After finishing his training, Cassian returned to his room and, not finding Katherine there, went to wash up. When he came out, he saw Katherine back in the room, reading her book. He greeted her with a bow, saying, "My lady."
Katherine looked up and asked, "Do you usually practice for nearly two hours in the morning?"
Cassian shook his head and replied, "No, my lady, just for an hour at most, and then again at noon and in the evening. It took so long today because of that... asshole." Realizing he had used an offensive term, he quickly added, "I apologize for using such a word in front of you, my lady."
Katherine looked surprised but didn't seem offended. "Don't worry about it," she said, then asked, "But who made you use such a vulgar word?"
"A blue-haired narcissist named Julius something," Cassian replied, still a bit annoyed. He was still upset about Julius's comment questioning his sanity. Sure, the shadow training he'd explained might seem a bit odd, but it could be effective if someone had a strong imagination.
Katherine's expression changed to one of recognition as she smiled and asked, "Julius Raseac, was it?"
"Yeah, that's him. But how do you know his name, my lady?" Cassian asked, puzzled.
Katherine smiled and replied, "He's an acquaintance of mine. Yes, he can be a narcissist and an asshole, but don't take it personally—he means well." She then asked, "Is he also on the ship?"
Cassian nodded. "Yeah, I saw him heading into the premium cabins."
"Well, next time you see him, don't mention that I'm on board," Katherine said, reclining back. "As you've noticed, he can be quite annoying, too."
"Yeah, he is," Cassian agreed, recalling how Julius hadn't taken the hint to leave when he kept ignoring him.
"Anyway," Katherine said, "I've asked the staff to bring food to our room, so you can rest for now." Cassian paused in his steps toward the door.
With no other tasks assigned by Lady Katherine, Cassian looked around the room for something to do. He noticed Katherine's book and asked, "May I read one of your books, my lady?"
"Go ahead," Katherine replied, still engrossed in her own book.
Cassian picked up the nearest book, which had a bright pink cover, and read the title aloud: "The Tears of Pleasure." He looked puzzled and muttered to himself, "What's this about?" Just as he was about to open the book, Katherine snatched it away.
Cassian turned toward her, surprised and confused, noticing that her expression looked a bit startled and flushed. Not sure what he had done wrong, he asked, "What's the matter, my lady?"
Katherine quickly moved the book out of sight and said in a hurried tone, "It's nothing. You can't read this one," she said, grabbing the rest of the books before Cassian could see their titles. "These too. If you're bored, just give me a massage."
Cassian was even more confused but, seeing that Katherine had asked for a massage, he set aside his curiosity about the books. He sat down by her feet and began massaging them, while Katherine remained silent.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly as she cast worried glances at Cassian, but she let out a relieved sigh when she saw him focused on his task. As he worked his way up from her feet toward her legs, Katherine recalled the last time he had given her a massage. With a smirk, she asked, "The last time you massaged me was so relaxing. Have you improved the techniques?"
Cassian tensed at the mention but quickly shifted his focus. Although there was no reference to his previous actions, he began planning a way to incorporate his more outrageous desires discreetly, ensuring it seemed like he was doing it purely for her benefit. After some quick thinking, he responded, "Yes, my lady, somewhat."
"Well then, go ahead and use those improved techniques on me," Katherine said, her smirk widening.
Cassian smiled back, though not as wide as her, and, acting a bit hesitant, replied, "To be honest, I've improved them quite a bit since last time. What I did before was just a small part of it."
Katherine's smirk turned into an amused smile as she looked up from her book, clearly surprised. Cassian, seeing her reaction, continued, "But the thing is, I'll need to be in a slightly uncomfortable position to do this properly, my lady."
"I don't mind," Katherine replied with a wide smile. "If it means more relaxation, and if it helps get rid of my restlessness, go ahead."
With her permission, Cassian also smiled broadly as he adjusted his position. He sat between her legs, but this time, he positioned himself slightly behind, just between her feet. "Let me finish your feet first, my lady," he said, eagerly lifting her gray skirt a bit to uncover her legs. He began massaging her feet with focused attention.
To avoid raising suspicion, Cassian gave each of her feet a thorough ten-minute massage. Just as he finished, someone knocked on the door, making Cassian feel a bit annoyed since he was about to move on to his main objective.
"It must be the food," Katherine said, glancing up from her book. She withdrew her feet from his hands and added, "Let's continue after we eat."
Cassian felt a pang of regret for not having massaged her longer, thinking that if he had stopped just a moment earlier, he might have had a better view of her soft thighs. However, his disappointment lessened when he saw the breakfast that had been brought in. His hunger took over, making the disappointment fade away.
The service had brought three bottles of pinkish juice that smelled delicious. Along with it, there was bread, butter, jam, and a generous assortment of cut fruits.
When Cassian brought the food inside with a big smile, Katherine returned the smile and said, "I noticed how much you enjoyed those fruits, so I ordered plenty of them."
"Thank you, my lady," Cassian replied, grinning as he set the food in front of her. "Please, help yourself first." He then stepped back.
"Stop with the formality and join me," Katherine said, pushing a plate toward him while spreading butter on a piece of bread. "I don't like eating alone." Cassian hesitated for a moment but, seeing the delicious fruits, sat down and said, "Thanks for such treats, my lady."