INAT - Chapter 106

Gentle laughter filled the room. I realized once again that the days of continuous tension had truly passed.

I met the red eyes looking down at me from very close range. It would be more accurate to say that I stared at Thierry's eyes, which seemed to shimmer with light beneath his half-closed eyelids, as if I were under a spell.

It was to the point where I forgot I was applying medicine and ended up tensing my fingertips.

"Ah."

I immediately let go of his hand at the short groan of suppressed pain. My truly dazed mind snapped right back to reality.

"Oh my, what should I do! Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just surprised. It doesn't hurt."

"I don't think it hurts..."

I immediately lowered my head to examine the wound I had accidentally touched, but a hand grabbing my shoulder stopped me.

"I'm really fine. I think I've applied all the medicine, so please wrap a bandage now."

"Ah... Yes, please make sure to tell me if it hurts."

"Yes."

I lowered the corners of my eyebrows slightly as I took the bandage Thierry handed me. It felt like he had pressed really hard, but his attitude of pretending nothing was wrong made me feel even more apologetic.

'Ha, I was distracted by your face for a moment...'

A sense of shame crossed my mind, wondering if I tended to be too focused on looks, but it was only for a moment.

In an instant, a burning resolve to wrap the bandage properly with all my heart flared up.

I sat on the edge of the bed, lowered my upper body, and looked closely at his waist. Then, reaching my hand toward Thierry's back, I wrapped the bandage tightly around his waist and past his side.

'...But this pose seems a bit strange. No, not a bit, but very strange.'

It was only after I instinctively almost buried my face in his abs that I realized my mistake.

I thought I just needed to wrap the wound, but since that part happened to be on the side, I had to wrap it almost like hugging the upper body.

The muscles looked like sculptures even from a distance, but seeing them up close, I couldn't help but marvel, thinking, "Is this what it means for a body God has sculpted with the utmost care?"

“Ellie?”

I was staring blankly, then flinched and lifted my head at a low call.

It was only after meeting his gaze, which gave me a puzzled look, that I belatedly realized my hand had been frozen for quite a while.

"Ah... am I... too strong?"

Ha. Why are you stammering? I squeezed my eyes shut.

I felt a pang of guilt for no reason, as anyone could tell I looked flustered. If I said I lost my mind over her body, imagine how lecherous people would look at me. It was so embarrassing that I couldn't even bring myself to mention it anywhere.

" Not at all. But are you okay? Your face looks red. Do you have a fever?" 

"No! It's just because it's a bit hot..." 

I muttered softly and bowed my head low. Then, with my gaze fixed on the floor, I moved my hands quickly.

"Is it hot? I'll go turn off the fireplace. Oh, give it to me; I'll finish wrapping the bandage."

He grabbed my hand as I was wrapping a bandage, lost in thought. As his hand carefully took the bandage away, I hesitated and lowered my hand.

"If it's hot, you should have said so right away. Why are you holding it in?"

"Haha, I know, right..."

I smiled awkwardly and slightly raised my head.

My eyes fell upon the figure walking to put out the fireplace while wrapping bandages around himself. The back muscles, moving nicely in sync with his movements...

'Stop.'

Am I going crazy? Why do I keep watching only things like that?

My body felt hot not so much because the air was hot, but because of the heat boiling inside me. I needlessly ran my hand across my forehead, which looked as if it were covered in cold sweat, and glanced at him.

His imposing back, as he familiarly extinguished the fireplace fire, stole my attention once again.

'Ha... I'm hopeless.'

Realizing anew that we were alone in the same space, I found this situation absurd and unsettling, even to the point of trembling. I even began to worry—truly too late—whether it was okay to go to bed with him like this.

My distracting thoughts stopped thanks to the quick glance I gave at his gesture of turning around.

Feeling him getting closer, I stared at the window for no reason, as if gazing at the distant sky.

"It'll be fine soon. But if it's still hot, tell me." 

"Yes."

"But why are you looking at the sky like that?"

"Ah, just the sky a little..."

"I can't see anything." 

That's right, usually the stars and moon are shining perfectly and clearly visible, but today they were nowhere to be seen.

"...I know. It’s so dark."

"There's nothing to see, so stop looking." 

Thierry's fingertips touched the tip of my chin. His gentle touch guided my head slowly toward him.

"Isn't this side more worth looking at?"

