14

The sight of Devan's charming smile and the tempting situation helped calm the pounding in Salvia's chest. She swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the intensity of it all.

This wasn't Salvia's first time seeing Devan's broad chest. Over the past two months, she had seen it often and even touched it. Yet, she still felt flustered, even though she was now looking at it through her cellphone screen. The real issue was that she couldn't experience it directly. As tempting as it was, she couldn't touch or enjoy it in person.

And truly, it was irritating.

"Why?" he continued, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Not yet sleepy," Salvia answered honestly. She really wasn't feeling sleepy, as she was preoccupied with the absence of Devan. She wasn't lying about waiting for him to contact her. She missed him, and maybe that's why she couldn't close her eyes.

"It's already late, Sal," he said, glancing at the other side where a clock might be, to check the time.

Salvia nodded. "But I can't sleep. I miss you, Uncle," she admitted with a hint of a pout.

Her face, which always looked adorable in front of him, made Devan wish he could be closer. If he were near, he wouldn't hesitate to cup Salvia's beautiful face and kiss her passionately, savoring the moment. Unfortunately, the distance between them made that impossible.

"Do you miss me, or are you just craving my touch?" Devan asked, his tone teasing.

The question brought a red blush to Salvia's cheeks, making her even more endearing. Devan couldn't help but be captivated by her, ready to give her whatever she wanted.

While Devan was around, keeping watch, Salvia's freedom was restricted by various prohibitions. It was worth noting that not long ago, Salvia had complained about this to her father. Could it be that she was using Devan's temporary absence as an opportunity to break free? If that's the case, Devan wouldn't hesitate to discipline her later.

Glancing at the watch on his wrist, Devan sighed softly. He then headed towards the bathroom to freshen up and calm his irritation.

Hopefully, after this, he can calm down and wait for Salvia's return with a clear and comfortable mind. As usual, Devan planned to take care of his work while waiting for Salvia to come home, even though he had long since stopped this habit. But tonight, he needed to keep busy to manage his emotions. He hoped he wouldn't be tempted to drag Salvia home against her will.

It wasn't really a difficult task for Devan to find out where Salvia was. In the midst of missing her, Devan actually ended up spending time with other girls.

His busyness wasn't due to work, as Salvia might have thought, but because of Sagitta. Devan had spent the day with Sagitta before meeting her family. Just an hour ago, he had returned to the hotel after arriving in Sagitta's hometown. However, at that time, Devan didn't immediately contact Salvia.

Devan had informed Salvia that he was with his beloved, Sagitta. They chatted on the phone for a long time, as if they hadn't just spent a significant amount of time together. Despite their recent meeting, the longing between them seemed to persist.

After finishing up with Sagitta, Devan decided to shower first, knowing that something like this might happen. True to his expectation, less than two minutes after sending the message, Salvia's video call came through, making Devan smile. He hadn't expected his niece to miss him so much, even though it was only the first day of his departure.

But it was impossible to deny the joy Devan felt at that moment. Seeing Salvia's beautiful face on the screen made him feel as though his thirst for connection had been quenched. It wasn't just Salvia who missed him; Devan felt the same way.

"Don't be too busy, Uncle. I can't handle it," Salvia's lips were pursed, and her face looked tired.

"Uncle is busy, and you can't handle it?" Devan asked, pretending to be surprised, though he understood exactly what Salvia meant.

Devan was just teasing the mischievous girl. He was hooked on seeing Salvia's adorable shyness on display.

"I can't stand the longing," Salvia admitted, making Devan laugh with her honesty. "I'm lonely, you know, Uncle," she continued. "It feels like half my life is gone without you."

"Oh, only half? Why not the whole thing?" Devan asked with a grin.

"That's how I feel, Uncle!" Salvia replied, sounding annoyed, which made Devan burst into laughter. Salvia laughed too, though her eyes were still captivated by her uncle's increasingly charming smile.

"Just one day away, and Uncle is already being annoying. Imagine a whole week—try that on for size!" Salvia teased, pretending to be exasperated with her uncle's never-ending laughter.

Devan's laughter, though melodious, was driving her mad. Salvia was reluctant to enjoy it too long, fearing that missing him more and more would become unbearable. It was frustrating how Devan's absence, even for just a short time, made everything feel so irritating.

"I definitely miss you even more," Devan said with a mischievous wink, causing a blush to spread across Salvia's beautiful face. To hide her embarrassment, Salvia let out small grunts and sharp snorts, trying to convey a message of 'No need to get excited!'—despite her earlier comment being more about annoyance than genuine longing. But Devan took it the other way, as usual. He had a knack for teasing Salvia, and it seemed like he enjoyed it more and more these days.

Salvia couldn't understand why Devan had changed so much. The dislike he once showed her seemed to have vanished, replaced by something more pleasant. Maybe it was because of their recent interactions, but Devan sensed that there was another kind of feeling involved—one he couldn't quite explain.

It was an affection that didn't seem to fit the typical uncle-nephew relationship, and Devan tried to convince himself it was just that. However, a closer look revealed that their connection went beyond what was typical for family.

Devan knew that he and Salvia weren't biologically related but were connected through marriage—Salvia's father and her brother formed their family tie. Still, Devan struggled with his feelings. While his mind insisted that Salvia was family, his heart didn't quite agree, even though he hadn't reached any clear conclusions yet.

Reflecting on their time together, Devan recognized that their relationship had crossed boundaries, but ending it wasn't straightforward. The temptation and provocations Salvia presented had drawn him into an intimacy he knew was wrong but found difficult to escape.

Devan was caught in a frustrating predicament. Despite having someone like Sagitta, who could satisfy his desires anytime, he couldn't let go of his feelings for Salvia. While Devan valued Sagitta deeply and their relationship was something they both desired, he couldn't help but be perplexed by his situation.

The timing seemed all wrong. How could Devan have returned home so soon, complicating matters further?