chapter 13
I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him. He lifted me higher again, brushed his cheek against mine, and kissed me once more.
People really were right when they said the first time was the hardest and the second came easily. This sly little deer seemed to have completely forgotten the days when he trembled in shock, now hugging me tightly as he sucked softly on my lips.
The fresh, crisp scent around him had become mixed with something sweet and alluring.
Maybe the kiss felt even more intense because my body was suspended in the air.
Filled completely by him as he charged straight ahead without teasing me first, a shiver ran down the back of my neck.
The pleasure that came from losing control of my body was so overwhelming it felt enough to make me faint.
I hung limply in his arms and accepted his kisses. My whole body felt languid and dazed, as though I were soaking in warm water. Even my thoughts seemed to loosen and melt away.
“Kalion, the bed…”
“The bed?”
“To the bed… let’s go…”
Just kissing him already felt enough to drain all my strength, but staying wrapped around him like this any longer made it feel like my senses were going strange.
Wanting the stability of touching the ground again, I urged him on, and Kalion rubbed the tip of his nose against mine, peppered kisses over my lips and chin, then laid me gently onto the bed.
The long kisses continued. Careful not to crush me beneath his weight, Kalion supported himself with one arm and touched me only with his lips.
I knew he was doing it out of consideration for me, but somehow that only made me feel dissatisfied.
I wanted more contact.
I reached toward Kalion’s chest. The firm muscles beneath his shirt twitched under my touch. When I slipped my fingers into the gap of his loosened collar and tugged lightly, the buttons came undone, exposing bare skin.
The sensation of his skin sticking warmly against my palm was astonishing.
What the hell? Why does a hunter have skin this nice?
Beneath the smooth flesh was resilient muscle. I could feel his violently pounding heartbeat. I had only been stroking him lazily with my palm, yet it felt hot, as though friction itself were sparking into flame.
A small gasp slipped from me without thinking, and Kalion broke the kiss to look down at me. By now there was no way I couldn’t understand the emotion swimming in his moist eyes.
Why was it that watching a man who once looked so noble slowly crumble beneath desire was so beautiful? It felt like watching a priceless masterpiece melt inside a furnace—painful and nerve-racking, yet impossible to look away from.
And the fact that I didn’t hate it—instead, that it excited me—probably meant something was wrong with my senses too.
“Should we… take off our clothes and continue?”
“Clothes… understood.”
Kalion removed his shirt in one smooth motion. Most of the buttons had already been undone, so it must have been easy enough.
Compared to the muscular Senes, I’d thought Kalion was more slender, but I had been mistaken. Beneath skin smooth as carved ivory was a perfectly balanced body of lean muscle without a single unnecessary line.
And with sweat beading faintly across his skin while the afternoon sunlight illuminated him, every contour of his body stood out even more clearly, and honestly, it was pretty…
“Master. Do you dislike my body?”
“Huh? No! It’s way too perfect.”
“But your expression…”
Why? Had I been making some kind of perverted face?
I hurriedly covered my mouth and tried to calm the grin tugging at my cheeks.
When I hid my face, Kalion glanced at me anxiously. With that face and that body, he really should’ve had more confidence. I smiled softly and answered honestly.
“It’s because I like it.”
“Really…?”
“Mhm. That’s why I want to show you mine too.”
I started undoing the buttons of my own shirt.
Kalion’s eyes widened, and the corners of his lips trembled slightly. It was so obvious where his gaze was headed that I almost laughed.
His Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably.
Gulp.
I could even hear the sound of him swallowing.
His honest reaction was adorable, and I was happy that he seemed to like my body too.
Bodies really are more honest than words.
When I wrapped my arms around Kalion’s shoulders, he responded by caressing me gently.
His breathing, which had seemed a little hurried, slowly calmed. No—rather than calming down, it seemed more like he had slowed it intentionally in order to focus.
From the outside, his hands looked elegant and smooth, with long graceful fingers and flawless skin, so I’d assumed they would feel soft. But perhaps because they were hands accustomed to wielding a sword, there were calluses across them, making them surprisingly firm.
He didn’t rush me. Instead, he touched me slowly and deliberately. The warmth of another person through his solid palms felt unfamiliar, yet strangely comforting.
Pressing our bodies tightly together and feeling the friction had been nice, but this kind of gentle stroking wasn’t bad either.
We became absorbed in exploring each other’s bodies. Words weren’t necessary. Even without looking directly, everything was obvious.
The breath we exchanged through kisses brushed against my ears, cheeks, and nape. The soft warmth slid across my skin before tightening low in my abdomen.
Long fingers trailing down my side caught on the string of my underwear. As I lifted my hips slightly to make it easier for him to remove them, the string rolled against his fingertips and slid down.
Creak, creak.
Every time our bodies shifted, the bed groaned as though it could barely endure us, and the sheets crumpled noisily beneath us. The blanket slipped to the floor, but neither of us had the spare attention to care about something so trivial.
Right now, all I wanted was to focus on feeling him with my entire body.
