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1.

Siwoo warmly welcomed Eloa with a big smile as soon as he saw her.

As if he had been waiting for her.

Even if he wasn’t sure if Eloa had secretly listened in or not, he was still the one who brought Sharon in and let Eloa hear the sounds they were making.

“I’m glad you’re here now, Master! It would have been more fun if you had come a little earlier.”

How could he act all innocent after doing something like that?

His contradictory behavior made her confused.

The Siwoo she remembered always acted consistently.

Maybe I made a misunderstanding somewhere?

That thought started to nag at her.

After that, they went for a walk as per Siwoo’s suggestion.

They had no particular destination, so they just explored the sandy beach together.

But, strolling along the vast ocean at night, with the waves crashing against the shore, was already enough to make it a wonderful stroll.

“The moon is beautiful tonight.”

“Y-Yes, it is.”

“But it looks even more beautiful with you here, Master.”

“...”

Eloa didn’t know what to say to that.

Nor did she know how to look or what to say when facing him.

That was why she had been hiding in her room for two days, completely avoiding him.

I need to tell him what I have in mind. I need to—!

But, even after repeating those words to herself, she still couldn’t say anything to him, and instead she only followed behind him closely while nervously playing with the hem of her skirt.

Despite its reputation as the hottest region in Gehenna, the temperature around the Blue Narrow Sea dropped down the moment the sun dipped below the horizon.

Should I really say it?

Or should I just keep it to myself?

As she wrestled with this question for the hundredth time…

Suddenly, she felt something draped over her shoulders.

“The air is cold. You’re still recovering, aren’t you?”

“T-Thank you…”

It was Siwoo’s cardigan that he took off and draped over her.

She absentmindedly stroked the cardigan.

With that, finally she made a big decision.

I should say it.

So that we can talk it out and go back to how we were before.

We need to fix everything that went wrong with our relationship.

With that resolve, she gathered her courage.

“Siwoo, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Siwoo, who had been walking ahead of her, acting as if nothing had happened between the two of them, turned around at that moment, flashing her a gentle smile.

Under the full moon, his handsome face shone.

Eloa didn’t normally judge people by their look, but she couldn’t deny how good-looking the man in front of her was.

No, wait, that’s not it!

This isn’t the time to admire his looks!

If I don’t speak up now, I might never get the chance again!

“I-I…”

Just as Eloa was about to stammer her words out…

Siwoo suddenly closed the gap between them.

Eloa, who was about to speak what was in her mind, found out the word that had reached her throat rapidly sunk back into her stomach.

Needless to say, she was completely caught off guard.

Until now, Siwoo had always kept a subtle distance, physically speaking, from Eloa, except during their spars, of course.

“Before that…”

But today, he seemed different somehow.

His usual shyness, his somewhat uneasy expression whenever he found himself too close to her, were all gone.

He seemed calm and relaxed, like still water.

“I have something to tell you too, Master. Would you be willing to listen to me?”

“...What is it?”

Is he trying to apologize first before I say anything?

Given how tough it was for her to start this topic, Eloa focused all her attention on him.

Now that Siwoo was trying to take the lead, it would be easier on her to resolve things between them.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about how to treat you, Master.”

And it was just as she expected, he brought this topic up.

The dilemma of not knowing ‘how to treat the other person’ was something that she experienced too.

It was something that could always make her resolution waver amidst her deepening worries.

“I-I was actually about to bring up something similar…”

“Then, this might take a while. Why don’t we walk a bit more? There’s a good place to sit and have a long talk over there.”

Siwoo interrupted their conversation at just the right moment.

Even Eloa gave out a small nod, agreeing with him.

He then led her to the twins’ carriage that they had parked by the beach.

Its interior was massive, almost as big as a trailer, thanks to the spatial magic that was applied.

Siwoo politely offered his hand to help her get in before going straight to the minibar to grab a drink.

“Here, have some.”

“Thank you.”

Since they always had drinks during their conversations, this wasn’t something out of the ordinary.

