Of course, the dishes set on the table had been prepared by the housekeeper who left an hour earlier.
The sink was spotless, and upon hearing that Iris was on her way up from the entrance, Laika quickly placed two clean cups into the sink and put on rubber gloves.
He placed the peeled carrots and the plastic wrap that had been covering the meat, which were found in the trash bin, onto the cutting board and busied himself with cooking, pretending to be occupied as he greeted Iris with his gloves still wet from washing.
‘Good. Perfect.’
To maintain the illusion of a domestic man, he even wiped the moisture off the sink with a dishcloth.
Laika smiled gently and sat beside Iris.
Iris, expecting him to sit across from her, flinched slightly when he sat next to her instead.
Laika served Caprese Salad onto Iris’s plate and showed his trademark bright smile.
“You’re not wearing glasses?”
“No. Just, for a change of pace… Is it weird?”
Iris scratched her cheek as she asked.
He obviously wouldn’t say it was weird—she knew that. She had remembered Laika’s words from before, “If you show off a pretty face, some other guy might snatch you away.” So, she deliberately wore contact lenses this time, and it naturally didn’t look strange.
She also knew herself that she looked quite cute without glasses when she dressed up.
Laika leaned his upper body slightly toward Iris and whispered in a low voice.
He didn’t even touch the food. Compared to the dishes on the table, what was beside him looked far more appetizing.
“No, you’re really pretty. Did you put in contacts to look good for me? And your outfit suits you so well…”
“That’s just… I dressed up because it’s a day off. At work, I wear something comfortable. When I have appointments, I dress like this—always.”
Iris, too, was flushed, much like him.
She picked at her food, running her hand through her hair, braided neatly in a single plait that draped over her shoulder, lowering her eyes.
The pale green dress was cut in a V-shape, revealing not only her collarbones but also the subtle curve of her cleavage from the side.
The dress was snug, accentuating the roundness of her chest.
Sitting down, the hem, which usually reached her knees, had ridden up, exposing her fair, plump thighs.
‘Seeing her like this… I always thought she was pretty, but dressed up, she’s even more my style.’
Laika’s breath grew heavier as he slowly lowered his gaze from her thick eyelashes and honey-brown eyes, to her cute nose and delicate lips, and then down from her white neck to her cleavage.
Iris, who had dressed up so carefully, possessed a sensual figure that perfectly matched his ideal type.
Cute or sexy girls were common, but girls who had both were rare.
Every time she reached for her food, her chest shook lightly, which stirred him deeply.
Feeling the heat pooling at his core, Laika forced himself to keep his expression in check.
‘I want to undress her right here and now…’
Still, he had to make her eat the food first.
If he suggested going straight to bed the moment she walked in, it would be too obvious.
Exerting patience, he lifted his spoon.
Amid the tension, the two shared a quiet meal.
“Phew… Let’s see, I didn’t miss anything, right?”
After the meal, while Laika arranged drinks and snacks, Iris went to the bathroom.
She pulled out a toothbrush from her bag and scrubbed thoroughly.
Even though alcohol would wipe away all freshness, she wanted to keep herself as clean as possible since a kiss was inevitable.
She even sprayed fabric deodorizer liberally, then checked her outfit in the mirror, slightly slipping down her shoulder line.
‘Heh, heh. When will it happen? Probably after a few drinks… Let’s see. I better check if there’s anything stuck in my teeth.’
Exiting the bathroom, she headed toward the living room.
Laika was there, lazily sitting with his arm draped over the back of the sofa.
Outside, the sky visible through the large windows had darkened.
The night sky over Gyodam City, dotted with bright stars, looked peaceful, a stark contrast to the city’s chaotic streets.
Iris hesitated before approaching Laika, eyeing the wine, cheese, and fruit snacks on the side table.
Although she retained memories from a past life, she hadn’t had any contact with a man for 22 years.
