Chapter 9
“Hm, hm…”
After clearing his throat a few times while looking elsewhere, Lansil, his face still flushed, spoke again.
“You haven’t even told me your name, you know.”
“Is that important?”
“Is it not… important?”
Lansil’s voice trembled considerably. His expression looked as if he might lose his mind at any moment. She thought they would part ways soon anyway, so was not exchanging names truly such a shocking thing?
Well, it wasn’t like she couldn’t tell him. But should she say the name Seo Ji-woo? The people here couldn’t pronounce her name properly anyway.
It had been a long time since she’d lived without hearing that name. In fact, even recalling the name Seo Ji-woo now felt awkward.
So Ji-woo said the name she was familiar with.
“…Call me Akarna.”
“Akarna?”
“Yes.”
“Akarna, because of how I treated you at first… I thought you simply disliked me. Moreover… in, in a place like this…”
Lansil stood in front of Ji-woo, tidied his hair, and checked his attire once. Due to various circumstances, a proper introduction had been delayed. But she didn’t know why he was fussing like that when he was pretty without all that primping.
And ‘a place like this’? Was a specific location necessary for exchanging names?
He approached Ji-woo and extended his hand. Thinking he was going to help her up again, Ji-woo took his hand.
“It is an honor to receive your choice.”
But instead of helping her up, he pulled her hand and kissed the back of it.
“Uh…”
It happened in the blink of an eye, so she couldn’t even react.
Meanwhile, Lansil grabbed the cheek of the dazed Ji-woo and closed the distance without hesitation. Their lips met in an instant.
A pleasant scent wafted and enveloped Ji-woo.
The sweet scent from his nape.
Saliva sweeter than honey.
“Mmph!”
Startled by unconsciously intertwining her tongue, Ji-woo pushed Lansil away.
Pushed back, Lansil’s eyes wavered. He seemed a bit hurt.
“Why? Did you change your mind?”
“…Huh?”
Ji-woo’s face also flushed as red as an apple. It sounded as if he was saying *she* had seduced *him* first.
“Wh, when did I ever…?”
Stammering, Ji-woo closed her mouth.
Lansil had started acting strange when she touched his ear. He had flinched, asking how a grown woman could do such a thing. There were very few actions that would warrant such a reaction.
‘Did that mean something like that?’
The reproach about not even telling her name was something that would be said in a context of seduction, by the seducer or the seduced. To put it bluntly, you wouldn’t kiss someone whose name you didn’t know.
Ji-woo raised both hands and waved them.
“Ah, well… I…”
That wasn’t what she meant. She just touched it to treat his cut ear.
When Ji-woo hesitated, Lansil suddenly deflated.
“Is it… that you disliked it?”
The corners of Lansil’s eyes drooped, and his thick eyelashes lowered, casting deep shadows.
“I am quite different from your race… in appearance, after all. Among my group, I’m particularly plain, and my scent isn’t good either…”
“No!”
Saying his scent wasn’t good was nonsense. He had the best scent of any man Ji-woo had ever met.
The good scent might be a trait of his race. It might be true that, as he said, his scent was of poor quality among his people. But even so, to Ji-woo, it was only pleasant. His saliva was as sweet as honey.
And his claim of being plain was even harder to accept. She thought he looked unique. But that was because of his hair and eyes, which had subtle colors rarely seen in humans; Lansil had been objectively handsome from the moment she first saw him.
Seeing that Lansil wasn’t just depressed but seemed ready to burrow into the ground, Ji-woo spoke urgently.
“…I liked it.”
“Really?”
Lansil showed visible relief.
“Even if it’s just empty words, thank you.”
“It’s not empty words, you’re really handsome.”
“Really?”
“Your scent was good too, and sweet… Mm…!”
Then Lansil kissed Ji-woo again, seemingly pleased. His soft tongue tapped her lips, then entered when she opened her mouth and intertwined with her tongue. Sweet saliva moistened her mouth. Ji-woo just froze with both hands still raised.
Only then did she realize that what she had said could be seriously misunderstood. She had said his scent was good, but he had taken it as her saying the kiss was good.
“Ha…”
“Mm…”
Their lips parted for a moment, then met again. Even in that brief opportunity, Ji-woo couldn’t push him away. She had missed the chance to correct the misunderstanding, and besides, this situation and sensation were too shocking to process.