Eloa took the drink he handed and gulped it down quickly.

The alcohol soothed her dry throat, granting her a slight feeling of relief.

“Shall we continue our talk?”

“Yes. I’ve organized my thoughts too, so our conversation should go smoothly.”

Eloa had a strange hunch…

That the thing that Siwoo wanted to talk about would be overlapped with hers.

So, she let out a sigh of relief.

After all, if she had to bring up that embarrassing topic by herself, she would definitely crumble in embarrassment in the middle of it.

“Why don’t we say what we want to say at the same time?”

Seeing his playful grin as he said those words, Eloa let out an awkward smile.

No matter how she looked, Siwoo felt a little different today.

Is it because he enjoyed the trip so much? Or is it because of the alcohol?

Either way, he was surprisingly relaxed in this situation.

“Fine by me.”

Eloa straightened her posture, now sitting upright.

On the contrary, Siwoo spun the ice in his glass around, looking completely relaxed as he flashed a bright smile.

“Siwoo, I must say, your preferences in regards to intimate things are rather unconventional…”

Eloa closed her eyes and started to recite the note she had prepared.

Or rather, she tried to recite it.

“Master, I want you.”

Because before she could even finish her first sentence, Siwoo’s words hit her like a bolt of lightning.

At first, she thought she had misheard him.

She snapped her head up to look at his eyes, but she saw no falsehood in there.

Reflected in those eyes were the sight of her own eyes, widened to their maximum.

Siwoo didn’t stop there.

“Ever since the day I embraced you, Master, I haven’t been able to forget a single moment.”

Rising to his feet, he casually approached Eloa.

He lifted the face of his dumbstruck master by cupping her chin.

“I want your body, mind, and even your soul, Master…”

Eloa felt her mind go blank.

She had run through hundreds, no, thousands of scenarios, but she had never considered this possibility at all.

His strong hand then pressed into her back that was stiff from the shock she had received.

Then, she pulled her up, gently holding her close.

His gesture was so gentle, as if he was handling a fragile soap bubble that might burst any time.

Though she was strong enough to split the vast sea, Eloa felt her legs weaken when Siwoo hugged her.

She started to wobble, prompting Siwoo to support her by the waist.

He then held her firmly, their faces got so close that their noses almost touched.

“S-Siwoo…”

At that moment, her heart started pounding wildly.

She felt dizzy, almost fainting from the embarrassment.

Now, she understood everything.

From the current atmosphere and the words he uttered, she could instantly grasp what exactly it was that he wanted.

His bold actions that had shocked her…

It turned out that his change in demeanor was caused by a vastly different thing from what she had anticipated.

The way she expressed his desire to ‘possess his master’, crossing the line between mentor and disciple, was sincere.

She felt happy.

Extremely so.

But, she still thought that this was something that should never happen.

He confessed that he wanted her.

Hearing him saying those words made her happy.

To be in his arms…

To feel his body pressing against hers…

Though it was sinful, though it was wrong, it still made her heart jump in joy.

“This isn’t right…”

But, it still wasn’t something that should happen.

This outcome wasn’t the reason why she came out of here.

Indulging him in this particular wish of his would only get them into an even deeper mess.

They’d just be repeating the same mistake again.

“You said that, but aren’t even trying to push me away.”

“Ah…!”

But, even though she stated her clear rejection, Siwoo reached out even more boldly to her.

His hand slid under the hem of her dress like a snake, groping her bare skin all over.

Eloa gasped as her body trembled.

Just as he said, she didn’t push him away, or rather, she couldn’t.

From the moment he held her, she could feel her strength being drained away.

Wherever her hand touched her skin, she could feel a burning heat that made her breaths quick and shallow.

“It seems you feel the same way as me, Master.”

Hearing that, Eloa summoned all her willpower, gritted her teeth, and pushed him away.

“Stop!”

She shouted angrily, deliberately contorting her face.

Though, she wasn’t actually angry.

