Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 41
One result of the imprint pain experiment.
– The effective duration of a contact while clothed is very short.
Helios and I sat down to eat across from each other. After the experiment was over and he returned to his normal routine, he became very busy. Yet amidst his responsibilities, he did his best to spend more time with me.
He brought work from his office into my bedroom, and meals were always shared with me. And when we were together, our bodies were always touching somewhere.
“Your Highness, can you move your leg a bit?”
Like we’re doing now, calf to calf under the table.
“Why? I won’t have time to come here in the middle of the day. We need to charge up as much as I can while I’m here.”
What he was saying made sense, but what was happening under the table was too distracting. He seemed uncomfortable too, constantly shifting his position, each time his long legs brushed against my calves.
It was weird. I thought this kind of touching under the table was for sexy romance movies.
“If it’s uncomfortable, we can do something else that’s more effective.”
What he meant by ‘more effective’ was directly touching my imprint.
“No, it’s not uncomfortable at all.”
While it was effective, if we were to talk about discomfort, direct imprint contact was more awkward. Especially considering the atmosphere before the touch and the awkwardness after, the indirect approach felt less uncomfortable. Maybe about ten thousand times less uncomfortable.
Helios nodded as he took a sip of water. Seeing him accept my refusal so naturally made me feel a little bad.
Your Highness was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule. It would be better for him if we used more forceful methods.
Though I knew it, I couldn’t bring myself to crudely shove my skirt aside in front of him.
I’m sorry. I’ll try to be a more assertive woman.
I made a silent vow to myself.
“Is there somewhere you’d like to go?”
Helios asked as he transferred the diced meat onto my plate.
I realized that manners don’t make a man; a man is his manners.
Helios is manners, manners are Helios.
“Thank you.”
“Why do you thank me every time? I’ll keep doing it in the future, so you don’t have to keep doing that. Just relax.”
Others were wary of being taken for granted, but Helios would tell them to please take it for granted.
I shouldn’t get too used to it. It was obvious that if he became a given in my life, I would get too greedy.
You’ll be imprinted with Chloe.
Could I change my fate? Probably not. I may have survived, but ultimately, considering my clock is ticking, it feels like what’s supposed to happen will eventually happen.
It’s not like I’ve received any sign that I’m the female lead.
I’m talking about plot devices that signal the transmigrator that she’s turned into the female lead. For example, hearing lines that the female lead is supposed to hear, getting attention from the female lead’s romantic interests, or becoming enemies or friends with the original female lead.
Things that have never happened to me, things that will never happen.
I don’t even want to be the female lead.
I frowned at the thought of Helios imprinting with Chloe.
To alleviate my bad mood, I chewed on the meat with a combative spirit. It was an immutable truth that meat softened people’s attitudes. The dish that Helios had filled up was quickly emptied. I regained my composure.
“Seems like you enjoy the taste of the meat?”
“I’m a big fan of the chef’s work.”
I spoke with my hand covering my mouth.
“The chef is good at their job? Perhaps they deserve a reward.”
“A reward for the chef?”
“For making my beloved happy.”
I almost spat out what was in my mouth.
“No matter how delicious it is, eat slowly. Drink some water too.”
At the perfect moment, Helios handed me a glass of water. I drank it quickly. The meat slid down my throat and I took a deep breath.
I almost choked.
Helios often came in like this. How did he even understand me? All that chewing had muffled my pronunciation.
“Finished eating? Nothing planned for today?”
“Nothing except making the health tonic for Your Highness.”
“Great. Think of a place you’d like to go.”
“For medical therapy?”
Helios’s hand holding the fork paused for a moment.
Did I say something wrong?
“Not medical therapy, a date.”
Helios set down the fork and swept an unstyled lock of hair from his forehead.
“You seem to keep forgetting, Rienna. We are lovers.” Helios pointed a finger at me and then at him. “What we’re doing right now is a date.”
Eating dinner?
“In the future, what we’ll do will also be dates. And…”
Helios leaned his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand. A beautiful flower blossomed on the table.
“What I’m doing right now is—”
Helios’s calf rubbed against mine.
“Teasing.”
He smiled like sunshine. For a moment, everything around faded into the background, leaving only him in my sight.
If he openly teases, who’s the one who’ll give in?
I quickly turned my head. My heart thumped.
It seems like I’m properly being teased, after all.
