Chapter 34
05_The fruit of the tree of knowledge
The moment that mischievous voice slipped into her ear, Prina froze on the spot.
‘What… what did I just hear?’
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heartbeat thundered louder than her own breathing.
Trapped inside the sound of her own pounding heart, Prina even forgot to breathe.
Her face and even the tips of her ears grew hot in an instant.
“If you don’t want to, you can refuse.”
She was confused.
He said she could refuse, yet it was true she had been relying entirely on him.
It was also true she had declared she would do anything, no matter what.
This was all something she had started.
But unlike Prina, who was so startled she could barely think, he remained calm.
Even while saying such words, he acted as though nothing were out of the ordinary.
He was the one responsible for her survival and safety.
What if she disappointed him, and things became awkward between them?
Would he… drive her out then?
Would she no longer be allowed to stay in this safe nest he had given her?
Irritatingly enough, that fear came first.
Thinking of how shameless she was only made her feel gloomier.
“B-But then…”
“Even then.”
Hunter repeated her words, looking her straight in the eyes.
“I won’t abandon you.”
He whispered it as if to reassure her.
As though he already knew exactly what was in her heart.
He kept pouring sweet words into her ear.
Why, all of a sudden…
“It’s not sudden, Prina.”
Had he read her thoughts? Or had it shown in her eyes?
“I’ve wanted you all along.”
Her heart gave a jolt.
Prina’s pale-blue eyes widened as if they might burst.
“Now, you should want me too.”
He said it was fine to refuse, yet at the same time told her she should want him.
It sounded like brainwashing… and yet also like a desperate spell.
Confused by the contradiction in his words, her lips were already close enough to touch his.
“So, Prina.”
When Hunter’s golden eyes flickered slowly, Prina felt as though she had found a star to light her way through the dark. A lone star to guide her on the shadowed path.
Every time his warm, soft lips moved, they brushed dangerously close.
“Kiss me.”
That brief command ended even the last flicker of hesitation in her.
The moment Prina’s trembling lashes lowered, their lips met as if enchanted.
Sweet. Sweeter than the chocolate she had just eaten.
So sweet it almost frightened her.
Their slick, yielding lips slid together, breaths tangling deeper.
Like sinking into a swamp, they fell into each other.
When she finally pulled away—driven by a vague, unnameable guilt—the sight that met her eyes was his damp, reddened lips.
They were like a forbidden fruit, impossible to look away from.
Is this… really okay?
Perhaps reading the worry in her gaze, he cupped her cheek with a gentle hand.
“Did you dislike it, Prina?”
…No. It was sweet.
“Sweet, wasn’t it? You didn’t hate it.”
When Prina gave a silent nod, he reaffirmed it.
“It’s fine.”
Then, like reassuring a child with candy, he claimed her lips once more.
Even the pitiful breaths she tried to exhale were swallowed whole into his mouth.
It was a kiss both tender and domineering.
Only after the long kiss ended did she realize…
She had eaten the forbidden fruit.
His sly lips had waited, almost eagerly, for her to sin.
They sank in deep, branding her heart with the mark of guilt.
Strong arms supported her waist, drawing her close until their chests were pressed together.
The sound of his heartbeat joined hers, growing louder and louder.
It wasn’t just her. His heart was pounding too.
Hard, fast, relentless. Beat after beat.
Was his chest, too, about to burst?
Her thoughts gathered, then scattered to white.
Before she knew it, her body was leaning back, the soft bedding pressing against her spine.
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