The slow and leisurely tone was excessively sweet. However, the moment Livia slapped his hand away, the hand that had brushed past her cheek gripped the back of her neck tightly.

“……!”

She was helplessly pulled forward by the force. His breath grazed her tense cheek.

In that instant, her breath caught. It felt as if a beast had bitten her nape. Holding her breath, Livia tensed up, and a languid voice flowed into her ear.

“How do you plan to stab my heart with a dagger like this?”

His voice was so soft that, from his tone alone, he seemed like a very gentle man. Triton seemed to find great amusement in deceiving and teasing her in this manner.

To her, he was confusing. And if this confusion grew, it would dull her resolve.

With a firm expression, Livia mouthed the words.

‘Give me back my voice.’

Watching her lips move, he raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t understand. Although she knew it was a lie, she had no choice but to persist. Livia moved her lips again.

‘Give me back my voice.’

She spoke slowly, putting emphasis on her lips so he couldn’t possibly misunderstand. Then, his head tilted back slightly, and he gave a leisurely smile, as if enjoying her impatience.

“Hmm.”

He was too close, far too close. Moreover, Triton’s hand was wrapped around her waist. Too many parts of her were pressed against him. She tried to push him away, but it was futile. His long, beautiful silvery-blue hair tickled Livia’s chest.

“What should I do? I have no idea what you’re saying.”

Frustration flared up instantly. If she couldn’t push him away, she might as well pull him closer. Livia yanked on his hair, which had been bothering her for a while. His head tilted slightly in the direction she pulled. His expression shifted subtly, as if he hadn’t expected this kind of attack.

Was he a little flustered? Serves him right. A slight smirk twisted Livia’s lips upward.

Feigning to release her grip, Livia pulled on his hair again, this time with more force. Though she applied more strength than before, he remained unmoved, as if he had anticipated it this time.

Even his hair was sturdy… How infuriating.

Meeting his narrowing gaze, she suddenly felt uncomfortable with his unwavering stare and turned her head slightly. He grabbed her chin.

“Do you want your voice back?”

Finally, the words she wanted to hear. Livia nodded, keeping a neutral expression to hide her excessive relief.

Triton lowered his gaze, seemingly in thought.

His long eyelashes cast shadows over his eyes. They were a slightly darker silvery-blue than his hair. He was so close. Livia had to be careful even with her breathing.

She didn’t want to admit it, but he was indeed a breathtakingly beautiful god. His eyes, nose, and mouth were the same as other creatures, yet why did he possess such a dazzling radiance?

Was it because of his mysterious eyes that humans couldn’t even dream of? Or was it his hair, shimmering like moonlight through snow? Or perhaps it was the unique aura that only he possessed?

Whatever the reason, his appearance was enough to captivate any creature. Anything with eyes would be momentarily entranced. It seemed unlikely that any artist could capture such a face, such a form, in sculpture.

As she carefully observed his face, Livia suddenly noticed his blue eyes coolly meeting hers. She tried not to show her surprise, but she awkwardly turned her gaze away. Before she looked away, she thought she saw him smile.

Triton took hold of Livia’s hand, guiding it to the area just above his throat.

“Here.”

What was he trying to say? Livia returned her gaze to him. She focused on the spot where her hand rested. It was the hollow where his jaw met his neck, and Triton whispered with her hand placed there.

“Your voice is right here.”

Triton said something Livia couldn’t understand. As she continued to stare at his neck, he lifted her hand to his lips.

“……!”

Startled, she tried to pull her hand back with force, but it wouldn’t budge. Instead, her hand was drawn further into his mouth, as if guided by his intention.

“I hid it deep inside here.”

Every time his tongue brushed against her fingertips, it seemed to sharpen her senses there. Only then did Triton’s words finally sink in.

So, her voice was inside his throat?

…Why? While she pondered this, he leisurely watched her puzzled expression and suddenly interlocked his fingers with hers, pulling her arms behind her back as if binding them.

“…Ah, ugh!”

With both hands restrained, her body leaned more towards his shoulder. To make matters worse, the more she struggled, the more his thighs tightened around her lower body. She was completely trapped.

As she twisted her body to escape, Triton exhaled a low sigh through his lips.

“You shouldn’t move like that.”

At his strange warning, Livia momentarily stopped moving.

“Surely you know what your stomach is pressing against right now?”

My stomach?

Livia Horn finally felt something stabbing into her stomach, causing her pain. It was long, hard, and thick, wedged between her and Triton. As she wondered what it could be, a look of shock slowly spread across her face.

No way.

She could feel the shape of something hard pressing against her thin clothing and even thinner skin.

“Have you ever heard how easily gods get aroused, Livia?” Triton’s lips curled into a twisted smile, as if he had read the shock in Livia’s eyes. Her innocent reaction seemed to intrigue him.

What should I do?

She froze, as if she had stopped breathing, and a breath of air brushed past her ear. She flinched at the unpleasant teasing, glaring at Triton with a scrunched-up expression. He chuckled and added, “You laugh and chat so easily with the blue-haired nymph, yet you always give me this look.”

…What?

She was startled to the point of goosebumps. The blue-haired nymph must have been Audike. Had he seen her laughing and chatting with her? Where? How?

But he didn’t let her dwell on her thoughts for long. He tapped his throat and said, “You said you need your voice?”

Of course, she needed it, and it was only right to get back what was hers. Yet, here he was, with her hands tied, urging her to retrieve it, which was absurd. And why on earth had he hidden her voice there? Livia even doubted the truth of his words.

“Why are you glaring at me? Ah, are you suspicious?”

As if understanding, he nodded and suddenly blew a breath towards her face. The breeze that brushed her forehead and cheeks turned into bubbles that rose one by one.

When one of them popped, Livia’s voice was heard.

“…Oh god, actually, I’m not very strong, so I can’t handle alcohol well.”

This was something she had said at the banquet where she first met Triton.

“So unless you intend to take away the second glass…”

The second bubble burst. She remembered what she said next.

“Would you feed it to me directly?”

She couldn’t recall what had possessed her to say such a thing back then. It was a remark made in desperation to escape the situation…

She never imagined she’d hear it with her own ears like this. At that moment, Triton tapped his lips, as if telling her to look at them.

Then he parted his lips to show the inside. On his red tongue lay a white pearl.

Livia instantly realized that the pearl contained her voice. She had to retrieve it.

…But how?

There was a way that came to mind, but she pretended not to know. She wanted to believe he wouldn’t demand such a method. Besides, she thought he had no reason to want that. Their relationship wasn’t supposed to be connected “that way.”

At least, according to her common sense.

“If you can retrieve this, I promise never to touch your voice again.”

But it seemed he didn’t share her view.