Chapter 48
By the time they reached the cabin and stood under the porch, their clothes were soaked through from the downpour.
“It’s raining so hard… I only got hit for a moment, but I’m completely drenched.”
Iella wrung out her wet hair and shook off the water clinging to her clothes. Still, she couldn’t remove all the moisture that had seeped in.
Franz also shook his wet hair and removed his suit jacket. Fortunately, it hadn’t soaked through to his shirt. He stood there leisurely, arms crossed, watching the refreshing cascade of rain.
“When do you think it will stop? It will stop, right?”
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
The two of them stood apart, staring at the torrential downpour. The sound of rain filled the space between them.
As the rain intensified, the temperature dropped sharply. Their bodies, chilled from being drenched, shivered from the cold. Iella wrapped her arms around her own shoulders.
“Cold?”
Seeing her, he glanced at her with concern. Iella gave an awkward smile, pretending to be fine.
“It was a bit hot before, but now it’s kind of refreshing.”
Yet, even as she said she was fine, her lips had already turned pale blue.
At that moment, raindrops streaming down her face ran along her cheeks, traced her chin, and fell onto her rounded chest. The sight sparked a subtle, almost seductive, reaction in Franz.
But he quickly clicked his tongue and handed his suit jacket to Iella.
“Wear this.”
“Ah, it’s fine.”
Iella shook her hands and refused, but she couldn’t overcome his persistence.
“It’s not wet inside. It’ll be better than just enduring it.”
“Thank you.”
Raindrops clung to her lowered eyelashes, glinting in the light.
“Your eyelashes…”
Impulsively, Franz brushed the raindrops from her eyes. He could feel the delicate trembling of her lashes against his fingertips.
That small shiver caused a surprisingly strong ripple of emotion in him. In that moment, she felt incredibly small and endearing.
‘Am I going crazy? This is no different from Billy Edmond.’
With a self-mocking sigh, Franz stepped back from Iella.
“Let’s go inside and see if there’s anything to warm you up.”
Franz turned and opened the cabin door, and Iella followed him.
The small cabin felt completely filled by Franz alone, easily over 190 centimeters tall.
Striding in, he pulled out a random chair from the table and looked at Iella, whose face had grown pale enough to make her look pitiful.
“Come here.”
“Thank you.”
As she sat, Franz began inspecting the cabin while Iella, shivering from the cold, could only watch.
This was the hunter’s cabin. Though Grenville and Humphries Hill were all his, he had never been inside himself.
The cabin wasn’t very large. Inside, it contained only a table with some chairs, a fireplace, a small bed in the corner, and a box. Fortunately, firewood was stacked near the fireplace.
“Do you know how to light a fire?”
Iella asked curiously as Franz approached the fireplace. It was an unexpected move.
“If you have the tools, it’s not difficult.”
Franz tossed some firewood aside and looked for matches but couldn’t find any.
Opening the large wooden box beside the firewood revealed only a thick blanket, some cheap wine, and a few dried pieces of jerky. He let out a hollow laugh in frustration.
Seeing him sigh with the box open, Iella’s hope for warmth dimmed.
Franz picked up the wine bottle. Removing the cork and sniffing the contents, he was hit with a sharp, astringent scent, but it hadn’t gone bad.
He took the blanket out along with the wine and draped it over Iella’s lap.
“There’s only one blanket, but it’s better than being out in the rain.”
“Thank you.”
Raindrops still clung to her eyelashes, and she smiled, though the corners of her mouth struggled to rise in the cold.
“Do you drink wine?”
Franz cleaned the bottle’s mouth and offered it to her.
“I’ve never had alcohol before.”
She had never even considered drinking until now.
“If it’s your first time, this wine might not suit your taste, but it will help warm you up.”
Cautiously, Iella took the bottle, blinking.
“What kind of wine is this?”
“It’s Latour wine. Common folk drink it, usually to celebrate or lift spirits.”
“I see.”
Iella looked at the wine and smiled faintly. It felt like stepping into another world.
“It doesn’t have a deep taste, but it’s light, with a slightly bitter finish and a fragrant aroma.”
