Chapter 89: The Start Of Something
Looking at her, he made a rather pathetic pout, his lips pulling downward as though he were sulking, and replied lightly with a strained voice, "No, dammit. I kissed you."
She replied coldly, her tone sharp and without hesitation, "No, you didn't. And about that child matter... I think it is time you should know. You see, your father-in-law is the one who wants a grandchild, and I never meant it in the way you assumed. You cut into my words before I could finish, and you twisted them into something else, do you understand that?"
He let out a deep sigh, his shoulders falling as if he had given up, "Okay... I know, there is no need to give me excuses."
She did not answer him at once. Instead, she stepped forward slowly, the hem of her gown brushing against the floor as she moved it aside with one hand. Lowering herself, she sat before him with that cold gaze never leaving his face, and she clenched her hand into another fist as if preparing to strike. "It is not an excuse... it is simply the truth. And..."
She was about to move her fist once again when Kael immediately surrendered with both hands raised in front of him, his words tumbling out in panic, "Don't hurt me."
For a moment it seemed as though she listened to him, her fist pausing in midair. She did not strike him, and he thought with great relief that perhaps she would let him go this time. He might have dared to push her further with words, but something inside warned him not to, for she was very angry, far more than she allowed to show. His heart was beating too fast, louder and heavier than he could bear, and that alone kept him quiet.
Yet in the next moment that same heart threatened to burst from his chest as she leaned forward without warning and closed the distance between them. He could not understand her intention at all. "Why was she moving closer? Why was her face drawing nearer as if she had something hidden in mind?"
He pulled himself back slightly, uncertain, but before he could move away, something stopped him when he realized that the collar of his shirt was clenched in her hand. Looking down at her silver hair, which gleamed faintly, he felt his entire body grow stiff with awkwardness, his face burning hot until it turned completely red as her face drew so close it nearly touched his chest. And then...
Sniff! Sniff!
She sniffed against his chest.
Kael's mind turned blank, his thoughts tumbling over themselves. He could not understand what she was doing. "Why... why is she acting so strangely all of a sudden? Why in the world is she sniffing me like this?"
When he thought that, her cold eyes rose to meet his, freezing him on the spot. His stomach twisted. "Hm? Why is she angry again?" Confused, he dared to ask aloud, "Um... darling, what are you doing?"
She did not answer him. She did not even look at him. It was as if his voice did not exist. Instead, her hand rose slowly, reaching for his clothes. Kael whispered desperately, his mind spinning and his face burning red, "Honey..."
But before he could stop her, she had already begun unbuttoning his shirt, moving so quickly and so firmly that he could not even push her away.
"Did she lose her mind or something? How could she do something like this? What is she trying to prove? If she keeps going my heart really is going to explode." His thoughts scattered everywhere and at last he blurted out in panic, "Are you perhaps trying to rape me, Seraphina? You do know you are going to prison for that, right?"
She did not respond. She did not pause either. She kept unbuttoning his shirt with steady fingers, one after another, and when he tried to pull back her grip on his collar held him firmly in place. After loosening several buttons she leaned close once again and...
Sniff! Sniff!
This time it was different. Her breathing brushed against his skin, her soft exhale warming him, and he felt his chest tighten unbearably. His face turned even redder, his throat too dry to swallow, and his heart pounded against his ribs until he thought it might shatter them from within. "Crap... what exactly is she doing? If she continues like this she is really going to kill me with it."
When she finally drew her hand away, he released a long breath he had not realized he had been holding. Relief washed over him, but then her long silver strands brushed against his cheek by accident, so soft and carrying a sweet fragrance like jasmine that slipped into his senses. His heart stopped altogether when he noticed she was not finished. She was sniffing now along the side of his neck, perhaps at his ear, perhaps even at his hair... he could not tell.
His head felt like it was about to explode. "Seraphina... I can't take it anymore. Just finish whatever you are doing," he thought, nearly losing himself in the strangeness of it all.
But once again he was mistaken. She was not done. In a swift motion she moved to his other side, sniffing near his neck and even behind his head. She never truly touched him but he could hear her every breath until, at last, she finally released him.
