What Remains in the Damaged Place - Chapter 45

The lingering warmth and moisture from the bathroom still clung to the air, and Lirette felt it on her lips as Valderion’s kiss pried them open without hesitation.

Her eyes widened in shock, practically bulging from their sockets.

“Mmmpf!”

Her legs, stumbling, collided with something behind her.

She fell backward, but luckily, there was no pain. They had already reached the soft bed, which cushioned her fall.

Thud.

Their bodies, entwined, landed together on the bed. Valderion, now poised above her, took control with the same reckless abandon as before, thrusting his tongue into her mouth like it was his right. As if recalling yesterday’s events vividly, he rubbed his tongue in circular motions against the ridges of her mouth.

Lirette’s shoulders curled forward as her back arched instinctively into the air.

Valderion wasn’t about to let her escape.

His large hand slid beneath her back, covering the area where her Name was inscribed. As his tongue roved inside her mouth, teasingly rubbing against her, the sensation was nothing short of dangerously thrilling for her.

Her head thrashed against the sheets, loosening her carefully pinned-up hair. Strands of silver hair cascaded across the bedding, tangling messily.

A heat she couldn’t explain spread to her scalp, making her want to stop, to run away as far as she could. In desperation, she grabbed his wrist, her fingers surprised by the intense warmth of his skin, and used all her strength to push against his chest.

Finally, their lips parted.

“What… what are you doing?”

Valderion, with one hand resting beside her head, straightened slightly, casting a languid, arrogant gaze down at her. A drop of water from his hair fell onto her shoulder.

“Get on my bed.”

Lirette froze, dazed.

The words, though vague, were impossible to misinterpret in this charged atmosphere.

“I heard that physical contact makes the effects of the Name last longer.”

“…”

“Apparently, it helps when my mark lingers inside you.”

He said these brazen words with an unsettling lack of hesitation, and Lirette was left speechless. How could he say something so suggestive without so much as blinking an eye?

Her shock was palpable, but it was clear she hadn’t managed to hide it well, as Valderion’s lips twisted into a smug smirk.

“Which is it?” he asked.

He reached for a lock of her silver hair, running it between his thumb and forefinger. His seemingly casual gesture felt invasive, especially with the recent memories of their encounters still fresh in her mind.

Lirette kept her lips pressed firmly together, refusing to respond. She knew there was no point in agonizing over this, but given that he was offering her a choice, she would have to make one.

Slowly, she lowered her gaze and turned her head to the side, refusing to meet his eyes.

A frown furrowed Valderion’s brow.

He grabbed one of her legs and yanked it toward him.

The friction between them sent a jolt through Lirette’s body, her figure curling inwards reflexively. It was clear he was demanding her attention, yet she stubbornly resisted, which only seemed to irritate him further.

“Ah!”

Her resistance was short-lived. Valderion’s hand slipped under her skirt, his fingers trailing along the inside of her thigh, making her gasp and whip her head back toward him.

Without hesitation, he dove in for another kiss, parting her lips with a forceful insistence. The sensation of their lips locking brought back the vivid memory of yesterday. His tongue explored her mouth freely, the rough scrape against her palate reigniting the sensitivity in her spine, while his hand insistently massaged the Name on her back.

The overwhelming combination of sensations scrambled her mind.

Her body shuddered slightly as Valderion, even while thoroughly kissing her, noticed the slightest twitch of her muscles.

No part of her was safe from his touch. His fingers, gentle yet firm, caressed the sensitive hollow behind her knee, which clung to his hand like it had been waiting for this moment. Though she had experienced this before, every time it left her body tingling with a strange, electric sensation.

She couldn’t deny it—her reactions, her very being, seemed to stir something primal within him.

With slow, deliberate movements, Valderion wrapped her leg around his waist. The fabric of her skirt slipped further, revealing a pale expanse of her thigh.

Lirette’s response was swift. She bit down hard on his wandering tongue.

Valderion chuckled darkly, swallowing the sting of pain along with the taste of his own blood. Even now, she was stubbornly resisting.

