Chapter 6

‘Declan, Declan! Do you know? When we grow up, we’re supposed to get married!’

Young Sara, in a fluttering dress, ran up to young Declan with a bright smile. Declan, sitting on a garden bench reading a book, looked at her quietly and spoke slowly.

‘We’ll get married when we both want to.’

‘Oh, really?’

Sara quickly lost interest and turned her attention to the flowers scattered on the ground. She had always liked Declan, so marriage seemed like a given.

Sara picked a flower and held it out to Declan with a smile.

‘Look, isn’t it pretty?’

‘…Yeah.’

Declan nodded, looking at Sara rather than the flower.

‘Oh, tomorrow’s my birthday, did you know?’

Sara stood up and asked energetically. Declan nodded silently. Of course he knew—that’s why he was at her mansion. Sara approached him and spoke cheerfully, with a mischievous smile.

‘I’ll take my present myself.’

Just then, the wind blew, scattering petals everywhere. Declan squinted, trying to see Sara through the petals.

‘Take it yourself? What do you—hm!’

Sara’s lips touched Declan’s and then pulled away. Declan stared at her, dazed. Sara giggled and ran off toward the entrance. Declan wasn’t sure if what touched his lips was a petal or Sara’s lips.

The next day, Sara’s birthday party was held. Nearly all the noble children from the capital gathered in the hall to celebrate. Sara happily opened her presents.

‘Wow, a book. Declan will like this. Huh? Where did he go?’

Declan, who had been by Sara’s side moments ago, was nowhere to be found. Sara tilted her head, stood up, and left the banquet hall.

And then she saw it. Declan, in the sunlight streaming through the corridor window, was kissing her friend Rebecca.

‘!’

Shocked, Sara stepped back, then quickly turned and ran away. Tears fell, leaving a trail behind her. The budding feelings in her small heart were trampled and crushed, disappearing without a trace.

That day, Sara fell ill. The birthday party fizzled out, the guests left, and Declan stayed, hoping to see her, but Sara refused him firmly.

After that, Sara rejected everything involving Declan. Her family worried about the sudden change, but after she threw up and fainted several times upon seeing Declan, they kept the two apart. Sara and Declan grew distant, and the marriage arrangement between their families faded away.

Years passed. Sara became an adult and chose the path of a mage. The following year, Declan became a Holy Knight.

“Mm…”

Sara woke from sleep, dazed.

‘Ah, I dreamed about the past… Not exactly a pleasant memory.’

Then a low, gentle voice spoke in her ear.

“Are you awake?”

She opened her eyes to find Declan’s face right in front of hers. He had let her rest with her head on his lap.

“Uh… yeah.”

Sara blinked her swollen eyes, looked around, then gasped. She reached out and cupped Declan’s face with both hands.

“You, your curse?”

“…The red light hasn’t appeared for a while.”

“Ah…”

Sara sat up straight (groaning and clutching her waist a bit), then channeled magic into Declan’s body to check. Thankfully, as he’d said, the curse hadn’t vanished completely but was dormant. Relieved, Sara groaned and lay back down, using Declan’s lap as a pillow.

Declan carefully brushed the hair from Sara’s forehead. His expression was so serious that Sara almost laughed. Anyone would think he was doing something amazing.

“By the way.”

Declan replied absentmindedly to Sara’s words.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Sara looked at Declan with curious eyes.

“Do you always do it like that? Your partner must be exhausted.”

“…”

Declan’s hand paused, then resumed. He answered curtly.

“How should I know? It was my first time.”

“…What?”

Sara’s eyes widened as she sat up. Declan frowned, seeing her hair messy again, but Sara didn’t care and exclaimed in shock.

“Your first time? You? Declan Garnet?”

“Is that so surprising?”

“Of course! Rebecca definitely said she…”

Sara trailed off, closing her mouth. Noticing her hesitation, Declan smiled dangerously.

“With me, what?”

His voice was so soft it felt even more dangerous. Sara swallowed and shook her head.

“N-nothing.”

“…”

Declan narrowed his eyes suspiciously and asked,

“Who’s Rebecca?”

“…What?”

Sara was confused. He didn’t know Rebecca? Why? He even kissed her? Stunned, she stared at him, and Declan pressed her further.

