Milis’s actions were, of course, completely unknown to the people of the Lily Territory.
Right now, they had even more ‘important’ matters to attend to.
“Lord Roman, always keep your back straight.” Elise stood behind Roman, correcting him aloud.
Roman had lost count of how many times he’d heard this already.
His once handsome little face was now a bit wilted, his pretty brows and eyes looking as if he’d been through some ordeal.
In his previous life, although he had received a short stint of waiter training, all he had to master was smiling at people and speaking in a gentle, pleasant voice.
The boss only required those two points—he hadn’t even taught him anything else.
It was already close to midnight.
After dinner, Elise had spent a full two hours teaching him etiquette movements, and Roman had forced himself to memorize them despite his reluctance.
Thinking back on it, there were all sorts of confusing requirements, and even the range of motion for his body was planned out with precision down to the degree.
In just two hours, the psychological torment Roman suffered far outweighed the physical exhaustion.
Sitting to the side, Lady Catherine occasionally pushed her glasses up her nose and glanced over at them.
Several times, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately closed it again.
Glancing at the time, she pretended to have a headache and pressed her forehead.
After standing up and stretching, she looked gently at the two beside her.
“Elise, it’s getting late. Let’s stop here for today.”
Elise looked like she had more to say, but in the end, she nodded respectfully.
“Yes, madam.”
“Lord Roman, this is also the young lady’s wish. I hope you can understand.”
Before leaving, Elise glanced at Roman and spoke hesitantly.
Seeing how the head maid who had toyed with him so casually on their first meeting was now being so cautious, Roman felt both tired and highly amused. He shook his head to show he understood.
Once Elise had left, Lady Catherine had somehow ended up at his side.
A cool palm pressed to his forehead, and a soothing magic flowed through his body, easing his fatigue and even helping Roman to activate his Sacred Seal.
Such incredible control.
Roman couldn’t help but silently marvel as he closed his eyes in comfort.
“Why are you so good to me?”
Roman asked, relaxing and blurting out the question before he could stop himself.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, Roman regretted it.
Questions like this, ninety percent of the time, would only make the person being asked feel troubled.
He’d let his guard down and asked something far too impolite.
In fact, Lady Catherine really was troubled at this moment.
Besides the strong first impression Roman had left on her, that passionate encounter had definitely brought her heart closer to his.
The incident she had almost forgotten was now stirred up again by Roman.
Standing behind him, she found herself a little dazed.
“Sorry, I just…”
“Why apologize? The reason is simple…”
“Huh?” Roman blinked and glanced back at her.
“I treat Luo Xiya as my own daughter. Since you’re in that kind of relationship with her, naturally, you’re like a child of mine as well.”
Lady Catherine spoke calmly, her face unflushed and her heart untroubled.
After all, this was truly how she felt—just perhaps a bit one-sided.
“I see…”
Thinking of the warm embrace Lady Catherine had given him today, Roman couldn’t help but space out for a moment.
Lady Catherine gazed at Roman’s profile, and for some reason, a sudden surge of courage welled up within her.
When she spoke, she even felt her own voice trembling slightly.
“Actually… you can call me Mother if you want. If you feel shy, just say it in private. Outside, you can address me as usual.”
The room was especially quiet at night. The sound of their breathing rose and fell, each clearly audible to the other.
Lady Catherine could distinctly feel Roman’s breath growing more rapid.
After a while, Roman hesitantly turned around. In a soft, trembling voice, he called out, “Mo… Mother?”
Meeting the gaze of such a charming and enchanting child and hearing him say the words she most wanted to hear, Lady Catherine was instantly stunned.
In her daze, her sea-blue eyes seemed to catch glimmers of starlight, as if glistening with dew.
No, not as if—in fact, when Roman was tightly embraced by Lady Catherine, he could clearly feel a few damp spots on his clothes.
Thinking for a moment, Roman reached out and hugged Lady Catherine back, enjoying the soothing, gentle scent she exuded. He felt, for a moment, like a real child lying in his mother’s arms.
“Good child, call me Mother one more time.”
Lady Catherine nuzzled his cheek, coaxing him like a child.
Roman hesitated for a while, and then, as she hugged him even tighter, he buried his face in her neck, squinting his eyes before softly saying, “Mother…”
“Good child… good child…”
Hearing Roman’s soft, cotton-candy-like voice, Lady Catherine gradually became entranced.
“You really are my precious darling…”
Overcome with emotion, Lady Catherine held Roman’s face and showered it with several kisses, leaving behind multiple obvious lip marks.
Roman didn’t even know when he’d ended up in Lady Catherine’s lap.
His legs would occasionally brush against her thighs, his shoulders pressed against her generous bosom.
Surrounded by her fragrance, he was clearly moved as well.
Just as he was about to turn his head, he suddenly widened his eyes in shock.
By accident, his lips directly brushed against Lady Catherine’s.
Their lips touched for a brief moment, and both of them were startled, quickly pulling apart.
Roman was speechless. Kissing the cheek could still be chalked up to an elder’s affection for a junior—after all, the Aingloran Empire truly did have a custom of the kiss-on-the-cheek greeting.
But a kiss on the lips was a different matter entirely. Lady Catherine had clearly frozen, lost for words for a long time.
In the end, Roman’s eyes darted around, and he took the initiative to break the awkwardness.
He affectionately leaned in close to Lady Catherine’s gentle face and gave her a light kiss.
“What are you daydreaming about~”
Lady Catherine finally snapped out of it.
When she met Roman’s gaze, she suddenly realized he was winking at her, making her heart beat faster and her mind race with wild thoughts.
Could this child be… Oh dear!
Fortunately, Roman immediately interrupted her train of thought, speaking softly: “Isn’t it normal for mother and child to touch lips?”
As if to ease Lady Catherine’s embarrassment, Roman actually took the initiative, leaning in to gently touch her lips with his own.
Lady Catherine’s legs pressed tightly together, afraid to relax for even a moment.
Roman was facing the same awkwardness, unconsciously curling up his legs and scooting back a step.
In this ambiguous atmosphere, the two of them seemed to be in perfect tacit agreement.
After a while, they bid each other good night and left for their own rooms.
When Lady Catherine returned to her room and closed the door, her legs suddenly gave out and she slid helplessly to the floor. On the carpet beneath her hips, a dark, damp stain was clearly visible.
“Huff… huff…”
She cupped her face in her hands, shy sounds escaping her lips.