ETDO Chapter 49

“So, are you saying you were scared of me back then because I looked like that rabbit?”

He nodded silently.

“Your eyes when you threatened to tell on me if I didn’t give you something looked exactly like the rabbit’s eyes when it bit my hand.”

“What? What was it like?”

I managed to suppress a laugh, despite the absurdity of it all.

What nonsense was this?

“How should I put it… It was like… you were looking at me as prey…?”

“!”

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped. I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. I turned around, still giggling, and lay on his chest, resting my chin on the back of my hand as I looked up at him.

“So what happened?”

He shrugged.

“What could an eleven-year-old boy possibly have? I had no choice but to weave two clover flowers together and make a ring.”

My jaw dropped again.

Oh my gosh. A clover flower ring? How cute!

What surprised me most was that Ethan had made it. I smiled, imagining a boy who looked like a prince, sitting patiently and making a ring out of clover flowers.

“Why didn’t you just tell the truth and say you didn’t have anything?”

“Well…”

He chuckled.

“I guess I was scared of the ferocious robber rabbit.”

Ethan hugged me tightly as I giggled, my body shaking against his. He kissed me, as if he had been waiting for the opportunity, and continued,

“Maybe I secretly liked it. Even though you were a robber, you looked like a real princess from a fairy tale… and the way you brazenly threatened me was cute.”

He lowered his head and captured my lips, gently tangling our tongues together before lightly biting my lip.

“Perhaps it was also a premonition of what was to come. After all, I gave you a flower ring that day… and you accepted it.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little touched, even if someone might call it cliché.

Who would have imagined that the fearsome Ethan Beaufort, known as the Angel of Death on the battlefield, would have made such a romantic proposal?

Of course, it was a story from their innocent childhood, not their adult lives. But perhaps that’s why it touched me even more.

At least back then, it must have been a pure, untainted feeling. If it had been his true feelings, that is.

“Is that flower ring proposal… still valid?”

Ethan nodded and smirked, the corner of his right lip twitching upwards. As I watched him smile, his beautiful blue eyes sparkle and crinkle at the corners, I reached out and gently caressed his cheek.

“Good… me too.”

Ethan looked at me for a moment, an unreadable expression in his eyes, then slowly lowered his head and kissed me. Closing my eyes, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. Our tongues tangled together messily, our saliva mixing.

Even though we were kissing like lovers truly in love, it didn’t feel unnatural at all. I had kissed him hundreds of times, but this feeling was new. Just as it had been for the past few days, a tingling sensation fluttered in my chest as we kissed.

Our bodies, pressed close together, moved slowly in the swirling water, rubbing against each other. Ethan, finally breaking away from the kiss when we were both breathless, whispered softly again.

“I didn’t realize it back then, but after meeting you again, I understood. My heart was already stolen ten years ago by that robber rabbit who appeared out of nowhere.”

I suddenly felt a lump forming in my throat. I hadn’t expected such a heartfelt confession like this.

“I’ve never forgotten your beautiful golden eyes, brimming with tears. That’s why I wanted to make you cry again when we met later. Of course, every time I did, you squeezed me so tight I almost went crazy.”

I blushed crimson and tightened my arms around his neck. To think he kept pushing me to the limit in bed just to see my tears again like that day. It was so like Ethan.

Seeing his unguarded, brilliant smile, as if he had returned to that boy from the past, I pulled his head down and kissed him again. I was so happy to be this close to him for the first time.

I was relieved that Ethan’s feelings for me, at least, were genuine. If I had discovered that Ethan was no different from Arthur while my faith in Arthur was wavering, I don’t think I would have been able to bear it.

His erection was already pressing against me again. My body felt warm. I reached down and willingly grasped his hot penis, looking up at him.

“Then I’ll give you another chance to make me cry.”

Ethan’s expression contorted before he crashed his lips onto mine. His thick, like a boa constrictor, wrapped around mine. As I straddled him, his fully erect cock parted my folds and slid inside me.

