This Villain Ch.180

Chapter 180: The Touch-Starved Villain

Compared to the heavily armed person on horseback, wrapped in thick clothes and wearing a hat, the cardinal walked alone in the snowstorm, dressed lightly.

However, a faint halo surrounded him, keeping the heavy snow from touching him; not even his shoes had a speck of snow on them.

It seemed as if he was just leisurely strolling through the harsh weather, enjoying the snow.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah, I came to find you. I heard from the people in Magburg that you’d be back in the next couple of days.”

It seemed like an answer, but it didn’t actually respond to Yu Mo’s question.

He should have been building his new sanctuary in Tusihe, not running over to Magburg to look for him—much less showing up in this desolate wilderness rarely crossed by anyone.

The person on horseback extended a hand towards him. “Come up.”

After picking up this unexpected traveler on the roadside, the group continued forward.

Once the cardinal was on horseback, Yu Mo immediately felt much warmer, and even the fierce wind and snow seemed to subside considerably.

“Because I missed you,” Peruth’s voice sounded in his ear. “After several months apart, didn’t you miss me too?”

Amid the fierce wind and snow, the voice wasn’t entirely clear. Yu Mo didn’t respond, remaining silent as they traveled to a nearby small town.

…

The town’s mayor came out with a lamp and arranged rooms for them.

Of course, Yu Mo received the best room, though it was still quite basic, but it had been cleaned thoroughly.

A young girl ran over and swiftly replaced the bedding, while a boy, slightly younger, knelt by the fireplace, trying hard to light a fire.

He seemed too nervous, struggling to get the fire started, constantly glancing at the noble guests who had entered, afraid they’d get angry and scold him. His nose even broke into a sweat.

Peruth naturally followed Yu Mo into the room and went over to pat the boy on the shoulder, signaling him to get up. Then, bending down by the fireplace, Peruth snapped his fingers, causing the smoking logs to burst into bright flames.

In this place, it was rare for a magician to pass through, so the boy stared in astonishment, eyes wide. The woman who had come to deliver hot water and food quickly rushed over and dragged him away.

“Mom! Did you see that just now? That—”

“Shh! Keep your voice down, you foolish little rascal!”

The ordinary wooden door didn’t insulate sound well, so the footsteps of the woman and boy leaving could be heard from outside, along with the sounds of knights moving around in other rooms downstairs.

Peruth stood in front of the flickering orange flames of the fireplace, holding his hands out to warm them. He tilted his head to look at Yu Mo.

Yu Mo had already removed his snow-frozen cloak and hat, revealing his black hair, now a bit longer. He took off his heavy coat, then sat down at the small table, picked up some bread, took a bite, and drank a spoonful of thick soup.

“Eloren, you haven’t paid me any attention since earlier—are you upset?”

Peruth thought that when it came to being aloof, no one could match Eloren.

He often felt that Eloren was distant yet close; just when you thought he cared about you, he’d make you feel like it was all your imagination.

Yu Mo’s face showed little expression, likely from the cold.

Only after taking a big bite of bread did he respond, “I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten anything all day.”

So, even though His Excellency the Cardinal was standing there by the fireplace in such a captivating pose, the warm firelight casting an alluring glow on his exquisite face, and even though he looked at him with a hesitant, wistful expression for quite some time, Yu Mo’s only thought right now was to have something hot to eat.

Peruth: “…”

He realized Eloren was genuinely hungry. Since they had known each other, they’d shared many lunches and dinners together, but Eloren had never shown much enthusiasm for food. This was the first time he’d seen him eat so quickly, even finishing an entire bowl of creamy soup that he usually disliked.

It was honestly endearing. Peruth watched Yu Mo as he ate earnestly, finding an inexplicable charm even in the way he chewed the bread without expression.

After filling his empty stomach, rinsing his mouth, and washing his face, Yu Mo finally had time to turn his attention to His Excellency the Cardinal.

Peruth had pulled a chair over and was sitting by the fireplace, leaning back and gazing at him without blinking.

“I did miss you,” Yu Mo said suddenly.

It took a moment for Peruth to realize he was answering his earlier question. A glimmer of surprise appeared in his calm eyes.

A smile spread across Peruth’s face at those straightforward words, his joy radiating from every glowing strand of hair.

“I thought you wouldn’t miss me.”

He’d assumed that even if Yu Mo felt a little longing, he wouldn’t say it so directly.

Yu Mo walked over to the fireplace and began unfastening Peruth’s coat.

Peruth looked relaxed. “Don’t worry, the wound on my chest has already healed. No need to check.”

“I know you’re healed,” Yu Mo replied, brushing back the hair on his chest and leaning down to share a gentle kiss.

Peruth finally understood his intent. His gaze flickered briefly, but his hand stayed resting on the chair, unmoving.

Yu Mo tossed the coat aside and noticed how visibly tense the cardinal’s body had become.

Peruth’s skin, usually concealed beneath his robes, bore faint marks from his youth, now reduced to barely visible, pale red scars.

He didn’t stop Yu Mo’s movements, even cooperating by slipping his arms out of his sleeves, letting Yu Mo’s gaze linger freely.

It was the body of an adult man, and the orange glow of the fire sculpted his form with perfect, graceful shadows and light.

One stood, the other sat by the fireplace—one like a newborn, newly arrived in the world, the other fully dressed.

