“You can touch it as much as you want.”
“No, it’s okay. Oh, the water temperature is just right. Hot.”
Hmm. Adelaide let out a pleased moan. Her body trembled as the hot water wrapped around her skin. Lupinus approached her and sat down next to her. The distance grew closer with their thighs almost touching.
‘You’re not really gonna do that here, are you?’
She opened her eyes, and glanced at him again. He didn’t seem to have any intention to touch her yet. No matter how pe***rted he was, he probably knew he shouldn’t do such things in public. Adelaide enjoyed the hot bath in peace.
“Oh right. Lupin, let me see your arm. Where you were last hurt. Let’s take a closer look.”
“Here. Look.”
Lupin held out his arm. It was fine just like when she saw it before. Not a single scar was left.
“That’s a relief. There are no scars.”
“Why should it scar? It wasn’t a fatal wound so it won’t scar.”
Adelaide flinched at that instant. As she slowly moved her gaze, she saw the dark scar running across his neck. It was exactly where Lupinus was beheaded before he became a warrior.
Lupin usually wore clothes that reached up to his neck or wrapped a bandage to hide his scar. It meant that he still cared.
Maybe it hurts. Adelaide bit her lip and swallowed her words.
“… You don’t have to look like that. Even if you touch it, it doesn’t hurt at all.”
Lupinus lowered his head to make it easier for her to see. Adelaide quickly shook her head.
“No. Let’s talk about something else. You would hate talking about it.”
“I don’t hate it. It just isn’t nice to remember the dirty memories from back then.”
Having his head deca****ted while being held down in front of his father was something he could not forget even after several decades. While he struggled to forget it, it was impossible as long as this scar remained on his neck. He was bound to remember his helpless self every time he looked in the mirror.
“But I don’t care when I’m with you.”
He was sincere. When he was by her side, it just felt like everything didn’t matter. Even the ugly memories seemed to be insignificant. Why would the past matter when Adelaide, his only savior, was by his side.
“All my fears and sorrows disappear when I see you.”
Lupin smiled bashfully and put his finger between hers. As he turned his body, their knees touched.
His wet lips lightly brushed the back of her hand. Once, then two times, a tickling kiss followed. Adelaide shuddered as she felt a burning sensation in her lower abdomen.
“If there’s anything I’m afraid of…”
Lupinus lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand, then slowly lifted his head up. Under his thick eyebrows, the eyes resembling clear ice looked up at her earnestly.
“Being thrown away by you. That’s the only thing.”
“Thrown away… You’re not an object. What do you mean throw away?”
“I am similar to an object. I belong to you, and the moment you throw me away, I will become worthless garbage.”
A sullen smile formed on Lupin’s lips. He had a calm face, but his deep, hoarse voice was somehow desperate.
“So, Adela. Don’t throw me away.”
She did not know whether it was a desperate plea or an order full of obsession. Adelaide wanted to tell him that he was valuable with or without her, but she didn’t. It was because she had an inkling that that wasn’t what Lupinus wanted.
Maybe Lupin was scared. After Abaddon came and went, he must’ve felt a sense of urgency and feared that she wouldn’t let him stay in Greenville. It seems that he was afraid that his brief happiness would suddenly end.
That must be the reason he came back so quickly and why he kept an eye on her and followed her all day.
“Lupin.”
Adelaide gently stroked his bangs. Lupin accepted her hand without even closing his eyes.
“I can’t live without you either.”
She said in a soft voice that tickled his skin.
“How can I throw you away? We just reunited. Overcoming that long misunderstanding.”
After a short kiss on his pretty forehead, Lupin interlocked his fingers with her even tighter.
“You grew up a little bit like a pe***rt, but you are still my first friend. You are also my most precious friend.”
Adelaide pulled her face away, letting out a smirk.
“Remember? I promised to visit and remember you forever. So, even if we separate for a while, it won’t be goodbye.”
Forever. Lupinus slowly mumbled that fragile yet affectionate word.
There was a time when he hated it terribly that her forever and his own were so different in length.
There was a time when he couldn’t reveal his true feelings because his life was full of difficult circumstances.
But not anymore.
As Lupin had grown up and turned into an adult, he became strong enough to outlive Adelaide. He could meet her if he wanted and he could express the feelings burning through his own body by saying them out loud.
Come to think of it, has he ever said the words to her directly? He said he wanted to make his first love come true, but Adelaide was so embarrassed that he couldn’t say the most important part.
“That’s too bad.”
“Huh? What?”
“It would have been better if I was your first love, not your first friend.”
