Chapter 69

Chapter 69

As Min-ha naturally lay down on the bed, Seth supported her upper body with one arm and gazed down at her. At that, her face brightened.

Seth opened his mouth, stroking her cheek, who was lying under him.

“I’m not conscious of you? If that were the case, then why did I shower with cold water in this chilly weather, and that wasn’t enough, so I even left the terrace open to gather my thoughts together?”

“Huh…?”

“While I’m desperately trying not to be conscious, who’s been clinging to me all of a sudden?”

“Ah, that’s—I like to hear your heartbeat…”

“I desperately put up with it because It didn’t feel like the day to refuse to attend the bathroom. Now, are you blaming me for not being conscious?”

Min-ha’s face dyed red to the point where it could not be more red.

“…I’ve never been not conscious of you when you’re by my side.”

“….!”

“So, don’t provoke me too much.”

At the end of those words, Seth raised his upper body and gave a loud kiss on her forehead. Then, he placed his hand on her back and sat her up on the bed again. Min-ha blushed slightly when she saw him stroking and tidying up her messy hair before she tilted her head as she recalled what he had just said a moment ago.

“By the way, Seth. What did you say a little while ago, ‘I thought today was not the day to refuse to attend the bathroom’?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”

“Yes. I don’t know.”

Seth, who asked again with a slight frown at her words, soon muttered ‘Ah,’ with an expression that he realized something.

“…Oh, right. You may not know.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t think Mrs. Pompa or Wanda ever told you.”

“What?”

“In the Empire, when a man offers to a woman to attend the bathroom… it means we want to spend the night together.”

“…Ah, uh… Huh?”

Min-ha’s face, which seemed like she could not turn red any more, turned red like never before.

“Wai-wait. So, did you mean to do that from the beginning?”

“No, that’s not it. I said that half because I didn’t want to leave you alone and half out of fear that one of the maids might have been bribed by Rupert. However, Mrs. Pompa seems to have misunderstood that.”

“…Ah.”

“…I’m sorry. Actually, I thought, ‘this is the time.’ For a moment, Min-ha, I had forgotten that you were a special person, and I was overly nervous… Ha, I can’t deny that I’m a fool when it comes to you.”

Somehow, when he came into the bedroom a while ago and muttered to himself with a half-aspirited face. She did not know that was what he meant.

Min-ha responded as she waved her hand to Seth, who apologized with an uncomfortable face.

“No, it’s all right. Things like that happen, too.”

While replying to him, she suddenly remembered his hand gesture of applying the ointment to her a while ago. At the same time, a thought ran through her mind.

‘Ah, no way…’

She asked Seth, wondering if she was right.

“Wait… So, the strange hand movements when applying the ointment… Did you do that on purpose?”

[ T/N: AAAAA HE’S EVILLLL ψ( ` ∇ ´ )ψ ]

“….”

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“Well, I was a little hurt because it didn’t look like you were conscious of the situation at all.”

‘…So, that was why.’

“Seth…!”

“Let’s pretend we’re even now.”

When Min-ha grabbed his shoulder with both hands and shouted, Seth gently grabbed her hand that touched his shoulder. She then closed her eyes as Seth, who was sending her hot gaze, slowly blinked his eyes and brought his head closer.

The hot breath gently scattered over her face, touching her warm lips. Min-ha embraced Seth tightly with both arms around his back as he gently kissed her.

It was a little different from the short kiss they usually shared.

After kissing, Seth kissed her once more as if stamping a seal. Min-ha avoided eye contact, somehow embarrassed to see him patting her shoulder as if he was regretting it while gazing at her with friendly eyes.

“…Ha.”

At that moment, he paused and relaxed his arm that was holding her body tightly. He let go of her hand, stroking her slender shoulder, and combed her slightly messy hair with his fingers.

“I’m sorry. I’ve gone a little overboard.”

“…Huh? No. I’m fine.”

“No. You’ve been through a lot today, and I’ve been frivolous… I guess I was a little excited about it.”

“…Seth.”

“If I did something wrong, I was blinded by my desires, and I almost treated you carelessly… then I’m not much different from him.”

