Ariel stared at the campfire with a dazed and shy expression, unable to believe the warmth wrapping around her. Just moments ago, the biting cold had viciously gnawed at her flesh, but now, a gentle heat seemed to caress the areas that had been ravaged.
It felt as if the harsh winter had receded, making way for the arrival of early spring.
This unfamiliar warmth was so inviting it could melt the eternal snow itself.
Her heart raced.
This was a heartbeat unlike any she had ever felt before, pounding fearfully fast.
It was beating at least ten times faster than when she read the ending of the greatest novel of all time, “The Chronicles of Alpherion the Hero.”
A pulse without reason, it felt both similar to and different from the thrill of immersing in a story.
Elated? Touched? Excited? Restless?
It was a mix of emotions that made it difficult to pinpoint exactly what she was feeling, leaving Ariel lost in her thoughts as she blankly gazed at the flames.
Slowly, the shivering from the extreme cold began to subside.
The sharp vibrations that had seized her muscles were easing, replaced by a new tremor.
Whereas she had been trembling from external stimuli until now, it felt like an internal stirring was causing this new sensation.
Gone were the agonizing shivers that felt like her skin was freezing; what now tickled her insides was like soft feathers brushing against her.
She felt flustered and tense.
Is this what it feels like to be in a man’s embrace?
It was entirely different from the comforting warmth of her father’s arms.
While her father’s embrace brought a sturdy and cozy feeling, Elden’s arms carried a dreamy sensation, as if she were floating on clouds, along with a flutter of excitement.
The moment she relaxed, she felt a silly laugh bubbling up, fearing that she might inadvertently reveal her feelings.
It was curious to feel something she didn’t even understand yet, with the notion that discovering it would be embarrassing. Yet, the desire to experience this unfamiliar sensation wholly kept her from loosening her tension.
Even breathing, blinking, or twitching her fingers felt unnatural, and she couldn’t quite tell if this was maturity or the innocence of a naïve maiden.
What should she say?
Saying thank you felt like exposing her hidden feelings, making her hesitate; now saying sorry seemed pointless considering how deeply she was nestled in his embrace.
Her heart raced and the growing warmth within her grew intense.
As she became aware of this delightful yet unfamiliar heartbeat, Ariel mustered the strength to speak.
“…Aren’t you cold?”
“I’m actually warm,” Elden replied casually.
“Really?”
“Yep.”
She had heard tales during her six-month travels through the Northern Regions.
A story about a couple who survived isolated for over a week during an unusually long White Storm.
A tale of enduring the deathly cold for a week without food or clothing to embrace and use their body heat to stay alive.
The image of their skin coming into contact and sharing warmth flashed through her mind, and before she knew it…
Warmth surged through her!
Ariel squeezed her eyes shut at her own outrageous thoughts.
How absurd.
It was embarrassing to think such peculiar fantasies from merely being in his arms; imagining skin-to-skin contact made her shudder from the embarrassment.
“…….”
“….”
The sound of crackling fire filled the cave.
Although it felt like the night was deepening, outside, the violent wind howled, and everything remained blanketed in white.
Fortunately, as she found herself stuck in the swamp of delusions, the howling wind and the white spectacle outside gradually weakened and faded into the background.
She was surpassing a crucial point.
Perhaps it was because she was nestled in Elden’s embrace, but the cave felt a tad cozier, and with enough kindling left in the campfire, it seemed she wouldn’t have to depend on him any longer.
Of course, this embrace was so warm and comforting, like a hot spring after a harsh march, that she didn’t want to leave it at all. Still, Ariel didn’t wish to burden Elden with her own desires, so she stuttered, attempting to break the spell.
“Umm… Elden? I think it’s okay to let go now.”
It was bittersweet, as she understood that remaining still, hugging someone, would surely become taxing.
However, instead of the response she expected, she was startled by something leaning against her shoulder.
The breath that had felt so close suddenly felt like it was sticking to her like glue, catching her off guard.
A warm, moist gust of air licked at her nape.
The sticky, humid sensation made her spine tingle and her body freeze in place.
Her head felt as if it might melt from the heat, and even her fine hair stood on end.
Inside her, peculiar sensations swirled.
She felt a jolt, as if something heavy had dropped inside her.
She almost let out a scream, beads of sweat forming on her back.
Even amid this chaos, the breath brushing against her neck made her involuntarily shrink away.
Ariel, her face as red as a tomato, felt like a hapless prey about to be devoured, stammered words out.
“Um, Elden… I-I’m not ready yet… Is this really too early for us? No, it’s not that I don’t want to… You just caught me off guard; it’s my first time for something like this…”
She babbled, stuttering while trying to put her feelings into words.
