The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go Chapter 131 - Side Story 15

 

His hand naturally brushed through my hair.  

 

Soon, the ribbon tying my hair came undone, and his fingers, moving through the silver strands, slowly traced the nape of my neck.  

 

“Cedric, you really…”  

 

“What, can’t I?”  

 

With an exaggerated air of nonchalance, he smiled softly, eyes curving gently.  

 

But despite that expression, his hands were impatiently searching for the buttons on my nightgown, and his eyes were dark with a sweet, feverish intensity.

 

Now that we’ve come this far, I knew stopping would be difficult.  

 

‘Sigh… Just for today.’  

 

Her lips, as if drawn with a brush, curved into an impossibly bright smile.  

 

“Thank you for allowing this. I love you, my queen.”  

 

“If you love me, then please show some restraint.”  

 

“I’ll do my best.”  

 

“Looking into your eyes, it doesn’t seem like you have any intention of doing that.”  

 

I glared at Cedric as he swiftly lifted me and laid me on the bed, fearing my resolve might waver.  

 

“Oh? Did I get caught?”  

 

Cedric’s crimson eyes gleamed as he trapped me within his arms.  

 

“I have no intention of letting you sleep tonight.”  

 

Then, he lifted the hem of my nightgown and began pressing kisses along the legs that had been hidden beneath.  

 

The wet sound of his lips touching and then leaving my bare skin made me instinctively pull back.  

 

“Ugh, wait a second….”  

 

But there was no way Cedric would let me go. Not only did he firmly grip my legs to keep them in place, but he also persistently pushed between them as I kept trying to shrink away.  

 

It didn’t hurt. But I couldn’t move.  

 

‘This is too much….  

 

Though I had been with Cedric for a long time, I still wasn’t entirely accustomed to his overt displays of affection.  

 

There were still moments when his actions flustered me, made me embarrassed, or sent my heart racing until my face turned bright red.  

 

Today was one of those days.  

 

“Cedric, um, hey….”  

 

“What?”  

 

He asked in return, wearing an expression that suggested he already knew.  

 

“Are you this flustered because you’re too embarrassed?”  

 

Struck right at my weak point, I couldn’t say anything, and Cedric smirked.  

 

“It’s fine. It’s just the two of us here.”  

 

Then, without hesitation, he resumed what he had been doing.  

 

Ankles, calves, knees. 

 

Cedric devotedly kissed every part. With each kiss, a ticklish sensation rose in my chest, and I bit my lip.  

 

Before long, his lips traveled past my knees to the tender skin on the inside of my thighs.  

 

“Cedric, wait—ah!”  

 

Without stopping, Cedric continued kissing with an even more heated gaze before parting his lips and lightly nipping at my skin.  

 

This didn’t hurt either.  

 

“You seem especially shy today. Do you dislike it?”  

 

“No.”  

 

Even as my face burned fiercely, I answered firmly, “It’s just… It’s been a while since you’ve been this persistent with kissing my legs like today.”

  

“Ah, is that so?”  

 

Wait, no—hold on.

 

“Why are you glaring at me like that again?”  

 

“Ah, it’s because it’s been a while. Then I guess we should do this more often.”  

 

“No, that’s not what I meant.”  

 

“Now that I think about it, it really has been a while. The last time was a week ago, right?”  

 

“Hey, are you even listening to me?”  

 

“Yeah, I’m listening carefully, and I’m even giving you proper reactions, aren’t I?”  

 

Cedric chuckled in response.  

 

Seeing that familiar expression of his—the one he wore when teasing me, looking utterly delighted—my brows automatically furrowed.  

 

“Ah, don’t glare at me like that. Caspian already dislikes me, and if you start too, I might really get hurt.”  

 

“It’s because you keep teasing me. You should act sweet if you want me to be sweet to you.”  

 

“Ah, I see. So if I act sweet, you’ll be nice to me?”  

 

Finally, Cedric straightened up and stopped pressing kisses to my legs. Instead, he leaned closer, bringing his face near mine, and met my gaze.  

