Chapter 59: I Don’t Mind

“..”

A long silence.

Her body reacted before her mind.

Elena was nervous, and her grip on Finn’s hand tightened.

The girl’s left hand, like a slithering snake, quietly came to rest on the man’s solid chest.

“!”

The silver-haired girl’s sudden bold advance made Finn’s back stiffen.

His heart was torn between torment and conflict.

But this conflict was different from when he first held her hand.

Back then, he hesitated, agonizing over whether to take her hand or respond.

Now, he was impatient, troubled over how to proceed and where to start.

Though he had once prided himself as an “Emotion Master” after watching a few anime.

When it came to the real thing, he was clueless.

He didn’t know how to act without ruining the mood.

“…”

After a moment’s hesitation, unwilling to let the rare opportunity slip away, his arm finally moved.

He awkwardly leaned down, bringing his face as close to the shorter girl as possible.

‘Is this right?’

Finn didn’t know.

The good news was that Elena didn’t pull away, didn’t remove her hand from his chest, and showed no sign of disgust on her face.

‘Seems like this choice isn’t bad…’

Finn grew a little bolder.

His right hand gently slid around her side and came to rest on her soft waist—as a courtesy, as a test, and as a return for her earlier boldness.

But he still kept the movement cautious, restrained, and incredibly gentle.

“Mhn.”

She didn’t tense up in discomfort, nor did she push his hand away in resistance.

The silver-haired girl only hummed softly, then fixed her golden eyes on him trustingly—and made no further move.

Their gazes met briefly, like a bridge conveying each other’s feelings.

But what emotion lay within those golden eyes?

Finn couldn’t guess, and in this tense moment, he had no time to think.

But it seemed like a signal allowing him to “push further,” to make “small moves.”

In other words—both of them had held back their feelings for too long.

And the girl’s current actions, her silent acquiescence, had lit the fuse.

Upon realizing this, Finn’s blood began to boil, as if every pore and cell in his body was cheering.

‘Just keep this…’

‘Just keep going…’

A small inner voice grew louder.

Finn obeyed.

“Mm?”

The hand that Elena had been holding finally seized the initiative.

It struck suddenly, pulling the girl entirely into his embrace.

“Ugh—”

No matter how much Elena tried to restrain her voice, even with a trembling, tearful plea, her hand, interlaced with Finn’s and actively responding, had already betrayed her secret delight and excitement.

It was outright encouragement for Finn to continue.

So his hand on her waist began to wander upward.

As she felt the young man’s arm tighten, Elena’s body grew soft, and she compliantly leaned into him.

Now she was fully buried in his chest.

“Finn…”

The silver-haired girl let out a soft whimper.

Like a small beast finally taken into its owner’s arms, willingly showing its most vulnerable side.

‘So warm…’

The most immediate sensation was the warmth from his embrace.

‘So… Elena’s body is this hot…’

‘And so soft…’

Was that how a girl’s body felt?

Elena’s body now seemed so fragile…

Like a flower swaying in the rain, as if a gentle touch would break it, making one want to cherish it.

‘Amazing…’

The muscular build of Elian, his dashing knightly bearing—those masculine traits that had once impressed Finn and even made him feel inferior—had completely vanished from this body.

Not a trace remained…

It felt foreign, yet thrilling.

So, even though maintaining this “strange” posture made him slightly embarrassed, and even though his arm was starting to ache from holding her up for so long,

Finn still didn’t let go.

He continued greedily savoring the warmth in his arms.

‘Only the final step remains…’

Both the black-haired young man and the silver-haired girl in his arms were perfectly aware.

‘But is this really okay?’

Despite the remnants of reason trying to warn him, to tell him to treat the girl before him as a “brother”…

Compared to the harmony of making music with her, those dissonant notes in his mind were far too trivial.

‘She’s so beautiful…’

‘Can you honestly say you have no desire for her…?’

Finn asked himself.

‘Since she’s not opposing it…’

‘It’s mutual consent. Why not?’

‘And we’ve come this far. There’s no turning back.’

Having successfully convinced himself, Finn’s head began to move toward the silver-haired girl, like metal drawn to a magnet, beyond his control.

…

Even if she were naive or dense,

The silver-haired girl knew what awaited her.

That night, the one Elena could never forget—Talia, Nora, Lila had done this with Voss.

They kissed, they reveled, they did so many things the knight had never heard of.

She remembered how roughly Voss had treated them. Like objects, like toys.

Her heart had shattered then…

Her respected mother, her admired sister, her beloved younger sister—Elena could only feel pity for them…

And that bastard Voss… dared to treat them like that…

But she saw no shame, no resistance, not even displeasure in them.

On the contrary, they were exceptionally eager.

They kissed Voss passionately, as if to absorb everything from the man.

Everything was so unfamiliar to her, as if she were meeting them for the first time.

Yet everything seemed so natural.

Back then, she thought Lila and the others might have had “hidden reasons.”

She even felt indignant for them when she heard the rumors—”The women of the Valsir family are all tainted”…

But now…

It seemed she was the only one kept in the dark…

‘What about you…?’

‘What are you doing, Elian?’

The thought of backing out resurfaced.

‘Now you’re craving Finn, craving his kiss…’

‘How is that different from your family?’

‘Just because they call you Elena, do you actually think you’re a girl?’

“That’s not true…”

‘So, even after becoming a woman, it’s the same—’

‘You Valsir women… are all like that by nature.’

A seed of doubt that had long been buried finally sprouted.

Elena hated her family’s betrayal; but more than that, she feared becoming like them—becoming someone undisciplined, weak-willed, and devoid of knightly spirit.

That was her deepest fear.

“That’s not true…”

“I’m not that kind of person.”

Yet it seemed she was—she craved the kiss of the man beside her, and even seduced him.

So how was she different from the other Valsir women?

How could she still resent her family and hate Voss?

The painful memories of the past caught up to her again, no matter how much she tried to abandon them.

Just before she was swallowed by the shadows of the past, a warmth—a strength—pulled her into an embrace.

“Finn…”

It was Finn again. His gentle, measured care always put her at ease.

‘I’m troubling him again…’

Elena didn’t want to be a burden, because owing someone a favor was unpleasant.

But somehow, she had a feeling she might not be able to leave this man in the future.

His embrace was as steady and reliable as ever.

And relief, peace, and emotion surged together, enveloping her completely.

Even though Elena didn’t want to cry or lose face, tears still secretly escaped from the corners of her eyes and traced down her cheeks.

Fortunately, the tears were shallow, and the dim light prevented the man from noticing.

“Ha…”

What was this…? Gratitude?

Elena only knew that if this man wanted her to do something, she wouldn’t mind.

‘If it’s Finn, I don’t mind.’

Yes, Finn had always been so gentle and careful with her.

Besides, he was her friend.

Elena simply couldn’t feel any aversion.

“I was willing from the start… It’s different from Mother, Lila, and Nora…”

The girl told herself solemnly.

‘That’s… enough.’

So the girl lifted her chin slightly, closed her eyes in agreement, and parted her lips—just like in the movies.