Amid the crackling of the fire, Yu Mo took Peruth’s hand.

Peruth’s expression remained steady, yet his fingers gripped the back of the chair so tightly that deep imprints formed.

Yu Mo pressed that hand against his own cheek, the warmth of Peruth’s palm melting the frozen look on his face.

He smiled. “Are you still nervous, Peruth?”

Looking at anyone like this, there was no one Yu Mo couldn’t reach.

Peruth’s thumb brushed his cheek, and in those dark eyes, he saw his own face, close and magnified.

The warmth of the firelight wrapped around them, giving a sense of familiar security.

When Peruth returned to himself, he realized they had already shed all pretenses, intimately entwined.

He held Eloren tightly, trapping him in his arms, his shoulders and chest heaving with every breath.

He’d thought he would reject this kind of closeness, yet in touching Eloren, he felt a surge of desire stronger than anything he’d known.

It was as if he’d lost all control for a long time, barely aware of what he was doing, only remembering the desperate way he’d clung to Eloren.

Long ago, he had forsaken the Goddess of Desire’s teachings, falling in ways even he didn’t understand.

When he pressed against the ridges of Eloren’s spine, Peruth let out a deep breath, feeling a strange sensation, as though he’d been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

They embraced and became one on the chair by the fireplace.

In the swirling wave of sensations, Peruth had a fleeting feeling that their roles had reversed—as though he was the one being held.

But it was only an illusion.

Wind, snow, a long road, surging power, thorns, sacred mountains, fire, an embrace, blood-red flowers.

Fragmented, dream-like images without meaning drifted through his hazy mind, making him feel as if he had briefly dreamt.

“Awake now?” he heard the person resting against his shoulder say, the voice slightly hoarse.

Peruth made a vague sound in response, realizing his arm, wrapped around Eloren’s shoulder, was damp with sweat, and even Eloren’s dark hair was wet, glistening.

He ran his fingers through that tangled black hair, feeling the warm dampness clinging to his fingers.

The person sitting atop him glanced up, brow furrowed slightly in discomfort.

Peruth’s fingers pressed into the nape of his neck, a touch that felt both like a warning and a reassurance.

“Don’t go overboard,” he murmured, beginning to stand.

But Peruth didn’t feel fully awake—without thinking, he tugged Eloren back, stubbornly holding him close.

A muffled sound escaped.

The chair by the fireplace toppled over, and their entangled forms shifted to the edge of the bed.

Outside, the snowfall had ceased, but the wind still howled, occasionally pelting icy granules against the window, as if someone were tapping on the glass.

A persistent clinking sound echoed.

Yu Mo lay beneath the crumpled covers, eyes closed, easing his weariness.

Feeling the heartbeat pressed against him gradually calm, he opened his eyes and asked, “Are you awake this time?”

Previously, Yu Mo had thought Peruth might have a fear of close contact, and he had even considered ways to guide him in overcoming that issue and facing his own desires in a healthier way.

But now, Yu Mo suspected Peruth might actually be touch-starved.

The pent-up longing, released all at once, had taken Yu Mo by surprise.

After the initial stiffness faded, Peruth seemed to lose control entirely, his gaze at times possessing a wildness—as if he wanted to open himself up and embed Eloren within his ribs.

No matter what Yu Mo said or did, it was as if Peruth couldn’t hear, unwilling to let go of even the smallest patch of skin.

Yu Mo nearly resorted to a binding spell.

What had started as a brief, tentative experience spiraled into something far beyond their original intentions, an intense closeness that had quickly become uncontrollable.

It wasn’t unpleasant, but it allowed Yu Mo to glimpse an unstable, hidden side of Peruth that he hadn’t expected.

Perhaps Peruth hadn’t even noticed this side of himself, because now that he was fully awake, a rare look of confusion clung to him.

Yu Mo pushed his arm away, got up, and poured himself a glass of wine from the table where their food sat.

The wine was mild and would serve as a refreshing drink.

Peruth couldn’t remember exactly what he had done; his gaze followed Yu Mo, noticing traces on his body and legs.

The dried marks on his legs gave an uncharacteristically disheveled look to someone usually so neat and pristine.

But Eloren didn’t seem to care. He stood barefoot on the carpet, head tilted back as he drank.

After finishing most of the glass, he turned and, in his usual tone, warned, “If you lose control like that again, I’ll use binding magic to restrain you.”

Peruth didn’t quite catch what he said; his focus was scattered yet locked on Yu Mo.

As Yu Mo walked over, stopping by the bed, the cool rim of the glass brushed Peruth’s lips, and the wine tilted forward.

Instinctively, Peruth opened his mouth, taking in the sweet, cool liquid.

Yu Mo tilted the glass, letting him drink two sips before pulling it back and finishing the rest himself.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, his leg rested next to Peruth.

Yu Mo’s bare leg, exposed to the cool air, was suddenly held by warm hands.

Peruth bent down to press a kiss to his flushed knee. “Eloren, my Eloren, my… moon.”

“Please forgive my madness. I lost my sanity long ago.”

“You know my chaotic, broken self, know my sins and my fears, everything I’ve suppressed… Please forgive me, and look upon me with kindness.”

He rested his forehead on Yu Mo’s knee, whispering his plea.

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**TN

Got sick today. There is only one chapter for today. Oh, but it’s a spicy one! XD