Inside a spacious bath, with dense steam filling the air and hanging like a hazy veil beneath the warm lights above, Lucian leaned quietly against the edge of a large pool. The water reached up to his chest while warm droplets slowly slid down his well-built muscles, tracing across his skin before disappearing back into the water.
After spending so much time together with Hysilens, he had gradually grown fond of soaking in the bath to the point that he had gone from taking ordinary daily showers to bathing in the pool every single day whenever he had the chance.
Why did he enjoy it so much?
Honestly, if a beautiful woman were giving you a massage every day while you relaxed in warm water, then as a normal, straight man, you would definitely become addicted to it sooner or later.
Needless to say, the warmth of the bath, the soothing atmosphere, and the soft company beside him made it difficult for anyone to resist.
*Splash!*
Amid the serene atmosphere of the bath, the calm water suddenly rippled softly as Hysilens slipped into the pool, the thin bathrobe she wore instantly becoming soaked through and almost transparent as it tightly clung to her rising and falling curves, faintly outlining her graceful figure beneath the hazy veil of steam.
Only here, only when Lucian was present, could such a breathtaking sight quietly bloom without restraint.
Hysilens slowly swam over to Lucian's side before softly speaking up.
"Are you tired?"
Her voice sounded even gentler amidst the steam as she asked Lucian, tinged with a seductive softness that stirred the heart. Combined with the warm atmosphere around them, she truly sounded just like a caring wife asking about her exhausted husband after a long day.
"Yeah, tired... tired all over..."
Lucian did not open his eyes as he replied.
Even so, the corners of his mouth still lifted slightly into a relaxed smile as he smelled the unique, faint fragrance on Hysilens and felt another patch of delicate skin softly pressing against his arm beneath the warm water.
Hysilens turned sideways before quietly looking at his relaxed profile.
At this moment, his slightly long black hair now lay wet against the hollow of his fair neck, with several strands sticking lightly to his faintly flushed cheeks from the heat of the bath. Water droplets continuously rolled down from his sharp jawline, sliding across his slender collarbone before disappearing beneath the gently rippling surface of the water.
A while later, her slender fingers slowly moved to his neck, his shoulders, and then gradually down along his back.
Her fingers traced the smooth lines of his shoulders and arms, slowly sliding downward with extremely light pressure. Her soft fingertips brushed over his firm muscles little by little, stirring faint ripples across the warm water and sending waves of tingling sensation spreading through his body.
Feeling the tingling sensation continuously spreading across his body, Lucian's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, clearly showing that he was enjoying her gentle massage very much.
When her fingers slowly slid onto his broad chest and her soft palm pressed gently against his warm skin, she could soon feel the steady and powerful rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her hand, along with the faint warmth constantly radiating from his body.
*Ba-dump!*
*Ba-dump!*
*Ba-dump!*
Unknowingly, Hysilens's own heartbeat began to speed up as well, while her cheeks, steamed by the rising heat of the bath, grew even redder, looking just like fully ripened peaches beneath the hazy mist.
Her gaze lingered over Lucian's well-defined abs for several quiet seconds before slowly drifting lower, falling toward the unseen crotch hidden beneath the water. Even though the surface concealed everything, that vague sense of mystery only made it easier for her imagination to wander uncontrollably.
Soon enough, she leaned forward slightly once again, drawing even closer to him—the distance between them rapidly shrank until her warm, damp breath almost brushed against Lucian's ear, carrying a faint sweetness along with the moist heat of the steam.
"Lucian… your heartbeat… it's really fast…"
As soon as those words fell from Hysilen's mouth, Lucian finally opened his eyes. Within the swirling steam, his golden pupils appeared especially deep and dangerous, like a vortex capable of swallowing people whole.
In the next moment, he slowly turned his head and directly locked eyes with her, his burning gaze carrying an undisguised sense of aggression.
When their eyes met, Hysilen's heart trembled violently, and even the fingers resting against his chest subconsciously stopped moving altogether. In her eyes, his gaze seemed to carry actual heat, as though flames were quietly burning against her skin and causing her entire body to grow hotter and hotter.
"You keep touching me like that... my heart's naturally gonna race..."
