Chapter 141: Compromise

Chapter 141: Compromise

“Well, he’s asking Airael, but his words leave no room for refusal.”

Airael was momentarily taken aback by Arthur’s demand, her eyes wide open.

“Did I cause him trouble?”

“Maybe I did!”

“But it’s really not her fault!”

“You say I’m troublesome, but you started this mess!”

Airael immediately countered, recalling how Arthur had sought her out earlier in the day.

She just wanted some peace and quiet to think things through, but Arthur’s abrupt intrusion complicated everything.

Arthur knew he was being a bit unruly right now.

Yet, this situation was genuinely driving him nuts.

He just wanted to resolve this and get back to focusing on other matters, but Airael was totally uncooperative!

Sure, he had made mistakes—okay, fine!—but didn’t she dismiss all of them?

So how could he have any left?

At this point, Arthur’s temper was flaring.

He was typically easy-going, but everyone has a breaking point.

Even a saint has a fiery side!

“You admitted what happened today was nothing, so what the heck did I do wrong?”

Arthur shot another question at Airael.

“Today’s events are today’s events. I’m not blaming you for that, but it doesn’t mean I’m satisfied with everything else!”

Airael replied, turning her head away from him.

She looked genuinely upset.

Sure, he had pinned her down plenty of times before, but this time felt different.

Arthur watched Airael’s stubbornness blossom, feeling a wave of despair wash over him.

Seeing he wasn’t getting anywhere with the tough approach, he decided to soften up. “Ailia, we can talk this through. If there’s something you’re unhappy with, just say it! I’ll do my best to fix it.”

Arthur’s tone became gentler, and Airael stopped giving him the cold shoulder, saying, “Arthur, I can tell you about other issues, and we can slowly work things out. But this matter… that’s a no-go!”

With that, Airael set her face into a serious expression that demanded compliance.

This scene mirrored Arthur’s earlier demeanor.

“Why not?”

Arthur was baffled.

What couldn’t they discuss reasonably?

Why did he have to rack his brain over what could possibly be a baseless concern?

Wasn’t that just wasting his precious time?

He had plans in motion!

He needed to stay on track.

One misstep could ruin everything.

“There’s no reason! I can only tell you that this situation is very special. It’s special enough that no matter how long it takes, I need a clear answer from you.”

Airael responded firmly.

Deep down, she was softening.

She extended the deadline for Arthur indefinitely.

Really, she was being a bit unreasonable.

She knew Arthur was a slow learner, yet she still hoped he would quickly realize the problem.

However, that wasn’t quite what Arthur was thinking.

He wanted Airael to clarify everything so they could fix it as soon as possible.

If he went according to Airael’s way, he’d still be left solving it on his own.

They might end up stuck in this loop indefinitely.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke, both staring at each other.

In silence, they were locked in a battle of wills.

Who would end up caving first?

Airael was all in!

She wanted a heartfelt gift; if he couldn’t meet that, why would they keep at it?

On the other hand, Arthur’s resolve on this matter was wavering.

After a while, he relented, “Ailia, I’ll get back to you on this, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now…”

Seeing Arthur give in made Airael beam, cutting him off, “You can do your thing! I’m fine waiting for this!”

Hearing Airael’s reply, Arthur felt a twinge of disappointment but knew it was a good outcome for now.

Clearly, Airael responded better to kindness than pressure.

If he kept pushing, they might end up hurting each other.

With the tension temporarily lifted, the atmosphere between them shifted, becoming a bit more intimate.

Arthur had fully pinned Airael against the couch.

His strong frame pressed against her petite one, complementing each other perfectly.

“Ailia!”

Realizing the situation, Arthur’s voice became a husky murmur, laced with temptation.

Airael knew what was coming next.

But surprisingly, she didn’t reject him.

Although they hadn’t fully resolved their issues, she had come to terms with a lot.

For now, their relationship needed to continue.

After all, she wasn’t expecting a child yet.

“Hmm!”

With that, she gently nodded in response to Arthur’s invitation.

Emboldened, Arthur leaned in to capture Airael’s lips.

Naturally, Airael leaned into him, their bodies merging even more sweetly.

Before long, Arthur was no longer satisfied with just her lips, launching an assault on other parts.

Fueled by desire, their clothing vanished piece by piece until they were completely intertwined.

…

The next morning, when Airael woke up, she found it was already well past noon.

As she shifted her body, a wave of soreness washed over her.

At the same time, flashes of last night’s shenanigans invaded her mind.

Her cheeks flushed instantly.

Last night had been wild.

Arthur had taken her time and time again.

She couldn’t quite recall how many times, just that it felt like a lot.

She did remember they tried out a lot of “new knowledge.”

And considering how long it lasted, her aftereffects were pretty severe today.

As unpleasant memories faded, Airael glanced beside her and noticed the other side of the bed was empty.

This left her sulking and puffing her cheeks.

Seems Arthur had been up for a while now.

Meaning after all that madness, he had bounced back faster than she did.

Even so, she didn’t immediately get up; she needed to take it slow.