The animal Ahazan brought back for dinner was not a rabbit but a deer.

Considering he had nothing but a single sword, and one arm was injured it was hard to decide whether to call it surprising or simply impressive.

And on top of that, he had carefully skinned and prepared the prey so that Clodine wouldn’t be startled by its original form.

Ahazan stacked firewood he had gathered nearby, along with dry grass to use as kindling, into a small pile beneath the rocky crevice.

Then, striking the steel of his sword against the hard quartz set at the end of his scabbard, he lit a fire.

“This should last us until morning. Come over and warm yourself, Clodine.”

As he spoke, he skewered raw meat onto the tip of his sword to begin cooking it.

Truthfully, he had no appetite at all.

But the thought that he had to feed Clodine left him no room to hesitate.

“Clodine? What are you doing? Come here.”

Ahazan looked at her curiously.

She had been sitting in the corner of the crevice, quietly fiddling with something even before he started the fire.

After some time, she finally stood, as if she had finished preparing something and walked toward him.

In her hands was a flat stone, like a plate.

“Ahazan, I combined a few herbs that are good for stopping bleeding and preventing infection. I made some medicine.”

With fingers stained dark from crushed plants, she carefully placed the herbal paste over the cloth wrapped around his wound.

She pressed it firmly so the medicine would seep through, then wrapped a fresh strip of cloth over it.

Ahazan caught her hand, studying it closely, his brow furrowing.

Her fingers weren’t just stained, they were covered in small cuts and scratches.

Injuries she must have gotten while gathering the herbs.

“Your hands are a mess. Why would you do something so pointless…?”

“Pointless?”

Clodine shot him a sharp glare.

“You went hunting with that arm of yours, and you’re calling this pointless?”

…She wasn’t wrong.

Ahazan reluctantly fell silent.

If he kept scolding her and she got upset enough to refuse the food that would be far more troublesome.

“Sit over there, Clodine.”

He gestured toward a spot where the warmth from the fire would reach her best.

Clodine, who had been quietly worried about how much hotter his body felt compared to before, studied him for a moment then silently moved to where he pointed.

Ahazan cut the cooked meat into small pieces, wrapped them in leaves for her, and handed her a sharpened stick to use as a fork.

She hadn’t been particularly hungry after eating lunch and then experiencing the accident but the sight of the golden-browned meat stirred a faint appetite.

Clodine accepted the food carefully.

But Ahazan, after handing her portion left his own untouched.

“And you?”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly asking why he wasn’t eating.

He shook his head lightly.

“I’m not really hungry.”

His complexion looked worse than before.

Of course, after losing so much blood, it made sense but precisely because of that, he had to eat.

So Clodine picked up a piece of meat and held it out to him.

“Even if you don’t feel like it, you have to eat. If you want your wound to heal faster.”

Ahazan stared at her hand, offering him the food.

He had been about to refuse, he truly had no appetite.

but then, something crossed his mind.

His lips curved slightly.

He glanced between her eyes and the food, then folded his arms and opened his mouth

“Ah.”

Leaning closer, he made it impossible for her to pretend she didn’t understand.

“Your right hand… is perfectly fine.”

Clodine muttered, her face flushing.

Ahazan glanced down at his arms, then asked calmly,

“Should I make it unusable too?”

“That’s not funny.”

The words came out quickly.

His tone might have been joking but the faint glint in his eyes carried something unsettling.

So Clodine gave in immediately.

Ahazan smiled, finally satisfied, and took the food from her.

“If it’s like this, I think I could eat all night. Should I go catch another deer?”

“What do you mean another? Eat this and lie down next to me and get some sleep.”

She handed him another piece, and once again, he accepted it with clear pleasure.

Then, sounding even more pleased, he repeated,

“Next to you?”

“…This spot is the warmest.”

She was only stating a fact but somehow, it felt like she was making an excuse.

Her expression turned slightly awkward.

Ahazan watched her, then spoke in a teasing tone.

“Clodine… you know, I can manage just fine with one arm.”

“Huh? Manage what—”

She started to respond casually then suddenly froze.

Her face turned even redder, eyes widening in shock as she stared at him.

