IHTN 06

Chapter: 06

With a dazed feeling, Julia blinked her eyes blankly. Only belatedly did relief that she hadn’t fallen down cross her mind.

Thump, thump, thump.

Perhaps because she had been so startled thinking she would surely fall, her heart only now began to beat rapidly.

“What is this? Why does my body feel so good?”

Once she regained her senses, she could clearly feel the firm body supporting her from behind.

Julia quickly tried to get up to separate herself from the man.

“Th… this, let go of—”

She twisted her arm to pull herself free from the grip, but the man, thinking she was just drunkenly struggling, held her even tighter and pulled her into his embrace.

Julia, now deeply nestled in his arms, slowly turned her head and looked up at the man holding her firmly.

Dark green eyes filled her wavering vision.

‘Wow, he’s incredibly handsome…’

When her blank gaze met his, the man finally helped her stand properly.

“Can you stand? I’ve got the room key. Should I open the door?”

Julia slowly nodded.

The man glanced at her dazed expression for a moment, then opened room 207 with the key in his hand.

Sighing, he muttered,
“Just how much did she drink… And that idiot just stood by and watched?”

“Wait a moment…”

As Julia was about to enter the room, she turned back and walked toward him.

Then she wrapped her arms around his waist.

It was clearly meant as a grateful hug, though even she wasn’t sure if there was any hidden intention in it.

“What’s this…?”

At the sudden physical contact, the man stiffened.

“Thank you. For bringing us here today.”

“Sigh… what an awful drinking habit.”

The man gently took hold of both her arms and pulled her away.

Now separated from him, Julia looked up at him again.

His lowered eyelashes were visible.

And below them, a straight nose, and further down, soft lips.

Perhaps due to alcohol-induced circulation, his lips looked more deeply red than usual, constantly drawing her attention.

Pretty lips…

“Why are you so handsome?”

Huh? Did I just say that?

Julia raised her right hand and carefully touched his face.

Her body was moving without listening to reason.

Instinct overtook logic, unchecked and unfiltered.

“…She’s really drunk.”

This time, her gaze kept drifting to his sharp jawline and smooth neck.

Julia swallowed hard and let her hand slide down toward his neck.

The man’s broad shoulders flinched.

She could no longer control the strange heat coursing through her body.

She wanted to pull him into the room right away.

Without realizing it, she stared again at his lips and murmured softly,

“I want to kiss you.”

“…What?”

Julia lifted her heated gaze toward the man standing in front of her.

She stepped closer, rose onto her toes, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“…”

The man silently looked at her with dark, gleaming eyes.

After a brief hesitation, Julia impulsively pressed her lips to his.

Their lips met—hot and sudden.

The man, startled by the kiss, clenched his fist against the door behind him.

Julia, still pressed against his unmoving lips, lightly bit his lower lip as if urging him.

At her small provocation, the rigid man visibly wavered.

She continued slowly, placing small kisses along his lower lip.

Then, his stillness shattered in an instant.

He took a sharp breath and lifted her off the ground, holding her tightly.

His forearm bulged with veins as he supported her thighs.

Startled by the sudden change in height, Julia felt his soft tongue slip between her parted lips.

His tongue moved through her mouth, devouring even her smallest breaths.

“Ah… ngh…”

She forgot how to breathe, struggling to respond.

Carrying her in his arms, he moved deeper into the hotel room.

Julia tightened her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer.

Finally, the door slammed shut.

After a long exchange of rough breathing, they briefly pulled apart and met each other’s gaze.

“Haa…”

Cassian’s eyes were reddened at the edges.

His sharp gaze was filled with unresolved desire.

“Ugh… thirsty…”

Julia woke up frowning.

A terrible dryness burned her throat.

She reached toward the bedside table, searching for a water bottle.

But it wasn’t there.

“Where is it…?”

Instead of the bottle, her hand found her small bag.

She slowly opened her heavy eyelids.

After blinking a few times, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

Where am I?

She soon realized she was inside a hotel room at the Dunkel Hotel.

She must have come in after drinking heavily with her friends and fallen asleep safely.

Despite drinking a lot, she felt no hangover, nausea, or stomach discomfort.

Only the memory of last night was unclear.

‘So the medicine Lady Catherine gave me must really work… I don’t even feel dizzy.’

Lying under the soft pillow and pleasantly rustling blanket, her body felt extremely comfortable.

She closed her eyes again in satisfaction.

She was still lingering in the afterglow of last night’s banquet.

The drinks had been delicious, and the atmosphere perfect.

She finally understood why people made time for drinking and socializing despite their busy lives.

It had been so long since she had laughed without worry.

She turned onto her side with a faint smile.

“Ah?”

As she turned, Julia suddenly saw a figure right in front of her—and nearly screamed.

A man she had never seen before was lying beside her, facing the opposite direction.

She quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

Her heart snapped fully awake.

‘Wh… what is this…?’

She grabbed her bag, quickly took out her vision-correction eye drops, and applied them.

After blinking rapidly, she turned again.

Under the messy blanket was a man’s bare, well-built upper body.

She almost screamed or grabbed the heavy pillow to hit him, but she hesitated—afraid of causing a commotion and waking the intruder.

‘…Jerome?’

No. It wasn’t Jerome.

The man’s hair was jet black.

Who are you, sleeping in my bed?

Her confused gaze traced over his back.

His well-defined muscles rose and fell evenly with his breathing.

She froze, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

‘C-calm down… I have to stay calm.’

She silently banged the back of her head against the bedframe.

Then the man, still asleep, shifted and rolled over.

‘H-huh?!’

Julia froze instantly and pulled the blanket up to her neck, shutting her eyes tightly.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears.

The man seemed to have woken slightly.

She could feel him turning toward her, looking down at her.

Julia pretended to sleep, waiting for his next move.

‘Is he also confused? Did he drink too much too? Is this my room or his? I wish he would just get dressed and leave…!’

While her mind raced, a large hand touched her left cheek.

She flinched violently.

“…You were groaning all night. Did you sleep well?”

A low, gentle voice fell beside her ear.

The owner of the voice softly stroked her cheek and ear.

The familiar voice made her slowly open her eyes.

A broad chest entered her view.

—Ahhh!

She quickly looked up.

And when she saw the man’s relaxed, smiling face—

“…Ca… Cassian…?”

Cassian Isheid.

The man looking at her with dark green eyes was unmistakably Cassian Isheid.

Before she could process it, he smiled and pulled her into his arms again.

His warmth surrounded her completely.

Trapped in his embrace, she couldn’t understand anything.

Why she woke up in bed with Cassian Isheid.

Why he was half-naked.

And most of all, why he was acting so gently.

She pushed him slightly away.

He looked down at her, puzzled.

“Hey… wait… what is this situation?”

“What situation?”

At his calm, gentle question—

Julia understood everything.

Ah.
I slept with this man.