Chapter 106

For the first time, she conveyed her honest feelings.

Regret surged belatedly, but it was already water under the bridge.

Eched’s eyes widened.

Was this truly so surprising?

Of course, she had never voiced it aloud, but she believed her actions had made it clear.

Even the fact that she had been the one to kiss Eched first.

“Shaterian.”

As a shadow fell across her face, Eched stepped toward her in long strides.

Heat quickly flared in his eyes.

“Do you like me?”

She rolled her eyes. Saying something she had already confessed once wasn’t difficult, but it was a bit embarrassing.

She gave a small nod as if to confirm.

A deep satisfaction spread across Eched’s face.

Slowly, he cupped her face in his hands.

“I like you too.”

“You already said that…”

“I like you enough to live my life looking only at you.”

“…Me too.”

“Shaterian.”

“…Yes?”

“What’s a word that’s stronger than ‘like’?”

“Don’t you know? It’s love…”

She was about to answer absentmindedly but suddenly closed her mouth.

Eched smiled slyly as he gazed at her. He seemed to want to hear her say the words “I love you.”

What a cunning man.

His skill at laying traps was truly extraordinary.

But now that things had come to this, there was no point in overthinking or hesitating. She reluctantly gave him the answer he wanted.

“I love you.”

At her words, a broad smile spread across Eched’s face.

He tucked her hair behind her ear and tilted his head.

“I love you too.”

“Wait…”

Before she could finish, his lips captured hers, swallowing her words. The kiss was deeper and more passionate than usual.

Her heart pounded uncontrollably.

Eched, quick to learn, even displayed his remarkable aptitude in moments like this.

He left her breathless, giving her no chance to say no.

He even adjusted the intensity as needed.

When she seemed short of breath, he would pause briefly before resuming. He appeared just as focused on the moment as she was.

Eched wanted something more from her. His hand, which was gripping her waist, began to subtly wander over her clothes.

‘Why was I trying to stop Eched again…?’

Feeling his hand lightly graze her waist, she tried to recall the reason she had wanted to put an end to this.

But Eched’s teasing interruptions kept distracting her, making it hard to hold onto her thoughts.

Ah, right. The reason she had wanted to stop him was the look in his eyes.

The heat in his gaze was more dangerous than it had ever been.

Even the air around him seemed to sizzle, making it impossible not to realize what he wanted.

When this thought struck her, she began to feel uncomfortable with how close their bodies were pressed together.

She tried to shift slightly to create some space, but Eched, as if reading her mind, clung to her even tighter.

In truth, she wanted nothing more than to stay wrapped in his arms without a care.

But that wasn’t an option. Unfortunately, they were in a monster-infested area, where an attack could come at any moment.

To make matters worse, they were on an open rocky mountain with no trees for cover.

If they had been at the ducal residence or somewhere safe, she might have given in.

In fact, she probably would have been the one to pounce on Eched first.

Imagining such a scenario only made her frustration grow.

She felt a fierce desire to be alone with Eched in a secure space.

‘I have to keep my wits about me…’

If not for the eerie animal cries echoing in the distance, she might have completely given in to Eched.

They were so close to reaching their long-awaited destination.

Using her shortness of breath as an excuse, she managed to create a small gap between them.

Eched’s lashes trembled slightly, as if he didn’t like the distance.

She gasped for air.

Even then, Eched seemed impatient, eager to kiss her again.

The way his gaze darkened made him appear even more dangerous.

She had a strong feeling that if this continued, something significant was bound to happen right there.

“No. Here, I’ll allow kissing, and that’s it.”

“…”

Eched frowned slightly. His eyes seemed to ask why not.

She felt the same disappointment and frustration. If the situation had been different, she wouldn’t have stopped him either…

But she knew that showing her regret would only encourage him, so she spoke firmly.

“No.”

“How much longer do I have to wait?”

“Until I’m ready.”

“Aren’t you ready now?”

Eched questioned her, asking how anything could be more certain than their mutual feelings.

Not only was he cunning, but also shameless.

Perhaps it was fortunate that she had confessed her feelings now, just as they were about to reach Haltonea Forest. If this situation had arisen on the first day, in the confines of a sealed cave…

She quickly erased the fiery thoughts from her mind.

With a sigh, she cupped Eched’s face with her hands.

“Get a grip. Do you even realize where we are?”

“…”

Eched seemed to recognize his stubbornness and didn’t respond.

She made him a promise he couldn’t refuse.

“When we safely return to the ducal residence, I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Then…”

Eched lowered his head gently. His damp lips brushed against hers briefly before pulling away.

“Just one more time.”

Without waiting for her response, he kissed her again. It was only after a long while, with a face full of reluctant longing, that he finally let go.

Her lips felt swollen, suggesting quite some time had passed.

She licked her tingling lips and began preparing to move again.

At that moment, a rustling sound came from behind a large rock.

They instantly tensed, assuming a battle stance.

But what emerged wasn’t a monster—it was Lord Taltos, sword in hand.

“Lord?”

“Commander…?”

Covered in blood, Taltos staggered and collapsed.

She rushed to his side to examine his injuries.

The wounds were jagged and torn, with some areas already turning black and necrotic, likely due to poison from a monster.

One of his injuries was so severe that the bone was visible.

With Eched’s help, she moved Taltos to a safer, flat area and laid him down properly.

She tore his clothes over the wound and began healing him with divine power.

As the wounds healed, Taltos’s labored breathing gradually steadied.

“Ugh…”

“Are you all right, Lord?”

Despite injuries severe enough to render anyone unconscious, Taltos clung to consciousness with sheer willpower.

She glanced toward the direction from which he had appeared.

It was practically a sheer cliff.

Taltos had climbed up there with those injuries.

She marveled at his incredible determination before turning her attention back to him.

His wounds were healing much faster than she had anticipated.

Normally, poisoned wounds were difficult to heal even with divine power. If her divine power had still been sealed, it would have been impossible.

But now, with her unsealed power, she carefully controlled the flow to heal him.

However, she couldn’t heal the wound on his right thigh. Despite the poison being removed, the injury refused to close, likely due to a curse.

To heal a cursed wound, the monster that cast the curse had to be slain.

“My Lord, what happened?”

“Lizardmen led monsters out of the forest. In an instant, the camp turned into a battlefield, and even the magical communication orb was destroyed, cutting off contact with the palace.”

Struggling against the pain in his leg, Taltos continued.

“I pursued a few Lizardmen who fled toward the Solun Mountains. I deeply regret failing to hold the line, Commander.”

Taltos spoke as though the monsters escaping the forest were entirely his fault.

“Is that your fault? It’s the monsters’ fault. You deserve praise for tracking them relentlessly.”

She urged him to focus on recovering and gently laid him back down when he tried to rise.

“But how did you and the Chief know to come here? I sent word late, and it’s too soon for reinforcements to have arrived…”

Taltos looked puzzled but relieved, knowing reinforcements would make the monster hunt easier.

“Stop talking. I’ve patched you up, so why is your mouth running wild?”

Despite the pain from his cursed leg, Taltos maintained a cheerful demeanor.

She couldn’t help but think that surviving under Eched’s command must require mental fortitude of this level.