It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 97
But from the next day on, Serenia refused to meet his eyes.
No matter how persistently he gazed at her, she would only hold his stare for a few seconds before quickly turning away, and it was driving him insane.
When he asked, she insisted she didn’t dislike him. She hadn’t even rejected his kisses, but despite her words, her avoidance was blatant.
With no eye contact, conversations grew stilted. At dinner, she would barely speak, and afterward, when he escorted her back to her chambers, she would rush inside as if fleeing from him.
‘She must hate me.’
He couldn’t pinpoint what he had done wrong.
Or perhaps…he had done everything wrong.
It felt as though he had clumsily let go of something fragile and precious that had flown straight into his arms.
The anxiety ate away at him. From the moment he woke up in the morning to the second he fell asleep at night, all he could think about was her.
It was absurd. They hadn’t even known each other for that long, and he couldn’t believe how hard he had fallen for her.
‘But it’s worth it, isn’t it?’
Serenia Solen was the key to breaking his endless cycle of regression. She might even hold the memories he had long forgotten.
That alone made her priceless. And on top of that, he had fallen for her.
His first love in countless lifetimes.
A love far deeper and more consuming than the fleeting infatuation of a naïve boy.
It was only natural that he was losing his mind. Anyone would understand.
In fact, it seemed that everyone around Lionel already knew how nervous he was about Serenia. At first, they were in disbelief, but now they were actively trying to help.
And Lionel, setting aside his pride, was willing to accept any and all assistance without hesitation.
The most coveted desserts in the capital. A wardrobe overflowing with the finest dresses. Famous jewels snatched up at auctions before they could even be displayed.
If it was for Serenia, there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
His desperation had become so obvious that anyone even remotely in tune with gossip had caught on—the Duke of Luanax had a woman, and he was in love.
So, Lionel did something reckless. He wounded himself.
His excuse was that he needed to confirm whether her divine power truly restored lost memories. But the truth was that he wanted her attention.
He wanted her to look at him, to speak to him, to hear her voice.
When she healed him, she always wore a gentler expression, and there was always a trace of concern in her gaze. Even if it was pity, he wanted her to turn her heart toward him again.
But perhaps his intentions had been too impure, the moment she realized what he had done, he was sure… it was over. For a moment, his heart plummeted, worried that she would never look at him again. Would she never forgive him?
But then Serenia gave him another chance.
She told him she had felt the same, that her heart had raced, just like his.
And that was why she had avoided him, avoiding eye contact.
As she straddled his lap, meeting his eyes for the first time in days, she smiled softly and whispered to him.
Lionel forgot to breathe, and then, he devoured her lips.
Their third kiss.
This time Lionel boldly crossed the line.
As his tongue invaded her mouth, his lower half pressed against hers, rubbing insistently.
His length, straining against his trousers, throbbed painfully as it slid against her soft flesh, sending waves of pleasure and unbearable hunger through him.
More. More.
He wanted to feel her more. He wanted to be tangled up with her completely.
His hips moved on their own. Grinding against her, as if he could push through the fabric separating them. His mouth ravaged hers, tongue twisting around hers, sucking, devouring.
He was on the verge of losing himself.
Serenia’s hands then moved to his waist. Her small, delicate fingers hesitantly reached for his belt. She fumbled, pulling at the fastenings of his trousers. When her hand accidentally brushed against him, she jerked away, startled.
Her reaction nearly broke him.
‘Too soon.’
Serenia wasn’t ready. She had barely even touched him and already she was startled. If he went all the way now, it would be too much.
Lionel decided he would hold back just one more time.
But instead of stopping completely, he took things a step further.