“Just like me.” He added slowly.
“Adela.”
“… Yes?”
Adelaide’s reply was delayed. The moment the word love came out, her thoughts stopped for a while.
Lupin gave her another shock.
“I love you.”
He had always been beautiful, but the way he confessed his true feelings was more impressive than ever.
With his wet hair rustling in the wind, the half-n*ked Lupinus stared at her without the slightest bit of hesitation. Only the quiet sound of running water around them could be heard.
A serious gaze, a faint smile on his lips, and a rapid heartbeat from the skin touching her. All of this confused Adelaide.
“From a very long time ago. I have loved you.”
The slow-paced voice was sweet and sad. He continued with a bashful smile again.
“As I said last time, I am not asking you for an answer. So you don’t have to be so stiff.”
“That…”
“I told you not to forget. I don’t want you to forget that I love you even for a single moment.”
To be honest, he would be lying if he said that he didn’t want Adelaide to answer. What madman wouldn’t want anything from the woman he was in love with?
I think I’d still want more even if I had all of you.
Please love me.
Sometimes he wanted to whisper this and beg for her affection. But he didn’t. Because he knew very well that he wouldn’t win her heart by begging.
So he would smile like he didn’t want anything. While eagerly awaiting the day she would whisper her love for him. Even if it wasn’t only him she would be whispering it to.
“How did you know?”
Adelaide asked hesitantly.
“I mean, that you love me. How did you find out?”
Lupin’s eyebrows twitched and curled. There seemed to be a slight glimmer of hope as her voice asked carefully.
“I’ve just come to understand it myself.”
But, his usual smooth talking skills disappeared at the most important moment and a sloppy answer came out. He had loved her for so long that it was difficult to explain exactly how he realized it.
“What do you mean, just?”
Adelaide grumbled. His answer was somehow familiar. She seemed to have recently said something similar.
“Every moment with you is so good.”
Lupinus, who had been pondering deeply, slowly expressed his ‘symptoms’.
“Even though it’s comfortable to be by your side, my heart sometimes beats to the point that I can’t control it. I always miss you, worry about you, and want to touch you. And I think of you all the time.”
The more he spoke, the more her pink pupils trembled. She only asked in order to calm her confused mind at least a little, but on the contrary, her confusion became worse. A demon came to mind. In fact, several demons.
No, I don’t think that’s it. Adelaide pretended she didn’t know.
“Actually, it hasn’t been long since I admitted it. I kept pretending not to know until we cleared up the misunderstanding. It was love wrapped in a terrible amount of hatred.”
Lupinus spoke as if he had seen through her heart.
“Acknowledging that, I feel at ease. Adela, do you have someone you think you could die for?”
“Ummm…”
Adelaide bit her lip. There were. Everyone she just thought of was like that.
“I think I would be happy to die for you. If this is not love, then what the hell is love?”
“Did you get your answer?” Lupinus added with a smile.
Adelaide replied awkwardly.
“Thank you, Lupin. For… For loving me.”
“You don’t have to thank me. You don’t have to answer anything.”
Lupinus playfully pinched her cheek. Adelaide murmured, “Why do you keep reading my mind?” The water was so hot that her heart kept pounding. It felt like she could hear her heart beating all over her body.
She was strangely embarrassed making eye contact with him. His voice when he confessed to her, remained in her heart and came to mind over and over again.
I can die for you too. Adelaide blushed and swallowed her words. If she said something like that, he might misunderstand.
‘Ugh, I think I’m acting strange because the water is so hot.’
She clenched her fists so tightly that it hurt. She hoped that the distractions would disappear this way.
“Well, isn’t it too hot? Let’s go back inside now. I’m going to wash up properly and go to sleep.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Lupin nodded his head calmly. It was very surprising that they did not have much contact in the bath, and that he was agreeing obediently now.
‘That’s too bad.’
Adelaide jumped in surprise at her own thoughts. That’s too bad, what’s too bad? It’s only natural to wash in the bath, what’s too bad about that! D-Did I really become a pe***rt?
Her face grew even more red in shame. She opened her mouth, vowing not to let him find out about her devious secrets.
“Still, it’s nice to have a long conversation like this after a long time. I think it’s good to just talk without regular absorption. Don’t you think so?”
She asked clumsily.
And it was then. The moment she got up from the bath, Adelaide saw it. The scene in which the towel draped over Lupin’s waist was raised upward for some reason. It was very high too.
“No, I’m still upset.”
Lupinus answered confidently and shamelessly.
