Chapter 202. Did You Miss Me? (1)

Translator: Lili

Noticing her relaxation, Henriad’s grip on her back eased. His tongue swept broadly across her chest, carrying a faint scent of wine. Was the sweet taste because of that?

“Hngh…!”

When the piercing brushed against her sensitive skin, Shushu gasped and arched her back involuntarily. The sharp contrast between the soft warmth of his tongue and the hardness of the metal sent shivers down her spine.

“Ngh… ah… mm… ah…”

Henriad watched Shushu’s expressions as he slowly worked his way upward, his tongue gliding across her chest. When his piercing grazed her nipple, a tingling sensation surged from her chest to her lower abdomen. Shushu couldn’t help but press her thighs together and squirm.

Shushu, her breathing growing heavier, glanced down at the man nuzzling her chest. In the darkness her eyes had adjusted to, she could make out his platinum blonde hair and the radiant beauty of his face beneath it. As her gaze trailed over his smooth forehead, pale eyelashes, and flushed cheeks, her heart raced for an entirely different reason. Seeing the usually composed man, who often looked as if he were carved from ice, with his cheeks tinged red, was overwhelmingly enticing.

“Ngh… ah… mm…”

Henriad, who had been licking her chest, moved up and kissed her again. A wet sound echoed as he shifted his body, and Shushu realized he had climbed on top of her. The relatively spacious bathtub now felt completely full with him inside. For a moment, Shushu thought she must look like a mouse trapped in a jar.

The shadow over her grew darker, completely blocking her view. Even the faintest movement caused the water to ripple and echo throughout the bathroom. Each drop of water falling from the tips of Henriad’s long hair made a sound, adding to the chaotic blend of their ragged breaths and the thick steam in the air.

Henriad’s flushed cheeks glowed faintly in the dim light. Whether it was from the alcohol or the warm water, she couldn’t tell, but the redness that spread even to the bridge of his nose seemed to have a deeper cause.

Placing one hand against the bathroom wall, Henriad looked down at her and spoke,

“Did you miss me?”

Maybe it was the steam, but his voice sounded slightly hoarse. Yet Shushu detected a hint of joy within it. Although the dim lighting obscured his expression, his tone was so unmistakably cheerful that even her slightly drunken mind could pick up on it.

Shushu blinked slowly.

“Maybe… I think so.”

The words slipped out thoughtlessly, but they weren’t a lie. She had genuinely missed Mini Cat. If it were her, Shushu thought, she wouldn’t have cared about people whispering about her being an ex-convict. She would’ve done what she wanted, unbothered.

And that only made Shushu feel worse—her own cowardice had cost her a chance to prove her innocence.

“I’m… so stupid. You worked so hard to get me out, and I…”

“It wasn’t that hard.”

As Shushu’s voice quivered, threatening to break into tears again, Henriad cut her off matter-of-factly.

His grandfather, Kiehlermann, had built their family’s fortune using wealth as a ladder to power. Even beyond the family’s immense wealth, Henriad’s own resources were vast. As an S-class mage, the commissions he received were irreplaceable and came with astronomical fees. The donation needed to free Shushu was a mere fraction of what he had earned from his most recent job.

Moreover, Henriad wasn’t particularly attached to money. He couldn’t understand why Shushu seemed so fixated on the amount spent, but watching her sniffle and apologize amused him enough to let it slide.

“Still… it must’ve cost so much…”

Even after Henriad’s reassurance, Shushu continued wiping away her tears.

Sitting drunk and crying in a bathtub—normally, this would’ve been a buzzkill at best and outright annoying at worst. Yet Henriad didn’t leave her or look down at her with disdain.

Watching Shushu cry so pitifully, Henriad felt a strange urge well up within him.

He wanted to spoil her. To stroke every part of her she liked, make her pant and blush, and kiss her flushed cheeks until she fell asleep. And the next day, he wanted to tease her as usual, as if none of this had happened.

“For now…”

Suppressing his desire, Henriad paused and hesitated, but he realized the conclusion was the same. Straightening his body, he reached out and scooped Shushu out of the tub.

Her curled-up body fit easily in his arms. Shushu, her eyes slightly swollen from crying, looked up at him. Although she probably couldn’t see him clearly in the darkness, Henriad smiled warmly and spoke.

“Let’s save the bathtub for another time.”

***

The guest bed Shushu had provided was spacious enough for one person but slightly cramped for two adults. Henriad didn’t complain, though—he knew from experience that tight spaces made things more intense.