Chapter 87
As Kaien continued to gaze down at Philome for a while, he realized that quite a bit of time had passed and attempted to pull away.
“Duke…?”
At the soft murmuring call, Kaien halted his movements.
“Philome, you can go back to sleep.”
“No, I was just going to close my eyes for a moment, but I ended up falling asleep… When did you arrive?”
As Philome tried to get up, Kaien knelt, pulling up the sliding cloak and covering her again.
Philome instinctively grabbed the cloak and realized it was Kaien’s.
“If you’re not going to sleep, just lie down.”
Philome took Kaien’s hand and pulled on it.
He willingly let her hold his hand, and as she fiddled with it, she said, “You’re warm. How long have you been here?”
“Maybe just a little while?”
It had probably been at least an hour, but Kaien didn’t feel the need to mention that.
As Philome gauged whether his words were true by checking the warmth of his hand, she eventually seemed to give up and relaxed her grip.
She still looked a bit dazed, not fully awake. Seeing this, Kaien smiled lightly and sat down next to her.
He then gently tidied Philome’s messy hair, tucking her soft locks behind her small, delicate ears.
“By the way, why were you sleeping here? Did you have something to tell me?”
“I do have something I want to say.”
Philome stretched out both arms and wrapped them around Kaien’s neck. Leaning her face against his chest, she hugged him tightly.
Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, Kaien froze, but Philome didn’t mind at all and held him even closer.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“…Is that a compliment?”
“I also want to make contact, but instead of just holding hands, I want to hug you.”
Philome lifted her head from Kaien’s embrace.
“Is that not good?”
At that question, Kaien answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“No. Not at all. There’s no way. I was just a little surprised.”
“For you to say that, your hand on my waist seems too natural, don’t you think?”
Only then did Kaien notice that his hand was firmly wrapped around Philome’s waist.
“There’s no way I would reject you. I’m welcoming you.”
Philome let out a small laugh at Kaien’s smile.
“Did Gio explain what happened?”
“Yes. He explained it well.”
“It’s going to be a tense situation until the saint arrives. Don’t be too uncomfortable, and make sure to sleep well and eat well. Don’t wait like today.”
“Did you not want me here?”
“It’s a problem because I like it too much.”
Philome burst into laughter at the quick response.
“I want to be helpful since you’re going through a tough time, but I don’t know much about the North.”
Philome relaxed her arms and leaned back against the chair.
Since she had pulled him in for a hug, they were still quite close.
“And I came along for this in the first place.”
“Now that you mention it, I want to keep you by my side all day.”
“I’ll wait here instead.”
Kaien asked with sparkling eyes.
“Every day?”
“Yes, every day.”
Philome pressed down on the sofa.
“The sofa is so soft that I feel like I could fall asleep. I think it would be enough to sleep here. Anyway, the duke isn’t going to rest right away, so waiting here…”
As she spoke, a shadow crossed her face, and Philome turned her head.
Kaien’s hand gently settled on Philome’s cheek. His thumb slowly brushed down her soft skin, reaching her lips.
The hand that lightly pressed against her lips trembled slightly, as if holding back something.
When Philome first reached out to embrace him, Kaien found it manageable. But Philome’s words about waiting for him every day…
“Philome.”
Even at the sound of her name, Philome had no time to respond.
“Can I kiss you?”
“……”
Philome blinked in confusion.
She wondered if she had done or said something special, but nothing came to mind.
Moreover, it wasn’t as beautiful or emotional as when they had watched the aurora a few days ago.
So, Philome blinked and asked, “…Why?”
Kaien chuckled softly, making a sound as if letting air out, at her answer, which was neither acceptance nor rejection.
“If I tell you the reason.”
Kaien applied a little more pressure with the hand still resting on Philome’s lips. Her soft lips pressed gently against his fingertips.
“Will you allow it?”
As Philome’s eyes widened, Kaien quickly continued, not wanting to miss the opportunity.
“Then I should say it. I don’t really know either.”
Kaien shrugged lightly.
“I’m not exactly sure when I started feeling this way. I just wanted to kiss you every time I saw you.”
“That’s quite… bold of you.”
Philome hesitated, almost using the word “shameless,” but chose a different expression instead.
He could guess what she had originally intended to say, which made him chuckle softly again. As he did, a small vibration traveled through the fingertips still pressing against her lips.
Though she felt an urge to bite her lips due to the ticklish sensation, she held back, fearing she might accidentally bite his finger. The Kaien she knew would have eagerly asked for another bite if she had said it was good.
“Perhaps this time…”
Kaien locked eyes with Philome.
“I think it’s because I like that you’re waiting for me.”
At his unexpected words, Philome’s lips parted slightly, and Kaien’s gaze dropped down to her mouth. She realized that his attention was lingering on her lips.
Kaien’s slightly narrowed eyes looked languid. He swallowed hard, his throat moving prominently due to thirst.
“I hope you won’t reject me since I answered honestly.”
Philome gazed at Kaien’s face.
She hadn’t expected this situation at all. She was only worried about him standing guard on the tower all day.
Even if it was daytime, he would undoubtedly work instead of sleeping immediately, so she had planned to make contact with him in his study and then leave.
Kaien’s face, deprived of sleep, was naturally not good. His lips were dry, and his face was pale, but strangely, it harmonized strikingly with Kaien’s sensitive-looking features.
Philome unconsciously tightened her fist, knowing very well whose cloak was crumpled inside it.
Even in the warm office, heated by the thermal stone, she felt comforted by the fact that the cloak was wrapped around her.
“I really…”
As Philome opened her mouth, Kaien met her gaze.
“I think you’re entranced right now.”
As soon as Philome finished speaking, Kaien tilted his head and kissed her.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
This wasn’t the first time Kaien’s lips had touched hers.
He had kissed her cheek before, and his lips had brushed against her near her mouth and neck. She thought it wouldn’t be much different.
But that was a huge misconception on Philome’s part.
His soft lips squished against hers. Even though they tilted their heads to the side, every time their lips moved, their noses brushed against each other, causing a ticklish sensation.
Kaien held Philome’s plump lower lip and pressed it with his tongue.
As his hot, wet tongue pressed against her lower lip, Philome’s previously tightly closed eyelashes fluttered.
His movements were gentle but lacked leisure, slow yet filled with urgency. It felt as if Kaien’s emotions were being transmitted directly to her, causing her to grip his hair tightly without realizing it.
However, Kaien seemed oblivious to this and simply wanted to bite and suck on her lips, delving deeper.
Philome tried to exhale the breath she had been holding, but as soon as her lips parted slightly, Kaien seized the opportunity to kiss her again without hesitation.
Kaien held her chin firmly, preventing her from turning her head. With his other hand still pulling her waist, Philome felt as if she were trapped in the coils of a snake.
Tilting his head to the other side, Kaien lightly held her upper lip this time. Whenever Philome tried to move even a little, Kaien didn’t give her a chance, leaving her completely at the mercy of his hands and lips.
It felt like the first time they had truly connected.
Like prey caught by a snake, unable to do anything but submissively fill its belly. That was exactly what Philome was.
NEET_Caos
Obrigada pela tradução.