CHAPTER 69……………………………………….
Crunch—
The neat shoes crushed the shattered pieces lying on the ground.
Adrian looked down at them, a subtle smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Hmm… our lady solved it faster than I expected.”
Emily, who was standing right behind him, flinched at his words and asked,
“Ha… really? Ugh, it looks like Elaina’s going to get angry again. Her delicate skin… it can’t be damaged…”
Adrian watched her mutter with a look of pity and scoffed as if she were ridiculous.
“Hah. Talk like a servant, why don’t you.”
“What! I was originally a servant, what do you want me to do! Why do you have to be so obnoxious?”
He didn’t respond to Emily’s outburst and leisurely opened the door.
“Where are you going!”
“To report.”
Elaina had already been agitated for quite some time.
The prince didn’t bend to her will, and the new heir handled things so slowly.
Nothing was going to her satisfaction.
Click—
“I’m already frustrated enough to go mad, and now you two are acting like this too?”
Elaina, now angrier than ever, looked fierce.
Adrian lightly tapped his finger against his reddened cheek and spoke calmly.
“But it probably won’t be entirely without effect.”
Thanks to the carefully scattered curse, she must have been having quite a hard time.
Especially Sierra.
“And lastly, there’s one more, the biggest one.”
The most beautiful orb rested safely in his arms.
Elaina, exhausted, slumped down and answered coldly.
“Right, if not for that, this wouldn’t have ended this quickly. Remember, our goal… is still far from over.”
“I understand.”
Adrian pressed a brief kiss to the back of Elaina’s hand and withdrew naturally.
‘Our goal…’
He wondered if the end he imagined was really the same as what she spoke of.
With his misguided thoughts thoroughly hidden behind a composed expression, Adrian walked away at ease.
Kadya leaned against the cool shade of a tree, dozing.
“[Kadya, we’re here.]”
“[Oh, you’re here?]”
She rubbed her sleepy eyes but quickly perked up.
It seemed her energy had replenished in no time.
The stamina of the people of Eshkal was incomparable to that of the kingdom’s.
‘I envy them.’
Perhaps due to the fatigue that still lingered despite the help of the water spirit, fleeting thoughts crossed Sierra’s mind.
“[Let’s head back quickly!]”
Kadya took the lead again, her face lively.
By the time they reached Eshkal, a plentiful meal was already laid out in the village square.
“[Good work, everyone!]”
The wind blowing through the village felt noticeably cooler after a few days.
The autumn atmosphere was evident even in the dishes set before them.
“[Welcome. I hear you were very busy?]”
Lohita and Alnave had also come out to greet them.
They reported that they had found another curse near the village and purified it.
“[You’ve been thorough.]”
Kadya, skilled in purifying curses, frowned as she muttered.
Lohita shrugged in response.
“[Still, it was in a place people rarely approach, so there was little damage.]”
“[We’ll need to pass this info to other villages too.]”
“[Now, let’s eat first. The villagers prepared everything so carefully!]”
With Ashur and Sierra’s words, the cheerful meal began.
Under the warm glow of the evening sun, the long-awaited gathering stretched on.
Some drank, but Sierra’s energy simply wouldn’t allow it.
Even pretending to be fine, her limits were reached.
“[Sierra, shall we head back first?]”
Luckily, Ashur noticed and offered his hand to her.
“[Yes, that’s best.]”
They quickly arrived at Sierra’s cottage.
Unlike before, when they had only exchanged long, reluctant farewells, this time he added one more sentence.
“Sierra… may I come in?”
She hesitated, then seeing no one around, quickly led Ashur inside.
“Yeah, come in.”
The cottage, long unvisited, felt cozier than before.
The quaintly arranged items revealed her affection for the space.
Where it had once felt empty and ready to leave at any moment, it was now full of warmth.
Ashur steadied his swelling emotions.
He gulped down the water handed to him and, almost hurriedly, spoke.
“Do you want to lie down on the bed?”
“Uh… cough, okay?”
Sierra, flustered, spilled a little water.
He instinctively reached out to wipe her damp lips.
“You must be tired. I’ll massage you.”
“Ah… yes, that’s right.”
Overwhelmed, she instinctively approached the bed but froze for a moment.
“Uh… how should I lie down?”
“Face down.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Perhaps it was better that he couldn’t see her face.
‘I won’t be able to control my expression.’
Sierra lay down, tense.
She felt Ashur’s knees settle on the bed.
Creaaak—
The old bed creaked.
“I’ll be gentle, but tell me if it hurts.”
“Mm… okay.”
Her shoulders tensed automatically.
Soon, Ashur’s warm hands gently massaged the back of her neck.
Soft pressure from his palms slowly melted her tension.
“Mm, where did you learn this?”
“When training… muscles get tight. We usually help each other out.”
“Really? Kadya too?”
Jealousy flared for no reason.
Even though she knew nothing was between them and she was friends with Kadya, it still bothered her.
“Kadya specializes in magic, so she didn’t do high-intensity training.”
“I see.”
At some point, his hands slid lower.
“Mm.”
A pleasant shiver ran down her spine.
For a while, she simply let her body respond to his touch.
When his large hands reached her arms, Sierra finally regained some composure.
“Mm… this feels amazing… Ashur, should I learn and do it for you too?”
“Your little hands would just tickle.”
“Really…?”
She wondered if she should use a magic circle to help.
But when his hands moved to her thighs, her sensitive reactions emptied her mind in an instant.
“Mm…”
Ashur continued, skillfully coaxing her trembling body.
Hands glided over the back of her knees, calves, all the way to her feet, making her languid.
Even though his firm hands pressed freely over her, it didn’t hurt—her whole body felt like it might melt.
“Haah.”
Meanwhile, Ashur was distracted by her sultry moans.
Even though he wanted to do something for her tired body, the sounds made him pause.
Fortunately, she didn’t dislike his touch.
He pressed lightly on her lower back one last time.
“Hhmm.”
By now, her fatigue should have eased.
She felt incredibly alluring in his hands.
Without realizing, he swallowed.
“Sierra.”
“…Mm.”
He gathered her tousled honey-colored hair and draped it over one shoulder.
Her delicate neck, which always drew his gaze helplessly, was exposed.
With a trembling heart, he lightly kissed it.
“…Sierra, can I continue?”
“Mm.”
Her lazy answer made his heart race.
The suppressed heat surged all at once.
Slowly, his warm lips descended.
Wanting to touch everywhere, he stroked her slender waist repeatedly.
With a trembling heart, he pressed his lips to her rounded shoulders and sneaked a glance at her face.
He just wanted to meet her eyes.
“Mm…”
Her long lashes rested gently over closed eyes.
“…Sierra.”
“Mm…”
“Haha.”
Her body, tense with nerves, relaxed completely.
“So cute.”
Her mumbling lips, as if dreaming, caught his attention.
Ashur lay down beside her, stretching out.
Her peaceful sleeping face looked tranquil.
On a whim, he poked her upturned nose.
“Mm…”
Sierra stirred, bringing them even closer.
His heart fluttered.
“Sierra… you feel the same way about me… right?”
He hoped he wasn’t mistaken.
Her quiet breathing remained steady.
With that, the air settled calmly.
Ashur spent some time beside her, chin in hand, gently brushing her hair aside.