Kael exhaled loudly and crawled backward, desperate to escape her odd behavior. She remained seated before him, calm in posture yet unreadable in her eyes. His patience broke and he shouted, "Hey... what is wrong with you? Do you even realize how creepy that is? At least..."
His words cut short. He froze as two cold eyes locked on him, glowing faintly with blue flames, and her body sparked with thin threads of lightning that danced across her arms.
He trembled, forcing a nervous smile and speaking quickly, "Darling... I am sorry. It is not creepy at all, it is actually very sweet since you are the one doing it, okay?" But it was clear she was angry, perhaps angrier than he had ever seen, her silence heavy with magic that spoke louder than any voice.
Her lips parted at last, her tone colder than ice, "Hey, bastard."
He sighed, rubbing his temple as though he had no choice left, "What is it? How can I help you, my queen?"
Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, her body trembling with restraint, "Can you care to explain why your body carries a sweet smell? It is not your own scent. It is clearly a woman's smell."
Kael blinked in confusion, his eyes shifting to the side as if searching for an answer in the empty air. "What do you mean, a woman's smell? Wait... how did you even know it was a woman's smell, and why would I smell like that?"
Her voice grew sharper as she raised her fist slightly, "Do not twist my words. Answer me directly. Did you perhaps sleep with another woman?"
Those words struck him harder than anything else. His attention sharpened immediately, and instead of fear, a sudden smirk curled on his lips. "So that is it. She is jealous. Wait... but how does she even know the difference between my scent and that of a woman? More importantly, where did this supposed woman's smell even come from? I am certain I never slept with anyone. Unless..."
His memory shifted back to Arwyn leaning close, her breath brushing against his ear as she whispered earlier. "Could it be her scent? But she never touched me, so how could it linger on me? Unless she left it there on purpose. That bitch... she could have done it deliberately. But what if Seraphina is wrong? No, she would not mistake something like this so easily. She would never risk embarrassing herself by saying it aloud unless she was certain. That could be the answer... but in the end, who cares?"
Looking at his wife's furious expression, he thought with a thrill, "She is jealous, no doubt about it. Damn... she looks even more gorgeous when she is jealous."
Kael leaned back ever so slightly, a smirk tugging stubbornly at his lips as he spoke aloud, his tone deliberately provocative as if he wished to stir something hidden inside her. "What if I did sleep with one, hm? It is not as though it concerned you, right? That day, you told me I could sleep with whoever I wanted, did you not? Then why are you acting like this now, as though my choices matter to you?"
For a moment Seraphina was silent, her eyes narrowing faintly while her fingers trembled against the armrest, and then she answered in a voice that was cold yet carried something sharp beneath. "I suppose I said something like that, yes, but you did not have to take it literally." The lightning around her flickered, dancing faintly as though it had caught her pulse. "How could you…"
Kael swallowed, though the smirk did not leave his lips, and his eyes glimmered as he tilted his head in feigned curiosity. "Or perhaps," he continued in a tone too casual to be sincere, "are you jealous? Is it because I slept with another woman beside you? But you are not jealous, are you?"
Her expression changed in an instant, turning into something unreadable, as if every trace of emotion had been sealed away. Within herself, however, her thoughts tangled restlessly. "Jealous? Why would I ever be jealous of him? This is not jealousy… it cannot be. I should not care, I never cared, whether he slept with someone or not. But… he is my husband. How could he dare sleep with another woman…" She drew in a quiet breath and forced her mind to calm. "Compose yourself, Seraphina. Do not let him see. Do not speak carelessly."
At last she looked back at him with eyes cold as frost and said evenly, "Yes, of course not. Why would I be? There is no reason… no reason at all, you see."
Kael noticed that subtle change in her tone, and just as she was about to rise to her feet he cut in quickly, his voice carrying a teasing sharpness. "Oh, did I not tell you that the woman was actually a monster?"
Her eyebrow arched, her lips parting slightly. "Huh?"
