As Ascal saw Arwin emerging from beneath the World Tree, he quickly approached her side.
He wrapped a thin blanket around her sweat-soaked body.
Seeing his daughter crying with a broken expression, he couldn’t find the words to speak.
After mouthing words for a while, he finally asked with difficulty.
“…Are you alright…?”
But even as he spoke, Ascal was aware of how foolish his words sounded.
“…”
Arwin didn’t respond to such an obvious question.
Her dry lips spoke for her condition instead.
Arwin had completely fallen apart after parting ways with Berg.
It was a testament to how intense Berg’s presence had been for her.
It wasn’t just because he was the first person she met outside the world.
For 170 years, nothing had moved Arwin so deeply.
Not the books from the outside world. Not the gifts from Sylphrien. Not even the visitors to the estate.
Nothing had shaken Arwin, who struggled under repression.
But this being named Berg had changed Arwin so drastically in less than a year.
He had transformed Arwin, who had once yearned for freedom with unwavering conviction.
Arwin was suffering to the point of death over their separation.
She was willing to perform the sacrificial ritual she had despised so much just to bring him back.
“............”
Ascal wanted to tell Arwin to stop everything.
To give up on Berg and not to go through with the sacrificial ritual.
He knew how much she had hated the ritual all along.
But the words wouldn’t come out easily.
He had never seen Arwin desire something this intensely other than freedom.
It was difficult to tell her to give up something she wanted so badly, even if it meant pushing herself to the brink.
Arwin’s bizarre behavior wasn’t without impact.
The elders were also feeling pressured by the subtle madness she displayed.
Ascal could see it.
The stubborn elders were searching for a way to share lifespan.
Before marrying Berg, Arwin’s outbursts to be sent outside had seemed like a child’s tantrum.
After marrying Berg, Arwin’s actions seemed like a weak form of blackmail.
Of course, it was the elders who accepted Arwin’s proposal.
But even those capricious beings weren’t brave enough to ignore the demands of Arwin, who possessed an innate vessel for longevity.
Her time with the mercenary corps had influenced her as well.
There was a hint of recklessness, as if she had been tainted by the human mercenaries.
Her disregard for life occasionally peeked through.
And there was nothing more terrifying to an elf than such a being.
In this current state where no one could predict what direction her recklessness would take, they had no choice but to grant Arwin’s request.
There was also genuine pity for Arwin.
While there was certainly pressure on the elders for her to perform the sacrificial ritual...
...perhaps she wanted to replace the pain of separation and regret with physical pain.
Recently, Arwin couldn’t keep her body still.
“…Please…prepare the Bardi liquor…again…”
Arwin mumbled as Ascal supported her.
Lately, Arwin had been relying on alcohol to fall asleep.
She hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol before, but recently, she had changed.
As if reminiscing about Berg, or perhaps repenting, she drank Bardi liquor every day.
She would drink and cry herself to sleep.
“Could you…not drink today?”
Ascal, with concern in his heart, asked Arwin a question.
“.......”
-Sob Sob...
Arwin answered with flowing tears instead of words.
Ascal didn’t know what to say to her.
Walking with empty eyes, Arwin finally spoke.
“…Berg...kissed the Saintess...”
“.......”
Ascal knew that Arwin had been watching Berg.
But he couldn’t say anything about it.
He knew that Arwin was living on by merely watching Berg from afar.
“....Berg...kissed her...”
Arwin repeated the words as if she couldn’t believe it.
With a sigh, Ascal eventually responded to Arwin’s empty whisper.
Although Arwin didn’t want to acknowledge it, if things had reached this point, it was safe to say it was over.
Berg would probably remarry that Saintess.
Now that polygamy was abolished, there would be no chance for Arwin anymore.
...This meant there were still many ways for Arwin to continue falling apart.
But of course, Ascal couldn’t say that out loud.
He couldn’t tell Arwin, who was struggling with the immediate reality, such a thing.
Biting his lips, he eventually said.
“...I’ll prepare the liquor.”
If there was any medicine to help her endure the current pain, he had to provide it, even if it had severe side effects.
