The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 50
‘Don’t expect, if you don’t expect, you won’t be disappointed…’
Even in this state, her eyes kept closing. Lutan covered her eyes with one hand, and sleep washed over her more strongly.
“But… Lutan-nim… this is all I can repay you with…”
She couldn’t overcome her fading consciousness and fell asleep, leaving only those words.
Lutan looked down at her with a stiff face. She was lying next to him, breathing steadily and rhythmically, falling into a deep sleep. He gently arranged her hair and said.
“I already pushed you too far because of my greed.”
He carefully embraced her soft, fragile form as his endlessly sinking heart. He kissed her sleeping crown. He was happy that she responded to him, overwhelmed to have her in his arms, wanting to make her happy…
Many reasons lingered in his mouth before disappearing. In the end, he had lusted after her. No matter how he explained it, that fact did not change. He had actually forgotten his purpose of driving out her evil energy during the first act.
She didn’t love him. She had served him with the sole intention of repaying him. Lutan’s expression darkened with a sense of revulsion at having done the same thing to her as the Crown Prince.
***
“Mm—.”
In a dazed state, Roina felt the pleasant texture of the sheets and smiled faintly. A supremely comfortable and warm atmosphere surrounded her, and the bright sunlight streaming through the window made her feel at ease.
“Mm… this place is….”
Ah, the Great Archmage’s bedroom. Roina blinked blankly. The lingering ecstasy from before she had fallen asleep flashed through her mind, and a sudden wave of embarrassment rushed over her, causing her face to flush.
She realized she was wrapped in nothing but the soft sheets.
Considering the intensity of their union, her body should have felt sticky, yet her skin was dry and smooth. Had Lutan wiped her down? At that thought, Roina curled up slightly. The body that had taken in his overwhelming presence to its very limit now ached subtly in awareness, making her keenly conscious of it.
And yet, even that felt good. His touch on every inch of her skin, his breath, and….
Roina’s cheeks blushed even deeper. The golden eyes filled with desire, the careful, considerate way he moved—it all made her heart tremble. Was this the effect of the pact? Or an instinctual attraction?
She didn’t know how to define this feeling, so she simply let herself think. One thing, at least, was clear—she liked him.
Wrapped in a thin, soft blanket, her flushed cheek pressed against the sheets, she looked every bit like a girl taking her first steps into love.
Clink, clink—
As she lay there, savoring the lingering emotions, the distant sound of dishes lightly clattering reached her ears. A savory, delicious aroma drifted in as well.
Step, step.
Someone was approaching. It was likely the Great Archmage.
Roina instinctively pulled the sheet higher over her body. The thought of being completely bare beneath nothing but a thin white cloth made her slightly self-conscious. She tried to sit up, only to falter when a dull ache in her lower back halted her movements.
Soon, the door opened, and as expected, he entered. Unlike yesterday, when he had been dressed in proper robes and a neatly buttoned shirt, today Lutan wore a loose, white garment similar to a robe, fastened at the waist with a golden sash. The open collar revealed glimpses of his firm chest.
“Ah, Lutan.”
“Did you sleep well?”
He carried a tray with light soup and bread. As he smiled, his eyes curving gently, his long hair, loosely tied and draping over his shoulder, cascaded downward. Unlike his usual composed and somewhat cold demeanor, today he exuded a languid, almost seductive air.
Without realizing it, Roina found herself blushing once more. Seeing this unfamiliar side of him made her heart race, and the fleeting thought that she was likely the only one who had ever seen him like this passed through her mind.
She quickly erased such thoughts. It was something she couldn’t know. For all she knew, he might have another lover she was unaware of. The mere idea sent a slight, constricting pain through her chest.
As she tried to sit up, he gestured with his hand, placing a cushion behind her waist for support. Then, in an instant, he altered the sheet that had been wrapped around her, transforming it into a new gown. The fabric was thin and soft, cascading smoothly over her body with a silky, pleasant touch.
“Thank you.”
“…Yes.”
Lutan responded, gazing at her with an indescribable expression. She seemed unaware, but the delicate fabric clung to the curves of her body, revealing her silhouette almost entirely.
Unconsciously, Lutan raised a hand to cover his mouth.
