Chapter 34
34. Flame (3)
Black asked Liene, who was trembling,
“Are you scared?”
“…….”
She couldn't say yes or no.
“Endure it anyway.”
And his lips descended. Liene gasped for a moment. The feeling of invisible lips touching the back of her neck was indescribably strange. Perhaps it was because no one had ever touched their lips there before. It felt like Black was opening up some tightly hidden place and dragging it out completely, branding it. But, she couldn't say she hated it. …I'm crazy. The slow sensation of his lips moving along her neckline felt like it was setting her skin on fire. At first, she thought her shoulders were trembling, but now her insides were trembling. No matter how much she bit her lip, she didn't think she could relieve the stimulation he was leaving behind.
“…….”
Eventually, a breath escaped. Only then did his lips fall away. But even after the kiss ended, Black didn't move away, but rather wrapped his arms around Liene.
“Why…….”
As Liene opened her mouth in embarrassment, he used his strength to lay Liene down. A familiar blanket covered her body. Black lay down next to her.
“I’ll sleep here too.”
This wasn't asking for permission either. But, unlike his forceful words, he kept a distance outside the blanket where their bodies wouldn't accidentally touch. He was gentle but coercive, and coercive but ultimately gentle.
“……Without even a blanket?”
“I won’t ask for that.”
“You’ll be cold.”
“I have a lot of body heat, so I’m fine.”
Instead, he turned his body to the side, positioning himself to look at Liene.
“Sleep now.”
Her cheek stung. Liene couldn't bring herself to face him, so she stared at the ceiling. Her nose was already cold.
“Then… bring a blanket.”
She couldn't see the space next to her well, but it seemed like Black's shoulders twitched.
“Do you mean for me to sleep next to you?”
“You’re going to do it anyway.”
“It’s different if I insist and if the princess says it’s okay.”
“What’s different? The result is the same.”
“……Is it okay for it to be the same?”
“It’s already the same. And there’s no need to sleep cold for no reason.”
“……You’re a strange person, Princess.”
His words were so soft they sounded almost like a sigh. Liene wanted to say the same thing to him. You’re the same to me. You’re so strange. Whether you’re polite or rude, kind or cold, it’s all like you, so I just accept it.
“Then just stay there.”
When it didn't seem like Black was going to bring a blanket, Liene got out of bed.
“Where are you going?”
“To the closet.”
Liene went to the closet behind the bed and took out an extra blanket for the colder seasons. For some unknown reason, she unfolded the blanket and covered Black, who was frozen in place. Now he wouldn't be cold next to her. She felt a sense of relief, as if she had done her duty.
“I think I can sleep comfortably now.”
“…….”
Then Black muttered something to himself. Liene didn't bother to ask, assuming he was saying she was strange again, like before.
“Then good night.”
The two people, lying on the same bed under separate blankets, closed their eyes in a similar manner. A strange night flowed into a strange dawn. Liene was the first to fall asleep. * * * The first thought she had when she woke up was that it was too warm. That couldn't be. Dawn at this time of year was usually cold. Her nose was cold, so her body woke up before her mind. It was the kind of season where she would linger in bed, neither asleep nor awake, and then force herself to open her eyes when she heard Madam Flambard's footsteps.
“…….”
Liene blinked her eyelids open. And she realized that she was being held tightly by Black. The blankets they had been sleeping under separately had become one for some unknown reason, and as Black had said, his chest, where her cheek was touching, was incredibly hot, belying the season.
“Ugh…….”
First, a sound of surprise was about to escape. Before that, Liene quickly bit her lip. Black was fast asleep. There was a small crease between his eyebrows. Liene realized that he was physically exhausted from the injuries he had sustained yesterday, and that he desperately needed rest right now. …Let's not wake him. This person is a patient right now. He's really hurt. I have to let him sleep when he can. …But she was a little dumbfounded at how they had ended up sleeping like this. She had definitely been lying straight with separate blankets when she went to sleep. She had been so nervous about Black being next to her that she couldn't move, with her hands on her chest. When exactly? She was surprised that she hadn't woken up even once while someone was holding her. Even now, as she was surprised, the position she was being held in was so comfortable and cozy, as if she had been born that way, which made it even more dumbfounding.
What is this……. Why is it so…… not unpleasant? She didn't dislike the even breaths he was exhaling on her face. The sound of his hair rustling as he tossed his head from time to time was the same. The strength of his arms, which wrapped around her firmly but not painfully, wasn't bad, and neither was the sound of his pounding heart. She didn't dislike being able to see Black's sleeping eyes up close either. Now that she looked, his eyelashes were long. His prominent nose was straight as if drawn with a ruler. His lips were pale, but the lines were very clear. Looking at those lips reminded her of the kiss he had given her yesterday. The tingling heat that had started at the back of her neck and spread through her body was revived.
“…….”
The faint tension that spread throughout her body, and the fact that she couldn't move because of that tension, wasn't bad either. None of it was unpleasant. The only thing she didn't know was the reason. I…… don't know. Why it's not unpleasant. Why I want to stay like this longer. I can't move my body, and I should feel suffocated, but even that isn't unpleasant. It's so strange…….
“Umm…….”