Pure Kalion. Shy Kalion. Kalion overflowing with both desire and curiosity. Every time our eyes met, the corners of his eyes flushed red with embarrassment, yet he still looked at me as if he wanted to keep meeting my gaze.
He was cute. Lovable.
Overcome with warmth I could hardly contain, I cupped his cheeks and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
At that instant, a triumphant fanfare rang out and a system window appeared.
[Consecutive Success!]
Congratulations!
You have successfully acquired the skill [Charm].
…What?
[Charm Lv.1]
You can seduce the opposite sex and make them your captive.
Effects activated during intimacy:
- A temporary truce state is entered, and no enemies can attack you.
- Fatigue does not accumulate at all.
- Your health will not fall below a certain threshold. (Current level: 11%)
- Can be linked with other skills.
- When linked with healing skills, injuries recover instantly.
- When linked with healing skills, vitality is not consumed.
Duration: 2 hours
The duration extends by 2 hours each time climax is reached.
※ If the partner is not a party member, all effects are reduced by half.
“…W-What the hell is this?”
I stared blankly at the glowing holographic window.
The Charm skill? The one that had appeared as an acquisition chance last night?
Hadn’t it failed because Senes interrupted things?
Don’t tell me it had been counting this entire time?
As I continued staring dumbly at the skill window, it blinked as though deciding I’d had enough time to read it and automatically minimized itself.
Then my eyes met Kalion’s.
Damn. I’d gotten distracted while there was someone right in front of me.
“Master. What is wrong?”
“Ah, nothing. Kalion is just too handsome.”
It was an excuse blurted out at random to cover the fact that the sudden system window had stolen my attention, but it wasn’t a lie.
Even looking so disheveled, Kalion was still beautiful enough to make me lose myself just staring at him.
Want to know if it’s possible for someone to look both innocent and sexy at the same time?
Then raise your head and look at Kalion!
Perhaps reassured by my praise, he gently played with my hair and asked shyly,
“Then… are you alright continuing like this?”
“Of course. More than alright.”
The mood had finally become perfect. It would’ve been a waste to end things already. I figured we’d at least lie side by side and have some pillow talk—
“I’m relieved to hear that.”
Smiling as though reassured, Kalion laid me back down and leaned over me again.
Huh? That posture seems a little strange. Wasn’t this the point where we were supposed to lie down and rest?
“You said it would be alright to continue like this, didn’t you?”
“Wait, you want to do it again?”
“Yes. Continue.”
“I’ll make you feel even better. For even longer.”
As he said that with a shy smile, for a moment I could almost see a lustful beast overlapping with Kalion’s image.
What the hell. Give me back my baby deer.
The chirping of birds echoed faintly.
Spread limply across the bed like melted wax, I cracked open my heavy eyes before shutting them again. My body felt sluggish, the blanket warm and comfortable enough to make me want to fall asleep again…
No, wait.
“Kalion!”
Remembering what had happened before I passed out like I’d fainted, I tried to sit up—only to groan and collapse back onto the bed. My entire body ached.
The moment I recalled last night, there was no way I could keep lying there calmly. I hurriedly pulled back the blanket to confirm I was wearing underwear, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
…Actually, that wasn’t something to feel relieved about.
“Master. You’re awake?”
Kalion must have been in the bath. He emerged carrying a bowl of water and a towel. Unlike me, who had been tormented all night until only the bare minimum of stamina remained, Kalion looked absurdly refreshed.
His delicate face and innocent eyes were exactly the same baby deer Kalion I knew.
Where had last night’s beast—no, monster—gone?
Though honestly, it would’ve been a problem if he were still here!
“You still seem too exhausted to get up, so please lie down. I’ll wipe your face for you.”
The very culprit responsible for making it difficult for me to get up approached and gently laid me back down. His expression was so kind and his worried gaze so sincere that I couldn’t even get angry.
Kalion carefully wiped my face, then meticulously cleaned my neck and collarbone with the towel. His touch was slightly rough, but the cool damp cloth felt nice.
“Kalion… how long did I sleep?”
“It’s still morning. You looked exhausted, so I did not wake you, but it seems you opened your eyes early.”
Well, that made sense. The system state prevented fatigue from accumulating. My health gauge in the system window had become as thin as paper, but apparently even 11% was enough to keep my eyes open and my mouth moving.
Kalion put away the bowl and towel before returning to sit beside the bed. The gaze he lowered onto me was warm.
“Master. How does your body feel?”
Come to think of it, my body felt surprisingly refreshed. Considering how much we had sweated—and how much of it must have gotten everywhere—my skin being this smooth meant Kalion must have cleaned me up.
Imagining Kalion carrying my sleeping body into the bath and washing me thoroughly made my face burn hot, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
You could say that after all the embarrassing things I’d already shown him, bathing me was hardly a big deal, but shame caused by impulsive actions always comes rushing in the next day once reason returns.
“I-I think… I’m okay…”
“That is a relief.”
Kalion’s lips softened into a smile as he gently touched my forehead.
