Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Resolution (1)
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Four years ago—no, even a year ago—what reaction would she have had if someone had said these words to her?
You'll soon catch the eye of Evan Lane, the man you were dying to tear apart.
Like how you don't notice your clothes getting wet in a drizzle... you'll fall in love with him, bit by bit, soaking in slowly.
Lete stared blankly into the distance, deciding to imagine the "what if." What would Lete Heresia from a few years back have done if she heard this?
"It'd be pretty predictable, probably."
The reactions weren't set in stone, but they all shared the same vein.
Scoffing in disbelief, flushing red and snapping in anger, or brushing it off with one ear out the other.
Either way, it would have been denial. The idea of harboring sexual feelings for that Evan was just too unbelievable, too implausible.
But Lete wasn't thick-skinned enough to blatantly ignore the reality unfolding before her eyes.
Come on, look at the results. Was the situation she was in now something she could laugh off? Something she could dismiss with a wave and a "no way"?
"No..."
Lete shook her head with a vacant smile. It was time to admit it.
She definitely liked Evan. Maybe even loved him.
Once she acknowledged her affection, it poured out like a burst dam. Now it was her turn to sternly question the Lete Heresia from years past.
So, are you confident you won't fall for this infuriating guy?
Are you really sure you won't feel your heart flutter just from facing him?
The girl from back then might have blushed, called it ridiculous, and stubbornly insisted it was obvious she wouldn't.
But now, it didn't matter much.
It was just idle fantasy with no real substance anyway.
The current Lete had accepted her feelings.
It was true that every time they'd met, they'd bickered, criticized and nitpicked each other endlessly, desperately vying for the upper hand.
And through those years, their ill will had blossomed into love. That was fact too.
Even their pointless squabbles from hanging out together had become cherished memories.
"...Evan."
Lete called his name in a voice soft and gentle, utterly unlike her usual self.
Evan, who had been sitting statue-still beside her, flinched. Lete playfully tugged his left arm and hooked it around hers.
Then she gently rested her head on his shoulder. The soft 'thud' filled her with contentment—and sent a chill through him.
Evan broke out in cold sweat at her drastic change, but Lete just kept smiling, oblivious.
"I like you, Evan..."
Was it a backlash from all the suppressed emotions? Her cheeks flushed as if she meant to unleash every pent-up desire right then and there.
Just moments ago, she'd dodged direct mentions, claiming it was hard to put into words.
Yet now, some massive shift had occurred, and she was slamming her affection into him like brakes had failed completely.
Was that brief cold war the inevitable winter before this spring?
Lete looked up at Evan, utterly convinced. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, her beautiful eyes sparkling hazily.
Evan shuddered at her gaze, expectant as it was.
Lete intertwined her fingers with his, mumbling shyly.
"So... does today count as day one...? For us."
"..."
Her question aimed to define their ambiguous relationship once and for all.
Are we lovers now, you and I?
Are we officially dating?
Even asking it herself embarrassed her; she squealed and cupped her cheeks.
She couldn't contain her pounding heart. She wanted to freeze this thrilling, treasure-like moment forever.
In truth, Lete believed this happiness would last eternally.
Only one thing left: the final piece to make this exchange perfect—
Evan's answer, naturally.
"..."
"..."
Time passed anyway, whether Lete wanted it or not.
A heavy silence filled the air.
Even Lete, basking in pure bliss, couldn't ignore the growing awkwardness.
She slowly lifted her head. Evan couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze as it pulled away from his shoulder.
Simply put, he was scared. Her reaction terrified him.
"Hey."
It happened just like that. A low call piercing the moment he tried to steady his breath.
*Cough!* Evan hacked as if his throat were blocked. Lete's voice, now chillingly different from before, opened.
"Why can't you look me in the eye? Why... won't you give me a straight answer to such a simple question?"
"Lete, it's—"
"...You better choose your words carefully. You're not gonna ghost me in this atmosphere, right?"
A spine-chilling warning. Genuine murderous intent, as if she'd rip him apart if his answer wasn't satisfactory.
No wonder Evan was tongue-tied. How could he speak in this situation?
About Israfeel Hael, no less.
'I just asked what we were. That was it...'
How did things end up like this? How had it flowed so naturally into what felt like the start of their romance?
Of course, Evan had laid the groundwork for this development. He couldn't deny being the culprit.
But if he vented his injustice boldly: yes, he'd thought Lete's feelings were just mild fondness at best.
Even if romantic, he figured the intensity wouldn't be that great.
A rash assumption. Utterly reckless.
He hadn't expected her to barrel into "day one" like an 8-ton truck with busted brakes, rather than a tentative flirtation.
"...Lady Lete. How about we calm down first and talk this through rationally, intelligently?"
A blade seemed at his throat already. Facing Lete growling ferociously, ready to bite, Evan sweated bullets.
"I already gave you a chance, Evan. You're the one not answering."
"That's, well—"
"...Don't tell me."
Her face hardened in an instant. She glared at him with eyes cold as a blizzard.
"You set up every sweet atmosphere, got me to confess first, and now you're gonna say you don't feel the same? If that's it, you're a real son of a—"
"N-No, that's not it."
Her momentum suggested she'd lose it completely if he let her finish. Evan grabbed her hand quickly to avert disaster.
The warmth softened her menace just a touch.
She bit her lip, eyes resentful. Evan stammered on desperately.
"I like you too. Definitely. No lie there... Believe me."
"'Probably'? Proooobably...?"
"...I like you. One hundred percent."