In his sleep, Black stirred. The arms wrapped around her tightened, and he pressed his body even closer. His nose, which she had been admiring until just now, brushed against her forehead. It felt like his lips would stick to her eyebrows at any moment. Was he trying to wake up? Liene forgot to blink and watched Black's closed eyes in front of her. I wish he could sleep a little longer. I wish we could stay like this a little longer……. At that moment, startled by the unconscious thought, Black opened his eyes as if by a lie.
“……!”
“…….”
Liene's eyes widened, while Black's eyes narrowed. He also seemed to realize now that his position was very different from when he had fallen asleep yesterday.
“……Did I do this?”
“I don’t know.”
“I didn’t know I had this habit.”
Despite their surprise, neither of them took the initiative to change their position. They remained in the state of holding each other and looking at each other. Liene thought it was strange that Black, who was looking at her, wasn't blinking. But she didn't realize that she was looking at Black that way too.
“It seems like this is the first time I’ve seen you this close.”
“……I guess so.”
They were so close that even without moving, their gazes seemed to touch each other.
“You have a scar here too.”
Time passed very slowly. Liene, whose eyes were starting to hurt, blinked first and discovered a small, barely visible scar above Black's eyebrow.
“Where?”
“Here.”
The tip of Liene's index finger touched the small scar, which was slightly whiter than the surrounding skin.
“Is there a scar there?”
He looked like he had no idea.
“It’s very small. You can’t even see it well.”
She would never have known if she hadn't been staring at his face so intently from this close.
“You have a mole here, Princess.”
Black gently pressed below her earlobe, near the beginning of her neckline. It was a place she didn't even know existed either.
“That’s a place I can’t see. What does it look like?”
“It’s similar to your hair color and very small. Not many people would notice it.”
“Yeah…… That’s the first time I’ve heard about a mole there.”
Black was the first. Perhaps he was the only one. Because there wouldn't be anyone else who would look at her face so intently. The early morning, which should have been cold, was warm, and there was someone in the space next to her that was usually empty. She was staring at that someone's face without getting tired of it, and so was he. They were finding traces that only they knew about. None of it was unpleasant.
“Is there anything else?”
“If you want, I’ll look.”
“Yes. Please do.”
Swoosh. Black's face came closer. He didn't release the arm that was holding Liene, but only moved his hand to brush her hair to one side. Her side face and neck were completely exposed. A finger slid down her jawline.
“There’s nothing up to here.”
Black traced his finger down to the area below her neck, which was covered by her pajamas.
“May I look further?”
“…….”
Those words somehow made it hard to breathe.
“Then…… you’d have to pull down my clothes.”
“Yes.”
“So…”
“Is it not allowed?”
“……”
His finger slowly traced the line along the border of her pajamas. Those blue eyes, so close today, didn't even try to hide the blatant meaning behind the gesture.
“Yes, it’s not allowed.”
And so, she knew. Whatever his original purpose was, whether it was revenge or something else, he wanted her. Her heart probably wasn't much different. Regardless of what he was trying to do in Nauk, she wanted him. She wanted him to want her. Would this feeling become poison? Or the opposite? She wanted to know. Desperately.
“It’s… too bright right now.”
“I wouldn’t be able to find it if it wasn’t bright.”
“Even if it’s not bright… wouldn’t you be able to find it if you looked closely?”
“Are you saying I can look even closer?”
“If it’s in a place that’s not as bright as it is now.”
“……”
The finger tracing the pajama line stopped. An unfathomable thought settled on Black's brow. He furrowed his brow and slowly rubbed Liene's cheek with his thumb.
“I hope the Princess knows what she’s saying right now.”
“Don’t I… know?”
“No. You don’t.”
Black sighed lightly.
“That’s why you’re still doing this with your eyes open. You don’t even know how the Princess looks in my eyes right now.”
“How do I… look?”
Thump, the gesture stopped.
“You probably wouldn’t want to hear it.”
“Because I look bad?”
“Because it’s the opposite.”
That was a very strange thing for Liene to hear.
“Why wouldn’t I want to hear it if I look good?”
“……”
Instead of answering, Black sighed again.
“That’s why I’m saying you don’t know.”
“Then just tell me.”
“It’s not something you can just say.”
“Why?”
In an instant, Black's eyes changed.
“Because of this.”
The hand that had been touching her cheek seemed to grip the bed. She thought he might get up. In fact, Black lifted his body, which had been lying on its side.
“……!”
But he didn't get up. He trapped Liene between his arms, taking a position where he covered the straight-lying Liene with his body.
“Do you understand now?”
“I… I think I… understand.”
“No. You still don’t.”
“No. I underst…”
Black chuckled as if that couldn't be true.
“If you knew, you would have already punched me and run away.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m saying it’s too late.”
He suddenly lowered his head. Black's upper lip came between Liene's slightly parted lips. Lips opened lips. In the next moment, her eyes closed without her even realizing it.
“……”
At first, the kiss started slowly, teasingly softly, but at some point, it became a torrential downpour. Her arms wrapped around Black's neck. Black's arms wrapped around Liene's shoulders and back. The position changed. Black rolled over while holding Liene, and this time, Liene was on top of him, pressing him down with her body. It was such a mess that her knees were pressing against his thighs.
“Wait…”
Taking advantage of the gap where their lips parted, Liene gasped for breath.
“Just a moment. My legs are a bit…”
“Your legs?”
“I thought they might hurt.”
“Not at all.”
Black's large hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer.
