Chapter 158
If Carter had managed to just hold back his voice under her touch, maybe Eugenie could have kept her composure. But she couldn’t exactly scold an injured man for making indecent noises, either.
Apparently, the healing magic itself was a stimulus—Carter let out a low, sensual groan from deep in his throat as the pain faded.
“Uh… mmm…”
The sound nearly scorched Eugenie’s concentration. The body making those sounds, the muscles of his back quivering under her fingers, the deep shadows that traced over his skin… If the faithful knew what was hidden beneath the priest’s ceremonial robes, would they be able to pray with a clear mind? Or would they be plagued by wicked thoughts?
Maybe it was because her mana was draining away, but her chest, trapped under her shirt, felt uncomfortably warm. Her n*****s were stiff, pressed against her bra, and her knees almost buckled with the sensation.
‘Okay, I need to talk about something else.’
She frantically tried to look for a topic to distract her mind.
“Lately, everyone seems to be a lot more… affectionate. Did something happen between you guys?”
“Ahh…”
“What did you all talk about? Can you tell me?”
Carter answered slowly, still not meeting her gaze.
“We’re competing over you. We just can’t stand the terms of Mrs. Norton’s contract anymore.”
“….”
“Isn’t that just human nature?”
His cool response made Eugenie shrink back a little. But if she couldn’t look him in the eye now, she might never say what she really wanted to say.
“…I do think my mother’s contract was unfair.”
It had always been right to save Alfred—but not as a means to justify her own messy love life. She was glad to have helped Percival too, but he’d had plenty of cousins; the only reason she’d saved him was because he was the direct heir.
‘It was the same with Elaine Sabnac…’
Maybe her mother could have saved more people, but had simply left after helping Cassius.
“I’m grateful for being able to meet everyone, but I want to talk honestly with all of you about this contract.”
“….”
“Carter, if you really hate this whole situation—”
She knew Carter loved her. She could understand why he might be cold right now. In relationships, there’s never just one right answer. Even if they talked, nothing would be perfectly settled.
‘But talking is still better than bottling things up… right?’
That’s why she wanted to have this conversation with the one person most likely to care.
‘Wait.’
She’d nearly finished healing his wounds when a sudden thought made her hands stop.
‘Are these really just old injuries that got aggravated?’
Eugenie wasn’t an expert in trauma, but if these were old wounds, shouldn’t there be some scabbing?
‘Why isn’t there a single scab…?’
A chill ran down her spine, even stronger than when she’d first seen Carter’s wounds.
“Eugenie.”
As she stopped moving, Carter slowly turned his head. Blond hair fell across those icy blue eyes, as sharp as a blade.
“What’s wrong?”
“….”
“Why’d you stop?”
“…You.”
Eugenie blinked, withdrawing her hand. The blush from a moment before faded from her cheeks.
“These injuries… are they really from that day?”
“That day?”
“The abandoned mine.”
“Oh… The mine.”
Carter arched his brows briefly, then gave a placid smile.
“No. They healed up back then.”
“…Why would you lie about that?”
“I only said my back was hurt. Did I ever say it was still from the mine?”
“Then these scars—?”
She couldn’t bring herself to finish the question.
‘Did you do this to yourself?’
But no. No way. Carter Livingston wouldn’t do something like that. Since he reached out to her as a child, he’d never left her side. That’s the Carter she knew—except for those six years apart.
“You—”
Eugenie tried to get up from the bed, but Carter was faster. In an instant, he pinned her down, trapping her wrists with just one hand.
“Ah—wait, Carter.”
“You need help, don’t you, Eugenie?”
“No, I—ugh, I’m fine—”
“No, you’re not.”
He smiled as his hand closed over her rapidly rising and falling chest.
“You healed me, so you’d better let me repay the favor.”
And with that, he swiftly ripped open her shirt, tearing the thin fabric apart in an instant.
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