Chapter 63
At some point, the sound of rain tearing through the sky had stopped.
When Luna stirred, the warm bathwater rippled along with her soaked bathrobe. She pressed her cheek and hand against Khalid’s firm chest, seeking the comforting rhythm of his heartbeat.
Thump, thump.
The slightly quick but steady beat seemed to tell her, It’s all right now, easing her anxious heart.
Luna fluttered her long lashes and slowly opened her eyes. When she lifted her face from his chest, pale blue eyes looked down at her.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes… thank you.”
Luna gazed at the man leaning against the wall in a robe identical to hers. In the bluish darkness, water dripped from his hair, his stillness calm as a tranquil lake.
At least he doesn’t look angry.
She had worried he might look at her as though she were some sort of oddity, but thankfully, his expression suggested he wouldn’t press her further.
Luna looked around. The entire bathroom was hazy—the steam mixed with the bath salts filled the air with a fresh, clean fragrance. The lamp by the door gave off a soft light, enough to see the way clearly.
“I’ll… go now,” she murmured.
She lifted herself from his thigh, realizing with embarrassment just how much she’d clung to him earlier. Her whole body grew warm as if soaking in the bathwater again.
But before she could move away, his strong arm looped around her waist, pulling her back.
“Stay still. Right now, I need you.”
The low, resonant voice brushed her nape like an echo from a cavern.
Luna froze. Before her eyes, a dark, tainted aura shimmered faintly.
“Ah…”
Realizing it was the curse again, Luna released her purifying power. Luckily, it still flowed—like the flicker of a candle—and began cleansing him.
“I’m sorry. I must’ve run out of mana earlier when I was fighting to stay alive.”
“It’s fine. It was my choice to bring you here when you should be resting.”
“Well, this is my job anyway.”
At her response, Khalid carelessly ran a hand through his wet hair. Then, as he looked at her sitting awkwardly with her back turned—when only moments ago she’d been clinging to him—he couldn’t help but watch her intently.
An impulse to pull her close again surged through him. But he clenched his jaw and looked away.
Flash!
A bolt of lightning tore across the window’s edge.
Startled, Luna blinked and looked ahead.
“Ah, is it still raining that hard?”
“Yes. You seemed to dislike it, so I used a magic tool to block the sound.”
“I keep troubling you… Thank you for being so considerate.”
Luna lowered her head as she spoke. When she realized the nightmares hadn’t yet left her, her shoulders and body tensed all over again.
Soon, the calm water rippled softly.
Khalid reached out, gripped her waist, and pulled her firmly toward him. His hand moved with practiced ease, guiding her to sit properly on his lap.
Her nerves spiked as she felt his breath so close, but strangely, the trembling in her body subsided.
“Sorry I was late. I’m just glad you weren’t seriously hurt.”
“It’s fine. I mean, being licked by a beast’s tongue from my belly button to my chest and neck was horrifying, but I survived! Thanks to Nuksuni, I wasn’t even that scared.”
Luna tried to speak brightly, but Khalid’s voice turned icy sharp.
“Say that again. Where exactly did it lick you?”
“F-From the lower abdomen… No, never mind! I’m really okay now. More importantly, Your Highness—about the wolf that was with me—ah!”
Before she could finish, Khalid wrapped his arms around her waist again, pressing her tightly against his chest.
Even when she looked up at him with confusion, he remained shamelessly unmoved.
“The large male wolf, you mean? I was told nothing was found at the site but some blood.”
“Nuksuni was male? Ah, anyway, please let me go. You’re too close.”
When she tried to move away, his brow twitched, and after a moment’s thought, his grip only tightened.
“Sorry. Your purification is weak right now, so I can’t let go.”
“But—”
“Wasn’t it you who said earlier you’d be fine until the end, Mage?”
“…All right!”
Luna quickly turned her body and covered his lips with her hand before he could say more.
“That wolf saved my life before you arrived. I’d like to thank and mourn him properly at the temple.”
Khalid removed her hand calmly and said, “If that’s what you want, do it. But why the temple? What are you thanking them for?”
“Well, because he was a temple wolf, right? Wasn’t he?”
“There’s no evidence of that. Even in the wild north, it’s not common for temples to raise beasts.”
“I see…”
Luna nodded bitterly, watching the mirage-like steam curl into the air. She couldn’t help but feel regret—she had wished her bond with that wolf could have lasted longer.
“Nuksuni must have met my parents in the heavens by now. They’ll love him. After all, both my parents and he… protected me.”
“…”
Her faint, lifeless voice carried a long-buried sorrow that tightened Khalid’s brow.
Even as he held her, it felt as if she were holding back tears—lonely in a way that made him want to hold her tighter.
“It rained this hard five years ago too,” she said softly. “That time, the carriage fell off a cliff. The monsters came swarming out of nowhere…”
She drew out the pain she’d buried deep inside. For some reason, she wanted him to know.
“I was the only one swept into the river. I begged them not to send me away… I clung to my mother so tightly, refusing to let go—but it didn’t matter.”
“…”
“Mom and Dad said, ‘You must… live.’”
Her chin trembled, vision blurring with tears. She wiped them away quickly and took a deep breath.
“Sorry for causing trouble. I guess that’s why I clung to your robe earlier.”
It was the first time she’d ever spoken of that nightmare. Strangely, once it was out, it didn’t seem as unbearable as before. The old pain loosened a little.
Closing her eyes, she leaned her head against his chest, hoping he’d understand why she’d acted so strangely.
Khalid silently gazed down at her. He tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear and gave her a gentle tap.
“You tend to forget—but right now, you’re my wife. You can do that to me anytime.”
“…”
“I’ve never once thought of you as a burden.”
His voice sank low, rough and warm, brushing her ear like the scent of musk. She couldn’t respond.
No matter how hard she blinked or tried to hold it in, tears spilled freely. Her heart ached unbearably.
The man, as always, was clueless—but in moments like this, he was painfully gentle. His warmth pressed against her back, his scent dizzyingly close. His soft fingertips brushed the tears from her eyes and jaw.
“I promise you. Whatever happens, I’ll protect you until the very end. You’re my wife—I’ll never let you go like that. So don’t cry. When you cry… I feel like I have to do something to make it stop.”
“…?”
Luna swallowed hard, her wide eyes searching his face. She wanted to ask what he meant—but couldn’t.
Because the next instant, his warm breath fell against her neck.
A soft, moist touch followed, unmistakably real, making her lips part in shock.
The heat rising up her throat burned worse than the darkness that had clung to her heart—her entire body flushed red as realization struck.
“Y-Your Highness?”
Instead of answering, Khalid’s hand—submerged beneath the water—slid slowly upward from her belly to her chest, tracing the bare skin beneath the robe.
“Ah!”
Luna gasped, her pupils trembling violently. No matter how slow the purification was, this… this was too much. She wasn’t ready for this.
Her sorrow vanished completely, replaced by the overwhelming sensation of his touch. That experienced, deliberate gentleness crept higher, grazing the curve beneath her robe.
Then plop—it felt as if her heart had dropped into icy water. Her mind snapped awake.
“Purification! I’ll continue it tomorrow! Please—let me go!”
Her flustered voice broke through the stillness of the bath. Thankfully, his hands froze. Silence followed.
Luna slipped away from him like a frightened deer. The warmth left the air at once, and droplets from the ceiling plinked into the water below.
Khalid stared stiffly at the space she’d just vacated.
“…Ha.”
His laugh was laced with thorns, hot and bitter. Even he couldn’t believe what he’d just done. His voice came out low and rough, trembling with fury.
“Am I insane? I must have lost my mind.”
