DEHH 11

Chapter – 11

When Reneb came to, she was in an unfamiliar cave.

It had become night, and the temperature had dropped considerably, so it seemed Icar had found this place to shelter them from the cold.

Crackle, crackle.

The only sound filling the quiet cave was the crackling of burning twigs.

Reneb hugged her knees and curled up, opening her mouth softly.

“Uh… Lord Dhan?”

“Huh?”

Icar glanced sideways, tossing a dry twig into the fire.

“…Did you see it?”

Her lips barely moved as she spoke in a timid whisper, but Icar caught it and replied.

“See what?”

Burying her face into her knees, Reneb murmured,

“My… body.”

“Then, yes, I saw it.”

“No! Why would you look at that?!”

Reneb shot her head up and widened her eyes. Icar, resting his chin on one knee, tilted his lips slightly upward in a smirk.

“If you didn’t want me to see, you shouldn’t have collapsed there completely naked.”

Reneb pressed her face against her knees again. He wasn’t wrong, and besides, she had seen Icar naked in the hot spring too, so she couldn’t argue.

“Anyway, thank you for saving me.”

“This makes it the third time.”

Reneb lifted her chin slightly to look at him.

“The third time?”

“The number of times you, my lady, owe me your life.”

“If we count just now and when we faced those beasts, wouldn’t it be twice?”

“Think carefully. This is the third.”

Reneb pondered, trying to remember the other time.

Then she recalled what had happened at the Marquis’ residence.

When Lucius had forcedfully tried to kiss her, she almost delivered a groin kick.

It had been a dangerously close moment—almost castrating a royal—so perhaps it was fair to say she owed Icar her life.

Her head nodded naturally.

“But Lord Dhan, you’re really patient. The hot spring was extremely hot. Were you okay?”

She had soaked for at least thirty minutes, and her whole body still felt flushed. Luckily, she didn’t feel too cold now.

“I was fine. Are you a cold-natured person, my lady?”

“Well… colder than you, at least.”

Reneb stared blankly at the flickering flames, thinking of Icar’s warm, large hands.

Icar, similarly gazing at the fire with his dark lashes lowered, muttered,

“Then you must get very cold at night.”

“Yes.”

When Reneb nodded slightly, he asked,

“Is this your first time going to Bashker?”

“Yes.”

“It will be much hotter than Paradium. What else do you know about Bashker?”

“Before the current emperor ascended, Bashker had little contact with neighboring countries,” Reneb replied.

“…”

“So, though there’s a rumor that its people are wild and uncivilized, in reality, their culture, arts, commerce, and agriculture are well developed.”

Icar’s red eyes showed a flicker of surprise.

“Interesting. It’s true that Bashker only recently began exchanges with Paradium.”

Reneb raised an eyebrow.

“…Seems you’ve forgotten that my father is the western border count.”

She said this proudly, deliberately letting a hint of arrogance show—it often made her appear clearer-headed.

“Indeed. The Marquess is an impressive strategist, able to maintain the western border for so long.”

Unexpectedly, Icar agreed.

“The young marquis also shows promise…”

He suddenly fell silent, and the previously playful atmosphere vanished. His face took on the look of a cold, calculating ruler.

Reneb shivered slightly.

After volunteering to study abroad, this was the first time she regretted her decision.

She recalled how Icar had swiftly defeated a pack of beasts alone.

Even now, sitting before her, he radiated authority, but years later, he would become the epitome of a perfect, cold ruler.

Starting from a minor kingdom, he had unified surrounding nations into a mighty empire.

Eventually, he had come to the Paradium Imperial Palace alone, confident and proud, to show his arrogance.

Reneb swallowed hard, and Icar, noticing her gaze lingering, fixed his eyes on her.

“Why do you look so tense? Like a rabbit about to be devoured.”

He was remarkably sharp.

“Where in the world is there a rabbit that big?”

Trying to hide her nervousness, Reneb replied casually.

“There is.”

“Huh?”

“A giant rabbit. They mostly appear in the northern mountains of Bashker.”

Icar’s eyes softened slightly as he spoke.

“You joke too much,” Reneb said.

“If you want, you’d better catch some sleep.”

After the hot spring, her eyelids had been heavy, though Icar’s sudden sharp remark had briefly woken her.

