episode_0152

Ian, who was standing on one side of the stage, slowly walked to the center.

When he, with his large physique, appeared, the stage seemed to fill up immediately.

The mayor and host were already short, and the three warriors were also sitting, so it seemed like Ian was alone on stage.

Ian looked at the host again as if he needed an explanation.

He said with a cheerful smile.

“Helena nominated her manager, Ian, as the subject of the coming of age ceremony.”

He smiled brightly, as if he couldn’t stand the awkward and shy situation between this young man and woman.

“So, on the back of my hand… .”

“Perhaps! no way! You won’t break the heart of a girl who has just become an adult by refusing this precious request, right?”

“Ha, haha… .”

Ian laughed awkwardly.

Helena, sitting in the middle, turned her head and glanced.

Ian, who was rubbing his forehead, resignedly asked.

“What should I do?”

As if waiting for those words, the host approached Helena’s side.

“Helena? First, please sit to the side so everyone can see clearly!”

“Yes? Ah, yes… .”

Helena sat down in her chair so that the audience could see her profile.

“And Ian, please stand in front of Helena!”

As Ian stood in front of Helena, the sky seemed to be almost blocked from her gaze.

“And Ian, you can get down on one knee and kiss the back of Helena’s hand!”

Ian chuckled and slowly lowered himself.

It was so unexpected and absurd that I burst out laughing.

Vivian and Lucia stood up and looked down next to them.

I didn’t want to see it, but I had to see it no matter what.

They wanted to come forward and say they wanted to receive it, but there was no justification for doing so.

Above all, it was Helena’s birthday, and it pricked my conscience to disturb it like that.

Kati and Mercy, who had already approached me and their eyes lit up, felt the same way.

Her colleagues, with their eyes on fire, were close by, but Helena couldn’t see them right now.

Helena was dizzy.

No noise is heard and nothing is seen.

The world was filled with only Ian and himself kneeling on one knee in front of him.

It’s strange.

His gaze is too low.

So much so that you can see the top of his head.

It was such a strange feeling to see a man who had to bend his head to look up, kneeling lower than himself.

She pressed her knees together, worried that she might have spread her legs.

I was sure that today’s events would be remembered for a long time and would appear in my dreams.

For the time being, I haven’t been able to sleep comfortably early.

“Ian? If you’re ready, let’s get started when it’s convenient for you!”

The host shouted excitedly.

Ian carefully lifted Helena’s left hand.

At that touch, Helena suddenly regained her sense of reality.

“Ah, me, Lee, Ian… . sorry. I, without even thinking about it… . If you don’t like it, it’s okay to refuse. It’s true… .”

Still, Helena did not withdraw her hand.

I didn’t want to take it out.

Ian looked down at her hand and looked at Helena.

It’s also strange.

The person you looked up to is looking up to you.

Ian laughed again and took off his lace gloves.

“It’s very embarrassing, awkward, unfamiliar, and embarrassing.”

I gently traced my hand and reflexively curled my toes as the feeling escaped.

Ian’s hand touched my fingertips more directly.

“I don’t hate it.”

It doesn’t mean you should touch your lips, not even your cheeks, just the backs of your hands.

Besides, how could Helena point out someone whose face she didn’t even know here?

Ian also understood that he was more comfortable with someone who was close to him.

“… … .”

Helena’s breathing became heavy.

I can’t stand my shoulders shaking.

Afterwards, Ian very carefully lifted the back of Helena’s hand.

Helena watched as Ian’s lips got closer.

Vivian, Lucia, Katy, and Mercido stand next to each other.

Tuk.

The contact was light.

There was no sound.

Ian just pulled the back of his hand and placed it on his lips.

That alone was enough to make Helena feel dizzy.

“Congratulations once again, Helena, on becoming an adult!”

“Wow-!”

Amid the cheers of the crowd, Helena felt dizzy to the point where her head felt hot.

Lucia, on the other hand, looked down with disapproving eyes and muttered.

“I have just become an adult… .”

It had been quite a while since Vivian came of age, and she felt very wronged.

Kati, on the other hand, thought.