Kael laughed, his voice carrying that reckless confidence that always grated against her nerves. "Wait, you truly believed it, did you not? Of course you would. After all, your husband is the most handsome man alive, a womanizer, a magnet for beauty wherever he goes. But sadly for you, the woman in question was not a woman at all but a monster. She seemed kind at first, even sat beside me, and before I realized it she kissed me too."
Seraphina exhaled softly, as if a weight had been lifted, though her eyes still carried suspicion as she rose to her feet. "So, you fought a monster then? What rank was it? Did you have your party with you? And tell me, how could you even know the monster's gender? Such things are not easily known."
Kael let himself fall backward until he was lying completely on the cool marble floor, his voice lazy yet dramatic as he answered. "It is very easy, my dear wife. Throughout my life I have encountered so many women that at this point it would be unfair not to assume the pattern continues even with monsters. If you ask me, the chance is more than ninety percent. In fact, I would wager that in the future, if I meet another one or two, they will also be girls. I have already met enough male creatures, so my balance should be complete."
She stared down at his sprawled body and shook her head lightly. "Do you truly expect anyone to believe that kind of nonsense? Forget it. You are just you. I no longer wonder what kind of strange women or monsters would want to meet you, let alone wait for you."
He grinned from the floor, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "You? You are also waiting for me, are you not?"
She crossed her arms, her gaze unwavering, and replied with her usual calm sharpness. "Well, I am. But I have my own reasons. And I think only monsters could possibly have a crush on you. Speaking of monsters, did you really fight it alone? There is no way you did, correct?"
Kael chuckled, his tone airy yet carrying a pride he could not hide. "Strangely enough, I did. And in fact, I managed to defeat an A-Rank monster."
Her eyes widened slightly, disbelief breaking through her composed mask. "What? An A-Rank? Kael, lies have their limits. Why are you lying to me?"
He suddenly sat up, his smirk tugging wider. "I am not lying. I did not fight it head-on, that is true. I used my brain instead. I tricked the creature into swallowing an orb, and that killed it. Just look at me and tell me I have not grown stronger."
This time her surprise was genuine. "How could you make a monster swallow an orb? Monsters do not eat orbs. They treat them like a second heart."
"Very simple," he replied with dramatic flair, his eyes gleaming as though he relished her doubt. "The monster was a Hollow-Tongue, a bloodsucker. I made the orb red, filled it with blood until it gleamed like the richest feast. Then it devoured it."
Her hand went to her temple as if the absurdity weighed heavily on her. "What? I suppose… yes, if you did that then it might actually work. But where did you get that much blood? Do not tell me you cut your own hands, Kael."
He rose slowly, pressing against his knee to lift himself, his steps carrying him closer to her. "Yes… something like that," he admitted with deliberate carelessness.
Her eyes widened further, this time filled with genuine shock. "You fool. I know you can heal yourself, but that is no way to deal with it. Why would you take such a risk with your own body?"
Kael did not answer her question directly. Instead, his hand slipped into his pocket, and he walked with a steady rhythm until he stood before her. Her eyes followed his every move.
At last, Kael drew out a small pouch from the inside of his pocket and placed it carefully in front of her, his lips curling with that familiar smile of his as though he had been waiting for this very moment to reveal it, and in that same smile his voice carried softly, "For this… of course. Everything was worth it, after all. Now, what do you say to that?"
Seraphina's eyes lowered, and for a brief while she remained silent as though the very weight of the pouch in front of her demanded judgment. Her gaze lingered, scanning him carefully, until at last something faint shimmered in those cold blue eyes of hers. Her lips parted and her words came sharp, "Money? You risked your life just for money? Tell me, who ever told you to do something as foolish as that? Did I ever once ask you to bring me money? Why then? Do you not understand that I can earn more than enough for the both of us to live without worry? Didn't you even stop for a moment to think of yourself?"
Kael tilted his head slowly, his expression twisting with a half-forced smile even though he could see how strangely her face looked in that moment, almost as though some hidden emotion slipped through despite her coldness. He raised his hand, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck, and when he spoke again, his voice carried a quiet honesty, "You see… it always feels awkward to just take your money like that. I cannot always remain that way, you understand? How many more times can I go on like that, eating from your hand? I am a man, after all."
