The woman's voice was so delicate that her short utterance sent shivers down Wayne's spine. Wayne felt his body turning numb.Looking up, Wayne saw the faint steam hanging in the air around the hot springs. A man wearing a half mask on his face was pinning a woman under him.The woman's floral dress had an open design, revealing her slender neck and shoulders, but it also managed to hide the important parts perfectly.Her long legs were wrapped around the man's waist, and the man had raised her hands above her head.Ethan's lips were positioned at her neck. This was an extremely suggestive scene, no matter how Wayne looked at it.When the woman heard the sounds of the door getting kicked open, she was startled as she looked at the entrance. She looked like a frightened deer.Her beautiful dark eyes were filled with fear as she hid herself in Ethan's embrace. Grabbing the clothes that were strewn about on the floor, Ethan put them over the woman's body.It happened very quickly

It rained heavily throughout the night. The sky was just beginning to turn bright when Ethan glanced at the woman who was sound asleep in his arms.He gently pulled the blanket away. Under the blanket, the woman's bare body was filled with marks he had left on her.When Ethan moved, Olivia woke up as well. She covered her chest with the blanket as she gazed at the man smoking in the yard. There was a lonely air about him.Grabbing a bathrobe, she put it on before walking barefoot toward Ethan. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind."What's the matter?"Ethan immediately put out his cigarette. Then, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her, mumbling, "Liv…"He had finally experienced for himself how Olivia felt in the past. He was constantly wrought with worry, and he felt as if the person in front of him might disappear at any moment.His fingers traced downward from her eyebrows. He seemed intent on carving her face into the depths of his mind forever."Are yo

Ever since Olivia woke up in the morning, she could feel that something was weighing on Ethan's mind. When they had just gotten into the car, she noticed the worried look on his face.So, she took the initiative to give him a peck on the cheek. "Why are you so upset?"Ethan hesitated to speak. "It's nothing.""If you don't tell me, I'll kiss you until you do.""You're so naughty." Ethan deepened the kiss. Things were almost going out of hand, so Olivia shoved Ethan away.She leaned her head against his shoulder, squeezing her fingers in between Ethan's. She said, "We're not bound by marriage, but after Dad died, you're the person closest to me in this world other than the kids."Ethan, can you please tell me what you're thinking about?"Ethan curled his fingers, tightly holding her hand in his. He stared straight at her as he said, "You're my Liv, and you're also… Septem?"Olivia stiffened. "You knew?""The newest S-class mission from The Black Ravens was to obtain the ring. T

Aware that Alan was testing the water, Olivia wore a bright smile. "If I'm deceived, I'll take it as a lesson. People wise up from experiences. I won't easily trust others anymore."He couldn't find anything off from her flawless face. The series of questions stopped as he began giving her a proper tour of the royal castle.They headed closer to Royal Hospital, where a field of herbs was planted. Flowers bloomed into vibrant colors."Falham, our national flower. Those bright petals can be taken as medicine after drying them. The fruits and stems can be eaten too."She hummed in response. "I've heard that, 60 years ago, an invasion caused havoc in Carathia, and soldiers filled the streets. "There was a drought, so the crops died. A lot of people went to the mountains to forage for vegetables. "Falham has a tenacious vitality. It lives through four seasons, and from the petals to the stems, it can be eaten. It sustained a lot of people through that drought. After that, it was b

Ethan could overhear the conversation. Olivia nudged him by the arm, whispering into his ear, "Henpecked by your wife, huh?""I gladly take that as a compliment." He pulled her into his embrace.His overt advances rendered her cheeks red while he was unbothered.His fingers pinched her cheek lightly. "Why are you still so shy? You're not a kid anymore."Olivia had always been shy when it came to this kind of thing.After all, they kept their relationship under the radar when they first got together. It was never disclosed publicly, so she couldn't get used to it in a short time.Wayne, who walked out of the room, watched the couple share sweet nothings. Ethan said something that made her blush.Wordlessly, Wayne withdrew himself from the crowd.Alan walked up to him and lowered his voice to report."I tested her. She's not Ophelia."Wayne bit a piece of cigarette, his eyes indecipherable. "Are you sure?""Yes. I tested her in many ways, but she didn't show any reflex rea