Chapter 10.1 – Dependence

Liat blinked slowly. She felt relieved to see the familiar patterned ceiling, but her nerves stood on end at the lingering traces of memory.

What she saw in her dreams must have been the memories she’d lost.

Her body trembled. The shining eyes seemed to chase her. The sound of rain tangled with someone’s screams, echoing in her ears. She pulled the blanket over her face to hide, but its weight made it hard to lift.

Soft breathing could be heard.

“Al…vin.”

She saw Alvin’s profile, his face pressed to the bed, breathing heavily. The heat and fear subsided, making it easier to breathe.

“Alvin.”

Her rough, cracked voice called for Alvin. Though small, Alvin responded quickly, lifting his head and pressing a cup of water to her lips, asking questions in a flurry.

“Liat, how’s your body? Are you okay? Should I call the physician?”

“Don’t go. Stay here.”

Liat weakly grabbed his sleeve.

“…Come to think of it, you’ve given up cake since that day.”

Her patchy memories became whole.

The Alvin she remembered from childhood had been stubborn and never the type to yield to her.

Recalling the past, she realized the gap between Alvin’s old and current personality had been bridged.

“Liat, do you remember? No, no…”

“I’m alright. So don’t cry.”

Alvin wrapped her trembling fingers in both hands, shaking his head repeatedly. Liat lifted his head to meet his eyes.

“We need to solve this first. I think I saw that boy before I fainted, Alvin.”

She’d never seen his face, hidden by a mask, but she couldn’t have mistaken those ominously shining eyes.

As soon as he met her eyes, he smiled softly in greeting.

‘Nice to see you.’

That’s what he seemed to say.

Alvin also seemed to know exactly who Liat was talking about. Just meeting his gaze made Alvin’s legs tremble and the sound of rain echo in his ears. The only one who could drag them to the very bottom of the pit in an instant was ‘him’.

“‘Himbrid, Karden Himbrid.’”

In truth, Alvin had only faced him directly right before their rescue. Until then, he’d always been unconscious or hiding behind Liat, unable to see him.

The eyes that recited magic towards him gleamed with a brightness that outshone the deepest darkness, and the look in those eyes was not human. All Alvin knew were the shape of his eyes and their color, but he was sure.

“If it’s Himbrid…”

The strange behavior of the maid who came in with a letter of recommendation.

“Delin, I need to call Delin.”

“Recovery comes first. Don’t overdo it.”

“But…”

“Your body comes first. Do you even know how high your fever is? They said your cold is severe. Lie down.”

To reassure her, he called a servant right away. Of course, things would proceed after Liat recovered, so he gave a subtle signal to just cover for him for now.

The quick-witted servant nodded and quietly left the room.

“See? I’ll deliver the message, so rest for a bit. Please.”

Liat’s body was stiff, making it hard for her to move. The boiling fever also contributed to her sluggishness. Alvin began to gently massage her, hoping her tense muscles would relax.

“Umm!”

A sudden mischievous moan filled the room, shattering the serious mood and wrapping the space in awkward silence.

“Liat…?”

“Your, your hands are way too weird.”

He’d only given a normal massage, but Alvin quickly pulled his hands away, startled by the sense of guilt as if he’d teased someone who was hurt.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“The way you move your hands is too suggestive.”

Alvin spread his palms wide and wiggled his fingers in the air to prove his innocence. There was nothing special about his hands.

“See? Even the way your fingers move is different.”

“If I had meant it that way, do you think I’d stop here?”

Liat pouted, feeling annoyed that she seemed to be the only one affected by his touch.

“So, are you saying my body is suggestive?”

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

She knew she had a mountain of things to solve. A debate sparked by a massage should be easy to let go, but Liat’s temperament wouldn’t allow it.

“If I touch you like that, you’d react the same way. Want to bet?”

“If I did that to you when you’re sick, I’d be a jerk. Stop talking and focus on getting better. Open your mouth for the medicine.”

Alvin pressed his thick thumb against her feverish lower lip. The hot breath escaping between her teeth warmed his fingers.

‘I shouldn’t have said that.’

Now that he was aware, suggestive thoughts started to creep in. As he finally managed to place the medicine on her tongue, he tried to pull his finger away.

“Ouch!”

Her teeth closed around it. Her soft tongue licked his trapped finger. The movement was undeniably suggestive, making Alvin’s eyebrows knit together.

Her moist tongue traced the outline of his fingertip, poking at the top. Compared to when she’d sucked on his finger at the door, this was far more intense.

“You, you…”

Just like when she’d held him in her mouth, her tongue focused on the tip. Liat gently scraped his finger with her teeth, then wrapped her tongue around it, sucking hard.

The movement was reminiscent of f*llatio, and the sensation from the last time he’d cl*maxed in her mouth returned, making him swell. As she released his finger, a long string of saliva stretched between his lips and her finger.

“Did you know? Sweating helps cure a cold.”

“If I do that with a sick person, I’d… I’d be a jerk.”

“Alvin…”

Liat wanted to erase the sprout of anxiety growing in her chest. She tried to act playful to reclaim her daily life, but the growing unease wouldn’t disappear.

Whenever she became one with Alvin, her mind went blank and only Alvin remained. She wanted to brush away the gray shadow cast over her. She didn’t want to burden those who loved her with worry.

Alvin, noticing the anxiety in her golden eyes, hugged her trembling shoulders. The scent of Alvin calmed Liat’s shaking.

“You don’t have to be okay.”

“Huh…?”

“You always say you’re fine, like a habit. There was a time when I liked hearing that. As a child, I was a coward, always hiding behind you.”

Alvin gently patted her back, hoping her racing heartbeat would slow to match his movements.

“Even now, when I think of those times, I feel suffocated and my mind goes blank, but I’ve changed. So don’t turn away from your feelings because of me.”

As soon as Alvin finished speaking, tears welled up and ran down Liat’s cheeks.

“Huh, why is this…?”

“For times like this, I worked hard on my chest exercises. There’s plenty of space for you to hide, see?”

Alvin spread his arms and embraced her. Just as he said, his broad chest was enough to hide her.

Liat leaned against his chest for a long time, crying.

As she let out her worries, Alvin comforted her with gentle words, soothing her anxiety.

Only when his shirt was soaked through with tears did she finally stop crying.

“…It looks good.”

Even as she sniffled, Liat didn’t forget to admire the chest visible through the wet shirt.

“And there’s a classic way to cure a cold.”

“Hmm?”

Alvin suddenly pushed his tongue into her mouth. He traced her even teeth with his tongue, exploring her breath. He only meant to take away her cold, but her tear-stained eyelashes were so lovely that he couldn’t help but rub the sensitive roof of her mouth.

“Hm, mm…”

Her body, made sensitive by the cold, trembled.

When he heard her soft moan, Alvin’s conscience surrendered.

‘I’m such a jerk.’

He slipped into bed beside her like a snake. The warmth was even hotter than usual, and for a moment, his conscience almost returned.

“Alvin… more…”

“…Call my name again.”

Alvin admitted he was a jerk. Seeing her lips, moist with his saliva and slightly swollen, made his reason give way to desire.