The moment those words left his lips, Seraphina suddenly stepped forward, her movement swift and unexpected, and before Kael could even guess her intent, the back of her palm had already pressed itself lightly against his temple. His heart gave an immediate thud, his thoughts tumbling in confusion as he wondered, "Why is she crossing the line between us so easily again? It feels as though she does not care whether her skin touches mine or not. Not that I dislike it, but still… she is acting strangely, almost too carelessly nowadays."
After withdrawing her hand she regarded him quietly, her eyes narrowed, and then with a murmur she spoke, "Your body temperature feels normal. You are not sick." Her fingers moved to her chin as she tilted her head slightly, her words turning sharper, "Did you perhaps get shot in the head? Because this is not like you at all. You, thinking about money? Thinking about family responsibilities? There must be something wrong. There is no way you, of all people, would be thinking about such things in earnest."
Kael's face sank into a groaned expression, his shoulders sagging as he muttered in protest, "Hey… I am still a man, after all. It's not as though this is the very first time I have thought like this."
But Seraphina's retort struck back immediately, "It actually is the first time. You should see a cleric."
Kael groaned again, rubbing at his temple as though her words themselves gave him a headache, "There's no need. I'm fine, truly. Now, just take it already."
With a long breath that slipped out more like resignation than acceptance, she reached forward and took the pouch into her hand without a word, her gaze still fixed on him, and then she turned as though ready to leave. Yet before she could take more than a single step, Kael's voice caught her once again.
"And also… I forgot to give you this."
Her body paused mid-step, her cold blue eyes glancing back, though at first she did not see him there. It was only when her gaze lowered that she found him, Kael, kneeling on one knee, while the other leg remained bent upright, his posture formal and dramatic in a way that was almost theatrical. One of his hands extended forward, and in them rested a polished wooden box, opened wide, gleaming faintly in the light. He sat there as though he were some prince offering a treasure to his princess, his expression sincere and foolish all at once, and though it was absurd, there was not the slightest trace of hesitation in the way he presented it to her.
"Oh, my goddess of despair. Here, take this gift as my prayer, as my devotion, as the proof of my wish to be your beloved. Behold the bond of family forever. I insist you accept this gift." His lips curved into that familiar theatrical smile, yet inside his mind his heart trembled violently. "Okay, I said it. Finally, I managed to say something. But why is it so difficult to speak words like these? Why does my chest feel like it will burst? Will she take it? Will she? Please, just take it. I actually worked so hard for this, so very hard."
Seraphina, her cold blue eyes narrowing, lifted one brow with the slightest motion. "What is that?"
Kael glanced down at the wooden box, as if expecting it to have closed itself in shame, though of course it hadn't. The gleam of crystal could still be seen from within. With a small cough, he replied, "A magnificent hairclip..."
Her chin tilted upward as her arms crossed, a gesture both proud and dismissive. "I can clearly see that, idiot. But why are you showing it to me, hm?"
Kael pressed a hand to his chest as if struck by her words and leaned forward with mock despair. "Why else? It is a gift. A gift for you."
For a moment her composure cracked. Her lips parted slightly and her eyes widened, though she masked it quickly with an unreadable expression. "A-A gift? For me? You are saying this is for me?"
Kael nodded earnestly, but the silence that followed pierced him more than her cold words ever could. She seemed unconvinced, almost unwilling, and that hesitation alone made his heart threaten to split apart. "Why does she take so long to respond? Just take it, darling. Take it already."
Her arms tightened across her chest as she exhaled through her nose. "Is this some kind of joke, Kael? Tell me, why would you suddenly bring something for me out of nowhere? What are you planning with it, hm?"
Kael's smile faltered for a brief moment. Inside, his thoughts tumbled over themselves. "Oh, of course. I have never given her anything before. To her it must feel strange, suspicious even. She would think it is some ploy or some trick. What do I do now? I cannot retreat, yet my tongue feels heavy."
