At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 251

Even among the beach crowd, Petar always had more jewelry hanging from his ears than anyone else, and it seemed Skiass wanted the same.

“The, there too?”

“Yeah.”

Still, the earlobe was relatively safe since there weren’t many nerves there, but Jiwoo was hesitant to pierce the cartilage. The children of Ellandos had visible veins running along the broad part of their ears, and Jiwoo was worried about causing any injury.

“What if you get hurt? I don’t want to.”

“You, you don’t…?”

Skiass’s eyes filled with tears again, and he started to sound like he might cry.

“No, I mean it’s not that I don’t want to do it for you. I just don’t want to accidentally hurt you.”

“But… only you can do this for me, Jiwoo.”

He was poking right at Jiwoo’s weakness. She just couldn’t say no to someone who had stayed up all night working for her sake.

Eventually, Jiwoo decided to use her Akarna powers to help.

“Okay, hold on. Maybe if I prepare it…like this…”

Pulling Skiass’s head closer, Jiwoo pressed her lips to his ear. As her breath tickled his skin, his ear twitched before she even touched it. Jiwoo caught the tip between her lips, then licked along his trembling ear.

“Aht, uht…!”

Clearly, the sensation was overwhelming for Skiass; he couldn’t help but let out a moan. Jiwoo carefully licked every spot Skiass had pointed out, deliberately spreading saliva to moisten the area, making it easier for her powers to work. 

The sound was so sticky that even Jiwoo could hear it. Skiass, whose senses were even sharper, must have felt it even more intensely.

“Ah, hu, hu-uht…”

Skiass tensed his shoulders, struggling to endure the stimulation.

To be thorough, Jiwoo even made sure to wet the inside of his ear, then paused for a moment and stuck out her tongue.

“It tastes bitter.”

“…Guess I should’ve washed up first.”

“It’s fine. I kind of like it.”

“…Re, really?”

After everything Skiass had been through, there was no sweetness, only a slightly bitter taste, just like the scent he gave off after a long, exhausting night. Jiwoo started to worry about him.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Huht… keep, keep going.”

Since the ears were so sensitive for his kind, Jiwoo found herself getting nervous, too. With Kaman, she’d just followed his lead, but this time Jiwoo was in control.

“I’ll do a little further in now.”

“The, there too …ung. Huht…”

But knowing how her Akarna powers worked, it was actually easier than piercing the lobe. When Jiwoo fell silent with concentration, Skiass listened to her heartbeat and gently asked.

“Seo Jiwoo, what are you thinking?”

He must’ve noticed her heart had been anxious at first, but now beat a little faster with excitement.

“Hmm…I’m just happy I can use my power to give you what you want.”

She pierced a few more holes along the rim and cartilage. Now it was time to put in the jewelry.

Jiwoo started hanging the earrings Skiass handed her, one by one.

“And I’ve realized, when I use this power for myself, or because someone forced me, it never felt like this. But the more I use it for what I want, the better it feels.”

Her Akarna powers always responded to her emotions. Lately, she’d felt like she had endless energy, and maybe this was why.

“I must be really happy now.”

She hung an earring on his lobe, then started on the upper ear. When she moved to the cartilage and higher up, Skiass’s ear kept twitching, making it hard to work.

Jiwoo said, trying not to laugh.

“Hold still.” 

“Huht, ah, aht…”

Jiwoo’s cheeks were getting warm too. For some reason, doing this in broad daylight felt a little indecent.

In the end, Skiass’s both ears decked out in flashy jewelry, just like he wanted.

With his face flushed, Skiass fiddled with his ears, clearly pleased despite looking utterly exhausted. Now, the bitter scent of herbs was mingling with something sweeter in the air.

“You really wanted this, huh?”

“This way, anyone who sees me will know I belong to Seo Jiwoo.”

“Does it really matter what others think?”

“It’s more than that, now…”

He started to say something, but instead, he pulled Jiwoo’s hand to his cheek, rubbing his face against her palm and fingers, his long eyelashes tickling her skin.

“…Yes, it matters.”

Jiwoo wanted to ask what he meant, but just then, she heard people approaching. Kaman was back, and he’d brought Solmih along.

Sure enough, as they drew closer, everyone’s eyes widened at the sight of Skiass’s ears that were covered in earrings from the lobe all the way up the rim. No one seemed to know where to look.

Skiass tilted his head, almost showing off his ears. It was like a proud dog showing off his collar.

Even Kaman shook his head in disbelief after seeing him.

“Wow, you’re greedy… You really put on everything, just in case I tried to take your earrings.”

“Hmph.”

The tone seemed to say, Did you really go and do all that in the short time I was gone?

While Kaman and Skiass bickered, Tyrinos hurried over to the glowing tree.

Staring at the luminous interior, he pulled a small locket-like charm from his clothes, kissed it, tucked it away, and turned to Jiwoo with hopeful eyes.

“It really worked.”

“Is it all finished now?”

“No, it looks like… it’s only partly done.”

Tyrinos swallowed nervously and asked.

“Would you mind doing even more?”