Chapter 36
The longer she looked, the redder he seemed to grow, until it looked as though he might burst.
Just as Sharie leaned forward to steal a closer glance—
“Stop looking.”
A large hand covered her eyes.
The low voice that brushed her ear carried a tremor it never usually held.
“Even I can’t endure it when you look at me that way…”
Kaisa’s throat rumbled, then he cleared it brusquely.
“It’s late. We leave at dawn. Sleep now.”
The more one tries to block the view, the stronger the desire to see it.
Sharie reached up to pull his hand away, but he didn’t budge.
“Good girl.”
His voice softened, like coaxing a child.
In the darkness, the crackle of the fire mingled with the solid weight of the arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
Every inch of her body was drawn against his, and through his chest pressed to hers, she could hear the pounding of his heart.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
A steady, rapid rhythm of life.
And yet, though she was held fast, Kaisa’s embrace felt inexplicably safe.
I’m so sleepy…
Her body grew heavy and warm. Exhaustion from so many sleepless nights claimed her, and her eyes fluttered closed.
Like a fledgling nestling into a snug shelter, Sharie burrowed into his arms.
The night passed in peace.
Morning broke.
Under the golden sunlight, the mountain sparkled with a completely different face than it had shown the night before.
Chirp, chirp, chirp—
Birds that had been silent in the cold and dark lifted their songs.
The forest’s dwellers welcomed the sun’s arrival.
But unlike the animals, the humans—unaccustomed to sleeping outdoors—looked utterly ragged.
“The first thing I’ll do when we return is take a bath,” Edwin groaned, stretching with a weary face.
“Or collapse into a soft bed,” Sharie agreed.
Though she felt surprisingly well for having slept on bare earth, she longed for the roof of a proper house above her head.
“Let’s keep moving.”
They had not gone far through the thick underbrush when Kaisa, watching her tired face, suddenly crouched and turned his back.
“Climb on.”
For Sharie, who had been struggling to match their long strides, the offer was a relief.
“Then I’ll trouble you a little.”
Their pace quickened once more.
Leaning against his broad back as he carried her, it felt almost like a pleasant outing. She couldn’t deny how comfortable it was.
Still, comfort did not quiet her guilt.
“Kaisa, are you sure I’m not too heavy?”
She was a grown woman, after all. The trek itself was grueling—what if she became a burden to him?
Edwin, catching her concern, chimed in with a teasing laugh.
“Oh, come now. Didn’t I say yesterday she’s light as a feather? Nothing to worry about.”
“At the time you were too panicked by a spider to notice the weight of anything. You didn’t even have the sense to realize you were carrying me under one arm.”
The memory made her chuckle. Looking back, it had been rather amusing.
“Well… perhaps…” Edwin muttered, clearly wishing the incident would stay buried.
“And for the last time, Madam—I am not afraid of spiders. I simply dislike them.”
“Yes, yes. I understand.”
How many times was he going to insist on that? Sharie laughed into her hand.
But Kaisa, striding up the steep trail as though it were level ground, came to a sudden halt.
She leaned over his shoulder to study his face.
“So, while I was away, the two of you seem to have grown quite close.”
“What?” she blinked.
“Chatting away like old friends. That wasn’t the case before.”
It was true—until recently, her exchanges with Edwin had been limited to greetings. She had never felt the need to speak more.
But after climbing the mountain together and fighting spiders, things had shifted. His reaction to bugs was so exaggerated it was almost endearing.
“Hehe…”
She couldn’t deny it, and smiled sheepishly. At once, the air around them cooled.
“My lord…” Edwin darted his eyes nervously, clearly reading the chill in Kaisa’s tone. Desperate, he pointed ahead.
“Look—there it is. We’ve arrived.”
Following his finger, Sharie saw it too. A village.
When she had left, it had been left in ruins after repeated monster attacks.
But now it was different.
Though still disordered, the place was visibly restored. New tents stood beside collapsed buildings, and villagers sat by fires with color returning to their faces.
“Lady Sharie! You’ve returned!”
A sentry’s call brought Anette running to the gates.
“You’re unhurt?”
Her face was lined with worry, clearly from having let Sharie go. Once assured of her safety, Anette turned to Kaisa and bowed.
“It is such a relief you all returned safely.”
Her gentle smile was something Sharie had never seen from her before. After the danger they’d faced, it stirred a lump in her throat.
But no one seemed happier at Anette’s return than Edwin.
“Anette! I missed you!”
He dashed forward, arms open. Sharie expected Anette to freeze him with her usual chill.
Instead, her brows twitched—and slowly, she opened her arms.
It was a touching sight.
At last, a long-awaited embrace—
Grrrrowl.
A loud stomach rumble shattered the moment.
Face burning, Sharie clutched her belly.
A large hand rested warmly on her shoulder.
“Would you prepare food and baths for us?” Kaisa asked.
“Yes. At once,” Anette replied briskly, adjusting her glasses as her usual sternness returned.
Everyone dispersed to their places. Only Edwin remained behind, his head drooping.
“My chance… gone…”
His hands flailed in the air before falling limply to his sides.
“This way, please.”
Anette led them to the village’s only tavern, which doubled as an inn.
The building bore scars from troll attacks—shattered windows, cracked walls—but wooden boards had patched the holes well enough to keep out the cold.
“Look who it is! Our saviors!”
The kitchen bustled with villagers cooking, who greeted them with beaming faces.
“It’s not much, but please enjoy.”
Despite their modest words, the table overflowed with dishes.
Refusing to treat their rescuers poorly, the villagers had brought out their finest livestock and harvest.
A chicken, stuffed with vegetables and roasted golden over charcoal.
Seasonal mushrooms and potatoes simmered in butter to make a steaming soup.
Fresh mountain berries, tart and sweet, washed clean and piled high.
“It’s delicious.”
After days of nothing but tough jerky and dry bread, the hot meal melted in her mouth.
Sharie found herself eating far more than usual.
“I’m glad it suits your taste,” the tavern owner smiled proudly.
“Would you like another helping?”
“No, thank you. I’m full.”
Sharie set down her spoon. Edwin stared in disbelief.
“You’re finished already?”
She nodded. For her, this was a large meal.
“Tch. As I’ve always thought—you eat like a little bird.”
“That’s not true…”
But when she glanced at the tower of empty plates beside him, her protest faltered. No matter their differences in size, his appetite as a Barhad warrior was astonishing.
“A true Barhad man could put away a whole boar by himself,” Edwin declared, mistaking her disbelief for admiration.
“…Right. Of course.”
Sharie looked away, half exasperated, half amused, then realized someone was missing.
“Where’s Kaisa?”
He had told them to start eating without him, but she had expected him to return quickly.
Unease pricked her, though Edwin seemed utterly unconcerned.
