Despite her desperate plea, Xenon pulled out his fingers and licked them instead. The way he raised his eyebrow at that moment was infuriatingly smug. Still, she couldn’t help but stare at his prominently er*ect center. Rudis swallowed hard.

“…That.”

“You need to be specific, Rudis. Say you want me to f*ck you.”

Xenon’s voice was gentle. Much like when he’d told her about a secret shop where you had to state exactly what you wanted to buy. But Rudis was burning up inside.

Xenon was clearly toying with her. But right now, she was the desperate one.

“F*ck me.”

“Who do you want to be f*cked by?”

Xenon’s smile deepened at her voice, which came out like a small growl between her clenched teeth.

“I won’t do it!”

I can’t take this anymore.

Rudis kicked at Xenon, who had approached her intending to make her say even more embarrassing things after already forcing her to say shameful words. Xenon didn’t budge and instead pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Just say it once for me. Okay?”

Trapping Rudis in his arms, Xenon whispered and showered her with small kisses. His attitude suggested he knew he had been mischievous.

Rudis was weak to this. It was always harder for her to refuse someone pleading than someone being forceful. In that regard, Xenon was an excellent strategist.

“Xenon, f*ck me.”

Rudis squeezed her eyes shut and whispered so quietly she could barely be heard.

“If that’s what you want.”

Red eyes curved into crescents as they focused on Rudis. Before she could realize something serious was happening, something massive pierced through her.

* * *

“Hello, Rudis!”

“Hello.”

Rudis nodded politely to the villagers who greeted her first, then hurried back toward home. This was the first time she had ignored what was clearly a quest.

Yesterday, Xenon had behaved like something inside him had come undone. He kept saying “just once more, just once more” endlessly, and even followed her into the bathroom under the pretense of washing her, never stopping his touching. And then finally…

After being tormented all night, Rudis could truly appreciate her increased stamina. She also deeply understood the value of forced sleep.

It’s already 8 AM.

Her plan to return home before Iska woke up had long gone out the window. Even now, she had firmly declined Xenon’s insistence on personally making her breakfast and had practically fled.

I wonder if Iska is worried?

Though he had seen her come home late before after being forced into sleep and staying out overnight, now that they were living together, she couldn’t help but feel concerned.

Looks like he’s already finished the work…

She had thought it would be more awkward if she ran into Iska while he was working, but it seemed he had already watered everything—all the plants were glistening with moisture, looking fresh and vibrant.

The supports for the grape vines had been firmly set up too. Thinking about Iska moving about diligently since early morning, Rudis quickened her pace. As she approached the house, the aroma of delicious food began to fill the air.

I’m really hungry.

Hunger struck her so intensely that she couldn’t believe how she had survived without eating properly before. She seemed completely accustomed to the three meals Iska prepared for her daily. Rudis swallowed hard and opened the door.

“You’re back.”

“…Yes.”

And there stood Iska, seemingly having been waiting for her.

“I’m hungry.”

Feeling awkward, she touched her stomach and headed toward the kitchen. Iska was happiest when Rudis ate well. And she was genuinely starving.

“Please wait a moment.”

Despite Iska’s words, Rudis didn’t sit at the table but lingered around the kitchen. A delicious aroma wafted from a pot that looked like stew filled with seasonal vegetables. Her mouth watered. But Iska picked up the pot and dumped everything out.

“Iska! What are you doing? What a waste.”

When she cried out in surprise, Iska slowly turned his head to look at her.

“I think you need to eat something else. Please wait.”

His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. Sensing his anger, Rudis quietly closed her mouth and sat at the table.

“Eat this.”

Shortly after, Iska brought out a plate. It was a familiar dish—the very first meal Iska had made for her. The Purification Dish.

“Th-thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

She remembered the explanation that it removed impurities from the body. Rudis flinched. She was already uncomfortable with the squelching sounds when she walked due to the s*men… This dish was both appropriate and embarrassing in the current situation.

Surely Iska doesn’t know?

Cautiously watching him, Rudis began to eat the Purification Dish. Why did the unusually hot and rich flavor make her feel even more uncomfortable?

“I’m full. That was delicious.”

After satisfying her hunger somewhat, Rudis put down her spoon. Though it tasted good, she felt too self-conscious to continue. From the first spoonful until now, Iska had been sitting across from her, staring at her without blinking.

“I think you should eat more.”

“Okay.”

Normally, he would have coaxed her with “try this” or “just a little more,” putting food in her mouth playfully, but today was different. His unusually firm attitude left Rudis unable to protest as she picked up her spoon again. She didn’t understand why she was so conscious of Iska’s mood.

“I’m done now. Really, I’m too full.”

“Well done.”

Only after emptying the entire pot under Iska’s cool gaze did his expression soften. Rudis felt relieved.

Perhaps because she was used to Iska’s usual playful demeanor, the chill from his hardened face felt more intense. It was a cold expression completely different from his usual friendly smile and caring manner.

Come to think of it, even when he acted friendly, he rarely talked about himself. While seeming to open up, he kept his inner self tightly closed. That might explain the feeling of a large wall between them whenever they conversed.

Because he’s been hurt.

Rudis understood Iska. She thought his defensiveness came from prejudice and wounds inflicted by others. Though not exactly the same, Rudis had similar experiences and could empathize. That’s precisely why she never dared to ask about what she suspected was a hidden story.

Rudis decided to wait—until Iska opened up and shared his story.

But because of this, the quest difficulty only increased. To restore the sacred relic, she eventually needed to have a relationship with Iska. Yet she had no idea where to begin. Should she consider it fortunate that the quest had no deadline? Rudis decided to focus on more pressing matters while rubbing her overly full stomach.

“After harvesting the strawberries today, what should we plant next?”

Summer crops were profitable—enough to determine the year’s income. First, the strawberries planted for Old Man Zimmer’s quest for fresh summer berries were ready to harvest, so she needed to carefully decide on the next crop.

“I think you should just harvest for now.”

Iska responded to her self-directed question while cleaning up the kitchen.

“Why?”

“I think a typhoon is coming soon.”

“Really?”

Rudis blinked her round eyes at Iska’s definitive statement.

“Yes.”

“When?”

“In a week.”

Rudis’s expression grew serious at Iska’s assertion. Though they didn’t come every year, typhoons were the biggest natural disaster. Once one hit, you could consider all planted crops gone. If the stable doors weren’t closed, livestock could even be blown away. It would be good to prepare, but there was usually no way to know in advance.

She had suffered major losses more than once because of this. There was a reason summer crops were expensive—they carried greater risk.

“A week…”

Most crops still had about two weeks until harvest. Rudis’s mind began racing.

“Okay. Then… tomorrow we’ll just harvest, and if we spray growth accelerator daily, we can harvest within a week.”

It would have to be premium growth accelerator, not just regular, but that was still better than losing all the planted crops. Normally it would be a loss, but with the Prosperity Trophy and expensive fertilizer already applied, harvesting top-grade crops wouldn’t be a loss at all. She was truly fortunate to know about the typhoon in advance. Without Iska, this year’s farming would have been a complete disaster.

“Iska. Thank you so much.”

“I-it’s nothing.”

“But Iska, how do you know a typhoon is coming?”