The Ice Queen’s Blushing Face [R -18]
Then— "Pfft..."
Felberta couldn’t hold it in anymore.
The tiny laugh instantly became uncontrollable.
"Hahaha..."
She laughed so hard her shoulders trembled beneath the blanket.
Her eyes watered as she tried to catch her breath, wiping away tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
The sound of her laughter echoed warmly throughout the bedroom.
It wasn’t the restrained smile she usually wore.
It was genuine.
Bright.
Carefree.
Julian watched quietly with a satisfied grin.
Seeing someone who had carried years of emotional burdens laugh this freely made all the effort feel worthwhile.
After laughing for quite a while, Felberta slowly calmed down.
Only then did she realize...
She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed this wholeheartedly.
"So..." Julian said with an amused grin, "your brother is like a fusion of those three sons."
Felberta looked at him helplessly before another small laugh escaped her lips.
"...Alright, I get it."
Still smiling, she subconsciously pushed herself upright on the bed.
Only after sitting up did she suddenly freeze.
She had completely forgotten she hadn’t put her robe back on.
The blanket slipped from her shoulders, pooling around her waist and leaving her upper body fully exposed to the warm lamplight.
Her long black hair cascaded down her back, the dark strands contrasting sharply against her pale skin.
Her crimson eyes widened in sudden realization as a flush crept up her neck.
Her breasts, full and firm, rose with her sharp intake of breath, the soft pink of her nipples hardening slightly in the cool air.
Her narrow waist tapered elegantly from her ribs, the gentle curve of her hips leading down to where the blanket still covered her lower half.
Julian, still sitting beside the bed, instinctively widened his eyes.
[Damn, I’m not trying to peek.]
[You sat up on your own.]
[This is too much. Hurry up and put your clothes on, give my little buddy a break.]
The familiar inner voice echoed clearly inside Felberta’s mind.
Her sleepy expression instantly vanished.
Realizing what had happened, she let out a startled gasp before hurriedly grabbing the blanket and pulling it tightly around herself.
Her beautiful face flushed a deep crimson all the way to her ears.
Julian immediately looked away with an innocent expression before coughing lightly.
"You’re too kind, treating me with such hospitality."
He clasped his hands together with exaggerated gratitude.
"I haven’t met such a generous woman in a long time."
The teasing words hung in the air between them.
Felberta’s blush deepened impossibly further, her crimson eyes blazing with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation.
She opened her mouth to shout—to tell him to get lost, to wake the entire Ashbourne estate if she had to—
But before a single sound could escape her lips, Julian lunged forward.
His hand clamped gently but firmly over her mouth, his golden eyes wide with alarm.
"Hey, hey, shhh!" he whispered urgently, his face inches from hers.
"Don’t shout, please! I came here in the middle of the night—if your father finds out, what about my reputation? And you’re still naked! What would people think?"
Felberta’s crimson eyes burned with fury above his hand, her breath hot against his palm.
*My reputation?!* she wanted to scream. *You’re worried about YOUR reputation when YOU’RE the one who—*
But the words wouldn’t come.
Because suddenly she realized the position they were in.
Julian had lunged over her, one knee on the bed, his body hovering above hers. His hand was pressed against her lips, and his face was so close she could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes.
And she was still naked beneath the blanket.
The blanket that had slipped even further during his sudden movement, now barely covering her breasts. Her chest rose and fell with each shallow breath, the fabric grazing against her stiff pink nipples, sensitized from the cool night air.
Felberta’s face burned so hot she thought she might catch fire.
Julian, realizing the intimacy of the position, felt his own composure crack.
His hand trembled slightly against her lips.
[This is... this is too close.]
[I can feel her breath on my palm.]
[Her eyes are so red. Like fire. Like rubies.]
[And I can see... I can see and feel the shape and softness of her breasts beneath that blanket. Those full, beautiful mounds. Her nipples—pink and tight—pressing against the fabric.]
[God, I need to calm down.]
But he didn’t move away.
Neither did she.
For a long, suspended moment, they simply stared at each other.
His golden eyes, dark with an emotion he couldn’t quite name.
Her crimson eyes, wide with shock and something else—something that flickered beneath the embarrassment.
Felberta’s heart pounded against her ribs.
She should push him away.
She should scream.
She should do anything but lie here, frozen, feeling the warmth of his hand against her lips, the weight of his gaze on her face.
But her body refused to obey.
"This is wrong," she told herself. "I hate men. I’ve always hated men. I’ve kept every man at a distance. I’ve built walls so high no one could ever climb them"
"Then why... why does his touch feel different?"
"Why does my heart race like this?"
Julian slowly, carefully, removed his hand from her mouth.
But he didn’t pull back.
His fingers lingered near her cheek, trembling slightly.
"Felberta..." he breathed, her name a whisper on his lips.
She swallowed hard, her throat dry.
"You... you should go," she managed, but her voice lacked conviction.
It came out soft. Breathless.
Almost like an invitation.
Julian’s golden eyes searched hers.
[She’s not pushing me away.]
[She’s not shouting.]
[Is she... is she actually...]
Before he thinks further, his gaze dropped to her lips.
Pink. Soft. Slightly parted.
Then back to her ruby eyes.
"I know I should," he admitted quietly, his voice rough with an emotion he couldn’t hide. "But I don’t want to."
Felberta’s breath caught.