Ascal held Arwin tightly as they walked.
He couldn’t deny that he might be the worst father in the world.
****
I opened my eyes to the light of the new day.
The memories of the past lingered briefly in my mind.
The kiss borrowed from the influence of alcohol.
But it was never a mistake.
The long relationship with Sien was finding its right path.
I got up and left the room.
“...”
Reflecting on it, it was indeed a long kiss.
At the time, I hadn’t realized it.
But when I think back, it was a prolonged moment.
We first kissed shyly and then parted.
Then, we kissed more boldly, pressing our lips together.
We then pulled each other closer by the nape of the neck, continuing with deep kisses.
For us, who only touched lips, the heat was rising.
Our mouths opened wider.
Our tongues mixed sensually.
Sien, who had always been so innocent, was rubbing her tongue against mine.
It felt unreal.
It was a bit dreamy.
We exchanged saliva and shared our breaths.
The warmth of her neck against my hand.
Her hair tickling my forearm.
The warmth felt in our chests.
The moist sensation on our tongues.
All of it was intense.
“…”
As I reminisced about that day, my hands continued a familiar habit.
I rubbed the ring fingers that now felt empty.
...This brought fleeting thoughts of my ex-wives to my mind.
Had things not gone awry, would I have shared such experiences with them too?
“…”
I shook my head.
It was all in the past.
I moved to the living room and poured a glass of water from what I had fetched the day before.
“…You’re awake?”
A voice called from behind. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Sien stood there.
She scratched the back of her neck, looking at me bashfully.
After hesitating for a moment, she approached and slowly hugged my bare back.
I smiled, wrapping my arms around her.
Finishing my drink, I turned to face her.
“…”
“…”
Our eyes met briefly.
Her eyes asked a question.
Was yesterday’s action a spontaneous move fueled by alcohol?
In response to her anxious gaze, I answered without words.
I naturally kissed her lips.
A simple yet meaningful gesture.
-Smooch.
Sien smiled shyly at my action.
We both felt our love deepening slowly.
.
.
.
.
A month passed by.
Sien and I had fully restored our relationship.
Many days were spent resting in each other’s arms.
We watched both sunrises and sunsets, feeling each other’s warmth.
We shared light-hearted and heavy conversations without discomfort.
We openly discussed the events that had transpired.
The pains of the past had become topics we could now bring up again.
I spoke of my life in the slum after Sien left.
Meeting Adam Hyung.
My first days with the mercenary group, and now my current life as a mercenary.
The only stories I couldn’t share with Sien were those about my ex-wives.
That topic was still a vivid pain.
Sien shared her experiences during that time.
The training the hero party underwent.
Her dealings with the Hea church.
The monsters she had slain.
The boss she had killed.
The demons she had defeated.
The people she had saved and those she couldn’t.
Through these stories, we grew even closer.
Kissing became a natural part of our daily life.
Though routine, each kiss felt new.
Sometimes the kisses were brief, other times they lingered.
I would playfully nibble her lips, and there were moments when her tongue would delve deeply, filled with longing.
As our kisses varied in intensity, so did our desire for each other’s bodies.
I began to hold her waist more tightly.
There were more and more days when I wouldn’t let go of the nape of her neck as we kissed.
There were times when I held her delicate body so tightly it felt like she might break.
The kisses that initially brought happiness were now losing their excitement.
Like being addicted to a drug, I craved a deeper connection.
And I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.
One night, while we were drinking together, Sien spoke.
“Bell.”
“...Yeah?”
“...I’m so happy right now I could go crazy...but I still have a dream I want to fulfill.”
I looked at her face and asked.
“...What is it?”
With an excited expression, Sien looked at me and whispered.
“...We were going to get married.”
“...”
“...I want to be your wife.”
Did she mean a formal marriage in front of others?
“…”
Certainly, that was part of it, but I could sense she meant something more.
We could become husband and wife with just the two of us.
I felt my heart start to pound.
I slowly got up and approached her.
Even though we’d been together for a long time, I had never taken her to my room.
Tonight, that was about to change.
