The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 191

“I… I don’t know what to say. Except for when I lived in the barn, I’ve never had a room of my own. So really, I’m so grateful… and also, um….”

Her voice, overwhelmed with emotion and not knowing what to do, gradually mixed with rapid panting. This was good too, but Cassis wanted to receive something other than gratitude. Like her face smiling brightly with joy, or for instance, passionate kisses touching his cheeks and lips countless times.

And… though he wasn’t quite sure himself, a desire secretly sprang up for her to say some specific words to him. In terms of feeling, it would be like her grabbing his waist and dancing to her heart’s content, or running around wildly on a flower field, or bringing two cocktails to share and drink together, then snuggling into his arms with a sweet smile—things like that.

So even when he tried to establish what that would be called in words, no answer came forth like a broken key.

In the end, he only said what was necessary for this moment.

“Go inside.”

“Yes!”

The corners of her mouth, which had answered vigorously, curved up into a bright smile. At that moment, Cassis, whose lower body tightened for the first time in a while, slowly followed behind.

Evelyn took a few steps inside and looked around, then raised her gaze upward and was startled to see a small chandelier. Seeing the direction her finger was pointing, he lifted her legs onto his shoulders and seated her lightly. Then, firmly supporting and securing her waist, Evelyn was finally able to meet the chandelier at her eye level.

“Touch it. The lights are off so it’s not hot at all.”

Having unexpectedly ended up riding on his shoulders, she carefully touched it while keeping her thighs tightly together so as not to fall. The beautifully crafted crystal decorations, without a speck of dust, made her heart, which had felt stuffy just from looking, melt away even more.

Without realizing it, she said these words.

“You know, I kept feeling anxious. For example, there would be a problem, and when it was resolved, my heart should have felt at ease, but it didn’t. The feeling that something was piling up layer upon layer inside me wouldn’t leave, and it was so difficult.”

Was she talking about Polyxene? Cassis guessed immediately but didn’t say anything. In the end, time—terribly slow, crawling time—would provide the answer. Just as no matter how much he poured the World Tree’s energy into her, Evelyn had only recovered and risen after being thoroughly ill for a long time, that matter too could only be resolved by time. Even though the dragging days were frustrating, as far as he knew, this was the best approach.

“Evelyn.”

“Please put me down.”

Her tone was still gentle, but with conviction planted within it, it sounded much clearer than before. After coming down from his shoulders, Evelyn received the orange tree pot that was floating in mid-air, invisible to her eyes.

“Hmm, choose a place to put the pot. Since it’s the second floor, you can’t hang it from the window, but it should be suitable if you put it on the balcony. Don’t even think about placing it on top of the terrace railing. If the wind blows, it could sway and fall over.”

Evelyn, who had lived only on the first floor since birth, asked in surprise.

“Wait…! This place, the floor below, isn’t Lord Cassis’s bedroom, is it?”

“That’s still your bedroom too, and it’s in a different direction.”

“Yes.”

Evelyn came out to the balcony with him and admired the open view. Until now, when she had stayed in his bedroom, the windows had hardly ever been open. Except when the spirits were cleaning. Hot memories of leaning against the terrace door and sharing pleasure with him kept trying to flood back, so Evelyn hurriedly set down the pot and tugged at his collar.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Shall we.”

Answering in a quite pleasant voice, he came inside and showed her the room he had decorated during this time. Her nymph-like curiosity came alive, and she opened this and that, but when she saw a drawer full of sparkling jewelry, she was so surprised that she slammed it shut.

“It’s all yours.”

Evelyn, who until now had felt burdened even by the buttons and bead decorations on dresses, opened her eyes wide.

“What?!”

“What are you so surprised about? Just because we’re elves doesn’t mean we see gold and gems as mere stones. We properly mine from quarries and do metalwork too—even Daius, whom you met, knows how to do it.”

“Well, that’s not strange, but…”

Her heart felt like it would burst.

But why can I receive such precious things from Lord Cassis? Isn’t this the kind of thing only done between special relationships? Could I, perhaps, hope a little? Even if it’s not exactly the same color as my heart… Lord Cassis too, so perhaps, me…

Fool, asking with such words would be too obvious!

Evelyn wanted to hide deep inside the flower petal-like emotions that were shyly trying to bloom layer by layer in her heart. If she secretly hung them on the orange tree she had just left outside, they seemed like they would immediately bloom into a single flower, which made her feel that way even more.

But if he wanted her to show them, she felt like she would gladly and freely spill everything out. And then what would become of us.