I wondered where the boyish smile from just moments ago had gone; he was looking down at me with a languid smile. A raindrop, resting lightly on the tip of his still-dry hair, plopped onto his broad shoulder.

I did not take my eyes off the sight of the droplet flowing down as if licking his deep collarbone until the very end.

“...I want to kiss you.”

Soon, his body drew closer. He leaned forward, twisted his head, and whispered softly into my ear. His slightly hoarse voice felt somehow like it was scratching my eardrums.

My gaze shifted to him in a choppy manner. Passing his firm neck and tracing up his sharp jawline, his deep red eyes came into view.

It wasn't the first time, so I didn't know why my mind went completely blank; I couldn't even speak. Was it because I felt like he wanted more than just a kiss?

I gazed strangely into his eyes, which were patiently waiting for my permission. I felt as though an intense light, drawing me in, was gradually pulling me in.

In the end, I had no choice but to close my eyes.

Soon, warmth touched my lips, and the inside of my eyelids flickered. And the heat could not leave the room for a long time.

***

When I opened my eyes, a familiar meadow unfolded beneath a clear sky.

'Is this a dream again?'

I calmly looked around to find Podia. However, unlike last time, I didn't see Podia. An unexpected person caught my eye.

It was Iker, with golden hair swaying in the breeze and sparkling blue eyes that seemed to embrace the sky, curving pleasantly.

Iker, who had shed his boyish appearance but looked too young to be called an adult, appeared somewhat younger than he actually was; the sharp look I had seen a few times in my dreams was nowhere to be seen, and he now looked simply gentle.

“Podia!”

Iker walked right past me with a broad smile. I was startled, my eyes wide, and turned my head to follow him.

"I knew you'd be here." 

"...It's you again. I told you to stop coming." 

"But I want to be with you. I don't want you to be alone, Podia." 

"All the dragons are dead, so I'm the only one left. Of course I'm alone. Who else would I be with?" 

"You just need to be with me!" 

"Ha..." 

Podia frowned with one eye as if annoyed and looked straight ahead again. Seeing Podia's profile like that, Iker smiled as if he were simply pleased and sat down beside her.

It was a scene that felt as if a gentle spring breeze could be felt. Feeling a strange sensation for some reason, I stared awkwardly at the two of them for a moment.

Then, seeing Iker, who had been unable to take his eyes off Podia, idly staring at the distant sky, open his mouth as if something had occurred to him, he belatedly closed the distance.

"Ms. Podia, have you been to the human festival?"

"I went there a long time ago." 

"How was it? Was it fun?"

"Well, it was so long ago that I don't remember."

"Oh, then, could you come with me?"

“...Let’s go to the festival?”

"Yes. I’d like to go take a look, but the elders absolutely won’t let me go out. If I tell them I’m going with Podia, they will definitely give me permission!"

“I don’t like it.”

"Ah..." 

Iker's face turned sullen at Podia's firm refusal.

Podia's emotionless gaze turned toward Iker. Her deep eyes, whose thoughts were unreadable, were simply silent, and I stared at her blankly before blinking.

In that very brief moment, the scenery changed.

The sky was dark, but the surroundings were filled with lights. In that place, which seemed to be a night market and was teeming with people, I caught sight of Podia and Iker wearing hoods.

'You said you didn't want to, but you came along.'

They must have been much closer than I thought. But why are they showing this side of themselves now?

It left me feeling quite uneasy to see with my own eyes that there was a time when Iker, who had consistently revealed only his sinister ambitions toward Podia, looked at Podia with such pure, boyish eyes.

"Ms. Podia, shall we go over there?"

"Do as you please. I wouldn't have come here if the elders hadn't come and whined." 

Unlike the excited Iker, Podia looked extremely indifferent. Her voice was calm, as if everything in the world were boring, but Iker was startled, as if he had encountered tremendous rage and made a tearful face.

"I am so sorry about that... I guess I was feeling too down. The elders seemed worried and kept asking what was wrong...”

"Those guys are really persistent. I figured if I ignored them, they'd stick around for decades, so look how I reacted."

"... Sorry."

"Stop acting all pitiful. Tsk. You’re just like the same species; the problem is you’re showing your true colors. I think it’s about time I moved somewhere else."

"What? Are you saying you're leaving? Where? What? Ms. Podia? Where are you going?"

"It's noisy; let's go over there."

As if she hadn't noticed Iker looking at her with gloomy eyes, Podia took the lead with a look of slight interest.

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