Chapter 62 (2/2)

She looked him dead in the eye and said, ”Thank you, Yochanan.”

She had decided on this on her way home yesterday, that she would call his name as much as she could. If she did, he would be happy about it. That is what he had told her. Mad Hatter looked at her strangely upon hearing her words, then laughed dispiritedly.

”Really...You sure know how to play with my emotions. All right. If we are going to do it anyway, we might as well finish it quick. Put that paper on the part where you want to place the insignia. Put it as close to your teeth as possible. However meticulous they may be, I doubt that they will look that closely there the moment they catch you.”

SoYoon put the paper in her mouth and nodded. Mad Hatter then placed his hands around her cheeks and lifted her head.

”I'm going to cycle my powers into your body. At first, I'm going to circulate it, but when the magic starts to circulate on its own, it will hurt. I thought it would be better for you to be lying down, so I brought you here instead. How would you like to do it?”

She took off her shoes and weapons and moved them to a corner then lay on the bed. Mad Hatter cleared his throat.

”I'm going to start now.”

He had one knee against the bed and was holding the part next to her head with his arms. Then he slowly lowered his head. When his lips touched hers, SoYoon slightly opened her mouth. His cool magical powers filtered into her through her lips.

At first, the sensation was only a tickle. When he removed his lips, however, the place where the paper touched her burned, and the pain spread through her body.

Her body cringed, and she buried her face into the pillow. His strong arms were holding her, but she couldn't register it. She clenched her teeth and prayed for the moment to pass.

Mad Hatter looked down at SoYoon with worry in his eyes. Although in excruciating pain, she didn't once utter a complaint. And to hold it in, she was clenching her teeth to keep from screaming. He removed her sweat-soaked hair from her cheek.

He whispered. ”There's only a little left. You're doing great; just a little more.”

At this, SoYoon buried herself deeper into his embrace.

The three minutes that felt like three years finally passed, and the pain receded. SoYoon realized that she was grasping onto Mad Hatter's clothes. Just from what she could tell from the feeling in her fingertips, she knew he wouldn't be able to wear these clothes again.

Mad Hatter, upon finding her fiddling with his clothes, realized her state and said, ”It's over now.”

”Yes. I'm sorry about your clothes.”

”...You caused me this much worry, and the first thing that you talk about is my clothes?”

Mad Hatter sighed so she would hear and wiped away the cold sweat from her forehead and cheeks with his cardigan sleeve. She accepted his touch with her eyes closed.

”You did well.”

She heard his sweet words, and an even sweeter kiss touched her lips. SoYoon opened her eyes and saw the sunlight from the window bounce off his orange hair.

As she closed her eyes again, she felt his tongue gently grazing the brand. From inside her mouth, something thin was pushed out. When he removed his lips from hers, he stuck out his tongue. There was the paper that had the insignia drawn on it.

Strangely, when she saw it, SoYoon felt something stab at her heart. She was surprised by her own reaction. This had never happened before.

As SoYoon was lost in thought, Mad Hatter observed her expression. She crinkled her eyebrows and pursed her lips shut. Those lips held many emotions, and Mad Hatter knew the reason for such a reaction. He forced his lips into a smile as he saw the last of her emotions expressed on her face.

”SoYoon.”

Her brown eyes looked up at him. He kissed SoYoon lightly on the forehead. This must have been okay because she didn't react in any way.

”I think I need to sleep a bit. I'm very tired.”

”It must have taken a big toll on you.”

She had thought that it wouldn't take a lot of energy to counter the fainting and anesthetic magic, but she must have been wrong.

He laughed a bit shiftily then hugged SoYoon. Her small body fit perfectly into his. Even so, she was not his. Her white hair stuck to his face, and he tried desperately to soothe his heart.

”Will you stay with me?”

”Yes.”

”You promised. Please keep it.”

Mad Hatter knew that what SoYoon had promised was only to keep him company while he slept. Even knowing this, however, he revealed his true wish. But this wish was something that she might never know.

The first to fall asleep was SoYoon. Mad Hatter, who had been pretending to be asleep, opened his eyes.

He saw her pale lips first, and he lowered his head as if in a trance. The sweet yet cold lips both welcomed and rejected him. He kissed her lips several times, then hugged her tight. As he did, he could feel his powers circulating through her body.

”Hoo…”

Although he had done it for her benefit, he still couldn't believe his magic was flowing inside her. He felt a strange happiness about it. The next moment, however, his face turned serious.

He had planted something inside her in secret. If there came a time to use it, that meant it would be something extremely serious. He hoped that she would figure it out, but he also hoped the time to use it would never come.