The drinking session didn’t last long.

After quickly cleaning up, everyone retired to their tents to rest.

Hanging from a thick tree branch, Lavi continued exercising late into the night.

Philip, who was tidying up the area, glanced up at the cloudy sky and called out to Lavi.

“Are you possessed right now, Commander?”

“No, I’m not! I’m exercising with my own mind—why does everyone keep assuming otherwise?”

Sigh. Earlier, several knights had approached him, repeatedly asking with curious expressions, which had annoyed him to no end.

To calm his nerves, Lavi chose exercise.

He thought exhausting himself might help clear his head.

“Why does she have to be so perfect at everything? And why does she have to be so… beautiful every time she does anything? Damn it.”

Hanging from the branch, Lavi repeatedly raised his legs into the air.

Each motion made his defined abs stand out even more.

“I don’t know what’s gotten you so irritated, but if you’re hanging from a tree like that in the middle of the night, of course people will think you’re possessed.”

Stretching, Philip grumbled. Lavi ignored him and continued his workout.

“By the way, during this mission, you’ve only been possessed once, haven’t you?”

“Yeah. It’s strange for me too. Maybe the spirit’s finally ready to move on, or its energy is running low.”

Thud. Lavi dropped from the tree, casually dusting off his hands.

Philip quickly claimed the now-empty branch.

Like a monkey, he clung to it, attempting to mimic Lavi’s workout.

“The Moon’s Fragmen we’re after—does it really only appear for a single day before vanishing?”

Dangling from the branch, Philip struggled to lift his legs, his forehead already beading with sweat.

He’d only tried it a few times, yet it was exhausting.

How was this so hard? Lavi had made it look effortless.

“The legend says so, but the reality is different. It’s a mana stone that forms naturally in that location.”

Lavi continued, recalling the small Moon Shard that Sel had carried.

“On the longest night of the year, the stone’s power is at its peak. According to the High Priest, the older the shard, the larger it is.”

With a disinterested expression, Lavi spoke while starting one-handed push-ups.

His bulging arm muscles rippled with each motion, yet his breathing remained calm and steady.

Sweat trickled down the length of his spine between his well-defined back muscles.

“Phew, with a mission this large, it’s bound to be difficult. I can’t help but feel anxious—I doubt I’ll even sleep tonight.”

Philip, who had been struggling to follow Lavi’s exercises, collapsed onto the ground in defeat.

Soaked in sweat, he panted heavily, trying to catch his breath.

“Stop worrying unnecessarily. Tomorrow’s schedule is grueling, so go get some sleep.”

After a lengthy workout, Lavi roughly wiped his sweat with the back of his arm.

Once he sent Philip back to his tent, Lavi headed toward the stream to wash up.

But Sel was having trouble sleeping as well.

Tossing and turning for a while, she eventually stepped out of her tent and sat by the campfire.

With everyone else asleep, she was alone in the clearing.

Staring blankly at the flickering flames, Sel hugged her knees and rested her face on them.

Whenever she looked at the fire, she thought of Lavi.

The way it illuminated everything around it and radiated warmth—it reminded her of him.

Just watching it felt like being drawn in, as if entranced.

She wished she could fall asleep here.

Then perhaps she might dream of becoming a warm, comforting fire herself.

“It’s going to rain. Go back inside.”

The voice she had been yearning for suddenly came from above her.

Startled, Sel widened her eyes and looked up.

Lavi stood there, his hair dripping wet, either from washing or falling into the water.

As he brushed away the remaining water with his hand, he gazed down at her.

“Did you fall in, or were you just bathing? It’s freezing out here!”

It was winter, after all. Even during the day, it was difficult to bathe, let alone at night with the biting wind.

If it were her, she’d have gone into cardiac arrest the moment she touched the water.

“I’m fine with cold water.”

“What if you catch a cold?”

“I prefer it. Now, let’s go. You’ll catch a cold out here.”

“I just want to stay a little longer.”

“I’m telling you, it’s going to rain.”

As soon as Lavi finished speaking, a few raindrops began to fall from the sky.

“See? I was right.”

“Wow.”

Sel let out a faint laugh as she held out her hand, watching the rain fall.

How does he even predict the weather so accurately?

Reluctantly, she got up to leave.

But then, a small shadow formed above her head.

Lavi’s large hands were shielding her from the rain like a canopy.

“You’ll catch a cold if your head gets wet.”

Though no one had asked, Lavi murmured softly.

He escorted Sel back to her tent.

Once she was inside, tucked under her thick sleeping bag, Lavi carefully secured the tent flap and left.

“I already miss him.”

The moment he disappeared from view, Sel felt a sudden urge to call him back.

She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her lingering feelings of longing.

The rain began to pour harder.

Pitter-patter. The heavy raindrops hitting the tent created a soothing rhythm that quieted her mind.

Sel closed her eyes, finally at peace.

***

Sel slowly opened her eyes.

Had she fallen into a deep sleep? It felt like only a moment had passed.

She blinked and scanned her surroundings.

The tent’s ceiling, tinged blue by the early dawn light, came into view.

It was still very early in the morning.

Stretching languidly, Sel got up and rolled up the tent’s entrance flap, tying it securely.

The rain from the previous night had turned into a gentle drizzle.

