Chapter 3.2

“Are you that reluctant to let Sir Jaxen go?”  

Donovan sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress sank deeply under his weight.  

“Evelyn, I want to know why you’ve been avoiding me lately. Judging by the situation, it seems you have plenty of time to explain.”  

“……”  

“Sir Jaxen is gone, so stop staring at the empty space he left. I can’t hold back any longer.”  

Donovan lightly placed his hand on Evelyn’s forehead, blocking her view.  

“I heard you were injured, but your face looks gaunt. It seems you haven’t been eating well while we’ve been apart.”  

“How did you even find this place?”  

“Did you really think I’d play along with your desire to distance yourself from me? If so, you underestimated me, Evelyn.”  

Despite his words, Donovan’s expression was filled with sorrow, as though he had been hurt. For someone who had commented on her looking gaunt, his own jawline appeared sharper than ever.  

“Have you found someone new?”  

“I was in the process of looking.”  

“Is that ‘someone new’ Sir Jaxen?”  

Evelyn, sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere, leaned back to escape Donovan’s touch. Donovan bit his lip. Evelyn swallowed hard, trying to calm her racing heart.  

“Earl.”  

“We agreed not to call me that. Or are you deliberately trying to provoke me?”  

Donovan’s hand touched her cheek again. His hand, imbued with magic, gently caressed her skin.  

– Evelyn, what do you think will happen to us after we graduate?  

The breeze from the time when Donovan had rested his head on her lap under the tree seemed to pass by. Everything had been uncertain, but at that moment, there was peace.  

– My family sent me another woman. They told me to get engaged quickly if I want to become the heir.

– Don’t they have better things to do? What will they do if you go to the Mage Tower? How foolish of them. 

– Hahaha.  

Donovan’s refreshing laughter scattered along the path. Lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, he had said:  

– I’m sick of women.  

Under the tree, they had shared parts of themselves they hadn’t shown to others. He had said he disliked women.  

“Are you satisfied now that you’ve achieved your dream of becoming a Royal Knight? Do you want to date now?”  

“Earl, didn’t you say you wanted to become the heir and take over the Earldom? You said you’d gain power because you didn’t want to go through with the marriage they arranged for you.”  

She and Donovan had already been close enough. Though their bond was rooted in friendship, it could easily shift if they weren’t careful. Evelyn had long denied that possibility.  

She was aware that Donovan treated her better than he treated others. She had always assumed it was just goodwill or a fleeting feeling.  

“Why do you want to date?”  

“Why aren’t you getting married?”  

Their words overlapped. The questions, each carrying its own calculations, collided, leaving both of them dumbfounded.  

“What?”  

“Pardon?”

Evelyn was in a rush. The curse was becoming increasingly vivid, as if it were about to run wild. 

Would I start coughing up blood this time? Or would I end up rolling on the floor?  

“I don’t want to do this with you, Earl. If you have something to say, let’s talk later. I want to be alone right now.”  

“No. I can’t hold back any longer.”  

It was a declaration. Donovan’s large hand cupped Evelyn’s cheek.  

“Why are you suddenly touching my cheek…?”  

“Look closely. I’ve always wanted to do this with you.”  

At that moment, her body froze stiff. As if to assist Donovan, the curse paralyzed Evelyn’s body.  

‘Damn this curse! Whose side are you on?!’  

Of course, it wasn’t on Evelyn’s side.  

“If you don’t like it, push me away.”  

Even the strong arms of a knight were useless in this situation. Evelyn had no choice but to watch Donovan lean in and kiss her with her eyes wide open.  

Her lips weren’t paralyzed, so she could feel Donovan’s breath entirely. Their saliva mixed, and their breaths intertwined. A dull ache spread heavily through her heart.  

“I told you, if you don’t like it, push me away.”  

“I can’t push you awa—mmph.”  

Evelyn could neither close her eyes nor open them; she gasped for air. She placed her hands on Donovan’s shoulders, attempting to push him away.  