“Is this related to why you started avoiding me?”

“!”

Sara felt a pang and looked away.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“…Hmph.”

Declan sighed as if holding something back, then spoke in a low voice.

“I have a guess.”

“?”

“When we were kids, at your birthday party…”

He paused, then continued.

“A strange girl suddenly kissed me. I was so uncomfortable I pushed her away hard.”

Declan glanced at Sara.

“She was probably your friend… She fell and caused a scene. My parents told me to apologize to you, but I couldn’t.”

“She kissed you?”

Sara frowned. That didn’t match what she’d heard—Rebecca had said they were close, even intimate after becoming adults…

‘Was it a lie?’

Rebecca did tend to exaggerate, but how could she lie about this… As Sara realized the truth, Declan looked gloomily at the floor. Sara frowned.

“But you said you couldn’t apologize—why?”

Did something happen then? She tried to remember but couldn’t. Declan bit his lip and spoke roughly.

“Because every time I tried to approach you, you said I was disgusting.”

“!”

“You said you didn’t want to see me anymore. Even if you didn’t, you’d gag and faint just looking at me…”

Ah. That’s right… She’d been young, and convinced Declan felt the same way, so she’d reacted even more sensitively to what felt like betrayal.

Sara looked awkwardly away as Declan murmured gloomily.

“And your brother told me not to come anymore.”

“What? My brother?”

Sara was shocked—she’d never heard that before. Declan looked at her with a resentful gaze.

“Yeah. He told me straight up. ‘There’s no chance for you and Sara, so stop hoping’.”

“…”

“From then on, your brother started avoiding me, so we spent less time together. Did you know?”

“Did we?”

Now that she thought about it, after that, they stopped sharing tutors and the monthly family gatherings became rare. Her brother even said she didn’t need to go…

‘We always fought when we met, but I guess he was protecting his little sister in his own way.’

As she considered this, Declan’s gloomy voice continued.

“But… I couldn’t give up. When I heard you wanted to become a mage, I applied to be a Holy Knight.”

“…Ah!”

Sara’s eyes widened. Now that she thought about it, he’d always wanted to be a scholar…

“Wait, you…”

She was speechless. Declan, despite his cool looks, was sensitive and picky. He only slept in certain places, was fussy about clothes, and even fussier about food. For someone like that to volunteer as a Holy Knight, traveling and camping a third of the year, just to be paired with her?

Stunned by the unexpected truth, she saw the red light begin to glow faintly from Declan’s body again. As if waiting for this, Declan shrugged off his clothes. Seeing his muscular abs and already er*ect member, Sara gasped as Declan laid her down, spread her legs, and slid between them. He rubbed his hand over her now wet entrance, licking his lips lasciviously.

“Haa.”

Her body, now familiar with pleasure, craved Declan, her stomach tightening. Sara’s face was so red it felt like it might burst.

“I knew you were crazy, but this is something else.”

Trying to hide her embarrassment, Sara spoke curtly. Declan agreed easily.

“That’s right. So…”

“…?”

Declan suddenly grinned.

“You’re just unlucky to be stuck with a crazy guy.”

As soon as he finished, his size slid inside, stretching her walls. Sara’s eyes rolled back.

“Ahhh…”

“Feels good? Sara, does my c*ck feel good?”

Declan immediately started moving. As his pace quickened, Sara’s sensitivity skyrocketed.

“Ahh, what is this…”

It was only their second time, and the pleasure was so intense it felt like fireworks behind her eyes. Sara moaned and thought, Is this why people are obsessed with s*x? Does everyone feel this good?

“We’re really a good match.”

Declan murmured, moving quickly. He was clearly reaching his peak, sweat beading on his forehead and his brow furrowed. The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed through the stone chamber.

“That’s good. We’ll be doing this until we die.”

“What… did you say? Haah…”

Sara couldn’t even think straight. Every time Declan’s hot, thick length pushed through her folds and struck her deepest point, sparks flashed before her eyes. Declan whispered in a heated voice,

“You’ll keep doing this, right, Sara? Only with me? From now on, always.”

His large, imposing manhood, resembling its master, burrowed into the opening that only he could claim. With a wet sound, Sara’s eyes rolled back.