I wasn’t sure how much she would keep quiet about it, but Dua seemed like someone with strong loyalty. And she wasn’t stupid enough to let emotions cloud her judgment and miss out on potential benefits. I went back to my room, and the first thing I did was hide the parchment in a safe place.
“Shay, it’s time to go to Panja.”
“Alright, I’ll just change my clothes.”
A moment later, Lacius came in, looking like he had just been somewhere. I was struggling to put on a new dress by myself and was overjoyed to see him.
“Lashin!”
“Hmm?”
“Perfect timing. Can you tie the string at the back for me?”
Today’s dress had a bold design with a completely open back. Instead, there were delicate strings adorned with small pearls starting from the shoulders, elegantly trailing down to the waist, where they stopped.
Normally, a maid would help with the dress, but here, there was no one to assist with my attire. Lacius approached me silently and took hold of the string around my waist.
“This dress is quite daring.”
“Doesn’t it suit me really well?”
“It does.”
His scent enveloped me from behind. It was the smell of the perfume that Lacius often used. I twitched my nose happily and stood still until he finished tying the string.
“This is torture, Shay.”
But he didn’t let go of me easily. Lacius growled low and pressed his lips against my shoulder. My heart skipped a beat at the sudden intimacy.
Oh right. We were like this.
I cleared my throat and called out to the man who couldn’t take his lips off my shoulder.
“Lashin… … ?”
“Sorry. Your skin smells so good.”
“… … Oh.”
Lacius’s large, firm hands slide around my waist and up my chest. My heart flutters as he squeezes the mound of my chest, and an involuntary sigh escapes me.
This man really. I need to get out of here now.
I licked my lips and gently tickled his hand.
“Shay.”
“Hmm.”
“Shay.”
“I’m here.”
He called my name again and again, and I answered it again and again. He wasn’t whining like a child who was in desperate need of me. I quietly closed my eyes and savoured the warmth of his body.
“If things had gone wrong, I wouldn’t have been able to hold you like this.”
“Hmm.”
“Living with you is so much better than dying together, though dying together wouldn’t be the worst thing.”
“I feel the same.”
“Thank you, Shay, for not getting hurt.”
Lacius was right. I had been too exhausted and overwhelmed to think about it, but coming out alive was quite a miracle. Besides, I barely had any scratches.
I turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. Then, blue-grey eyes, always filled with sincerity, gazed into mine. A serious and kind, sometimes playful person. He is a man who always thinks of me first and takes care of me really well.
Looking back, I realize that time and time again, he would, without hesitation, use his own body to save me. It was clear that if I had fallen alone without Lacius, it would have been difficult to come back alive and well.
“Thank you, Lacius.”
I hugged him tightly with all my heart.
Pounding, pounding. Our hearts pounded against each other through our chests. It was nice to share various things with him, but it was equally wonderful just to be like this, doing nothing. Lacius stroked my hair, tucking it behind my ear, then kissed the back of my ear and whispered.
“How much of your lifespan did you use up?”
“My lifespan?”
“Yes. You must have used a lot of power, but you didn’t tell me.”
“Uhm.”
Damn, I had hoped to avoid this topic.
Even though using painting magic affects lifespan, I have so much that it’s not really a concern. When I think about my lifespan, I feel like I am looking at a bank account with billions of won piled up. Even if about 10 million won disappears here, it won’t be noticeable.
Because there is so much left!
Plus, whenever Lacius and I made love, my lifespan increased a bit, like interest being added to it.
Still, he seemed very worried.
“I used about 10 years.”
“… … that’s a lot.”
“It’s no big deal, really. I’m fine.”
“No, it’s too much. That was a lifespan you didn’t need to use.”
Lacius’s eyebrows knitted slightly. I pressed my finger against his frowning brow and continued speaking cheerfully.
“Don’t worry. My life is so important to me that I won’t use my power if I really feel like I’m going to be in danger.”
“No, Shay.”
“Huh?”
“This time, I listened to your request not to kill… But next time, I won’t.”
Lacius looked beyond regretful, almost tormented. I stood there, open-mouthed, unable to speak against the sincerity in his expression.
“Next time we’re in the same situation, I’ll slash everyone but you. I don’t need anyone who stands in my way or gets in my way.”
“Um, shouldn’t you not say things like that?”
Considering the responsibilities and duties this man has, his statement was extremely dangerous.
He’s willing to throw it all away for me? This man is dangerous.
“This time, I focused more on listening to your request. In the end, everyone came out alive, but you were the only one who had to pay the price.”
“Uh, well, that’s—”
“It’s not like you can take away the lifespan of those you helped, so there was no need for you to bear such a cost.”
His pupils gleamed with faint anger. He truly felt that I had suffered a loss and was displeased with it. Of course, if it were the other way around, I would probably be angry too. So I became completely mute and failed to say anything back.
“I just need you to be safe.”
“… … .”
“Whether the world collapses or the Terrans perish… doesn’t matter to me; I just need you to be alive.”
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