Chapter 76
Hansel trembled from the pain as Dante finally released her and stepped back. He touched the fresh bite mark he had left on her neck and muttered softly.
“You shouldn’t like wolves.”
“I don’t even—”
“You’re mine.”
Hansel held her breath for a moment. His crimson eyes stared intently at her face, as if determined not to miss even the smallest change in expression.
“From now on, like only me.”
At his whispered words, the noisy thoughts in Hansel’s mind abruptly stopped. The chaos dissipated, melting away as effortlessly as sugar dissolving in water.
—I like you. You’re already mine.
Before she had left the house, he had said those very words.
Her mouth felt damp from the water, yet it also felt parched. Her pounding heart seemed as though it would send ripples across the surface of the bathwater.
She felt like she could understand him and yet… she couldn’t.
How?
How could he say he liked her, not even knowing who she was or why she had tried to leave? The swirling questions spiraling in her mind couldn’t make their way past her lips.
“Dante, you know, about the werewolf, I—”
Splash!
Another deluge of water hit her.
Hansel quickly realized that every time she uttered the word ‘wolf’ or ‘werewolf’, she would be met with a water attack.
When Hansel finally relented and let herself be handled quietly, peace was restored. Dante gently touched her hair, which floated like golden threads on the water’s surface.
“Tell me who you are, too.”
—Why does that thing know who you are.
That was what he was asking about.
“……”
Hansel hesitated. How much could she actually tell him?
That she was the daughter of a mage family he utterly despised. That she was the eldest daughter of the Arsinoe family, sitting atop the remnants of his tragic past. That she had hidden all of this from him from the very start.
If she confessed everything, would he forgive her?
He cared about her so much… if she were honest, maybe this one time he’d let it go. It might be difficult for a while, but…
Hansel avoided Dante’s gaze.
“I… didn’t hear that part. He didn’t tell me. Things happened, and I couldn’t…”
As expected, she wasn’t ready yet.
Even now, she was cowardly and weak. She hated how pathetic she was, but it couldn’t be helped. Dante, who was strong, pure, and sorrowful—he was so different from her, who had been born broken and flawed from the start.
As Hansel fell silent, Dante resumed gently washing her. He was thorough, as though making sure to erase every trace of what the werewolf had done to her. Every place the werewolf had touched, Dante scrubbed meticulously, as if cleansing it completely.
By the time the bath was finished, Hansel was utterly exhausted and half-asleep. Dante carried her limp body out, draped over his shoulder like a wet bundle of straw.
***
When did I even leave the bathroom?
Hansel couldn’t distinguish whether she had fallen asleep or not. Her hair was still damp, indicating the bath hadn’t been long ago.
The soft sensation beneath her back—was it a bed?
Her eyelids felt so heavy…
Hansel barely managed to lift them. Through a blurry, watercolor-like haze, she saw Dante’s figure. The soft glow of the red bedside lamp painted his face, making it look as elegant as a masterpiece.
“Dante…”
Hansel mumbled weakly.
Dante sat beside her, gently brushing through her wet hair. With each stroke of his hand, her hair dried, turning soft and fluffy. It seemed the bath hadn’t ended long ago.
Hansel fought to keep her eyes open, her eyelids threatening to close again. Through her foggy vision, Dante’s form shimmered faintly.
“You’re not going to ask why I left the house?”
“No.”
“…Why not?”
As Hansel, her cheeks flushed pink, gazed at him, Dante remained silent.
She wanted to wait for his answer, but her eyes closed despite her efforts.
So sleepy…
As Hansel quickly drifted into sleep, Dante lightly caressed her forehead.
“It doesn’t matter much.”
After all, you wouldn’t be leaving again.
Hansel didn’t hear his murmured words. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate was hard to say.
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