Breeding Season - Chapter 69
He was completely out of his mind.
Running a hand over his face, he strode toward the bedroom.
It was already late, so she might be asleep.
With her delicate nature, she must have been exhausted from all the arguing.
‘I don’t know if you’re really Aquafuran or not. I don’t even know whether I want you to be. If you’ve sealed yourself away, should I break that seal… or leave it be?’
Why did she appear before him so frail, so battered and wounded, making it impossible for him to hate her?
If even this was part of Aquafuran’s calculations, it was truly cruel.
But… doesn’t it seem unlike Aquafuran?
No, she had always been selfish and self-righteous, a goddess who couldn’t bear the idea that someone might hate her.
She had to be adored wherever she went, and had to have everyone indulge her whims. That was her nature.
And she was so terribly clever, always devising the most ruthless of schemes.
‘Maybe when she finally met me again, after leaving me alone for so long, she expected I’d be driven mad… and chose to return in this form.’
If it was Aquafuran, that was entirely possible.
“Sei.”
As expected, Siren was asleep.
When he drew closer and stroked her hair, she let out a soft hum in response.
“…Yasa…min…?”
“Yes. Go back to sleep.”
Watching her sleep was entertaining enough.
Curled up under layers of blankets, Siren looked so small. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he idly twined a strand of her dark hair around his fingers.
He had told her to sleep more, but now he was… just—
“You… didn’t come yesterday….”
“So?”
“I just….”
“Are you curious about where I was and why I didn’t come?”
Her still-drowsy face filled with a subtle disappointment, spreading like watercolor.
It was amusing.
What were they to each other, really?
It hadn’t even been that long since they met.
‘We’re not lovers who married for love, nor are we a Diet bound by true faith.’
How ambiguous.
“There’s nothing much to it. I was just training. Observing the warriors, sparring.”
“Oh….”
“What? Did you think I was off fooling around with another woman? How sneaky.”
Her lips pursed, as if she wanted to deny it, but she hesitated. That sight made him want to grab her and kiss her right then and there—so he didn’t resist the urge.
“…Mmhp!”
The sound of her breath catching was pleasant to hear.
He enjoyed making her cry and crumble, seeing her all messy and undone.
“…Ah, haah….”
Only after forcing her to hold her breath for more than ten seconds did he finally release her, leaving her gasping, her expression dazed and unfocused.
“If you can’t even endure this much, what are you going to do?”
When he teased her, she pouted again, looking utterly wronged.
It seemed she was fully awake now.
“Mean….”
“You didn’t know?”
“…You’re shameless.”
“Oh? Now that you’ve got a few people under you, you’ve started talking back?”
Though he scolded her, in truth, it was praise. He was impressed.
Because today, Siren had exceeded his expectations.
“You did well.”
“…You heard?”
“Yes. So, what did you end up doing with those people?”
“I told them to return to their rooms for now, but… I wanted to ask you.”
As Siren slowly sat up, Yasamin placed a cushion behind her back—then promptly flopped down beside her instead.
“Well. What do you want to do?”
“I think… it would be good to have more people on my side.”
“Of course. That was a wise judgment and decision. Right now, public opinion about you in the South is split exactly in half. There are those who pity you… and those who hate you, no matter what.
Some would love nothing more than to tear you apart piece by piece—so gaining even one more ally is a good thing.”
Enjoying the softness of Siren’s thigh, Yasamin closed his eyes.
Just moments ago, his head had been filled with countless thoughts. But strangely enough, now, his mind was empty.
Only the sensation of contentment remained.
Finding himself pathetic for this, he let out a dry chuckle.
He really was like a pet seeking its master’s lap.
“But really… Are you actually going to marry off the women from Wilke to the southern warriors? At… the banquet?”
“That’s the plan. When merging different cultures, there’s no faster or easier method than marriage policies. It’s also the gentler path.”
“That may be true, but the Wilkeron women… They need more time. Can’t you give them just a little longer to adjust…?”
He liked how she shuddered when he gently stroked the inside of her thigh. Feeling magnanimous, Yasamin raised a brow and responded quietly.
