Chapter 294: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (87)
Chapter 294: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (87)
The tense body tends to become even more sensitive to the touch.The same was true for Elsie.
The girl flinched and stiffened, instinctively pushing her hips backward.
It was because she recalled the wave of pleasure that had overwhelmed her last time.
Seeing this reaction, Ian let out a sigh of relief.
Elsie, with a tearful expression, whimpered.
“S-Stop iiit……”
Of course, it was nothing more than a faint resistance.
Ian went a step further and silently pulled her into his arms.
Elsie couldn’t gather her thoughts, overwhelmed by the man’s scent invading her senses.
She was a creature endlessly vulnerable to love.Caught up in those tender and fluttering emotions, Elsie’s face involuntarily softened.
She was trying hard to frown, somehow narrowing the space between her eyebrows, but it was all just a futile resistance.
After all, she couldn’t hide the slight twitching at the corner of her lips.
Ian, seeing her adorable expression, let out a faint laugh.
“Listen to what people say until the end, Senior Elsie.”
“D-don’t do… ngh?!”
Elsie felt like she was going to lose her mind.
She wanted to get angry, but when his whisper brushed past her ear, her heightened senses sent shivers of pleasure through her.
Just hearing his voice made her like this.
And that wasn’t all.
Simply being in Ian’s arms caused her heart to unravel uncontrollably
In fact, she even thought that if she could just stay like this, living a life dominated by Ian wouldn’t be so bad.
It was the kind of mindset a victim of domestic violence might have.
Elsie was aware of this, but found it impossible to control the fluttering impulses in her heart.
Ian continued to whisper in the girl’s ear.
“Who said anything about abandoning you, Senior Elsie? I just meant we should avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.”
“…U-Unnecessary misunderstandings?”
Elsie, in the end, couldn’t resist the temptation.
To think just a few sweet words could so easily sway her .
Elsie felt relieved that Ian was her first love.
Had she fallen for another man, he might have completely taken advantage of her.
Although Elsie was halfway convinced without even hearing the main point, she maintained the pretence of being angry.
Unlike her sullen gaze, the twitching corners of her mouth were worth seeing.
Ian nodded reassuringly.
When his hand brushed under her chin, Elsie let out a soft moan and unconsciously buried her face in Ian’s chest.
“Yes, unnecessary misunderstandings… could lead to strange rumours.”
“But that…”
“Senior Elsie isn’t my pet, after all.”
Elsie pouted her lips in dissatisfaction.
The way she glanced at Ian out of the corner of her eye was far from ordinary.
It showed just how disappointed she was by his words.
Worried that she might throw another tantrum, he quickly added,
“Senior Elsie is someone equal to me, a colleague… no, a partner?”
The irritation building up in Elsie’s heart quickly subsided again.
As she enjoyed Ian’s touch, she quietly pondered.
She had been content with the “pet” relationship.
Not only could she rely on Ian indefinitely, but as long as she followed him, he would also be inclined to protect her.
Above all, she relished being showered with his unreserved affection.
Just like right now.
But the word ‘partner’ also had a nice ring to it.
It evoked the sense of walking together side by side.
So, Elsie’s contemplation grew quite long.
Unsure of which was the better option, Elsie tilted her head, unable to make a hasty decision. This hesitation was partly due to her greedy nature.
She wanted to be completely devoted to Ian.
To the point where there was no turning back.
And the more she did, the more he wouldn’t be able to leave her either.
But she also didn’t want to give up the future of living sweetly together as a partner.
If she remained his pet, she wouldn’t have to worry about being abandoned.
On the other hand, if she chose to be his partner, Ian wouldn’t be able to treat her as just a cute little thing anymore.
He would have to treat her as an equal, in other words, as a woman.
As such, Elsie’s dilemma deepened.
Sensing it was finally time to resolve this long-standing issue, Ian became even more desperate in his efforts to persuade her.
“Senior Elsie… think back to when you were so confident. There were so many people who followed you back then.”
Elsie groaned, looking even more troubled.
Ian continued, gently stroking under her chin.
