climbing out of bed seemed like an impossible task.

“Yes…”

Cassion leaned in to plant a few more lingering kisses on her lips before climbing off the bed. He hastily grabbed the pants that had been discarded on the floor and roughly pulled them on as he left the bedroom.

“Haa…”

Lavinia let out a deep sigh as she stared at the vivid kiss mark left on her arm. It wasn’t just her arm. Similar marks were likely scattered across her entire body.

With things like this happening, it was no wonder people misunderstood. Even Ravinia herself had begun to suspect that Cassion might actually have feelings for her.

‘Is it really possible that Cassion will end up falling for Albert?’

Though it had been over twenty years since her reincarnation, her memories remained sharp. She vividly recalled the lines from the novel, making it impossible to deny the truth. What’s more, events had been unfolding almost identically to the novel’s plot—at least until she made deliberate efforts to change them.

But still…

‘I can’t help but misunderstand.’

Just one look into Cassion’s eyes was enough to see how much he cared for her. No matter how many times she told herself it wasn’t true, his words and actions constantly shook her resolve.

‘No. Get it together. Albert is still in the capital…’

Albert, who had asked her to run away with him. From what he said, it seemed like he was staying in the capital because of her. If she had refused, it would have been best for him to escape the capital altogether, but if the original story was still exerting its influence, he was likely still there.

‘If everything keeps playing out according to the original, no matter how hard I try to resist…’

Eventually, Ravinia would flee beyond the empire’s borders, and the newly established duchy, along with her parents and everyone else, would face a tragic fate.

She wanted to prevent that, but there was little she could do for them now. If she stepped forward to protect them, she would only end up dying with them.

Knock, knock…

The sound of knocking at the door interrupted her thoughts, and Ravinia pulled the blanket closer around her.

“My lady, did you call for us?”

“Come in.”

The door opened, and her attendants entered the room.

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After finishing her bath and applying fragrant oil to her body, Ravinia had her attendants bring her undergarments and a dress. Since Cassion found corsets bothersome, she opted to wear only a chest wrap and panties instead of a corset.

“Ugh…”

“My lady? Are you uncomfortable?”

It had been some time since she had used the aphrodisiac, but it seemed its effects were still lingering. The silk of her chest wrap and panties felt unbearably soft against her skin.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Frowning slightly, Lavinia finished putting on the rest of her undergarments and slipped into her dress. However, every movement she made heightened the sensation of the fabric brushing against her sensitive areas, leaving her uneasy.

I feel like my undergarments will be damp soon.

If Cassion noticed, he would undoubtedly tease her mercilessly. Yet there was no one else she could discuss this with, and the thought of confiding in her maids about the emperor’s… indecent behavior was unthinkable.

It should settle down with time, she reassured herself. It seemed to be the result of using the aphrodisiac too recently. With a calm expression that belied her discomfort, Lavinia stepped out of the dressing room. Her bedroom had already been tidied to perfection.

“Is His Majesty still attending to state affairs?”

“Yes, my lady. His aide just brought in another set of documents.”

Not wanting to disturb Cassion while he worked, Lavinia made her way to the sitting room instead. She knew that if she entered his study, he would immediately abandon his work to come to her side, as he always did.

“My lady.”

The perceptive Philia arrived with tea and refreshments. After spending hours dealing with the emperor, Lavinia knew she needed something sweet to recover her energy. She sipped the tea, which was perfectly suited to her taste, and let out a deep sigh. Her body felt pleasantly drowsy, and she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right then and there.

“You’ve saved me,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

Philia smiled faintly at the compliment.

“My lady, a letter has arrived for you.”

A maid entered, holding out a letter for Lavinia. Recognizing the seal on the envelope, Lavinia saw it was from the Duke of Wendell.

He’s not someone who would usually send letters.

It wasn’t surprising to see Maxim’s selfishness on display. Still, seeing the envelope stirred a faint hope within her—it was a natural reaction, given that she was his daughter.

Taking the letter, Lavinia broke the seal. The ink had smudged, as though the letter had been written and sent in great haste.

Leni,

I’ve heard that even there, you’ve been carrying yourself with the grace befitting a lady of the Wendell Duchy. As your father, I couldn’t be prouder. Hearing that His Majesty holds you in such high regard brings some light to my uneasy heart…

Even in his writing, Maxim’s roundabout, overly polished noble tone was evident. While such phrasing was characteristic of nobility, Lavinia despised it.

She skimmed over Maxim’s laments about his difficult circumstances, barely paying attention to his complaints, and instead focused on deciphering why he had sent the letter.

…His Majesty has summoned both Albert and me to the palace. I don’t know how to express the difficulty of this situation. It was Albert’s recklessness that caused this, and I’m afraid to present someone so immature to His Majesty…

His Majesty summoned Father and Albert to the palace?

On top of that, Maxim seemed to be considering formally reinstating Albert, whom he had disowned. How like him, Lavinia thought wryly. While Maxim’s reaction wasn’t unexpected, the real concern was Albert. Why had he returned to the ducal family? Was he after the title of duke, or was he simply worried about Hans?

Remembering how Albert had once asked her to run away with him, Lavinia couldn’t shake her unease. She feared he might do something reckless in his determination to save her.

So they’re meeting tomorrow…

It would be easy enough to stop Cassion and Albert from meeting. Lavinia knew exactly how to prevent it. But the thought of interfering with the destined meeting of the two made her hesitate. Wouldn’t Cassion despise her if he discovered her schemes later?

No. I won’t be here by then.

By the time the meeting took place, Lavinia planned to have already left the imperial palace, crossed the empire’s borders, and started a new life. Helping her father Maxim with something like this before leaving didn’t seem like too much to ask.

If it’s the current Cassion… he might agree, but if he refuses, it’ll be so embarrassing.

Lavinia knew that asking for such a favor without realizing Cassion’s true intentions would only give him the upper hand. If he decided to humiliate her, there was nothing she could do about it. In that case, Maxim would have to fend for himself.

Still, reading Maxim’s letter—full of complaints and completely devoid of any inquiries about her well-being—left her feeling drained.

Lavinia placed the letter back onto the silver tray. She considered ordering it to be thrown away but stopped herself. Once she escaped the palace, she thought, she might want to keep even this small reminder of her father. It wasn’t as though she would ever see his handwriting again.

“Could you store this on my desk for me? I’m heading back to my bedroom—I need some rest. I’m tired.”

Cassion’s work wouldn’t be finished for quite some time, and the maids would come to call her when it was time for dinner. Ravinia rose from her seat and made her way to her bedroom.

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