Chapter 7 (Part 5)

“I don’t know why you’re here, but I have a busy schedule, so I’ll be going now. It was nice seeing you.”  

She bowed politely and looked as though she intended to leave.  

Does she not even want to talk to me?  

Her stiff expression and her deliberate avoidance of conversation made Ian painfully aware that his feelings were one-sided.  

If I confess my feelings now, would she accept them?  

Looking at Cecilia, who clearly didn’t want to continue the conversation, Ian doubted that revealing his heart would change anything.  

But he couldn’t let her leave like this. He needed to talk to her a little longer and ease what seemed to be her anger.  

If he approached her directly, she might reject him, so Ian only had one option to keep her around.  

“My insomnia… has returned.”  

His insomnia had completely disappeared after they had s*x, so this was an outright lie.  

He knew it was a cowardly tactic, appealing to her emotions. But if it meant holding onto her a little longer, he was willing to tell such a lie.  

“Oh, really? When did it start again? I thought it was completely cured… But Priest.”  

“Yes.”  

“You look healthier than before.”  

Cecilia was sharper than he expected. While his skin hadn’t been bad even when he had insomnia, it was now so smooth that she couldn’t help but notice.  

“Well, uh… it started the night before last. I haven’t been able to sleep since then.”  

Ian’s face quickly turned red. Seeing his shy expression, Cecilia couldn’t help but feel suspicious.  

“The night before last? So, as soon as your insomnia started, you came to find me? Can you leave the temple so suddenly?”  

“I got permission.”  

“Ah, I see.”  

Unable to say what she truly wanted to, their conversation kept circling awkwardly.  

“You didn’t come here to ask for my help… did you?”  

Cecilia asked hesitantly.  

“I need your help.”  

Hearing Ian’s words, Cecilia felt as though the wall she had built around her heart was beginning to crack.  

After leaving the temple, she had worked hard to erase all thoughts of Ian from her mind. She had been rejected once, and holding onto feelings for him would be pointless.  

So, when she unexpectedly ran into Ian near the Bucklew estate, she had been so shocked that she nearly screamed.

Of all the places in the kingdom, why did it have to be here?  

Not wanting to show him how shaken she was, Cecilia had deliberately acted casual, initiating the conversation herself. She thought a polite greeting and maintaining a proper distance would suffice.  

But she was wrong. The more they talked, the more Ian chipped away at her resolve to stay distant. She needed to steel herself.  

“Do you remember the last time we spoke at the temple? You said you would never seek me out again. Who was the one who called for me so desperately when they needed me, only to discard me when they didn’t? Why are you doing this now?”  

“I… was wrong.”  

She had expected Ian to argue back when she deliberately lashed out. But when he looked at her with his clear, bright blue eyes, his tear-filled gaze caught her off guard.  

That’s not fair…  

Cecilia could feel her resentment toward Ian melting away. She could tell he was about to use his ultimate weapon—his sincerity. Knowing what was coming, she quickly turned her head away.  

In this moment, his face was dangerous. If she lost her composure even slightly, she knew she’d fall for him again.  

“If you know you were wrong, then go back. I’m busy these days.”  

“Are you really going to abandon me after taking my purity? Can you truly pretend I don’t exist?”  

Ian’s words were so provocative that anyone overhearing might misunderstand.  

“What? Purity? I-I didn’t take anything. I was helping you!”  

Startled, Cecilia tried to cover Ian’s mouth, but he stopped her.  

“Because of you, I’ve fallen into depravity. Shouldn’t you take responsibility for me?”  

As Ian’s eyes grew redder, Cecilia didn’t know what to do. The tears welling up in his eyes made him look pitiful yet beautiful, like a delicate flower. She felt an overwhelming urge to run to him and wipe away his tears.  

When Ian lowered his head, his body trembled slightly.  

What am I supposed to do?  

That was the problem with this man. He had a way of creeping into her heart when it was at its weakest.  

She wanted to spend one last moment alone with him, but…  

She wanted to say she wanted to help but couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Even though she was planning to run away, meeting another man alone the day before her engagement was something her conscience couldn’t allow.  

