Chapter 28
The moment the warm liquid coated her stomach, her body clamored for more. Though she wanted to devour the soup in a rush, she restrained herself and emptied the bowl at an agonizingly slow pace, keeping her movements deliberate and composed.
The second dish she picked was a sandwich with apples. The burst of sweet apple juice and the crisp texture delighted her. She tried her best to maintain a neutral expression while eating.
Deliberately leaving a portion of the sandwich uneaten, Psyche suddenly paused mid-reach for the fruit and looked up. She felt an intense gaze that burned her cheeks.
Helios was resting his chin on his hand, staring at her in an uncomfortably intense manner. When Psyche made a disgusted expression that she tried hard to hide, he let out a soft chuckle and began to speak.
“Phrena, why did you ask Serdin to leave?”
Her hand, which had been gently tapping her mouth with a napkin, came to an abrupt stop.
“Honestly, I thought you’d tell me to leave instead.”
Psyche couldn’t respond easily. She couldn’t very well say, ‘Because I wanted to win you over.’
“…Why do you want to know?”
“I’m asking because it made me happy. Knowing that you chose me over Serdin.”
“…I just happened to notice you more in that moment, that’s all.”
“Ah, I see.”
Helios tilted his head slightly and smiled in a sly, knowing way. Psyche no longer touched her food.
Tap, tap, tap, tap. He drummed his index finger on the table at regular intervals. It appeared to be an unconscious habit, like mindlessly shaking one’s leg, but in reality, Helios was signaling to the other household heads eavesdropping outside, ‘Stop listening and go mind your own business.’
Superhumans, especially those of the first rank who have completed their manifestation, possess extremely heightened senses. With enough focus, they can even hear sounds coming from as far as two kilometers away.
He didn’t want his conversation with Psyche to be eavesdropped on any further. Just then, he heard the sound of Serdin, spewing curses, leaving the mansion on orders from Rezus.
A peculiar vitality flickered in Helios’s eyes. Though Rezus and Terche remained in the mansion, the most bothersome obstacle had now disappeared. Perhaps it was time to engage in a proper conversation.
With a subtle smile, he locked eyes with Psyche.
“Phrena, aren’t you feeling hot?”
“…No.”
“Is it just me, then?”
Helios chuckled lightly and muttered to himself. Then, taking Psyche’s water glass, he slowly drank from it. The prominent ridge of his Adam’s apple moved up and down languidly.
“Do you want some water too, Phrena?”
He asked as he set the glass down. Only then did Psyche tear her gaze away from his neck and shake her head. Though her throat felt parched, she had a hunch that she shouldn’t say yes to drinking water right now.
“Are you no longer thirsty now?”
“…What do you mean by ‘now’?”
“Last night, you went all the way down to the first floor for water, didn’t you? At that moment, I really wanted to make sure you drank some water… but I held back because of Serdin. It was such a shame.”
The remark about wanting to ensure she drank water—was it merely her imagination, or did it carry a hint of something more suggestive?
In the increasingly heavy and sinking atmosphere, she held her breath as his gaze landed on her neck. Slowly, gradually, his eyes traveled downward. His gaze lingered on her modestly curved chest before gliding back up along her slender neck to meet her eyes once more.
Even though her current pajamas revealed nothing except her neck, hands, and feet, the mere brush of Helios’s gaze left her feeling utterly exposed, stripped bare.
A strange tension bloomed between her legs, but Psyche forced herself to feign displeasure and shifted the topic.
“…Have you received any news from my brother?”
“Unfortunately, nothing yet.”
Helios replied, his expression utterly devoid of sympathy. Psyche muttered, “I see,” and stared intensely at the floor, as if willing it to open up.
Moments of silence passed before she, her complexion now noticeably darker, rose abruptly from her seat.
“I’ll take my leave.”
“Zephyros Rosebel,” Helios interrupted, standing up as he spoke. Their gazes locked in midair.
“What could he possibly be planning?”
His upper body leaned toward her, inching closer, almost as if drawn by some unseen force.
“Do you think someone could stand by and let a woman as beautiful as you remain trapped here?”
As he leaned closer, shadows darkened her face. Helios whispered, his half-lidded eyes glinting with dangerous intent.
“Even your brother, being a man like any other, should know exactly what kind of thoughts we might have when we look at you…”
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