Turning his head, Roman reached out and pressed his hand gently onto Lady Catherine’s fingers, slowly removing the diamond ring.
A clear circular mark remained where the ring had been, showing just how long she had been wearing it.
Lady Catherine had watched Roman the entire time, her gaze fixed on him as he carefully took the ring off her hand, letting out a soft, wistful sigh.
“Let me put it here for now,” she said, forcing calm into her voice.
“Hm…”
Roman carefully placed Lady Catherine’s ring aside.
After Roman stored the ring, Lady Catherine’s eyes drifted downward and landed on his feet.
“While we have the time, how about I trim your toenails?” she offered, touching Roman’s ankle.
Roman’s expression showed some reluctance—not because he didn’t want her to trim them, but because he had just been licked by Annie that very morning…
He hadn’t looked closely then; what if there were some marks left behind?
Yet, to Lady Catherine, his silence was clearly consent.
She gently loosened the thin cord tied around his feet, and both shoes fell off with a soft sound.
His small and delicate feet immediately appeared before Lady Catherine—white with a hint of redness, baby-soft and tender.
The tops of his feet were smooth as jade, each of the ten toes distinct and fresh like youthful jade.
Only the uneven nails disturbed the beauty of the scene.
After a moment of admiring them, Lady Catherine’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
Roman saw her frown and worried she might have noticed something wrong, his face tightening with nervousness.
“Don’t move,” Lady Catherine whispered into his ear.
Roman obediently closed his legs and leaned against her, perfectly still.
In Lady Catherine’s hands, the shimmering light of magic gathered and took shape, forming a delicate, tiny nail clipper that appeared out of thin air.
“Your magic is really useful,” Roman admired, watching the magic in front of him.
Since meeting Lady Catherine, he increasingly felt that her magic was practically omnipotent—she could accomplish anything Roman imagined.
“The study of magic is about achieving what is naturally impossible for humans,” Lady Catherine said.
“My Starry Sky Magic is naturally far more advanced than others’, so there’s nothing much to boast about.”
“…”
Her modesty left Roman speechless, and he could only blink and give her a look of awe.
“All right, be good. Don’t move,” Lady Catherine reminded, brushing a strand of Roman’s hair aside.
Roman realized she hadn’t noticed anything unusual about his feet, so he relaxed and leaned silently against her shoulder.
“Hm…”
But Lady Catherine’s sharp and sensitive eyes immediately caught the traces of some sticky liquid dried on the tops and soles of Roman’s feet.
“Roman, did you step on something?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Roman buried his face in Lady Catherine’s embrace, not looking up, but shook his head from within her arms.
Fortunately, Lady Catherine trusted him deeply and didn’t press further.
She had already guessed something last night when he was bathing.
Picking up the nail clipper, she held Roman’s foot, the slippery touch stirring a faint flutter in her heart.
Still, her gaze remained serious and focused as she examined Roman’s nails, starting with his left big toe.
Carefully trimming the messy nails, Lady Catherine was extra cautious not to cut the delicate skin beneath, fearful of making a mistake.
Unconsciously, her cheek moved closer and closer to Roman’s foot, almost pressing against it. Roman, who had been resting quietly in her embrace, had just lifted his face slightly for air and caught sight of this scene.
His lips parted slightly, uncertain whether to warn her, fearing that speaking might break her concentration.
Then, a sensitive warmth spread across his foot, and Roman nearly cried out, quickly covering his mouth with his hand.
He thought Lady Catherine’s full, red lips had accidentally brushed against the top of his foot as she bent down.
In truth, she had just finished trimming one foot, and as she admired the foot before her—like a perfect work of art—her fingers brushed lightly, almost seductively, drawing her in.
She was briefly lost in the moment.
To be honest, it felt anything but dirty.
Instead, it was wonderful…
Lady Catherine looked up, savoring the sensation.
She began to understand why some nobles had a foot fetish.
If such small, exquisite, full, and rosy feet were in front of them, she might be tempted to enjoy them herself.
Moving on to the other foot, she finished trimming quickly and skillfully this time.
Looking up, she noticed the warm, rhythmic breathing against her chest and smiled, gently patting him awake.
“See? How does it feel now? Much better walking, isn’t it?”
Roman lifted his head from Lady Catherine’s snowy-white chest, blinking drowsily with a dazed, adorable expression that made her grow even more fond of him.
She tapped his nose lightly and laughed, “Sweetheart, still not quite awake?”
“Ah, is it done?” Roman asked.
“Mm, get up and try walking.”
Roman then stood, holding onto Lady Catherine’s shoulder, barefoot on the ground.
The faint aches he usually felt had completely disappeared after the trimming.
Lady Catherine watched as Roman barefoot wandered through the flowers, his face bright with pure, radiant joy.
His left eye lit up with delight as he gazed down at his foot.
Suddenly, he turned back to Lady Catherine and gave her the most beautiful smile she had ever seen…
His brows curved, lips slightly parted, and the white flower marking in his right eye, which usually seemed eerie, now added a divine and romantic charm to his appearance.
“Thank you~”
Returning to Lady Catherine’s side, Roman linked his arms with hers in gratitude.
“Let me help you put your shoes back on. It’s better not to walk barefoot on the grass,” Lady Catherine said softly, avoiding his gaze.
“All right,” Roman said naturally, sitting down with his knees bent, obediently offering both feet to Lady Catherine.
Perhaps because of all the walking and light running in the grass, Roman’s feet radiated youthful vigor, their redness vibrant.
Lady Catherine cradled his feet like she had before, placing each gently back into its shoe, then tied the cords behind his ankles.
Since Roman had come to the Lily Territory, except for Tania’s arrival, his life had been peaceful, beautiful, and happy.
Walking back inside alongside Lady Catherine, Roman remained completely unaware that a sudden change was about to occur.