Training (11)

I thought, offering a small comfort to my fragile self.

Noel hung the clock neatly and stepped back from the bed. The clock had a simple silver design. I stared at the ticking secondhand while chewing my food.

“Once you finish your meal, we’ll need to apply some ointment,” he said, looking at my left wrist.

I instinctively became aware of it. The bleeding had stopped, but there was a dark bruise forming.

The skin on the inside of my arm, which I had seen while changing, had also turned a deeper shade of blue.

And there was another place I couldn’t mention to Noel. After Cane had roughly invaded areas that hadn’t been touched in a long time, it was hard to believe it wouldn’t hurt. Fortunately, there were no open wounds—just a dull ache that felt slightly swollen.

I could only pray that by tomorrow, the swelling would naturally subside.

After finishing my meal, Noel sat in a chair reading the book I had left open while I brushed my teeth. He had pulled the chair close to the bed, where Cane usually sat.

“I’ll apply the ointment if you give it to me.”

I told him. I didn’t want to show any more weakness by crying at his gentle touch.

“This is my job.”

Noel replied firmly, closing the book. He pulled the chair even closer and sat right in front of me. I didn’t argue further and extended my wrist to him.

It seemed like Noel noticed how much more compliant I had become. I could feel him carefully observing my demeanor. It was almost amusing that a man who had forcibly confined me was being so cautious and attentive.

“I’m human too; I get tired. I can’t just keep stressing out.” I said.

At my words, Noel furrowed his brow slightly and smiled bitterly.

My expression seemed to show signs of fatigue, and he seemed to believe it without question.

Noel applied the ointment to my left wrist and wrapped it in a bandage.

He did the same for my inner forearm. My ankle only received the ointment, as he didn’t wrap it. The bruising there had faded significantly, suggesting that the ointment he brought was of high quality.

“Your lips.”

Noel suddenly spoke as I silently gazed at the faint fingerprints on my ankle.

“Excuse me?”

I lifted my head in surprise.

“Your lips are cracked.”

Noel’s hand touched gently over my lips.

Ah, my lips.

Suddenly, the image of Cane filling my mouth came to mind, and my face flushed bright red. Noel was staring intently at my reaction. I instinctively pulled back, feeling exposed.

“I, um, think I should get some sleep now. I’m tired.”

I said as I climbed onto the bed. Noel remained silent. I pulled the blanket over my knees and glanced at him as if to ask why he wasn’t leaving. His steady gaze felt overwhelming, and a moment of tension hung between us.

Just as I was about to speak again, Noel looked away and rummaged through a box that appeared to contain medical supplies on the tray.

“You need to apply ointment there too. It could get worse if you don’t.”

I wanted to say I was fine, but for some reason, the words wouldn’t come out. There was something about Noel’s calm demeanor that made me tense. I wondered if I was just being overly sensitive, but there was something dangerous about him.

He pulled out a small vial, not bigger than my little finger, and applied it to one side of my cracked lips. It was the same spot that had been burning since earlier. As I was already on the bed, Noel had to get up from his chair to reach me.

I deliberately avoided looking at him, staring blankly at the wall instead. His warm hand brushed gently against my lips before pulling away. The sensation lingered, leaving me feeling strange.

When he had finished applying the ointment, he placed a round, opaque bandage over the wound. It had a stronger adhesive and a peculiar texture compared to normal bandages.

Even after applying the bandage, his fingers lingered on my lips, pressing gently on the spot he had just treated.

My lips instinctively parted slightly. I tilted my head back again, closing my mouth. I felt the bandage near the corner of my lips; given its position, it seemed like it would be a bit uncomfortable when I moved.

‘I’ll take it off when Noel leaves.’

I thought idly, but then I noticed him frowning slightly.

“Why do you keep avoiding me?” he asked.

“Excuse me?”

“When I get closer, you pull away.”

“…Well, it’s not so much that I was avoiding you…”

But I was, in a way. Knowing how Noel felt made it impossible not to be aware of him.

It was overwhelming. I had no excuse, and my words trailed off.

