I Wish You Well In Your Next Love, My Love - Chapter 39

The gaze clung to me heavily, as if observing my every movement, and refused to leave.

“…It must have been unpleasant for you.”

The muscles in my face almost twitched under his stare.

“Nothing’s more disgusting than skin touching other guys, that’s for sure.”

“I’m sor—”

“Don’t apologize. If we’re counting, I’ve done it far more times. And.”

“……”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“What?”

While I stood there flustered, Gerard strode over and sat on the edge of the bed near me. His warm hand lightly took mine.

Light enough that I could have pulled away easily. But I could only leave my hand in his grasp, as if bound.

“Did you know? Even if you’re just holding me like this, you’re purifying me.”

“……”

“Your energy is flowing into me. Even without you realizing it.”

Only then did I look at our joined hands. What he said wasn’t a lie. It was a very small amount, but just holding hands was enough for my energy to flow into Gerard.

For seven years, we had exchanged purification only with each other. The path had already been opened.

Even without imprinting, we were connected like an Awakened and a Purifier who had formed an imprint.

“No one has ever been able to purify me. So why are you different?”

His lips, speaking from close range, looked especially red and vivid. His long, firm fingers slowly began to thread between mine, as if urging me to answer.

My neck stiffened, and dry saliva pooled in my mouth. I needed to come up with an excuse, but his scent dulled my thoughts.

Feeling my heart pounding violently enough to make me nauseous, I pulled my hand away.

Slip.

My fingers came free far too easily, without the slightest resistance.

This was all I was to the current Gerard. Something that might spark a moment’s curiosity, but not someone worth his lasting interest.

“Since you’ve been receiving purification from Arvina, maybe your synchronization rate improved. It’s not that I’m anything special.”

I barely managed to finish speaking without stumbling. Until now, I had escaped situations like this by using Arvina as an excuse.

But Gerard gave no response.

An uneasy silence followed.

I desperately wanted to run away from this place. My hands, resting on my thighs, twitched slightly. Just as I gathered the courage to stand—

“Then you’re saying, if I receive purification from another fourth-rank, it would be the same?”

His voice, asking the question, was gentle.

“Yes.”

But his eyes, fixed on me, felt like they were piercing through my nerves.

“Do you know what else I hate, besides skin touching other people?”

“……”

“Being lied to.”

The corner of his lips curved smoothly upward.

Despite the playful tone, I couldn’t return the smile. It felt as if I had been pinned in place by something sharp.

* * *

I didn’t even know how I managed to get ready and make it to the temple.

I couldn’t focus on the lesson at all and even received a warning from Priest Edmon, but it didn’t last long.

“Being lied to.”

There was no way he remembered something and was testing me, right?

No. If he had noticed, he wouldn’t have stopped at simply questioning me.

The uneasy thought kept rising and falling.

‘Honestly, there should be limits to sleeping habits. Why did I have to cling to him.’

Gerard could at least blame the aftereffects of his rampage for his unstable body and mind. But I had no excuse. I had been perfectly normal.

I couldn’t forget the sharp look in his eyes this morning as he questioned me.

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