Evan switched words sharp as a knife at her menacing scowl.
Apologizing with his eyes for the poor phrasing, he continued.
"The reason I hesitated... there's just one issue bothering me about starting right now."
"What issue."
"..."
"Spit it out while I'm asking nicely. My patience isn't that generous right now."
Lete smirked coldly, crushing his left hand in hers.
Not enough—she squeezed his thigh with her other hand too.
Her mindset screamed she'd duel him to the death right there if provoked, unleashing her boiling rage—
"...I've slept with someone else besides you."
Evan had no choice. Option 1: "Confess honestly." Option 2: "Die." With the answer obvious, he bowed low.
He spilled everything about Israfeel. Skipping private details, but all he had to say.
Even if it boiled down to elaborately explaining he'd been intimate with Israfeel.
"..."
Anyway, Evan finished explaining. He didn't delve into his complex feelings for Israfeel... but Lete probably guessed them anyway.
It was straightforward enough.
In other words, a conscience confession of juggling two women.
Guilt squeezing his chest, Evan gauged her reaction. He knew how rude his words were.
Lete stayed silent long after. Her frozen expression unreadable.
An eon of excruciating silence passed.
"...Haa."
Lete finally sighed lightly. Evan flinched like he was on pins and needles.
So when she stood from the bench, he couldn't grab her right away.
"I see... So that's how it is."
Fortune or misfortune? Lete hadn't risen to storm off.
She just reverted to her usual tone, deep in thought.
Shocking, yes—but betrayal? Not quite. There was a better word for this feeling.
'Israfeel Hael, huh...'
Lete furrowed her brow slightly, chewing the name over.
A familiar name, a familiar face.
She knew how huge Israfeel was to Evan Lane.
'And talented too.'
When had he gotten with her? From what she heard, his thing with Lete came first, at least.
Curiosity bloomed purely. Arms behind her back, she tilted her head to glance at Evan.
"Hey."
...If this guy was shamelessly torn between Israfeel and her right now.
Which way did his heart lean more?
"Do you really like me?"
Lete asked lightly, seeking confirmation. Evan nodded affirmatively.
But that was just step one.
Before the real question, she twisted her lips into a smirk.
A parental figure, a sister—blood aside, his only family.
A girl he'd bickered with for over half their shared years, yet grown deeply attached to.
Forced to choose at gunpoint, who would Evan pick?
A wicked thought. But Lete asked outright. Since things had come this far, borrowing a line from a famous Cabensier Empire play—
"...Answer honestly, Evan."
Lete elegantly swept her silver hair behind her ear, flashing a fresh smile.
"Me or that bitch?"
Setting aside the messy triangle, it was rude for a junior to speak of an elder that way.
She knew it might irk him.
Even so—especially so—Lete wanted his answer.
If he dodged this too, she couldn't predict her own reaction...
"The one I like is you, Lete."
"...Huh?"
A surprise strike before her grim thoughts finished.
Lete blurted blankly on reflex. Evan went straight for the kill.
"Comparing platonic fondness, it's hard to rank Israfeel—practically family to me—and you."
"..."
"But the only one I clearly see as a romantic partner right now is you, Lete Heresia. Don't misunderstand."
A firm declaration. An answer so sincere, no verification needed.
Lete blinked her wide eyes. She hadn't expected this.
Evan watched her face, adding cautiously.
"So, ahem. Sorry for calling Israfeel 'that bitch'—"
*Smack!* Before he finished, Lete twisted and landed a perfect roundhouse to his temple.
"Guhk."
Naturally, Evan tumbled off the bench, rolling into the dirt.
A pathetic sight... but Lete coldly smirked down at him.
"Any rudeness to the First Apostle, I'll apologize for myself someday."
Evan clutched his throbbing temple but had to look up. He'd caught an odd glee in her tone.
"God. 'Don't misunderstand' my ass—you talk all romantic, but even seeing me as your only romantic option, Israfeel still bugs you enough not to take me? Right?"
"...Not exactly."
"Whatever. No excuses. You're so infuriating I wanna kill you."
Eyes curved like half-moons, Lete stepped past the sprawled Evan and sat back on the bench.
One arm slung casually, she continued coldly.
"I got it wrong from the start. Pure love—you know that? Pure, innocent love... Ha."
Chuckling wryly, she gazed lovingly down at Evan.
"Too noble for us. Yeah, doesn't suit you at all."
"...Lete?"
Her suggestive tone sparked unease in Evan, but Lete just waved a hand, erecting a platinum barrier around them.
Soundproofed, perception-blocked. Aura and presence distorted. Laden with various properties, the divine barrier instantly sealed off the space.
"Our love, our relationship... this suits us better."
Preparations complete, Lete...
...beckoned Evan gently.
"Come here, you bastard."
"..."
"Four days ago, I did it with my mouth..."
Leaning comfortably against the bench back, she reached down.
Simple goal: lifting her already precarious skirt—the straight curtain over her privates—like a show.
Her frilled white panties revealed, Evan swallowed dryly.
He'd instinctively grasped her intent.
And his guess was spot on.
"Your turn now."
Teasing her folds lewdly, Lete commanded the man she loved.
"Lick me, Evan. Devotedly... Submissively, like you're serving me."
"..."
"You dare dump me...? After I acted all clingy, showed you how smitten I am without holding back...?"
Evan sweated coldly. Lete boldly shifted her panties aside, exposing herself.
"What're you waiting for?"
She crooked her finger like calling a dog.
"Get over here and suck. If you don't make me cum by tonight, you die by my hand."