Whatever She Desires
Marriage, huh.
For a moment, Tezman seemed to mull it over. The words that finally left his lips were entirely unexpected.
“If Sua wants it.”
“...Pardon?”
“I intend to give her anything she desires. On the condition that she stays by my side for the rest of her life.”
At Tezman’s sincerity, Dhan couldn’t close his gaping mouth. As if he had nothing more to say, Tezman turned and headed into the bedroom. Cact and Leroy silently followed suit. Still frozen in shock, Dhan remained mute until Leroy grabbed his arm. He violently shook it off.
“Let go.”
Dhan stormed out of the study. Cact watched his retreating back with concern, prompting Leroy to speak.
“I’ll go after him.”
Dhan’s furious footsteps carried him straight out of the mansion. Eventually, a curse slipped from his lips.
“Just what the hell did that bitch do to him?”
How could his usually unshakable master be so utterly swayed by a woman? She had to be a witch wearing the skin of a nun.
“Dhan.”
At the sound of Leroy calling his name, Dhan whipped around. Grinding his teeth, he seized Leroy by the collar in one swift motion. His voice dripped with rage.
“You stupid bastard. To think I ever considered someone like you a friend. Didn’t I tell you to think it over? What exactly counts as doing what’s best for Lord Tezman?”
“It doesn’t matter what it is. As long as Lord Tezman is pleased.”
“Leroy!”
“So that’s enough. Your behavior right now is crossing the line.”
Leroy yanked Dhan’s hand off his collar. He straightened his rumpled shirt, then brushed off his jacket, finishing his composure check before fixing Dhan with an icy glare.
“And one more thing. I’d appreciate it if you stopped grabbing me by the collar so casually. I won’t let it slide next time.”
It was a clear warning: if it happened again, he’d break Dhan’s wrist.
“Ha. So that’s how you’re playing it? Fine. Good.”
A twisted smile crept across Dhan’s lips, chilling and sharp.
“I’ll handle it myself, then.”
“Dhan.”
“Shut up. Just sit back and watch, you spineless coward.”
With those mocking final words, Dhan staggered out of the mansion. Leroy watched him go with uneasy eyes.
“It’s too quiet.”
Tezman’s murmured comment as he reviewed documents made Cact lift his head.
“You mean Chenpu?”
“Yes.”
There was no choice but to lie low. Every single base in Hong Kong had been wiped clean. No matter how reckless Ye Wumen was, even he would find it difficult to make any moves for the time being.
It was fortunate, yet the silence itself felt unsettling. In this world, even if someone was currently groveling on the ground, there was no telling when they might leap for your throat.
Tezman scanned the list of companies in China that needed to be liquidated, made a few quick marks, and handed it to Cact. He rose from his seat and turned his gaze toward the window.
“Sua is…”
His eyes were already fixed on the greenhouse tucked in the corner of the garden. Asking a question he already knew the answer to had become something of a habit.
“She is currently praying inside the greenhouse.”
He stared at the greenhouse in silence. A sigh eventually escaped him. He had gone to the trouble of building the new greenhouse just for her, yet now he was beginning to regret it. Sua spent nearly half her day there. It was enough to drive him mad with longing.
“If I had known this would happen, I should have built a prayer room inside the study instead of a greenhouse.”
Cact was the only one who knew he had said those exact words nearly thirty times by now. The person most pleased by Tezman’s transformation was Cact himself. Ever since Sua arrived, the sharp, dangerous edge that once defined his master seemed to have softened somewhat. It was a welcome change.
In the past, if one of his capos or soldiers made a mistake, Tezman would pull the trigger on his revolver without hesitation. These days, he had grown generous enough to allow a single chance at forgiveness. Since all of these changes had begun with Sua, Cact felt nothing but profound gratitude toward her.
“Lord Tezman, I will take care of the rest.”
Ever perceptive, Cact had phrased it as an offer to finish the paperwork so that Tezman could visit the greenhouse. As if he had been waiting for exactly those words, Tezman turned away from the window.
“I should go check on the greenhouse.”
“Please do.”
Leaving behind Cact’s warm, satisfied smile, Tezman left the study. His quick strides carried him out of the mansion and, naturally, straight toward the greenhouse.
Through the transparent walls, flowers and trees filled every inch of space. They were packed so densely that they seemed determined to hide whatever lay inside. Realizing he wouldn’t be able to secretly watch her from outside, he abandoned the idea.
Tezman placed his hand on the greenhouse door handle. The soft click as it opened elicited no response from within.
Unlike his usual self, he held his breath as he stepped inside. What had looked suffocatingly dense from outside was merely a thick border of trees and flowers lining the edges.
