Chapter 35
“No, I’m not tired.”
Diana felt the bed shift and turned toward Harold, who had moved.
He stepped off the bed and suggested, “How about some tea? I have something I’d like to discuss.”
“Sure.”
Diana slipped on her slippers and followed him to the table. She was curious—what could he want to talk about?
A maid soon brought the tea, and Diana looked at Harold as if waiting for him to speak.
“Is it hard on your body when you treat me?”
“Not really. Just holding hands barely drains my energy, so my strength replenishes quickly.”
“How long does it take for you to get exhausted?”
“Hmm…”
Diana recalled the saintess’s stories of using the same ability for over two weeks without rest. But she quickly shook her head to clear the irrelevant thought.
“Honestly, I’ve never felt exhausted. However, I’ve heard there’s a time each year when my ability temporarily disappears. I won’t know when until I get a sudden instinctive feeling.”
“Interesting.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Let’s not beat around the bush. I want to cancel the restrictions on physical contact during treatment. We should also revise our contract accordingly.”
“You mean… more physical contact than just holding hands?”
“What do you think?”
Diana nervously fiddled with her teacup.
Was his earlier test all leading up to this? Did I pass it?
“Take your time.”
“No, I’ll decide now. Let’s cancel the restrictions.”
Holding hands might be effective over extended periods, but its efficiency was so low compared to other forms of contact. Despite months of treatment, Harold’s condition had only marginally improved, and the healing process felt painstakingly slow.
“You’re sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to decide the level of contact.”
Diana coughed violently, startled by the suggestion.
“Cough! You were only thinking about hugs, right?”
“I don’t mind going further.”
“COUGH COUGH!”
Diana coughed again, her throat aching as she took another sip of tea, almost choking.
“It’s a good thing the tea is warm. Be careful while drinking,” Harold said, gently rubbing her back. Diana shot him a look, wondering why he was giving her advice when it was his fault she was choking.
“I think hugs should be fine,” she declared firmly.
“Well, what if we increase the level of contact once both sides agree?”
She nodded. Honestly, she doubted it would ever come to that, but as long as it wasn’t forced, she didn’t mind.
“Then, let’s change the contract.”
“Can’t we wait until the morning?”
“I prefer doing things immediately.”
They each brought their contracts, crossed out the section on physical contact limitations, and added a new contract with mutual agreement.
While reviewing the contract, Diana recalled how stubborn Harold had been when they first made their agreement. His current willingness to propose more contact showed how much his guard had dropped. She felt happy to see how much he had lowered his guard.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. She looked up to see Harold slowly unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time.
Her eyes widened as his sculpted chest and abs came into view.
Wow…
She had suspected his physique was impressive, but seeing it for real left her at a loss for words. It felt like her language function had shut down.
Harold smirked as he gently placed his hand over hers.
“Let’s begin, Diana.”
Gulp.
Diana, as if being drawn by his touch, got up and bit the inside of her cheek. It was such a straightforward statement to go to the bed for treatment, but why did it sound so suggestive, like he was leading her to their first night together?
“Okay,” she whispered.
This was purely for healing. She would adapt with time.
She took a deep breath, then allowed Harold to guide her to the bed.
Rolling up her sleeves, she thought she might as well wear a sleeveless top next time for practicality. She hesitated as she took in his well-defined muscles.
Do I really have to touch him?
To increase the level of contact, she would have to press herself against him.
As his body was much closer now, Diana felt dizzy. She wished that Harold would give her a warning or scold her to calm her down, but he was just waiting with his arms open.
Stay calm. Everything is for the treatment.
She reminded herself as she embraced him.
The sensation of his taut back muscles shifting under her palms was vivid. The flow of her divine energy into his body was noticeably stronger compared to just holding hands.
Her forehead rested against his chest, where she could hear his heartbeat, loud and fast like a drum. For a moment, she thought it was her own heart pounding.
To her surprise, she felt his breath on her neck as his nose brushed against her skin.
“This is… quite effective,” Harold murmured, his voice husky as he exhaled.
Before she could react, he tightened his grip around her waist, his hands pressing firmly as if he never intended to let go.
“…!”
“Does it hurt?”
When Diana flinched, Harold relaxed his body and asked, his voice right next to her ear. Diana quickly shook her head.
“I’m not hurt,” she said.
But her chest felt tight, and Harold’s presence seemed even more overwhelming.
“Good to hear,” he replied, rubbing his face against the back of her neck. His nose and lips lightly brushed against her skin.
The air felt hot as she inhaled, and her mouth quickly dried out. The scent of roses seemed more alluring than sweet.
Can I really get used to this?
She had agreed to Harold’s suggestion partly out of excitement. She had already gotten used to his face and felt fine with him being close after sharing so many moments together.
But now, her confidence was quickly fading.
Diana loosened her grip on him.
“Should we just go to sleep for tonight?” she suggested.
The moment she spoke, her view flipped. Her head hit the bed, and Harold was on top of her.
What the…?
Diana stared blankly at Harold’s face as he leaned in closer, completely pinning her down.
“Isn’t this too short?” he murmured.
His breath gently brushed her lips, though they hadn’t kissed. It felt as if they had, simply because his gaze was so intense.
Harold’s eyes lingered on her lips before meeting her eyes.
When Harold’s eyes met hers, Diana bit her lower lip nervously.
“We’ve barely been like this for five minutes.”
“I thought it’s been over 30 minutes…”
“No, not yet. Let’s stay like this a little longer.”
Even when they held hands, Harold seemed to feel relief from his pain. Now, with the divine energy flowing through his body more strongly than ever, he didn’t want to let go.
After all, he had spent half his life in pain. Diana understood, and she felt a pang of sympathy for him.
“…Just ten more minutes,” she finally conceded.
She tightened her arms around his back as he leaned his forehead on her shoulder, letting out a quiet laugh.
“You’re always so kind,” he murmured.
“…Stop talking on my shoulder; it tickles.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it,” she said with a sigh, muttering softly.
To Diana, Harold felt especially like a wolf in sheep’s clothing today, and she wasn’t used to it yet.
I’ll get used to this… eventually, right?
Diana glanced at the roses in the vase before closing her eyes. The scent still felt unfamiliar.
Ella and Kaiden were dining together in a high-end restaurant in the capital, on the VIP floor.
Ella cut her steak into bite-sized pieces and took a bite.
“This place always has great meat. Or maybe it’s just better because of who I’m with,” she teased with a sweet smile.
Her bright, radiant smile made even the distant waiter blush. Ella was stunning.
But Kaiden just stared blankly out the window, lost in thought ever since Harold had visited their mansion.
“By the way…”
“Yes, Kaiden?”
Ella’s attention snapped back to Kaiden as his gaze finally focused.
“Diana must have finally managed to form a connection with the wife of the Marquis of Mayer.”
Kaiden poked a piece of meat with his fork and asked casually,
“Isn’t that something you always wanted to do but never could, Ella?”
Harold straight up seducing everyone here. 🔥
Thanks for the tl! ✨