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CHAPTER 10……………………………………..
Calyon picked up branches, snapped them together to form a frame, and took a large cloth from his inventory, draping it over it to create a makeshift screen.
“I will stand guard at the entrance. Please do not worry.”
In other words, he was telling me to bathe without worrying because he wouldn’t watch.
Calyon’s attitude—combining protection and consideration—made my chest ache again, as if warm water were filling it.
Calyon was like the very embodiment of a polite, respectful knight who understood duty and manners, while his brother… well, that was better left unsaid.
I stepped behind the screen and began undoing my buttons, taking off my clothes.
It felt a little embarrassing undressing in a space where a man was just on the other side of a thin cloth.
Of course, a disciplined holy knight like Calyon wouldn’t peek while I bathed by lifting the screen…
‘Hah. Right. I’m going to die in less than a month anyway—what’s there to feel embarrassed about? Just take a bath!’
I had expected the spring water to be cold, but surprisingly it was quite warm.
Looking closer, I saw small red mana stones attached to the four corners of the container, releasing warm steam.
Come to think of it, Senez also broke a red mana stone when starting a fire. It seemed these red stones heated water.
‘Mana stones… convenient. If I could bring these to my world, they’d probably make a lot of money.’
Though that didn’t really apply to me.
I soaked in the warm water, and my mood lifted.
Even though I was already relaxed thanks to Senez’s cooking, the healing effect of a bath was undeniable.
As expected, humans need tools, and the comforts of civilization are sweet.
After finishing my bath, my body felt warm and my tension had melted away into drowsy relaxation.
If I dove into a blanket right now, I’d probably feel like I was boarding an express train to paradise.
I dried myself with the towel Calyon had brought and got dressed again.
My outer clothes were dirty with dust and leaves, so I shook them off and laid them on a rock, keeping only my shirt on.
‘Calyon… is he still there?’
I slightly lifted the edge of the screen and peeked out.
I saw Calyon’s back as he stood facing the cave entrance.
The night sky outside had already turned dark. Under the moonlight, his pure silver hair shimmered.
How could even his back look so good?
A strange tightness filled my chest. It wasn’t simple gratitude or admiration—it was something different.
He had brought me water, set up a screen, and even stood guard while I bathed… all for my sake.
But when I thought that it was just kindness, nothing more, I felt oddly disappointed.
‘We’ll probably reach the village tomorrow, right?’
Calyon had said he would escort me there. But he was a monster hunter—he would likely leave again to hunt monsters afterward. Would we part ways then?
‘What does Calyon think of me?’
A suspicious stranger he still treated kindly. Someone he risked his life to protect from monsters.
Could that really just be because he was naturally kind and devoted?
I remembered the night I treated Calyon—his flushed face, his flustered expression.
Maybe it wasn’t romantic interest, just inexperience with women. But at the very least, it didn’t feel like there was no emotion at all.
‘He doesn’t seem to dislike me. And I…’
I was drawn to Calyon.
I wasn’t even sure if it was love.
We hadn’t known each other long enough for that kind of emotional bond.
If I had to define it, it was closer to lust than love.
‘This is all because of that damn healing skill.’
Of all places, why did the guide marker have to appear there?
At the time I had been too embarrassed and kissed the back of my hand, but looking back, I slightly regretted that decision.
I still didn’t have the courage to go any further than that, but maybe I should’ve at least gone for the lips.
[Skill Acquisition Chance!]
Your ally [Calyon] is feeling a faint affection toward you.
Try to capture his heart.
If his ??? exceeds its limit, you will succeed.
Reward: Skill [Charm]
Of course a quest would pop up right now. Perfect timing to ruin the mood.
Still, one thing became clear.
It gave me courage to try.
‘Is this harassment… or seduction?’
If this were a game, it would be the latter. If this is reality…
‘It depends on Calyon’s feelings.’
I made my decision and undid one more button on my shirt.
“Calyon. I’m done bathing.”
“Yes, Master.”
I heard him approaching, and the screen lifted.
“…Ah.”
The moment our eyes met, Calyon’s expression wavered slightly. I looked up at him as he froze in place.
I had undone two buttons.
From the front, it would just look like I loosened my shirt because I was hot, but the important thing was that the shirt was fairly loose.