He straightened, brushing dust from his clothes as if preparing for a performance upon a stage. Then, with a practiced nonchalance, he said, "It is nothing at all. You see, I bought it without much thought, simply because its history seemed beautiful, and beyond that, the thing itself was striking in its elegance. But then I realized I had no use for it. I cannot wear a hairclip, can I? So why not give it to you? Will you take it?" Yet inwardly his thoughts burned like fire. "Do not trust him, Seraphina. He is lying. He bought this for you from the very beginning, only so he could see the way your beauty would shine brighter with it in your hair. Just accept it and give him that satisfaction, that small mercy he begs for."
Seraphina stared at the clip for a moment longer, then turned her face away with a sharp motion, arms crossing once more. "Hmph! As if I would ever take anything from you." Yet from the corner of her eyes, betraying her pride, she stole fleeting glances toward it.
To Kael, however, that refusal was nothing short of a dagger. "Darling, why do this? Why reject me so coldly? Just take it. No... she will not. Then I must force her hand. I heard that she has a gentle heart. Let us test it, shall we?"
With a sudden flourish, he tossed the wooden box into the air. The sharp motion caught her attention, her eyes flicking upward, though she did not move. The box fell with a dull thud on the marble floor, but the hairclip itself never touched the ground. Kael had caught it, rolling it carelessly between his fingers, letting the crystal glint mockingly in the air between them.
"You truly do not want it? Are you absolutely certain, darling? Are you sure?" His voice was low, taunting, his smile hiding the ache beneath.
Seraphina offered no reply, only silence colder than any winter night.
Kael began tossing the hairclip lightly upward, catching it again and again, though each throw seemed to grind at his heart. "How cruel I am, to treat this delicate thing so recklessly. What if I fail to catch it even once? It will shatter. Yet I cannot stop. I must press her to take it, though it tears at me."
He caught it again and turned his gaze outward, where the moon hid behind the thick veil of clouds, drowning the world in darkness. With a sigh that seemed drawn from the depth of his chest, he said, "If you truly do not want it, then I suppose I shall simply throw it away. I have no use for such a thing. What a pity... I thought I could give it to you." Inside, his heart screamed. "Do not force me to this, darling. I do not want to let it go. You cannot know how hard I worked for every coin that bought this little treasure."
He tossed it one last time, eyes lingering on its gleam as though saying farewell. Yet before it could fall, a blur of motion snatched it away. Kael's eyes lit up at once, sparkling like stars as he followed the movement, and there she stood, her back turned to him.
He said nothing. But she did, her voice colder than her trembling eyes betrayed. "I-It is not as though I wanted it or anything, you understand." Her gaze twitched, the faintest shade of pink dusting her cheeks. "I took it only because it would be wasteful if you threw it away. That is all."
Kael inhaled deeply, almost in relief, almost in longing. "I do not care for your excuses, darling. I only want you to wear it. Wear it and let me see."
Yet she did not. Instead, with the same pride as before, she turned to him and said, "Now, go and take a bath. I am really hungry."
Kael blinked at her, then tilted his head with an impish smile. "Um... would you perhaps care to join me? It would be very helpful if you washed my back."
She let out a long, exasperated breath, her expression tightening. "Go... before I strangle you, fool."
Kael rubbed at the back of his neck with mock woundedness, yet could not entirely hide his grin, and walked toward the bath. Behind him, Seraphina's eyes followed his back, lingering on the way he moved.
Her hand shifted almost unconsciously toward the clip she had taken. She raised it before her eyes, studying the delicate Snow Gentian flower within the crystal, which gleamed under the faint light. "It is actually... gorgeous," she admitted inwardly, though her lips refused to say it aloud.
Her fingers betrayed her, drifting toward her hair as if to place it, and for a moment she nearly let it rest there. But then she caught herself, stopping just short. Not yet. Not now. She lowered her hand slowly.
A small, fleeting smile curved her lips as she looked at Kael's back. In a whisper softer than a sigh, she allowed the words to escape, "Thank you, idiot."
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(Chapter Ended)