Chapter 254

Chapter 254

Lucius’s hand slowly lowered, slipping his fingers between the ribbons near her neck. With a soft, sliding motion, the ribbon loosened, and he kissed the exposed skin beneath. As he inhaled the scent lingering on her skin, he finally felt she had truly returned to him.

The long absence made her body tremble slightly at his touch.

Lucius rubbed her goosebump-ridden skin. The strange sensation made her shoulders tighten, but he continued, tenderly kissing down the center of her chest as if performing a ritual.

“…”

At that moment, he opened his mouth. He felt the need to say something. But when his lips parted, he couldn’t find the words.

Should he ask for permission to hold her? Or should he confess his love?

The former seemed too pitiful, and the latter felt tiresome. But then, what words were truly worth saying…?

It was as if language itself dissolved between his lips. In the end, he said nothing and kissed her again.

It was a kiss asking for permission to embrace her, a kiss that replaced every word of love he could not speak.

Faced with such careful pleading, what could she do? She allowed his fingers to slip beneath her clothes.

  *

That night passed with unusual caution.

He laid her down on the bed and spent a long time simply gazing at her. Bathed in the orange glow of the crackling fireplace, he softly touched her forehead, eyes, and cheeks. His gaze and movements were so quiet and deliberate that it felt almost ceremonial.

“Dee.”

He called her softly, his voice fragile as if it might break at any moment. As though, if she even hinted at rejection, he would disappear from existence right then and there.

Deatrice felt a lump in her throat as she brought his hand to her face, pressing it against her cheek. Lucius quietly watched her small face nestle into his palm, her eyes closed.

“Yes, Lucius.”

It was as if she was acknowledging that she belonged to him. Watching her, Lucius finally closed his eyes and kissed her.

Her hair tangled around his fingers. As he cupped her small face, there was still space left in his hand. Their lips met again, this time more exploratory. Deatrice thought, as she had before, that Lucius might suddenly embrace her urgently. But he didn’t rush.

Slowly, he parted her lips, and his tongue, moving languidly, caressed hers, exploring the inside of her mouth. Their tongues entwined and pulled at each other.

She had always thought of Lucius as overwhelming, but now, her head tilted back, following his lead. Her breath quickened, and she felt the relentless exploration, the sensation of being thoroughly desired. It was as if her soul was basking in light once again.

“Haah…”

Deatrice clung to his arm as though holding on for support. For some reason, tears began to well up and dampened her temples. Lucius, with an understanding expression, gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.

“Don’t cry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that too.”

“But…”

His lips found hers again, this time slower and more deliberate, as if ensuring she wouldn’t run out of breath. When she lifted her head, she saw his disheveled face. He pressed his forehead to hers and breathed slowly, and as she observed him up close, Deatrice noticed how worn his face had become.

He had seemed so composed.

As if he hadn’t been affected at all by her absence, as if he were still living in the past. But now, she realized it had all been a mask. Even if no one else knew, she should have.

She had been so consumed by her own guilt that she hadn’t realized just how hurt he was.

“I’m–”

She tried to say sorry again, but before the word left her mouth, Lucius pulled back slightly and gave her a steady gaze. Sensing he might kiss her again as if to reprimand her, Deatrice quickly clamped her mouth shut with a small “Hmph.”

Lucius chuckled softly. Deatrice, flustered, tried to explain.

“It’s not that I don’t want to kiss you…”

“Is that so?”

“It’s just that you’re…”

“I’m?”

Lucius’s tone as he repeated her words was subtly threatening. In the end, Deatrice leaned in and kissed him first. She felt his lips curve upward slightly. She thought it was fortunate that he was smiling, awkwardly tangling her tongue with his.

Each time she licked his lips, he teasingly pulled away. Before long, she found herself rising halfway, trying to chase after him. Sitting face-to-face now, Lucius fully widened the gap between them. Relishing the disappointment that crossed her face, he gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Lucius.”

“Hmm.”

He licked the back of her exposed neck. The warmth of his tongue and soft lips sent waves of languid excitement through her. His short response melted into the air around her.

His large hand roamed up her body, cupping her breast. Her chest, so familiar to his touch, was squeezed within his hand, the tips hardening and catching against his fingernails through her clothes. A sudden wave of arousal hit her.