Saving My Childhood Friend Through... Questionable Means... - Chapter 33
“I told you, I don’t. It’s just that this carriage is so bumpy. How much longer until we get there?”
Desperate to keep the conversation alive, Seria asked a question she already knew the answer to.
Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly.
“You’ve been to the capital before, so why are you asking? We’ll get there by evening. Taking the shortcut means we might even arrive by late afternoon.”
“Umm… How’s your body holding up?”
“I’m fine now, Seria.”
At the sound of her name spoken in a low, steady voice, Seria immediately responded.
“I’m doing quite alright.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’m better now, so you don’t need to worry. I won’t pester you to do it again.”
That wasn’t the point of her question at all. In fact, she had no particular intention behind it—it was just an excuse to say something more.
Seria opened her mouth to retort but stopped herself. If she wanted them to act like nothing happened, then she needed to genuinely act as if nothing had. Yet, it seemed like she was the one obsessing over it the most.
‘Huu…’
Lucas turned his gaze back to the window. Truthfully, his own mind was just as unsettled as Seria’s.
Whenever he saw her, he couldn’t help but think about the nights they spent together. The image of her writhing beneath him, moaning, lingered in his head, keeping him awake through the night.
Even though the curse was gone, it felt as if his body was still on fire, so much so that he had taken his shirt off multiple times to check if the mark on his forearm had somehow returned.
Last night, Lucas ended up doing something he’d never done before. He had touched himself—and twice at that.
For someone who had lived a life of discipline and restraint, it was a shocking act. Normally, months would pass without such thoughts even crossing his mind. Yet now, all he could think about was Seria, and the memory of her made him lose control. It left him waking up with a strangely refreshed feeling this morning, but he couldn’t stop replaying the images in his head.
Her soft, red lips made him remember the way his tongue had tasted her. The pale, slender curve of her neck reminded him of the warm, fragrant skin hidden beneath her clothes—the places he had kissed, nibbled, and caressed. It was maddening.
‘What is wrong with me? I’ve completely lost it. The mark is gone now, and Seria doesn’t want to do it anymore.’
Yes, it was the mark. That was the problem. What kind of weak, short-lived curse vanishes so easily? No wonder incubus demons are considered low-tier. If the curse had lasted longer—weeks or even months—then there would’ve been no need for restraint. They could’ve done it as much as they wanted.
‘What am I even thinking?’
Lucas froze at the thought, his face hardening. Not long ago, he had been desperately rejecting the idea of intimacy. Now, here he was, annoyed that the mark had disappeared too soon. How could someone who narrowly escaped death be so frivolous?
If Seria knew what was going through his mind, she’d be utterly dumbfounded. Yet his brain, now fully aware of how sweet her body was, refused to stop entertaining these thoughts.
His mind churned furiously.
‘Wait. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?’
If the curse was the key, then he could just recreate it. A substitute, or something similar. That way, he could naturally resume things with Seria. The gears in his mind began to turn.
He could intercept the letter sent to the sorcerer, canceling their visit. Then, in the capital, he could quietly hire another sorcerer to fabricate a new curse. If a real sorcerer claimed the curse hadn’t been completely dispelled, Seria would believe it without question.
Whether this was a clever plan or a rotten one, Lucas didn’t care. His thoughts were consumed with his scheming. One of his eyebrows quirked upward as the idea solidified in his mind.
‘It’s not a bad plan. Seria liked it, too, didn’t she? We’ve already done it several times. A few more wouldn’t go against God’s will… right? God’s will, huh.’
The thought of God’s will made him hesitate. For a moment, he remembered that he was still a paladin of the Holy Order.
Was it right for someone of his station to concoct such a scheme? To engage in something so base purely for his own carnal desires?
But it wasn’t entirely his fault. Seria was the one who had persuaded him into this, dragging him into a situation where his body was enslaved to lust. She bore some of the responsibility.
It wasn’t just about desire. Their relationship had grown awkward, and the only way to restore it was to rekindle the physical connection they’d shared.
Lucas didn’t want to go back to the way things were before. Instead of being just friends, he wanted their bond to deepen—to become something more meaningful. He wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted from her, but he knew he couldn’t stand their current distant dynamic.
‘There’s no other way. I have to make it seem like the curse isn’t fully gone.’
Lucas’s blue eyes gleamed with resolve. From the outside, he looked like he was deep in serious thought, but in truth, his mind was racing, desperate to figure out how to salvage his pride while securing an excuse to be with Seria again.
Watching his stiff expression, Seria pursed her lips. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but it seemed important. Turning away, she gazed out the window with a forlorn expression.
Today felt like it was going to be an incredibly long day.
The carriage sped toward the capital, carrying two people lost in completely different thoughts.
