Chapter 134. Evidence Of Longing?

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    While people were talking, dinner time was almost over.?

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    The silver deer took their turn to stand guard in Tamon’s encampment, as was their habit.?

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    Being highly alert animals, they did not immediately relax.?

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    Tamon respected such tension among the deer.?

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    He did not try to control them, but only lit a few more bonfires.?

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    The bigger deer took their turn on guard, leaving the cubs and the female deer to rest.?

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    Hannah and Arsene suggested that the siblings should use the barracks with them, but the siblings laughingly declined.?

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    “It’s stuffy in the barracks. I prefer to sleep with the deer. I can count the stars and fall asleep.”?

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    “But isn’t it cold outside?”?

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    “Really?” I think it’s just cool enough… Winter in Tanatos is much harsher.”?

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    Hannah and Arsene could not stop the siblings from laughing as if it was no big deal.?

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    As Hannah was about to get up, Lucentia quietly grabbed Hannah and asked.?

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    “Hey, hey.”?

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    ‘’Yes?”?

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    Lucentia hesitated for a moment, then pointed to Asha and Tamon, who were talking a short distance away.?

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    “They are a pair, aren’t they?”?

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    “……huh?”?

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    Hannah looked at Arsene with a puzzled expression.?

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    Arsene’s face turned red at the word “pair”.?

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    “I saw them kissing earlier. That’s what mating deer do, and so did the two of them. That’s why those two are a pair, right?”?

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    Mirah looked at Hannah as if curious.?

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    Hannah immediately grabbed Arsene’s sleeve as if telling him to answer, but Arsene’s face was already red with his head hung down.?

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    Hannah had no choice but to answer the question.?

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    “Yes, probably….”?

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    “Wow! I’m glad!”?

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    Phew~?

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    Hannah swept her chest when she heard Lucentia’s excited reply.?

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    “Yes, I knew she should throw away the bad partner. It’s a good thing she did it now. That emperor was not a good partner!”?

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    The brother and sister looked at Asha, who was about to enter the barracks with smiling faces.?

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    Glancing back, Asha waved as her eyes met those of the siblings’.?

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    Tamon also turned and looked at the siblings, and Mirah and Lucentia smiled brightly and gave him a thumbs up.?

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    It was the highest compliment these siblings knew.?

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    Only Hannah and Arsene smiled with embarrassment at Asha.?

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    * * *?

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    The next day, the camp was prepared to leave early.?

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    They were already quite late due to the black canyon.?

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    Even if they went in a hurry, they could barely make it to the start of the July festival.?

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    The problem was that they could not enter Bern with the deer.?

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    “We can’t go to Bern and protect the deer and their young at the same time.”?

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    “But we can’t delay the time any longer.”?

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    Asha agreed with Tamon’s words.?

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    The children were important, but they could not afford to change their schedule.?

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    What would be the best course of action??

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    They looked into each other’s eyes at the same time and soon realized they were both thinking the same thing.?

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    Tamon’s large, tanned, thick hand swept Asha’s cheek.?

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    His body got closer.?

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    The air became so hot in the blink of an eye that it blew away the chill of dawn.?

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    Hard fingertips brushed against Asha’s lips, opening them lightly.?

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    She looked at him without avoiding his eyes.?

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    His greedy eyes looked longingly between her open lips.?

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    But he didn’t rush into her rashly.?

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    With a gentle smile, Tamon pulled Asha into his embrace.?

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    Gently lifting her waist, which seemed to break with a little effort, and holding her tightly with one hand, Asha stood on tiptoe, her legs feeling sluggish.?

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    Their chests touched.?

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    “I have a feeling you are thinking the same thing I am now….”?

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    “What, what are you thinking?”?

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    Asha gasped and grabbed Tamon’s shoulders.?

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    Tamon’s muscular shoulders were too big for her to reach.?

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    “…for now I’m thinking of kissing you.”?

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    “Not me.”?

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    “Really?”?

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    His softly whispering lips came closer, rubbing against hers.?

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    Each time he spoke, warm breath stimulated her lips.?

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    Every time Tamon opened his lips, the gap between them itched and drove her crazy.?

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    Tamon’s kisses were not so soft.?

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    As if he was thirsty and pleadingly earnest.?

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    As he came in between her wet lips and robbed her of her tongue, Asha would experience a soul-wrenching experience every time.?

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    Today, however, he didn’t devour her lips with his eyes that were so earnest and so desperate.?

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    Tamon, who had placed short, gentle kisses around her lips, spoke again the story that had broken off earlier.?

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    “The deer and the children….”?

