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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: First Night (4)
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"Mm."
I sprawled out on the bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. As I idly counted the two or three stains up there, a wave of embarrassment suddenly washed over me.
Come to think of it, I hadn't even properly cleaned up yet. The bedsheets were soaked through with all sorts of fluids, stained a dingy gray, and somehow, it felt like Lete's bite marks were still lingering on the pillowcase.
Cleaning... I should do that.
Obviously, I couldn't just leave it like this, so I'd have to tidy up somehow.
It all felt like such a hassle. I rolled around lazily on that filthy bed, replaying the conversation I'd had with Lete just ten or fifteen minutes ago.
-Let's form a partnership, you and me.
-Meeeh...?
"Aigoo."
For some reason, the cheek she'd slapped was still stinging. If I'd had ordinary human physical abilities, that smack might've torn up the inside of my mouth.
I gently rubbed my left cheek, which was probably bright red by now, and let out a hollow chuckle.
I deserved that.
The teasing had been a bit— just a bit?—over the top. I'd brought up the cardinal all stern and angry-like, only to hit her with "Be my fuck buddy"?
-Die, you really need to just die...!
"..."
In truth, she'd punched more than just my cheek here and there, but I'd half-expected as much.
If anything, it was surprising she hadn't reacted any other way besides swinging her fists.
I racked my brain, recalling the moment just before she slammed my door shut and stormed out.
Her face flushed deep red as she glared back at me with resentment, biting her lip all the while.
-I'll... at least think about it.
That was the last thing Lete had said before leaving. I'd been so caught off guard by the unexpected response that I hadn't even managed a proper reply.
"Hmmm..."
I toyed with the holy stone for a moment before letting out a short sigh.
What made my already jumbled thoughts even more chaotic was a single fleeting scene.
Last night, when Lete was blackout drunk and pinning me down, she'd said...
-Let's do it, let's do it. Yeah? Come on, let's do it.
-Let's do iiiit. If I fail this exam for real, I'm screwed... I'll lose my saintess candidate spot. You gonna look at my face without doing it?
That exact moment was burned into my mind like a brand, impossible to shake.
"Goddamn bitch."
I spat out the curse and ruffled my hair for no reason.
My head felt strangely hot.
It was probably just irritation at Lete for acting so recklessly. Or maybe fatigue from overexerting my body(?) the night before catching up again.
"Haa..."
I pushed away the itchy feelings bubbling up with those thoughts, covering my flushed face with the back of my hand and closing my eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meanwhile, while Evan was napping peacefully atop the bed strewn with traces of their lust...
Lete stormed through the Sun Church headquarters' corridors with steps twice as fierce as usual and eyes gone ice-cold.
The occasional passersby started to greet her but caught sight of her expression and quickly backed off.
Kak...!
She ground her teeth viciously. In that moment, one thing filled her mind completely.
-No, no, I won't do it. No excuses. Please don't look at me like that. This time, it was my fault, really, Evan.
-I must've panicked thinking the warnings might pile up for real. So I just... did this without thinking. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
Just a few dozen minutes ago, she'd been desperately begging like that—nothing like the fury she felt now.
And the detestable face of Evan, the one who'd driven her to that point.
And after all that, his proposal was... "How about we do it sometimes, by mutual agreement"?
Should I just kill him for real?
Lete's eyes sank cold. Murderous intent practically radiated from them.
In the end, Evan's suggestion proved he didn't mind having slept with her one bit.
And yet he'd brought up reporting to the cardinal. Not for any real reason, but purely to mess with her...!
"That fucking bastard."
Pajik, tzzt-!
With venom-laced mutterings, a sharp, chilling aura rippled from her entire body.
Her emotions churning too wildly had caused her divine power to take form and rise.
Tears might even prick at her eyes any second now. Layered atop rage, hatred, and resentment was a smidge of injustice and disappointment.
"...Shit."
Lete wiped her eye corners with her sleeve. She'd apologized sincerely, genuinely worried he might actually be mad at her...
Even if theirs was a relationship she'd call fated enmity, there was some underlying closeness, wasn't there?
That's why she'd dropped her usual high-handed attitude toward him. Reporting up the chain or whatever— if her actions had upset him, it was only right to bow her head first.
But no. He'd enjoyed it just as much as I did, that's what he's saying?
Lete's eyes narrowed. Self-loathing mixed with an overwhelming urge to beat that guy within an inch of his life.
Her surging divine power sharpened into crackling lightning, sparking everywhere.
"...Hoo."
But soon enough, Lete reined it all back into her body. Controlling her passions was one of the skills of an outstanding saintess candidate.
