Saving My Childhood Friend Through... Questionable Means... - Chapter 44
“Hmm… Even if he’s unreliable, he’s the one who first examined your condition. It might be worth hearing him out.”
Seria remained firm, and Lucas bit his lip nervously.
Despite forsaking his duty as a paladin and crafting an elaborate scheme, if that sorcerer came back, he’d undoubtedly reveal that the curse had been lifted. That would plant seeds of doubt in Seria’s heart.
Not only had he schemed, but now he’d gone so far as to slander an innocent person. He had strayed so far from being a servant of God.
Lucas realized he had fully fallen. But now, despite all his desperate efforts, Seria wanted to uncover the truth, putting him in a difficult position.
What do I do? What can I even do now?
“And another thing,” Seria began.
“Huh?”
“You look way too healthy. Maybe the capital sorcerer’s diagnosis was wrong. Let’s stop this. Honestly, you look better now than I’ve seen you in years. Do we really need to keep sleeping together?”
“What?!”
Lucas’s eyes widened in shock. This was unacceptable. He’d abandoned his paladin vows and gone down this dark path for what? To be told they should stop? It felt like his entire world was crumbling.
Staring blankly, his mind raced to find a way out of this predicament. Finally, Lucas lowered his eyebrows, putting on a pitiful expression.
“Do you want me to die?”
“What?”
“What if the sorcerer’s diagnosis is right? What if, by ignoring this, I suddenly die? Would you be okay with that? If that’s what you want, then fine. But you’re the one who turned me—someone who never even cared about such things—into a slave to lust. And now you say this? How could you…”
Lucas let out a long, pained sigh, his voice trembling as if he was on the verge of tears.
Seria, who had been standing firm with her arms crossed, faltered. A slave to lust? When did I ever…? But the sight of Lucas’s misty blue eyes, filled with vulnerability, made her unable to muster a response. It felt like everything was her fault, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had a responsibility to make things right.
‘Something about this feels deeply wrong, but nothing Lucas is saying is technically incorrect. I can’t argue with him.’
Seria unfolded her arms, letting out a weak sigh.
“Sorry… You’re right. I should take responsibility. I guess I forgot that for a moment.”
“I’m glad you see it that way, Seria. So, we’ll keep going, right?”
“Uh… yeah, I guess…”
Lucas’s face lit up at her hesitant agreement. He immediately stood and strode over to Seria, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“Thank you, Seria. You’re my savior.”
“Savior… Sure. Right. Well, you should get back to work. I’m going to go rest for a bit.”
Seria managed to extricate herself from Lucas’s arms, her gaze landing on the clock on his desk. Aside from a meeting with his friends later that afternoon, the rest of their day was relatively free. He could handle his paperwork, and she could focus on her own tasks. She had stormed into his office so full of purpose, but now it felt like she was back to square one, leaving her mind completely blank.
Feeling emotionally drained, Seria turned to leave. Just as she reached the door, Lucas’s arms wrapped around her from behind.
‘What’s gotten into him now?’
Her face flushed as she tried to peel his large hands off her waist.
What made things worse was the unmistakable hardness pressing against her backside. Embarrassed, she wondered when he’d even gotten like this again. In the middle of the day, in his office no less… She felt like this was crossing a line, even if they were alone. Yet, what troubled her more was how she didn’t completely dislike it.
‘Could this curse be contagious?’
The firm pressure against her made her abdomen grow warm, and Seria forced herself to keep her voice steady.
“Why… why are you doing this again?”
“I can’t help it. Look at me—this happens even during the day now.”
Lucas took her hand, guiding it to his hardness, while looking into her eyes with a sly smile.
He seemed so shameless, and it made Seria wonder if the serious conversation they just had was with a completely different person.
“But we did so much yesterday! Can’t we skip today—especially here?”
“Seria, do you think I’m doing this because I want to? I told you already, it’s because of the curse. This is beyond my control,” Lucas whispered in a heated voice, his tone dripping with feigned sincerity.
With that, he firmly locked the door behind her, the click echoing ominously in the quiet room. His hands, no longer restrained, became more assertive, roaming her body. His fingers brushed against her chest, pinching her sensitive peak through the fabric, making her gasp and arch away.
“Stop it! I said not here—”
“You promised to help, didn’t you? That’s why I’m doing this. And now you’re pretending otherwise? You’re so mean.”
“That’s not what I meant, ugh—this is your office! This isn’t the right place for— ah!”
