The Princess's Private Tutoring - Chapter 9

Episode 9. He Stood Up

“Are you all right, Your Highness?”

Killian’s voice was tense. Celestia, her face buried in his chest, nodded.

When she had fallen, she thought it was just a terribly unlucky day, but being held in his arms felt unbelievably good.

His embrace was as broad as she had imagined and even more solid.

Hugging him felt like being rewarded. It didn’t matter that it was a contact born of an accident.

After all, accidents can turn into incidents.

“Can you stand?”

Killian, unaware of her sly thoughts, remained courteous.

Only his words were polite. His body was far from it.

Because of the blood rushing downward, his groin was swelling.

He worried Celestia might notice.

He wished she’d get up quickly, but Celestia hesitated, and he couldn’t push her away.

Worse, his instincts screamed at him to pull her waist in closer, to rub his arousal against her body.

“If you’re all right, Your Highness, perhaps you should stand…”

He gently pushed her shoulder with just his fingertips.

“I feel dizzy.”

At his attempt to push her away, a lie spilled from Celestia’s lips.

She completely relaxed her body and leaned into him.

Even with their close proximity, was there still some space left?

Their distance closed further. Not even a sheet of paper could slip between them.

“Ahem. I’ll go fetch a doctor right away.”

Realizing Celestia’s shallow trick, Lyla ushered Anne out of the room.

“Sigh, I think I need to go to my bedroom.”

Celestia’s sigh brushed against Killian’s neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably.

“To your bedroom?”

“You’ll escort me, won’t you, Sir Killian? I can’t walk.”

A vein popped on Killian’s temple.

Unaware of what he was holding back, Celestia kept provoking him.

With every move, every word, every breath.

“Or will you call someone else for me?”

Killian raised his eyebrow.

The image of someone else carrying the half-dressed Celestia burned in his mind like fire.

Just imagining someone seeing her like this was unbearable.

The reason was simple.

As her tutor, as her protector, he couldn’t allow perverse thoughts toward Celestia.

“I’ll escort you. Please excuse me.”

Still lying down, Killian rotated her body sideways and straightened his back. He lifted Celestia like a baby in his arms.

Even considering that Celestia was barely half his size, his strength and movement were astounding.

Celestia naturally wrapped her arms around the back of Killian’s neck.

He frowned deeply and said, “Let go.”

“What?”

He had just acted like he was going to carry her, and now he told her to let go?

As Celestia stared in confusion, Killian unwrapped her arms and set her down. One hand still held her arm, perhaps because she claimed to feel dizzy.

“You can’t go like this.”

Killian glanced at her disheveled appearance and closed his eyes.

‘Is it really that bad? I didn’t look that awful in the mirror!’

Celestia’s eyes welled up with sorrow. But she didn’t cry.

‘A woman’s tears are precious.’

You can’t shed them just anytime.

As Celestia bit her lip to hold back the hurt, Killian said, “You can’t go around half-naked like this. You’ll catch a cold. You know your body doesn’t belong to you alone, right?”

Muttering nagging words, Killian took off his cloak and wrapped Celestia tightly.

Suddenly, she looked like a black log.

Only then did the wrinkle between Killian’s brows smooth out.

“That looks better.”

“This?”

Celestia was dumbfounded.

“Excuse me.”

Killian lifted her up again.

It was another princess carry, but this time, with her arms completely bound, she couldn’t wrap them around his neck.

“This is uncomfortable.”

Celestia tensed her neck muscles to keep her head from falling backward.

“Leave everything to me.”

He supported her back with his arm. His large hand settled at the back of her head.

Celestia’s pupils quivered.

She wanted to entrust not just this moment but her whole life to him.

It was an unseemly thought for a princess.

‘I’ve grown weak.’

Celestia buried her face in his chest. She buried her shameful thoughts with it.

“Let’s go.”

Though she floated in the air, seated sideways, Celestia felt no anxiety. Killian’s presence alone was reassuring.

***

“The first lesson didn’t yield results.”

Late at night, Lady Eldorado came to visit Celestia.

She saw the dress sprawled across the floor. The gown Celestia had taken off looked like discarded skin or used wrapping paper.

“That’s how it turned out,” said Celestia nonchalantly.

Killian had left her bedroom without hesitation. Since it was Celestia who claimed to feel dizzy, she couldn’t stop him.

Instead, she received a firm promise to continue the lesson tomorrow.

Lady Eldorado, having roughly heard the situation, visited Stella Palace to comfort Celestia, expecting her to be downcast.

But Celestia’s reaction was entirely unexpected.

She was humming while flicking her slipper with her foot.

If this were a war, she had lost without even swinging her ultimate weapon, so why did she look so pleased?

“Did she hit her head when she fell?” Lady Eldorado whispered to Lyla.

“She’s perfectly fine. Sir Killian protected her well.”

Lyla wasn’t fond of Killian. He made Celestia suffer emotionally.

But just for today, she had to admit he was impressive.

“As he should be.”

Lady Eldorado was even stricter with Killian than Lyla.

‘He can do everything right for a hundred days, I’ll never forgive him for hurting our princess. Hmph.’

Lady Eldorado approached Celestia. “Your Highness, how are you feeling?”

Celestia, who had been resting her chin on a book and lost in thought, looked back at Lady Eldorado.

“I feel great.”

“Truly?”

It was hard to believe. Lady Eldorado squinted and studied her.

Could she be lying so we wouldn’t worry?

It would be just like kind-hearted Celestia.

“Have I been deceived all this time? There were results, sister.”

Lyla and Anne, who had been tidying Celestia’s discarded clothes and shoes, widened their eyes.

They dropped what they were holding and ran over.

The three surrounded the table where Celestia sat.

“What kind of results?”

They were dying of curiosity.

Celestia smiled sweetly. “He’s solid.”

“What?”

“It wasn’t my imagination.”

“Please explain in detail!”

“So, about him—”

Celestia paused for effect. She looked around at the people nearby. They were all tight-lipped and wouldn’t mock Killian over what she was about to say.

Feeling reassured, Celestia opened her mouth. “It was strange that someone as handsome as Sir Killian wasn’t dating anyone. He acted indifferent, but I secretly worried.”

“About what?”

“That he couldn’t get it up.”

“That’s a valid concern.”

Lyla, who had been listening quietly, stroked her chin. “I heard he had quite a few admirers, but no follow-up rumors.”

So rumors spread that Killian might be impotent or gay.

Just as Lyla was calculating the possibilities, her eyes widened. “Your Highness, did you confirm it? Did you see it? I mean, that part of his body that you’re so fixated on?”

Lyla couldn’t bring herself to say the words “penis,” “cock,” or “dick.”

Even though she was progressive and open-minded, those terms were still embarrassing to utter.

“No. I didn’t see it.”

Lyla’s shoulders, which had been raised in excitement, slumped.

A fleeting look of either relief or disappointment passed over her face.

“Then what kind of result was there?”

Lady Eldorado couldn’t take it anymore and cut in.

“Sir Killian.”

Celestia’s gaze turned dreamy. Her face wore an expression as if walking through a field of blooming flowers.

“What about Sir Killian?”

Celestia clasped her hands and looked around at the three women.

“He stood up.”

“Excuse me?”

“Correction. He was hard.”

Celestia had caught on instantly to the thing Killian had desperately tried to hide.

While lying on top of him, she had felt it. His manhood gradually swelling on the left side of his thigh.

He had an erection.