Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 106

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 19. The Protagonist’s Duty (2)

Shane spent as much time as possible with Edelaine despite being busy.

They spent time alone together, talking through the night or reading the same books and eating snacks.

It was as comfortable as returning to childhood. If movies existed in this world, wouldn’t staying up all night eating late-night snacks while binge-watching series have become their hobby? But even without movies, their conversations never ceased. There were so many stories accumulated from all the time they couldn’t share.

Recently, Edelaine had learned many things about her husband and childhood friend.

Though her eyes might be like knotholes, she thought she knew him as well as others did given how long she’d known him, but there was far more she didn’t know than what she did.

For example, trivial things like food preferences, reading tastes, and habits.

Shane could hardly eat spicy food, but surprisingly enjoyed sweet desserts well. However, he disliked sweet alcohol and enjoyed strong liquor. His alcohol tolerance was so high that he claimed he’d never been drunk once in his life. His favorite drinking snacks were cheese with dried fruits and chocolate.

He would read any book without discrimination but disliked heroic tales. He found protagonists who showed off ridiculous and boring.

He woke up early every morning to read various newspapers in turn. Of course, he didn’t trust them.

He would skip breakfast or eat only lightly. Since he said the feeling of a heavy stomach was unpleasant, she thought he ate small portions unsuited to his build, but the amount he consumed was three times Lloyd’s. His stomach was just large, it seemed.

And he liked cleanliness so much that he wouldn’t enter bed without washing.

Edelaine thought it was fine not to wash if she had no plans to go out all day, but Shane believed one should wash even without going out.

It wasn’t quite obsessive-compulsive disorder, but he still preferred cleanliness. He kept under his nails clean and was careful not to dirty his collar and cuffs.

He hated even smelling cigarettes, and for the same reason, disliked even talking to smokers. He also disliked perfume and didn’t use it, and seemed to be picky about choosing unscented soap.

He hated wasting time, and said he absolutely never trusted people who habitually broke appointment times.

Edelaine reflected on whether she had ever broken time appointments, feeling remorseful. Fortunately, she was also the type to keep time appointments precisely.

‘A sensitive and irritable handsome man…’

Adjusting his white shirt cuff buttons while talking about cleanliness suited him so well.

His habit of liking clean things was truly proper. It was certainly much better than dirty things. However, Edelaine thought that just because he liked clean things didn’t mean he necessarily had to wash her too.

She didn’t understand why they always had to wash together.

Edelaine also liked clean things as much as others and knew how to wash herself cleanly.

But Shane absolutely never let Edelaine wash alone.

‘He says he’s busy, so why does he only appear when it’s time to wash…’

The only person who could enter this single-story house besides permitted guests was Lloyd.

Unless Lloyd was observing Edelaine and reporting “The master seems likely to wash within an hour!”, appearing with such ghostly timing every day was too strange.

No, even if she was living regularly to regain her health so he could figure out the pattern, wasn’t it difficult for a person to free up the same time every day?

Why on earth was he so desperately committed to protecting her bath time?

Edelaine leaned back and tilted her head back.

It was ridiculous that her calves and thighs were tight just from a bit of running.

Edelaine’s body, having spent years just lying down, was so messed up that normal activities were impossible. Even her rapid recovery was thanks to Lloyd procuring and feeding her everything that was supposed to be good.

She seemed to be improving little by little, but the progress was frustratingly slow.

“Stretch your ankle.”

“It hurts…”

“I need to loosen it right away. If you leave it alone because it’s difficult, you might get injured.”

“It would be really funny if I got hurt from just running that little bit.”

What a state I’m in.

“You can’t let your guard down.”

Pathetic, really…

Edelaine stretched her legs straight across the bathtub. Her toes touched Shane’s bare chest. He pressed firmly up from her ankles to her calves, between the bones and muscles.

When he pressed the knotted muscles, it hurt enough to make her cry out, but overall it felt refreshing.

Shane, who had been concentrating as if massaging Edelaine’s right leg was the most important thing in the world, grinned when their eyes met and grabbed her left leg submerged in water.

“If you pull me, I’ll get angry. I won’t fall for it twice.”

“Got it.”

When Edelaine, who had once been suddenly pulled down and swallowed water through her nose while entrusting her legs to him, made this threat, he answered with apparent regret.

She didn’t understand why he seemed regretful. The sight of her spitting water from her eyes, nose, and mouth wouldn’t be particularly pleasant to watch.

One unexpected fact she learned about Shane.

Shane liked meaningless pranks.

Mainly the kind that lightly troubled or teased Edelaine. It wasn’t really painful or tormenting, but somewhat annoying.

When sitting face to face in the bathtub, he’d pull her legs to make her fall into the water, or bring her favorite snacks after she finished brushing her teeth, or remove bookmarks Edelaine had placed – really meaningless things.

‘Is this how he’s releasing his pent-up resentment…?’

When she told him to voice complaints verbally, he said he had none. He answered with such bright, sparkling eyes that his sharp features looked innocent, and she couldn’t accuse him of lying. She decided to just accept it.

After massaging both of Edelaine’s legs, Shane pulled her arms to lift her up.

Having no strength to move even a finger, Edelaine just let Shane do as he pleased.

The second unexpected fact she learned about Shane.

Shane liked physical contact.

This wasn’t entirely unexpected. After their reunion, Shane often made skin contact as if trying to build intimacy starting from the body. However, that was contact that didn’t hint at next steps, while the physical contact here was touch as a step toward moving forward.

‘In other words, it’s erotic.’

Those times when she thought he was like a saint seemed like lies.

Shane wrapped Edelaine’s arms around his neck and began kissing, seeking her lips. As he swallowed her lips whole and let her lick inside, her head fell back. Shane supported the back of Edelaine’s head with his large hand.

The fingertips scratching her scalp through her wet hair felt good.

As the kiss deepened and their wet breaths mingled, her mind became hazy and a pleasant excitement rose. Edelaine, who had been limply drooping, was now actively embracing his head.

The skin pressed tightly together without gaps was hot, and it wasn’t just because of the warm water filling the bathtub.

Shane let out a satisfied laugh deep in his throat. Edelaine opened her eyes while their lips were still pressed together. Her eyelashes were heavy with moisture.

Through her narrowly opened vision, she could see the blue eyes she loved most. Edelaine asked in a completely husky voice.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you’re cute.”

Shane seemed to gesture behind him, indicating Edelaine’s hands gripping the back of his head like hooks. Edelaine pouted her lips and grumbled.

“Didn’t you put them there for me to hold?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m happy because you’re holding on.”

And he swallowed her protruding lips and playfully bared his teeth.

“Ah, don’t bite my face. If you leave teeth marks, how will I face Lloyd…”

“Can I leave marks anywhere except the face?”

“No neck, arms, back of hands, or upper chest.”

“So everywhere else is okay.”

“…Well, if it’s somewhere no one will see…”

Either way, Edelaine was also weak when it came to Shane.

Pulled along as Shane gripped her waist, Edelaine straddled his firm thighs and pressed her nose against his nose that was close to hers.

She kissed his well-shaped nose tip, then his cheekbones, around his eyes, beside his lips, and even his earlobes with little pecking sounds. Shane seemed intent on enjoying it as he closed his eyes.

His lower part had been hard from the beginning, but she could feel it getting firmer with each light kiss that fell. Edelaine grabbed both his ears and rubbed them like a massage while giggling.

“Can I leave marks too?”

“…Teeth marks?”

His blue eyes, clearly showing intoxicated excitement, slowly closed and opened. Even his response was a beat slow. His attention was focused in one place.

How cute. Edelaine kissed the color she loved and sat down.

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