No Such Thing as a Chaste Man! Just Give It Ten Tries! - Chapter 22
Seo-ah took a bold step closer, standing so near that she could feel the warmth from his chest as she looked up at him.
Ephelinus lowered his gaze, almost as if to avoid hers, his long, silver lashes quivering slightly.
“I’ll sleep with anyone. Even someone like Lord Livo, or anyone else for that matter. I’ll throw away this purity you’ve so carefully guarded. I’ll waste it on anyone worthless.”
She tilted her head to keep her eyes fixed on his averted gaze.
“And if you ever regret this later and wish to see me again, know that I’ll be out of your reach. This will be the end for us.”
In the place where their eyes locked, she could see his trembling, her own tears glistening down her cheeks.
“So, make your choice.”
Seo-ah withdrew her hands from him and reached into her pocket, pulling out one of Jenny’s concoctions—a glass vial similar to the one from before, though this time filled with candy.
She held it up deliberately, letting the label face him, and pulled out one of the candies.
The label read: ‘Sleeping Draught’, and in ancient script, a detailed description followed:
[ Oral sedative potent enough to put an ogre to sleep. Effective only if fully consumed. Effects last for 12 hours and induce a coma-like state. Antidote: exchange of bodily fluids. ]
The description was now boldly written for clarity.
“Remember what our dear Elven lord suggested last time? ‘Maybe it’s time to appeal to the High Priest’s sense of compassion.’”
Seeing that Ephelinus had read the label, Seo-ah tossed the vial aside, the glass shattering with a faint clang. She unwrapped the candy with her fingers, revealing a piece about the size of her thumbnail.
“I’ll give you two choices. Come and kiss me right now—or leave me here, let the candy take effect, and lose me forever. And if you tell Miriam, I’ll be heading straight to the House of Istel.”
Seo-ah held his gaze as she opened her mouth, placing the white candy on her tongue. The special coating dissolved instantly upon contact, a slight fizz forming on her tongue.
Ephelinus’s blue eyes twitched as he watched.
Seo-ah forced a smile, rolling her tongue to pull the candy deeper into her mouth and closing her lips.
There were only two outcomes now.
He could choose to intervene, nullifying the drug’s effect.
Or he could let her swallow it and pass out right there.
But he made no move. One side of her mouth twisted up in a bitter smile.
So… I’m really nothing to you?
Was I truly mistaken all along?
The answer, the one she didn’t even want to think about, was suddenly undeniable. As she kept smiling, her face blurred with the tears she was fighting to contain.
Guess this is it, she thought, resigning herself to swallow the half-dissolved candy.
“Seo-ah.”
Had she ever seen such emotion ripple across his face?
Before she could process, his large hand cupped her cheeks, fingers pressing into her skin, parting her lips as his warm mouth covered hers.
Without warning, his tongue slid into her mouth, sweeping through it and drawing out the sugary residue from the partially melted candy.
Seo-ah’s eyes flew wide.
He probed deeper, finding the remnants of the candy and swallowing it himself.
He’s taking the entire dose on his own? But more than that…
In her confusion, she barely registered the sensation of the kiss or the fact that Ephelinus had finally, however reluctantly, given in.
What shocked her most was the firmness pressing against her abdomen—the hard shape she could feel through his robes, pushing against her belly.
She knew very well what it was. But…
He had maintained perfect composure, the indomitable pinnacle of asceticism, even when bringing her to climax countless times during their journey, never showing a hint of reaction.
And come to think of it, there had been… something there, even when she had lunged at him before, hadn’t there?
Could it be that Lord Livo’s wine really had been drugged?
Before she could even close her eyes in her daze, he released her mouth with a soft, lingering kiss, gently tracing her lips with his tongue, as if claiming her.
“Seo-ah…”
He pulled back just a fraction, his breathing slightly ragged.
“I… always intended to send you home. To the place you missed so deeply, where you’d have no responsibilities, no burdens to bear… But…”
At some point, he had pulled her closer, his hands firm on her shoulders and around her waist, binding her against him as he looked down at her, his blue eyes clouded with an unfamiliar darkness.
And beneath that, tears shimmered faintly along his lashes, catching the moonlight.
And then… the tears began to fall, one by one.
“Seo-ah… please… don’t forgive me.”
He lowered his head, capturing her lips once again in a deep, aching kiss.
As he closed his eyes, a tear escaped from beneath his silver lashes, tracing a line down his cheek.
