Chapter 35
A trained, muscular arm stubbornly wrapped around her slender waist.
As Luna struggled and shouted, the strength holding her loosened, followed by a curt voice.
“I asked you yesterday, didn’t I? That I wanted a proper purification.”
“Ah.”
“Ahh?”
Khalid arched one neat eyebrow, mocking her reply. Purification was most effective when it touched the brand directly.
She had shown such eagerness that he thought she was being bold, but, as expected, she had misunderstood.
Luna tried hard to pry herself free, then suddenly became quiet as if nothing had happened. She was the one who had created this strange atmosphere.
“It would be better to postpone this.”
“Ah! No, Your Highness. I was mistaken.”
“Seems the mistake was mine.”
This time Khalid shook his head. From the beginning, purification had started with nothing more than holding hands. Since she was already in his grasp, there was no need to push her and risk ruining things.
“It’s true! I’m sorry for troubling you, Your Highness. But I really do want to purify today. Please let me do it.”
Seeing him finally loosen his grip on her waist, Luna boldly twisted her body on his thigh without fear.
Khalid furrowed his brow slightly, watching her. She didn’t even seem aware that what she was doing was nothing short of tempting him.
The trembling bundle of fur he had seen before was gone, replaced by a woman brimming with confidence and defiance.
“How have other mages done the purification until now?”
Her head was filled with nothing but thoughts of purification. Not for him, but for her own curse. Since the clue lay in his family, she wanted to confirm anything as quickly as possible.
What happens if both are awake during purification? If she purified directly against the brand, would the curse be lifted?
The more she thought about the curse, the more pitiful her expression became.
Khalid silently gazed at her. She had no intention of backing down.
At last, neither too quickly nor too slowly, he clasped her much smaller, soft hand. He too longed for purification just as much as she did.
“Others did it like this.”
Khalid guided her hand firmly to the spot below his heart, near the ribs. He pressed until her palm was fully flattened against his hard muscles.
The act of delving so deeply inside the front of his neat robe felt awkward, and Luna nervously licked her drying lips.
His life force seeped into her through a strange sensation, and embarrassment surged over her like waves soaking sand.
When she timidly raised her head, she met his piercing gaze head-on. Her heart, which had just calmed, now pounded again. But she couldn’t stop.
I don’t want to die. I’m touching you because I want to live…
‘Get a grip.’
Luna swallowed repeatedly to hide her flushed face and uneven breaths.
“Then, I’ll begin the purification.”
She forced her voice to remain calm as she released her magic.
From her hand, pure white energy rose like smoke. It seeped into Khalid’s brand, spreading outward like dye absorbing violet pigment.
The brand was soon covered in her purifying power. Polluted aura erupted from Khalid’s body as if screaming.
Luna wasn’t startled. She focused her mind and let her magic flow more strongly. The pain in her chest was bearable. Unlike the first time, she could endure much more now.
Until now, his purification always reached a point where the taint would fade, only to return. This time, she planned to pour out her magic without pause, leaving no chance for relapse. That was the best she could do.
Soon after beginning, just as expected, the whitened parts began to darken again.
“Hhh!”
Luna poured all her concentration into her fingertips. With her palm directly touching the brand, it burned as though on fire. Her lips parted and her breathing grew ragged.
As her magic poured in, she felt his brand soaking it up like a desert thirstily drinking rain.
But it wasn’t enough. The brand demanded more, greedily devouring her magic without pause. The sensation of it swallowing everything whole was agonizing.
Her hand trembled. From her palm to her entire arm, it felt numb, as though she had overstrained it for hours.
Her chest tightened painfully, heat blooming across her flushed face.
“My lady?”
But Luna couldn’t hear Khalid’s voice. Instead, in her ears rang the merciless clatter of chains breaking.
She forced her blurred vision to stay fixed on the brand, gritting her teeth. She felt that if she pushed just a little further, the purification would succeed.
