Chapter 74
Apparently irritated by my resistance, Claude firmly held my wrists with one hand and returned to kissing, teasing my earlobe with his free hand.
“…It’s ticklish.”
I squirmed and mumbled. Claude ignored it.
“It’s ticklish, I said…”
Embarrassed, I whined childishly. Claude responded by gently licking my lips and playfully massaging my neck, which only intensified the ticklish sensation.
This wasn’t my first kiss with Claude. It was the fourth time, but had we ever kissed like this before, naturally caught up in the moment?
It was unbearable. Claude’s long eyelashes, the sound of his excited breathing, the soft touch of our lips, the warmth of his tongue, everything was overwhelming.
I felt strangely good, not scared or repulsed. But I wanted to escape this situation, to run away.
My wrists were held tightly, leaving me no choice but to awkwardly fiddle my fingers, accepting him.
My body twisted and writhed, making sounds like a whining puppy, when suddenly, guiding happened again.
This time it was more intense, like a flowing river compared to the earlier gentle stream. Even Claude, who had been grumbling about focusing, paused.
“Ah, why is this happening?”
“…”
“Wait, just… move aside for a moment.”
I was relieved that the guiding continued, but I felt awkward and embarrassed about the situation.
If I had to explain, it felt like my heart was laid bare to him, a kind of embarrassment as if he knew my innermost feelings. Of course, as far as I knew, Claude didn’t have abilities like mind reading or clairvoyance.
I wriggled to push Claude away, but his solid chest was immovable, like trying to push a rock. Instead, his arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer.
Once again, I was helplessly drawn to him, his lips pressing against mine once more.
It was as if a switch had been flipped; Claude’s breathing was now more intense than before.
And then, suddenly…
“…”
“…”
This time, it wasn’t just a river of guiding; it was a waterfall—a flood. Even Claude paused, surprised by the intensity of the guiding.
Had there ever been such guiding energy this strong before?
Both of us were wide-eyed and speechless, a moment of silence passing between us.
How much time went by?
Just as I felt Claude’s grip around me loosen, he buried his face in my shoulder, remaining motionless for a long time.
…
…What now?
Was the kiss over?
Not that I was particularly eager for more, but ending it like this felt somewhat unfinished.
As I fiddled aimlessly with my hands, checking Claude’s reaction…
“…”
“…”
His laughter, though muffled against my shoulder, was unmistakable. Claude’s broad shoulders shook with quiet chuckles.
…I felt strangely uncomfortable.
I couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, but it was incredibly embarrassing.
“…Why are you laughing?”
I asked gruffly, but Claude didn’t answer, just shaking his head and continuing to laugh.
“Ah, really, Rose…”
“Why are you laughing? Is the guiding funny to you?”
There are two ways to infuriate someone: leave them hanging in a conversation or laugh without explaining why. Claude did the latter.
No matter how much I urged him, he just chuckled for a long time.
Finally, lifting his head, his eyes were even tear-streaked.
“…There’s nothing else as interesting as you in this world.”
He wiped his tears, still laughing.
What does that mean? What did I do?
Living with Claude, I had discovered that he had a surprisingly easy laugh.
“I can’t understand your sense of humor… Ah!”
Mid-complaint, Claude suddenly sat up and scooped me into his arms. Surprised, I instinctively clung to his neck.
“Ah, why! Put me down…!”
“Rose.”
His laughter echoed in my ears. I couldn’t understand why, but he seemed in a great mood.
Seeing Claude’s eyes crinkling in laughter up close was mesmerizing. My struggles ceased as I stared blankly at him.
“If you’re done being mad, want to go for ice cream?”
He whispered it more sweetly than ice cream itself could ever be.
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