It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 53
It wasn’t an exaggeration—my heart was pounding so wildly that my head felt light.
“If you don’t want to, you can refuse.”
Refuse…? How could I possibly do that? Now that I knew how electrifying and exhilarating his kiss could be.
Even after indulging until exhaustion last night, I still wanted more.
I wanted to feel him again—his unrestrained fervor, the way he lost himself when he kissed me.
As Lionel silently watched my face flush deeper and deeper, he braced himself against the seat’s backrest and leaned in.
His scent reached me first, enveloping me in its familiar warmth. Instinctively, I shut my eyes, clasping my hands together as I braced for the inevitable kiss.
But… nothing. No matter how long I waited, nothing touched me. Hadn’t he just asked to kiss me?
I cracked my eyes open—only to jolt in surprise. His face was right in front of mine, our noses nearly brushing. His deep crimson gaze, darker under the shadows, was filled with nothing but me.
And the moment our eyes met, he finally pressed a light kiss against the corner of my lips.
“You should remember to breathe.”
It was only then that I realized—I had been holding my breath.
I blinked a couple times before I finally let out the breath I’d been holding, and as if he’d been waiting for this moment, Lionel sealed my lips with his.
My parted lips allowed a shuddering breath to escape—only for him to steal it.
Then, without hesitation, his tongue pushed in deep, as if determined to rob me of every last breath.
“….!”
Overwhelmed, I instinctively tried to retreat, but his hand had already settled at the nape of my neck, holding me still.
My defenseless, trembling tongue was slowly, languidly rubbed by his. Compared to his initial urgency, his movements were agonizingly slow. Yet, it was a stimulus that only made it harder to endure.
Every time our mingled saliva slid down my throat, it felt as though I had swallowed fire—heat spreading unchecked through my body.
I no longer felt in control of my own body.
At first, I had tensed, forcing myself to endure. But at some point, my strength gave out, leaving me utterly pliant.
Desperate to hold on to something, I clutched at his collar.
I gasped against his lips, my dazed eyes blinking up at him as I helplessly took in the breath he exhaled into me.My damp eyelashes felt heavy—I could barely keep my eyes open.
Then, as if to soothe me, his searing palm trailed down my spine. A shuddering chill raced through my body.
My tightly pressed thighs quivered. A dull ache throbbed between them—something was missing, something that could rub away the growing heat.
It was just a kiss, so why was my body reacting this much?
Then again, when I glanced at him— He didn’t seem to be faring much better.
‘Is this what starting a relationship is like?’
At this rate, I felt like a single kiss could literally get me pregnant. That was how intensely worked up I was.
Only when I had no strength left to even cling to his collar did Lionel finally pull away. A slick, wet sound marked the parting of our lips.
Lingering so close that I could still feel his breath, he murmured, almost in resignation—
“This is bad. I can’t think about anything else all day. Can’t you heal this, too?”
“That….”
I hesitated, then answered honestly.
“Isn’t that… normal? I think I feel the same way.”
“…I see.”
Lionel ran a hand over his face. The already reddened corners of his eyes flushed even more.
The sight of him—his lips swollen, his expression raw with desire—made my throat go dry. He looked as though we had done something far more sinful than just kissing.
I swallowed hard.
Not even a single button on his shirt was undone. So why did he look that indecent?
“I don’t think I was like this before.”
‘Like a dog in heat. Just like someone I know.’
Chapter 54
Instantly, a certain Dantère Ortatum came to mind.
But unlike that man—who had probably lost count of the women he had been with—Lionel didn’t seem like the type to indulge in casual flings.
…Had he ever had a lover before? Or even a brief, meaningless one night stand?
Curiosity gnawed at me.
But I couldn’t ask.
Why was I even fixating on something so pointless? Dwelling on past relationships was never a good thing.
“We’ll be switching carriages soon.”
Lionel’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I followed his gaze out the window.
“Oh…!”
We had reached the outskirts, a secluded clearing.
Just in time—before I did something reckless.
We swiftly transferred to a plain, black carriage already waiting for us.
Though it appeared to be a standard rental used in the capital, it was reinforced with magic, just like Lionel’s personal carriage. Supposedly, it wouldn’t even shatter if it fell off a cliff.
…Hopefully, that applied to the people inside as well.
While I was a little curious, I didn’t feel like testing it.
Donning a traveler’s robe, I pulled the hood over my head.
At this level, no one would pay us any attention—or so I thought. But when I turned to look at Lionel, his sheer size made him stand out regardless. That commanding presence of his was something that simply couldn’t be hidden.
The knight, disguised as a coachman, handled the reins with practiced ease. He must have done this many times before.
As we moved farther from the city center, the elegant avenues and stately mansions I had seen while out with Vivian gradually disappeared. In their place, worn-down buildings and twisting alleys unfolded before us.
At some point, the streets became too narrow for the carriage to continue. We had no choice but to get off and walk.
“Are you sure this is the right way?”
The knight drove off without hesitation, leaving just me and Lionel in this eerie alleyway.
Secret organizations in novels were always hidden in back alleys like this.
Sure, I had read about it before. But actually setting foot in such a place? That was an entirely different matter.
It was broad daylight, yet it felt inexplicably dark. Even the air carried an unsettling stench.
“Did you at least bring a weapon?”
I whispered, and Lionel gave me a puzzled look.
“A weapon? Why?”
“Because places like this always have thugs picking fights.”
“Is that so?”
I couldn’t see a sword or any kind of weapon on him, but I had to believe he had something hidden.
“You can fight well, right?”
“Well, I manage.”
Considering he waged territorial battles like a war-crazed man, his skills should be beyond doubt.
I knew that. So why did I still feel so uneasy?
And unfortunately—my bad feeling was right.
Just as the alleyway became narrow enough that even walking side by side with Lionel felt cramped, a group of three or four men blocked our path.
“This isn’t a road just anyone can stroll through. If you want to pass, you gotta pay the toll.”
Their scarred faces twisted into grins, snickering like they found the whole situation amusing—textbook back-alley thugs.
“A toll, huh….”
Lionel took a step forward, completely unfazed.
He slipped a hand into his robe. A hidden dagger, maybe—
“How much?”
The men exchanged confused glances as Lionel, a looming mass of muscle and authority, strode toward them.
“…What?”
“You said there’s a toll.”
“…One silver per person.”
Lionel withdrew his hand from his robe. In his palm were two silver coins, which he casually handed over. The thugs hesitated for a moment before snatching them up. Then, without another word, they pressed themselves against the walls, clearing the path for us to pass.
“If something can be solved with money, it’s best to solve it with money. It’s far simpler and cleaner that way,” Lionel explained matter-of-factly.
“…I-I see.”
It seemed novels were novels, and reality was reality.
niki1da1
lololol did I mention yet that i like Lionel?