Which meant that when a tall man like Calyon—two heads taller than me—looked down…
It would reveal my cleavage.
“……”
His face slowly began to flush.
Like ripples spreading across a calm spring, his cyan eyes trembled faintly.
“…M-Master, I’m sorry…”
Only now realizing he had been staring too openly at the skin visible between my shirt, Calyon averted his gaze and apologized.
He looked flustered, covering his mouth.
A pure reaction from a man inexperienced with such things.
A light curiosity stirred in me.
At the same time, an inexplicable boldness rose within me.
“Calyon.”
I gently grabbed his hand.
His body visibly trembled.
His closed eyes snapped open wide, and he looked at me in shock.
Through his parted fingers, I could see his mouth slightly open.
His long eyelashes trembled, and his cyan eyes were moist, his face flushed red.
‘Wow… damn.’
To put it bluntly, it was arousing.
So this is what desire feels like.
Heat rose inside me, and my whole body tensed.
Even though I knew I should look away, I couldn’t. His expression—like a pure holy knight struggling between desire and restraint—was too much.
‘If you don’t react to that face, you’re not human.’
The quest window might have pushed me forward, but honestly, I wouldn’t have been this bold otherwise.
If this were reality, I would’ve considered my reputation, social norms, and morality and never approached a man I had just met like this.
But I had died once and come back. This wasn’t modern Korea. It might even be a game world.
I glanced at the system window showing my lifespan.
[Time Remaining: 23 days]
I didn’t doubt it. The skills, the explanations—everything had been real. There was no reason that would be false.
‘Anyway, I’m going to die in less than a month.’
People change when they’re about to die. They become more proactive.
Terminal patients suddenly change—reaching out to people they cut off, chasing dreams they gave up, acting impulsively.
Now I understood why.
When you believe your end is near, courage appears where there was none.
If I was going to die anyway, I might as well do everything I wanted.
“Ma-Master…”
Calyon’s face was burning red as he looked around helplessly.
Seeing him tremble like a newborn deer…
A worse desire rose like a fountain.
‘Why is he so shy? That just makes me want to tease him more.’
If he were truly innocent, he wouldn’t react like this at all.
The fact that he was flustered meant he understood my intent.
And yet he wasn’t pushing me away.
‘So he must feel something too.’
I stepped closer.
Our bodies touched, and Calyon flinched, pulling his waist back.
Even though the contact was brief, I didn’t miss the heavy pressure against my lower abdomen.
‘Whew.’
That was… substantial.
I looked up at him, narrowing my eyes. I thought about closing mine to seduce him, but I didn’t want to miss his face.
His long eyelashes trembled, and his cyan eyes couldn’t look away from me.
His parted lips exhaled softly before pressing together tightly again, clearly struggling.
My mouth went dry.
Watching him resist…
I wanted to cut that thread of restraint.
“Master, please… step back a little.”
“Why?”
“I… I don’t think this is right.”
“What isn’t right?”
I smiled as I asked, and Calyon looked like he might cry.
This is bad.
Seeing that expression made me want to make him cry for real.
Isn’t it human nature to want something more when told not to?
“We… we’ve only just met, and—ngh.”
His words broke off when I leaned in slightly, my chest brushing him.
If he didn’t like it, he could push me away. So why was he making excuses instead? This little deer.
“Time isn’t what matters, is it?”
In truth, it does matter.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean longer time equals deeper feelings.
We had only known each other for a week.
If this were Romeo and Juliet, it would be enough time to fall madly in love and die dramatically together.
It was the perfect window for impulsive emotion.
Seven days was exactly enough to do something reckless like this. Seven years? I probably wouldn’t have dared.
I looked up at him and silently shaped the words with my lips:
Come closer.
“……”
His eyes trembled violently.
But there was no rejection in them.
His lashes slowly lowered, and his head tilted slightly.
Good. Come closer.
My little deer. Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.
Suppressing my pounding heart, I rose onto my toes, bringing our faces closer.
His warm breath brushed my lips, delicate and fragile.
What was he made of, that even his breath felt sweet?
My tension climbed from my toes to my chest, tightening it painfully. My ears grew hot as my breath faltered.
I opened my mouth slightly, as if begging for air, and stuck out my tongue.
A meltingly soft sensation seeped in.
