Chapter 8 – Danger Quietly Under Happiness (Part 9)

As Ria watched them dry their wet hair with towels, she remembered the blanket the head butler had packed and went to look through the luggage. When the two approached the rustling sound, Ria, who had found the blanket, looked up and smiled at them.

“The head butler packed this blanket in case it got cold. He also said it might rain, but I didn’t think it really would. Anyway, we can share this blanket to stay warm.”

Ria stood up, holding the blanket so it wouldn’t drag on the ground, and returned to her spot by the fire, patting the space beside her. The two men, smiling at her gesture, quickly sat on either side of her.

Like obedient puppies, they made Ria smile back as she spread the blanket to cover them. However, noticing their still-wet shirts and pants, she spoke worriedly.

“If you stay in wet clothes, you might catch a cold. Shouldn’t you dry them by the fire?”

Her words were meant out of pure concern, but the two men seemed to take it differently. Having escaped the rain, hearing it was just a passing shower, and having a warm fire, their sense of urgency melted away, and a playful mood set in.

“You’re right. We should take them all off.”

“We’ll be n*ked until the clothes dry, so we must stay under the blanket.”

As they mischievously began unb*ttoning their shirts, Ria realized her words had been misinterpreted and blushed deeply, speaking hurriedly.

“No, I mean…”

“Worried we might catch a cold?”

“Yes! Exactly! Nothing else!”

“What else could there be? My lady, I don’t understand.”

“What thoughts made you blush? Hmm?”

Their teasing intensified. As they unb*ttoned their shirts and reached for their pants, the sound of metal buckles being undone made Ria’s eyes widen, darting around in panic.

In the space where only the sound of rain and crackling fire was heard, the rustling of fabric seemed amplified, creating an odd atmosphere.

Ria instinctively clutched Rune’s coat draped over her shoulders, knowing what might happen next.

Noticing this, Kahin, now kneeling with his pants unb*ttoned, leaned close to her ear, his breath warm against her skin. Ria shivered slightly.

His voice, low and still tinged with laughter, whispered.

“Should I take off more, my lady?”

“No, um… Ah!”

Realizing the suggestive nature of his words, Ria shook her head vigorously and stood up abruptly, needing to escape the two.

However, in her haste, she didn’t see Rune’s coat at her feet and tripped, falling backward. Kahin quickly caught her arm and pulled her onto the blanket-covered ground.

“Are you alright?”

“Ria, are you okay?”

Feeling her heart pounding from the scare, Ria nodded slowly, placing her hand on the ground for support. The texture beneath her palm felt odd. Without thinking, she pressed down.

“Ugh. My lady, that’s…”

A voice mixed with breathy sighs came from above her head. Blinking, Ria looked down. Realizing she had pressed down on Kahin’s inner thigh, she quickly pulled her hand away as if burned.

“S-sorry!”

She had assumed it was the ground because it felt hard! As she fumbled in embarrassment, her hand instinctively moved back toward his thigh. This time, it wasn’t her doing.

“Kahin!”

Kahin had grabbed her hand and placed it back on his thigh.

As she slowly lifted her head and met his gaze, she saw a deep desire in his green eyes, reminiscent of a lush forest. The playful atmosphere vanished, replaced by a serious one. The moment her small hand pressed against his gr*in, he could no longer hold back.

“My lady.”

“Kahin…”

Her heart now pounded for a different reason. She knew what that look in his eyes meant.

“Kahin, I mean… I’m sorry for touching you by mistake. It was really a mistake!”

“…….”

“We’re outside… Don’t forget. What if someone comes…”

“My lady.”

Ria, who was babbling to stop him, shut her mouth at his low, beast-like voice.

Kahin tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her closer and nuzzling her neck with his lips.

“Your body is cold.”

“…What?”

Thinking he might bite, Ria tensed up, but his calm words made her relax slightly. He was the most restrained among the four.

“I need to warm you up.”

‘So he could control his instincts… right?’

“With my body.”

She was doomed.

***

At the same time, outside the cave.

Several knights from the Astina and Carlisle duchies were hiding in the dense trees.

“What’s with this sudden rain?”

“Seems like just a passing shower.”

They casually chatted while shaking the rainwater from their hair.

“They’ll probably stay inside until the rain stops, right?”

“Probably. We can’t have the lady catching a cold.”

“If the lady knew we were out here, she’d probably bring us towels or blankets.”

One of the knights from the Carlisle duchy grumbled. It had been months since they were ordered to secretly guard the lady. She was always warm and kind, even to her servants.

They longed to receive her kindness too, but their covert mission meant they couldn’t reveal themselves. If she went outside more often, they might find an excuse to show themselves, but she rarely left the mansion.

“Lucky you, rookie.”

“Me?”

“You’ve seen her up close.”

The grumbling knight looked enviously at the rookie, who scratched his head and blushed.

He had once fallen from a tree while dozing off during his watch, and Ria, startled by the noise, had come to check on him.

Her concern for a stranger made him think he had met an angel that day. The sunlight behind her had created a halo effect—especially for the young, inexperienced knight.

“What? You met the lady?”

The rookie, lost in his memory with a silly grin, was snapped out of it by a knight from the Astina duchy, who raised an eyebrow.

His question seemed to imply, ‘How dare you?’

“It happened by chance. I fell from a tree by mistake.”

“Did you plan it? Maybe you thought it through.”

“No! I was just dozing off. It was so peaceful…”

“Hmph, be careful next time.”

The Astina knight glared at the rookie, and a Carlisle knight, who had been listening quietly, frowned.

“Are you picking on our rookie?”

“No?”

“Then what’s this about?”

Though they were now on the same mission, the knights from both households had been at odds for a long time, following their masters’ strained relationship. This rare chance for a quarrel made the Carlisle knight’s tone sharp.

But the Astina knight, shrugging, responded in the same manner.

“I’m just concerned. If you get caught by His Highness the Crown Prince, the dukes, or our commander, your future could suddenly turn very dark. Just thinking about it is scary.”

“…”

The knight who had been speaking sharply quickly lost his momentum at the very realistic warning. In fact, that was the main reason they couldn’t reveal themselves in front of the lady.

At that moment, the leader of the Astina duchy knights, who seemed to be in charge, shouted just loud enough for the hidden knights to hear.

“Eliminate all senses around the cave! Use the cotton you have!”

“Yes!”

As they suddenly moved busily, the knights of the Carlisle duchy looked bewildered. The knight from the Astina Duchy, who had been talking to them, blocked his ears with cotton and explained.

“Didn’t the head butler give you cotton today? He said it might come in handy.”

“Oh, yes, we got it.”

“Then put it in both ears and don’t pay any attention to the cave. Unless you want to die.”

Seeing the Astina knight casually utter such ruthless words, the Carlisle knights, thinking there must be a reason, followed suit. Just before stuffing the cotton into his ears, one of the knights muttered.

“I thought things had been quiet for a while. There’s a reason the lady hasn’t gained weight.”

At the faint sound of moans coming from the cave, they finally understood the situation and quickly stuffed the cotton into their ears. The cotton the head butler had given them that morning, insisting they must not lose it, suddenly became very precious.