Chapter 43
Sheltering from the Rain Inside the Cave
As soon as I heard the captain’s words, heat surged up both of my cheeks.
He said my body was perfect.
Of course, he was only talking about my muscles—there wasn’t a hint of innuendo in his voice. And yet, I couldn’t help but feel like it sounded… suggestive.
I cleared my throat to steady the tension stiffening my neck and replied.
“Then I won’t build any more muscle.”
“Wise decision. Your strength doesn’t lie in brute force, but in agility and flexibility. By the way, shouldn’t you take off your coat too? If you stay in wet clothes, you’ll catch a cold.”
“Ah, yes. I should take it off. Would you mind turning around for a moment?”
At my request, the captain immediately turned his back to me.
In that brief moment, I stripped off my soaked coat, pants—and even my underclothes. It just felt wrong to keep wearing them while drenched.
Not that I planned to stay stark naked in front of the captain, of course.
I pulled a blanket from my pack and wrapped it around my bare legs. Thankfully, I’d stored it inside a leather bag, so it was still dry.
Leaving only my shirt on, I spread my wet clothes nearby to dry, then called to him.
“You can turn around now.”
He flinched slightly at my voice before turning to face me.
His gaze briefly flicked to the blanket covering my legs, then quickly averted.
“Should I light a fire? You look cold.”
“That would be nice, but wouldn’t that be a waste of mana?”
“Kindling a small fire isn’t enough to call it wasteful.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true. You once heated an entire oasis, after all.”
Considering his mana reserves, I really had no business worrying about him.
As he conjured his power and summoned a flame, the inside of the cave quickly filled with warmth.
I sat closer to the fire and glanced over at the captain.
Unlike me, he was still in his wet pants. It looked quite uncomfortable.
“Don’t your pants feel gross?” I asked gently. “Why don’t you take them off and share this blanket with me?”
“…Are you suggesting I strip down too? And then share a blanket with you in that state?”
He looked completely flabbergasted as he shook his head.
“You’re far too trusting.”
“Should I really be wary of you, Captain?”
“Yes. What if I had ill intentions?”
“You mean lecherous thoughts? Hmm…”
I paused for a moment before smiling at him.
“I don’t think I’d mind.”
“…What did you just say?”
The captain’s face flushed crimson in an instant.
It was unmistakable—his reaction was written all over his face.
He stared at me with wide eyes, as if questioning whether he’d heard correctly. But he had.
Because the truth was—he wasn’t someone I disliked.
In fact, he was one of the rare few I could confidently say was a good person.
He was the only man who’d stayed by my side when I was on the verge of death.
The man who grieved for me.
And he wasn’t just kind—he was handsome, strong, and surprisingly even-tempered.
But most of all, what mattered to me was how my heart reacted when I was with him.
When he carried me on his back, when we danced, when we talked by the river, when we stood in the rain together…
Every one of those moments made my heart pound.
I wasn’t a child. I knew what that meant.
These weren’t feelings of love—yet. But they were the signs of budding affection.
“…Are you serious?”
The captain asked in a slightly lower voice.
Without hesitation, I answered.
“Of course I’m serious. I don’t say things I don’t mean. And if it’s you, Captain, I wouldn’t mind.”
“‘Wouldn’t mind,’ huh? That’s a rather vague way to put it.”
“Haha, were you hoping I’d say I’m completely smitten? It’s not quite at that stage yet.”
As I laughed, the captain finally moved closer to the fire.
But instead of sitting across from me like usual, he came to sit beside me—close enough to touch if either of us reached out.
“……”
“……”
A long silence hung between us.
I’d only wanted to show him a little warmth, because he always kept so much distance… but maybe I was too hasty?
Just as I started to worry, he finally spoke.
“If you truly don’t feel uncomfortable around me—”
He paused, then continued in an even softer voice.
“…Would it be all right if I sat a bit closer to you?”
I nodded silently.
At that, he shifted his body, scooting closer—until our arms brushed.
My heart began to beat loudly, almost as if it wanted attention.
Not even when I faced monsters did it thump this hard.
Even my breathing turned uneven with nerves, and I worried he might notice.
In the thick tension, taut as a bowstring, he suddenly asked,
“Have you truly moved on from Hernant?”
“It’s been a long time since I have. I don’t want to remember him anymore.”
“I’m a cautious man—far more suspicious than most. I’ve doubted you for a long time. Honestly, even now, a part of me still does…”
So he still harbored suspicion, even after claiming he believed in me?
I asked quietly,
“Do you think I approached you under His Majesty’s orders?”
“…I can’t deny that thought crossed my mind.”
“……”
“But even if you are just toying with me…”
He trailed off, reaching out toward my face.
His hand gently guided my chin, turning it toward him.
My eyes, fixed on the fire, shifted to meet his.
Looking at me from that close, he whispered,
“Even if you’re only playing with me… I find it hard to turn you away.”
My heart pounded harder—loud enough to drown out every other sound.
Too close.
His face, his eyes, his lips.
I knew exactly what happened when two people with mutual attraction got this close.
And sure enough, his lips moved toward mine.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the soft touch.
“Huu…”
The moment our lips met, a breath escaped me.
That little sound seemed to stir something in him.
His movements grew more intense.
A large hand cradled the back of my head, firm and steady, while the once-tender kiss deepened, almost devouring me whole.
Then, something hot and soft brushed across my lips.
He pulled back slightly and asked,
“Am I rushing things?”
“…No. I was just surprised. I’d prefer we take the next part slowly.”
My heart wasn’t ready for anything more just yet. Even the kiss alone made it feel like it might burst.
He nodded in understanding.
“All right. I’ll take it slow. But I still want to continue what we were doing.”
With that, he leaned in again.
Unlike before, this time he slipped past my lips.
I parted them without resistance, accepting him.
A sharp, tingling sensation spread through my whole body.
“Nngh…”
“Ha…”
Our tangled breaths filled the cave.
The cold that had seeped into my skin, the discomfort of wet clothes—none of it remained.
The sudden downpour, fortunately, didn’t last long.
Once the rain stopped, we gathered our mostly-dried clothes and resumed our climb.
After a relentless ascent, the sky dimming as night approached, we finally reached the mountaintop.
“Vice-Captain! Captain! You’ve made it!”
Karl, who had been waiting under one of the few sparse trees, greeted us warmly.
Elma, who stood beside him, also rose and addressed the captain.
“We’ve scouted the summit thoroughly, but there’s no sign of the monster. Where could it be hiding?”
Luckily, I knew the answer to her question.
“It’s here. In plain sight, actually.”
“…Excuse me?”
Elma looked around, clearly confused.
It was understandable—aside from a few trees and boulders, there was nothing visibly out of place.
The captain also glanced at me, his expression curious.
“There’s a monster here? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
“No. I’m not mistaken. The reason we can’t see it right now is because the sun hasn’t fully set yet. It’s a nocturnal monster. It sleeps during the day and becomes active at night.”
I unsheathed my sword.
Then, with its gleaming tip, I pointed past Karl—
To the very boulder he was leaning against.
“The monster is asleep. Right there. Camouflaged perfectly as a rock.”
