A Brighter Future (Kuroinu)

“Why are you here at this late hour?”

Looking at Claudia who suddenly barged in, Chloe remembered that besides Celestine, there was also this girl, especially considering the existence of their engagement. Although Rhodes had mentioned that the engagement was initially just to buy time, Chloe couldn’t help but think that Claudia might want to turn it into something real.

“I came to ask Rhodes to sleep with me.”

As Claudia spoke as agreed beforehand, her heart couldn’t help but beat a little faster.

“Can’t he sleep in his own room?”

“I don’t think you have the right to inquire about this matter, do you?”

Facing Chloe’s question, Claudia frowned at her, considering Chloe as nothing more than a slave, with no right to meddle in her and Rhodes’s affairs.

Claudia’s response reminded Chloe of her position in the Levantine family, even though she would not be intimidated by such matters.

“Alright, I understand. Claudia, you can go back now.”

“Okay.”

Hearing Rhodes’s response, Claudia left the room without saying anything, and then Rhodes explained to Chloe.

“In fact, this is something Claudia wants to try. She doesn’t necessarily think that what exists between us has to be fake. She knows I like Celestine, so she doesn’t want to give up just like that. That’s why she wants to try.”

Same thoughts as mine?

Chloe immediately understood Claudia’s intentions, realizing that she shared the same thoughts, believing that being with Rhodes was the most suitable for both of them, so she wanted to take action.

“So, are you going over to sleep with her now to do something?”

Chloe’s tone became displeased, even her grip on Rhodes’s body tightened, clearly indicating that she didn’t intend for this to happen, especially if she had known earlier, she might have acted sooner.

“No, right now it’s just sleeping together, nothing else. Not only because it’s too soon, but also because it could lead to problems. I can’t let temporary lust make me do such things.”

Receiving this response, Chloe’s expression eased slightly. Although the outcome was still difficult to accept, hearing Rhodes’s reply, she hadn’t completely relaxed yet, as it was unlikely for that woman to succeed at the moment.

However, she still worried whether the other party might suddenly lose control, like she did before in the carriage, and Claudia’s situation was much better than hers. If she were to act on impulse in bed, the result would be obvious.

“Can you be sure that Claudia won’t do anything to you in that situation? Do you think she would do the same as I did? What will you do if you can’t control yourself at that time?”

“Um— I’m not too sure about that, but I should try my best to stop it. After all, as I just said, things are moving too fast right now.”

Rhodes himself was not too sure about the situation at that time, but he didn’t think Claudia belonged to the kind of person who would act impulsively.

“It’s better this way, otherwise if things escalate, no one will be able to stop it.”

Chloe could imagine that if Claudia really intended to do something, she could definitely suppress Rhodes.

“I understand.”

After calming Chloe’s emotions, Rhodes also left the bedroom. After a while, he arrived at Claudia’s door, opened it, and walked in. Upon entering the room, he could clearly smell a fragrance, seemingly from some special incense, which made the person breathing it feel relaxed.

Rhodes’s gaze then fell on Claudia, sitting there in a white nightgown. The slightly transparent nightgown allowed Rhodes to see her figure clearly under the candlelight.

With the fragrant room and Claudia’s mature and charming appearance under the candlelight, when Claudia felt Rhodes’s gaze, her face blushed, captivating him.

However, as Rhodes regained his composure and took a deep breath, he sat down beside Claudia. His heart was still racing. Today’s events were really one after another—first Celestine’s kiss, then Chloe initiating a similar action, which was even more unbearable.

At this point, with Claudia in this situation, Rhodes felt that he was almost at his limit. If this continued, he couldn’t guarantee that he would stick to his previous thoughts. It was a question worth considering deeply.

“If there’s nothing else, we should rest early, because there are still many things waiting for you tomorrow.”

Looking at Rhodes sitting motionless beside her, Claudia felt nervous, although she knew they were just going to sleep, his behavior still made her nervous. But more than that, she felt excited, because she felt that this situation meant her charm could still make Rhodes’s heart flutter, rather than solely focused on Celestine.

This indicated that her previous actions might have indeed worked, shifting Rhodes’s attention away from Celestine to some extent. Thus, Claudia placed her hand on the back of Rhodes’s hand, her body heating up with excitement. As their hands touched, she began to breathe slightly harder.

The atmosphere became increasingly ambiguous, especially with the coquettish look in Claudia’s eyes, as if tempting Rhodes to do something to her.

And indeed, Rhodes couldn’t resist moving closer to her, wanting more contact with her.