A Snake’s Life Ch 58

Chapter 58

 

“Mmgh…!”

Just a while ago, his kisses had been gentle, merely brushing across my lips. He hadn’t rushed me, but as if waiting for the right moment, the instant I slightly parted my lips, his soft tongue slipped in and delved into my mouth.

My eyes flew open. At the same time, I met his gaze. Those golden eyes stared straight at me, as if determined not to miss a single move I made. His expression seemed to be silently pleading for me not to reject him. Why that expression…?

Feeling overwhelmed, I tried to pull back slightly, but he leaned in even closer, making me tilt my head further back. My palms grew clammy, and my stomach tingled with a strange sensation.

His soft tongue swept across the roof of my mouth as he wrapped his arms around my waist to keep me from escaping. My body trembled from the strange feelings coursing through me. His tongue moved inside my mouth with ease, guiding me skillfully.

“Ha, ngh…”

Fearing I might truly lose control, I pulled my lips away and turned my head slightly, but he wouldn’t let me go. He seized my face once more.

“W-Wait…”

His tongue pressed harder against mine, rubbing, wrapping around the base of my tongue, sucking on it. Fine, do whatever you want. Resigning myself to the situation, I let go of all tension in my body, and his kiss became a little gentler. A searing heat overtook my body, and the room filled with the sounds of mingling saliva and ragged breaths.

‘It feels good.’

It felt like this was what a real kiss should be. I had been in relationships before and kissed many times, but kissing him was something else entirely. It was a kiss that exchanged emotions—his desire for me, his plea for me to look at him.

I was grateful to be lying on a bed. Had I been standing, my legs would have surely given out in embarrassment. Just when I thought I’d lose myself in his overwhelming kisses, clarity struck me. Was it really okay to let myself be swept away like this? Strictly speaking, this wasn’t even my first kiss. Shouldn’t I have more experience?

Caught up in the intense kiss that almost left me senseless, I suddenly gripped his collar and shifted my body. I could feel Zerpell’s momentary confusion. His rough breathing was drowned out by mine. I had straddled him, looking down at him from above. My hands gripped his arms tightly.

“Haa…”

Zerpell was smiling brightly, apparently satisfied with the kiss. His usually neat hair was now tousled.

“Did you like it?”

“…”

Flustered by his question, I could only fumble without any response. My face flushed with heat I couldn’t cool down, and my body trembled from the pounding of my heart. Please don’t let it be heard…

Zerpell’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. So annoyingly handsome… Embarrassed by how completely I’d been swayed, I bit my lip and asked,

“But… are you really sure that was your first kiss? How are you so good at it?”

“You were my first.”

“First… yeah, right…”

I grumbled in disbelief, glaring at his flushed lips.

“Then can I take your silence as a yes to my confession?”

My mouth opened wordlessly. Yes. It was such a simple word to say. I’d said it to Zerpell many times before. But in this moment, even that short word wouldn’t come out.

As if he couldn’t bear my hesitation any longer, Zerpell pulled his arms free from my grip. One of his freed hands reached out to brush my hair aside and cupped my cheek.

“…Your answer?”

“…”

Saying it aloud, putting it into words felt even more embarrassing. Instead, I tugged on his collar. His face quickly drew near. This time, I kissed him first.

His lower lip was already slick with saliva, and I nibbled on it gently while licking it softly with my tongue. I couldn’t meet his eyes, afraid that his golden gaze would devour me whole. I shut my eyes tightly and continued the kiss. But he remained composed. Feeling like I was the one losing, I pulled away.

“…Was that enough?”

I couldn’t bring myself to say “I like you,” so I showed it through my actions. I met his eyes directly and said. Zerpell let out a soft chuckle, then grabbed my wrist and gently laid me down beside him. His smiling face was close, his eyes crinkling beautifully. The radiance made me bury my face in the pillow.

“That’s more than enough.”

He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me tightly into his embrace, then pressed his lips to my neck and whispered softly, as if overwhelmed with emotion.

“Shuiren… Shuiren…”

He held me like I was a precious treasure he couldn’t let go of. And then, came a sincere confession.

“I love you.”

“…What are you saying…”

Zerpell chuckled softly at my response, and I let myself melt into the pleasant scent that lingered around him. The room filled with quiet bursts of laughter.

I sat on the edge of the bed while Zerpell gently tended to my hair. Behind me, he chuckled softly as he leisurely brushed through my locks, as if savoring the moment. Every so often, he would press a light kiss on me while brushing.

I tried to stop him, saying that was enough, but he only licked my palm in response. Alarmed, I pulled my hand away, and there he was again, smiling with those soft crinkled eyes.

There was no hope of my flushed face cooling down at this rate. I fanned myself in an attempt to dispel the heat. As I kept waving my hands, Zerpell suddenly spoke in a rather regretful tone. His voice was low, barely audible, but rough.

“If only time would move faster… Is it still a long way until you become an adult…?”

“Huh? What did you say?”

I asked, having missed his words, but he didn’t answer.

“It’s nothing. So, what happened today?”

“Just the usual. Well… if there’s anything different, it’s… Kir said…”

I glanced at Zerpell. After what just happened, I hesitated to mention “Kir,” worried that his smile might vanish. But for Aiden’s sake, I had to say it.

“Aiden’s condition isn’t very good, so Kir said he wants to stay by his side…”

“Alright.”

“Huh?”

His curt reply caught me off guard. Without even looking at me, Zerpell added with a smile of satisfaction.

“Then we’ll send him off starting today.”

Ah… I see. You’re happy to be rid of a nuisance, huh…? Zerpell and Kir weren’t on good terms. Zerpell saw Kir as an unwelcome intruder in his bedroom, while Kir simply disliked humans. They were like oil and water. As he laughed in contentment like someone who had removed an annoying thorn, I laughed awkwardly.

Suddenly remembering something, he let out a small sigh and said,

“Apparently, the designer will be here tomorrow with some samples. Let’s go see them together.”

“Already? That’s fast.”

It hadn’t been long since we looked through the catalog. I thought custom-made clothes took a while? Well, it’s just one outfit, so maybe that’s why. I nodded.

“Alright. Let’s go see them together.”

Zerpell quietly reached for my hand and laced his fingers through mine. Wondering what he was doing, I looked up, only for him to cover my eyes with his other hand. He stroked my long hair from top to bottom and said,

“How about you wear white to match your hair?”

His tone was gentle. I could sense what he meant loud and clear. I had originally planned to wear white, and Zerpell, who always looked good in black, had already decided on black. So his words meant he would wear white instead.

‘Just go ahead and put up a sign about it…’

It was obvious he wanted to flaunt our relationship. If even the design and color matched… it would scream “couple outfit.” And for someone like Zerpell, who always wore black, wearing white would already be shocking enough.

But before I knew it, the corners of my lips curled upward. I felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. He slowly removed his hand, then rubbed his lips gently against the ends of my hair. I looked up at Zerpell’s face from below. His looks were the kind that would make any woman swoon.

It’s not like I didn’t get jealous. Now that we were officially a couple, the thought of some noble lady clinging to him made me uneasy. His words had touched me deeply. It felt like he was declaring we belonged to each other. Though I was secretly pleased, I declined his suggestion.

Even if I liked the idea… it was a bit much… People would talk. So I expressed my real feelings with a different suggestion.

“No. You should wear black. It suits you. Instead, let’s wear matching brooches. You wear a red one, and I’ll wear a gold one. We’ll match colors that way. How’s that?”

Zerpell’s lips curved into a pleased smile as he scooped me up and sat me on his lap. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck for balance.

“As you wish.”