Sebastian Forrest seed startled by my sudden outburst of tears and was instantly at a loss.
"You... don’t cry." Sebastian Forrest reached out to wipe the tears from my face.
But the tears kept falling, one after another, landing on the pad of his finger. It was as if their warmth scalded him; even his fingertips trembled slightly.
I didn’t speak, just cried silently, but the way I kept swallowing made it clear I was suppressing sobs.
"It’s all my fault! I was wrong. You can hit , yell at , whatever you want—just please don’t cry, okay?"
I don’t know how long it was before I finally managed to stop crying.
But maybe because I’d been crying for so long, my eyes were red, swollen, and painfully dry.
Sebastian Forrest pressed his lips together. "Are you still mad at ?"
I shook my head, then nodded.
Sebastian Forrest didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "So, are you mad or not?"
I looked up at him. "Why did you hide it from ?"
Sebastian Forrest pressed his lips together. "I actually wanted to tell you several tis, but the timing was never right, so I never managed to co clean..."
"And then there was that ti when you were investigating that maid..."
Sebastian Forrest gave a bitter smile. "I had really made up my mind to tell you then, but you said you hated that person..."
I froze, only then belatedly recalling that sothing like that had indeed happened...
’So he’d wanted to tell back then, but—’
"Still angry?" Sebastian Forrest watched cautiously.
This was the first ti I had ever seen such an apprehensive expression on his face.
’If I said I wasn’t angry, it would be a lie.’
But then I thought about the countless favors I owed Sebastian Forrest...
Any rebuke on the tip of my tongue vanished into thin air.
’They say you can’t be hard on soone you’re indebted to...’
’That saying isn’t wrong in the slightest!’
I huffed indignantly and turned my head away from him.
A smile blood on Sebastian Forrest’s face, like lting ice and snow. He reached out and pulled into his arms, his large hand stroking soothingly from my hair down to my back.
"There now, don’t be angry anymore. It’s not worth getting upset over soone like . What if you make yourself sick?"
Hearing him coax in a tone one would use for a child, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and quickly pushed him away. "I haven’t forgiven you yet..."
"I know." Sebastian Forrest nodded quickly, but an irrepressible smile played at the corners of his eyes. "I’ll accept any hitting, scolding, or punishnt. I am at your disposal, to be dealt with as you see fit."
Seeing him getting more and more ridiculous, I cut him off. "Alright, that’s enough. Let’s just consider this matter over and done with. No one is to ever bring it up again..."
The corner of Sebastian Forrest’s lip curled up, a light dancing in his dark eyes. "That won’t do."
I froze, not quite understanding what he ant.
’I’d already said I’d forgive him and that we’d let it go. Why wasn’t he agreeing?’
Sebastian Forrest tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. "Since you’re not going to hold accountable for taking advantage of you, shouldn’t we talk about you taking advantage of **?"
"Huh?" I froze. "What?"
Sebastian Forrest’s lips curled slightly. "It was my first ti."
I was completely stunned. ’What does he an?’
The smile on Sebastian Forrest’s face widened, giving him a rakish, nonchalant air that contrasted with his usual refined, almost ascetic deanor. "Since you slept with , you have to take responsibility. What do you think?"
My face instantly turned beet red.
’Wh-what kind of thing is that to say?!’
"Why aren’t you talking?" Sebastian Forrest looked at , amused. "Cat got your tongue?"
I finally found my voice and had to force myself to argue my case. "In... in situations like this, it’s usually the woman who’s at a disadvantage, okay?"
’So what if it was his first ti?’
’Is being a virgin really that big of a deal?’
I couldn’t help but swallow hard as, for so reason, a wave of guilt washed over .
"Oh? Is that so?"
Sebastian Forrest shot back a question, then unhurriedly took out his phone and casually typed a phrase into the search bar: *The man everyone in Kington most wants to sleep with...*
When he hit search, the very first na that popped up was Sebastian Forrest’s!
"..."
’You can’t be serious?!’
"So? Now who do you think got the short end of the stick, you or ?"
My eyes went wide. "!!!"
The curve of Sebastian Forrest’s lips widened as he said in all seriousness, "I’ve never liked another girl, never confessed my feelings to anyone, and I’ve certainly never been in a relationship."
"So when sothing like this happens, who do you think is more at a disadvantage?"
"..."
"I... I don’t know!" I stamred, swallowing hard, not wanting to discuss the topic any longer. "Okay, let’s drop it. Our colleagues are waiting for us. We should hurry and go..."
But before I could leave, Sebastian Forrest grabbed my wrist. "What? Trying to love and leave ?"
"..."
’I regretted it. I deeply regretted telling him I forgave him just now!’
’I should have kept a little book of grudges for all his offenses!’
’And taken it out every day to curse him!’
"Don’t worry. Without us, they’ll only be more relaxed." Sebastian Forrest’s deep eyes were fixed on . "Now, can we discuss how you’re going to take responsibility for ?"
Seeing how relentless Sebastian Forrest was being, I knew there was no getting out of this today.
I might as well just get it all out in the open and have a proper talk.
"Fine, tell . How do you want to take responsibility?"
The corner of Sebastian Forrest’s lip curled, a sly glint flashing in his eyes. "Tell , under normal circumstances, how do a man and woman who’ve had... that kind of relationship... take responsibility?"
His counter-question left speechless.
’Naturally, they’d get married.’
’Not to ntion I was now carrying Sebastian Forrest’s baby.’
’More accurately, it would be a shotgun wedding!’
"Sebastian Forrest, stop being such a rogue!" I couldn’t take it anymore, calling him by his full na.
But Sebastian Forrest seed to enjoy calling him by his full na, and his smile grew even brighter. "Chelsea Joyce, you’re the one who was being a rogue to first!"
"How was I a rogue?"
"You slept with but don’t want to take responsibility."
"..."
Sebastian Forrest raised an eyebrow. "And you even tried to love and leave ."
"..."
I took a deep breath, trying to straighten out my logic so I wouldn’t get spun around in circles by Sebastian Forrest again.
"I was the one who said you didn’t have to take responsibility first, so naturally I don’t need to take responsibility for you. That’s what’s fair."
But Sebastian Forrest shook his head. "No. You not wanting to take responsibility is your business. But I want *you* to take responsibility."
"You’re being unreasonable."
"Being reasonable doesn’t get you a wife."
"..."
"Oh..." Sebastian Forrest chuckled, his gaze shifting downward to my lower abdon. His expression softened considerably. "And a child."
"Sebastian Forrest!" I exclaid, unable to stand it any longer.
But Sebastian Forrest just kept up his rakish, devil-may-care act. "Hm? I’m here. What is it? Have you decided how you’re going to take responsibility for yet?"
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