Chapter 89 – First Confession (2)

The sound of flesh colliding echoes throughout the desolate forest. Se-Young, her legs spread wide, exhales a heated breath and tightly embraces Si-Heon with both arms, as if she might break him.

As he enters her, she might consider herself a captive to the sensation. The tingling pleasure intensifies each time his heated essence moves back and forth within her.

“Ah, ugh! Oh, aah!”

Pleasure-drenched moans reverberate through the air. Despite having released his seed inside her multiple times, Si-Heon continues his relentless movements. Se-Young barely manages to hold onto her consciousness and kisses him passionately.

Their tongues intertwine, dancing fervently. As they separate their lips, saliva stretches between them like a delicate thread.

“Do you like me?”
“…”

He hesitates, his mouth open, but doesn’t answer.

With a faint smile, Si-Heon pulls back his hips once and thrusts into her with all his might. He reaches her cervix in one swift motion.

“Ahh!”

I couldn’t regain my senses amidst the overwhelming sense of fulfillment that choked me. Normally, I would have accepted the pleasure of losing consciousness, but this time was different.

Her trembling waist. Se-Young’s desperate, amber eyes gazed directly at Si-heon.

“Do you like it?”
“…It’s truly cruel.”

The gust of wind weaving through the forest tousled their hair. Under the warm sunlight, their secret of joining bodies in such a place belonged to just the two of them. It was an act a teacher should never commit, but what did it matter now, when neither of them were teachers? The sweet, yet sinfully tempting fruit of their memories was enough for her.

“You never speak till the end.”
“Are you mad?”

Lifting his exhausted arm to embrace Si-heon, the anger in her body seemed to subside a bit, losing its intensity. As Se-Young buried her face in his neck, she breathed in the faint scent of his masculine perspiration. Her waist moved restlessly against him, yet her thoughts refused to halt.

“Yeah, I’m angry.”

“No, what’s there to be angry about? I just said it.”

As I poked her cheek, it puffed up. The sight was so endearing that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Throughout her life, Se-Young had never experienced true love. Consequently, she didn’t know how to express her emotions well.

Despite her success in navigating negotiations and holding sway over many, Se-Young struggled to reveal her most genuine feelings.

She could have offered reassurance by telling the truth, but there was a sense of stubbornness in that approach. She believed that such intimate displays of affection should be reserved for when everything had concluded and no obstacles stood in their way.

“It’s alright.”

In this context, the ability to physically connect with another person seemed like a true blessing. There was no better way to communicate her emotions than by intimately merging their bodies.

After their passionate encounter had ended,

“Then, will you be leaving right away today?”

After finishing tidying up and sharing the food laid out on the mat, Si-heon inquired.

“You’ll leave as soon as possible, right? Why, do you want to spend more time with me? Hehe.”

“No, I was considering giving you a gift or something.”

“A gift?”

He couldn’t even have known about his own situation, so how could he have brought such a thing? Although he entertained such thoughts, a part of his heart couldn’t help but feel a sudden surge of anticipation.

“Keep watching, my luck is outstanding.”

With his hands spread wide, Si-heon waved them through the air a few times, and soon a light unfolded over his palms. Se-Young, who had some knowledge of her potential husband’s abilities, knew exactly what it was.

“Come on, as if anything worthwhile will come from a random draw…”

– Flash!

A bolt of lightning-like light descended, and soon something materialized in his hand. A pristine white bead. Referred to as the ‘Transfer Orb,’ it was a precious artifact that Si-heon had previously used to survive in the dungeon.

“It turned out to be the right thing.”

Si-heon smirked at the bewildered Se-young, then quickly activated the transfer tool and retrieved something. A blue ticket. This was also a ticket he had received as a prize in the past but hadn’t used yet.

▶Wishing to Get Closer (B)
[Category: Consumable]
– A coupon that allows you to obtain the gift your counterpart desires most. It is used immediately upon tearing.

There was no change in the description. It perfectly matched the current situation where he wanted to give a gift that the other person desired the most.

“This will give you the gift you want the most right now. I remember being really flustered when a box of condoms came out last time.”
“Is that about me?”

Se-young asked, recalling the condoms when she returned to the academy after healing from her injuries and escaping the cult. Si-heon’s cheeks turned red at his nod, but he bravely continued speaking.

“…Isn’t it what you want, not me?”

“Go ahead and think that way if you wish. I’m not trying to tease you; just consider what you’d like to receive.”

I can’t recall ever contemplating what I wanted to receive.
I had always thought about wanting to do things for her, but I had never desired anything in return.
Simply meeting a few times and embracing one another would be more than enough. That’s what I had always patiently awaited.
Thus, even Se-Young, who was to be the recipient of the gift, had no idea what might emerge from the ticket.

Si-Heon remained silent.
He simply grasped the ticket with both hands and tore it vertically.

– Chiyiik!

A flood of light poured forth, and something sparkling entered the open pupils of their eyes.
An exquisite piece of jewelry, crafted by the hands of a master artisan, perfectly matched with the color of Se-Young’s fair skin, seemingly designed to cover her very veins when worn.
A ring.

There lay a ring of primary hue, neither garishly ostentatious nor distasteful.

“Is this what you wanted?”

Upon witnessing Si-heon’s lethal move, Se-young snapped back to reality, tightly shutting her mouth as she gazed at the distant mountains.
Did I genuinely desire that?
It wasn’t unusual for such a question to emerge in her mind, but the thought of accepting it herself sent her heart racing.