Iella nodded and took the bottle, drinking directly from it. The wine was bitter and sour, not sweet at all, yet she gulped it down with eyes tightly shut.
The temptation of warmth was too great—it had been unbearably cold.
“Oh my. Iella!”
Franz laughed, surprised at her boldness in drinking straight from the bottle. She seemed determined to finish it all, so he hurriedly took it from her.
“Even though it looks mild, it’s pretty strong. If you drink it like that, you’ll get drunk.”
“Ugh… I don’t feel warmer, but my stomach feels like it’s burning.”
She grimaced, clutching the front of her shirt.
“How does it feel to have your first drink?”
Franz loosened a couple buttons of his wet shirt and slouched slightly across from her.
“Hmm… my throat feels parched. I’ve never had something this strong before.”
“Ha. That’s the power and charm of alcohol.”
He chuckled, then took a few sips himself. Since the bottle was already open, the aftertaste was only bitter.
“One more sip.”
“You can only have one more; I won’t be responsible if you get drunk.”
Nodding gently, Iella took one more gulp. It wasn’t proper for a refined lady, but the slight sense of mischief and liberation felt good. Even the sound of rain tapping the cabin ceiling seemed charming.
“Ugh. It’s really bitter. I don’t understand why people drink this.”
She passed the bottle back, frowning slightly, and Franz shrugged.
“You might not like it now, but later, you’ll remember it. That’s why.”
“I don’t think I will.”
Iella stared out the window at the rain in silence, then slowly closed her eyes as drowsiness spread through her. Everything felt dizzy, and her head throbbed.
“Not falling asleep again, right?”
Startled, she opened her eyes wide.
‘Good grief. When did that happen?’
“No, I’m not.”
Iella tried to shake off the dizziness, but it didn’t go away.
“Ah… my head hurts.”
Franz, sipping wine and staring out the window, turned to look at Iella. Only then did he realize something was wrong.
“What… are you drunk?”
Seeing her cheeks turn slightly pink from pale, he rubbed his forehead in concern.
“Everyone says alcohol makes you feel good… so why does my head hurt and spin? Am I sitting properly?”
Watching her murmur, Franz felt a headache coming on. He didn’t know what to do with a girl who got tipsy from a few sips.
“But… I feel warmer now. It was freezing before, so this adventure was worth it.”
Her lazy, tipsy voice made her giggle uncontrollably.
“Oh my… why do I feel like this? I’m feeling good.”
Iella looked at Franz with wide eyes, amazed.
“I feel like my body is floating… Ah! Now I understand why people drink. That’s why.”
Franz watched, amused, at her tipsy laughter. Even though it was a headache, he found it surprisingly cute. But he thought it would be better if she just slept instead of talking nonsense.
“If you’re sleepy, just sleep, Iella. I’ll wake you when the rain stops.”
“No… I can’t do that. A refined lady shouldn’t do that.”
But soon, all that could be heard was the sound of rain; the world was silent.
“You always manage to surprise people.”
Franz rested his arm on the table, watching Iella sleep, letting out a small laugh. She was genuinely asleep, breathing evenly.
“Where did the refined lady go?”
His cynical smile disappeared, replaced by a natural, warm one. He lowered his voice, afraid to wake her.
He watched her sleeping face for a while—one cheek pressed oddly against the table. He let out a sigh, feeling déjà vu in the situation.
Her pink cheeks, lifted forehead, long lashes, and delicate red lips contrasting her pale face drew his gaze.
Gently, he brushed his hand over her lips.
‘Soft…’
For a moment, he felt the impulse to kiss her sleeping lips.
‘It would be her first kiss…’
Of course, he had no intention of actually doing it. It was only a fleeting impulse. He had learned self-control since childhood and never acted on feelings impulsively.
‘Still, she looks uncomfortable… should I just let her be?’
His hesitation didn’t last long. Franz carefully picked Iella up and carried her to the bed.
As he gently laid her down and tried to remove his arm from under her neck, Iella stirred and opened her eyes. Franz froze, caught off guard.
