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Where intentions are put into action.
In continunation of our 100th Edited Chapter Celebration, I bring you this long awaited chapter!
Also this chapter is dedicated to Anne F! Thank you so much for your support!
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Episode 221. About 10 months (98)
“Uh....!”
He forcefully pulled me out of bed and immediately held my face in both hands.
"I feared.... that you'd never be okay...."
Whispering in a husky voice, he bowed his head and turned it at an angle. I widened my eyes and held my breath at the sudden situation.
"....."
“I was worried, Tara.”
Then, he swallowed my lips without hesitation.
"Ah!"
Exhaling a rough breath, I parted my lips, and he invaded my mouth at once. To my surprise, he found my hidden tongue and licked it here and there until it finally intertwined it with his.
"Ha...."
"Hmm."
The sound of our kisses filled the quiet room.
My hands tightly gripped his elbows as an electric shiver ran down my spine and through my whole body.
He lowered his head as much as he could, with only his hands under my chin, gently licking my lips all over and swallowing them more deeply.
I closed my eyes and gave in to the sensations he was inciting in me.
I was so out of my mind that I felt dizzy. Thinking I might fall backwards, I grabbed his elbows as if they were my only lifeline, gripping them tightly.
He kissed my lips carefully, but at some point, he dug in like a beast.
Even though he pushed me like that, occasionally he paused, his body tense, as if getting himself under control, before focusing on me again.
My raised heels and his bent neck.
It wasn't enough to hold his elbows, so I circled his waist and hugged him. I heard him sigh.
And at the same time that he sighed, I felt his wide chest against mine. He was hugging me firmly, crushing me to him.
How long had he been doing that?
"Tara."
"Uh.... Yeah?"
I felt so hazy that my words were casual..
He smiled, kissed my eyelids, and met my gaze.
"Right. As for my answer to you? I'm sorry...."
".....?"
"..... but there’s no way I’ll be able to control myself."
"Huh."
I didn't know what to say, so I just looked up at him.
He hugged me again and whispered in my ear.
".... I’ll do my best to.... Slowly, I won’t rush.... Whoa. I'm not confident I can."
His low-pitched whisper penetrated my ears and pierced the depths of my mind. Instantly, my nape burned.
Then, my upper body rose suddenly..
Huh?
As my eyes widened in surprise, he lightly kissed my lips as if he felt some kind of regret. His eyes were dark with pain and his mouth taut.
He quickly hugged me, and then laid me on the bed very carefully.
His whole body was rock hard. Probably because he was restraining himself.
He paused for a moment and just looked down at me.
"Anytime.... If you don't want to, tell me."
The low whispering voice, the eyes scrutinizing my expression. I nodded slowly.
"I will. But Kyle?"
".... What?"
Calling his name, I reached out my hand to his chest, looking at him. As he looked at my hand, I ran my fingertips down the buttons of his shirt, stopping around the third one.
Kyle's strong heartbeat pulsed under my fingertips, and my heart seemed to be pounding in sync.
“Do you want me to take care of these?” I asked quietly, touching the third button on his beating chest.
He carefully raised his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Where the hell did you learn this stuff....?”
I quickly grabbed Kyle by the neck and kissed him so he wouldn't speak or think about anything else.
***
"Stop moving. I can't take it anymore. Be patient."
As Kyle said those words, I had just loosened his shirt and was kissing him from his lips to his ear and down his neck.
He was about to unbutton my pajamas when he suddenly shuddered. Then he hugged me and kissed me again.
I felt a bit anxious. I couldn't wait for this overflowing fire to be extinguished. But Kyle grabbed my hand while I was hastily unbuttoning my pajamas.
"....?"
Now nervous and full of doubt, I looked up at Kyle's restrained expression. He took a deep breath and shook his head.
"Why?"
"Officially...."
"What?"
"After we officially become a couple...."
‘Oh, my God, what....?’
Thinking I had heard wrong, I asked, surprised:
"What do you mean?"
"If we don’t stop now, I won't be able to stop at all."
"When we’re official. No. Even if we haven't become, it's...."
I couldn't bring myself to say, ‘It's okay. I want to.’
Kyle looked down at me and slowly shook his head again, his brown hair ruffling down the sides of his face.
"No, this is impulsive. After what you've been through today. Tara, you are too precious to me to do that in a place like this."
"No. Wait. Right. I mean, I might be precious, but.... but...."
‘I want this. It's okay.’ Again, it hovered in my mouth as my hand fiddled with the hem of his sleeve.
“Tara. look at me."