Si-heon observed Se-young, who remained silent, with an impassive expression. He patiently waited for her, still seemingly lost in thought, to speak up.

“What kind of ring would a scoundrel like you give?”
“Did I say I wanted to give it? It’s you who wants to receive.”
“…Shut up.”

Si-heon couldn’t help but smirk with satisfaction as he saw her blush spread to the nape of her neck. He then folded and unfolded his right hand, performing a gesture laden with meaning. Se-young furrowed her brows in response.

“What’s that?”
“What are you doing? Offer your hand.”

Cautiously extending her hand, she saw the silver ring being directed towards her ring finger.

“…Put it on my index finger.”
“Really? But it’s customary to use the ring finger…”
“We’ll do that later.”

Understanding Se-young’s words, Si-heon promptly slid the ring onto her finger.

The ring fit snugly and comfortably, as if it had been crafted precisely for her size.

Se-young gazed intently at the ring in her hand, struggling to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape.

“I’m taking all the rings.”
“Don’t you like it?”
“Of course I do.”

She held the ring between the index finger and thumb of her right hand, rotating it and sliding it up and down. The tingling sensation in her heart intensified, and ultimately, she couldn’t hold back the smile that sprang to her lips.

“Hey.”
“Yes?”

Left index finger.
How many people knew the significance of wearing a ring on that finger? Si-heon might not have known, but she certainly did.

“Thank you.”

As she departed, she held an irreplaceable blessing in her hands.

* * * * *

“Take care. Don’t just think about me. Call me if I cross your mind, I’ll answer right away.”

I stepped into the dormitory, reminiscing about the cunning tone of Se-Young’s words. My lower back ached slightly, but it had more to do with Zodiac than Se-Young.

-Kikkiik!

“Beep!”

As soon as I opened the door, hearing my footsteps again, Shiba sprang out and clung to my leg.

“Is my daughter awake?”
“Beep~ beep!”

As I stroked the head of my lightly weeping daughter, it seemed as if I gained newfound strength. I scooped up Shiba, held her close to my chest, and went straight into the room. Then, Heaven, who had been sitting in a chair beside the bed, shifted her gaze from the book to me.

“Have you arrived?”
“Yes. I met with some teachers. I heard the story, and they said they’re going to investigate Flower.”

Heaven slightly furrowed her brow, as if she knew this, and exhaled a bitter breath.

“It won’t be an easy task.”
“I think so too. But there’s no way to stop them from doing it, is there?”

Heaven nodded her head.

Se-Young was not a woman who couldn’t look after herself, so there was no cause for concern.
Rather, she would resolve any issues that arose.
However, this didn’t mean I would remain idle.

“Lee Si-heon, gradually–”
“Yes, I ought to proceed cautiously.”

I interrupted Cheondo’s words midway.
The slightly more than three-day vacation ended today, and now I had no intention nor ability to continue playing.
After the purgatory, the only training I had undergone involved simple physical strength or muscle exercises.

I had many enemies.
For reasons unknown, they were all after my life.

‘People have changed so much.’

It was hard to believe that the inherently lazy corner-room dweller now contemplated taking action.
As my confidence grew, I couldn’t help but feel a bittersweet sensation.

“I understand your feelings. But what about Shiba?”
“Shiba? …Ah.”

I hesitated for a moment at Cheondo’s question.
It wasn’t possible to always have her by my side.
Even if I were to bring her along during training, it would be problematic if something occurred while handling other matters.

“I wish I could leave her at a nursery, but the academy doesn’t have one. And it’s a bit awkward to ask my friends for help.”

I do have Azalea, but I’ve been asking for her help too much lately.

“Squeak?”

Looking at Shiba in my arms, she tilted her head as if she didn’t understand the situation she was in, then rubbed her face against mine.

“Baah~!”

She’s just too adorable. Raising a child within the confines of a skirt must feel like this. But when it’s time to let go, one must do so decisively.

“A nursery would be easy with magic.”
“…Isn’t that something only you can do, Sister Zodiac?”
“Why not learn it?”

If teleportation were possible, there’d be no better solution. But mastering spatial magic isn’t that simple.

In my case, I had to create such a commotion just to muster it once. This was only possible because the coordinates were slightly off, but even then, it was a result marked by talent.

“There’s no way you can’t do what Zodiac can do.”
“Well… Your sister is extraordinary. How can I accomplish that?”

Heaven seemed to have high expectations of me, but was it truly possible? After all, this Heavenly Demon views me as someone who, when taught one thing, understands ten things. In reality, learning two things proves to be a challenge, let alone ten. I possessed considerable strength in both the quantity and manipulation of magical power.

“Come on, you only need to use magic once in the morning and once in the evening. You can stay with Zodiac until you’re able to do it. There will be significant progress in your training.”

That’s true.

If I couldn’t do it, I would keep trying until I could. I shuddered, recalling my time in the military, but it had to be done. If I were to constantly struggle to stay with Shiba and ultimately incur her wrath, it might truly become irreversible.

I gazed at Shiba.
Still in high spirits, Shiba meowed like a contented cat as she relished my embrace without falling asleep.

She held tightly onto the hem of my clothes, as if unwilling to let go or fall away. I had no choice but to gradually help Shiba adapt to the confines of society.

“Beep?”

As our eyes met, Shiba blinked her large, innocent eyes, her expression conveying that she knew nothing.

A few days later, I visited the Sideung Daycare Center in Seoul.

It was only natural that the sound of Shiba’s cries, in search of her father, echoed through the space where young apprentices were taught.