Just a little more… just a little…
Then it happened.
Ting!
Like a taut string snapping, the purification was cut off in an instant. Heavy darkness fell over her eyes as though the world had gone out.
She couldn’t breathe. The loud ringing in her ears vanished. No sound existed at all.
Luna instinctively knew—he had forcefully broken off the purification.
“Haaah!”
Realizing what happened, her barely-held composure collapsed like a broken dam, and she gasped desperately for air.
If she stopped now, it would fail again!
But her body was limp, powerless.
Khalid covered her eyes with one hand, turning and pulling her into his embrace.
She leaned against him for a long while until her breathing steadied. The cursed brand mocked her, dancing leisurely.
At last, the corrupted aura slipped back inside Khalid’s body and vanished as if it had never been there.
“I was so close… why….”
“Are you alright?”
“Why did you stop?”
“Because nothing must happen to you.”
“….”
Luna had no words. If she had pushed harder, she might have succeeded. At the same time, she would surely have collapsed unconscious.
Even so…
‘Don’t be so kind to me. Who are you to care so much?’
She clenched her fist and bit her inner cheek. She had no grounds to shout at a man who had only been worried about her safety.
Once Khalid saw she was stable, he slowly lowered the hand that had covered her eyes.
Luna’s scattered gaze refocused. The reception room, which had glowed brightly from the purification, dimmed again with only faint beams of light.
She immediately checked the branded back of her hand. The violet flame-shaped mark remained unchanged. Neither smaller nor painful—just eerily calm.
Was purification not the answer? Yet she was sure she had seen it shining brilliantly just moments ago. What would have happened if it had succeeded?
“Does it hurt here?”
A low voice rumbled above her pink hair. His large, warm hand covered hers completely, stroking gently over the branded skin.
Luna flinched and quickly pulled her arm away.
“N-no!”
She blinked rapidly, only then realizing she was leaning heavily against his firm chest, her body draped against him.
Her mind snapped awake, and she tried to get up quickly, but his strong arm held her waist firmly in place.
“Rest a little longer. You’ve overdone it.”
“I-I’ll rest… over there.”
She stammered the words out, barely pointing weakly toward the opposite sofa.
Khalid hesitated, then finally let his arm fall away.
Awkwardly, Luna shifted her hips to rise. But just then, Khalid bent forward, slipping one arm under her back and the other beneath her knees.
As if he had planned it all along, he lifted her effortlessly and carried her across, settling with her still in his lap on the opposite sofa.
“….”
“….”
For a moment, silence thickened between them. Her pointing finger wavered aimlessly, having lost its purpose.
This changes nothing…
She was still nestled on his thigh, even more snugly than before, her face flushing crimson.
She had no idea what to say to him, her heart boiling like a kettle with no vent.
Why is this man like this? Did the purification scramble his head?
“My mind feels perfectly clear, so I’d avoid saying foolish things.”
“…?”
Khalid smirked faintly as he spoke.
“Judging by your reactions, I can guess exactly what you’re thinking.”
In the rays of light, with his dazzling face and lazy smile, Luna’s heart gave out. Speaking to her like that—wasn’t that cheating?
She turned her head sharply away with a heavy sigh.
Fine, I won’t look. He was right anyway; her body felt exhausted, and her already overworked heart was on the brink of overload.
She couldn’t handle any more irregular heartbeats.
“I’ll just go back now.”
Luna muttered irritably, trying to rise and leave him. She meant to stand.
But suddenly her world tilted steeply. Her legs gave out, her weary body staggering violently. She had thought she was fine, but she wasn’t.
Khalid, as if expecting it, swiftly caught her. Her small round head landed against his chest with a soft thud.
“I told you to rest quietly, didn’t I?”
‘This is really unfair.’
Luna lowered her head deeply. His steady heartbeat and unfamiliar warmth seemed to stir every cell in her body.
Now she understood clearly—she was utterly at his mercy.
Even at this very moment.
