42. trust me

Noah's hands tightly held her face, feeling the warmth, the soft skin under his touch. Facing those tightly closed eyes.

He immersed in the wonder and said.

"First, relax, no need to close your eyes so tightly… Ignore all sounds, let your body loosen, breathe gently. The only thing to focus on is the warmth from my hands."

"Do it…"

…

"The warmth in my hands, do you feel it?"

… A nod from her…

"Good… Now, use your body to feel the warmth at my fingertips, follow it."

Noah slowly moved his fingers along her neck, to her chin, across her full lips, over her flushed cheeks.

…So beautiful… So soft…

"No need to open your eyes, worries, anything hindering you from feeling my fingers are obstacles, cast them aside, just follow my fingers…"

"Now, open your eyes… Look at me. Do you feel anything different?"

"No… No different feeling…?"

"I did it right… Try again… Maybe your innate talent isn't enough."

…

Blessed with otherworldly beauty, Lalatina Celeste, from a young age, realized the strange glint in every man's eyes looking at her. Raised in the palace of The Domain of Chromatica, when she came of age, learning and absorbing matters of bedchamber arts, etiquette, were mandatory. And then, she knew those eyes held desires to possess, to crave this body. At first, she was disappointed, repulsed, but as she grew, she changed.

Strength determined everything. In this world, a weak, beautiful woman had only one fate: to become a plaything for the strong. In the lavish, dazzling palace, such things were never scarce. Lalatina Celeste , she refused to be another's toy. So she changed, using her beauty, status, everything, as long as it benefited her, even if it meant sacrificing this body.

Lying on the bed, eyes tightly shut, feeling each finger relentlessly touching her face, body in a spread-eagle pose, utterly shameful. She wanted to resist, but could she? No, she could only endure, push through…

He asked if I felt anything different? What feeling, fingers touching all over my face…? Or the urge to resist, the shame…? She, in despair, raised a hand to touch the hand of the man before her, saying.

"Manor Lord, what am I supposed to feel?"

Noah, seeing the despair in her words, flustered. Mother used to do this for me when I was troubled, it always worked…

"You, just feel my fingers moving, that's all. Anything interrupting that feeling—thoughts, subconscious, memories—let them pass by. The only thing you need to feel is the warmth of my fingertips moving. Then, your mind will focus on one thing alone. It's called concentration, free from any hindrance. Once you're used to it, it'll be very beneficial."

"Come, relax, trust me… Try again…"

…

She… felt those fingertips caressing her face, the disgust, repulsion came, she let it pass. The anxiety, she let it pass. Schemes to escape, she let them pass. Fear, struggling, clinging, memories flooding back… she tried to let them pass.

At this moment, in her mind, only the sensations from those fingers remained. She suddenly felt so at ease, as if invisible shackles had been undone. Mind light, free from any burden. Those fingertips, how gentle, how warm. Truly satisfying, truly blissful…

… Breathing heavily…