Chapter 13: The Only One Who Can Touch You

The chain of thoughts, like interlinked shackles, was abruptly broken by a quiet voice from behind. Eden slowly lifted herself up. Liam, holding a small bouquet of flowers, approached her at a measured pace.

“I’ll make it that way. Whatever you desire, I’ll give you. Whatever you command, I’ll do.”

“Liam… why…”

The stiffness in Eden’s voice slipped out before she could stop it.

Liam hesitated briefly as he laid the bouquet before the gravestone, then slowly approached her. Watching her cautiously like a child bracing for scolding, he opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry if I intruded on your time alone. I just… wanted to see you. If you’d prefer, I’ll wait in the carriage.”

It was such an uncharacteristic act for him that Eden let out a small, hollow laugh. The tension that had held her body taut slowly unraveled, and a single, hot tear rolled down her cheek. Startled, Eden’s eyes widened.

But the dam had burst. Her tears kept falling in an endless stream, blurring the world until it was soft and indistinct.

“I’m sorry.”

Alarmed, Liam quickly closed the distance between them. Eden shook her head swiftly.

“No. Thank you for coming. It helped… it really did.”

“Eden.”

Liam’s rough hand gently cupped her tear-streaked cheek. In that careful, tender touch was an unmistakable affection.

The warmth of his hand against her damp skin gave Eden both a sense of relief, things were going as planned, and sorrow.

She had yearned so long for that warmth. If only, just once back then, he had looked at me like this… maybe everything would’ve been okay.

Eden looked up at the man in front of her with conflicted eyes.

Liam hovered awkwardly, reaching out only to retract his hand again. There was not a trace of the cruelty or coldness from his past self on his face.

After a brief hesitation, Eden reached out and hugged him tightly. Startled at first, Liam slowly returned the embrace. Her tears soaked into his chest without end. He gently patted her back, as if to say it was all right. That soon, everything would be okay again.

Gradually, the strength left Eden’s arms wrapped around him.

“Just for a moment… please, just stay like this for a moment.”

A part of her wished that the man before her wasn’t Liam.

“Such childishness…”

Even as he said that, Liam held her more firmly in his arms.

Eden quietly pictured someone else’s face, her father’s, then Julius’. One after another, they filled the void inside her. But when she looked up, the face she despised more than any other met her gaze. Liam’s eyes, filled with concern, made her heart plummet.

Biting down on her lip, Eden quickly buried her face in his chest. The thudding of his heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears.

Her face grew warm. Internally, she tried to justify it.

This means nothing. I just needed comfort, and he happened to be here. I can’t forgive him. I never will. Never.

Eden’s grip on Liam’s coat tightened.

* * *

Late in the evening, Eden and Liam were poring over maps of the western and northern regions. Lists of must-see destinations, gathered meticulously by Liam’s aides, were scattered across the desk.

“They say the sunset from Rigott Beach is stunning. But if we go that far, traveling all the way up north might be too much. You’re good with carriages, but once we reach the north, the roads get rough.”

“Then yes, that could be quite draining. What about here? It’s closer to the north and there’s even a night market nearby.”

Though their conversation revolved around the same topic, the pictures forming in their minds couldn’t have been more different.

While Liam appeared excited, Eden was sinking deeper into nervous thought. The faster her mind spun, the colder her fingertips became. Her anxious gaze followed the Heron Mountains bordering Rodenberg in the north, the best chance she had.

Even if it was under the pretense of a leisurely trip, this journey was still officially a tour. That meant Liam had duties to attend to, and for Eden, that meant opportunity. An irreplaceable one. She couldn’t count on there being a next time.

Heron was notoriously treacherous terrain, but there was never going to be an easy path for Eden. And that fact did not disadvantage her in the least.

‘A place where no one would find it strange if a person simply vanished. A place crawling with bandits…’

“That wouldn’t be a bad choice either. But I want to show my person only the best.”

Liam leaned his head back, looking tired. Eden stepped over to him and pressed her fingers firmly into his shoulders. He seemed to like it, his lips softening into a lazy smile. Eden leaned in and whispered at his ear.

“You said I’d get to see plenty of that in the bedroom.”

Liam burst out laughing, his usually sharp eyes curving like a bow. He kissed the tips of her hair as he replied.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then I’m happy with this place. What about you?”

She pointed to a beach near the northern gateway, and he nodded without much hesitation.

Eden gently ran her fingers through his hair as if to commend him, and he chuckled, slipping an arm around her waist.

