Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Silence
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I was hugging Dahye tightly, and she was clinging to me.
Was it too harsh a thing to say to someone who'd gone into hyperventilation from the shock?
"I love you, Dahye."
At my single sentence.
Dahye pulled away from me in an instant.
It was just like when she'd developed her sniff-sniff attack.
Right now, Dahye's eyes were wide like a startled rabbit's, her eyebrows shooting up.
She cupped my face with both hands and scanned every inch of my expression...
Then she asked me.
"Really?"
"Nah, just messing with you."
Her lips drooped in a flash.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she desperately scanned my face like a kid who'd just had their candy snatched away.
And then we were right back where we started.
She wrapped her arms around my neck again, rubbing her face against mine, her ragged breathing hot in my ear once more.
Her hyperventilation had settled down by now, but she was panting even harder than before.
"It's not a joke... it's real, you idiot..."
"Did you see it?"
"Ugh... hng... I see it... now I see... huaa..."
"What do you see?"
"Hngg... you... loving... me... me... what do I do... Mom..."
And with that, she burst into loud sobs.
Mom, Mom,
clinging to my neck like it was a lifebuoy, she let out every ounce of her cries.
I squeezed my eyes shut and kept stroking her back and hair.
Her once-cold body and face grew scorching hot in a rush.
Her arms around me tensed with strength, and her hair felt damp with sweat against my skin.
It was a side of her I'd never seen.
Happy or sad, she always smiled whenever she looked at me.
The only time I'd seen her cry was at that barbecue joint on the day we first met.
That had been the first—and last—time.
But now, she was sobbing more heartbreakingly than anyone in the world.
Why?
"Mom... Mom..."
I knew she loved me.
Not because of the "I love you" she'd told me, but because I always felt it in her eyes whenever she looked at me.
Her fierce love made her face shift into someone else's every time—like a different person peering out.
Sometimes it was a greedy lord eyeing a treasure,
sometimes a mother gazing at her child.
Or the face of a Halloween kid scheming to snag some candy,
and other times...
I've watched her inch toward me, only to snap out of it and pull back a step.
So clear it couldn't be brushed off as childish fancy or Stockholm syndrome. It was love, plain and simple.
So I'd figured she'd smile once I finally said it.
But Dahye was crying.
And yet... strangely enough.
The sadder her sobs got, the more at ease I felt.
More than her forced smiles or the brave front she'd put on after turning away to cry.
This bawling mess? It actually put my heart at rest.
"It's okay. It's okay, Dahye."
"Hua... why'd you leave without a word... I got so scared, you idiot... ugh..."
"Sorry. Didn't think it through. Next time, I'll tell you before I go."
"I thought you'd ditched me..."
"Why would I ditch you? Never gonna happen."
"Hng... ugh..."
I knew exactly why Dahye was crying right now.
She and I—we were both the same kind of loners. That's how I knew.
We'd always been alone.
Forcing ourselves along with no one to lean on.
No room for sad faces in a life like that.
Alone, we'd go blank-faced and silent. In front of others, we'd play tough.
That was it. That was all.
But now she could wail like this in front of me because...
I'd become the one she could lean on.
Someone she could selfishly expect love from, selfishly want by her side, selfishly resent if it didn't pan out.
Someone precious.
I knew that feeling all too well.
I was grateful for Dahye chewing me out. Proud of her leaning on me like this.
"It's okay. I'll never ditch you. I'll stay right by your side."
"Really...?"
"Yeah..."
"Till when...?"
"Seventy-two days left on your premium service—"
"Hng... don't joke..."
"Forever. Long as you don't ditch me, I'll be by your side for life."
"Really...? For real?"
"Yeah. For real."
Dahye pulled her face back a bit and scrutinized mine again.
Was she actually seeing something?
But apparently not anymore.
She gave up the inspection, her face turning into that of a retriever eyeing walk time, and asked me cautiously.
"Seonghyeon... you really love me?"
"Yeah. I love you."
"Hehe... phew."
Her face was a total wreck—streaked with tears and snot—
but grinning like an idiot, she looked just like the sweet but simple kid from down the street.
She kept asking, still smiling like that.
"For real?"
"I love you."
"Hehe, love hearing that... say it one more time..."
"Duplicate chats get sanctioned, and if you keep repeating—"
"Aa~!"
Saying "I love you" had felt so impossibly hard.
But now that it was out, I couldn't tell what had changed.
We were still sprawled on the floor, and the world couldn't care less what we were up to.
Just the usual two losers huddled in the corner of the room, leaning on each other.
Should've said it ages ago.
We were this happy.
Every time I told her I loved her, she'd smile, and that smile made me happy too.
