CHAPTER 58: WARMTH OF TWO BODIES

Julian actually disliked people touching his hair. Back when he was working, there were often people who found excuses to touch his hands. Although he was repulsed at first, he eventually grew numb to it and got used to it.

It wasn’t necessarily about the actions being excessive—just simple hand-holding was enough.

But even during the hardest times of his life, the most he had ever done was serve drinks. He couldn’t even handle doing it a second time and quit immediately. He had never truly sold himself.

The reason lay mostly in his mild obsession with cleanliness.

Even when he didn’t have enough to eat, he would always find ways to thoroughly clean his body. He had even looked up methods online to cleanse his hair using only salt and water.

This made it so that, on ordinary days, one could hardly tell he was a poor child. His face was clean and elegant, his black hair soft and flowing, and coupled with his naturally aloof personality, many people would feel self-conscious in front of him.

However, ever since he came to this world, he found that his symptoms of cleanliness had gradually faded. Not only did he not react to Losiya or Lady Catherine touching him—he didn’t even flinch when Alice came into contact with him.

In his most recent memory, only when Tania pushed him onto the bed in an attempt to harass him did he once again feel that familiar, nauseating discomfort of his cleanliness obsession acting up.

But now, as Lady Catherine gently stroked his hair, Julian curled up like a kitten, body soft, eyes closed in comfort, allowing her to arrange his long hair at will.

Now, he seemed to understand: this so-called cleanliness obsession wasn’t something innate—it was a psychological defense he developed over time. Keeping his body clean and his hair well cared for was his subconscious way of protecting himself. It was a coping mechanism, meant to force himself into appearing strong.

"A little," he answered with narrowed eyes in response to Lady Catherine’s question.

Upon hearing Julian calmly admit it, Lady Catherine smiled gently, her fingers parting strands of his silver hair as she marveled at its texture and softly asked, "Thinking of Losiya?"

Julian nodded without hesitation.

His appearance was enough to let Lady Catherine see how deeply Losiya had influenced him—both his body and soul seemed to belong to her, never wanting to part.

Of course, she wasn’t one to believe in fairy tales of eternal love born from a single moment. In her understanding, what people called "eternity" was actually built upon the accumulation of many moments. Compared to the romantic version, she preferred this more grounded interpretation.

"The Holy City’s grand ceremony will last no more than half a month. During this time, follow me and focus on learning extraordinary knowledge. It’ll pass quickly," she said, trying to comfort him.

After hearing the general timeline, Julian felt a bit more at ease.

"Also," she added, "if you really want to talk to Losiya, I can help you communicate directly. I even have recordings of her during the competition—I can show them to you."

At that, Julian couldn’t help but open his eyes wide in surprise.

"Lady, if I’m not mistaken, your holy mark is connected to the stars, right?"

"Exactly. I cultivated a unique astral-type magic power through the stars. Compared to ordinary magic, my holy mark allows me to achieve things other mages could never accomplish. That’s why I chose this path without hesitation," she said with a hint of pride in her voice.

"Mm..."

After she finished speaking, Lady Catherine noticed that Julian’s face had turned slightly redder, his eyes darting as if lost in thought.

The warm air in the quiet, empty room seemed to grow thicker and softer. Julian suddenly thought of that enchanting night.

Lady Catherine remained quietly by his side, like a nagging mother, occasionally helping him tidy his clothes and tend to his body.

After some hesitation, Julian finally spoke softly:

"...Mom."

The gentle word echoed beside her ear. Lady Catherine thought she’d misheard. She looked up to see Julian’s eyes peeking up from her lap.

"Didn’t you say... I could call you that in private?"

Unlike most holy realm transcendent beings who became emotionally detached over time, Lady Catherine’s emotions remained rich and vibrant. She loved sweet, innocent children. Yet, she was one of the few high-level transcendent beings who had no children of her own.

Julian’s form of address touched the softest place in her heart. A wave of emotion surged within her, and her hand stroking Julian grew even more tender. She quickly responded with a soft "Ah."

"Good child..."

Their movements gradually became more intimate. Lady Catherine’s body was like a ripened, luscious fruit, and Julian, resting against her, felt like he had returned to a sweet, warm bed.

Compared to Lady Catherine, Julian was clearly still an unripe fruit in the process of maturing. Even though he had recently been nurtured and bloomed slightly, in front of Lady Catherine, he still felt far too young and delicate.

As they leaned into each other, it was as if two parched travelers had found an oasis. In that moment, they wanted nothing more than to remain together forever.

"Mom... I feel like I’ve been getting softer lately. I wasn’t like this before." Nestled in Lady Catherine’s embrace, Julian half-whined, half-confessed.

Lady Catherine, knowing well about his past—his hardships and grief—understood that he had once been a very strong child. Hearing these naïve words now only made her heart ache. She wished she could tuck him into her heart and love him dearly.

"To feel softer after knowing love is perfectly normal. It just means you’re becoming happier," she said gently, wrapping both arms around Julian’s legs and pulling him fully into her embrace. She rested her forehead on his and whispered.

"Becoming happier...?" Julian was taken aback by her words. Lady Catherine, ever wise and knowledgeable, had spoken something that left him stunned.

"Yes. Everyone here likes you. Everyone loves you. You are now the happiest person in the world," Lady Catherine said sweetly.

"If you’re the happiest person in the world, then you don’t need to hide behind a hard shell anymore. From now on, you can be soft, complain, and enjoy both the joys and troubles of youth."

"Like now—leaning in your mother’s arms—you can imagine yourself as just a child, free to be pampered, because your mother is here."

Hearing those words, Julian’s clarity began to fade. He lay in Lady Catherine’s embrace, eyes closed, listening to her voice.

Lady Catherine held his head and shoulders, rocking gently like a cradle, softly humming a lullaby.