‘… Neither I nor the master know how old I am.’

That alone provided justification.

I only thought that way for a moment.

Soon after, we all heartily congratulated Helena on her birthday.

*

Ian and his group stayed in Veneto for a day.

Veneto, with canals flowing throughout the city, was famous as both a trading city and a tourist city.

They were given high accommodation with a clear view of the city’s night view.

By Ian’s standards, it was almost like a luxury hotel.

Because of the festival, there were a lot of lights in the city even late at night.

Ian looked out the window in the living room and thought about the future.

Winter is not far away.

War.

“Ian!”

At that time, Helena called him.

“It’s a cake!”

She put the cake on the living room table.

It was the same type as the one Helena ate earlier.

“Isn’t that what Helena ate earlier?”

“Yes! I asked you to make me one more! I’m giving it to Ian!”

“I will eat it gratefully.”

As Ian sat down with a grin, Helena hurriedly picked up the cake knife.

“Okay, I’ll cut it for you!”

“You don’t have to do that. Aren’t you the main character today?”

“No! If it wasn’t for Ian, I would have just passed by.”

“Now that I think about it, I’m curious about one thing. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That… . Isn’t everyone busy…? . Ian and others… .”

“Huh.”

Ian almost hit the nail for a moment.

I barely held back.

“No matter how busy you are, you can afford to take care of these things.”

“Is that so…? .”

“Don’t worry about it next time. Anyway, I will eat well.”

“Yes!”

Helena sat across from him and watched Ian eat.

I don’t know how long it’s been since we last looked at each other like this.

Even now, my heart is shaking like crazy.

Still, I didn’t want to look away anymore.

“Hmm. It’s worth eating.”

It was a good cake for Ian, who doesn’t like sweets very much, to eat.

Ian, who was eating quietly, asked cautiously.

“… Why do you look at me like that?”

“Yes? Ah, no, that, haha. I just like seeing you eating well… Yes.”

“Umm.”

Ian ate the cake again.

Helena felt puzzled as she observed him.

Do not eat the orange on top.

Do you hate oranges?

why?

What’s wrong with oranges?

I like oranges too!

‘… oh.’

Then, I realized one thing.

‘The type of person who saves on delicious food… !’

It was correct.

Ian swallowed the last bite along with the orange.

Helena stared intently at the orange going into his mouth.

Finally, Ian’s lips closed.

“Hmm. Oranges are delicious.”

“Ugh-!”

“Hey, Helena? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, no, no. nothing… .”

Helena sat down in a chair feeling dizzy.

“Are you sure it’s really good?”

“Yes, really… .”

orange. orange. orange.

It’s delicious. It’s delicious. It’s delicious.

The voice rang like an echo.

Helena caught her breath and managed to come to her senses.

The dizziness was better, but my heart was still pounding to the point of numbness.

My mouth becomes dry and I swallow nervously.

Can I tell you?

It’s not a safe place.

Because there are other colleagues in the room… .

“Before.”

At that time, Ian spoke first.

“Helena must have been very embarrassed.”

“Yes, yes?”

“I mean on stage.”

“Ah, ah… . Well, that’s it… .”

That moment when I looked down at Ian and felt an emotion that was difficult to describe.

“When I found out, it was a culture that existed from the beginning. It doesn’t seem like it was made hastily to make fun.”

“Yes? Ah, yes… .”

“So maybe, um. If you had something in mind or something like that, you don’t have to.”

“Yes… .”

What does it mean?

Helena had a hard time understanding what Ian meant.

“I don’t mind either. In that situation, it would have been difficult for Helena to choose a stranger off stage.”

“… … .”

I see

Helena realized.

Ian is comforting me now.

I wonder if he was surprised or offended by that incident.

It means understanding and being considerate of your situation.

It’s none other than what Helena said right before kissing the back of her hand, saying she didn’t have to if she didn’t want to.

He is a very meticulous person.

I am grateful for this consideration.

I’m definitely thankful, but for some reason.

Those words made it seem like they were just following it as a kind of ritual… .

‘it hurts… .’

A part of my heart throbbed.