I could say those words forever.
So I hoped Dahye would keep forcing them out of me like this for life.
Like some wicked lord grilling her slaves over a rebellion plot.
Keep prying it out of me. Keep having her way with me.
"I love you."
"I love you too, Seonghyeon... like crazy..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The price for sneaking off to meet my ex was brutal.
Dahye had me locked in her arms and refused to budge.
The second I'd try to get up, she'd wiggle her butt in wild resistance. Pat her back to get her to let go? She'd squeeze even tighter.
"You're all sweaty. Go wash up quick."
"Yeah, no way. You'll run off."
"I won't. Bath's already drawn. Go soak."
"Don't wanna..."
"Hungry then?"
"Nah... gonna stay like this. Forever."
"Then you'll crap your pants."
"Hehe, still not letting go."
"Let's test it. Here goes!"
"Huh?"
"Hng!"
I scooped Dahye up and hauled her to the bathroom.
Finally pried her sticky self off me,
but what was with that look on her face?
One cry, and now she was gonna milk it?
Dahye loaded up her eyes with fresh tears and yanked at my arm.
"Eek... don't go... you bolted earlier, so stay with me all day..."
"How'm I supposed to stay while you're bathing, dummy? Water everywhere."
"Fine, I'll shower super fast... then when I hop in the tub, you stay with me."
"Got it."
"Outside the door?"
"Got it..."
Dahye kept double-checking, like she was that anxious.
Alone, she was like a fearless tank.
Now? Total kid mode.
Leaning on me hard, craving every bit of affection.
She'd already been charging ahead on pure desire—now that she knew my feelings too, what kind of savage toll was she gonna exact?
Future scared me a little... but I was looking forward to it.
"Seonghyeon? You there?"
"Yeah."
"Sing something. I'm anxious."
"Getting demanding."
"Quick~."
Sigh. Felt like I'd run off and gotten caught.
Lord says jump, you jump.
Singing wasn't my thing, but no choice—I belted something out.
Anything. Whatever popped into my head.
Laughter echoed from the bathroom.
She'd asked for it... shameless.
Soon the shower cut off, replaced by tentative splashes inside.
Eyes closed, listening to it—I could picture Dahye clear as day.
Toes dipping gingerly into the tub, satisfied with the temp, then sliding in smooth.
A granny-like "ooh" grumbled out,
then the wicked lord spoke up.
"Prisoner Kwon Seonghyeon! Enter the bathroom!"
"You really need me in there the whole bath? We'll be together forever from now on."
"That's why you gotta be with me now too! Hurry up and come in."
Confessing didn't magically erase the embarrassment.
I swallowed hard and cracked open the bathroom door.
There sat Dahye in the tub.
She looked thrilled, head swaying side to side, feet splashing away.
Her already smooth skin glistened wet, like some hyper-real render.
Legs and chest bobbing on the surface.
Her naked body under the bright light was so stunningly beautiful, my head spun.
Maybe all the blood was rushing south.
I was mortified,
but Dahye casually grabbed my hand and tugged.
"Sit right here."
Obeying the wicked lord's command, pants be damned and soaking,
I plopped down on the bath stool and stared at her face.
Returned runaway prisoner here—just planning to sit quiet and good.
But I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting down.
Her breasts floating on the water.
That private glimpse every leg-splash.
They kept snagging my gaze.
How could something this beautiful even exist in the world?
Right in front of me, no less.
Utterly unreal.
Dragged in as a "prisoner," but I wasn't really guilty,
yet facing this beauty, suddenly I felt like the real criminal.
"Seonghyeon."
"Yeah..."
"Am I weird?"
"No. You're insanely pretty."
"Really?"
"Duh. You've never not been pretty. Not once."
My eyes had nowhere to go, and Dahye silently flushed red.
Silence filled the tiny bathroom, our gazes finally locking as we stared at each other.
And in that quiet moment.
"Take this! Water cannon!"
A wave crashed over me.
Water cannon? From a non-mage?
"Ah! I'm soaked!"
Fine then—counterattack!
We went nuts splashing each other till we were drenched head to toe.
Water in my face made it hard to breathe; I kept yelling to stop...
But Dahye just laughed and kept blasting away.
Was getting left alone earlier that heartbreaking?
Her attacks were fierce.
So I did what I had to.
Best shot at blocking the water cannon?
Only way to stop a mage's casting: silence.
I pushed through the torrent, closed in on the mage, and clamped her mouth shut.
The mage instantly lost her fight.
Her laughing face went slack,
those spell-slinging arms now wrapping my neck.
And then...
She lunged fiercely at my silencing lips.
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