 

Peck—  

 

His warm lips briefly touched mine before pulling away.  

 

“Since you get too embarrassed when I kiss your legs, I’ll pamper this part instead. Is this sweet enough for you?”  

 

I let out a small laugh at Cedric’s radiant smile—the one I loved most.  

 

“Come on, praise me.”  

 

Instead of answering, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave his cheek a quick kiss.  

 

And so, that night too, we spent wrapped in each other’s warmth until dawn.  

 

“Your Majesty, did something good happen today?”  

 

Rukia from the Magic Research Department, who had requested an audience to deliver a report, casually asked Paul.  

 

“His Majesty has always been radiant, but today, his face is so bright it’s practically sparkling…”  

 

“Uh…”  

 

Paul, who knew his lord extremely well, had a vague idea of why Cedric seemed in an unusually good mood.  

 

There was only one reason Cedric would walk around looking this cheerful from the morning.  

 

In fact, Cedric had even given Paul specific instructions, since Ciel would likely be sleeping through the morning, to leave out her meals and avoid waking her unless necessary.  

 

‘They really are so deeply in love.’  

 

Paul thought that even when their hair turned white, those two would probably still act like newlyweds.  

Then, noticing Rukia waiting for his answer, he spoke up.  

 

“He mentioned that he slept very well last night, so his mind is exceptionally clear this morning. That must be why he’s in such a good mood.”

 

In the end, Paul couldn’t bring himself to tell Cedric the real reason for his good mood. Instead, he had no choice but to come up with another plausible excuse.  

 

“Ah, I see. I’m glad you slept well.”  

 

Rukia, who had been nodding, opened the door to the laboratory storage room.  

 

In the center of the room, where various rare magical tools and experimental equipment were neatly arranged, stood a bright brown wooden table.  

 

And right in the middle of that wide table was a suspicious-looking yellow-tinged stone.  

 

“So, this is what you wanted to show me?”  

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”  

 

The stone wasn’t simply placed on the table.  

 

Encased within a transparent crystal sphere, the stone was suspended in mid-air, bound by a glowing green orb of magical energy.  

 

“It’s one of the items recently confiscated from people involved in illegal gambling in the city.”  

 

“Illegal gambling?”  

 

Cedric frowned as he repeated the words.  

 

“Looking at how that stone is glowing, it seems someone artificially altered it. Was that why it was being used in illegal gambling?”  

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”  

 

Rukia adjusted his glasses as he spoke.  

 

“In fact, some people in that gambling ring weren’t even betting with gold coins—they were using the stone itself as stakes.”  

 

“Just what is that stone?”  

 

Cedric glared at the yellow light seeping through the cracks in the stone as he asked.  

 

“To put it simply, it seems someone with considerable knowledge of alchemy and magic cast a Camouflage spell on the stone.”  

 

Camouflage.  

 

Cedric knew what that spell was.  

 

‘A spell that temporarily alters outward appearances.’  

 

Its duration varied depending on the caster’s magical power, but most effects lasted only a few hours, or at most a day and a half.

 

Moreover, those who possess the magical power suitable for this spell are few in number, and unlike ordinary magic, the spell does not activate without a potion made by mixing certain ingredients in a fixed ratio, making it impractical.  

 

“Yes. It has been analyzed that the base potion for the camouflage magic was modified by adding the fur of a baby white rat, and the spell, just before activation, was transferred to the stone.”  

 

“The fur of a baby white rat? If that’s added, then surely…”  

 

“Yes, that’s correct, Your Majesty.”  

 

Rukia nodded and continued, “In that case, the subject will undoubtedly transform into a younger version of themselves.”  

 

“Then the one who first circulated these stones must have lured people by claiming they could restore their youth. That’s why they became so highly valued—enough to be wagered in gambling.”  

 

“Exactly. And based on the testimonies of those at the gambling den, it seems they were unaware that the effects of this magic were temporary. The seller likely deceived them into believing the transformation was permanent.”  

 

Rukia clicked her tongue and stared at the stone inside the crystal orb.