Lucian spoke slowly, his voice low, magnetic, and slightly hoarse within the steam-filled atmosphere.
"N-No, I was just..."
Hysilen's already flushed face instantly grew even redder, and while stammering out her explanation, she hurriedly tried to pull her hand back, but the moment she moved, Lucian suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Even though the force behind his grip was not particularly strong, she still could not break free from it at all.
"Trying to run?"
Lucian exerted a little strength through his arm and directly pulled her straight into his warm embrace.
*Splash!*
"Kya!"
Water splashed everywhere while Hysilens cried out softly, her slender body suddenly dragged forward before falling straight into Lucian's embrace.
In that instant, the warm pool water soaked through the already sheer fabric once again, pressing their bodies tightly together without even the slightest gap remaining between them.
She could feel it clearly—every firm line of Lucian's body, along with that scorching heat radiating from him, searing itself against her slightly cool skin through the thin, drenched fabric between them.
"Ah..."
A soft gasp escaped her lips as Hysilens instinctively pressed both hands against Lucian's chest, only to immediately feel the powerful, forceful heartbeat pounding beneath her palms—beating even faster and heavier than before.
"I… I wasn't trying to run..."
Hysilens protested quietly, her trembling voice tinged with both panic and embarrassment.
"Oh, really?"
Lucian let out a low chuckle, the deep vibration from his chest transmitting directly into Hysilens's soft body as he held her firmly in place.
As one arm remained wrapped securely around her slender waist, preventing her from escaping his embrace, his other hand slowly lifted upward, his warm fingertips gently brushing aside the wet strands of hair sticking to her flushed cheek with slow, deliberate movements, teasing her little by little while admiring her increasingly embarrassed expression from close range.
When his fingers lightly grazed the sensitive rim of her ear, her delicate body suddenly shuddered violently as a powerful wave of tingling sensation rushed through her entire body like an electric current.
"Mhm..."
Hysilens let out a soft, helpless whimper before her strength completely melted away.
In an instant, her softened body leaned weakly against Lucian's chest like melting spring water as she instinctively clung to him for support.
Her eyes, overflowing with charm and moisture, shimmered beautifully beneath the misty steam filling the pool area—appearing shy and flustered, yet unable to hide the longing gradually surfacing within them.
In this slightly 'pink atmosphere,' the warm water rippled gently, quietly enveloping the two tightly entwined figures as faint splashes echoed throughout the bath.
Hysilens leaned softly against Lucian's burning chest, feeling the powerful arm wrapped firmly around her slender waist, an embrace that carried both a strong sense of security and an unmistakable sense of possession.
As she became aware of this feeling, her heart gradually filled with an unprecedented sense of fullness, like a rising tide surging higher and higher, as though it were about to completely drown the shore.
In the next moment, she slowly tilted her head upward, looking at his handsome face from such close proximity that she could clearly feel his warm breath brushing gently against her skin. Her eyes quietly followed the droplets of water sliding down along his sharp jawline before they slowly dripped onto her delicate collarbone.
Even though the sensation felt slightly cool, it stirred even deeper ripples within her already restless heart.
Hysilens gently bit her lip, took a deep breath, gathered up all her courage, and finally spoke in a soft voice.
"Lucian…"
"Do you know…"
"I'm just a fish… a fish that has always lived in the deep sea…"
As she spoke, Hysilens's fingertips unconsciously traced slow circles across Lucian's chest, as though she were absentmindedly trying to calm the emotions overflowing inside her heart.
"Before, my world only had seawater..."
"Only my mother..."
"Only my sisters…"
"I thought that was everything…"
Her voice gradually grew softer and softer, almost blending together with the gentle sound of the rippling water.
"Until… you appeared…"
Her gaze slowly became dreamy and unfocused, as though she had completely immersed herself in a beautiful dream that she never wanted to wake up from.
"You were like a huge wave suddenly rising… without any warning, sweeping me ashore..."
"But…"
"A fish like me can't survive alone on land…"
"I will dry up…"
"I will suffocate…"
"I can't leave on my own…"
Hysilens slowly lifted her head and looked at Lucian with gentle, shimmering eyes that revealed the deepest and softest attachment hidden within her heart.