But as she continued to feel the gaze of Ian’s clear, deer-like eyes on her, Cecilia surrendered.  

Thinking that today might truly be the last day she would ever see him, she wanted to let her heart guide her actions for just one day.  

To forget everything for a moment and become his woman, even if only for the first and last time.  

Cecilia immediately glanced around with uneasy eyes, checking to see if there were any watchers nearby.  

She behaved this way because she knew that Baron Huntley assigned people to watch her every two or three days. Of course, he likely thought she wouldn’t notice, but Cecilia had caught on long ago.  

Perhaps she wouldn’t have realized it if she hadn’t heard rumors of his jealousy. But once she became aware, she started paying attention to her surroundings and occasionally spotted suspicious m*n.  

After carefully looking around, Cecilia confirmed that Baron Huntley’s watcher wasn’t present and let out a sigh of relief.  

Then, her gaze turned toward the watcher sent by Viscount Bucklew. The viscount always assigned someone to follow her whenever she went out, worried that she might do something reckless.  

The watcher was staring at Cecilia and Ian with suspicious eyes from a distance.  

Is there a way to distract that man’s gaze?  

The burden of his watchful eyes made Cecilia think about ways to get rid of him.  

Wait, no. Why should I care about that watcher?  

Even if Baron Huntley found out, he would drag her to the Huntley estate immediately, but Viscount Bucklew wouldn’t be able to do the same. On the contrary, the Viscount would need her to stay until the engagement ceremony tomorrow, so it didn’t matter.  

In fact, it would be better if the watcher reported back about her meeting Ian. Of course, no one would believe she was having relations with a priest.  

With a triumphant smile, Cecilia turned to Ian and said,  

“Alright. I’ll help you. Right now.”  

“Right now?”  

Ian’s eyes widened in surprise at her sudden declaration.  

“Yes. I’m a bit busy. Actually… my engagement ceremony is tomorrow.”  

Cecilia spoke honestly about her engagement the next day. She knew that unless he realized how urgent her situation was, he wouldn’t act on his desires with her today.  

“Did you say your engagement ceremony is tomorrow?”  

Ian froze, unable to process the unexpected situation.  

“Excuse me, Priest Ian?”  

Cecilia waved her hand in front of his face, waiting for him to snap out of it.  

“Are you really getting engaged?”  

“Yes.”  

When Ian finally regained his senses and asked, Cecilia smiled brightly.  

“So, when you said you’d help me… you mean…?”  

“Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. Why? Do you not want to?”  

“You have a fiancé….”  

“I’m not engaged yet. It’s just planned.”  

“Still….”  

“It’s fine.”  

“How can it be fine? How could you, someone about to be engaged….”  

Before Ian could continue his confused rambling, Cecilia grabbed his wrist and led him into a secluded forest. When he tried to speak again, she silenced him.  

“You can’t… mmph!”  

As Cecilia pushed her tongue between his slightly parted lips, Ian’s resistance melted away in an instant.  

Was it the thrill of the sensation he hadn’t felt in a long time? Or was it the heat rising through his entire body, even to his brain?  

Every time her tongue softly brushed against the inside of his mouth, the last strands of his reason snapped.  

Wrapping his arms around Cecilia’s waist, Ian pulled her closer and hungrily deepened the kiss.  

“Ahh, mm.”  

Their kiss naturally turned into a passionate one. The sound of their mingling saliva grew louder as they kissed each other fervently, as if desperate for one another.  

When their breaths grew ragged, Cecilia was the first to pull away. As they exchanged heated breaths, Ian leaned in again to kiss her.  

He gently sucked on her lower lip as if to calm her uneven breathing, then entwined his tongue with hers again. Their tongues tangled and rubbed against each other, pulling them into a dizzying whirl of sensation.  

While Cecilia was lost in the ecstasy, Ian’s hand, which had been resting on her waist, slid upward to grasp her soft, rounded br*ast. As he kneaded one side with his hand, his kiss grew even more intense.