I slipped my arm under her legs and lifted her gently. Sien wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.
I walked slowly, maintaining the long kiss.
We entered the bedroom without hurry.
Through her skin, I could feel how excited she was.
She was warm, and her pulse was pounding intensely.
-Thud.
I placed her on the bed.
Then, naturally, I took off my shirt.
Sien seemed embarrassed by the whole act, but she didn’t run away.
She just looked into my eyes, breathing heavily.
Even after removing my shirt, I continued kissing her for a while.
I caressed her hair, neck, shoulders, and waist.
Slowly, my hand moved to her chest.
“Ah...!”
She only let out a moan, not resisting my actions.
Then, I began to undress her.
Her bare body was revealed.
Sien covered her eyes with her arms.
To reassure her, I said.
“You’re beautiful. Move your arms.”
“...Ugh.”
She trembled, but finally moved her arms, meeting my eyes.
We spent a long time exploring each other’s bodies.
She also embraced and touched my bare upper body.
Kissing had now become a natural act.
We continued without words, as naturally as breathing.
Sensual sounds filled the room.
The sounds of heavy breathing and exchanging saliva echoed.
“I’m going to take it off.”
Then, I removed her underwear.
I also stripped off my pants and underwear.
We stood completely naked, looking at each other.
Every touch felt like it ignited a fire.
“…Hah…Hah…”
Sien’s heavy breathing continued as she swallowed and looked at me.
Her shy hand slowly moved to grasp my member.
“J-Just a bit...”
She whispered.
“…What?”
“…I’m...scared, Bell. C-Can you make it not hurt...?”
Why did she seem even cuter at that moment? ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Honestly, I was filled with the desire to ravage her immediately.
“...I can’t promise that.”
So I smiled and said.
Sien looked at me with lustful eyes, seemingly even more excited by my words.
To others, she might have been a pure saint.
To me, she was just Sien.
I slowly adjusted our hips together.
Our most intimate parts touched.
To help her body relax, I placed my thing against her lower abdomen.
“Ah...Ugh...”
Even with that light contact, Sien twisted her body.
“Be...Bell...”
She looked up at me, already struggling to endure the overwhelming sensation.
“Kiss...Kiss me...”
I leaned in and kissed her deeply, our bodies pressed closely together.
And she pleaded, as if kissing me would make all her anxieties vanish.
I leaned down and kissed her again.
Sien naturally wrapped her arms around my neck.
We stayed like that for a long while.
I could feel that Sien was getting ready.
My manhood was now sliding smoothly against her wet passage.
“...Sien.”
So I called her name.
Sien, without saying a word, closed her eyes tightly and nodded, hugging my neck firmly.
I prepared to enter her.
-Tok tok tok tok!
-Chirp! Chirp!
At that moment, a cute little interrupter appeared.
Sien and I both looked in the direction of the sound.
It was Lua, the bluebird I had named, staring at us.
The tension broke for a moment, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
It turned out the window was open.
We were so focused on each other that we hadn’t noticed.
It seemed right to make sure everything was perfectly prepared for such a deep night.
I kissed Sien on the cheek and got out of bed.
I walked naked to where Lua stood.
My slightly damp member felt the cool breeze.
I gently stroked Lua and said.
“…Not now, Lua.”
Then I shooed her away from the window.
-Chirp! Chirp!
Lua flew away with a flap of her wings.
-Creak... Thud.
I closed the window again.
I even put out the candle to make sure nothing could disturb us.
In the darkness, I climbed back onto the bed.
Then, guided by Sien’s warmth, I resumed my position.
Sien raised her arms.
I slipped my body between them.
Her bare chest pressed tightly against mine.
We embraced each other firmly.
Then, I finally whispered into Sien’s ear.
“I’m going to start.”
As if in response, Sien locked her legs around my waist.
-...Tok tok tok tok.
The sound of Lua tapping on the window was heard again, but it no longer mattered.
I pressed my hips firmly against her.
“.................Ah!”
Sien’s moan echoed in the room.
We shared a night of passion hotter than any we had ever experienced, until morning.
– – – The End of The Chapter – – –
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