Though he withdrew his lips, he wasn’t about to back down. Instead, he lowered his head to her neck, where he pressed his lips against her skin and sucked hard. A loud, wet sound echoed through the room as he left his mark on her. At the same time, his hand slid up from the back of her knee, delving higher up her thigh.

His dominance was unmistakable, taking control over every part of her body.

“Fine! I’ll go!” she blurted out suddenly.

“….”

“I’ll go… I’ll go with you…”

Only then did Valderion slowly lift his head.

Lirette, flustered, turned her head away, her expression unreadable but clearly frustrated. Her flushed cheeks revealed the intensity of her emotions.

It wasn’t hard to guess what had flustered her.

The way he had provocatively stroked her Name had clearly left a lasting impression.

Lirette had heard from the advisor that once the Name was touched, the sensation wasn’t something easily bearable. It dulled reason and stirred instincts, threatening to overwhelm the mind, almost like being drugged. And yet, even in such a state, she had managed to bite down on her tongue, holding on to a shred of sanity.

Valderion, impressed by her resilience, shook his head and finally relented, stepping back.

Lirette, feeling drained, took a while to catch her breath before sitting up. Her silver hair, now undone, swayed like willow leaves with each movement. She grabbed her cap and ribbon, which had been tossed aside on the bed, and began fixing her hair. Throughout, Valderion’s eyes remained glued to her, his intense gaze so palpable that it almost made her worry that he might pierce through her with it.

She noticed his blatant staring but stubbornly avoided making eye contact. After straightening her skirt, she finally stood up and looked directly at him.

“Can I leave now?” she asked.

Valderion, looking like a man who had gotten what he wanted, nodded calmly.

His casual response made Lirette feel like she had lost yet again.

Reminding herself that ignoring him was the best way to win, she turned to the table and grabbed the bouquet of delphiniums, a beautiful mix of sky blue and purple. Just as she was about to leave the room, his voice stopped her.

“Wait.”

Lirette froze in front of the door.

“You’ll need to leave those flowers.”

“What?” she asked, confused.

“Those flowers are mine.”

“These… are mine,” she responded, baffled.

“And why would they be yours?”

Valderion, standing by the bed, started approaching her with slow, deliberate steps.

“Because I received them as a gift.”

“From whom?”

His tone was leisurely and almost gentle as he continued his approach.

“…From the gardener’s assistant.”

“And where does that assistant work?”

“Here.”

“Yes, here,” he said, taking long strides until he stood directly in front of her.

“This land, this estate,” he added.

Lirette was starting to understand his logic. He was claiming ownership of the flowers because they came from his land and were given to her by someone who worked for him.

She looked up at him, incredulous.

He raised an eyebrow, as if daring her to challenge him.

It was infuriating, but technically, he wasn’t wrong.

Seeing she had no comeback, Valderion effortlessly snatched the delphiniums from her arms.

“Well, it seems we’re done here. Are you just going to stand there?” He even went as far as to open the door for her, his actions akin to that of a petty thief.

Lirette couldn’t help but let out a disbelieving laugh. She almost stepped back when he leaned his head toward her, catching her off guard. Reflexively, she took a step back, wary of another sudden kiss, which had become his usual method of catching her off guard.

With one step back, her other foot naturally followed, and before she knew it, she was already outside the room.

“Goodbye, Lirette,” he called out, his tone oddly cheerful.

The door shut with a loud thud, a clear sign that her presence was no longer required. It felt like being dismissed without a second thought.

Lirette stared at her now-empty hands, feeling a hollow sense of loss.

***

Please rain.

Pour down so hard that no one will even think of going outside.

For days, Lirette had silently prayed for heavy rain. But on the morning of the hunting tournament, the weather was painfully clear, the sun blazing down in a cloudless sky.

Lirette, dressed in her bonnet for the outing, squinted up at the glaringly bright sky, feeling an overwhelming sense of resentment. She sighed and lowered her gaze.

Two large carriages were waiting out front, and several servants bustled about, preparing for departure. Among them was Segen, the same gardener’s assistant who had once shown her around the garden. Despite being nominally the assistant gardener, Segen was now rolling up his sleeves and helping with odd jobs, much like the other house servants.

“Oh, Brilline!” he called out, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his arm, his youthful energy still evident despite the hard work.