Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 201
Burt’s lips met Irene’s, and although it was just a change in where he kissed, the feeling was entirely different.
Once—her barely calmed heart began racing all over again.
Twice—her flushed face grew unbearably hot.
Three times—she realized how overly confident she had been. Kissing was not something she could get used to so easily. In the end, Irene reached out and pressed her hand against Burt’s approaching lips, stopping him. If they continued any longer, she felt like she wouldn’t even be able to breathe.
“Let’s take… a moment to rest.”
Her voice trembled.
“Shall we?”
Burt nodded and leaned back, but his eyes remained firmly fixed on her, their intensity making her feel like she might burst into flames under their heat.
“Well then.”
“Yes?”
“This time… we should practice differently.”
She realized she couldn’t let Burt maintain control any longer.
“And how should we do that?”
“You stay still, Burt. I’ll take the lead this time.”
“As you wish.”
Burt readily agreed.
“Close your eyes.”
No sooner had she spoken than a flash of his intense gaze seemed to slip between his eyelids. She found herself momentarily entranced by his unusually long eyelashes, only to face a new challenge.
She couldn’t reach him.
Irene tried lifting herself onto her tiptoes several times, struggling to reach him, before finally grabbing a nearby chair.
“Just a moment.”
With the chair beneath her, she found herself looking down at Burt’s face.
‘Now I’m too high up.’
Maintaining her balance wasn’t easy either. After a moment’s hesitation, Irene placed her hands on Burt’s shoulders for support and leaned down.
She began by kissing his forehead, just as he had done before. Burt remained still, his eyes closed, as if fully entrusting himself to her. Irene’s hands trembled slightly, a wave of delayed embarrassment washing over her and bringing a flush to her cheeks.
‘It’s just as embarrassing to give as it is to receive.’
She realized this a bit too late. A part of her wanted to escape, but she knew she couldn’t back out now. Biting her lip gently, she lowered her head further and let her lips brush against his skin.
Despite being a warrior, Burt’s skin was smooth, and it wasn’t just that—his beauty was like a miracle. It was almost unbelievable that such a person had confessed his love for her.
Her heart pounded so fiercely that it ached, as if it might leap from her chest at any moment.
Burt, meanwhile, thought to himself,
‘This person is so incredibly endearing.’
He could have easily lowered himself to her height, but he chose not to. He wanted to prolong their interaction, to hear her speak more, to feel her touch. Watching her try to reach him, straining up on her toes, he had to hold back a smile.
Burt was the King of the North, the mightiest in his realm and a ruler who stood above many. Closing his eyes didn’t mean he couldn’t see anything.
It might have been a bit of a cheat, but he used his aura to sense Irene’s movements. He knew she had pulled the chair closer before even needing his aura to sense it. In this room, a chair was the only thing she could use to boost her height. When her hands landed on his shoulders for balance, it confirmed everything.
Her lips pressed against his forehead, and with his heightened senses, he could hear her racing heartbeat. Her slender body trembled slightly, adding to the sweetness of the moment.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Realizing that Irene’s trembling had intensified, Burt placed both hands gently around her waist. He couldn’t risk her getting hurt. Unlike others, she couldn’t rely on divine power for healing and had to depend on her own limited recovery abilities—something that had been severely compromised after her time trapped in the tower.
If only he could turn back time, he would have held onto Irene back then, never letting her be taken away. But no matter how mighty a king he was, reversing time was beyond his power. That thought pained Burt deeply. In the beginning, he hadn’t thought much about Irene’s wounds.
People change. Just as Lani had, Burt too had changed after meeting Irene.
Irene’s lips pressed against his forehead once more. She seemed fragile, but she had no intention of giving up here—her resilience shining through. Seeing her return his gestures in kind, Burt nearly lost his composure. The way she mirrored his acts of affection, almost perfectly, made his heart race. At this point, he couldn’t tell whether the rapid beating he heard was her heart or his own.
Seeing how quickly she picked things up made him unconsciously tighten his grip. He wanted to pull her into his arms and shower her with kisses, to take things even further if he could—but he knew he shouldn’t.
With superhuman restraint, Burt held back his desire.
‘Let’s not become a beast.’
A human should know better. Yet, when Irene’s lips trailed lower and touched the most delicate part of his skin, his reason began to crumble.
