11
Chapter i1
"Wow, it's really sunny today, isn't it?" Salvia remarked, squinting at Devan.
She had just gotten into his car and leaned over, noticing that Devan looked completely different than usual. His face seemed brighter—not his skin color, but his expression. He seemed genuinely happy.
Devan didn't deny it; his smile grew wider, confirming what Salvia suspected. He was happy, truly feeling it. Their meeting continued with a passionate romance, and Sagitta was the reason behind it.
"After winning the tender, right, Uncle?" Salvia guessed.
Devan laughed, shaking his head as he tousled the girl's hair beside him. Salvia's guess was unexpected. Instead of thinking he was in love, she assumed he had won a job competition. Whether this was because Salvia didn't understand how people fall in love or because she was naturally optimistic, he couldn't tell. What was clear was that a small sense of relief filled his chest, even though he didn't know why.
Here's a revised version with more natural phrasing:
---
Devan had no intention of hiding Sagitta, but he also didn't plan on revealing her intentionally. He wouldn't bring up his girlfriend out of the blue, but he wouldn't deny her existence if asked. Since Salvia didn't mention the person who made Devan as bright as the morning sun, he felt no obligation to talk about his current lover, who was resting in his apartment.
It wasn't Devan's intention to leave Salvia unintentionally after their passionate romance. He just remembered his responsibility to look after her.
Besides, Devan had already mentioned Sagitta when he went to pick up Salvia. Sagitta didn't mind. She wasn't a selfish lover who always needed Devan to be by her side and prioritize her. Sagitta was understanding and independent, which was what made Devan fall in love with her a year ago.
Additionally, Sagitta needed rest after traveling long distances and spending so much time with Devan throughout the day.
Devan seemed to be making up for lost time after three months without touching Sagitta at all. Sagitta ended up collapsing from exhaustion, though fortunately, she didn't faint.
"Would you like a treat?" Devan offered, as if confirming Salvia's guess.
"I want something! I'm really hungry," she said enthusiastically. Her eagerness made Devan smile. He couldn't resist ruffling the beautiful girl's long hair before giving Salvia a quick kiss on the forehead.
Here's a revised version with more natural phrasing:
---
Devan then immediately drove her car away from Salvia's gradually quieting school.
"Did Uncle go home?" Salvia asked, just realizing that Devan was wearing a different shirt than he had this morning.
Devan shook his head, keeping his eyes on the busy road ahead. "I always keep a change of clothes in the car," he answered, pointing to the back seat.
Here's a revised version with more natural phrasing:
---
"Ish! So you were changing clothes in the car earlier? Why didn't you wait for me?" Salvia protested, pouting with an annoyed expression. She crossed her arms over her chest, causing her twin hills to lift slightly under her shirt.
Devan glanced over, intending to ask what she meant. He was always tempted by that part of Salvia's body and had to swallow hard, struggling to maintain his composure.
Devan immediately looked away, focusing back on the road ahead. He didn't want to lose his concentration and end up in trouble. Even though he had often played around with Salvia over the past two months, he still felt nervous when he saw her accidentally, like just now.
"Why?" Devan asked, feeling calm enough but still not intending to glance at her again. He needed to stay focused on the road.
"I want to watch you," she said, a little shy. "Who knows, I might be able to help you change clothes," she added, blushing.
Salvia's words made Devan choke on his own saliva. The girl beside him was truly a seductive devil. She often teased him openly like this, even though Devan knew it wasn't the first time. From the moment she arrived, Salvia had been so aggressive, but he still felt dizzy every time she teased him. After all, she was his niece, the step daughter of his sister.
"Are you okay?" Salvia asked, worried about Devan's non-stop coughing.
"No, I'm fine," Devan quickly replied, shaking his head. He grabbed a bottle of water and drank quickly to soothe the pain in his throat without losing focus on the road. He didn't want to suddenly crash into the vehicle in front of him.
"Are you sure?" Salvia asked again. When Devan nodded, she finally nodded too and looked straight ahead, complaining about the heavy traffic. She was really hungry and tired from having a sports lesson earlier at school.
The reason she wasn't teasing him as usual was that her earlier comment hadn't been meant to provoke him. She was genuinely annoyed because she couldn't see him change clothes. Salvia enjoyed watching him do so; she found it very sexy. Unfortunately, she had missed the chance, which left her feeling a bit disappointed.
Her enthusiasm had waned, but it didn't last long. When Devan drove up to one of the restaurants, Salvia's eyes brightened again.
Impatiently, she unfastened her seatbelt and hurried out of the car, rushing into the restaurant without waiting for Devan, who was still in the car, watching her with a mix of amusement and affection. It was like watching a child excitedly enter an amusement park. It might have been a bit ridiculous, but Devan couldn't help but find Salvia adorable.
"Why do you have to move so slow, Uncle?" Salvia protested as Devan sat down in the chair across from her.
"It's not the old me, but you—always in a hurry!" Devan replied with a smile, reaching out to ruffle Salvia's hair. For some reason, he enjoyed doing that. He wasn't sure when exactly it started, but he knew that his life felt more enjoyable with Salvia around. Despite their usual activities together, he couldn't shake the feeling of reluctance about the inevitable separation that would come sooner or later.
Devan had no intention of staying at Salvia's place forever. Besides having his own home, it wouldn't be right to keep intruding on his older brother's family life. When he first moved in, Devan felt uneasy—not because the house was unpleasant, but because of the other people living there. Salvia's behavior, in particular, was quite bothersome, as her attitude was often less than polite.
He didn't expect his older brother to come home so quickly. More than once, he considered leaving the house without telling her, letting her stay with just the household assistant and the security guard. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wasn't that inconsiderate. He felt a strong sense of responsibility, especially since she had been entrusted to him by her own father.
Every week or so, his brother-in-law would call to check on her, which only added to his stress. He always apologized for bothering him, which made him feel even more uneasy about just leaving.
In the end, his decision to stay was influenced by his choice to ignore her aggressive behavior. During the first month, this made him uncomfortable, but surprisingly, he started to enjoy it in the following months. Now, he feels unprepared to part with the tempting devil who has been so irresistible. Although he doesn't know when that time will come, especially since there's still no news about his brother-in-law and sister returning from abroad.
But the problem is, after just two months with her, Devan already finds it hard to think about parting. What if it were even longer? He can't even imagine it. What do you call a feeling like this? He couldn't quite understand it.
******