“Back then, you were always the one taking the lead. That’s why I never had to question your sincerity… But lately, it feels like I’m the one dragging you in danger.”
Though his tone was calm, his words were sincere.
For a moment, her heart wavered at his persuasion.
Ian was endlessly concerned for her.
He feared that the reason Elsie risked her life might be solely because of his orders.
He was always afraid that he might not fully understand her genuine intentions.
How could such thoughtful concern not move her heart ?
Especially when it was Ian himself who crushed the once confident and independent Elsie with his hatchet.
Naturally, he hadn’t forgotten that fact and, even now, he was still struggling with the voice of his conscience.
But that inner turmoil wasn’t something that could be seen through the eyes of a girl in love.
Eventually, Elsie came up with a clever idea.
She suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and let out a small cough. Stepping back and distancing herself from his embrace, she clasped her hands behind her back.
Her slightly flushed face carried a hint of playfulness.
“…Well, if that’s the case, then fine.”
She responded while slightly averting her gaze.
Only then did Ian finally feel a sense of relief.
Now, he could finally say goodbye to that annoying title.
“Please continue to take good care of me in the future too, Senior Elsie… after all, I’ll be doing my best to respect your wishes.”
“Really? Then grant me just one request.”
She made the proposal, taking a sudden step forward.
Ian was taken aback, but quickly nodded, as if going with the flow.
He owed Elsie a lot.
She was a comrade who contributed to countless battles and even fought against the Corpse Giant despite having no connection to the Percus territory.
He couldn’t refuse her anything.
As soon as Ian agreed, Elsie immediately shot out her request.
She had no intention of giving him a chance to object.
“I want to be your pet.”
“Sure, that much is….what?”
Ian could only respond with a dumbfounded voice.
It was a request he never saw coming.
It wasn’t surprising that he was left speechless.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Elsie covered her mouth and burst into giggles.
The corners of her eyes curved into a soft arc.
“I’m saying I want to be your pet by my own choice… So now you don’t have to worry, right? I’ll be counting on lots of love from you, Master. Woof woof!”
Elsie extended her hands, playfully mimicking a puppy begging for attention.
And as she winked and spoke those words, Ian was left speechless for a while.
At this rate, they were just going in circles.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to possibly object—
“A-And also… as your partner, there’s one more thing I want to say.”
Elsie blushed again and lowered her head.
The way she nervously traced the ground with her toe made it clear how embarrassed she felt.
Ian closed his mouth once more.
Come to think of it, it was Elsie who called him here.
She must have had something important to discuss, but the conversation dragged on for so long that she hadn’t had a chance to bring it up.
What was it she wanted to say?
And she even mentioned it was something to convey as a “partner.”
That meant Ian had a duty to respect Elsie’s wishes and listen to her.
After all, he had already promised to do so.
Ian’s golden eyes gazed quietly at the girl.
As soon as Elsie met his gaze, she felt a flood of memories wash over her like a wave.
When she first saw him, she thought his eyes seemed to convey a strong sense of determination.
Later, she mostly saw those eyes in her nightmares, and after she fell in love, she found the blazing golden colour to be truly magnificent.
Strong and reliable.
That made her heart race even more.
Elsie nervously licked her dry lips.
Her whole body was already trembling.
Her vision spun, and her face was so hot she couldn’t even lift her head.
Yet, summoning all her courage, she managed to utter a single word.
“…Hey.”
With her eyes tightly shut, the girl lifted her head.
Taking a deep breath, she finally calmed herself enough to open her eyes.
They were clear, blue eyes.
Ian blankly stared at his own reflection in them.
Even now, he couldn’t help but think how captivating they were.
Then, with her hands clasped behind her back, Elsie leaned slightly forward.
Just enough to meet his gaze from a closer distance.
Her expression held many emotions, like a flower bud about to bloom.
At last, Elsie was able to convey the feelings she kept hidden deep inside.
“Will you go out with me?”
Her voice was a little shy and a little shaky.
And with that, the girl decided to take a chance on her fate.
After all, the destiny of Rinella was determined by Rinella.
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