Chapter 7
Pffft! The Holy Knight, who’d been sipping water during a brief pause, suddenly spat it all over Bezel. His perfectly sculpted profile became damp from the water that flew at him unexpectedly.
Eden found herself staring at the droplets wetting Bezel’s hair, trickling down the sharp line of his jaw, before snapping back to her senses.
“Wh-what did you just say…!”
Damn it. His appearance was so breathtakingly beautiful. The sudden spray of water from the Holy Knight made him even sexier. She nearly nodded without thinking.
‘No matter how long I’ve been starved of men, I’m not the type to jump some guy I don’t even know! And I’m all about the money, not the body, you bastard!’
This man was dangerous. Eden pushed her chair back and scooted away from Bezel.
“Saying something so obscene in a holy church! No way! Absolutely not! I’m not buying it!”
“That’s not what I meant….”
Bezel’s cheeks flushed red, as if he were the one more embarrassed. Oh my god. Wet and now blushing? He looked even more obscene. What kind of man was born this pretty? He had the kind of face you’d be scared to show off anywhere.
“Let me show you with actions, not words.”
As Bezel stood up from his seat, the blanket the church had given him slipped off. With each step he took toward Eden, his robe parted, and his third leg peeked out before disappearing again. Eden waved her hands frantically, face bright red.
“No! What are you trying to show me! Don’t come over here, don’t come!”
She looked to the Holy Knight for help, but he was too busy fighting a fierce battle with himself. His face looked about to burst, and his eyes kept flicking downward as if he was in no condition to stand.
Bezel leaned over Eden in her chair. Up close, this woman was even more tempting than she’d been from a distance. In her pitch-black eyes swirled deep-seated vengeance and resentment. It was the color of death that contrasted with her peach-like ripe cheeks and lips that looked like they’d bleed if touched.
“May I see your hand?”
“M-my hand? Why…!”
Instead of waiting, Bezel grabbed her right hand. He rolled up her long sleeve, revealing the curse that spread up to her elbow.
“It’s lucky that the curse was on your right hand. If it had been your left and had spread just a little more, it would’ve reached your heart and killed you.”
Eden’s expression stiffened at the sudden mention of the curse.
“You seem to know a lot about curses?”
“I can’t remember clearly… but I think I used to do work related to them. The moment I saw your hand, I just knew I could heal it.”
“Heal it? That’s impossible. I’ve tried every supposed cure out there and none of them worked.”
Eden wondered if Bezel had been a doctor before he was captured. If he was, then maybe he’d be useful to have around at home. Not for the curse, of course, but he might be able to treat injuries from jobs.
‘So that’s what he meant by paying with his body? I thought….’
Eden let out a deep sigh, unsure whether she felt relief or disappointment.
Just as she was about to pull her hand away and say it was no use looking at it any longer, Bezel pulled her hand toward him and pressed his lips to the blackened skin.
While a kiss on the back of a hand could be a casual greeting even between strangers, it was completely inappropriate in the current situation.
“What do you think you’re doing!”
The moment Eden yelled, the dark spots began to slowly fade from where Bezel’s lips had touched.
“Wh-what!”
Startled, Eden stood up from her seat. The Holy Knight who had been watching from the side stood up as well, forgetting to hide the bulging front of his robe.
“M-miss Hunter! The curse!”
Eden’s curse was so famous that anyone in this line of work within the Empire would know about it.
An incurable curse that no doctor could heal, and even the priest she’d paid a fortune for could only slow the disease’s progress.
And yet, with just one kiss from this man, the curse had improved enough for her hand to regain its original color.
***
“Now, here’s the room you’ll be staying in.”
Eden opened the door to the room she had been using as a closet. Though she called it a closet, there weren’t many clothes in it. There was only one simple wardrobe, so it was spacious enough for a guest to stay.
“Good thing I’ve got this old mattress lying around. It’s a bit sunken from being used for so long, but it’s not so bad you can’t sleep on it. So sleep here.”
Eden laid out the mattress that had been leaning against one wall. She bought it back when money was tight, and it was so thin it resembled a thick blanket more than an actual mattress.
‘I’m sleeping here for free, I should tolerate this much.’
Eden neatly placed the spare blanket on top of the mattress and then gestured with a little flourish.
“All set! You can sleep now.”
“Ah…”
She had shown all the sincerity she could muster, but Bezel didn’t look pleased for some reason. He fidgeted with his hands clasped together, glancing up from the mattress to Eden to gauge her expression.
“Um… so I’m sleeping here alone?”
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