The embrace she found herself in, the hot breath suddenly warming her neck.
In the tightly sealed cave, the couple shared their body heat.
In a secret place where no one watched, they were engaging in something that felt distinctly intimate.
Though she had never read raunchy novels or held a man in this way, it was clearly a sign (?), and the instincts of a maiden (?) strongly suggested something.
Soon enough…
Something hot (?) could happen.
“And, um, isn’t this a bit unconventional to be our first memory together? I mean, I’d prefer to start in a place that fits a first time better…”
With her mind having already melted, she lacked the awareness to catch the absurdities spilling from her lips, freely voicing everything that came to mind without filtering them.
The aftereffects of her ramblings would surely fall on her shoulders alone.
Amid her perplexing monologue (?), Ariel soon realized her maidenly instincts were just nonsensical daydreams.
“……”
“…Elden?”
Upon receiving no answer, she turned her head, creaking like rusty hinges, only to find Elden’s face resting against her shoulder, fast asleep.
At that moment, her heart, which had been in a free fall, dove even deeper, and the heat that had clouded her brain suddenly cleared.
Her mind finally began to sort through the situation, and her lips echoed those realizations.
“………is that you?”
The shock of having created such a ruckus alone struck her as absurd.
The delusions she concocted on her own felt ludicrous now.
Feeling embarrassed about her inadvertent display, she wanted to hide in a mouse hole but couldn’t move.
Not wanting to wake Elden, fearing he might chuckle at her earlier commotion, Ariel remained perfectly still as if nothing had happened.
‘…I must be crazy.’
And so, while she chastised herself internally for the performance she had just staged, she couldn’t help but feel a little joyful about being able to remain a bit longer in this cozy embrace.
“While searching for a red mandrake, I ended up losing my way. You seem to be a mountain craftsman; if you have collected any, would you mind digging up just one root for me? I’ll pay you five silver coins for it.”
“Here, take it and go quickly.”
In the cave brightened by the clear morning light, it was possible I had unwittingly trespassed into the mountain craftsman’s front yard, having fallen into a deep sleep. When I woke up, I found myself staring blankly at the mountain craftsman who was gazing at us.
Ariel had purchased a single root of red mandrake from him at a generous price, and as a result of the craftsman’s rather sensitive nature, we had to exit the cave in a rather hurried manner.
“It’s certainly quite cold. I think I understand why the herbalist was being cautious.”
“Still, I’m glad I could obtain the red mandrake root.”
With an unnecessary lamentation, Ariel hugged the red mandrake root, wrapping it tenderly in a blanket and responded cheerfully.
We hurriedly began our descent down the mountain.
Despite the recent white storm, the world around us was now bright, clean, and calm.
As we walked along the path, Ariel began to speak up.
“Uh… Elden?”
“Yeah?”
“About yesterday…”
“Ah, sorry about that. I fell asleep without realizing it; was it uncomfortable for you?”
“Ah, no! It was…! Wait, no! D-did you hear anything while sleeping… or remember anything…?”
I had really unintentionally dozed off.
The fragrant scent of Ariel’s hair and the snugness as if I was holding onto a doll had lulled me into sleep.
But I couldn’t recall hearing or remembering anything.
Did I perhaps mess up somehow? I felt compelled to ask with worry.
“What? Was there… something…?”
A moment of mounting tension filled the air.
Had my latent reckless instincts from the original storyline come out while I was sleeping?
Had I muttered something that could possibly annoy Ariel?
Aflame with various imaginative scenarios, just as sweat began to bead, Ariel suddenly broke her silence while looking into my eyes.
“No, there was nothing.”
…It certainly seemed like there was something, but I decided it’d be better not to dig up whatever it was, following quietly behind Ariel.
After a full day, we managed to return to the lodging.
“Whoa…! I was worried something happened to my lord, so I lost sleep over it!”
Having smoothly passed the tearful reunion with Rendler, who had been anxiously waiting like someone whose family had been deployed, we were met by Rachel’s sharp gaze, reminiscent of someone waiting for a family member who made a blunder.
“I thought for sure you would be safe.”
“Indeed, your faith in this disciple is strong, hmm?”
“Were there any mishaps?”
Rachel asked, alternating her gaze between Ariel and me, while I shrugged my shoulders quickly on Ariel’s behalf, remembering that nothing had happened.
“Nothing serious happened.”
“…Is that so? Then let’s get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“There’s an open space behind the lodging. I thought we could have a session to refresh what we learned with some good old-fashioned hand-to-hand training.”
The master said coldly as he headed towards the open space, having just returned from the white storm with a disciple.
Hmm.
I couldn’t help but feel like he seemed angry… right?
“Well, then I’ll brew the red mandrake root and take it to the Grand Duchess!”
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