Chapter 203: Turning a Blind Eye-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: Turning a Blind Eye-1
The chill of dawn remained constant, regardless of the season.
Cold air snaked in through a tiny crack in the window, forming a thin trail. This frigid intruder drifted through the warm room for a moment before gradually sinking toward the floor.
Its landing site was In-ho’s face, as he drifted in a shallow sleep brought on by a hangover.
With a piercing headache, In-ho furrowed his brow without opening his eyes. He felt a crushing pain, as if his head were caught in a hydraulic press, and slowly forced his eyelids open.
Through his blurred vision, the first thing he saw was Maria’s blonde hair.
In-ho didn't fully open his eyes; instead, he kept them narrowed to slits, slowly assessing the situation.
"Haa... huff..."
Maria had her face pressed against his stomach, inhaling deeply. Since her head was turned downward, all he could see was the thick mass of her golden hair. Her usual veil was nowhere to be found, and her hair spilled over his abdomen like a messy curtain.
"Haa, huff."
Maria took another breath. Her warm exhale tickled his lower body. At the faint sensation, In-ho’s body gave an involuntary twitch.
"......"
Maria’s movements stopped abruptly. A long silence followed.
"Saint?"
Her voice was laced with caution, as if she were checking to see if he was awake—or perhaps praying that he wasn't.
In-ho closed his eyes again. The lingering intoxication made it difficult to maintain the charade of sleep, so he did his best to steady his heart.
Rustle.
He heard something move. The sound of fabric rubbing against the bedding.
Suppressing the urge to open his eyes, In-ho squeezed them shut even tighter.
Whoosh. Hot air tickled his face.
The sound of breathing drew closer. Though he was still suffering from the hangover, the tension coiling through his body was enough to make him forget the pain.
He was on high alert for any sudden moves from Maria. If he were prepared, he could handle her actions, but at this distance, she would catch him before he could do anything. Unfortunately, an absolute difference in strength existed between them.
Is it okay to swallow?
In-ho found himself having such a stupid thought.
Whoosh. Hot air tickled his face again.
In-ho tossed and turned as if in his sleep. He acted as naturally as possible, trying to keep Maria from noticing he was awake. He smacked his lips, shifted his body, and scratched his face every now and then.
Whoosh. He felt her breath.
She was even closer than before.
"Are you awake?"
Maria’s voice fell right over the bridge of his nose.
"......"
Hearing the uncertainty in her voice, In-ho kept his eyes shut even tighter.
"You're sleeping."
Maria spoke again, as if confirming it to herself.
"Then... please keep sleeping."
Maria’s voice drifted further away. Then, a heavy weight settled back onto his stomach. She had rested her head on him again. Once more, he felt her breath tickling his lower body.
"Haa... ah..."
Maria continued to inhale deeply, her hand reaching down toward herself.
In-ho turned his head away while pretending to sleep. As Maria’s private time continued, In-ho let go of his consciousness, deciding to just let whatever happens, happen. There were many factors making it difficult to sleep, but he managed to drift off eventually.
*
When he opened his eyes again, the morning sun was rising.
Considering he had first woken up at dawn, he hadn't slept for very long. After confirming that the weight on his stomach and the breath tickling his lower body were gone, he pushed himself up slightly.
"......"
At some point, Maria had moved to the floor beside the bed and was sleeping with her head resting on the mattress.
Did she fall asleep from exhaustion after... that?
In-ho was confused as to whether she had great self-restraint or was simply being meticulous.
He stared at her. The masturbation at dawn had been a shock, but her obsession wasn't exactly news to him. In fact, he considered the way it ended to be quite "gentlemanly."
If it had been Namgung So-yu, she would have stripped his pants off and climbed on top of him regardless of whether he was sleeping or not. Recalling the nights he had spent tossing and turning because of her, In-ho felt grateful for Maria’s relative docility.
In-ho reached out and stroked Maria’s hair. Her hair, free of the veil, tangled between his fingers.
"Mmm..."
At In-ho’s touch, Maria opened her eyes.
Blink, blink.
Maria’s beautiful green eyes looked up at him. Then, her face slowly began to flush.
"Did you sleep well?"
In-ho let out a small chuckle.
"Ah... ugh... yes."
The woman from dawn was nowhere to be seen; Maria murmured in a tiny voice, looking like a bashful bride on her first morning.
"It seems I drank too much yesterday."
"Ah... yes. You were very drunk yesterday, so I brought you to your room."
In-ho sat up and reached for the small pitcher sitting by the head of the bed. Maria shifted as if to do it for him, but In-ho raised a hand to stop her.
He filled a cup with water and gulped it down. The water, which had turned cold overnight, quenched his thirst and washed away the stale taste in his mouth.
"I... I apologize for showing you such an unseemly side of myself."
While he poured a second and third cup, Maria bowed her head and apologized. It seemed her reason had finally fully returned.
"It happens. You probably couldn't sleep properly because you were looking after me, right?"
At In-ho’s gentle consolation, a pastel-toned smile spread across Maria’s face.
"...Is it really okay?"
Maria met his eyes. In-ho avoided her direct gaze and took another sip of water.
"......."
Maria watched the Saint’s profile as he drank, her gaze full of affection.
The third morning in Madini Village had arrived.