Smiling bitterly, he continued to stroke Min-ha’s hair with his fingers as if combing it. Then, he gently patted her on the shoulder before raising up from the bed he was sitting on.

Then, turning his back on her, he spoke.

“I’ll let you sleep here today. I’ll sleep in the servant’s bedroom next to this room. Call me anytime you need anything. I’ll get up right away and come over to your side.”

As he said that, Min-ha looked at Seth’s back, biting her lips.

‘…It wasn’t like that.’

It was true that the tension and a little bit of fear that made her body tremble the moment when she felt his tense hand. Still, it was not just because of the trauma she had with Rupert, as Seth thought.

It was the first time Min-ha had been in a proper relationship, and it was the first time she had shared this kind of physical touch with the person she loved. It was an unavoidable part of being nervous without realizing it.

…And, what was even greater than that fear was the thought that ‘this body’ was not hers, but that of ‘Minase Persen.’

Could she use this body as Kim Min-ha thinks? Until yesterday, there would have been no need to worry about this, although the voice of a ‘woman’ that resonated in her head left a deep sense of separation in her head.

However, there was also a desire for her to want more of Seth.

Above all, she did not want to let him go like this. Even though she did not know why, it did not seem right to let him go like this. The anxiety in her heart that Min-ha had been trying to suppress seemed to come out again, and more than anything else, Seth’s bitter smile kept coming to her mind.

Min-ha walked over to Seth, who was walking towards the door, and hugged him tightly.

“Can’t you sleep here with me?”

“Does that mean… you want me to only sleep next to you?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“There’s no reason for you to apologize. I’ve been waiting for you to catch me, too.”

“…Seth.”

He was even prepared to turn around coldly at her request.

The next moment, Seth turned his body and hugged Min-ha tenderly. He gently stroked her hair, which touched his chest, before resting his chin on her head.

A languid sigh escaped over her head.

“The moment I hugged you, you trembled a little. Rupert Guinivis… I guessed that his actions made you afraid of my touch.”

“It’s not like that. If that was true, I wouldn’t have been able to come all the way here in your arms like this.”

“Then, I’m really glad… Because I’m a foolish man who fears every moment that you may hate me and fear me. Just the thought of you avoiding my touch frightens me.”

“Seth…”

Min-ha leaned against Seth’s chest and listened to the sweet words pouring over her head. Every time she heard the words that cared for her at every moment, her feelings for him seemed to grow bigger. She quietly raised her head and looked at him, who gazed at her with tender eyes.

As he uttered, Seth smiled sweetly and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

“I’m not going to do anything you’re afraid of.”

“….”

“So, I’ll be patient… until you give me everything.”

“…Yes.”

At Min-ha’s answer, Seth lowered her head and kissed her briefly on the cheek. After that, he released the arm that was holding her, took a step back, and stared at the bed.

“Then, shall we go to bed now?”

“Yes.”

“You first, lie down on your comfortable side.”

“Okay.”

Nodding her head slightly at Seth’s words, she carefully climbed onto the bed. Then, as she pulled the duvet on the right side, Min-ha shoved her body between them, covered herself with the duvet, and closed her eyes tightly.

Even though the person who caught Seth and told him to sleep with her was herself, when this situation happened again, Min-ha’s heart raced loudly.

Meanwhile, Seth walked slowly and laid down on the left side of the bed where she was lying. Min-ha found herself becoming conscious of his every move. After a while, she slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the side where he was lying, and their eyes met.

She spoke with an awkward smile.

“The bed is too wide.”

“…Right.”

“Can I come a little closer?”

“As much as you want.”

In response to Seth’s answer, she wriggled closer to his side.

Although they were not close enough to hear each other’s heartbeats like before, they were far enough to hold each other’s hands when they reached out.

Min-ha, who had moved just that far, reached out and grabbed Seth’s hand, pulling it to the side of her face. Rubbing my cheeks against Seth’s cool palm, she said in a muffled voice.

“I’m sorry. I was selfish.”

“You can be more selfish.”

Seth’s answer was enough to make Min-ha’s heart ache.

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