Chapter – 10
The sensation of his hand prodding her lower abdomen was intensely stimulating. It was so thrilling that she wondered if she had ever felt anything like this in her life. His hand moved up, stroking her long neck, then passed over her collarbone and gently brushed her chest.
Experiencing this new feeling for the first time, Ferdia gazed at him with a dazed expression. Only then did Erev press his lips to hers with a satisfied smile, softly taking her lips in a kiss. Unlike his cold body, it was as if molten metal from a furnace flowed into her, and the heat of his kiss and the soft brush of his tongue swept over hers.
“Haa…”
The tingling sensation caused the strength in her hands to slip away, and the sword sheath she had been holding clattered to the ground. A gentle breeze carried the sharp scent of mint from his body as his hand slid down to her lower waist.
Snapping back to her senses, Ferdia shoved him away with a flushed face. His smile stiffened and quickly turned into a cold expression.
“Seems my touch isn’t to your liking.”
“What…?”
“Even though I’m giving you exactly what you want, you still dislike it?”
Ferdia, staring at his crimson eyes, lowered her head and gripped her sword.
“When did I ever say I wanted that?”
“But the moan you just let out was extremely stimulating.”
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, go do it alone. Stop unnecessary sexual harassment.”
Her hand brushed against her lips, which were now deeply red. Erev’s eyes lowered as he scanned her body.
“I don’t want to. It’s boring if I do it alone.”
“Do it and you’ll get hurt.”
“That’s thrilling, too.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
A curse escaped her lips, but he just laughed.
“The way you curse is so attractive!”
“…Seriously perverted,” Ferdia thought, reconsidering her impression of Erev just as his foot fell to the ground. Step by step, he approached her, unbuttoning his shirt as he came closer. As his chest and abdomen were revealed, Ferdia made a baffled face.
“Are you… seducing me?”
“You don’t like it?”
Watching him touch his own chest with his hands wasn’t pleasant. It was undeniably attractive and even beautiful, but Ferdia had been raised as a knight.
“You think I haven’t seen a man’s chest or abdomen before?”
“…”
Erev, guiding the conversation at his pace, briefly froze. Ferdia noticed the subtle change in his expression and spoke again.
“You’re not thinking I have any experience with men, are you?”
“…I guess I just got schooled.”
She had none, but pretended she did. As a woman raised among knights and spending her days training and fighting in battles, she wouldn’t have had the chance for any real experience with men. Not knowing her thoughts, Erev frowned and swirled his tongue over his lips.
“I don’t like it.”
“What?”
“I’m very possessive. I don’t like anyone touching what’s mine.”
“Am I… your property?”
Erev grinned and rushed toward her again. Ferdia swung her sword to defend herself, but he bent his waist smoothly to dodge, his hand slicing sharply toward her abdomen.
Expecting at least a broken rib if it connected, Ferdia tensed her stomach and fell backward. The wind from his narrowly missing punch made sweat bead on her skin, but she focused on regaining her balance first.
Grabbing the sword sheath beside her, she swung it—not to harm but to push him back. Surprisingly, Erev leapt back and pressed himself against the wall, staring at her with wide eyes.
“What’s this?”
Unlike the sweet or cold glances he usually gave her, now his eyes held a wary edge. Ferdia glanced at the sword sheath he was watching, and in a cautious moment, swung it again.
“Stop it! Don’t!”
“…?”
Confused by his reaction, Ferdia narrowed her eyes. When she swung the sheath once more, he backed away and kept his distance, sticking close to the wall. His crimson eyes now reflected not fear, but unease.
Ferdia’s eyes sparkled as she opened her mouth.
“So this was your weakness?”
“W-what…”
“Yesterday you said I could restrain you. Was this what you meant? That’s why you gave me the sword sheath.”
“Th-that’s…”
Her certainty grew with each word, and he reacted swiftly.
“Come here.”
With her confidence rising, her movements became precise. The man in front of her was no longer the wolf who had threatened her.
“Isn’t this the dog days?”
Just a mere mutt, really.
“AAAAHHH!!!”
‘Bark, bark,’ she thought.
“…Ugh.”
Erev groaned as he tried to rise, only to find Ferdia on top of him. He looked utterly bewildered.
“What are you doing there?”
“…Shut up. Say another word and I’ll turn you into dog stew.”
Ferdia struck his backside with the sword sheath and closed her eyes again. Though his muttering voice continued briefly, fatigue soon overtook her and pulled her into sleep.
“…Beating him like a dog in the dog days.”
The saying that a good beating is the remedy for a crazy dog seemed perfectly right. Ferdia smiled faintly.
Rubbing her sore muscles and turning her neck, Ferdia noticed Erev glancing at her. Meeting his gaze, Erev hastily spoke.
“So… did you sleep well?”
“Well, not really. I turned this room into a mess just two days after arriving, so I wouldn’t say I slept well.”
“Haha…”
“Plus, some weird mutt kept me up all night, so my body aches here and there.”
Silent. Well, he had a mouth but nothing to say, Ferdia thought, staring at him before turning her head to massage her neck again.
“I have a question.”
“Ask anything. I’ll answer sincerely.”
Erev’s eyes sparkled as he turned toward her.
“What exactly is the purpose of the sword sheath? Why did it provoke such a reaction yesterday?”
“The sword sheath? I don’t know the full details, but our previous head said it’s made from dragon bones.”
“Dragon?”
One of those legendary creatures?
“Whether true or not, it supposedly contains the bones of a top predator, and it’s perfectly countered against our family. That’s why it causes such a strong aversion. Not fear, but extreme repulsion—like an allergy.”
“…I see. So that’s why.”
Ferdia massaged her neck, groaning softly, before looking back at him.
“Another thing. Did you always act this way? Attacking others like that?”
“No. I have many desires, but only a few actually manifest. As I said before, there are three main ones: appetite, lust, and bloodlust. Others appear rarely. When my desires flare, it’s like the new moon makes me extremely sensitive. That’s when I need someone to restrain me.”
Ferdia noticed his fingers holding water and instinctively understood.
“So that’s why I caught your eye. And as you saw yesterday, just having the sheath isn’t enough. If someone doesn’t have the skill, they’ll lose their head quickly. Even if 20 knights had the sheath and knew how to use it, they almost lost their lives. So I needed someone equal to me in skill, but whom others wouldn’t suspect. That’s you.”
“Then locking you up?”
“That only accelerates the frenzy.”
Ferdia leaned back in the chair, recalling yesterday—him tearing her clothes, spouting strange words, and attacking. Complex feelings reflected on her face.
Erev watched her carefully, wondering if giving her the choice was a mistake. The thought that she might leave the castle for her hometown made his heart tense.
“Excuse me.”
The study door opened. A butler with neatly combed hair bowed as he entered, drawing both their gazes. Erev straightened his posture.
“What is it?”
“Viscount Nedverk requests your presence.”
“Why is he here?”
Ferdia tilted her head. Erev glanced at her and nodded.
“Ferdia, please step out for a moment.”
“…Why?”
She glared at him, but Erev looked awkward.
“He’s a bit tricky to handle. If others are around, he’ll insist on drinking. He’s addicted to wine.”
“…Hmm. That’s it?”
“Y-yeah…”
