Chapter 25.1
Chapter 25.1
“What are you talking about?”
He furrowed his brow, releasing his hand from his forehead as if annoyed. Maybe because of her unrequited love, Jasmine blurted it out. She shrugged, and Richard, who had caught on to her thoughts, quickly stood up.
“I don’t mean it that.”
So, what I meant was… He lowered his gaze, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.
“I could have been more considerate of you. It felt like I was selfish, only thinking about my desires.”
He gently brushed his thumb over Jasmine’s cheek. When their hands overlapped, as if receiving permission, Richard finally sighed with relief and pulled her close, seating her on his lap.
Nestled in his embrace, Jasmine thought, ‘Did he always treat his bed partners so tenderly?’
He had always drawn boundaries and maintained a polite facade. She never imagined him engaging in such unrestrained affection and constantly exchanging kisses. Even though she had liked him for a long time, she had never thought he would be like this in a relationship.
She thought he would be awkward.
“I’m sorry if I made you misunderstand.”
Jasmine looked at his face. Could there be another woman who can’t fall for it? It had only taken one night for him to change so drastically.
“No, it’s just… Well.”
“Just?”
“It’s nothing.”
Jasmine stumbled over her words, unsure how to express her complicated and slightly bittersweet feelings. He had always been the one to receive affection from others. What could he possibly know?
Oh no, wait. Didn’t he mention that he also had someone he liked?
Suddenly, it hit her like a splash of cold water. Lily, he had said. She was getting married soon.
She looked up at his face, which was scrutinizing her quietly. What about now? Did any lingering feelings remain? Did he still like her? She had been preoccupied with various matters and had almost forgotten.
How could she forget that? She wanted to shake some sense into herself. As she let out a faint sigh, he prodded her as if sensing her thoughts.
“What are you thinking?”
“Um…”
What do you think, Lily? But she couldn’t tell her she overheard their conversation. Awkwardly, she smiled, but Richard’s eyebrows stiffened.
“Do you regret it?”
Huh? When Jasmine lifted her head dazedly, one of Richard’s eyebrows rose. His angry eyes were back again. But it seemed to subside quickly, so she wondered if it was a mistake. With a somewhat cautious face filled with concern and self-blame, he called my name.
“Jasmine… was it bad? It was sudden…”
“No, no. I told you before. Even if you regret it, why would I? My brain is buzzing as if my whole world has turned upside down. I like it more than I expected,” she confessed. “It might take some time to accept this, but I’m going crazy because we did it again just now…”
Jasmine’s thoughts spilled over her mouth as her hands waved in explanation. Then, she fell silent as she saw Richard’s expression subtly changing.
It was a disaster. I should cover my mouth and go. Why couldn’t she filter her words?
However, seeing his gradually press into a thin line and his intense blue eyes, her head became blank, and she wanted to do something about it. It would have been possible to resist in the past. But when he looked at her like that now…
Ah, I don’t know! The one who likes the other more is the loser.
Still, expressing her feelings so clearly made her feel relieved. She liked it; he doesn’t dislike it either, and he’s not dating Lily, so there’s no ethical problem.
Jasmine, who had roughly organized her thoughts in her head, spoke with much clearer eyes.
“It was messy and rough, but I don’t regret it. I would have done the same thing even if time rewinds to yesterday… It felt good, even earlier when we did it… Anyway, it’s done. Duke… don’t you think so too? You said you liked it earlier.”
Her last words crawled in in a mumble, but they were clear because the other person was listening intently.
Feeling embarrassed, she turned her eyes away slightly, but when she looked back, she was surprised to see him smiling. He was beaming with his teeth exposed like a young boy, and when he burst into laughter, her face twitched.
“Oh, why are you laughing? This lady is serious. Can’t a gentleman do that?” she complained, her cheeks reddening.
“I’m sorry. Haha, Jasmine. You’re really…”
His body shook with laughter, and he covered his eyes with one hand before smiling again. Then, he kissed her on the cheek and hugged her tightly.
“Jasmine had the urge to grumble, but instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck like a bear and held him close, her cheeks pressing against his. Richard, still smiling, said,
“You are truly lovely.”
Oh. Jasmine blinked her eyes.
“I’ve never seen anyone as courageous and radiant as Jasmine. Where does such bravery come from?”
“Are you trying to make me blush?”
An awesome story 💖💖
Thank you for the translation 💜
You are welcome, Israella!