Overpowered Reincarnation Perks! - Chapter 16.1
Perhaps because I slept soundly last night, I felt refreshed.
When I came downstairs, I could hear cooking sounds from the kitchen, suggesting Arvan was preparing breakfast.
‘He must not have slept much after talking until dawn yesterday, surely he didn’t stay up all night.’
After washing my face and putting on slippers, I entered the kitchen to find Arvan wearing a chick-yellow apron.
“Ju-in, are you up? How are you feeling?”
He asked without turning to look at me.
“I’m fine. Did you get some sleep, Arvan?”
“I’m fine too, so just sit down. I’ll make it for you soon.”
Judging by the hot steam coming from the large pot, it seems he’s making stew. It smells good.
“Arvan. Is there anything I can help with?”
“Hm?”
“I’ve been just eating your food all this time. I want to help from now on.”
Although I worked as an assistant at the clinic, Arvan was responsible for my overall life. Even if I say it was because I lacked peace of mind, I was relying on him as if it were natural. I can’t keep depending on him like this anymore.
“Then, could you come a bit closer?”
Is he asking me to check the seasoning?
As I approached Arvan, he leaned down slightly and kissed me.
“From now on, I’ll be taking payment.”
“……”
I was so surprised for a moment that I missed the timing to push him away, but Arvan straightened up faster than I could retreat. He was checking if the potatoes in the stew were properly cooked by cutting them into small pieces, just as usual.
His face was calm as if such kisses were an everyday occurrence.
Glancing at his side profile composed of clean lines, I awkwardly rubbed my lips. As both my ears began to burn belatedly, I felt somewhat indignant.
“Arvan, you’re more lecherous than you look.”
“I haven’t even started anything truly lecherous yet. Is it okay to start from the morning?”
“What?”
Finding my flustered face amusing, he let out a light laugh and kissed my forehead. His lips traveled down the bridge of my nose and planted kisses on both cheeks, making my chest tingle and feel embarrassed at the same time, so I shook my head and stepped back.
“Arvan, stop……”
“I’m sorry. Did you dislike it?”
“No, it’s not that I disliked it.”
I fanned my flushed face with my hand and rolled my eyes.
I thought that, as Arvan had a sociable personality, there would be more skinship as we got closer, but I didn’t expect him to be this uninhibited.
“What about you, Arvan? Don’t you dislike it?”
“Huh?”
“I thought you were disappointed in me. You didn’t know I would meet Callion again……”
He wouldn’t have known it was Callion, but I had confided in him about being hurt by the man I liked pushing me away, so Arvan must have thought that the relationship between me and that man was over.
Thinking my previous relationship had ended, he comforted me, confessed, and even ended up being intimate with me. He wouldn’t have expected me to hold Callion’s hand now.
Although no one deceived anyone, someone was deceived, so wouldn’t it be natural for Arvan to feel betrayed?
“It’s not uncommon for people in power to have concubines. You already have concubines, so now you just need to gain power.”
“Arvan!”
“Ah, are you thinking of taking more secondary wives? I don’t like being pushed down in priority.”
“What secondary wives, it’s not like that!”
As I shouted in all seriousness, Arvan laughed loudly and hugged me tightly. Feeling annoyed for no reason, I quickly pushed away his lips as he naturally tried to kiss me.
“You already got your payment earlier. Don’t try to sneak in more.”
“But this is a morning greeting?”
Arvan narrowed his eyes and then stuck out his tongue to lick my palm.
“Eek!”
“Ju-in’s palm tastes plain.”
“Really, stop joking around!”
When I slapped his arm, Arvan laughed. How can he laugh after being hit, what’s so funny?
“Sorry. You’re just too cute.”
“Don’t tease me.”
“I’m not teasing. I did it because you’re really too pretty.”
Arvan’s purple eyes were full of warm light as he narrowed his eyes and tilted his face. Unlike his playful expression, his gaze was more serious.
Looking into his eyes filled with genuine emotion, wanting to touch me, my annoyed feelings quickly subsided.
“Morning kisses are supposed to be on the lips.”
As I leaned slightly towards Arvan and tilted my head, the corners of his eyes reddened. His delicate fingers turned off the fire that was cooking the stew and touched my cheek.
“I thought you were going to push me away, but then you seduce me like this. I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”
“What do you want to do, Arvan?”
“……I want to devour you.”
Arvan lifted me up and sat me on one side of the counter, gently biting my lower lip. His moist tongue leisurely traced my teeth as it entered. I placed my hands on his shoulders and closed my eyes.
‘I guess today’s stew will be overcooked.’
The birdsong from outside the window, the warm air in the kitchen, the delicious smell of stew, the intertwining breaths following our tongues, and the hands caressing my chest all blended gently.
It hasn’t been that long since I met Arvan, how could we have gotten so close so quickly? I found it amazing that the man’s hands entering my pajamas didn’t feel strange or uncomfortable. It’s like we’re a couple who have been together for years.
“Arvan. The stew will get cold at this rate.”
“We can reheat it.”
“You said feeding me breakfast came first……”
The unfinished words were swallowed back into my mouth. As his hands lightly touched me below, my breath grew hot, and I tightly grasped Arvan’s collar. My waist involuntarily twitched.
‘I only meant to kiss.’
The thought suddenly occurred to me that we might skip breakfast and eat lunch instead, but I didn’t dislike it. As I was preparing to accept him and about to spread my legs, I heard a knock at the door.
“Ju-in. It’s Callion.”
“Eek?”
As if suddenly doused with cold water, my mind snapped to attention, and I reflexively pushed Arvan away.
“Ju-in?”
Arvan seemed a bit confused by my sudden change in behavior after seemingly being willing to accept everything until just now. For a moment, I felt a pang in my chest and felt sorry, but it couldn’t be helped. Callion had arrived, and we couldn’t be progressing things here, could we?
“L-Let’s do this next time!”
I turned away from him and quickly left the kitchen. Rubbing my lips vigorously with the back of my hand, I checked my appearance in the wall mirror next to the entrance.
My pajama pants were properly pulled up, and all the buttons were fastened. No kiss marks visible either.
‘Good. No problem!’
After taking a deep breath to calm my still-racing heart, I opened the front door to see a large figure standing there. Callion bowed to me and abruptly held out something.
White wildflowers.
Judging by the morning dew on them, he must have picked them from a nearby forest or hill.
Suddenly, my conscience began to ache unbearably. I’m sure I had abandoned my conscience, but I don’t know why it’s still here. Is it like a boomerang that comes back even when thrown away?
“I’m sorry. I thought I shouldn’t come empty-handed.”
“It’s fine. Oh, no. I mean, thank you for the flowers!”
I quickly took the flowers and smelled them. The cool yet subtly sweet fragrance resembled Callion perfectly.
My heart, which had been pounding as if it would burst, gradually began to calm down. Thanks to this, I was able to greet him in a much more composed state.
