Chapter 80
Lying in Bed Together
I woke up feeling an intense cold.
I had clearly fainted earlier in the blazing fire, held in the captain’s arms.
Unlike before, when the heat made me feel warm, now a bone-chilling cold had overtaken me.
“Cold…”
“Yulia, are you awake?”
At my muttering, the captain immediately asked.
Only then did I turn my head to check beside me.
I had felt a weight pressing down since earlier—it was the captain holding me tightly.
“Captain?”
“I was worried because your body temperature dropped a lot, even after giving you the antidote. Are you alright?”
“Except for being a little cold, I’m fine. More importantly, what happened to the monsters? And the rift, and His Holiness the Pope—”
“Shh.”
The captain interrupted my rapid-fire questions and whispered in my ear:
“Everything has been taken care of. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Even if he told me not to worry, I couldn’t help but still feel concerned.
I figured the rift and the monsters were likely handled well, but I worried about Frit.
I felt uneasy about leaving him without even properly saying goodbye.
If he hadn’t gone far yet, maybe I could still return and bid him farewell. With that thought, I asked the captain cautiously:
“Then, may I ask just one more thing? Where is this place?”
“It’s a forest, south of the Barony of Ketrenburg.”
“Ah… then what about the other members—”
“They’re all here. Don’t worry unnecessarily and get some more rest.”
Since he explained the location relative to Ketrenburg, it didn’t seem too far.
That meant I could likely return to the baron’s estate or the palace to say goodbye to Frit.
He must be worrying about me, so I had to show him in person that I was safe.
“Are you still cold?”
Thinking about Frit, I suddenly heard the captain ask.
I pressed my forehead to his chest and nodded.
“A little.”
“Then come closer to me.”
“Is that alright? I haven’t washed since passing out in the rift.”
Hearing that, he let out a laugh as light as a feather.
“It doesn’t matter. I haven’t washed either because I’ve been taking care of you. So—”
He paused briefly, then pulled my body even closer.
We were pressed together with almost no space between us.
Holding me tightly, the captain whispered:
“Don’t worry. You can come even closer.”
“Well… if you insist, I’ll cling to you without hesitation.”
I said that and hugged him tightly.
The warmth of his body slowly eased my shivering from the cold.
The captain then gently stroked my hair.
“Yulia.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you might have died.”
Hearing my name after a long time made my heart flutter, but the words that followed made me sad.
Before I could respond, he continued:
“When I heard you went into the rift without any weapon, I genuinely feared you might die.”
“….”
“It was an experience I never want to go through again.”
Looking up at me, he slightly scrunched his eyes as if in pain.
Seeing that expression, I felt deeply apologetic.
Even before my reincarnation, I had died before his eyes and caused him sorrow, and now I had made him feel the same emotions again.
“I’m sorry. I’ll make sure nothing like this happens again.”
“Are you truly sorry?”
“Of course. You must have worried a lot because of me.”
“Then lift your head a little.”
I lifted my face from his chest.
As our eyes met, he slowly leaned in and kissed me.
Today, the heat between our bodies felt unusually intense.
“Hmph…”
I exhaled briefly through the gap between our lips, then kissed him again.
Our tender, flushed skin pressed against each other as if trying to consume the other.
The captain leaned over me, absorbed in the moment, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
From lips to neck, there was no part of him that wasn’t hot.
I could feel how intensely aroused he was.
Contrary to my expectation that the kiss would continue endlessly, he pulled away slightly.
“I pushed the patient too hard. I should let you rest.”
He seemed worried about my condition.
But that wasn’t really necessary.
The cold had mostly faded while kissing him.
“I’m fine.”
“I can’t let it be. There’s plenty of time anyway. Once your body recovers, we’ll continue.”
“No.”
Speaking firmly, I grabbed his sleeve as he tried to lie back down.
He paused and looked down at me.
I met his gaze and said:
“I want to continue now.”
The captain stared at me, dazed for a moment.
I didn’t look away, holding his gaze.
Finally, he murmured carefully:
“Your body—”
“I’m fine. You know I’m not that weak.”
“If we start now, it might be hard to stop. Are you really sure?”
Instead of answering with words, I quietly nodded.
At that, he could no longer resist.
Our lips and bodies met again.
Through our chests pressed together, I felt our heartbeats merge.
Two distinct rhythms intertwined into harmony.
Our breaths, our warmth, everything blended into one.
He moved over me with a desperate, cautious eagerness, as if trying not to waste a drop.
“Ah.”
I let out a small gasp and glanced downward.
Among his solid body, one part was even more rigid, large, hot, and heavy.
Before I could react, he pressed it gently against my thigh, seeking permission in his way.
With that look in his eyes, how could I refuse?
And I didn’t want to stop either.
“Yes, it’s alright.”
I wanted to say it more elegantly, but my mind was foggy.
Even so, he seemed to have been eagerly waiting for my simple consent, and he began to move over me with urgency.
We didn’t part for the entire night.
Neither of us needed much rest, as our stamina was better than most.
We only kissed and explored each other continuously.
Eventually, we dozed off as the sun rose, waking late in the afternoon.
Hearing birds chirping, I woke up and asked the captain, who was holding me from behind:
“Are you sleeping?”
“I’ve been awake for a long time.”
“Then why are you still lying down holding me like this?”
The captain, who used to avert his gaze embarrassedly at even my skin showing through clothes, now spoke shamelessly.
I suppose after reaching such intimacy, feeling shy about it would be odd.
Still unaccustomed to his straightforward affection, I cleared my throat and said:
“Anyway, I think you should let me go. I’m hungry.”
“Oh.”
He finally released me from his arms.
I tried to get up, but he pressed my shoulders gently, making me lie back down.
“Stay lying down.”
“But the meal—”
“I’ll bring it. You’re still a patient, after all.”
I felt a bit guilty making him serve me, but he wouldn’t let me leave.
“Just stay. I have to bring my own meal anyway. If I serve your food, the others won’t find it strange. I can just say I’m taking care of your serious condition.”
“Is that okay?”
“Yes. So don’t worry and relax.”
He left in a hurry, as if refusing to hear any objections.
Soon after, he returned with two hot bowls of morning stew and two pieces of bread.
As I reached for the stew, he said:
“The patient doesn’t reach.”
He took the bowl from me.
Was he teasing me?
I stared at him, puzzled, and he scooped some stew with a spoon.
Then he brought it to my lips, feeding me as one would a child.
“Open your mouth.”