“You can touch it as much as you want.”
“No, it’s okay. Oh, the water temperature is just right. Hot.”
Hmm. Adelaide let out a pleased moan. Her body trembled as the hot water wrapped around her skin. Lupinus approached her and sat down next to her. The distance grew closer with their thighs almost touching.
‘You’re not really gonna do that here, are you?’
She opened her eyes, and glanced at him again. He didn’t seem to have any intention to touch her yet. No matter how pe***rted he was, he probably knew he shouldn’t do such things in public. Adelaide enjoyed the hot bath in peace.
“Oh right. Lupin, let me see your arm. Where you were last hurt. Let’s take a closer look.”
“Here. Look.”
Lupin held out his arm. It was fine just like when she saw it before. Not a single scar was left.
“That’s a relief. There are no scars.”
“Why should it scar? It wasn’t a fatal wound so it won’t scar.”
Adelaide flinched at that instant. As she slowly moved her gaze, she saw the dark scar running across his neck. It was exactly where Lupinus was beheaded before he became a warrior.
Lupin usually wore clothes that reached up to his neck or wrapped a bandage to hide his scar. It meant that he still cared.
Maybe it hurts. Adelaide bit her lip and swallowed her words.
“… You don’t have to look like that. Even if you touch it, it doesn’t hurt at all.”
Lupinus lowered his head to make it easier for her to see. Adelaide quickly shook her head.
“No. Let’s talk about something else. You would hate talking about it.”
“I don’t hate it. It just isn’t nice to remember the dirty memories from back then.”
Having his head deca****ted while being held down in front of his father was something he could not forget even after several decades. While he struggled to forget it, it was impossible as long as this scar remained on his neck. He was bound to remember his helpless self every time he looked in the mirror.
“But I don’t care when I’m with you.”
He was sincere. When he was by her side, it just felt like everything didn’t matter. Even the ugly memories seemed to be insignificant. Why would the past matter when Adelaide, his only savior, was by his side.
“All my fears and sorrows disappear when I see you.”
Lupin smiled bashfully and put his finger between hers. As he turned his body, their knees touched.
His wet lips lightly brushed the back of her hand. Once, then two times, a tickling kiss followed. Adelaide shuddered as she felt a burning sensation in her lower abdomen.
“If there’s anything I’m afraid of…”
Lupinus lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand, then slowly lifted his head up. Under his thick eyebrows, the eyes resembling clear ice looked up at her earnestly.
“Being thrown away by you. That’s the only thing.”
“Thrown away… You’re not an object. What do you mean throw away?”
“I am similar to an object. I belong to you, and the moment you throw me away, I will become worthless garbage.”
A sullen smile formed on Lupin’s lips. He had a calm face, but his deep, hoarse voice was somehow desperate.
“So, Adela. Don’t throw me away.”
She did not know whether it was a desperate plea or an order full of obsession. Adelaide wanted to tell him that he was valuable with or without her, but she didn’t. It was because she had an inkling that that wasn’t what Lupinus wanted.
Maybe Lupin was scared. After Abaddon came and went, he must’ve felt a sense of urgency and feared that she wouldn’t let him stay in Greenville. It seems that he was afraid that his brief happiness would suddenly end.
That must be the reason he came back so quickly and why he kept an eye on her and followed her all day.
“Lupin.”
Adelaide gently stroked his bangs. Lupin accepted her hand without even closing his eyes.
“I can’t live without you either.”
She said in a soft voice that tickled his skin.
“How can I throw you away? We just reunited. Overcoming that long misunderstanding.”
After a short kiss on his pretty forehead, Lupin interlocked his fingers with her even tighter.
“You grew up a little bit like a pe***rt, but you are still my first friend. You are also my most precious friend.”
Adelaide pulled her face away, letting out a smirk.
“Remember? I promised to visit and remember you forever. So, even if we separate for a while, it won’t be goodbye.”
Forever. Lupinus slowly mumbled that fragile yet affectionate word.
There was a time when he hated it terribly that her forever and his own were so different in length.
There was a time when he couldn’t reveal his true feelings because his life was full of difficult circumstances.
But not anymore.
As Lupin had grown up and turned into an adult, he became strong enough to outlive Adelaide. He could meet her if he wanted and he could express the feelings burning through his own body by saying them out loud.
Come to think of it, has he ever said the words to her directly? He said he wanted to make his first love come true, but Adelaide was so embarrassed that he couldn’t say the most important part.
“That’s too bad.”
“Huh? What?”
“It would have been better if I was your first love, not your first friend.”
