Chapter 84
So itβs you
Clangβ!
βAhβ¦ Iβm sorry.β
Startled beyond reason, Lea reached out with trembling hands to pick up the broken teacup, only to prick her fingertip on a sharp edge.
βOuch.β
It was just a light scrape, but a drop of blood rolled off her finger.
βAgh, why would you grab that with your hand?β
Daisy, who had been on her way out after putting the gift in the dressing room, came rushing over in alarm. Flustered, Lea bit her lip and tried to hide her hand behind her back.
It was a reflex born of habit. Ever since Biancaβs punishments, Rose, Zion, and Derek would make a fuss if she got even a small injury.
Just then, a shadow fell over her. At the same time, a large hand enveloped hers.
βHuh?β
It all happened so fast that Lea realized just how shock could render one speechless. Her mouth was open, but only a faint breath escaped.
Calix had taken her injured finger into his mouth and gently sucked on it.
At such close distance, his crimson eyes burned like the setting sun.
That expressionless face, those unwavering red eyes, the soft golden hair falling naturally around his faceβ¦
Though it was similar to how he looked in the past, something about him was unmistakably different. Lea froze, her mind short-circuiting, unsure of how she was supposed to react.
After a moment, she regained her senses and yanked her hand away roughly.
βAhβ¦β
She hadnβt meant to offend him.
But the flash of displeasure in his red eyes made it impossible for Lea to remain any longer.
She didnβt want to be hated by him again.
βI-Iβm sorryβ¦β
Panicking, Lea stood up, trembling all over. Even at a glance, she didnβt look well, and Calixβs mood dropped sharply.
Was his touch really that repulsive to her?
Of course, what he had done just now wasnβt exactly praiseworthy, but he himself had been caught off guard.
It hadnβt been intentional. His body had simply reacted first to a single drop of blood.
When that sweet scent had hit him full force, he had already risen and reached her without realizing it.
The sight of that vibrant red drop falling from her small, slender fingertip had felt like a waste.
And the moment that thought crossed his mind, her finger was already in his mouth. The taste and the scentβno, the energyβsweet as it was, rushed in and filled his mouth in an instant.
β…Haa.β
So it was you.
The woman heβd thought he only dreamed aboutβit had been Lea.
No, it wasnβt a dream. He had actually held Lea in his arms.
As soon as he realized it, his heart began to race madly. Thundering as if it were in a sprint, his heartbeat pounded violently, and Calix didnβt even notice that Lea was stumbling backward, trying to distance herself.
βIβm sorry. Iβm so sorry.β
Murmuring apologies, Lea turned to flee. Ilion had no choice but to stop her.
No matter how much he disliked her, seeing her so shattered evoked sympathy.
βLady Haisley, please waitβ¦β
Reaching out with the intent to steady her, he grabbed her wrist. And in that moment, Ilion experienced something he never had before.
A refreshing energy pierced through him from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes. It was so overwhelming that his vision blurred.
And without meaning to, he gripped tighter at the sensation of her wrist trying to slip free.
βAgh!β
βIlion!β
Leaβs piercing scream jolted him back to his senses. Thankfully, she hadnβt been injured.
But her wrist was flushed red with a handprint, and her face had gone so pale it seemed devoid of blood.
βL-Lady, Iβm so sorry!β
He tried to let go of her wrist, but strangely, he didnβt want to.
Ilion couldnβt understand what was happening to him.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through the roomβand Leaβs body, held in Ilionβs grasp, began to float lightly into the air.
Calix was standing on one knee on the sofa, arm outstretched.
βNo, you canβtβ¦β
Ilion, for the first time, felt a flicker of resentment toward Calix.
βPut me down! Please!β
As if tied to the wind and dragged along, Lea floated helplessly to Calixβs side.
He gently set her down on the sofa.
βI wonβt do anything. Just stay still for a moment.β
He addressed her curtly, then stood up and disappeared into another room. When he returned, there was a small jar of ointment in his hand.
In the meantime, Daisy had quietly cleared away the shattered teacup and brought in a new set.
Lea clutched at her skirt, breathing shallowly.
Sheβd messed up again, she could feel it. However, she didnβt know what sheβd done wrong. The uncertainty made it hard to breathe.
The deep red imprint left on her wrist reminded her of the days she was tortured.
The moment a memory she didnβt want to recall resurfaced, Lea let go of the fragile grasp she had on her consciousness.
Lea sprang to her feet and stumbled as she ran outside. She didnβt hear anyone calling from behind, nor did she see Rose approaching with a worried expression.
All she wantedβcompletely, overwhelminglyβwas to disappear from their sight.
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