As the moment of truth neared, her heart pounded as if it might burst.
Countless times she told herself to stay cold since he was just a villain, but today he looked even more dazzling and wild than usual.
His face was so handsome it could have been sculpted, and no matter how many times she looked at it, admiration escaped her lips unconsciously.
He usually acted cocky, so she assumed he had no talent for housework, but he even cooked himself—a surprising charm.
Only days ago, she had seen his cruel side tearing apart a hero’s corpse.
She shook her head firmly, thinking:
‘I mustn’t be bewitched by that sly fox. No matter what happens, I have to stay sharp.’
Laika poured red wine into a glass and handed it to Iris.
She politely accepted it with both hands, and Laika chuckled softly.
“How cute. Why do you hold your drink with both hands?”
“We’re not that close to use just one hand…”
Iris answered awkwardly and took a sip of wine.
Laika’s gaze fixed on her even as the sour, bitter wine slid down his throat.
She glanced around nervously, sipping the wine like birdseed.
Every small gesture was irresistibly charming.
Strictly speaking, her actions weren’t particularly cute, but in his eyes, everything she did was adorable.
Maybe it was her plump cheeks and big round eyes, giving her a hamster-like cuteness?
The heat that started from his lower abdomen spread throughout his body.
He felt his core swelling with power.
His throat burned, and he licked his upper lip with his tongue, then called to Iris in a low, husky voice.
“Iris.”
“…Yes?”
“Come closer.”
“Like this?”
Iris shifted her hips and moved close to Laika.
The moment she did, his strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her in.
Iris’s face flushed deeply as she was drawn into his embrace.
She could distinctly feel his firm abs against her side.
Laika buried his nose into the crown of her head and whispered lazily.
“Hm. What perfume is that? It smells so nice.”
“Just… it was on sale, so I bought it.”
“Is that so? It’s really good. I want to keep smelling it… Where did you spray it?”
His long fingers danced lightly across her waist like piano keys.
Startled by the ticklish sensation, Iris tried hard to hide her uneven breath and answered slowly.
“On my neck, uh…”
“Your neck?”
As soon as she said “neck,” warm lips began trailing down her slender neckline.
Iris tilted her head slightly and continued, breathless.
“A little on my hair, too… Ah, it tickles.”
“Is that all?”
“And… a little on my chest.”
His lips traveled from her neck down past her collarbone, reaching the upper curve of her chest.
The slow, teasing movement of his lips made Iris tremble faintly.
Laika gently parted the V-shaped dress with his fingers, revealing the roundness of her upper chest.
He licked her gently and then, as if naturally, took her wine glass away.
Placing the glass on the side table with his lips still pressed to her chest looked like a professional move.
He pressed his nose against her soft skin and took a deep breath.
His straight nose nudged her chest, and Iris bit her lip tightly.
“So that’s why it smells so good. It’s the kind of scent that tastes sweet if you lick it.”
“Ah…”
Laika sniffed, burying his nose in her right breast, then with his left hand, he grabbed her opposite breast.
With his other hand, he parted her clenched thigh.
His fingers traced the panty line over her pale thigh.
A tightening sensation bloomed in Iris’s lower abdomen, and her eyelids fluttered rapidly.
Laika gently massaged her breast with one hand, pressing his finger firmly where her nipple likely was.
Iris’s body jerked upward, and his smile deepened.
“You wore something easy to take off. Was the dress, showing your chest like this, an intentional choice to turn me on?”
“Not exactly… Ah, ah…”
His hands slid provocatively over the dress.
Despite the double layers of fabric, her nipples hardened enough to be felt clearly.
Exhaling a heated breath, Laika pulled down the sides of the dress without hesitation.
The V-shaped neckline was wide enough that the dress could be removed without unzipping or unbuttoning.
His blue eyes, gazing at the breasts encased in underwear, darkened with unquenched desire.
“You did wear it on purpose, don’t pretend otherwise.”