Wildflowers and grasses carpeted the floor, and a flat stone path guided his steps. At the end of that path, as expected, was Sua. She sat on a chair modeled after those found in cathedrals, hands clasped together in prayer.
Fearing he might disturb her, Tezman softened his footsteps. It had been a long time since he had seen her pray like this.
He stood with his arms crossed, observing her back as if watching over her. Strangely, it brought him a sense of peace as well.
Her long prayer must have ended, because Sua slowly raised her bowed head. Still unaware of his presence, she made the sign of the cross and stood up.
A soft humming reached his ears. His gaze followed her every movement.
The cross hanging from a tree and the small pond newly built beneath it were all her handiwork. Crouching in front of the pond, Sua muttered to herself.
“Hmm… maybe I should raise some small fish…”
“Sister.”
At the familiar address she hadn’t heard in so long, her head turned reflexively.
“Raising one is already enough. What else could possibly be lacking?”
The moment Sua spotted him, her eyes widened into perfect circles before folding into a lovely smile.
“I told you, I’m not a sister anymore.”
Straightening her knees, she turned her body toward him. His hand moved to greet her. He caught her waist as she approached and pulled her firmly into his arms.
“If you’re not a sister anymore…”
Sua blinked with innocent curiosity, clearly eager to hear what came next. The sight of those eyes made heat surge below his waist. His gaze flicked briefly to the cross hanging on the tree before settling on her once more.
It was a thought he had entertained while she was still at the cathedral. What would it be like to strip her bare on that grand, solemn high altar, to devour, lick, and claim her completely?
“It seems perfectly fine to spread your legs beneath the cross.”
His already crimson eyes grew even darker. Her face flushed instantly, resembling a perfectly ripened apple. It looked so delicious he wanted to sink his teeth into it.
“Sua.”
Her name rolled slowly from his tongue, clinging sweetly to her ear.
“What do you think? This is a cathedral too, after all.”
The cathedral he had built solely for her.
“Th-that… even if I’m not a sister, that would still be sacrilegious.”
“Ah. Sacrilegious.”
Sua seemed unaware of just how fiercely that word ignited his lust.
“Sua.”
Warm breath settled over her lips.
“Open your mouth.”
As Sua slowly parted her lips, his tongue slipped inside as if it had been waiting, gently sweeping across her soft flesh.
Chup. Chup.
The wet sounds of saliva and lips meeting filled her ears. Perhaps embarrassed by the noise, Sua kept trying to shrink back. With damp lips, he narrowed his eyes.
“Sua, stick your tongue out.”
Looking up at him with wet, beautiful eyes, Sua obediently slid her tongue between her reddened lips.
Ha. The pink flesh peeking from between those crimson lips looked like candy. The urge to suck and lick it until it melted in his mouth surged through him.
He bit down on her tongue. Trapping it so she couldn’t pull away, he sucked greedily.
“Haa…”
There was no time to wipe away the saliva dripping from her lips. Sua’s mind grew hazy from the relentless sucking. He supported her weakening body with his strong arms.
Her lips parted wider. The tongue that had bound hers now traced her palate before thrusting into her throat. Even as she gasped and struggled for air, Tezman didn’t stop. In fact, he hoped she would keep panting until she melted completely into his embrace.
As if refusing to allow even the slightest gap, he tilted his head and pressed even closer. The flowing saliva was cut off abruptly.
The saliva that couldn’t escape pooled inside her mouth. He drank down what she couldn’t swallow in her breathless state. Even her saliva tasted sweet. How could a person be this sweet? As if determined to consume every drop, his tongue thoroughly scraped every corner of her mouth.
Her slender fingers dug hard into his shoulders. Tezman pulled his lips away and traced her wet mouth with his fingers.
“It seems you need to relearn how to breathe, Sua.”
“Haa…”
Unable to even form a reply, she panted through parted lips in a way that was utterly obscene. If God were to see this face, what would He say? There would be no need to even spread her legs. This expression alone would be more than enough to qualify as sacrilege.
The corners of his lips slowly curved upward. No. No matter what, he never wanted to show this face to anyone, not even God. It was a face meant for his eyes alone.
With her mind still dazed and unfocused, he called to her in a languid voice.
“Sua.”
“...Yes…”
“Try learning it again.”
A wave of anxiety washed over her. The hand resting on his shoulder reflexively pushed him away.
Of course, he didn’t budge. Instead, he drew even closer to her face, tilting his head as he whispered tenderly.
“How to breathe, I mean.”
His lips sealed over hers once more, leaving no space between them.