No matter how pissed she was, causing a public display of divine power here wouldn't do her any good.
Evan Lane? She'd get her revenge on him eventually. He'd know this prank went too far.
Kkiiik-
She'd arrived at her quarters before she knew it. Pushing the door open and stepping inside, Lete let out a quiet sigh.
Anyway, today had been exhausting.
She'd gotten uncharacteristically hammered last evening, and... she'd spent nearly until dawn doing intense "exercise" with Evan.
"...It hurts."
Her waist throbbed terribly, of course. That guy had zero consideration, pounding away selfishly like he was trying to mark her as his first.
Not that she hadn't melted into ecstasy with a blissful look on her face...
No memory of that, no memory.
She knew better than to let such a black history linger in her mind.
Fanning her suddenly feverish face with her hand, she stripped and headed into the bathroom.
That moment when Evan had seemed lovable? Just a drunken brain glitch—she could chalk it up to that.
"Ugh."
Still, forgetting the fact that she'd shared her body with him was no easy task.
Just peeling off her underwear brought out sticky white fluid clinging to it.
We just passed out without cleaning up, huh?
Lete's expression twisted like she'd bitten into something foul. Well, two virgins suddenly thrown into bed together—how could they know what to do?
At least she'd used the contraception technique she'd learned as a kid, so her womb should be fine. Aside from the slight stickiness between her legs, no issues.
Chalang-
She tossed the damp underwear into the laundry bin and sank into the bathtub she'd already filled with hot water.
In the steamy bathroom center, a blush crept over her cheeks.
"Hiyaa..."
The pain that had wracked her whole body—especially her waist and hips—melted away into peaceful bliss.
For now, thinking of Evan softened her previously venomous gaze. Her lips curved in a worldly, happy smile.
Burying herself deep enough that only her breathing wasn't impeded, Lete narrowed her eyes.
This moment, her body warming so perfectly, was pure bliss.
But baths had a way of letting all sorts of thoughts flood the mind.
Like tossing a stone named Evan into the calm waters of happiness.
She placed a hand on her lower belly and frowned. Only now did humiliation over her actions surge up belatedly.
Not the part where she'd clung to him so pathetically. Further back—to when she'd gone to his room drunk...
-Let's fuck, you bastard.
"...Ugh."
Lete squeezed her eyes shut. Her face reddened for entirely different reasons now, and she decided to submerge it underwater to hide.
What more was there to say? She was just endlessly embarrassed and mortified.
Even when I talk, it's always... so vulgar.
She splashed the water with her hand and bit her lip. The one who usually spewed crude language was always Evan Lane, anytime, anywhere.
This time, their positions had flipped. Was alcohol really that degrading?
Anyone seeing it would think she was some desperate whore dying to sleep with that guy.
The tips of Lete's ears turned bright red.
...That's not it. I'm not like that. I had no other choice.
It was purely a decision for her own safety. Evan Lane was a guy she truly hated, but an irreplaceable rare resource(?) with no alternatives.
She had to avoid accumulating warnings. No turning back on this one-way path.
What else could she do? Straight ahead was the only option. There really were no other choices.
Yeah, that's right. That's how it was. I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not vulgar. Not lewd either.
Squeezing out her waterlogged peach-colored hair, she rationalized it that way.
On the other hand, she recalled their heated tryst with Evan. She replayed the sensations.
Excusing it as a cool, objective review of the act.
Thus, ten or so minutes passed.
"..."
Had she soaked too long? Lete realized her body was seriously heating up.
"...Ah..."
And at the same time, she became aware of where her right hand had wandered.
She looked down at her lower body with hazy eyes. Beneath the full bathwater, her index and middle fingers buried in that crevice.
Lips pressed tight, she silently withdrew her hand and stared blankly at her fingers.
How deep had she been going? Her wrinkled, embarrassing fingers—she roughly shoved them back underwater.
Cheongbong...!
Her pupils dilated hugely, body twitching in spasms. Like she couldn't believe what she'd just been doing.
Grabbing her bangs hard with her other hand, Lete let out a mournful voice.
"Shiii, baaaall...!"
A vulgar curse she'd never uttered before. But after so much time with Evan, those two syllables had rooted themselves in her mind.
Lete finally admitted it. She was broken. Ruined by Evan.
Evan Lane had corrupted her.
"Auu, ahh. Now, now I can never get married..."
And having learned of that "enormous thing" back then, she could no longer fully satisfy herself with just her fingers.
With a hollow, self-mocking laugh, Lete idly licked her index finger with the tip of her tongue.
It was salty.