Lakis’ eyes shook slightly at my question. Perhaps he didn’t expect me to ask so bluntly. His eyes were fixed on me without even blinking once.

Then he opened his mouth.

But I continued speaking before Lakis could reply.

“But if I wasn’t the one who helped you, you would probably be interested in that person, right?”

I didn’t really want to hear whatever Lakis’ answer was. If the person who saved him when he collapsed outside wasn’t me but Anne-Marie, wouldn’t Lakis end up liking her, just like in the novel?

I couldn’t help but have such a thought.

“Honestly, it probably wouldn’t matter even if I wasn’t the one who helped you back then.”

Of course, this didn’t mean I could not accept Lakis because it bothered me. In fact, it wasn’t that important to me. Above all, there was no law that said the events in the novel must take place in reality. So I knew it was meaningless to make assumptions about it.

However, the reason why I brought this up with Lakis now was because I felt it was something he also needed to consider.

“And even if you weren’t the one who fainted in front of my house, it probably wouldn’t matter to me.”

And, I had some doubt.

Obviously, I had a favorable impression of Lakis, though it wasn’t as much as his. But I couldn’t tell if that favorability was because of him alone, or because he was the medium that helped me recover my emotions.

Maybe it was simply that I had been longing for warmth, so I wanted to keep him by my side. In addition, if it was someone other than Lakis who drew this reaction out of me when we touched, I might have felt the same feelings towards that person as well.

And when I said that, Lakis’ gaze changed.

“That…”

Soon, his lips slowly parted and a voice much lower than before flowed out.

“That doesn’t matter.” (Lakis)

Like that, it flitted past my eardrums.

“What matters, is that I met you, and you met me.” (Lakis)

Lakis’ eyes facing me were slightly cold. I moved my hand and gently placed my fingers on the back of his hand. As always, as soon as our skin touched, various emotions rushed into me.

I still hadn’t found a pattern to this, but the stimulation wasn’t as huge as before where I couldn’t control myself. So I was still able to speak in a rational state of mind.

“I like holding your hand, Mr. Lakis.”

And as I intertwined our fingers, his body flinched slightly. Seeing Lakis like this, I slowly lowered my head. My hair slid down my shoulders and fell onto his chest.

“Kissing you too…”I softly overlapped my lips with Lakis’ frozen visage.

“I think it’s nice.”

After that, I added:

“But if you ask me if I like you…well, I don’t know.” [1]

Lakis’ blue eyes stared into mine without the slightest movement.

“But still, do you like me?”

Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of answer I wanted to hear from him. Maybe it was a yes, or maybe it was a no. However, I planned to decide my future attitude based on Lakis’ answer now. Of course, I knew it was cowardly to pass off the responsibility to someone else like this.

And soon, my hand which was entangled with Lakis’ was squeezed so hard that it hurt.

“I don’t know why you have to think so much.”

A dim smile bloomed on his tight lips. I saw a cold light flash through his clear blue eyes for a moment.

“If you like holding hands with me or kissing me…”

His other hand which I wasn’t holding moved to my neck.

“Then you can keep doing it.”

And right after, Lakis pulled my neck towards him and swallowed my lips. He bit my lower lips painfully and I unknowingly groaned softly. It was the roughest he had ever kissed me before. He bit, licked and suckled until my lips and tongue ached.

But it wasn’t just pain; heat spread from everywhere Lakis touched me and it felt like there were goosebumps all over my body.

“Ah…wait, hn.”

I unconsciously tried to move my head back but Lakis held the back of my head firmly, so the attempt failed. Instead, he held me tighter and pulled me closer.

I felt myself getting short of breath and my cheeks were burning. My body slowly got tired and I leaned on Lakis completely. Only then, did the hand holding my neck slide down to cup my face.

The moment his finger touched my ear, my shoulder unconsciously flinched. Then Lakis paused for a moment, before beginning to blatantly fiddle with my ear and lick it.

I subconsciously tightened my grip on Lakis’ shoulders. A sound I couldn’t imagine coming out of my mouth before, sprang out from my throat.

Plop!

Then regardless of my will, my body was flipped over. Suddenly, our positions were reversed and Lakis, who was lying on the chair, was leaning over me.

His hand which was stimulating my ear slid down to my neck. Lakis’ lips briefly covered mine and after a bite, he pressed them to my chin and continued down.

“Mr. Lakis…”My chest surged up and down threateningly. I gasped for breath and moved my lips slightly. The sensation of Lakis’ face in my neck was ticklish.

“Stop, let’s stop now.”

I managed to use my voice. But it didn’t seem to reach Lakis’ ears. Yet like an illusion, his movement slowed when I added more.

“It’s a little…scary.”

Finally, the lips on my bare skin went away. The former heat on my neck felt slightly cool. It wasn’t as bad as mine, but Lakis’ breathing was also a bit rough and scattered.

Lakis stayed like that for a moment then he lifted his head. I’d also caught my breath a little in the meantime so I could speak more easily than before.

“You might have a lot of experience with this, Mr. Lakis…”

Our gazes were locked, and I could see a burning heat in Lakis’ eyes that was yet to cool down. And seeing that, I felt like my body was growing hotter.

“But it’s the first time for me so…this is too much all of a sudden.”

The words left my mouth before I could think and organize them. Even I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to say. It wasn’t that I hated when Lakis did this kind of thing.

Rather, just like the holding hands and kissing, I thought what we just did was also ‘nice’. However, I was a little hesitant to do any more than this.

Most of all, I didn’t feel it was right to get swept away by the atmosphere like this and cross the line. For some reason, I felt Lakis would stop if I wanted, and I thought right.

As we were facing each other, I could see an emotional conflict rise in his blue eyes for a moment. Soon after, Lakis leaned his head on my shoulder with a tap. Following which, his suppressed voice spread to my ear.

“You thought…I was scary.”

I instantly paused.

Somehow, it was surprising that Lakis Avalon of all people was having such a thought. Above all, it was also surprising because I realized that thought was a misunderstanding while he gave a relieved but suppressed sigh.

It makes you wonder why.

At that moment, a strange feeling sprouted in my mind, but it was difficult to explain exactly what it was. I unconsciously reached out and patted Lakis’ back. At that, Lakis lifted his head, looking a little puzzled.

“…What are you doing.”

“Mm, I dunno…I just wanted to do this.”

Lakis looked at me with a gaze that was difficult to explain. Then he gave a low sigh and lowered his head again. His face fell to my neck.

I briefly flinched but Lakis’ lips didn’t touch my neck like before so I slowly relaxed. Lakis just stayed like that afterwards; touching me but not doing anything.

Meanwhile, I patted him slowly again just like I wanted. Somehow, the more we stayed like that, the more comfortable and warm it became. And once my heated body had cooled down, fatigue began to set in. Lakis’ body on top of my was quite heavy and warm. And maybe thanks to that, my eyes slowly closed.

My hand patting Lakis’ back slowly stopped moving. After a while, Lakis asked me in a somewhat dispirited voice if I was actually going to sleep but I was getting increasingly drowsy so I couldn’t reply.

Like that, I fell asleep in a strange coziness.

Translator’s Corner:

[1] This can also means: Not sure/who knows/maybe. I hate when there’s many translations for one word.