About Becoming My Ex-Husband's Mistress - Chapter 73

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 73. A Gentle Kiss
Madame Laber and every staff member of the salon lined the entrance of the newly occupied building.
Standing at the very front, I quietly swallowed a sigh, weighed down by mental exhaustion.
Luderne Wintem, whom I was seeing for the first time in two months after our previous encounter in disguise.
My ex-husband.
The thought of having to feign composure before him had made me so anxious that I hadn’t slept a wink last night.
I couldn’t let him discover my identity, and above all, my heart could not betray me.
‘Stay calm, stay composed….’
At the appointed hour, a carriage from the House of Grand Duke Wintem pulled up before us.
As the coachman opened the carriage door, Luderne Wintem in a blue tailcoat embroidered with golden thread, Brissel Mohr, and Butler Egardt descended.
“?”
I stared at Luderne in bewilderment.
His hair had grown during our time apart—long enough to be tied back.
‘Where did that sharp undercut style go?’
Moreover, stubble shadowed his jaw.
Though it was undeniably attractive, it inevitably conjured memories of the Luderne I once knew.
Whether as Baron Sellen or as Grand Duke Wintem, his appearance had always been immaculate.
‘Why? Has something changed in his heart during this time?’
Just then, Madame Laber stepped forward with a radiant smile and offered a respectful greeting.
“What an honor to receive you. The Raber Salon welcomes the esteemed Luderne Wintem Grand Duke with sincere gratitude.”
Following her lead, all the staff members, myself included, echoed her greeting.
With a single nod from Luderne, Brissel and Egardt bowed respectfully and entered the adjacent casino building first.
A grand reception was scheduled at the casino that evening.
Nobility would gather for high-stakes games, and it appeared Luderne and his associates were attending as well.
Luderne surveyed the lined-up staff.
“Everyone except the designer who will prepare me may withdraw.”
“I hope you have a most pleasant evening.”
Madame Laber offered another respectful greeting to Luderne and departed, but not before catching my eye with a meaningful glance. It was a signal for me to attend to him.
I took a deep breath.
“I am Priscilla, the lead designer entrusted with preparing Your Grace this evening.”
I proceeded to introduce Irina and Misha in turn, but suddenly grew anxious, wondering if Luderne would recognize the two women from Heril Island.
However, Luderne’s expression remained as composed as ever.
Relieved, I began guiding him through the salon’s facilities, starting from the first floor.
After completing the tour of the lower levels, we passed through a spacious lobby and ascended via an elevator to the fourth floor.
The salon’s basic layout was similar to the previous building.
The difference lay in where I worked.
Whereas the entrance had previously been concealed by curtains, it was now sealed by a pair of sturdy paulownia doors carved with acanthus motifs.
It was a VIP room where clients could receive the direct attention of the Raber Salon’s lead designer.
The moment the doors opened, a spacious reception room came into view, and beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows lay a newly landscaped garden and the azure sea beyond.
Before us sat an exceptionally comfortable sofa and tea table, sized to accommodate ten people in ease.
“Recently, to celebrate our opening, Princess Cherni and other distinguished ladies from High Society have gathered here to enjoy tea time. Everything needed for tea time is provided within these walls, so there’s no need to step outside.”
It was a group reservation system designed for clientele who wished to balance social activities with light styling services.
The ladies who came here typically received services such as nail care or specially formulated facial masks for skincare.
I then guided them to the space where proper styling took place.
There were leather chairs with adjustable backrests and mirrors, wardrobes and racks where multiple outfits could be stored in advance, a spacious daybed for resting when fatigued, and sink facilities for washing hair.
“Here, you can receive styling from head to toe as much as you desire. Usually, clients book private sessions.”
Luderne nodded.
“So you’ve equipped everything necessary for grooming.”
“That’s correct.”
After explaining the interior facilities, I seated Luderne in one of the leather-backed chairs.
At that moment, Luderne glanced at Irina.
“How many people are minimally required to trim a man’s hair and beard?”
Irina answered respectfully.
“One person would be sufficient at minimum.”
“Then I’d prefer only the minimum necessary staff to remain until I call again.”