The campsite’s soggy ground was dotted with puddles.

Listening to the soft sound of raindrops, Sel hugged her knees and gazed outside.

The damp, earthy scent carried by the chilly dawn breeze washed over her, refreshing her senses.

While she was enjoying the scenery outside, two legs suddenly stopped in front of her tent.

The owner of those legs crouched slightly to match the height of the tent and greeted her.

“You’re up early.”

Lavi poked his head into the tent, offering a morning greeting. A faint soap scent lingered around him, likely from washing up.

“You washed last night, and now you’ve washed again this morning?”

It was even raining outside. Sel frowned slightly.

“…Men need to wash every morning,” Lavi responded with an implausible excuse before disappearing momentarily, saying she should wait.

He soon returned, handing her a cup.

“Drink this.”

“What is it?”

Sel accepted the cup with both hands, feeling the pleasant warmth seep into her palms.

Inside the cup was warm milk, sweetened with honey. Without hesitation, Sel sipped it down, the sweetness quickly filling her mouth.

“Thank you, Commander.”

“Take care of yourself. The rain will make the expedition tough.”

As Lavi gave her a few words of caution, his gaze shifted to her lips, and he chuckled softly.

The milk had left a white trace around her mouth.

Crawling partially into the tent on all fours, Lavi reached out to her.

“You’re so careless.”

His thumb gently wiped the milk off her lips.

“Why do you always get something on your face when you eat?”

Realizing a bit too late, Sel quickly rubbed her lips with the back of her hand. Lavi, however, grabbed her wrist to stop her.

“Your lips swell even with the slightest friction. Stop it.”

“No, they don’t!”

“They do.”

“Want me to prove it?” Lavi teased as he leaned in and lightly pressed his lips against hers.

The soft, lingering kiss left Sel blushing furiously. She stared at him, her reflection visible in his now-serious eyes.

Taking the cup from her hands, Lavi set it aside on the ground. Slowly, he leaned closer to her, his body inching toward hers.

Sel, unsure of what to do, placed her trembling hands on his shoulders.

Lavi gently cupped her right cheek with his hand, his thumb brushing against her skin with care.

Tilting his head slightly, Lavi pressed his lips firmly against hers again, this time exploring her more deeply.

The restraint he’d managed for days finally spilled over in an unrelenting wave.

As Sel’s upper body tilted backward and fell to the ground, Lavi followed her closely, ensuring she couldn’t escape his embrace.

The kiss lasted long, the sound of rain hitting the tent masking their shared, heated breaths.

When Lavi finally pulled back, he gazed down at Sel, who was sprawled beneath him.

“See? Your lips are swollen now,” he teased, smirking.

As Sel panicked about someone possibly seeing them, Lavi chuckled softly and planted another kiss on her flushed cheek.

Sel’s fingers, still gripping his arm, curled inward, though they failed to make any impression on the hard muscle beneath her touch.

Their breaths mingled in the narrow space between them, hot and fast.

“As much as I’d like to keep going,” Lavi murmured regretfully, “someone’s heading this way.”

Reluctantly, he pulled away from her, his movements deliberate.

Sel quickly scrambled to sit up, covering her heated face with both hands.

Footsteps approached steadily.

Just as Lavi was crawling out of the tent, Braeden’s loud voice boomed.

“Whose cheeky butt is this, sneaking around Sel’s tent at dawn?!”

A sharp slap followed, echoing in the early morning air.

Lavi’s face twisted in disbelief, caught off guard.

“Answer me! Who does this brazen rear end belong to? State your identity now!”

Another loud smack landed.

Barely holding back his temper, Lavi ground his teeth. He was about to react when another voice intervened.

“Why are you making such a racket at dawn, Braeden?! You’re disturbing my sleep!”

It was Eric, his voice sharp and irritated. He pushed up his eyepatch, pointing a finger at Lavi’s posterior.

“Why is Lavi at Sel’s tent so early in the morning?”

Braeden turned to Eric in shock.

“The Commander? There’s no way the Commander would be up this early!”

“It’s Lavi,” Eric confirmed, his tone deadpan.

“Who identifies people by their rear ends?!”

“…Fair point.”

Grumbling, Eric stomped back to his tent.

Meanwhile, Lavi, now fully upright, glared down at Braeden.

“Why… why are you awake so early when you usually sleep in…?” Braeden stammered, realizing his mistake.

“Right. And you, Braeden, must be incredibly free to meddle in other people’s business this early,” Lavi said with a chilling smile.

If it weren’t for this guy, he could have spent more sweet moments with Sel.

Sensing Lavi’s rising anger, Braeden darted his eyes around nervously, searching for an escape route.

Lavi pointed toward two carts with a flick of his finger.

“Since you seem to have time, why don’t you cover the wheels on those carts?”

“What? No, Commander! How can I do that alone?!”

“Want me to give your rear the same treatment you gave mine?”

Lavi raised his hand threateningly.

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it alone!” Braeden shouted, running off toward the carts.

Clicking his tongue, Lavi bent down to peek back into Sel’s tent.

Inside, Sel was still red-faced, her hands pressed over her mouth.

“See you later,” Lavi said with a playful wink before disappearing.

Even after he left, Sel’s heart continued to race uncontrollably.