Killing Your Sweet Breath - Chapter 6

Chapter 3.2

“So you’re not just a son of a bitch, but a crazy one. Have you not listened to a single word I’ve said?”

His gleaming eyes drew closer, almost as if they would devour Winter. The overwhelming look in his eyes paralyzed her, as if she were cast under a spell.

Crazy son of a bitch. A bastard that’s gone way out of his mind. Winter cursed him in all sorts of ways inside her mind, but Van’s expression never changed as he came closer.

Their faces were now a whisker away from each other.

Van brought his finger up to Winter’s dry lips, tracing them. The touch was chilling. Moving from her lips down to her jaw, his firm hand gripped her chin, preventing her from turning away.

Van looked relaxed as he tilted his head and closed his eyes, pressing his lips against hers. Meanwhile, Winter froze, unable to even blink.

This time it was real.

If that kiss earlier had been a means to slip her water, the tongue now forcing its way between her lips was a declaration to turn back time.

Why now? For what reason?

Without giving her time to think, his tongue slid through her parched lips and began to explore every inch of her mouth.

He moved as he pleased, gliding his tongue over her gums and teasing the roof of her mouth. Winter barely managed to keep her eyes open, instinctively wanting to surrender and close them.

She tensed her entire body, fearing that a moan might escape, causing her weakened limbs to scream in protest, still feeling the aftereffects of the poison.

Even as she desperately resisted, an instinct that started from her lips sent a thrilling shiver down Winter’s spine.

He delved into the depths of her mouth, and with every caress of his tongue, something within her lower stomach hummed. Their tongues intertwined like a rose vine, the pleasure surging like a tidal wave, heightening Winter’s sensitivity even more.

Like a nervous and cornered rabbit, Winter was two seconds away from biting Van’s tongue to make him stop when he withdrew on his own.

She had just barely managed to hold out on that brief kiss.

Van licked his lips. His face was so painfully beautiful that she would have admired it if it weren’t for the situation.

“Smile. That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”

Winter shot a glare at Van as he smiled, seeming pleased.

Although he had pulled back, Winter was still in an unfavorable situation. Van still hadn’t revealed what he truly wanted.

He freed her wrists and Winter shook them to ease the pain in her joints, wiping away the dampness from her lips.

“You’re not going to say something pathetic like you want my body, are you?”

“Haha, how much of a scumbag do you think I am?

Winter was about to argue that Van looked more than enough but stopped when she saw the serious look in his eyes, clashing with his otherwise light demeanor.

Even she knew that he wouldn’t have done this just for that reason. No matter how long it had been since they’d last met, and no matter how much he had changed, she knew at least that much.

Van Helgram was never one who acted without thought, neither in the past nor present. If he did, it would’ve been impossible for him to kill the two princes.

Yet, as Winter persistently waited, Van continued to smile with an unreadable expression.

As they faced each other, the crimson sunset slowly crept through the window.

Just as his mysterious golden eyes absorbed the red hues of the sunset, Van finally said,

“I’ll give you a reason to live.”

His tone was arrogant. He spoke as if he knew what Winter’s heart wanted.

“Marry me.”

“…Are you insane?”

Winter’s eyes widened at his ridiculous proposal. She couldn’t even form a coherent response. All the words she had forced out despite the pain now felt futile.

The sweat she shed in nervous anticipation of what he might say seemed wasted.

“Ha, marriage? A reason to live? What reason could a fool like you possibly offer me?”

Winter’s protest caused Van’s mouth to stretch into a lazy smile. His half-lidded eyes narrowed further, shining like red crescent moons.

“You are the perfect instrument of revenge that fate has sent me. That I know for certain. I’m taking back what he stole from me.”

Otherwise, how could you and I have met again?

“Are you saying that becoming yours is a reason to live?”

Winter’s brow furrowed deeply. Treating a person like a dog has its limits. She had expected something more substantial when he said he’d give her a reason to live.

Taking back what his father stole from him—that being Winter—was a reason to live?

Winter clicked her tongue, seizing Van by his collar, ready to strangle him if he uttered one more word of madness.

Even if she died this time, it was a better choice than being manipulated by Van any further.

But Van willingly surrendered, leaning in and whispering into Winter’s ear, as if he had been waiting for this.

“Let’s kill my father together.”

His declaration caused Winter to loosen her grip. Just as her hand was about to let go, he caught it between his own.

His large hand gently held Winter’s hand, caressing it as if it were something fragile. He kissed the back of her hand, as if making a tender confession, and his face brightened into a smile.

“I’ll gift you your revenge. In exchange, become mine.”

Just as Winter had gone mad after the burning of Castle Ruhen, Van had clearly gone mad after losing his mother.

Winter couldn’t help but laugh at this madman’s proposal. Refusing was not an option when he was offering something she could never attain on her own. This confession was promising something so sweet yet as deadly as a poisoned chalice.