Legacy of Hatred

Chapter 393: Line

’It’s not lust,’ Liam sighed internally. ’Not only lust.’

There was undeniable carnal desire, enhanced by everything pressing against Liam. Yet, he felt something deeper, warmer that tasted like happiness.

Ignorance had been bliss, but only calm clarity existed now, allowing Liam to explore it.

’When did it happen?’ Liam wondered. ’When did I fall for her?’

Things had been relatively simple with Melissa. She had been the only one for Liam in that sense. The reactions he hadn’t known how to describe or explain had been born through her.

Instead, Grace had been completely different. She and Liam had grown closer slowly and through hardship. They hadn’t set out to end up like that. Both had actually been careful not to, but love had been stronger.

Sometime along the way, Grace had stopped being a trustworthy partner and had become a woman Liam wanted to treasure for life.

’What an insidious illness,’ Liam commented internally but didn’t let go, emboldened by Grace’s request to indulge in that moment, showing part of his true feelings.

Liam rubbed Grace’s side, occasionally moving to her back, pulling her even closer. He dug his nose in her hair, the hand on her neck rising to the back of her head, caressing it gently.

Happiness flared inside Liam when Grace joined him in the act. She made herself more comfortable on him, caressing his chest with her hand and face. They were cuddling, voicing their affection through their actions.

And Liam could feel the shift inside him. It was unclear whether he had crossed a physical line, but the emotional one was behind him now.

Liam couldn’t help but smile, recalling Lancelot’s words once again. He and Grace were alone against the world, but they were winning because they were together.

And sometime during the cuddling, Liam became sure that Grace belonged by his side, just like he did with hers. Actually, it was more precise to say that he saw that intimate moment as right, as if that was how their lives were supposed to be.

"You are ruffling my hair," Grace eventually giggled.

"I’ll brush it later," Liam promised, not even thinking about how forward he was being. He would do almost anything to stay like that a bit longer.

"You are also ruffling my clothes," Grace laughed again. "Will you tidy them, too?"

That was more than Liam could take. He knew he would do the very opposite of what Grace had requested.

"Should I stop?" Liam wondered, feeling the same anxiety he had once experienced with Melissa.

"No," Grace suddenly gasped, the hand on Liam’s chest reaching for his face, caressing it. "More."

Grace’s childlike tone made Liam smile. She truly liked being spoiled, his anxiety melting as quickly as it had appeared.

"I love being in your arms," Grace added, the intimacy making her forget about everything but her honesty. "Liam, never let me go."

The partial confession was a soft bomb in Liam’s brain. Nothing shook, but something came to life. He finally knew what his duty toward Grace was, so he would hold her forever.

It took a few hours for Erika to return to the building’s last floor. She was alone but ready for business and to beg those guests for forgiveness after the previous disrespect.

However, the scene that unfolded in Erika’s eyes stunned her for a whole second. She arrived at the meeting room, only to see Grace straightening her disheveled hair, moving to her robe next.

Erika would stare if it weren’t for the chilling gaze pointed at her. Liam was glaring, warning her not to inspect that embarrassing moment. She barely had the time to catch the creases on his chest before she turned to give the couple some privacy.

Of course, Grace had warned Mairis’ trio that such a development could happen, but that could have been part of her business strategy. Still, Erika now knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had spoken the truth.

Liam stood up when Grace did, planning to address Erika. Yet, Grace quickly dealt with his robe, patting the creases she had caused away.

The two had stopped at cuddles, but it was clear their relationship had changed. Liam could smell it in the air around them, and Grace soon confirmed it.

"My dear," Grace called, looking up once she was done with Liam’s robe. "Come here."

Liam lowered his head, believing Grace wanted to address his hair. She reached for his cheek, but only to pull herself and leave a kiss on the other.

Erika seemed to shrink under the noise that reached her ears. Liam noticed that, but his eyes followed Grace as she swiftly reached his right side, taking his hand, their fingers intertwining as she held his arm.

"Fellow Daoist," Grace called, her devilish persona instantly returning. "I hope there is a good reason for interrupting my time with my beloved."

The act had resumed, so Liam couldn’t let go of Grace’s hand even if he wanted to. Still, he felt glad. Since he was forced to play along, he could welcome that intimacy without internal conflict.

"The families have agreed to your request," Erika revealed without turning. "My Senior Brother suggested you inspect the goods that will be auctioned to see whether they meet your standards."

Once again, Grace’s plan had worked perfectly, this time without her even needing to mention it.

"I’m glad the Crege family showed such concern," Grace praised, this time highlighting Erika’s family. "Erika, lead the way."

That was a direct order, one that Erika didn’t dare to refuse. The hierarchy was clear now. Liam and Grace were basically in charge.

Erika accompanied the couple outside the building, the latter walking hand-in-hand. Yet, instead of heading toward one of the mansions, Erika headed for a structure on the city’s outskirts.

The place looked like an ordinary two-story shop, but a rooting expert ended up welcoming the group. He wore the same red robe as Erika and bowed deeply at her before leading them to a trapdoor hidden behind one of the many shelves.

Inscriptions were in place. The rooting expert used a token to unlock the trapdoor, and countless scents that Liam recognized flooded his nostrils and mouth.

A wooden staircase brought the group to a vast underground hall, and red braziers lit up as soon as they stepped on its perfectly flat floor.

Liam didn’t need the additional illumination, but it helped reveal the scene’s true size. The underground hall wasn’t as vast as what he had seen in the Roaring Thunder Sect, but a few hundred shelves still filled it, each containing alchemical products.

’Now we are talking,’ Liam exclaimed in his mind. ’I can go wild again.’