I Helped The Imprisoned Male Lead And He Became Obsessed - Chapter 82

The sound of his voice, the look in his eyes—it was as though he were pleading.

I neither pulled my wrist from his grasp nor pushed him away.

Emil…

While I hesitated, he lifted my hand and brought it to his face, pressing my palm gently against his cheek. As he closed his eyes, he murmured:

“If you can’t love me, then at least have pity on me.”

I was speechless.

Seeing him cling to me like this, as if he were desperate for warmth, made him seem so vulnerable.

I’d never imagined him showing such a fragile side, and the sight of it left me adrift, like a small boat tossed in a storm.

If only he had treated me coldly. No—if he had resented me or expressed anger, it would have been easier to bear.

But the man who had never broken under any kind of pain now seemed unbearably fragile, just for this moment.

Gently, I raised my hand to touch his cheek, cupping it softly. As if to soothe him, I stroked his face, and his closed eyes fluttered open.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry I can’t tell you how much I care.

I sat beside him on the sofa, my hand slipping into his hair as I ran my fingers through it gently. It might not have been enough to truly comfort him, but it was all I could offer.

As I stroked his hair in silence, he suddenly furrowed his brow and gripped my wrist lightly.

“If you’re going to comfort me…” His voice was thick, as if holding something back. “Don’t just tease me like this.”

His tone carried a restrained intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

Before I could ask what he meant, his large hand slid across my back, his touch lingering.

As thick-knuckled fingers traced down my spine, a strange heat began to rise within me.

He swept my long hair over my shoulder, letting it fall forward as his delicate touch glided across the curve of my back.

“…!”

No one had ever touched me like this before. Perhaps that’s why my heightened senses felt almost unbearably raw, and the fine hairs on my skin stood on end.

Emilian lowered his head deeply, his voice brushing against my ear like a whisper.
“You’re sensitive here, too, Anise.”

Why did his voice carry such an intoxicating undertone? The warmth in his tone made my face flush with embarrassment, as though I’d just heard something improper. I couldn’t bring myself to push him away and instead made a weak protest.
“Well, it’s because you’re touching me like that…”

But my feeble resistance did nothing to stop him. His hand, which had rested at my waist, wandered to the nape of my neck and then to my ear.

He lightly stroked my earlobe, his touch so gentle it tickled, before teasing the curve of my ear. Every time his fingers moved, a shiver ran through me, and a faint sensation flared low in my stomach.

It was unsettling how my body reacted to his mere touch. I bit my lip, unfamiliar with these sensations that seemed to ripple through me like waves.

Emilian leaned in closer, his forehead nearly brushing mine. As I glanced up at him, his crimson eyes gleamed with an unmistakable heat.
“I want to kiss you,” he murmured, his fingers trailing slowly along the side of my face.
“Is that okay?”

The strange warmth pooling at my waist muddled my thoughts, making it difficult to think clearly. It felt as though I’d swallowed a small ember, and it was burning me from the inside. I managed to stammer out a response.
“You said you’d take me by force if you had to… Why ask for permission now?”

Emilian’s eyes widened slightly at my words, but soon his lips curled into a faint smile.
“You’re right,” he replied softly.

The moment he lowered his head, a soft sensation met my lips. Without waiting for my consent, he pressed his lips to mine, gentle yet deliberate.

He kissed me as if savoring something sweet, like honey or candy, lightly sucking on my lips.

I instinctively pushed at his shoulders, trying to create some distance, but my hands stilled as I remembered the words I’d said before—be kind to me. I couldn’t bring myself to reject him completely, not when he seemed so broken, like a wounded animal.

Had he known all along that this would happen if he struck at my vulnerabilities?

‘I don’t know… Right now, I just can’t…’

There was no room in my mind for other thoughts.

Emilian gently bit my lower lip. Startled, I parted my lips without meaning to, and his tongue slipped in, warm and soft.

He explored my mouth with an unhurried thoroughness, as if committing every corner to memory. A tingling sensation coursed down my spine, making me shudder involuntarily.

Our tongues intertwined, wet and warm, as the dizzying pleasure seeped into my thoughts. My mind felt as though it were melting into a hazy, amorphous bliss.

“Hah…”

The kiss lingered, stretching on until the air between us grew thin. When our tightly joined lips finally parted, a delicate thread of transparent saliva connected us briefly before it broke.

Emilian licked it away as if savoring the taste of sweet honey.

The sight made my cheeks burn with embarrassment, and I instinctively turned my gaze away. My eyes landed on the table, where tea and cookies sat untouched.

I only meant to share tea and send him on his way…

How had it come to this? Perhaps I should never have let him into my home in the first place.

But it was too late for such regrets.

When my eyes met his again, the smoldering desire in his gaze had not yet abated. He cupped the back of my head with one hand, pulling me closer as he leaned in deeply.

His breath brushed against my lips, sweet and intoxicating, before he pressed his mouth to mine with renewed intensity. His tongue pushed past my lips, sliding along the tender inner walls with deliberate strokes.

