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Chapter 6
Whoosh—
The gentle patter of rain grew heavier.
Amid the suffocating tension, Luna’s uneven breathing sounded unusually loud.
Though her wrist was still caught in his grasp, her eyes burned with defiance.
“You’ve got the wrong idea. Let go of me.”
“…Hah.”
At her trembling but resolute voice, Khalid’s icy gaze sharpened.
He let out a long sigh and looked at her as though staring at a puzzle with pieces forced into the wrong places.
Secretly wiping the trembling from her fingertips, Luna bit the inside of her cheek and pretended to remain calm.
With her wrist still restrained, most of her weight leaned toward him.
Even so, she stubbornly maintained an awkward posture to avoid letting their bodies touch.
Whatever methods she had used to purify others before…
She refused to do it like this.
Did he really think I would?
“…”
Biting her lip, Luna glared right back at him.
The bathwater remained warm.
The silence between them was colder than ice.
The relentless rain seemed to drag Luna deeper and deeper into a swamp.
Before long, her eyes began to tremble.
Her exhausted body simply didn’t have the strength to keep holding herself up.
A sharp ache pulsed through her temples.
Her vision swam.
That was when the blade-like intensity in Khalid’s gaze finally softened.
Brushing his damp hair back, he let out a slow breath.
He slowly closed and reopened his angry eyes.
Then, as if granting her request…
He released her wrist without hesitation.
“Ah!”
Caught completely off guard, Luna let out a small cry.
The support she’d been relying on vanished instantly.
Her body tipped forward.
Before she knew it, she was so close that their breaths almost mingled.
In a panic, Luna braced one hand against the wall.
Her other hand landed squarely on his broad thigh.
It was the only way she could stop herself from falling.
Khalid blinked once, his eyes widening ever so slightly.
Then he gave a dry, mocking laugh.
Even his sarcastic smile had a dangerous charm that seemed capable of captivating anyone.
“And you still want to claim this wasn’t intentional?”
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to believe.”
“…”
She had practically trapped him against the wall.
All of her earlier confidence vanished.
If anyone’s to blame…
It’s because you suddenly let go!
Frustration welled up inside her.
“The purification is over.”
“I won’t do anything.”
“Leave on your own.”
His deep, emotionless voice scraped against her nerves.
Leaning comfortably against the wall, he met her eyes lazily.
From his handsome jawline to the faint redness still lingering on one cheek…
His expression was utterly indifferent.
Straightening his imposing frame, he added that she shouldn’t expect the same patience he’d shown before.
What an insufferable man.
His cold dismissal made her cheeks burn.
The commission was probably already ruined.
At this point…
She no longer cared.
Still glaring at him, Luna first removed the hand resting on his thigh, hoping to make it clear there had been no misunderstanding.
The moment she did…
Her entire body tilted in the opposite direction.
Supporting herself with only one arm felt impossible.
Fatigue crushed her.
Ordinarily, this would have been effortless.
But her weakened body felt unbearably heavy.
“Ah!”
Suddenly…
The world seemed to go dark.
Splash!
Water sloshed loudly.
In the blink of an eye, strength left the arm supporting her against the wall.
Unable to stop herself, Luna slid straight toward the man before her.
In desperation, the first thing she grabbed…
Was the back of his neck.
By the time she regained her balance…
Her entire upper body had collapsed against his solid chest, separated only by a single bath towel.
The unfamiliar warmth spread through her body in an instant.
Her face became far redder than when she’d slapped him earlier.
I’ve done something terrible…
Her heart pounded wildly.
She needed to pull away immediately.
Yet instead…
Her trembling head sank helplessly against his shoulder.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
“Ugh…”
His voice rumbled above her, rough with restrained anger.
She could feel every movement of his powerful body.
She didn’t even need to look to imagine how deeply he must be frowning.
Honestly…
She was almost grateful he hadn’t simply thrown her off.
I really…
I’m the one suffering here…
She wanted to explain.
She had overexerted herself since yesterday.
She hadn’t eaten.
The sudden dizziness had been real.
But somehow…
Saying any of that now would only sound like another excuse.
Even so…
If she wanted to leave this place…
She had no choice but to ask him for help.
