Chapter 121
“When did you arrive?”
When she widened her eyes in surprise, Ares casually placed the champagne glass on the table and answered.
“Just now.”
“I thought you’d be later.”
“I figured you’d be waiting.”
His hair was slightly disheveled, suggesting he had hurried, but even that looked naturally tousled.
“But is it okay for us to be this close?”
Kirine silently laughed at his feigned caution while already standing beside her.
“They still won’t figure it out. Even with the same rumors about both of us, no one suspects a thing.”
It was amazing how their fierce fighting had made people so completely unsuspecting.
Though she could feel people glancing at her and Ares, no one showed any sign of realizing they were lovers.
“Your dress is beautiful.”
Noticing his disheveled hair, Ares roughly pushed it back while looking Kirine up and down. Though the intense blue could have appeared gaudy or excessive, it suited Kirine perfectly, perhaps due to her striking features.
“You’re quick to say that.”
“I told you I rushed here.”
Just as Ares was explaining in response to her gentle teasing, they sensed someone approaching. Turning their heads, they saw a woman holding a champagne glass, smiling shyly at Ares.
“Hello.”
It was obvious to anyone that she had approached out of interest in Ares. But Ares just responded with a perfunctory “Yes” and looked straight ahead.
But the woman continued trying to talk to him.
“This is my first time meeting you. I’m—”
“Yes, I’m Ares Arensis.”
Ares cut her off before she could finish introducing herself. Though the woman was flustered by his completely discourteous tone, she persisted in approaching him.
“Yes, I know your name well from what I’ve heard, Lord Arensis.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while.”
“Yes.”
“I’m so pleased to meet—”
“Yes.”
Her words were cut off again. After staring at him in disbelief at his incredibly rude behavior, the woman finally left.
Kirine, watching this scene from right beside him, nearly burst out laughing.
“Are you allowed to act like that?”
“Like what?”
“Well, she seemed like a noble lady, I wasn’t sure if you could be so arbitrary.”
The image of the woman nearly in tears still lingered in her mind. But the person responsible showed complete indifference.
“This was me being polite.”
“This was?”
Before she could ask how that could possibly be considered polite, Ares explained:
“Usually I don’t even exchange words.”
“Wow… You mean it gets worse than this?”
Learning that he typically wouldn’t even acknowledge others, Kirine wasn’t sure whether to praise him or scold him.
At the same time, she began to understand what their colleagues had been saying.
“Now I understand…”
“What?”
“Everyone was saying it. How you possibly got a lover.”
All sorts of rumors had been circulating—that someone was only interested in Ares’s looks, or that he must have threatened them, or questioning whether someone with his usual behavior could treat a lover well, or suggesting he might be nice specifically to his lover.
“Seeing it with my own eyes, I understand why those rumors started.”
“Is that a compliment or criticism?”
When he asked curiously, as it didn’t seem quite like praise or criticism, Kirine lightly hit his arm.
“I meant it as a good thing.”
“You’re not joking?”
“No, really.”
Though it might be excessive, she preferred someone who was affectionate only to her rather than someone kind to all women.
“Your attitude is so clear that I don’t have to worry.”
“There’s no need to worry. Actually, I…”
Though it wasn’t the right place to say it, Ares was about to say something, feeling like it was now or never.
“You don’t need to say it. I know.”
Kirine interrupted, knowing it would be difficult for him to speak about.
She had already realized that Ares had a phobia of women due to being kidnapped by that crazy woman long ago. At first, she thought he just disliked people, but upon closer observation, she noticed that everyone he pushed away and rejected was female, making it easy to deduce it was because of that woman.
“Anyway, I’m fine with it.”
“Yes, of course.”
“That’s enough for me.”
After carefully checking that no one was watching, Kirine briefly took Ares’s hand before letting go.
“Secret dating is fun.”
“I hate it.”
“Why?”
“It’s frustrating.”
He wanted to formally announce his relationship with Kirine as soon as possible.
Then women wouldn’t approach him like just now.
“But why don’t you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Get jealous.”
When he asked discontentedly as the thought suddenly occurred to him, Kirine tilted her head.
“Would you like me to?”
“I want to see it, but also don’t want to.”
He meant he wanted to see her jealous just once.
At those words, Kirine laughed in disbelief and squeezed his pinky finger.
“I’d need a chance to be jealous first, but you behave too well.”
“What did you just say?”
He asked again, thinking he must have misheard, but Kirine just blinked innocently.
“What?”
“What you just said.”
“That I’d need a chance to be jealous?”
“No, before that.”
At his eager look urging her to repeat it, Kirine felt like laughing.
Suppressing it carefully, she gestured for Ares to lean down, and he obediently bent his waist. When they were close enough to feel each other’s breath, Kirine whispered in his ear:
“Honey?”
“One more time.”
“Darling.”
“…”
Kirine could feel Ares staring down at her blankly at the affectionate term. Seeing this unusual side of typically sensitive Ares, she playfully tapped his arm and stepped back.
“We’ve been too close. Let’s move apart a bit.”
“Say it just one more time.”
“No.”
“Really, just once more is fine.”
As those blue eyes gazed at her pleadingly, Kirine’s lips moved hesitantly before she murmured:
“When we’re alone.”
Only after she promised to say it plenty then did Ares break into a relaxed smile.
Nous_Defions
These two are gushing with honey… I can’t believe the people even forgot the initial rumor that they were both engaged, hehehehe…