Sparks seemed to explode in my head as my fingertips tingled and a shiver traveled down my spine.

“Ah… Mm…”

The soft sound escaped me involuntarily, and it seemed to spur him on. His hand, wrapped around my waist, tightened, pulling me closer.

Like a parched man desperate for water, Emilian’s tongue intertwined with mine, his movements fervent and relentless. The heat of his kiss left me breathless, tears pooling faintly at the corners of my eyes as my lungs struggled to keep up.

“Hah… Haa…”

His hand slipped beneath the hem of my nightgown, his touch gentle as it glided over the bare skin of my thigh.

“Anise…”

Emilian’s voice came as a low growl, deep and rough, like that of a predator.

He pressed a light kiss to my collarbone before loosening the knot of my robe with practiced ease. A warm, wet sensation followed as his tongue traced a path over my skin, leaving a vivid awareness in its wake.

His hand, which had been stroking my thigh, traveled upward, resting on the soft curve of my chest. Gently, he cupped the sensitive flesh, his touch reverent yet firm.

He teased the peak of it with deliberate circles, light and maddeningly slow. My body jolted as though struck by lightning, a sharp gasp escaping my lips despite my efforts to stifle it.

“Ah…! Hngh…”

Emilian didn’t stop. His fingers continued their playful assault on my most sensitive spots, even as his voice softened, coaxing and tender.

“Shh, Anise. You’ll wake the children,” he murmured against my skin.

His words sent a wave of panic through me, and my eyes snapped wide open. The thought of waking the sleeping children was enough to make me bite down hard on my lower lip, trapping the sounds that threatened to escape.

Fearing another sound might escape, I clamped both hands over my mouth.

Emilian brushed aside the strands of hair clinging to my forehead, his touch gentle and careful. As he pressed his body closer, something firm and unyielding brushed against my thigh. I didn’t need to confirm what it was—it was obvious.

A tremor ran through me, small but involuntary. His earlier words—even if I have to take you by force—resurfaced in my mind, causing fear to settle deep in my chest.

Noticing the subtle change in my body, Emilian moved closer, his lips pressing a feathery kiss to my lashes.

“Don’t be scared. I won’t go any further,” he murmured.

His hand moved to the back of my head, stroking my hair in a gesture meant to reassure me.

“It’s laughable, isn’t it? Using your pity to keep you close and then saying something like that… But…”

His voice trailed off, soft and low, as he pressed a kiss to the corner of my eye. This time, his movements were careful, almost hesitant, as though he feared pushing me too far.

That cautious touch calmed me in an unexpected way. Tentatively, I reached up and rested my hand on his cheek, brushing my fingers across his skin.

His crimson eyes widened slightly at my touch, and a faint, bitter smile formed on his lips.

“You’re too soft with me,” he said, his voice laced with a mix of fondness and frustration.

“Is that wrong?” I asked, blinking slowly.

He chuckled, the sound low and self-deprecating.

“No. It’s my fault—entirely my fault.”

But I couldn’t agree with him. I wasn’t blameless. I knew I wasn’t ready to accept his feelings wholeheartedly, yet I still let him in. I allowed this closeness, knowing it might hurt him more in the end.

I’m sorry, Emilian.

The words hovered on the edge of my lips, but I couldn’t bring myself to say them. Instead, I only parted my lips slightly, unable to voice the apology.

Sensing my hesitation, he pressed his lips to mine, silencing any need for words.

The kiss was gentle, devoid of urgency, filled only with tenderness. My eyes burned with emotion, tears threatening to spill as the warmth of his touch enveloped me.

That night, we held each other in silence, sharing nothing but the quiet, steady rhythm of our heartbeats and the comfort of shared warmth.

***

“Anise, it’s morning! Get up already!”

A flurry of words jolted me from sleep.

Still groggy, I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids and saw Rio standing by my bedside, his hands planted on his hips as he spoke in a mockingly scolding tone.

“How long are you planning to stay in bed?”

Burying my face back into the pillow, I mumbled in a drowsy voice,

“Just let me sleep a little longer, Rio…”

“Oh, come on. Do you even know what time it is?”

As I remained curled under the blanket, Rio finally resorted to drastic measures. With a swift shhk, he yanked the curtains open, letting the morning sunlight flood the room. The sudden brightness stung my barely open eyes.

“It’s seven o’clock! If you don’t get up now, you won’t make it to the apothecary on time!”

“What?! How did it get so late…?”

I shot up in bed, wide awake at last. A quick glance at the clock confirmed his words—I had overslept by a lot. Downstairs, the lively voices of the children rang out like chirping birds.

Springing out of bed like a coiled spring, I hastily smoothed down my disheveled hair and slipped my feet into the nearest pair of slippers.

“Well, this is unusual. You overslept!” Rio teased as he descended the stairs.

I tried to brush off the embarrassment with a sheepish laugh, but then Rio called back over his shoulder.

“Did you stay up late last night?”