I raised my eyes to the voice that called to me in a whisper. His lips brushed my mouth and then my forehead. After kissing them as softly as if he were dealing with flower petals that would scatter at the slightest touch, he gently wrapped his big hands around my face.
The feel of his calloused palms on my skin wasn't unpleasant.
"Maybe tomorrow we'll regret today's choice. But Tara. You belong to me now, and you're more precious than anything else. So, on the day that you are officially by my side, I will spend the entire night with you."
My heart throbbed as if I had been stabbed, while he looked at me, unblinking.
Deep, dark eyes that shimmered with sincerity. It was almost impossible for me to look directly at them.
How could I not consider his sincere feelings, when he was pouring out all his emotions with such a serious look?
Unlike his, my heart was full of dark desires, such as wanting to just spend the night. My conscience pricked me.
No. I was just being faithful to my heart. Yes. That was all.... Of course, it was a little impulsive.
Now, I thought he did right by stopping us at this point.
Somewhat embarrassed, I cleared my throat when I heard a popping sound outside. I looked up and saw a bright light through the window.
"Fireworks. Tara, shall we.... go see them?" He asked me, after quickly looking out the window.
Kyle's face, looking down at me, was illuminated by the bursts of light.
A faint smile on his lips, eyebrows slightly trembling, his eyes deep and dark. I saw myself reflected in those eyes.
I nodded slowly.
It was for the best.
I thought it would be better if we left this room quickly.
He kissed my lips once more and jumped off the bed, instantly leaving me feeling empty.
***
Kyle was about to pick up Tara's luggage from the annex when she stopped him.
Stating that the fireworks would probably end soon, she asked to just borrow some of his clothes.
He was confused at first, but soon agreed.
Kyle handed her the softest shirt and pants from his clothes bag.
Then, he went out the door and asked a passing maid to have Tara's belongings brought from the annex, and came back into the room.
‘Damn it.’
His body stiffened and his mind went blank when he saw her in his clothes.
The hems of the sleeves and pants were folded up a few times and she had tightened the waistband.
She put up her hair in a quick bun.
Then she put on Kyle’s cloak and covered her face with a hat.
He had briefly been afraid that the short cloak would drag on the floor, but it barely grazed it.
Seeing her in his clothes....
"I'm ready. Let's go."
Bluish bruises marred her cheeks and there were clear red marks on her neck that weren't concealed by her clothes. She looked so pitiful yet beautiful as she gave him a bright smile.
A strange feeling crept up and strongly pressed down on his heart.
This....
As she turned towards the door, he looked at Tara's nape and her wrist exposed from under the sleeve. He couldn't control his desire. Gently grabbing her hand and pulling her back, he kissed her and whispered that this was really the last time.
‘Yes, in this room....'
***
After the banquet, Philip and Diane went to watch the nights' finale from the Castle's central square.
Just as they entered the roundabout of Reese Castle, a huge firework split the night sky above the square.
Boom!
Boom!
"It's beautiful. You must have spent some money, Philip."
"Festivals require fireworks. Hahaha," Philip said quietly, looking at the picturesque tails of light.
"By the way, my dear.... Someone locked up vice-captain John Hutt in the dungeon, and he looked terrible."
"I know. Kyle asked for a doctor and explained it to me. How could such trash be appointed to be the next Knight Commander?"
"He must have been very popular among the knights. He was the one who received the most letters of recommendation."
"Were they bribed?"
"Maybe. Hmm. By the way, John is Baron Hutt's eldest son. He must have followed his example."
"It's no small crime to misteach a child. If punishment exists for that, it should be applied."
Philip nodded in agreement and continued in a harsher voice.
"And it's one of our vassals who committed it. Reese's mistake against an invited guest is indelible and, whether it does or does not concern my cousin-in-law, such sins should be dealt with accordingly. I didn't want to go down that road again, but...."
Diane gently swept her hand over her stomach and asked calmly: "Are you in pain, Philip?"
"No. Just bitter. Still, the weeds should be plucked. Had it not been for this, he would have become the Knight Commander and tormented even more innocent people. I'll meet Baron Hutt tomorrow and negotiate according to my cousin-in-law's terms."
"He proposed his terms, but in the end, we don't have much of a choice. As expected from my cousin. By the way, I also ended up messing up the situation because of my stupid self-interest. I feel sorry for the Aide."
Philip patted Diane's shoulder comfortingly while she sighed deeply.
"You did it for him. There is no other young woman like Angela.... And you were unaware of the situation."
"I know. Had he told me earlier, I wouldn't have invited Angela.... Haaa.... No. Kyle told me that their relationship was still indecisive...."
Diane recalled Kyle, who had come to find her in the resting lounge towards the end of the banquet.
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