chapter 35 CDeborah froze, her whole body flushing with heat. She wondered, ‘He’s been gone for days–and the moment he returns, he wants to… do this?‘
“Si–Simon…” she turned her head, barely dodging his lips.
But his hands didn’t stop. He slid her robes from her shoulders, his fingers starting to explore her skin.
She gently pushed against his chest, her voice uneasy. “Wait… Simon, just give me a second. I have so much I still want to–mmph…”
“What is it?” Simon gave her a faint smile and shifted to press her down beneath him. “Say whatever you want. I’m listening.”
But his hands… they weren’t listening at all.
“Simon, seriously–please, not yet. I mean it… I need to talk to you–ah!”
He pinched her lightly, sending her into a flustered panic. She pushed harder against his arm. “Simon…”
“Simon…”
Alright, alright.” He let out a low breath and looked down at her, his voice more serious now. “Go ahead.”
His gaze still burned with desire, and Deborah could feel the tension in his body–hard and unyielding. But he did stop, hands stilled, truly waiting for her to speak.
She blinked up at him, still uneasy beneath his weight, like a frightened little rabbit trapped beneath a predator.
“Why were you hiding from me?” she asked, softly but firmly. She needed to know. She was terrified that come morning, he’d disappear again and she wouldn’t be able to find him.
“If I told you I had my reasons—and I can’t explain them to you yet–would you believe me?” Simon took her delicate hand and raised it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss against her fingers.
“But no matter what happens, I would never abandon you. I won’t leave you–not in this life or the next,” he continued.
“… Was I too harsh when I spoke to your brother?” she asked, uncertain. She thought, ‘Damian seems genuinely bothered.
Simon gave a gentle smile. “There are things I’ll explain to you–one day. But not now.”
“Then… are you going to disappear again?“.
He didn’t respond.
Her heart sank. “What kind of marriage is this…?”
He leaned down and gave her lips a light kiss. “One day, you’ll have all the answers.”
“And what if I don’t want to wait?”
He paused, his gaze locking onto hers. “You want to leave me?”
In that instant, Deborah saw something cold flash in his eyes–a chill that reminded her not of Simon, but of Damian. She instinctively shrank back.
But that flash of cold vanished just as quickly, replaced once more by a soft smile.
“I won’t let you leave me,” he whispered. “Never. You won’t get away–not in this lifetime.”
“Simon…”
“If anything happens while I’m gone, go to my brother. He’ll protect you.”
She bit her lip, hesitant to say anything bad about Damian in front of him. But staying in the Damian’s estate made her uneasy.
“Simon, when we were at the palace, the Queen Mother gave us that soup… Neither of us knew. And then I… with your brother…”
“He already explained. It wasn’t your fault. I’m not angry,” Simon said calmly.
“You… you’re not angry?” Deborah blinked, surprised.
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Chapter 35
She had agonized over how to bring it up. And now–she thought, ‘I don’t even need to?‘
“I trust you. And I trust him too,” Simon said, nodding without the slightest trace of resentment.
Still, Deborah couldn’t shake the discomfort. What happened between her and Damian–it had never been right. She didn’t even know how to define their relationship anymore.
“I believe you have your reasons,” she said softly. “And I know there are things you can’t tell me. But… I want to talk to you about something.”
She hesitated. It wasn’t that she resented Damian–but their relationship was too strange, too uncomfortable.
“Simon, when everything is over… can we move out? Just the two of us?”
Simon’s expression darkened. “Why? Are you uncomfortable here?”
Deborah quickly shook her head. “No… it’s not that. I just–don’t want to keep living under the same roof as your brother.”
She didn’t notice how his face turned colder with every word.
Lowering her voice, she added, “I don’t want to see him anymore–ah! Simon, what are you–wait… mmph-”
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