At Luderne’s request, Irina and Misha exchanged glances before looking at me.
Their silent question was whether it would be acceptable if they stepped away, leaving the two of us alone.
Though reluctant, I had no choice but to nod.
“Then please enjoy a peaceful time.”
Irina and Misha bowed politely and left.
As the heavy paulownia door closed, the space became isolated from the outside world, and silence settled in.
I stood for a moment before reaching for the styling scissors at Luderne’s gaze.
“What style would you prefer?”
“My hair has grown a bit from being so busy. I’m not sure if you remember, but I’d like it back to how it was. After grooming is finished, I plan to rest a while before attending a banquet at the Casino.”
“Then I’ll trim your hair short as it was before, shave you, and complete your grooming as you wish.”
“Yes. Make it suit today’s atmosphere.”
I began trimming Luderne’s hair.
Soft black strands fell to the floor as the scissors’ blades sang their metallic whisper.
Though Luderne remained perfectly still, each time I swept my fingers through his hair, I bit my lip slightly.
Memories surfaced of those days when I had dared to grasp his hair and wept.
My heart shouldn’t race. My breath shouldn’t grow warm. I shouldn’t find happiness simply in touching his hair.
Usually, when ladies had their hair trimmed at the salon, they spoke freely of whatever was on their minds.
I would nod along and engage with their stories, keeping the important matters only in my memory.
The salon could never be quiet under normal circumstances.
Loud or soft, sharp or gentle, rough or tender—the ladies’ voices flowed in conversation suited to each moment.
But now, it was unusually still.
Luderne said nothing, and I was not speaking either.
Snip, snip, snip.
As the sound of the scissors echoed through the silence, my heartbeat seemed to grow louder with each passing moment, and I felt my breath catch with anxiety.
‘What if he can hear my heartbeat?’
While I was lost in worry, my hair styling was completed, and it was time for the shave.
I tilted the leather chair back, and as Luderne reclined at an angle, I began gently applying shaving cream to his jawline.
Then, quite suddenly, I felt heat rising to my face.
Without meaning to, I found myself looking down at him, and he was gazing back at me with those deep, crimson eyes.
My heart ached.
More than three months had passed since I left Heril Island, yet I realized with painful clarity that my feelings hadn’t changed one bit.
Fearing tears might fall, I forced the corners of my mouth upward into a smile.
“Your Grace, you needn’t stay awake during your shave. I’ll wake you once I’m finished.”
At my words, Luderne quietly closed his eyes.
I picked up the razor and continued with his shave. Throughout, he didn’t open his eyes once, and his jawline soon became impeccably clean.
Now it was time to move to the installed water fixtures for shampooing.
‘I should wake him.’
But he lay in such deep sleep that he didn’t stir at all.
I wondered if perhaps fatigue had accumulated from all his work. Everyone who mattered knew how busy Luderne was with his business ventures.
Rather than wake him immediately, I simply gazed at his face.
Perfectly sculpted features, skin so luminously pale it seemed flawless without any effort, eyebrows that commanded presence, and long black lashes that fell gracefully.
Every detail was captivating.
Just thinking of those eyelids lifting to reveal those gem-like eyes…
‘Ah.’
My heart swelled with such tenderness it almost hurt.
He was a cruel man who had abandoned me without mercy because of our difference in station, and yet I still found him maddeningly lovely.
‘What should I do? Even if you forget me, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget you.’
Despair washed over me.
I needed to forget him and find new love, but standing this close, seeing him like this, I couldn’t bring myself to let go.
‘With him so near, the best I can hope to accomplish is bringing down Melissa and protecting the child.’
In the end, I would surely die without breaking the curse, unable to love another man.
The ironic part was that I didn’t even feel resentful about it anymore.
Since I couldn’t forget him, what meaning did survival hold if I had to face it alone?
As I gazed intently at Luderne, I found myself leaning closer without thinking.
And as I gently pressed my lips to his forehead, I realized I must be mad.
To be so utterly happy from just a light kiss.
The moment I straightened up, Luderne slowly opened his eyes.
The instant our eyes met—those deep crimson irises—I snapped back to reality.
‘Good heavens, what have I done!’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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