“Just like me.” He added slowly.
“Adela.”
“… Yes?”
Adelaide’s reply was delayed. The moment the word love came out, her thoughts stopped for a while.
Lupin gave her another shock.
“I love you.”
He had always been beautiful, but the way he confessed his true feelings was more impressive than ever.
With his wet hair rustling in the wind, the half-n*ked Lupinus stared at her without the slightest bit of hesitation. Only the quiet sound of running water around them could be heard.
A serious gaze, a faint smile on his lips, and a rapid heartbeat from the skin touching her. All of this confused Adelaide.
“From a very long time ago. I have loved you.”
The slow-paced voice was sweet and sad. He continued with a bashful smile again.
“As I said last time, I am not asking you for an answer. So you don’t have to be so stiff.”
“That…”
“I told you not to forget. I don’t want you to forget that I love you even for a single moment.”
To be honest, he would be lying if he said that he didn’t want Adelaide to answer. What madman wouldn’t want anything from the woman he was in love with?
I think I’d still want more even if I had all of you.
Please love me.
Sometimes he wanted to whisper this and beg for her affection. But he didn’t. Because he knew very well that he wouldn’t win her heart by begging.
So he would smile like he didn’t want anything. While eagerly awaiting the day she would whisper her love for him. Even if it wasn’t only him she would be whispering it to.
“How did you know?”
Adelaide asked hesitantly.
“I mean, that you love me. How did you find out?”
Lupin’s eyebrows twitched and curled. There seemed to be a slight glimmer of hope as her voice asked carefully.
“I’ve just come to understand it myself.”
But, his usual smooth talking skills disappeared at the most important moment and a sloppy answer came out. He had loved her for so long that it was difficult to explain exactly how he realized it.
“What do you mean, just?”
Adelaide grumbled. His answer was somehow familiar. She seemed to have recently said something similar.
“Every moment with you is so good.”
Lupinus, who had been pondering deeply, slowly expressed his ‘symptoms’.
“Even though it’s comfortable to be by your side, my heart sometimes beats to the point that I can’t control it. I always miss you, worry about you, and want to touch you. And I think of you all the time.”
The more he spoke, the more her pink pupils trembled. She only asked in order to calm her confused mind at least a little, but on the contrary, her confusion became worse. A demon came to mind. In fact, several demons.
No, I don’t think that’s it. Adelaide pretended she didn’t know.
“Actually, it hasn’t been long since I admitted it. I kept pretending not to know until we cleared up the misunderstanding. It was love wrapped in a terrible amount of hatred.”
Lupinus spoke as if he had seen through her heart.
“Acknowledging that, I feel at ease. Adela, do you have someone you think you could die for?”
“Ummm…”
Adelaide bit her lip. There were. Everyone she just thought of was like that.
“I think I would be happy to die for you. If this is not love, then what the hell is love?”
“Did you get your answer?” Lupinus added with a smile.
Adelaide replied awkwardly.
“Thank you, Lupin. For… For loving me.”
“You don’t have to thank me. You don’t have to answer anything.”
Lupinus playfully pinched her cheek. Adelaide murmured, “Why do you keep reading my mind?” The water was so hot that her heart kept pounding. It felt like she could hear her heart beating all over her body.
She was strangely embarrassed making eye contact with him. His voice when he confessed to her, remained in her heart and came to mind over and over again.
I can die for you too. Adelaide blushed and swallowed her words. If she said something like that, he might misunderstand.
‘Ugh, I think I’m acting strange because the water is so hot.’
She clenched her fists so tightly that it hurt. She hoped that the distractions would disappear this way.
“Well, isn’t it too hot? Let’s go back inside now. I’m going to wash up properly and go to sleep.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Lupin nodded his head calmly. It was very surprising that they did not have much contact in the bath, and that he was agreeing obediently now.
‘That’s too bad.’
Adelaide jumped in surprise at her own thoughts. That’s too bad, what’s too bad? It’s only natural to wash in the bath, what’s too bad about that! D-Did I really become a pe***rt?
Her face grew even more red in shame. She opened her mouth, vowing not to let him find out about her devious secrets.
“Still, it’s nice to have a long conversation like this after a long time. I think it’s good to just talk without regular absorption. Don’t you think so?”
She asked clumsily.
And it was then. The moment she got up from the bath, Adelaide saw it. The scene in which the towel draped over Lupin’s waist was raised upward for some reason. It was very high too.
“No, I’m still upset.”
Lupinus answered confidently and shamelessly.
