“Ugh, my head hurts.”
Raphael tightened the blanket around herself and gently rubbed her temples with one hand.
It took a while before she opened her eyes, dizzy and dazed as she stared at the wall in front of her.
She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand—5:40 PM. Recalling what happened last night, her ears reddened.
‘I actually provoked Laiyinmute like that. He won’t punish me for it, right? After all, he’s been treating me far too well lately.’
The taste of alcohol was making her feel terrible right now, but she finally understood why some people loved it so much.
That floating sensation, that feeling of forgetting all troubles—it was somewhat addictive.
Her mouth was dry.
She was about to get up when she felt something restricting her movement.
She froze for a moment.
The heat from behind made her flustered, especially the sensation at the small of her back.
There was also something… hard.
Raphael’s body stiffened.
The thing behind her pressed closer.
That hard object hovered over her lower back like a knife.
“Don’t move… let me sleep a little longer.”
Laiyinmute’s weary voice came from behind.
Raphael’s body trembled slightly.
The final memories before she fell asleep last night surged through her mind like a tidal wave.
That sentence echoed in her mind:
“I’m scared… stay with me, okay? I’m scared… stay with me, okay?”
The words crashed against her brain like a stormy sea, and her heart gave a violent jolt.
‘Why? Why did I say that last night?’
Raphael thought to herself.
She was never afraid of anything and never needed anyone to stay with her.
She couldn’t understand why she had said that last night, and to Laiyinmute of all people.
‘Why? Why?’
Her mind was baffled.
Last night’s alcohol-soaked brain still hadn’t recovered.
Her head already hurt, and now the intense thinking made it ache even more.
Since she couldn’t figure it out, she simply stopped thinking.
She closed her eyes and tried not to dwell on it, but the scorching heat at her waist constantly stimulated her already tense nerves.
For some reason, her feet also felt numb, as if she had walked all day without a single rest.
She wiggled her toes slightly.
The spaces between them felt oddly dry, and she didn’t know why.
Laiyinmute’s arm around her waist tightened.
His hot breath on her ear made her tremble from time to time.
An inexplicable emotion stirred in her heart.
Was it shyness?
Maybe.
She twisted her body with some difficulty.
Laiyinmute was holding her too tightly.
It took considerable effort to turn around without waking him.
As soon as she turned, Raphael regretted it.
That thing now…
A burning sensation spread across her lower abdomen.
Raphael pursed her lips, afraid to think about what it was.
If she moved even a little, the consequences would be unbearable.
If Laiyinmute moved even slightly, it could…
Regret flooded Raphael’s heart.
The curtains were drawn.
Only the sunlight slipping through the gaps allowed her to see faintly.
She looked at Laiyinmute’s slightly parted lips and his somewhat haggard expression.
She stared at him blankly.
For no reason, she blurted out something even she didn’t understand:
“He’s actually pretty handsome.”
Laiyinmute’s sharp jawline was like a blade.
His light eyebrows didn’t detract from the beauty of his face.
His features were exactly where they should be, with not a single misplacement.
Like a precise digital model, even the slightest deviation would ruin the perfect image.
A faint blush crept onto her face.
They had been in close contact many times before, but studying him closely like this was a first.
When she realized what she was thinking, she hurriedly closed her eyes.
The thing pressing against her lower abdomen kept asserting its presence, making Raphael uncomfortable.
That familiar burning sensation returned, making her feel ashamed.
‘I kind of want to…’
She pressed her lips together even tighter.
Lying beside her was Laiyinmute, and if he found out, the consequences would be dire.
Her willpower wavered in the battle against desire.
But thankfully, she held back.
At least… at least she had to wait until he woke up and left.
She closed her eyes and thought about random things, trying to distract herself.
But what filled her mind was the content of that book.
Her eyes slowly opened.
Her eyes were full of despair.
‘I can’t really do that next to him, can I?’
The sun hung high in the middle of the blue sky, and scorching sunlight streamed through the curtain gaps into the room.
Laiyinmute slowly opened his eyes.
The urge to pee forced him to get up.
He had drunk a lot yesterday and eaten some dishes, and because he was thirsty, he had drunk extra water.
Plus, he had spent a lot of time doing… that thing last night.
So he hadn’t even used the bathroom before falling asleep.
The hardness below his waist made him uncomfortable.
But more importantly, he really couldn’t hold it anymore.
He opened his eyes to see a pair of purple eyes staring at him with resentment and emptiness.
Who else could it be but Raphael, who had been beside him last night?
He smacked his lips a few times, as if recalling the taste from last night—something only he knew.
He noticed that something of his was pressing against something.
After a moment’s thought, he figured it out.
Laiyinmute’s ears also reddened.
After all, this kind of thing was beyond his control.
He instinctively glanced under the blanket and immediately pulled his head back out.
He scratched his head awkwardly, threw off the blanket, quickly put on his shoes, and headed to the bathroom.
Raphael’s dull eyes finally regained focus.
She was about to break.
She had managed to hold back in the end, but only she knew how agonizing it had been.
A moment ago, she had even fantasized about being… but because there was no suitable candidate in her mind, naturally, the face had turned into Laiyinmute’s rather punchable face.
She really couldn’t hold it in anymore.
All she wanted now was to release herself.
She was about to explode.
Her body desperately wanted it, but she couldn’t because someone was next to her.
This kind of restraint—only those who had experienced it could understand.
The room was filled only with her slightly heavy, suppressed breaths.
Laiyinmute emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed.
Having taken care of his bodily needs, and with his body covered in sweat from yesterday, he decided to take a quick shower.
He turned on the showerhead, and the cold water hit his strong, well-built body.
Water droplets slid down his solid muscles to the floor.
He had just the right amount of muscle—not too bulky to look bloated, but not so little that he seemed weak.
After all, he had been training with a sword since childhood.
Without muscles, how could he have the strength to wield a blade?
He had a bathtub, but he didn’t like using it.
The one who used it the most at home was Raphael.
When he felt clean enough, Laiyinmute turned off the water and dried himself off.
He went back to his own room first.
He grabbed a set of clothes and put them on.
He originally wanted to check on Raphael, but then thought better of it.
He knew all too well how one felt after waking up from drinking.
Raphael was probably in that state right now.
It was better to let her rest.
After all, he wasn’t unreasonable.