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    His lips brushed hers as he spoke, as if caressing them.?

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    “I think they should be temporarily sheltered in Amor.”?

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    “…….”?

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    Since they would not be able to avoid the eyes of others in the capital, it was a good idea to send them to the Krasis territory.?

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    Right now, it was hard to tell if this situation was just before an ‘affair’ between a man and a woman, or if they were discussing the future.?

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    He rubbed her lips over and over, as if he was about to touch her, but would not press in.?

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    Was he going to burn her this way??

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    Her lips were too hot.?

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    Asha felt the urge to grab Tamon by the neck and kiss him right away.?

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    But she felt embarrassed because she had never felt this way before.?

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    ‘When did I become so promiscuous?’?

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    Up until now, she had always been the one to accept the unwilling kisses.?

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    It was always Tamon who pushed her, whether she was prepared or not.?

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    So feeling this way was too unfamiliar to Asha.?

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    Moreover, now Asha realized that she quite enjoyed her relationship with Tamon.?

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    “Why are you so silent, Asha?”?

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    Tamon prompted her answer with a laugh.?

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    With a short sigh, she glanced at him with a pout on her lips.?

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    “I’ll tell Mirah and Lucentia. Will Jorge be leading them there?”?

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    ‘Hmmm, the Knights of Platanus will lead the deer, and we will wait here for one more day for the other knights. I think there’s Tulip Knights nearby.”?

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    Asha nodded lightly.?

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    Then she turned her face away, avoiding his seductive lips.?

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    While they were conversing, she was about to swallow Tamon first.?

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    “Okay….why don’t you move away now?”?

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    “I don’t want to.”?

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    “Why do you have to stick together so much?”?

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    “Well…….”?

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    Tamon laughed briefly, kissed the corners of her long eyes, and murmured.?

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    “Because I’m trying to seduce you.”?

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    But as if that wasn’t enough to get her attention, he licked the corners of her eyes with his tongue.?

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    Asha flinched, then turned her gaze again and looked at Tamon.?

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    Tamon stopped his lips without averting her gaze.?

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    Asha had been thinking about it since yesterday, but now seeing him like this, she was more certain.?

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    Tamon was elated.?

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    The strange state he had been in for several days had vanished without a shadow of a doubt, and he was now totally elated.?

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    He was ready to run off laughing if he was told to immediately go up to Bern alone and open Gillotti’s throat.?

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    The answer to why he was so buoyant was immediately obvious, even to Asha, who had no sense of humor.?

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    ‘Is it because of what I said yesterday?’?

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    Since that one word that he had become important to her.?

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    Tamon, who otherwise could not tear his gaze away, now stared at her with eyes filled with complete possessiveness.?

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    Asha noticed this and felt somewhat tingling with this seductive attitude of his. ?

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    ‘It’s a little cute….’?

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    She finally thought she had gone crazy.?

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    She couldn’t believe she had thought he was even a little cute looking at a man who was obviously scary to everyone.?

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    How could it be so unusual and auspicious to see a man who was more loyal to his desires than anyone else, suppressing such an impatient desire to seduce her??

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    She strongly sensed that he was more aroused than she was because of the close proximity.?

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    Is this also a curiosity??

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    It had always felt threatening, but today it came a little differently.?

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    Hesitantly, Asha reached out to Tamon’s shoulder and stroked his cheek.?

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    She could feel him moving greatly at just the slightest touch.?

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    She tried hard not to blush, and stroked Tamon’s lips slightly.?

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    “Why do you seduce me?”?

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    Tamon inhaled heavily, as if holding something back for a moment, and laughed with a look of dismay on his face.?

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    “….. men are stupid by nature, they always want to confirm.”?

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    Asha chuckled at his joking reply.?

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    “So just seduce me, what do you want to confirm?”?

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    “That you crave me, too…….”?

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    “Is temptation a sign of craving?”?

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    “No. That’s not it, Asha.”?

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    Tamon finally relented and bit her lower lip.?

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    Seemingly fighting against many conflicting emotions, he licked and bit her lower lip.?

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    “The key is not to give in to temptation, but to have temptation.”?

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    He bit her lower lip again.?

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    It felt as if he was pestering her to come quickly.?

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    “I don’t want you to feel like you don’t have a choice, but to be happy to….you want me with your choice.”?

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    Asha thought his words were pleasant to the ear.?

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    Even up to the moment of temptation, Tamon was asking her to “choose”.?

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    He wanted her to give in to her temptation of her own volition.?

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    It sounded to Asha that she was a person who would never fall for temptation unless she was willing to do so.?

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    Strangely enough, it seduced her more than any temptation.