“Right.”

Reneb nodded and lay down on her side.

The leaves Icar had spread beneath them blocked some of the cold rising from the ground, but it wasn’t enough.

Shivering from the cold, Reneb moved closer to the fire.

“You’re cold, I see.”

Icar’s low, calm voice cut through the cave air.

Reneb felt a strange tickle in her ears from the sound echoing in the cave.

She lightly scratched her ear and asked,

“A little. Aren’t you cold?”

“I naturally have a high body temperature.”

“You’re lucky in moments like this.”

Reneb looked up at him. Icar’s lips curved into a faint, sly smile.

“If you need warmth, I could share some.”

Not fully understanding his meaning, Reneb blinked. Icar shifted and positioned himself behind her back.

“Why… why are you lying here?”

Startled, Reneb blinked rapidly, and Icar grinned mischievously.

“You’re not expecting anything else from me, are you?”

At that moment, a glimpse of Icar’s firm chest through the slightly opened shirt caught Reneb’s eye.

She recalled his naked body in the hot spring.

Swallowing nervously, she tried to shake off the image.

“Expect anything? What do you mean? You’re strange.”

“You saw it.”

“What… what did I see?”

“I know you were peeking at me in the hot spring earlier.”

Reneb squeezed her eyes shut and apologized earnestly.

“I’m sorry. I’ve committed a grave sin. It wasn’t intentional. I apologize again.”

A small chuckle came from above her head, and she felt a shift, as if he were adjusting.

Reneb tensed, curling into herself.

Then something hard pressed against her back. Her eyes flew open.

“I have no intention of fulfilling your expectations.”

Vibrations of his voice traveled along her back. Heat from Icar’s broad back seeped into her.

“Good night.”

Reneb relaxed and closed her eyes again. The warmth continued to radiate.

“Good night.”

Thus ended a long and exhausting day.

The next morning, Reneb awoke, stretching for warmth.

She had been so exhausted that she didn’t even notice when she had fallen asleep.

But something about her surroundings felt… off.

Blinking a few times, she realized it hadn’t changed.

A hollow collarbone glinting with morning light.

Firm, flawless chest muscles peeking through the loose shirt.

Her body felt unusually heavy and restricted.

‘What… what’s happening right now?’

She cautiously raised her eyes, careful not to wake Icar.

A strong, long neck. Sharp, masculine jawline.

Full, red lips and a straight nose. Her gaze climbed upward.

Then their eyes met—his narrow red eyes.

“Awake?”

Icar spoke slowly.

“For some time now. You seemed exhausted. You slept soundly.”

Reneb reached for his chest to move away.

But—

“Ugh.”

Icar frowned. Something beyond just his firm muscles was touching her fingertips.

Huh?

“This is a rather… vigorous morning greeting. Don’t you think, my lady?”

Reneb withdrew her hands and looked down.

“G… Good morning.”

Once again, his solid chest muscles peeked through his shirt, making her salivate.

Seeing her reaction, Icar teased in a husky voice,

“Your gaze seems… mischievous. Am I mistaken?”

“Of course not. You must be imagining it, Lord Dhan.”

Reneb nodded quickly, feeling guilty for her thoughts.

“You’re too delicate for sleeping outdoors, it seems. You were trembling all night.”

“So that’s why you held me while sleeping?”

Reneb’s eyes widened. Icar’s lips curved in a sly half-smile.

“You kept clinging to my back. I just wrapped my arms around you to keep you still. Don’t misunderstand.”

There was no way to confirm if he was telling the truth.

Reneb pursed her lips, and Icar said something ambiguous.

“You’re here.”

Soft footsteps followed.

‘Who…?’

“Wait here for a moment.”

Watching Icar leave the cave, Reneb buried her face in her hands.

‘Clinging to his back? Me?’

After a few moments of self-reflection, she got up.

What had happened had already happened.

To preserve her dignity, she needed a mental victory.

To clear her mind, Reneb splashed cold water on her face like a cat washing.

As she wiped the water from her dress sleeves, Icar’s voice came from behind her.

“I wondered where you went. There you are.”

Beside him stood a slender, handsome man with slightly dark blonde hair and green eyes.

‘Dhan.’