Ophelia looked down at the blanket covering her.

‘So that’s why my body felt so heavy……’

The large piece of fabric, seemingly belonging to the enormous man, covered her body completely, with excess trailing across the sand.

Why had he gone to the trouble of doing this?

Ophelia had been enjoying the comforting sensation of the sand.

Remembering how she had lain buried beneath the warm sand that afternoon, she slowly wriggled out from under the fabric.

The fabric that had puffed up over her collapsed onto the sand.

She lay down on the fine grains and reached beneath the surface.

“……What?”

She touched the sand in confusion.

The soothing warmth had vanished, and the completely cooled sand crumbled loosely between her fingers.

Her pale hand swept forlornly across the surface.

“The temperature is different……”

Ophelia murmured in disappointment.

Now that she had noticed it, it seemed as though the air itself had changed too.

Recalling the warm midday sun that had heated the sand, she looked even more disappointed.

She continued sifting the grains of sand, reluctant to let them go.

“Didn’t you know? Desert nights are cold.”

Kapkan looked puzzled by the way she behaved as though this were her first time in the desert, despite having been found lying in its very heart.

He shook the sand from the fallen blanket and draped it over Ophelia again.

“But if you want something warm, there is always this.”

Kapkan wrapped Ophelia tightly in the blanket, lifted her, and carried her before the campfire.

A wave of heat immediately seeped into her as she drew closer to the flames. Flickering shadows danced before her eyes.

“Ah……”

Ophelia stared blankly into the burning fire.

The glowing red flames radiated a comforting warmth. Leaning closer, she could feel her cheeks turning red from the heat.

So absorbed was she in warming herself that she failed to notice several loose strands of her hair beginning to singe. At that moment, one of the warriors passed by.

“Haha! Excuse me for a moment.”

Scratching the back of his neck, the warrior headed toward the spot where Ophelia had been sleeping moments earlier.

A thick layer of white snow had accumulated upon the sand she had vacated.

Once he reached it, the warrior began scooping great handfuls of snow into a large cooking pot.

“Hey, me too! Save some for me!”

“Leave some for mine too, you bastards!”

Other warriors followed in a procession, keen not to miss the opportunity.

They approached one by one, filled their waterskins with snow and returned to their places.

This was the first time so many people had moved around Ophelia. The atmosphere felt strangely lively.

Apparently, the warriors had caught a desert snake somewhere and were busy preparing their meal.

“The stew is ready!”

“D*mn! How long has it been since we last had stew?”

Kapkan received the first serving, then carried a bowl over to Ophelia.

He placed it beside her near the campfire, and Ophelia peered inside.

Unidentifiable pieces of meat floated in the thick, pale broth.

Sitting beside her, Kapkan spoke playfully.

“Stew is a rare luxury in the middle of the desert. Thanks to you, we’re enjoying an unusual experience.”

He placed a spoon in Ophelia’s hand and served himself a generous helping of his steaming stew.

Judging by how quickly he devoured the chunks of meat, he clearly didn’t care if he burned his mouth.

The bowl of stew disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Who knew you could eat that quickly?

Ophelia watched him silently for a moment before turning her gaze towards the campfire.

The flames shimmered across the stew he had brought her. However, she had always had a poor appetite, and being kidnapped and brought here had done nothing to improve it.

“Hmm…… Is snake stew not to your taste?”

Kapkan, who had been watching her, rose and headed toward a tent before returning with a cloth pouch.

A moment later, he gently rested a long strip of dried meat against Ophelia’s lips.

As though urging her to open her closed mouth, Kapkan lightly pressed the jerky against them.

“Why don’t you at least eat some dried meat?”

“…….”

“Or would you prefer a date?”

Ophelia stared coldly at Kapkan as he alternated between pressing dried rations, raisins, and dried fruit against her lips.

She pushed her untouched stew toward him, then shifted a step away to put some distance between them.

“Strange. Why won’t you eat?”

Tilting his head, Kapkan moved one step closer.

He tossed the date he had been poking against her cheek into his mouth. Its almost painfully intense sweetness spread across his tongue.

“The fruit tastes perfectly fine……”

He pulled another date from the pouch of dried provisions and held it out to Ophelia.

Before the dark reddish fruit could touch her lips, Ophelia turned her head away in annoyance.

When he continued poking her cheek with the dried food, she recoiled and shoved his hand aside.

“Stop it.”

“I’m worried you might be hungry.”

“I don’t need it.”

“How cold……”

Kapkan rolled the date lightly between his fingers before putting it back in the cloth pouch.

Ophelia frowned when he immediately reached for another piece of dried meat, but he seemed amused by her reaction.

His persistent and unfamiliar attention felt strangely burdensome.

Ophelia rejected his concern sharply.

“Whether I eat or not is none of your concern.”

“It is very much my concern. You are currently responsible for keeping all of us alive.”

Gesturing with his chin toward the snow accumulated nearby, Kapkan smiled shamelessly.

For some reason, she disliked the sight and turned away in displeasure.

“Then that is none of my concern either.”

However, quite deliberately, Kapkan had continued moving closer every time she shifted away from him.

At this rate, they would soon complete an entire circle around the campfire. Ophelia furrowed her brow.

The bowl of stew that had once been on her right had already entered her view from the left.

‘How irritating……’

All she wanted was to sit quietly by the fire. She wished he would just disappear.

Ophelia picked up her bowl of stew and placed it on the path Kapkan was expected to take, as if telling him to eat it and leave her alone.

In case he failed to understand, she also piled a large amount of firewood between them.

‘Hmm.’

Kapkan watched Ophelia stack the dry firewood, intrigued.

Meanwhile, he picked up the bowl of stew she had given him and ate it slowly, savoring each mouthful.

By the time the bowl was almost empty, Ophelia had finally finished building her tower.

Sitting shamelessly on top of the firewood she had stacked, Kapkan asked.

“Why don’t you try just one bite?”

He held the final spoonful of stew before her lips.

“…….”

***

Before sunrise, the first light of dawn began spreading across the desert.

A thunderous voice rang through the cool morning air.

“Move, you bastards! If you want to return home, you’d better work faster!”

Harassed by the red-haired man, the camels tossed their heads and cried out as though grumbling in protest.

The warriors bustled around, dismantling the tents and packing their supplies.

“D*mn it! I haven’t seen my wife or daughter in an entire month. They’re going to forget my face.”

“Hmm. Isn’t your daughter four years old now, Captain?”

“She’s only eleven months old! Her birthday is coming soon! Tch, you truly don’t care about anything, do you?”

Boisterous jeers rang out as the men playfully hooked their arms around each other’s necks.

Amid the commotion, Ophelia stared blankly at the sky, ignoring the noise of the warriors behind her.

A thin layer of frost lay on her white lashes, glowing faintly in the light of the rising dawn.

“What do you see when you stare up there?”

Puzzled by how long she had been gazing at the sky, Kapkan approached her.

Perhaps because he had periodically added firewood throughout the night, faint embers remained in the campfire, radiating a gentle warmth.