The little accident upon waking even made a veteran like Sean feel embarrassed for a while. Still, who knew what Hermione had heard from other people lately? Even his usual innocent-excuse routine had somehow stopped working.
"I'm really not a pervert—"
"You think I'd believe that nonsense, Mr. Wallop?"
Sean could only shrug helplessly. He quickly got dressed, then spread his hands at Hermione, whose face was flushed red but full of disbelief. "If you think it's all nonsense, then what I said a month ago was nonsense too—sigh, and there I was, working up all that courage. After all, entering the Peak of Soul's Return was pretty dangerous..."
At that, he deliberately let out another regretful sigh before saying generously, "Then just pretend I never said anything. Someone like me, who's full of nonsense, isn't worth trusting."
Hermione froze for a moment, then pounced on him like an angry little kitten with her claws out. "Was what you said a month ago nonsense too?"
Sean immediately put on a wounded expression and said gloomily, "You wouldn't believe me anyway..."
"I-I believe you, okay?" Hermione panicked.
Sean pressed his advantage. "Forget it, forget it. I can't believe the trust between us is so fragile..."
Hermione wanted to lose her temper, but she couldn't bear to. She knew Sean well enough and wasn't so easily drawn into his verbal rhythm. But with him right in front of her, looking like that, the girl sadly realized that she was rather helpless.
"Fine, I believe it was an accident, all right?" Hermione puffed out her cheeks.
Sean refused to let it go. "Then how could you believe other people's nonsense?"
"Then I won't believe them anymore, okay?"
"Swear it to me?"
"Fine, I swear, all right?!" Hermione realized that she was truly becoming