This really is the worst day ever…
“…Please…”
“…Help me…”
“What?”
Lifting her peach-red face, Luna spoke so softly that it was barely audible.
Not having heard her clearly, Khalid asked again, irritation creeping into his voice.
After hesitating for a moment, Luna awkwardly leaned closer to his ear.
He stiffened.
But that wasn’t what mattered.
“My towel came loose…”
“Could you fix it for me?”
“I… can’t stand up…”
“…”
“As soon as it’s secure, I’ll leave.”
“It suddenly slipped off…”
“You’re impossible.”
The client let out another deep sigh.
When Luna cautiously glanced at him, she found him looking at her as though she were the strangest person he’d ever met.
Embarrassed, she lowered her head.
What else was I supposed to do?
My towel was coming off!
You were at least sitting down! I wasn’t!
The thought that she had almost ended up completely naked before him made her dry lips part nervously.
Burning with embarrassment all the way to the tips of her ears, Luna desperately tried to convince herself she had done the right thing.
“Mage.”
“Do you realize what kind of man I could be?”
“And yet you keep clinging to me.”
“…”
She had no answer.
Inside, Luna screamed.
I know!
I really know!
Do you think I don’t realize I’m practically lying on top of you right now?
But I couldn’t help it!
Her expression drooped like a pink rabbit with wilted ears.
At this point…
Even if he placed his hands somewhere inappropriate…
She wouldn’t have the right to complain.
She could only pray…
That he wouldn’t.
The shame alone made her entire body tense.
“…”
At last…
His hand moved.
Luna flinched violently.
Every nerve in her body focused on what he might do.
Contrary to his harsh words…
His long arm merely reached for her towel.
Her heart nearly stopped before finally settling again.
Maybe…
Maybe he’s kinder than he sounds.
His large fingers grasped one side of the soaked towel and awkwardly pulled it back up over her shoulder.
As he reached for the other side…
The back of his hand lightly brushed her bare back.
“Ah!”
“M-Mister Client… if you’re going to help me…”
“Could you be a little more careful?”
Already embarrassed enough from exposing so much of her back, Luna let out a short yelp.
Her face turned bright red.
Even her plea sounded strangely sharp.
Khalid raised an eyebrow.
“The one who slapped me…”
“Called me shameless…”
“And is now clinging to me…”
“Who exactly is that?”
“Wouldn’t you say I’m already being considerate enough?”
“I… I’m sorry about that.”
“I’ll handle the rest myself.”
Never mind.
He’s not kind at all.
The client was every bit as difficult as she first thought.
Worse…
Everything he said was technically true.
She almost felt like a child being scolded.
As if I wanted any of this!
Her thoughts became a hopeless mess.
She simply wanted to get out.
Supporting herself with one hand, Luna reached for the towel again.
Now soaked with water, it felt absurdly heavy.
Even lifting half of it made her arm tremble.
Still…
She stubbornly struggled to finish adjusting it herself.
Then—
Something about her movements seemed to test Khalid’s patience.
He clenched his jaw.
“Mage.”
“What?”
“If you don’t intend to spend the entire night tangled up with me…”
“Stop moving.”
“There’s a limit to how much restraint a man can have.”
“…What?”
Her jewel-like eyes froze.
Only then did she fully realize what position she had ended up in.
Trying to lower herself…
She had instead pressed herself even more firmly against him.
Her already blank mind went completely white.
Her heart lurched.
Slowly…
She looked up at him with wide eyes.
His frost-like gaze held an unsettling light.
She swallowed.
Every tiny hair on her body stood on end.
“You’re really driving me insane.”
His flat voice sounded colder than ever.
As though brushing away his own frustration, Khalid slowly ran a hand over his face from forehead to chin.
After exhaling quietly…
He snapped his fingers.
The magical lamp went out.
“What…?”
Luna stared blankly into the darkness.
Wrapped in storm clouds, the bathroom was now completely black.
Not even moonlight could enter.
Only the faint violet glow of the curse mark beneath the water remained.
Panicking, Luna summoned the last of her strength and pushed against his chest, trying to separate their bodies.
Somehow…
She had the overwhelming feeling that if he caught hold of her again…
There would be no turning back.
