CHAPTER 136: FRESH AIR OF COUNTRYSIDE

Lethia flinched from the sudden kiss—it was soft, like cotton candy brushing her cheek. Her eyes widened at Caelum, but the silver-haired man only gave her a crooked smile.

"I’m sorry, I just couldn’t hold myself when I saw you smile. But I chose the safe route. Unless..."

Caelum teased, the space between them still too close. Her back was pressed against the doorframe, and she could clearly catch the warm scent of cinnamon laced with sandalwood spice from his Tomeron Sauvage perfume. She knew that brand well. She’d almost bought it once, seduced by its soothing, addictive scent.

Instinctively, her palms found his chest and pushed slightly with a small force against the solid muscle underneath his white shirt. Annoyingly, he didn’t budge.

"There is no unless! Can you please not be this close?" she said, eyes turning away to avoid meeting his gaze.

He chuckled. "I’m not forcing myself, you can push me easily. But your fingers are just nudging me? Why, want to feel it? I’ve been working out lately—"

Before he could finish his cocky words, Lethia gave him a hard push, sending him back into the driver’s seat with a thump.

She cleared her throat, trying not to look flustered despite the rising heat in her cheeks. Her fingers, rubbing her face, only made her heart race faster.

"Don’t tease me like that!" she snapped, instantly regretting her earlier wish to see the childish Caelum again.

This was exactly why she’d built walls between them. Her plate was already full with Zeran and Renar. And since she hadn’t seen the glow of the fox bead on Caelum’s chest, she didn’t want to be swayed by his flirty charm. She couldn’t bear it if her heart ached for all three of them.

With Caelum, it had to be casual. Just friendship. Just that. Right?

"I don’t think I can do that," he smirked. "You can push me, slap me, even run away from me, but I’ll still keep flirting with you. I don’t mind being the fool if it means I get to see you smile. I give you full permission to use me as you please."

Lethia frowned, staring at him in disbelief. "Are you sick?" she asked wryly.

"Maybe... Joe said something like that. And Callista mocks me all the time, saying I’m drowning in the delusion of our childhood memories," he chuckled softly, "but still, what you said back then stuck with me. Ever since, the gloomy Caelum turned into the cheerful one."

"W–what did I say?" Lethia stammered, completely puzzled.

"Don’t you remember?"

She furrowed her brow, letting out a heavy sigh. "Caelum, I was nine... or eight." She paused, clearly unsure. "I can’t even remember how old I was, so how am I supposed to remember what I said?"

Caelum smiled at her reaction and lowered his gaze, his mind drifting back to that small playground from fifteen years ago.

Flashback

"Eh... I should go back. My father will look for me." Little Lethia hopped down from the bench, ready to leave, but she turned to the boy beside her, who still hadn’t moved.

"Are you still here? It’s getting dark soon," she said.

Caelum pouted. "I don’t want to go back. It’s my birthday, but I’m sad... because I don’t have a mother. She died giving birth to me."

Lethia’s mouth dropped open slightly. "Aw... Um... I don’t have a mother too. But I’m not sad. I have my father."

"My father’s always busy. I want to meet my mother. I miss her."

The girl blinked at him for a few seconds. "Um... My father told me, if I miss my mother, I should look at the mirror and smile. Because that’s my mother smiling at me."

Lethia then smiled at him, waved her tiny hand in goodbye, and ran back toward the cafe. In the middle of her run, she turned around and shouted, "Happy Birthday!" to Caelum, making the little boy smile back at her.

End of Flashback

Lethia’s jaw dropped after hearing Caelum reminisce about a memory that lingered blurry in hers. She did remember what her father used to say about her mother’s smile.

But... did her nine-year-old self really say something like that to a sad, lonely stranger boy? And how old had Caelum been back then—eleven? Twelve? How could he carry such innocent words for so long, and now say they helped shape him?

"Cael..." she murmured.

"What I’m trying to say is, you’ve no idea how glad I am this coincidence happened," he smirked. "Sure, maybe you turned me on with that stiletto video, but who would’ve guessed you were the same girl who gave me comfort back then? You’ve got no clue how much I’ve smiled since. Even my fans gave me the Angelic Smile of the Year award."

His dimple deepened, and it sent a strange wave of relief trembling through Lethia’s heart.

Somehow, the way her fingers twitched and her pulse quickened gave her this soft, aching pride—that gloomy little boy had grown into the charming man sitting in front of her now.

And that... that made the guilt gnaw even deeper.

Because she had only been using Caelum.

Even when things got intimate between them, it was all just lust and a bothersome mission for her. But for him... he might’ve used his heart.

And what the hell was she supposed to do with that?

They continued their drive toward Ashcroft Ranch, with Caelum’s dazzling energy, as he shared stories about how he used to smile at himself in the mirror every day.

He even followed in his father’s footsteps to become an actor. Lethia could only respond with light giggles, watching how excited he was.

No wonder he had the biggest fan base in the country—his positive energy radiated so effortlessly, it actually seeped into her and brought a strange comfort to her restless mind.

Caelum’s car screeched to a sudden halt when Lethia gripped his arm and asked him to stop, not far from the entrance gate of Ashcroft Ranch.

A plume of thick, black smoke curled into the sky just beyond the area near the main house. Lethia and Caelum exchanged a sharp look.