What I was trying to convey was clearly heard.

Just then.

“Ugh! What are you two!”

Lucia burst out of the room.

“Why are we eating cake just the two of us!”

“Let’s eat.”

“I ate it earlier?”

“… … .”

At the noise, not only Vivian, but also Katy and Mercy came out.

“Oh, isn’t it a cake!”

“… ah. Please also eat merci and kathi.”

Helena recommended.

This delicate relationship between precious colleagues and competitors.

However, I couldn’t be so mean as to not let him eat the cake.

Kati and Mercy sat next to Ian and ate cake.

Looking at Ian in the middle.

Helena felt especially uncomfortable today.

*

That night.

“… Ah.”

Ian woke up to the feeling of his lips being touched.

“What… .”

When I woke up and muttered in a deep voice, I saw Katy.

Kati, the human condition.

“… What is it, why are you here?”

“Master.”

“Why… .”

It was the first time that Katy woke her up from her sleep.

“How old am I?”

“… what? What happened while you were sleeping… . Now that I think about it, I don’t know… .”

Since he wasn’t really a deep sleeper, Ian quickly came to his senses.

“Did you suddenly become curious about that? Let’s find out?”

I don’t know if there will be any information if I look into it.

If Carty wanted to, she could try.

But Kati shook her head.

“I will already be an adult.”

It was an estimate, but Kati thought so.

When I met Sylvia, I got the feeling that we were similar in age.

Ian also didn’t know the exact age, but he guessed that Carty had become an adult.

“So please kiss the back of my hand too.”

“Was that the purpose? .”

Ian was dumbfounded.

A guy who doesn’t even wake himself up unless it’s an emergency, woke me up for that reason.

I laughed out loud, but my head was spinning.

Kiss the back of your hand.

It’s not that difficult.

But is it just as difficult for Kati as it is for her?

‘I’m already having a headache because of Vivian… .’

I’m pretending not to know, but I can’t help but be concerned.

“Kathi.”

“… Yes.”

“No way, man.”

“… … .”

Even though he promised to treat her like before, Carty gradually crossed the line.

I couldn’t even blame him for that.

If it were the same situation as Helena, Ian would have been willing to listen, but this wasn’t the case.

Since Kati also had her own thoughts, she would have understood it by saying no.

“… Sorry.”

Kati said that and sat up on the bed.

“These days, I keep having a hard time… .”

“But it doesn’t work.”

“Yes. Sorry.”

Katy seemed to be about to leave the room after acknowledging it, but suddenly turned and threw herself into Ian’s arms.

She said while holding her head.

“This much… Please take a look… .”

Kati’s voice trembled slightly, and the arms that hugged her waist gained strength.

Ian glanced out the window.

It is deep dawn.

‘I haven’t slept so far because I’ve been worrying about this… .’

I felt a little sorry and pitiful about that.

In the end, Ian couldn’t push away this hug.

“Why are you saying this when you’ve already hugged me?”

Kathi knows well that those grumblings mixed with laughter are no different from agreement.

So, I silently laughed in his arms.

Ian’s body, which had just woken up, was as warm as a roasted sweet potato at just the right temperature to eat.

It would have been perfect to just cuddle and sleep like this, but that wasn’t possible.

I shouldn’t have crossed the line.

A tightrope walk.

For now, it had to stay at that level.

“Good night.”

“Okay, sleep well too.”

Even though Kati said hello as if she was going to leave, she stayed for a while.

Finally, she fell slightly and ate her appetite while looking at Ian in the dark.

That action stimulated Ian’s imagination.

Katy, who was kissing her lips as if she was going to say something or something, laid her head on Ian’s chest and left the room.

Ian lay down again, rubbing his chest where Kati had penetrated through his clothes.

There was a faint scent of Kati coming from her body.

He looked at the ceiling and sighed deeply.

‘I want to faint until the devil dies.’

It was half sincere, but there was no way the Demon King could have died properly.

It’s a moment where even if you do your best, it’s not enough.

‘War… . There really isn’t much left now.’

Ian shook off his distracting thoughts by thinking of his future plans.