To be honest, Lansil wasn’t very good at kissing. Perhaps that was natural, as Ji-woo had spent five years with the Crown Prince, who was skilled in such relations.
Her relationship with the Crown Prince had been quite rough. Aleph, who had as much stamina as his physique suggested, being someone who had traversed battlefields, became more intense when his emotions were heightened. Ji-woo often couldn’t keep up and would exhaust her energy first and fall asleep.
Aleph had been gentle at first, but as they became accustomed, his actions grew rougher. Although he moderated other things because Ji-woo found them too difficult, kissing was an exception.
Kissing the Crown Prince always felt like being bitten. It was breathless and hard to keep up with, but it also gave pleasure, and because the Crown Prince liked it, Ji-woo had been adapting to that style.
But the kisses Lansil gave were excessively gentle. There was no sharp, stimulating pleasure.
Instead, one corner of her chest felt ticklish.
Even when intertwining deeply, Lansil would just press his lips softly when his breathing became rough, then lick her lower lip as if tapping. When Ji-woo opened her mouth again, his soft tongue would invade and explore her mouth. The sweetness felt with every mix of saliva brought comfort rather than pleasure.
“Hoo…”
The tongue that had stroked the inside briefly withdrew. Their foreheads touched. The breath passing between them was hot and fragrant.
“Is it okay to continue?”
“Ah…”
This was her chance to refuse. But meeting his blue eyes staring at her, Ji-woo froze blankly.
She couldn’t say anything until Lansil’s lips met hers again.
She had thought this kind of thing was far from pleasure. But contrary to her thoughts, the ticklish feeling was faithfully spreading into pleasure.
Lansil’s fingers fiddled with her ear. His calloused, hard fingers touched her earlobe and stroked the outer curve. The soft, gentle touch released the tension in her body.
Despite the careful touch, goosebumps rose on her skin. She thought she understood why touching ears had such a seductive meaning for them.
“Mm…”
When Lansil’s hand grew bolder, stroking her nape and coming down, touching the tender skin on the inside, she unconsciously let out a moan.
When she felt his hand tugging at her collar, Ji-woo was somewhat shocked. Not because of his touch. Precisely, it was because she thought of the Crown Prince.
There was a time when Ji-woo had poured out her heart alone, to the point where she didn’t even expect her love for the Crown Prince to be reciprocated, so she had liked that the Crown Prince felt sexual attraction to her. She thought his way of pouring his passion onto her, the uncontrollable fervor he had when he saw her, was also attractive. Even while forcing herself to adapt to his preference for rough relations, she had felt sufficient pleasure, so she believed this was the form her love would take.
That’s how much he loves me, he can’t control his passion.
I am loved that much.
But was it a delusion? Pleasure could exist without such desperate emotions.
Just like this relationship between her and Lansil.
“You saved my life and chose me, so from now on, my life belongs entirely to you.”
“Ugh…”
At Lansil’s clearly courting words, Ji-woo suddenly burst into tears. Sensing something wrong, Lansil immediately pulled back.
“Why? No, I’m sorry.”
And even though there was no way he could understand the situation, he apologized nonetheless.
“I must have done something wrong. As I said before, this is my first time meeting a human, so…”
No. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Ji-woo just hated herself for thinking of the Crown Prince even in a situation like this. Even while receiving kisses as soft as a spring west wind, her body, accustomed to rough actions, reminded her of the Crown Prince, and that was miserable.
It was better when she was trying to die and couldn’t think of anything at all. Now that life was becoming bearable, thoughts of him were starting to fill her mind again.
It was painful. Ji-woo just silently shed tears.
“Oh dear, Akarna…”
Thinking she was rejecting his touch, Lansil fidgeted, unable to even wipe her tears himself.
*Plop. Plop, plop.*
It seemed the heavens wanted to hide her tears. The dark sky rumbled, and raindrops began to fall.
Lansil looked up at the sky and clicked his tongue.
“Let’s get out of the rain first. Okay?”
Lansil’s long ears perked up, and the tips trembled.
“There’s a place nearby to avoid the rain. Come on, quickly.”
Ji-woo docilely let herself be held by Lansil. But even so, her tears continued to fall.
Not knowing Ji-woo’s circumstances, Lansil was confused about whether to be relieved or worried by her reaction.
