Sister, I Hit You Because There Was a Ghost Behind You - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 43. A Night in the Southern Region, a Secret and Passionate Battle of Wills
After soaking my entire body in the warm hot spring water, the fatigue that had accumulated throughout my frame melted away like snow under the sun.
Draped in a delicate silk robe that carried the subtle fragrance of ylang-ylang, I stepped out onto the expansive terrace where the night breeze caressed my skin.
The night sky of the Southern Region glittered brilliantly with countless stars scattered across its expanse.
As I reclined on the plush rattan sofa positioned at the center of the terrace, a languid sense of contentment washed over me from head to toe.
Upon the table lay a refreshing fruit punch adorned with ice and an appetizing arrangement of tropical fruits.
Just as I was contentedly enjoying the breeze with my eyes closed, I heard the heavy sound of footsteps approaching from behind.
With my eyes still closed, I spoke with leisurely ease.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
Kairik von Herzen responded with a derisive chuckle.
“How did you know? Recognizing me from footsteps alone—it seems you’ve developed quite the instincts of a beast.”
As I slowly opened my eyes, I nearly dropped the glass I was holding at the sight of Kairik von Herzen standing before me.
He had discarded the cumbersome shirt and jacket he typically wore.
Clad only in a loosely tied black robe around his waist, he stood with his wet dark hair tousled roughly, water still dripping from the strands.
Through the parted robe, his bronzed chest and taut abdominal muscles were fully exposed, adorned with wild, feral scars as though raked by a beast’s claws—an arresting and breathtaking presence.
As my gaze became fixed, Kairik curled his lips upward like a predator and asked.
“What is it? Does the Northern male look so captivating when he meets the Southern hot spring waters?”
I deliberately turned my gaze away, feigning composure as I replied.
“I was already well aware of Your Highness’s impressive musculature. I was merely concerned you might catch a chill from the night breeze.”
Kairik flopped down onto the sofa beside me with a grunt of complaint.
“A chill in this sweltering South? Besides, you look even smaller and more irritating when you’re wet.”
Just as he reached out his large hand to playfully tousle my damp hair—
A cold and measured voice interjected from the terrace entrance.
“Grand Duke, Your Highness. I must ask that you remove that discourteous hand from Violetta’s hair.”
Our gazes turned in unison toward the source of the voice.
There stood Demian Lyart, having just emerged from the hot spring, his posture impeccably rigid.
The moment I beheld him, I stifled a sharp intake of breath.
Unlike Kairik, he had not brazenly exposed his chest.
Instead, he wore a thin, pristine white linen shirt with buttons fastened all the way to his collar, paired with neat trousers.
Yet as water droplets fell steadily from his not-quite-dry silver hair, dampening the thin fabric, the contours of his broad shoulders and sculpted musculature were subtly silhouetted beneath.
Demian’s ascetic bearing, glimpsed through the gaps of his wet garments, captivated my attention far more than Kairik’s unabashed display.
Demian settled carefully onto the sofa across from me and spoke.
“I apologize for the wait, Violetta. The water was considerably hotter than I anticipated.”
His pale cheeks were faintly flushed with a subtle warmth.
I smiled softly, partially concealing my lips behind my fan.
“There is no need to apologize. Both of you have arrived looking quite admirable and… splendid.”
Kairik swept his gaze over Demian from head to toe and laughed with a sharp edge.
“The Knight Commander looks like poached chicken stewed in hot water. To think you’d insist on buttoning every last button while breathing this stifling Southern air.”
Demian met Kairik’s gaze with cool eyes and countered.
“As an Imperial Holy Knight, I cannot afford to abandon my dignity anywhere, at any time. I believe that is far preferable to exposing one’s flesh like a beast and disturbing Violetta’s composure.”
“Who dazzled whose eyes? Just a moment ago, Violetta, you couldn’t tear your gaze away from my body.”
As Kairik von Herzen lifted his chin with triumphant pride, Demian’s eyebrows twitched noticeably.
Demian turned to me with a voice tinged with both urgency and reproach.
“Violetta, is this truly the case? You actually cast your eyes upon the Grand Duke’s… such scanty attire?”
Suddenly, the spotlight turned toward me.
Yet I remained unruffled, fanning myself with leisurely grace as I answered.
“Both of you are truly magnificent works of art to me. When admiring beautiful masterpieces in a gallery, why should one feel guilt?”
My elegant response left Demian momentarily speechless with a hollow cough, while Kairik burst into hearty laughter.
As the warm atmosphere on the Terrace deepened, all eyes converged upon the delicate sweets arranged on the table.
Kairik speared the most crimson and succulent fruit with his fork and suddenly thrust it toward my lips.
“Come now, open wide. Violetta, you’ve looked exhausted this whole time—chew on this sweet fruit and regain your vigor.”
His gesture was rough, yet the hand bringing the fruit to my mouth moved with unexpected tenderness and care.
But before I could part my lips, a cool presence swept in from the opposite side.
Demian gently slid a teacup toward me, its surface already frosted with carefully prepared ice to chill it perfectly.
“Violetta. Consuming sticky fruit immediately after a hot spring bath may cause your throat to tighten. It would be far better for your health to first quench your thirst with this flower tea, which I have painstakingly tempered to the ideal temperature.”
In an instant, transparent sparks crackled between my two sides.
On one side lay a succulent, sweet fruit brimming with juice; on the other, a fragrant and refreshing flower tea awaited.
Kairik’s grip tightened on the fork as he growled.
“I offered first, you Imperial Holy Knight nobody. Why don’t you back off?”
Demian countered with an equally cold voice, yielding not an inch.
“It is not merely about who offers first. What matters is carefully discerning what is truly more beneficial for Violetta.”
The piercing gazes of the two handsome men clashed sharply in the empty air between them.
Mere moments ago, these were the stalwart heroes who had repelled the calamity of the Holy Sanctuary—yet now they bickered like children over who would place a snack in my mouth first.
Within this intimate and scorching tension, choosing to favor one side would undoubtedly create complications.
I would have to endure the sharp glares and sullen expressions of the losing party for the remainder of my vacation.
I resolved to navigate this predicament with an exceptionally elegant and wise solution.
I gently grasped the teacup Demian offered with my left hand and took a delicate sip.
In that same moment, I turned my head and bit into the crimson fruit Kairik extended.
The fragrant flower tea and the sweet fruit juice mingled perfectly within my mouth.
I dabbed my lips and smiled with profound satisfaction.
“Truly exquisite. The tea Demian prepared soothes my throat, and the sweetness from your gift, Your Highness, adds the final touch—there could be no more perfect harmony than this.”
Both their faces flickered with a mixture of deflation and subtle relief.
It was a flawless draw—neither had suffered defeat.
I settled deeper into the plush sofa and gazed leisurely up at the night sky of the Southern Region.
The cool night breeze refreshing my mind, and the solid, warm body heat emanating from the two men on either side of me.
The perilous journey upon which the fate of the continent rested could be forgotten for now—the night of the Southern Region was far too peaceful and sweet.
So long as no tactless intruder appeared tomorrow morning to disturb this perfect respite.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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