"Lucian… can I… can I swim into your heart? Can your heart be my little sea...?"
Her voice was extremely soft, so soft it almost seemed as though the sea breeze itself could scatter it away, yet it also sounded as if she had used every last bit of courage and strength she possessed just to say those words aloud, carrying cautious hope, nervous longing, and unmistakable devotion.
Hearing that sudden confession, Lucian quietly looked at her, looking directly into the pure and completely unreserved love reflected in her eyes.
In that instant, his chest felt as though something had heavily slammed into it—it hit so hard that it almost became painful—and the emotions surging within him even caused his breathing to pause slightly for a moment.
He had originally only planned to tease her like usual, simply because he wanted to see her cute and flustered reaction, but who could have expected that she would actually gather the courage to make the first move herself?
Honestly, after being confessed to in such a sincere and vulnerable way, what man could possibly refuse?
In all his life, including his previous life in his original world before transmigrating to this world, this was the very first time he had ever been confessed to by a woman. And not just any woman at that, but an incomparably beautiful woman who loved him with all her heart.
Lucian subconsciously tightened the arm wrapped around Hysilens's slender waist, pulling her even closer into his embrace until he could clearly feel the warmth and softness of her body against his chest, before finally lowering his head slightly and speaking in a low voice.
"My little fish… of course you can."
Lucian gently cupped Hysilens's face with both hands, his thumb slowly wiping away the moisture clinging to her flushed cheeks with a tenderness that almost made her heart melt.
"I've been waiting for you to swim into my heart."
Upon hearing Lucian's answer, it struck heavily against Hysilens's heart, directly shattering the anxiety and fear she had carried for so long, as shown by how, in the very next second, a bright and relieved smile bloomed across her beautiful face before she completely stopped caring about the setting or even about propriety itself, suddenly throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly without the slightest bit of restraint.
"Great! Thank god... Thank god you didn't reject me... It's really great..."
As these trembling words left her mouth, the heavy weight that had always hung over Hysilens's heart finally disappeared completely, as though a massive stone pressing against her chest had at last been lifted away.
During her stay in Styxia, she had often heard stories about lovers whose relationships completely fell apart after one side confessed their feelings and was rejected.
More often than not, the two people involved would gradually become distant from one another until they eventually separated completely, becoming no different from total strangers.
Because of that, whenever she thought about confessing her love to Lucian and taking their relationship a step further, fear would always unconsciously rise within her heart.
Why?
Because she was afraid that he would reject her, afraid that he would abandon her afterward, and even more afraid that the warm relationship they currently shared would completely disappear because of her confession.
In the end, no matter how deeply she loved him, she always chose to bury those feelings deep within her heart, never daring to take that final step.
It was not until the incident with Cerydra and her direct declaration that she wanted Lucian that Hysilens finally gathered enough courage to confess her own feelings to him, and thankfully, the result she feared the most never happened.
For Hysilens, as long as Lucian accepted her, that alone was already more than enough, and everything else was completely unimportant.
In fact, even if he rejected her love, as long as he did not hate her and did not abandon her, then for her, that was already the best possible outcome she could ever have hoped for.
Lucian sensed that Hysilens's always restless and uneasy heart had finally begun to calm down, and the intense pounding within his chest could no longer be restrained.
Slowly lowering his head, Lucian gently lifted Hysilens's delicate chin with his index finger, his gaze locking firmly onto her moist, red lips that were still trembling slightly with emotion.
In the next moment, he lowered his head and captured her lips without the slightest hesitation, the intimate kiss completely sealing the relationship between them.
Just like that, their lips remained tightly pressed together for several long minutes, their warm breaths intertwining as the deep kiss gradually grew more passionate and affectionate.
Only after a long while did their lips finally part, thin strands of mingling saliva stretching into a delicate bridge between them as they slowly moved away from each other.
Lucian let out a soft, amused chuckle before leaning closer once again, his lips brushing lightly against Hysilens's ear as he gently nibbled her sensitive earlobe.
"Don't worry, my little fish... I'll never reject you... Just give yourself to me..."
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