The Abandoned and Terminally Ill Lady Married a Monster - Chapter 43
Chapter 43
‘How did the boy who used to blush crimson at a single word from me grow into… this?!’
What in the world happened, and why am I so utterly powerless against him? My grand attempt at a retort had been pathetic.
“I-I don’t know anything.”
“Is that so?”
I wanted to add, ‘I don’t even understand what you’re talking about,’ but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I offered a timid rebuttal. Kin, however, didn’t simply accept it. He drew even closer than before. Like prey caught by a predator, I was mesmerized, unable to move, only able to stare. He leaned in, his voice a devilish whisper.
“Then we’ll just have to learn about each other, one thing at a time. Since I don’t know either.”
Kin’s hand gently cupped the back of my neck, drawing me inexorably towards him. I inhaled sharply as his thumb traced the curve beneath my ear. A strange, unsettling, yet strangely exciting sensation made my hand twitch.
His face drew closer still. Anticipating what was to come, I squeezed my eyes shut. A soft peck echoed as his lips brushed mine, then he pulled away. The hand at my neck was gone.
‘He… he really just…’
I had foreseen it, yet the reality of his lips on mine left me paralyzed. My body stiffened, turning to stone. The back of my neck burned.
“Why so tense?”
I opened my eyes to find Kin had retreated to his previous distance. My face still flushed, the ghost of his lips lingered on mine. Only when he moved further away did I regain my composure.
“After waiting for years, I hardly think I can’t endure a few more days.”
‘Despite those words, his eyes seem far too clouded with desire… And a few more days? He speaks as if he’s absolutely certain I’ll be whispering sweet nothings by then.’
‘If I weren’t dying, I’d have fallen for him all over again by now, so he’s not entirely wrong.’ It was strangely frustrating to be so thoroughly outmaneuvered by Kin, the boy who had once been my height. And for some reason, I felt the prickle of tears behind my eyes.
“I won’t do anything until you’re ready.”
With a gentle whoosh, Kin extinguished the candle.
“Time for bed.”
His silhouette was barely visible in the darkness. I cautiously began to slide under the covers when he scooped me up and settled beside me. I was instantly trapped in his embrace. I tried to subtly push his firm arm away, but a low voice rumbled from above.
“I missed you so much.”
My strength melted away. Without realizing it, I answered silently, ‘…Me too.’
“Every single day,” he murmured, his hand rhythmically patting my back as if coaxing me to sleep. “Do you know that?”
‘I need to get away.’ I needed to escape his embrace, tell him this marriage was a mistake, that it wasn’t too late to call it off. But the warmth, the first I’d felt in so long, held me captive. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. It was like sinking into a warm, comforting, yet inescapable mire.
“You said you thought it would be fun to go to the party with me. Now we can.”
‘I won’t be able to go.’
“And we can eat together every day.”
‘I’m dying soon. How can I eat with you every day?’
“I won’t let you eat alone. And we can read together, too. You love to read.”
My insides blackened with despair. ‘I’m dying soon.’
“We can go to the autumn festival, too.”
The rhythmic patting on my back continued, as did his soothing, melodic voice, perfectly suited to the night.
“We have so much to do together.”
A lump formed in my throat. I fought back the surge of emotion threatening to spill over. I hated the world. I should be raging at it, but it was an entity I couldn’t touch. I’d raged enough already. It was pointless; the world never listened. So instead, I lashed out at Kin.
“What if I don’t want to do any of that? Why are you making plans all by yourself?”
Why did I snap at the one person who was kind to me? But if I didn’t snap, I would cry. Kin’s reply was nonchalant.
“We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. We’ll do what you like.”
He gently smoothed my hair back. His casual touch sent another wave of emotion crashing over me. The feelings were too numerous, too complex to unravel. It was easier to argue with him than to confront them. If I didn’t, the grief would surely overwhelm me.
“I don’t even know party etiquette.”
“It doesn’t matter. No one will dare say anything to you. If they do… well, let’s just say things would get interesting.”
The world was so cruel.
If it meant for us to reunite, it should have happened sooner, or not at all.
