Bound by Lust

"I hope I don't end up regretting this decision…"

Esme remained lost in thought, her mind swirling with doubts, fears, and the weight of her choices. So much had happened in such little time that she didn't even notice when the car came to a stop.

"Get down," Kael's voice commanded.

She blinked back into reality and turned to look at him, but his expression was unreadable. Without another word, she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

Before they could take another step, Kael spoke again.

"Don't tell anyone about this yet," he said coldly. "Keep your mouth zipped."

Esme hesitated, slightly taken aback, but eventually gave a small nod. He didn't wait for further response and simply turned, heading inside the mansion.

As they stepped into the grand hall, Esme's eyes immediately found Lucan. Her face unconsciously lit up, and for the first time that day, she felt a sense of ease.

"Sir Lucan!" she greeted, walking toward him with a warm smile.

Lucan turned at the sound of her voice, smiling back. "Oh, hi. I see you're doing much better now."

The way he said it made Esme's heart skip. Was he indirectly telling her that it was time to leave? The thought unsettled her.

"You're back earlier than expected. The second week isn't over yet," she said, quickly changing the topic.

"Oh, yes. I got done with everything I had to do over there," Lucan replied, keeping the conversation light.

As they continued talking, Kael watched them from across the room, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he sipped from a glass of wine. He wasn't sure why, but the sight before him irritated him. He wasn't the type to care about who interacted with whom, but this was different. Esme was going to be his woman soon, and he didn't like the idea of Lucan and Esme sharing this level of closeness.

"When did they even get this close?" he muttered, taking another sip of his wine, his gaze never leaving them.

Later that evening, the rest of the household returned from the mall.

Maria, feeling uneasy, hurried up the stairs toward Esme's room. Ever since Kael had called her to make an excuse for their absence, she couldn't shake off the strange feeling that something might have happened.

Please don't let her have done anything reckless…

Without thinking, Maria pushed the door open, completely forgetting to knock.

Esme, who had been brushing her hair, froze mid-motion, turning to see who had barged in.

Maria rushed toward her, concern visible all over her face—something completely unusual for her. "Miss Esme, are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" she bombarded, her voice laced with worry.

Esme blinked in surprise. "Woah, chill! I'm okay," she reassured, completely taken aback by Maria's reaction.

Maria exhaled a deep sigh of relief before straightening herself. "Did… did you do anything to upset Master Kael? Why did he take you with him?" she asked, her expression unreadable.

Esme remained silent, her mind debating on how to answer.

Maria, realizing she was probably prying too much, stepped back and exhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, Miss. That was too far. But please… be careful. Always let me know when you're leaving. It's not entirely safe."

Esme frowned slightly, confused. "Are you trying to say Sir Kael is a bad man?"

Maria didn't flinch. "Not at all, Miss," she answered almost too quickly, then gave a small bow. "I'll leave you to continue what you were doing. Goodnight."

She turned to leave when Esme called after her.

"Maria…"

Maria paused. "Yes, Miss?"

"Can I make my food in the kitchen myself? There's something I want to cook."

Maria turned back, squinting slightly as she studied Esme's face. A moment of silence passed before she finally nodded. "Of course, Miss. I'll let the chef know so he can assist you with whatever you need."

A small smile stretched across Esme's lips. "Thank you."

Maria gave a slight bow before exiting, shutting the door behind her.

Excitement bubbled within Esme. She jumped up from her chair, took off her robe, and slipped into oversized pajamas. She had been craving something warm and comforting all day, and she couldn't wait to make it.

When she entered the kitchen, she was met with the sight of Chef Hwang, an elderly man with a kind smile.

"Good evening, Miss Esme," he greeted.

"Hi, sir," she responded sweetly.

"What dish would you like to prepare? I can make it for you," he offered.

Esme quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, sir! You don't need to do anything. I'll make it myself, but thank you so much."

Chef Hwang hesitated, then gave a small nod. "If you insist, Miss. But if you need anything, I'll be close by."

As he exited, Esme hummed happily, searching through the cupboards. She had planned on making kimchi fried rice, but as she searched, she realized something was missing.

Oh no! What if they don't have kimchi?

"Looking for something?"

Esme nearly jumped at the deep voice behind her. She turned to find Lucan, casually leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.

A small, shy smile formed on her lips. "Oh… heh… yeah. I'm hungry, and I wanted to make kimchi fried rice, but I can't find any kimchi."

Lucan raised a brow. "We don't usually keep that here. My grandmother is strict with diets, and she doesn't allow overly fermented foods."

Esme pouted at his words, clearly disappointed.

Lucan chuckled at her reaction. "But I think Chef Hwang might have some. He secretly keeps a stash of his favorite ingredients."

With that, he went off and returned a moment later with a small jar of homemade kimchi.

"Here," he handed it to her.

Esme's face lit up. "Oh my god, you're a lifesaver!"

Lucan smirked. "I'll help you make it."

Together, they started preparing the dish. Lucan rolled up his sleeves, and as Esme watched him work, she couldn't help but admire how attractive he looked in the kitchen. The way his hands moved, the flex of his arms, the way his voice deepened slightly when he concentrated—it all sent a small shiver down her spine.

She found herself biting her lip as she watched him.

"You're staring," Lucan remarked, breaking her trance.

Esme gasped, quickly looking away, her cheeks flushing. "I-I was not!"

Lucan chuckled as he finished up, scooping some rice onto a plate. "Here, taste it."

Esme took a bite, closing her eyes as the flavors melted in her mouth. "Mmm… this is amazing!" she moaned in delight.

Lucan smirked. "Better than you expected?"

"Better than what I make!" she laughed.

He leaned closer, his voice dropping slightly. "That's because I'm good with my hands."

Esme's breath hitched, the implication behind his words sending a rush of heat through her.

Before she could react, a voice suddenly interrupted them.

"What's going on here?"

Both Lucan and Esme turned to see Kael standing at the entrance, his dark eyes cold and piercing.

Esme swallowed hard. The air in the room shifted.

And just like that, the warmth she felt moments ago turned into something far more dangerous.

****. ****. ****.