“Is this how you provoke me?”  

Donovan, like a boy experiencing his first love, clumsily bit her lips. Gaining confidence, his kiss deepened.  

‘I can’t believe I’m kissing Donovan Yerenst.’  

Evelyn screamed internally. As their saliva mixed, sensation returned to her fingers, which had previously felt waxy and numb.  

“Arlington, Merlin, Forsen… Were there other knights you were planning to ask on dates?”  

“How did you find that out?”  

“Of course, I know. I hesitated dozens of times every night, wondering whether I should break their arms and legs.”  

Everything Donovan said was chilling. Evelyn tried not to dwell on the implications of his words, pushing them out of her mind.  

‘Damn this curse…!’  

The moment she tried to push Donovan away, her fingers lost strength as if they had never regained sensation. Donovan’s breath against her lips felt as sweet as nectar.  

“What did they do wrong?”  

“They had the audacity to reject you.”  

“…What if they hadn’t rejected me?”  

“If they hadn’t, I might have really broken their arms and legs, one by one.”  

Donovan’s voice dropped. His lips moved down to Evelyn’s neck.  

“Looking back, they were all lucky.”  

Every place his lips touched burned as if seared by fire. The sensation of feeling coming back to her body wherever Donovan touched was chillingly pleasant.  

“Do you have any idea how much I’ve held back? If you knew, you wouldn’t have gone looking for another man.”

Evelyn, who had been trying to escape, found her back pressed against the edge of the bed. With her aura suppressed, she couldn’t even muster strength properly.

“Um, this might sound strange, but… my body’s been acting weird lately. I can’t control it well.”  

“If you can’t control it, why not just go with the flow? We’re both adults, single, and there’s no problem. No need to overthink it.”  

At some point, her arms had wrapped around Donovan’s neck without her realizing it. When Donovan let out a low chuckle, her body trembled in his embrace.  

“You said you wanted to meet a man. Why look far away?”  

He was as cunning as a snake whispering for her to cross the line. At the same time, he was so tempting that she wanted to give in. Evelyn struggled to hold onto her wavering sanity.  

“You once worried that your youth would pass without even kissing a man. You said that while drunk.”  

“Did I really say that…?”  

“You even said it would be unfair to die without ever being with a man. I guess I’m the only one who remembers, making me the crazy one.”  

Donovan let out a hollow laugh as his hand slid downward. The thin clothes she was wearing were pushed aside. His soft, graceful hand caressed her skin, making Evelyn gasp.  

Donovan pressed firmly on the peak of her chest. It was a place no one else’s hand had ever touched, and he traced it in circles. Evelyn’s neck flushed red with heat.  

“When did your hands get this bad?”  

“Who knows? It’s too early to be surprised.”  

His hand moved to her back. The undergarment covering her chest was removed. Donovan tossed the garment aside.  

“Where did you learn something like this?!”  

“Did you think I wouldn’t know just because I didn’t learn?”  

His words were oddly convincing, leaving her momentarily speechless. Donovan used his mouth to undo the buttons of her thin shirt.  

“This doesn’t make sense.”  

“What doesn’t?”  

“When did you have time to meet women? You were always with me.”  

Evelyn was shocked by Donovan’s behavior, which resembled that of an experienced man. Along with the shock came a strange sense of betrayal.  

“Don’t worry. There hasn’t been another woman.”  

“And I’m supposed to believe that? The Earl of Yerenst must have sent women to you now and then. Did you reject them all?”  

At some point, the buttons were undone, and her chest was exposed. Donovan, staring at her pale skin as if entranced, lowered his lips to it.  

“I’m pure. If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it.”  

Without hesitation, Donovan took her chest into his mouth, and Evelyn held her breath.  

“Ah!”  

Donovan’s lips sucked at her skin. He teased her peak with his tongue, lightly bit it, and licked it like a dog. Evelyn’s waist arched in response to the stimulation.