Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires - Chapter 233

Chapter 233: If she is not pretty, then what reason do I have to aid her?
Deep within the forest, a young man stood beside a tree as he peered out into the distance. His short black hair fluttered in the wind, while his red eyes gleamed with a sharp light. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he spotted a figure darting through the woods towards him.

It was a young woman wearing a white cheongsam with golden patterns embroidered on it and long black hair tied into a bun. Her beautiful figure moved at an impressive pace, causing the leaves scattered about the floor to dance in the breeze with each step she took. Although she was quite a distance away, she appeared to be getting closer by the second.

The young man stared at her figure with mesmerized eyes, admiring her graceful movements and captivating beauty. His gaze never strayed from her body as he watched her approach him with great curiosity. He found himself lost in thoughts while his eyes roamed over her stunning figure from top to bottom, imagining what lay beneath those clothes she wore. The longer he observed her, the hot blood boiled within his veins as a desire to claim her bubbled within him. It was such that his pants felt tight, as if a fire burned in his loins. But, with a shake of his head, the young man regained control of his emotions and brushed those thoughts aside for now.

‘Such a beauty! If it weren’t for the fact that we met right now and in a trial where everyone is a competitor, I would have made her fall for me with my irresistible charm and enjoy the bliss of her warmth. Still, it doesn’t mean that I cannot seduce her right here right now and reap the rewards for it after the trial is over.’ The young man pondered while licking his lips before readying himself to welcome her with his most charming smile.

At first, he believed it would take some time for her to reach him, but it seemed like she was already nearby. As soon as she approached close enough, the young woman stopped in her tracks and scanned the surroundings with vigilant eyes. Then, she saw the young man standing next to the tree and gave him a gentle smile upon meeting his gaze. “Oh? I didn’t expect to come across another participant. Are you going to fight me for my hunting points? Though I haven’t killed any beasts since the trial began.”

Upon hearing her question, the young man shook his head and replied with a genuine smile. “Of course not. Although we are rivals in this competition, it’s not like we need to fight to the death. Besides, I doubt anyone would want to pick a fight with such a beautiful lady like you anyway. No one in their right mind would even dream of doing that, hehe. Anyways, I am Argon; nice to meet you.”

The young woman smiled upon hearing his words before replying, “Greetings, Argon, I am Meiling. And I agree that it’s unnecessary to fight each other when the objective of this trial is to earn points through killing beasts. However, what makes you think that no one will fight me just because I am beautiful? Are you perhaps implying that beauty is a shield that protects me from harm, hmm?”

“Huh?” The young man raised his brows upon hearing her words as he looked at the young woman with an odd expression on his face. He contemplated for a bit before he continued, “That’s not what I meant. What I’m saying is that I wouldn’t dare harm a beautiful woman such as yourself. Let alone fight her, heh. If anything, I’d rather spend the rest of my life protecting her instead.”

“Hmmm… Is that so?” Meiling tilted her head as she studied the young man in front of her.

“Of course! I am a gentleman with strong morals. Just like those legendary heroes in fairy tales who would go through hell and high water to save their princesses.” Argon flashed a confident grin before striking a heroic pose in front of Meiling while puffing his chest out as if trying to show off his chiseled muscles through the thin fabric of his shirt.

He looked at her with sparkling eyes as though he expected her to be moved by his declaration, which never failed to sweep ladies off their feet. After all, he possessed a handsome appearance coupled with a strong physique. All in all, he exuded charisma like a prince straight out of a book. So, how could she not be touched by his words when he had said those words without hesitation while maintaining eye contact with her this whole time? Even though they just met and had yet to interact further with each other, such actions have always worked wonders on most girls he came across. Thus, it shouldn’t be any different this time either.

However, contrary to his expectations, Meiling blinked a couple of times, staring at Argon in confusion for a brief period before breaking the silence with her next words, “Then, if that’s true, what would you do if I were an ordinary villager who doesn’t possess beauty? Would you still treat me the same way?”

As soon as Meiling uttered those words, Argon froze on the spot as he processed what she had just asked. He struggled to find an appropriate response while considering multiple scenarios in his mind, trying to figure out how to respond without losing face in front of her. As for why he hesitated, it was because he knew deep down that there was no way he would ever treat any random village girl with the same courtesy and respect he had shown her thus far. In other words, there was no way in hell he’d waste precious time helping someone who couldn’t offer anything valuable in return for his efforts.

‘Why should I help her? If she is not pretty, then what reason do I have to aid her? Why should I risk my life for someone who can’t even reward me for it with her beauty?’ Argon scoffed in his mind as he tried his best to find words to say in front of the young woman. “Umm, yes, I’d still do everything in my power to protect her from any danger. Because even if she isn’t beautiful, that doesn’t change the fact that she’s an innocent person who deserves protection and safety like anyone else. Thus, as a man with strong morals, I won’t abandon someone who needs my help. In the end, if I do that, it means that I’ve lost sight of what makes me different from evil beings like demons or monsters.”

Argon answered without thinking, but in hindsight, he realized that it was a good response. At least it didn’t make him sound like a total creep, like he feared for a second. Moreover, although it sounded a little cheesy and cliche, he hoped she would accept his reasoning nonetheless. He was confident in his answer; however, he didn’t expect her reaction after listening to his explanation.

Instead of smiling or nodding in approval, she continued staring at him with a neutral expression, which unnerved him a bit. ‘Dammit! Why is she not swooning at my feet? Didn’t she find my answer convincing enough? Shouldn’t she be charmed by me by now?’

While he mused about the reasons behind her lack of reaction, she was observing him the whole time and didn’t fail to notice his slight change in attitude when he paused during the middle of his explanation. This allowed her to deduce that his prior statement was nothing but mere lip service. ‘Sigh… I have yet to encounter someone who possesses genuine kindness within his heart. Even this young man, whose words sounded like they were spoken from his heart, is not willing to help others unless they benefit him in some way. How sad… Perhaps my sister is correct. Maybe no one can be trusted in this world. They are all driven by selfish desires, seeking benefits regardless of whether others suffer for them or not.’

Argon didn’t realize that his brief change in facial expression betrayed the confidence he exuded earlier. So, when she kept silent while looking at him without blinking, he thought she must have been in awe at his amazing answers. After waiting for several moments for her response, Argon’s patience began to run low, and he decided to break the awkward atmosphere, “Miss Meiling?”

Meiling snapped out of her daze when Argon called out to her, causing her to shake her head and reply in a somewhat quiet tone, “Oh, sorry about that. I spaced out for a moment.”

Upon noticing that she seemed distracted by something, Argon wondered if she had fallen for his charms after all. Feeling proud of himself for his success in wooing her with just a few words, he smiled and wanted to continue talking with her. However, before he could open his mouth to speak again, she beat him to it and continued, “Anyway, thank you for answering my silly question. However, I think we’ve wasted enough time here, so I should get going now. Goodbye, Mr. Argon.”

Just when Argon thought he had succeeded, Meiling ended their conversation before he could even reply to her last sentence. Then, without another word, she turned around and disappeared into the forest, leaving him standing dumbfounded near the tree.

‘What the heck just happened? Didn’t I impress her with my incredible charm and wit? Why did she leave without giving me a chance to talk to her further? Dammit!’ He wanted to chase after her but decided against it in the end, figuring it would be better for him to go after her after the trial was over.