It was time for pleasure once more.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

The dim light of a lamp illuminated the room. It was dusky outside, making it hard to tell whether it was day or night.

I quietly looked down at Ethan’s face. He was asleep, curled up like a baby, his face buried in my cleavage. We had just come out of the bathroom, exhausted after an hour of passionate lovemaking.

I slipped my fingers through his hair and gently stroked his head. The waves of his brilliant gold hair resembled a field of wheat ready for harvest. I ran my fingers through his soft strands, mesmerized.

My body was tired, but my mind was clear. It was practically a miracle that I was still awake especially since I usually fell asleep before Ethan. I took the opportunity to admire his sculpted face to my heart’s content.

With his sharp features softened in sleep, he looked just like Arthur. My hand moved down from his hair, caressing his thick, masculine neck and then to his broad shoulders.

And I noticed three small moles clustered together on his shoulder.

Huh? Those look just like the moles on Arthur’s shoulder.

The only difference was that Ethan’s moles were on his left shoulder, while Arthur’s were on the right. Finding this fascinating, I traced the three moles with my fingers.

Suddenly, Ethan’s eyes fluttered open. He rolled onto his back, settling into a comfortable position on the bed, and pulled me into his arms.

I snuggled against him, our naked bodies pressed close together and closed my eyes. A satisfying drowsiness finally began to creep over me.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

I cautiously observed Arthur’s expression. He had just returned from his business trip. We were having dinner together in the dining room, as usual.

After persistently persuading investors from the other country, he had successfully secured the steamship deal. Arthur planned to build an enormous steamship.

The already fierce competition for transatlantic service was expected to intensify even further.

Recognizing the potential of a luxurious passenger liner connecting the two continents across the vast ocean, financial capital from both countries unanimously decided to invest in this attractive venture.

Frequent propeller failures often resulted in enormous losses at the time, but Arthur’s ship would be equipped with two propellers instead of one. This innovative idea, which would mitigate the risk of sudden and unpredictable financial disasters, played a decisive role in swaying the investors.

I felt a pang of guilt as I watched Arthur excitedly explain his plans with a lighter expression. I couldn’t bring myself to smile at him with genuine joy as I used to.

The uncomfortable feeling, like a pebble stuck in my shoe constantly pressing against my foot, wouldn’t go away. Every time I looked at his face, I couldn’t help but recall what happened to Alice Howard.

My facial muscles ached from forcing a smile as I met his gaze and returned his smile. I couldn’t focus on the twins’ conversation at all.

Eventually, I excused myself, feigning a headache, and went up to my bedroom first. I could only manage a weak smile for Arthur, who expressed his concern. My head was actually throbbing, so I immediately crawled into bed.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Arthur swirled the whiskey in his hand, sinking deeper into the sofa. He took a large gulp and frowned. 

I need to add some ice.

He usually never mixed anything with his whiskey. Ice diluted the rich aroma and flavor, making it bland, which he didn’t like. But tonight was an exception.

As if he had caught Lily’s headache, his head was also throbbing. That must be why the whiskey, which he usually handed well, felt particularly stronger tonight.

He was lost in thought, only half-listening to Ethan. Lily had never been sick for this long. She rarely fell ill, so she had never rejected him for consecutive days like this.

Moreover, he had been away on business and hadn’t been intimate with his wife for days. He had been looking forward to holding her in his arms tonight, savoring her sweet scent.

“Are you listening, Arthur?”

Ethan asked, noticing his mind was elsewhere. Arthur nodded absently.

“By the way, was Lily sick the whole time I was gone?”

“For the first two days or so.”

Ethan replied, pouring whiskey into his glass. Arthur stared at his twin’s face intently.

“But she was fine after that, back to her usual self. Until this evening.”

Arthur nodded. 

So that means her headache started after I returned. 

He pondered the meaning of this.