He stretched his body forward, closing the distance between us. His face was so close now that I inhaled sharply, instinctively pulling back. But Noel’s large hand gently grasped the back of my head.

“Don’t pull away.” he said, almost in a whisper.

At that moment, I felt frozen, unable to move.

Noel’s head snapped up and our lips met. Lip to lip, they fit together precisely. Like a puzzle fitting together.

Noel opened his lips and s*cked my lips together in a single, light s*ck. The motion was so slow it was almost erotic.

His breath smelled like angry toothpaste. Again and again, our lips alternated. The mucous membrane of his lips rubbed against the sides of mine, rubbing and s*cking. I could feel the slippery, moist texture. My lips seemed to heat up as they rubbed together.

His tongue slid skillfully into my mouth. I fought the urge to push him away. My second kiss with Noel! The persona of Noel in Theo’s body always brought me confusion and subtle excitement, but I always kept a strict line. He was like a friend.

The first kiss had been a fumbled attempt, but the second was different.

Noel’s tongue entwined with mine, rubbing deeply. Our saliva mingled, and our breaths mingled. His movements were at once shy and excited.

He would gently n*bble at my teeth, and then he would draw my tongue into his and lick it affectionately. The sequence of actions was slow and gentle, and it kept tickling one side of my br*ast.

His head pulled back for a moment before changing direction and pressing his lips against mine again. When his slightly closed eyes opened for a second, they locked onto mine. As our lips joined, Noel’s eyes closed again.

I stared blankly at his face, framed by long eyelashes that looked almost like a painting. Before I knew it, I was nearly nestled in Noel’s embrace. One of his big hands cradled my head as he captured my lips, while his other arm wrapped around my shoulder.

As he swirled his tongue around, pulling away only to tangle again, I held back the small sounds that threatened to escape each time our tongues brushed against each other.

After a while of exploring softly, Noel left a few gentle kisses on my lips before finally pulling away.

We were close enough to feel each other’s breath. The man in front of me was not Theo. Noel kissed so differently from him. I bit my lip tightly as Noel lifted his hand and pulled away from my lips.

That hand slowly moved to the side, gently peeling off the bandage he had just applied.

“Because it felt like it was going to fall off.”

He said it so casually, that it didn’t sound like something coming from someone who had just kissed me deeply. I looked at Noel in disbelief. Despite his nonchalant tone, his face was flushed bright red.

* * *

The ticking of the clock brought a subtle sense of calm. With my eyes closed, I listened to the sound and thought about the hospital. It was the fourth night since my disappearance. I wondered how the nurses were coping. What about the other doctors? They’d probably tried to call, realized they couldn’t reach me, and gone to my house.

When they finally realized I had been kidnapped, they would have filed a missing persons report. Even though I was the daughter of an obscure writer, given my career abroad and my reputation within Arkel, it would have made the news.

The faces of my patients came back to me one by one. I thought of Lady Ju-ryeon in particular, who had an appointment on the day I was abducted. Unmarried and facing an unwanted pregnancy, she wanted to keep the baby despite the opposition of her family and the judgment of others. She bravely endured, but eventually lost the baby. Afterward, Ju-ryeon suffered from severe depression.

I recalled her bright, intelligent eyes. I should have seen her through to the end…

Of course, there were many capable doctors at Arkel. I realized now that I was far from an excellent physician. I couldn’t even manage one ex-boyfriend, which led to this mess, and here I was, trembling in fear, powerless against my captor.

My thoughts drifted back to Noel. He had looked like a shy boy, his cheeks flushed. In my mind, there was nothing romantic about the situation to warrant such a reaction. That kind of bashfulness did not suit a kidnapper at all.

He rubbed his flushed neck and smiled softly before gathering his things and leaving the room.

“Get some rest.”

With that one phrase, he was gone. I felt a whirlwind of confusion. I couldn’t accept Noel’s feelings.

I had been openly toyed with by Cane, yet I had shared two deep kisses with Noel.

Theo. Are you really okay with all of this?