How could he even think something like that right now?

Even though there was no one around to overhear them, Clodine lowered her voice instinctively and whispered desperately.

“W-We’re outside…!”

“I know. I’ve always wanted to try it with you outside.”

“What are you even— Th-that’s too embarrassing. I can’t do that.”

Flustered, Clodine set down her food and pressed a hand over her racing heart, completely at a loss for what to do.

Ahazan, however, responded as if she were the one being strange.

“Why is that embarrassing? If anything, it sounds beautiful. Romantic, even.”

“Be quiet, idiot. Don’t you dare lay a finger on my clothes.”

“What are you talking about? Why would I touch your clothes?”

Ahazan blinked at her with an almost innocent look, as though he truly didn’t understand what she meant.

Clodine froze for a moment, staring at him in stunned silence.

Then, slowly, a suspicious smile began to form on his lips.

And when he tilted his head, murmuring a drawn-out ‘Ah,’ as if something had just clicked, Clodine realized instantly. He planned this.

“I was talking about a lap pillow. Seems like you had something else in mind.”

A lap pillow? Since when had he been the kind of person to say something like that as if it were perfectly normal?

Realizing she had once again been caught in his teasing, Clodine felt irritation flare up inside her.

With the way he kept playing these tricks on her, even his earlier confession, I love you, started to feel suspicious.

It was true, she couldn’t deny that her thoughts had gone somewhere else entirely.

Her cheeks were still flushed from it.

But, she didn’t want to be the kind of person who fumbled awkwardly in front of him.

So she chose not to deny it.

“That’s right. I was thinking of something else.”

Perhaps he had expected her to panic, to insist it was a misunderstanding.

but instead, Ahazan’s satisfied smile faltered slightly.

One brow lifted.

Clodine met his gaze, her eyes moving with an unfamiliar, almost alluring calm.

If you’re going to tease me, I’ll turn it back on you.

“Honestly… what kind of thoughts am I having in a situation like this? I’m really not very proper, am I?”

She spoke as if genuinely scolding herself.

Watching Ahazan’s expression stiffen ever so slightly, as though sensing danger, Clodine leaned further into the act, playing the part of someone apologetic.

“But imagining being held by the person you love… that’s something anyone would think about. Even a woman.”

She looked at him softly.

“So don’t think strangely of me just because I imagined being in your arms, Ahazan.”

“…Clodine?”

The moment she said it, with her own lips, his eyes ignited.

The playful ease vanished, replaced by something sharper.

Hungrier.

He stared at her, a faint smile lingering but his gaze was no longer light.

Clodine, satisfied, looked at him coolly and said firmly,

“Still… it wasn’t exactly proper behavior befitting an empress.”

She paused, then added decisively,

“So as a form of reflection, until your injury fully heals, without even a scar, let’s not share a bed.”

“What kind of nonsense is that—”

“Ah, I’m full. I should wash up and sleep.”

Without giving him a chance to argue, Clodine stood and walked out of the rocky crevice, deliberately ignoring him.

Outside, a small stream flowed nearby, just enough to wash her face.

She crouched by it, smiling faintly to herself as she splashed water onto her skin.

The moment her hands touched the water, her wounds stung sharply but strangely, her mood felt light.

Not long after, Ahazan joined her.

He washed his hands, rinsed his mouth quietly, then suddenly, without warning.

Splash!

“…Ah! It’s cold! What are you doing?!”

Cold water soaked through her clothes instantly, and Clodine cried out in shock.

Even though it was clearly intentional, Ahazan looked at her without the slightest hint of guilt.

“Oh no. Your clothes are completely soaked. You must be freezing.”

“…What?”

“I’m too tired, so I’ll go sleep first. Take those clothes off and come lie down next to me, Clodine.”

“What are you even saying—?!”

“What do you mean? If we stay like this, soaked and cold, we might both catch a chill.”

Only then did Clodine realize, This was revenge.

She stared at him, flustered, her expression filled with disbelief and he simply smirked, as if amused.

Then, tossing one last remark over his shoulder, he turned and walked back into the cave.

“My apologies. I hope your undergarments didn’t get wet too.”