Clarissa Beheads The Villainess

[14] Flower

"Peter please teach me how to cook!" Katherine bows. In the middle of this slow day she is in the kitchen begging the chef to become her teacher.

"We cooks don't quite teach. I watched my grandmother cook, she learned from her father who learned from his mother who learned from her mother. Just by watching and keeping the recipes. Go find someone else."

Without arguing she purses her lips and leaves. It's too early to get discouraged.

"Vixen please train me to become a blacksmith!" She later wanders to the smithy.

Vixen appears hesitant to reply.

"It's not that simple Katherine. You can definitely become a blacksmith! It's just that-"

"I get it. I don't want to burden you with teaching me." She leaves with a gloomy look. This time, the man doesn't go after her.

Do not get discouraged Katherine! She tells herself. Clarissa had already left with Astaroth to the Golden castle. For a while there's no one to make her insecurities blast to space.

Unsure of what to do next Katherine wanders into the room with Orias' nude statue. What does Orias have to offer? Perhaps she could learn a thing or two about confidence from him, she thought.

But it was truly a conflicting thought because his confidence seemed misplaced most of the time. Enough to create this abomination.

If she were honest, she'd scoff at the sight of it everytime she sees it. His junk is literally exposed! Mildly hard! And his arms aren't even that toned compared to the statue!

Katherine didn't notice she was scowling at it.

"My beautiful Katherine! Why the long face? Something wrong with my statue today?"

Her body tenses up immediately, startled by his presence and she starts playing with her hair and tidying up her bangs. "O-orias! Not at all! Your statue is looking amazing."

"Mind accompanying me to the garden? I'm rather bored."

"Of course..." She timidly follows him.

At the garden, a man was tending to the flowers and trimming the bushes. The sun was scorching, the two sit at a bench shaded by an old oak tree that had O&K etched into it with a heart.

Orias takes her hand and kisses it. "It's been a while since I've done that."

"Yeah..."

When Katherine's parents left the Golden kingdom, she was sent to live with nobles. The family being Viertel's. Orias said it was love at first sight and that he'd make her his fiancée one day.

Her family being well acquaintaned with the royal family, she has been around the princess on multiple occasions. The latter found her the perfect target to bully, but ever since Orias' intervention Katherine has never had to deal with the princess again.

"We are no longer children, Katherine." He takes her hand and caresses his own cheek with it before putting it down seeing her mind was elsewhere. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry... You've been making advances and yet... I'm just-"

He waits for her to continue, looking at her with concern.

"You deserve better."

"What are you talking about!? Who made you feel this way?"

"Nothing! No one!" Tears begin to stream down her cheek, she aggressively wipes them with her hands. "Ever since Clarissa came along I realized how useless I am. No, I always knew. But I've always been able to escape it."

"I'm not good at this kind of talk but Katherine. I love you, and you aren't useless to me. You may not notice, but I'm as confident as I am because of you. And I regret that I couldn't uplift my muse the same as she does for me."

She stares at him with a warmth and joy that radiates. "You really think so?"

"Yeah." He closes his eyes and moves close to her, initiating a kiss.

Katherine watches him in confusion, moving herself backwards. Realizing his lips were not meeting hers, he stops. "Why?"

"Huh?"

An awkward silence lingered between them, and the person who was cleaning up in the garden felt like they're seeing something they aren't supposed to.

"W-were you trying to kiss me!?" The lady gasps.

"What did you think I was trying to do?"

"I don't know!?"

"We can try again if you like."

She hesitated. Does she like him that way? No. Should she reject him? But she feels like she'll be useful to him if she does. She begs to feel useful, she begs that her mind is satisfied because as much as everyone tells her she is doing fine, it does not feel that way.

"Ok."

She closes her eyes, anticipating a sensation she couldn't imagine. His lips crashes onto hers, gently at first. Biting her lower lip, almost abusing it.

Not knowing what to do, she does nothing. Feels only uncomfortable, begging it to end already but he attempts to pry her mouth open with his tongue too soon.

The man trimming grass who was at wits end witnessing this finally leaves the garden not wanting to see where this ends up.

Orias was about to devour her face when she finally pushes him back. "I-I can't do this!"

"Sorry... I got a bit too excited."

Katherine couldn't say anything.

"I think it's too soon for you to be getting into anything intimate."

"No! I'm nineteen! I'm no longer a child... I can do these things."

"It wouldn't matter even if you're fifty. Don't force yourself into situations you don't want to be in. That's dangerous." The duke appeared to be mad.

"But Orias... I do want you."

"Then prove it."

She swallows a lump in her throat. "Can we go to your room?"

---

A/n
If you are ever in situations you don't want to be in, Never force yourself! Never feel like you should say yes. Especially in intimate situations.

There's no maybe, no hesitant yes. It's either a confident yes or a no nothing will happen.

Even to your partner, you can say no