Chapter 54 (2/2)

”You said you weren't badly hurt!”

She checked her appearance. She had bandages around her arms and legs, her clothes were ripped in several places, and they were stained with dried blood. He unwrapped a couple of the bandages and clicked his tongue. He commanded his men to bring Alice right away.

”Tell her White Rabbit is badly hurt.”

Alice came down quickly and healed SoYoon. Experiencing her powers for the first time, SoYoon found that not only were her outer wounds healed but the treatment seemed to replenish her blood. It was a power that the researchers would go crazy for.

”Thanks, Alice.”

”Between us, this is nothing…”

”Alice, I'm sorry, but could you excuse us for a moment?” Heart asked.

Alice wanted to talk more with White Rabbit, whom she had not seen in a while, but when she heard Heart's serious tone, she had no choice but to leave. Sulkily, she persuaded Jeremy to take her to Central and left.

When the door closed, it became silent. Heart got up from his seat and approached her. He sat next to her as he had done previously, and SoYoon couldn't help but drop her gaze to try to hide her nervousness.

He placed his finger over her ear and took off her mask. The piece of fabric that swept past her cheeks and lips felt rougher than usual. He continued to rub her ears as he asked.

”It was a trap?”

As she explained what had happened that night, he moved his fingers over her cheeks. When she moved his hand away, he intertwined his fingers in hers.

”So you ended up like this because of Cheshire? Then what happened to him?”

”I don't remember killing him, so he's probably alive.”

His warm hands transferred heat to hers. His other hand ventured under her ripped clothes and touched her skin. It was where she had gotten wounded.

”You left and didn't come back, and I had thought that you would be fine, but you come back to me in this state. When will I ever get to relax my worry about you? Hm? Tell me, Whitey. Or—Do you like putting me on edge?”

She jumped and looked at him as he whispered this into her ear. They made eye contact through her messy bangs, and Heart's lips curved into a smile.

”With your personality, I doubt that is what you intended.”

Heart lifted her and seated her on his lap. Their chests were up against each other, and her legs wrapped around his waist.

He raised his hand and swept back her hair. In that moment, her heart beat fast. Both of them felt it. SoYoon closed her mouth shut, and Heart smiled.

”Are you nervous? I've done worse than this. Or did you perhaps hear what I said last time?”

”...What did you say last time?”

His calloused hands, which reflected his life, pushed her hair back behind her ears.

”What was it?” she asked again, resisting her urge to moan in satisfaction.

Last time—it was when Heart had kissed her. As if reading her mind, Heart kissed her lightly.

”I said this was the last time I would let you sleep peacefully,” his lips repeated right next to hers. Just with those words, electricity and heat seemed to spread through her.

His hot tongue pushed its way between her lips. He tickled the inside of her mouth, and he pressed on her cheeks so that her mouth opened wider. His eyes still stared at her as if he could swallow her whole. Lost in his eyes, SoYoon received his kiss without moving.

The sword on her back and each piece of clothing one by one started to fall away. SoYoon grabbed Heart's shoulder as she felt the air on her bare skin. As she did, he stopped his passionate kissing to tell her, ”Just don't think of anything.”

She thought that he would add that she had too many useless things she worried about. The reason she couldn't fully form the conclusion was that he went back to kissing her, and he wiped all thoughts out of her mind.