After I Died, He Died After Me Too - Chapter 46

Chapter 23.2

“I told His Highness I would punish you, but I won’t, so there’s no need to worry. I just hope that from now on, we respect our boundaries and avoid any more unpleasant conflicts.”

“….”

She offered a faint smile as she spoke, but there was still no response. Deciding not to push further, Bianca simply waited for the laces to be pulled tight.

“Elris?”

Bianca instinctively started to turn her head while holding the laces. But then, a large hand covered hers. It wasn’t Elris’s hand.

Unease flickered in her eyes. As she tried to pull her hand free, a deep voice cut through the silence.

“Didn’t you ask for help?”

“Hhnt!”

Bianca screamed in pain.

A sharp cry escaped her lips as the slackened laces were yanked taut in an instant. She gasped, her eyes widening as sharp pressure cinched around her waist. The corset’s grip forced her posture upright in an instant. Even though she wanted to question why he was here instead of a maid, she was too overwhelmed to speak.

The next moment, his low voice issued a firm command.

“Breathe.”

“Huhp.”

Without thinking, Bianca inhaled sharply. It was ironic that he was dressing her, yet she was the one following his commands without question.

“Hands.”

Another brief order followed.

The moment his grip relaxed, Bianca swiftly released the laces. Without hesitation, she crossed her arms over her chest to shield herself.

“I didn’t let go for you to do that.”

“Why is Your Highness—Haht!”

The laces were pulled tight once again. Bianca was helplessly drawn backward by his strength, her back colliding against his firm chest.

“It seems like you wanted to be in my arms. Are you finally thinking about letting me imprint you?”

“…Please don’t misunderstand. It’s just because Your Highness pulled too hard.”

“That’s why I let go. Find something to hold onto and steady yourself. If you end up falling back again, I might just take this off.”

His words sent a shiver down her spine.

He wasn’t the type to make idle jokes, and she knew it. Without hesitation, she gripped the pillar in front of her tightly.

“Breathe.”

At his short command, she immediately inhaled sharply.

The laces were pulled tight once more, but this time, she managed to hold her ground without being pulled back. Dexter skillfully tightened the corset laces. Meanwhile, Bianca was left to brace herself against the pillar, struggling to keep steady.

‘This feels strange.’

Despite the fact that he was only helping her dress, it felt nothing like when a maid assisted her. Each time he threaded the corset laces, his fingers grazed her spine, sending a wave of tension through her body.

“Where is the maid… Hhht!”

It felt like he was telling her not to ask. Bianca squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed a gasp.

“If you don’t need help, I’ll leave it as it is.”

He released the laces as he spoke. Worried that he really would walk away and leave her like this, Bianca quickly shook her head.

“…Please help me.”

“The Astri family is already waiting in the parlor.”

‘They’ve already arrived…’

Anxiety crept into Bianca’s chest, but Dexter remained completely unhurried, leisurely tightening the corset laces as he moved downward. Before she realized it, she could hear the soft rustle of fabric as he worked his way down to her waist. She felt the strings tighten as they were securely tied.

It was only then that Bianca let out a sigh of relief.

“Is it done?”

“You should be able to put the rest on by yourself.”

Bianca nodded. She was confident she could manage it by herself now.

“…Your Highness, are you planning to stay here?”

For some reason, a wave of embarrassment swept over her. What must he have thought, seeing that no maid had come to assist her? Perhaps he thought she couldn’t even manage a maid properly.

‘It’s not entirely wrong, though.’

Bianca turned around to put on the next garment. She felt exposed and hoped he would leave soon. However, the man facing her didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving the dressing room.

“Raise your hands.”

He said something unexpected.

“…Pardon?”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said, raise your hands.”

No, she had heard him correctly. Bianca blinked in surprise and raised both hands. For a moment, she felt flustered, but then an échelle stomacher descended over her head.

With her vision obscured, she became anxious and quickly spoke up.

“Y-Your Highness, I can do this myself.”

“How long do you think it would take to do it yourself? If you’re planning on making your family wait, I won’t stop you.”

“….”

Although she had many questions she wanted to ask, she bit her tongue.

In the end, Bianca managed to get the dress on with his help. He even pulled her by the hand and sat her down on the stool without her realizing it. She stared blankly at Dexter, casually standing behind her, reflected in the vanity mirror. Her eyes filled with curiosity as he casually picked up the brush from the vanity.

Without a second thought, he began running it through her hair.