Instead of anger, what she felt was embarrassment.

At the same time, she was struggling against the unknown fluttering feeling inside her, afraid that she’d be consumed by it.

“S-Siwoo… T-This can never happen… I-I… I vowed to be…your master…”

As evidence, when she pulled away from him, she felt a sense of emptiness, as if a part of her had been ripped away.

There was this huge sense of loss in her heart.

Still, she tried to ignore it as she uttered what she had in her mind.

“Y-You… I know you didn’t inherit my brand, but… Y-You’re still my disciple… A-After all, I am your master…”

“...”

“A master is no different from a parent! Just as a child serves their parent, a disciple serves their master. A master loves their disciple just like their own child! Carnal desires have no place in such a relationship!”

Eloa spoke rapidly, but she sounded like she was just making excuses.

“Master.”

Siwoo took a step forward…

But Eloa took a step back.

This repeated a few more times.

The realization that if she was cornered by him here, there would be no turning back, made her instinctively take a step back.

But, she couldn’t just retaliate with her full power against him.

Because he was Siwoo.

Her beloved disciple, the one that she cared for more than anyone else.

-Thud!

Even though the carriage space was widened by a spatial magic, it was still an indoor space.

She couldn’t just keep taking a step back.

And so, the moment her back hit the wall, Siwoo closed in on her.

Before she realized it, she had already stood on her toes, pressing herself against the wall.

What should I do now?

How can I get out of this situation?

As he racked her brain, a certain someone’s name popped into her head.

The name of the person who could stop Siwoo, and also stop Eloa from indulging him, came to her mind.

“A-Also…! A-Aren’t you together with Sharon Evergreen?”

Yes.

He already has a lover by his side.

A woman he’s deeply committed to. I’d believe it if he were to tell me that they’re engaged.

Mentioning her name will make him give up, right?

-Thunk!

But, his reaction wasn’t something that Eloa had expected.

He pinned her against the wall, blocking her escape.

Then, he jammed his arm into the space next to her head.

Swallowed by his shadow, she looked up at him with trembling eyes.

“But, I’m together with you now, Master.”

Eloa swallowed hard.

Siwoo reached out, gently running his fingers through her pink hair before lightly holding her flushed ear.

Meanwhile, she pressed her tiny fingertips against his chest.

The force behind that press was far too weak to create a distance between them, though.

She tried to tell herself a thousand times that this was wrong, but she simply couldn’t push him away.

Why…

Why can’t I push him away…?

Is it because that unwavering gaze of his that makes it feel like he could swallow me whole?

Or maybe… Deep down… This is something that I want as well…

“Please…stop…”

“I’m not going to stop.”

Siwoo moved his lips closer.

Due to him pinning her to the wall, she couldn’t avoid this move at all, so he gradually closed the distance between them.

“I don’t want to hide my feelings anymore.”

He pressed her body against the wall even more.

It was to the point that she felt that her back had merged with the wall.

Just as their lips were about to meet, she sharply turned her head.

If we kiss here…

She felt that an impending doom would come to them, she wouldn’t be able to stop it.

So, she stammered her words, her eyelids drooped pitifully.

“No matter how I think about it… This just doesn’t feel right… Siwoo, please calm down… Let’s have another talk…”

Feeling his presence moving away from her, she opened one eye and looked at him.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to fulfill his desires.

She also wasn’t rejecting him entirely either.

So, why…?

Seeing the disappointment on his face, she felt a pang in her chest.

“Is it because we’re master and disciple?”

“Have I not told you multiple times? We—”

“Eloa.”

At that moment, Siwoo’s voice, deep and close, pierced her ear.

He didn’t call her ‘Master’.

That sweet and captivating title that transcended taboos and immorality.

He then forcefully inserted his knees between her legs.

Using a gentle, but strong grip, he held the back of her neck.

Their lips drew closer once again.

“Stop lying.”

Then, their lips met.

She tried so hard to keep her lips closed, but his tongue slipped between those lips.