No Such Thing as a Chaste Man! Just Give It Ten Tries! - Chapter 10
Seo-ah, recalling the coy encouragement of one of her few human friends in Genève, renewed her determination as she looked at Ephelinus’s back.
‘Ten times… I’ve already tried, but I’ll keep trying.’
It had been fifteen days since she failed in her eighth attempt to seduce him, even with Jenny’s aphrodisiac.
Up until now, Seo-ah had done everything she could to allure Ephelinus without Jenny’s help.
She tried setting the mood by sharing a bottle of wine gifted by Lady Istel.
Taking inspiration from Rurina’s suggestion, she even set her own bed on fire, asking him to share his bed with her.
Sometimes, she used loneliness as an excuse, asking him to hold her, or she would ramble about sad memories from her school days on Earth, even shedding tears.
But what she received in return was always:
“Seo-ah, it would be best for you to get some deep rest now. You’ll feel better once you wake up.”
He would comfort her as gently as possible, yet always draw a soft boundary…
“I do not know your world, so I may never fully understand the source of your loneliness. However, I can pray to Sol for you.”
It was Ephelinus’s caring yet resolute wall.
“You should use the bed alone and rest comfortably. I’ll be holding an all-night prayer.”
He seemed oblivious to her lingering glances and meaningful gestures.
“I hope we won’t do anything in a fit of emotion that we’ll regret…”
That gentle smile he wore became so maddeningly frustrating.
Infuriated, Seo-ah braced herself for the day, armed with Jenny’s concoction and Lady Istel’s meticulously crafted attire.
It was a banquet where people of all genders and races loosened the doors to their hearts and minds, making it the perfect setting for seduction.
Considering the indirect and direct confessions, she’d already been rejected more than ten times.
So she decided to try one last time, and if it didn’t work today, she would shift her approach to targeting the Senate.
But having come this far, she didn’t want to waste all her previous efforts and wanted to succeed today if possible.
Not just to be disqualified from the reverse summoning conditions, not just to win the heart of the world’s most handsome man, and not to seek revenge for all the rejections she’d faced.
But maybe… to finally put an end to her five-year-long unrequited love.
If she failed today, even if she went against his wishes and stayed in Genève, their relationship would no longer be the same.
“Your Holiness!”
At Seo-ah’s lively call, Ephelinus turned to look in her direction.
His steps slightly slowed, and the stiffness in his shoulders eased a little. Then his head slowly turned toward the sound of her voice.
The line of his jaw extending from his ear, the straight bridge of his nose… for a moment, Seo-ah was captivated by that silhouette, and then he fully turned, his beautiful face directed toward her.
His eyes, as clear as the autumn sky and as deep as the caldera lake on Mount Nadulan seen during the expedition, looked at Seo-ah.
Warmth gradually spread across his once impassive face.
“Seo-ah.”
Once, he had sweetly recited her name with a bright smile…
However, ever since Seo-ah returned from the expedition and he decided to send her back, or perhaps to guard himself from her relentless attempts, that angelic smile rarely appeared.
Yet, he couldn’t hide the gentle warmth that arose naturally in response to her.
And Seo-ah knew that there was a special affection embedded in that warmth.
That look hadn’t changed at all from before she left for the expedition, back when she considered him her guardian and family.
Knowing the expression he wore when looking at his real family, Seo-ah was certain that the way he looked at her was far more meaningful than that.
‘He cares about me so much.’
It made her wonder why he was so determined to send her away.
Seo-ah pouted a little as she tried to quicken her steps to catch up with him.
Or at least, that was her intention…
“Oh!”
No matter how good her sense of balance was, she had little hope in her skill (or lack thereof) in wearing high heels, which she was wearing for the first time. Just as she was about to link arms with him, she staggered greatly.
“Seo-ah.”
The arm she was reaching for moved quickly, wrapping firmly around her waist instead. The wide sleeves of his ceremonial attire billowed as they covered Seo-ah’s exposed shoulders.
“……”
“…Ah, thank you, Your Holiness.”
“See, wouldn’t it have been better to wear something comfortable?”
“You have no idea how well I’ve adapted to life in Genève.”
Their faces were now so close that barely a hand’s width separated the tips of their noses, and Seo-ah gave him a big, dimpled smile.
