AETHG 08

CHAPTER 08

“Mm…!”

Startled, Ji-woo frowned and tried to push him away, but he held her cheeks in place and fed the medicine into her mouth without letting it spill.

The bitter taste made her instinctively recoil, but once she calmed down, she realized there was also a hint of sweetness mixed in. Each time his tongue brushed hers, the harsh bitterness turned strangely sweet.

Now that she thought about it, perhaps because they were of different races, this man didn’t carry the unpleasant smell of sweat. Instead, there was a faint floral scent carried on his warmth. Ji-woo realized the sweetness mixed with the bitter medicine was coming from his saliva.

Her weakened body, which had barely eaten anything, instinctively chased that sweetness. To soothe her bitter tongue, Ji-woo continued the kiss even after swallowing all the medicine.

There was no pleasure in it—only survival. Would she ever again receive such unconditional care? Afraid she would die if she didn’t cling to this moment, she desperately focused on the kiss. Each time their tongues tangled, a rich, sweet taste spread through her—like drinking life itself.

In the end, he was the one who pulled away first, grabbing her shoulders and breaking the kiss.

“Haa…”

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his face was even redder than Ji-woo’s fevered one.

Ji-woo finally regained a shred of reason.

“…Sorry.”

“It’s fine. You’re not in your right mind with that fever.”

He turned away briefly, then wiped her face carefully with a cloth soaked in cold water. He cleaned the sweat from her forehead and the medicine that had dripped down her chin, then placed a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. A faint sigh escaped him.

“…It seems to be getting better.”

“I’m cold.”

“That’s because the fever is high.”

“Really cold.”

“Lean on me.”

As Ji-woo instinctively clung to him for warmth, he held her and checked her temperature again. With that persistently meticulous care, Ji-woo surprisingly felt herself relax.

For the first time in front of him, she let her guard down. Trembling in his arms, she slowly drifted into a calmer darkness.

For several days, he fed her and cared for her while she remained weak. He personally removed her wet clothes and changed them. Ji-woo was too ill to even care that she was being seen naked. After several more days of illness, she finally regained consciousness.

The thin sacred garments she had worn as Akarna had been washed by him, but since they weren’t comfortable, they were placed in her bag.

Even in much lighter and more comfortable clothing, Ji-woo still found herself being carried by him as they moved.

“…Where are you taking me?”

“To where my companions are staying for a while.”

He explained even before she asked, noticing her silent gaze.

“We can’t just stay out here indefinitely. You also need a safe place to recover, don’t you?”

Even Akarna needed recovery. Needed rest. Needed time to heal.

Those were the same words the Crown Prince had once told her—so at first, she had felt drawn to him.

But now she realized those were things anyone could say, even a stranger.

Moreover, this man already knew she wasn’t an ordinary person. He had seen her power when she saved him from miasma. And yet he treated her like this—it felt strange.

“I… I can walk on my own now.”

“No.”

He shook his head, his long ears swaying with the motion.

“Your body… heals external injuries at an unnatural speed. Because of that, your ankle bone healed incorrectly after it broke. Your recovery itself became a problem. Walking will be difficult.”

“I’ve never heard of that…”

She had always been told that her healing ability was a blessing, a limitless divine gift meant to serve humanity.

Seeing her confusion, he sighed in pity.

“Every power has a backlash.”

“But… I heal quickly anyway…”

“So is it normal to cut your own arm open just because it heals quickly? Don’t be ridiculous. Then how do you explain the fever you had for days? Were all the people around you fools?”

“……”

It was a harsh judgment, but she had no rebuttal. She had indeed cut her arm with intent to die—not to use her power. And she had no desire to defend the temple.

So she stayed silent.

In short, her body was ruined. Still, surviving that fall alone was a miracle.

I’ve never been away from the temple this long…

It was also the first time she had looked at the temple from the outside, as a stranger would.

Even when she lived there, she hadn’t wanted to stay—but she had never had the courage to leave. Whether or not the temple had shaped that hesitation, it didn’t matter. Some things could only be seen clearly after stepping away.

Even if she had known, what would have changed? She had guards—watchers disguised as escorts. She likely wouldn’t have been allowed to leave at all if not for the disaster.

Sighing quietly, she went still. Misreading her reaction, he hesitated before speaking.

“I told you—I’m not forcing you. If you want to return, I’ll take you back anytime.”

Ji-woo had become used to being dragged from place to place since arriving in this world.

He must have noticed her fear of being taken away. Though his tone was blunt, he was clearly considering her feelings.

“…Hey.”

He looked at her steadily. His bright blue eyes made him feel less like a strange nonhuman being and more like someone simply different from the Crown Prince.

“Call me Ransil.”

“Ransil…”

She didn’t think he would force her to go anywhere anymore—but she still wanted confirmation.

“If I really want to go back… you’ll take me?”

“I swear on Elandos I will not lie to you.”

She didn’t know what “Elandos” was, but it sounded important.

Now that she relaxed, she began to notice things. When they first met, he had looked like someone on the verge of death, hostile and guarded. Now, there was neither injury nor hostility.

So it really did work… using my power last time.

The body once corrupted by miasma had healed cleanly, and his complexion had improved. Even while carrying her effortlessly, he showed no strain.

And he was unrealistically handsome.

The Crown Prince had also been handsome—but in a human, familiar way. Like someone who could have been a movie actor in her original world.

But this man felt… unreal. The pale color of his hair contributed to that impression. He was as tall as the Crown Prince, with a lean-looking frame that was actually quite muscular when she was held in his arms.

How did he even get that hair color? It didn’t look dyed. It felt too natural—too flower-like. It was strange to use such a word for a large man, but it strangely suited him.

And then there were the long ears—his most distinctive feature. Ji-woo, currently being carried in a rather embarrassing position, had her arms around his shoulders, making them even more visible.

The half-severed ear would likely regenerate easily if she gave him just a bit of her blood. No need for anything dramatic—just a small bite of her fingertip.

She was so used to self-harm from living as Akarna that she felt no hesitation about her own blood.

She bit her thumb in an instant to draw blood.

Then she reached toward his ear.

“What—!”

“Ah!”

The moment her hand touched his ear, she nearly fell from his arms. Ransil panicked and loosened his grip.

A moment later, his expression was frozen in shock.

“Y-you—you grown woman… don’t you have any shame?!”

He looked more flustered than when she had kissed him to take medicine or when their tongues had tangled earlier.

Ji-woo was even more startled by his raised voice.

“S-sorry. I didn’t know you’d hate it.”

Ransil coughed awkwardly, his face still red.

“…No, it’s not that I hate it, it’s just… you can’t just—do that so suddenly…”

Still flustered, he glanced around and carefully set her down on a flat patch of ground.