Chapter 303 - 289: A Beautiful Bubble That Shatters Upon Touch

Chapter 303: Chapter 289: A Beautiful Bubble That Shatters Upon Touch

’A private chat...?’

Hearing those three words, Zelir’s eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.

He was suddenly reminded of the scene of Gray leaving with that noble lady from earlier.

For a moment, a strange connection formed in his mind.

’Could it be... that’s what Bev means?’

"This way, please, Mr. Zelir."

The maid curtsied again, her tone deferential.

"I will lead the way."

Zelir could only nod lightly.

"Alright... Thank you."

’Clearly, my earlier suspicion was confirmed.’

This maid was indeed a core servant of a prominent family; she was exceptionally experienced at escorting guests away from under the noses of several hundred people.

They didn’t need to use the main entrance to leave the ballroom at all.

A seemingly casual stroll through a few veiled curtains was enough to evade all eyes and ears.

She led Zelir to a hidden door, attracting no attention whatsoever.

When she opened it, a spiral staircase leading upward was revealed inside.

Once they arrived, the maid went no further.

She simply crossed her hands in front of her and gave Zelir a shallow bow.

"My lady dislikes being disturbed, so my duties end here."

"Thank you..."

’According to the maid’s directions, the Rose Room on the east side of the third floor...’

Once on the third floor, the room wasn’t hard to find.

At the end of the hallway, Zelir saw a set of double doors made of white oak.

The relief of a blooming rose carved into the doors looked serene and beautiful under the dim, yellow glow of the wall sconces, exuding an alluringly private atmosphere.

Zelir placed his palm on the brass doorknob and took a deep breath.

...

CLICK...

The door opened.

The first thing he saw was Bev, sitting on a red velvet sofa.

Her golden hair, which had been pinned up, was now let down, cascading beside her cheeks.

She had taken off her stiletto heels, revealing her lovely and delicate bare feet.

Bev had been massaging her ankle. Hearing the sound, she turned her head, and a look of delight rose in her eyes.

"Bev."

Zelir closed the door.

With that, the din of the first-floor ballroom was completely cut off, and the entire room fell suddenly silent.

An inexplicable feeling seemed to bloom in the air.

Zelir composed himself and spoke.

"Why did you want me to come up for a private chat?"

"Because... I’m tired."

Perhaps it was because she had been drinking, but Bev’s voice had a soft, languid quality it usually didn’t.

She leaned her head back against the sofa and let out a long sigh.

"Down in the hall, we have to dance with so many people watching, and we have to act all prim and proper... Don’t you think so?"

"It is a bit... too stuffy."

Zelir sat down beside Bev, the sofa dipping slightly.

He hadn’t much cared for the ballroom atmosphere anyway; it was too noisy.

Taking the glass of red wine Bev offered him, Zelir took a small sip.

’Hmm...’

’It tastes pretty good.’

’I really should have a drink to calm my nerves.’

’But... I’m also afraid if I drink too much, I might do something improper.’

The firelight from the hearth reflected on Bev’s face, casting a gentle, warm orange glow upon her.

She said softly.

"This is nice..."

"What is?" Zelir asked, turning his head to look at Bev.

"I mean right now. Just the two of us together... with nothing else to disturb us."

Bev curled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees.

She looked at Zelir and gave a gentle smile. "This feeling is so nice."

"You’re always so busy. Sometimes I don’t see you for over half a month..."

The reflection of the hearth’s Flame in Bev’s eyes slowly faded.

In its place was a much softer emotion.

Her slender, fair fingers moved across the surface of the sofa, then came to rest on top of Zelir’s hand.

"To be honest... when we’re apart, I’m always thinking of you, Zelir."

Bev summoned her courage. Her hand tightened slightly, but her voice became firm.

"From the very first time we met, I quietly made up my mind. I want to be with you..."

"Bev..."

Bev’s sudden, bold confession left Zelir at a loss for how to react.

’Is this an impulse brought on by the alcohol?’

Zelir noticed that Bev’s wine glass had been more than half-empty before he arrived.

’Or is it a spur-of-the-moment thing, driven by the intimate atmosphere?’

’She might change her mind once she’s calmed down.’

However, his gaze met Bev’s.

There was no sign of impulsiveness, no hazy intoxication.

Blooming in the depths of her eyes was the purest, most sincere emotion.

’She means it.’

Bev’s warm, soft whisper reached his ears again.

"Zelir, I like you... What about you?"

Zelir’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

"Me too... Bev."

The distance between them slowly closed.

It was unclear who initiated the kiss.

In any case, the long-suppressed feelings were instantly unleashed.

The moment their skin touched, their body heat was more scorching than the Flame in the hearth.

The initial pain quietly passed.

Bev’s nails left several scratches on Zelir’s back as pleasure devoured reason.

After that, there was no space between them.

...

After establishing their relationship, things progressed naturally.

Bev didn’t want Zelir to leave her side to do things that might put him in danger.

"Please... don’t make me live in fear anymore."

This was the first time Bev had cried in front of Zelir. The young heiress of the Alberti Family wept beautifully in his arms.

In a daze, Zelir also asked himself.

’Yeah, why not?’

The Alberti Family’s immense wealth was more than enough to allow him to stop being an Adventurer.