Chapter Title: In His Bedroom
Cesare stood up from his seat. As he unbuttoned his shirt, he motioned to Adèle.
"Follow me." Adèle hesitated for a moment, then took a few awkward steps. Gigi shouted.
"Miss! That trolley there is what Dr. Giotto left behind. The instructions should be written on it!" Adèle noticed the trolley, which had been quietly sitting in the corner. It was loaded with what looked like medicine and bandages. Turning back, she saw Gigi waving his fingers in a playful goodbye. Aegir was watching them, but his demeanor suggested it was merely a routine act of guarding.
_Are we going alone?_ Adèle followed Cesare into a corridor connected to the office, a place she had never been before.
"Close the portiere." Cesare instructed as he walked ahead. Adèle awkwardly untied the silver knot holding the portiere at the entrance of the passage. The heavy damask curtain with lotus embroidery fell, closing off the corridor. As she turned around, she saw a hallway bathed in sunlight from narrow, arched windows. It was a simple and elegant space. The atmosphere felt different, like entering a private area. It was just a closed-off corridor, yet it felt more intimate. Cesare opened a heavy door about sixteen feet ahead, revealing a bright and spacious room. It was Cesare's bedroom. Holding onto the trolley handle like a lifeline, Adèle stepped into his bedroom. Contrary to her expectations of grandeur, Cesare's bedroom was extremely neat. The bed linen was white and fine, without any patterns, and the interior decoration was either a cool white or a pale blue. The bed was minimalist, with no headboard, pillars, or canopy. The most notable feature was the floor-to-ceiling glass window behind the bed. The space didn't feel empty, thanks to the view of the garden through the glass. The view was beautiful, encompassing three of the Bonaparte gardens at once. It was a breathtaking sight, but Adèle couldn't help but ask.
"Is this structure secure?"
"The elevation makes it safe." Cesare replied with a laugh, as if to say that was her only concern. Adèle nodded.
_So this is the part that looks like a cliff from the outside._ The highest point of the terraced garden. The lack of ledges below improved security.
_…Beautiful._ If security wasn't an issue, the rounded walls and expansive view made it an exceptionally charming room. The contrast of Fornatie's blue sky and the green garden was striking. Lost in the view, Adèle snapped back to reality and looked at Cesare.
"Then, let me tend to your wound…" She stopped mid-sentence. Cesare had already taken off his white shirt, exposing his bare back. Adèle involuntarily held her breath at the sight of his fully exposed back. She had seen many male bodies while disguising herself on the streets. Her usual impression was that men's bodies weren't particularly beautiful. But Cesare's body was different. It wasn't overly muscular, lacked awkward proportions, and had no hidden flab. The bandages covering him were almost a pity, given how perfect his physique was. His shoulders were broad enough for Adèle to roll over them, and his waistline gracefully tapered below, forming a beautiful curve. There were a few scars, but they only added a mysterious and dangerous allure to his otherwise perfect form. Above the waistband of his trousers, just to the left of his spine, was a distinctive mark…
"Quite a long gaze." His amused voice broke her trance, and Adèle looked up in surprise. Cesare was watching her from the corner of his eye. She felt mortified. Even if she was called a pervert, she had no excuse.
"…That's…"
"I do have an attractive body. Don't get too excited over something nice to look at." Adèle's face hardened.
"That won't happen."
"Fine by me." Cesare, seeming tired of the joke, walked over to the bed and sat down. She expected him to flaunt his impressive physique, but he didn't. In hindsight, he didn't have much vanity. His self-praise seemed more like an effort to save others the trouble of complimenting him. _No wonder women like him._ Thinking this, Adèle pulled the trolley closer and stood by his side. All the necessary tools were there. She first picked up a pair of scissors.
"Brother, I'll cut the bandage now. Please turn your body slightly…"
"No." Adèle, who had lifted the scissors, paused. She coaxed him gently.
"Just a little…"
"No." Cesare was adamant. His golden eyes looked at her as if to say, _What will you do now?_ Adèle looked at Cesare's back. The only way to tend to it was to climb onto the spacious, expensive bed.
"…" Taking a slow breath, Adèle asked.
"May I climb onto your bed for a moment?"
"You don't need my permission for that."
"Thank you." Adèle moved the trolley to the edge of the bed and gathered her dress in her hand. Gathering her skirt in front of a shirtless man felt somewhat odd. Careful not to seem too hasty, she climbed onto the bed. Kneeling on the white bedspread, she positioned herself behind Cesare. Only then could she exhale the breath she had been holding. Adèle placed the tray from the trolley onto the bed and picked up the scissors again.
"…I'm cutting the bandage now." As her fingertips touched Cesare's back, she felt the heat and firmness of his muscles. Cesare's breathing was calm. It seemed Adèle was the only one tense, as if she were in a room with a beast. _Snip. Snip._ The sound of the bandage being cut echoed in the quiet bedroom. Finally, the cut bandage fell away. Just as Adèle sighed in relief, thinking she had passed the first hurdle, Cesare grabbed her hand.
---
Despite Giotto's fuss, the wound wasn't severe. Cesare had good reflexes, and he had rolled appropriately to absorb the shock when catching Adèle. It was more of a bruise that would heal in a few days rather than weeks. Still, he was the head of the Bonaparte family. Everyone's concern was justified. Knowing this, Cesare quietly accepted the treatment and the worried looks. Throughout it all, the shoe shiner, who was at the center of the incident, remained an outsider. Adèle, who had staggered like a fawn to follow him, lost her presence once she sat in the office. No one spoke to her. No one asked if she was all right. Not even Epony, who arrived late. Cesare felt like it was all a play. _Usually, the person who fell would be more worried about, right? Why isn't she feeling wronged? No matter her background._ Adèle sat quietly in the face of complete disregard, gazing into the void. She tightened his coat around herself and shivered slightly in her negligee. Even when the doctor rushed in to treat someone else, she didn't seem worried about her own body. Occasionally, she would glance at him with a concerned, gloomy look. He wanted to click his tongue repeatedly. _How could she be so presumptuous and foolish?_ She had almost died if not for him, yet she worried about him. It was a night full of questions. By morning, Cesare had an answer. _She must have had some other motive._ Only then did everything make sense. That's why she endured Lady Flavia's abuse like an idiot. That's why she came to him in a negligee without fear. Pretending not to care about her body, acting concerned for him. Staggering to evoke a protective instinct. Looking at him with deep, far-reaching eyes every time their gazes met. All of it. _There's no other reason to worry about a man who talked about fantasies and hobbies._
"Adèle Bibi." Cesare gently squeezed Adèle's hand. She was easily pushed back. The green-haired woman looked up in surprise, sprawling on the white bedspread. In the midst of it all, her annoyingly large chest struggled to stay within her neckline. _Damn._ Cesare laughed. He was genuinely a little excited. Adèle seemed to feel the sensation against her thigh. Her amber eyes finally showed a warning light.
"Brother."
"Call me Cesare. That title doesn't suit the bed." Cesare twisted his body, climbing onto Adèle's lower abdomen, pressing down just enough to prevent resistance.