“As you wish.”

Just like always, Liam sat her on his lap, burying his face in her chest like a spoiled child. His slightly reddened eyes from fatigue shimmered with a sensual gleam. Eden stared at him, swallowing dryly.

“Anything.”

He whispered. His hot breath tickled beneath her collarbone like feathers. Eden looked at him, who still had no clue what she truly wanted, and let out a long sigh.

‘I never thought there’d come a day I’d see this man as innocent.’

Eden looked him straight in the eyes and asked, “Anything… But what if what I want isn’t the same as what you want?”

“And what is it you think I want?”

“I… I don’t know, exactly…”

When Liam calmly countered, Eden was at a loss for words. For a brief moment, something sinister flickered in his gaze.

Sensing danger, Eden’s eyes trembled faintly. With a sly smile, he said, “Then I’ll teach you now what it is I want.”

He lifted Eden in his arms without hesitation and carried her into his bedchamber. Eden frowned, realizing she’d been played, but it was already too late.

Placing her gently on the bed, he locked the door and swiftly unbuttoned his shirt. With practiced ease, he crawled onto the bed and moved over her.

“I want to have you. Right now. All night. I don’t want to let you go.”

“You don’t have to say it, I get it. So please don’t say another word.”

Eden’s face burned bright red at Liam’s unabashed desire. She hastily covered his mouth with her hand, but his eyes stayed locked on hers, burning with hunger.

Without breaking eye contact, Liam pressed a lingering kiss to her palm. She should’ve been used to it by now, but his blunt affections always left her uneasy.

“I want all of you. I say I know you, but in truth, you have no idea.”

Letting out a short breath, he slowly loosened the ribbon of her dress. His hands were gentle, meticulous.

“I reek of rot inside. Filthy, vile, cruel to the core. No matter how much I scrub, the stench of blood won’t go away. Eden, I’m still living in that d**ned war.”

His voice dropped, heavy with shadow. Like a wounded beast, it came out rough and splintered. He avoided her eyes, pouring all his focus into his trembling fingers.

“You couldn’t understand. You shouldn’t.”

His contorted expression looked like he was barely holding himself together.

“I know I’m not a good man. I’m just like my father, a coward.”

After a pause, he confessed quietly, “But Eden… even so, I want you. I need you. Like you’re the only one who can make me rest, laugh, live.”

Their eyes met. Her thin chemise slipped off the bed. Cold moonlight filtered through the curtains, pressing against skin already prickling with goosebumps.

Liam slowly shifted, leaning over her. The heat from his body warmed her chilled skin.

“I should be the only one who gets to see you, hear you, touch you.”

“Liam.”

“Yes, Eden.”

His burning lips silenced all the words trembling on her own. Their mouths joined, parted, tangled again. Warm breath tickled the nape of her neck with each brief pause. They clung to each other desperately, as if unwilling to leave even a sliver of space.

Flushed and breathless, Eden pressed a kiss to Liam’s black hair.

“If you ever find yourself needing a different view to fill your heart… remember this moment.”

His red, dazed eyes locked onto her. A single tear rolled down Liam’s cheek. Eden froze, stunned by a sight she had never imagined. As if hypnotized, she slowly reached out and wiped the tear from his face, offering him a faint smile.

To the man she had once loved so deeply. To the god she had now become so small before.

“You must remember… that there was someone who would’ve given you everything.”

He suddenly felt like crying, loud, uncontrollably. Even though they were holding each other so tightly, he felt as far away as the sky from the earth.

“You asked what to do if what we want isn’t the same.”

His voice reached her, exhausted, half-asleep. Eden murmured a response.

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll do what you want.”

Eden turned her head slowly at the unexpected answer. Liam, looking more languid than usual, gently brushed back her hair.

“But… why?”

“Because you’re the master, and I’m the servant. The one with less to hold onto always has to yield. That’s just how it is.”

He shrugged and smiled faintly. Eden stared at him in silence.

In their past life, she had always been the one with more to lose. The desperate one. Eden smiled back, hiding the strange feeling stirring within her.

Liam brushed her cheek gently, kissing her playfully here and there before saying, “Eden, no matter what you do to me, I’ll never be able to hate you for long.”

“Because I’m the master and you’re the servant.”

Eden replied teasingly, her voice thick with sleep. Liam’s eyes curved again into a smile as he nodded.

“Yes. You’re the master. I’m the servant.”

……

T/N: I’m starting to get the feels… and it’s not good