6.

A few times on the bed, twice in the bathroom, once more on the way back to the bed, then again after a meal on the table, and yet again on the bed…

I had lost count.

Every time I passed out from exhaustion, I would wake up only to be taken again. Over and over, the cycle repeated.

The curtains remained tightly drawn the entire time, sealing out any trace of light. In the darkness of the room, I had no way of knowing how many hours had passed.

Kelian had given a justification for this relentless madness—he was purifying my curse.

If that was truly the reason, then rather than protest, I should have been grateful. I should have even thanked him.

And yet… a faint doubt gnawed at the edges of my mind.

Because he was obsessive about it.

So much so that even after being washed multiple times in between, my body was still drenched in sweat, in his seed, in my own slick.

Lying on my side, I carefully tried to lift Kelian’s arm, which was wrapped around me as he slept. I needed to get up.

But the moment I attempted to rise, my legs gave out, and I collapsed back onto the bed. I had no strength left.

“Rest more.”

His voice, clear and unwavering, held not a trace of drowsiness—making me wonder if he had even slept at all.

“Kel…”

I tried to call his name, but my voice came out hoarse and broken. I shut my mouth in embarrassment.

Kelian’s arm tightened around my waist, pulling me closer. A wet tongue flicked over my shoulder, sending a shiver through me. The ticklish sensation made me shrink back, and somehow, I managed to turn within his embrace until I was facing him.

“Did you even sleep? Aren’t you tired?”

My voice still sounded wrecked, but after clearing my throat a few times, I managed to speak properly.

He seemed to consider my words for a moment before responding.

“Hmm. I think… my mind has never been clearer.”

As he said that, he pressed his hips against me.

Something thick and unmistakably hard rubbed against my thigh.

I was speechless.

“Are all men like you, Kelian? This is just….”

From what Malri had told me, that didn’t seem to be the case. No matter how I thought about it, Kelian was excessive.

At my words, his brows knitted together slightly, and the arms wrapped around me tightened.

“Don’t think about other men, Aine.”

That wasn’t what I meant…

Of course, I was curious—whether all men had stamina as relentless as Kelian’s, or if this was something unique to him. But he was acting as if I was considering running off with someone else.

“It’s not like that… Kelian, you’re the only one for me.”

“And you are the only one for me, Aine. Now and forever.”

His sudden declaration caught me off guard. The unexpected exchange of vows left me feeling both flustered and… strangely warm inside.

After all, despite everything, I had fallen hopelessly for him too.

Snuggled against his chest, I wrapped my arms around him in return.

“And the curse?” he asked.

“I didn’t get any notifications, so I guess it’s not completely purified yet.”

“Any pain?”

“No—”

“No?”

Did I have pain or not?

My entire body was sore from the relentless torment, my limbs too weak to even lift myself off the bed. And the place where I had taken him over and over ached so much that just shifting my legs made me wince.

I was just too embarrassed to say it outright in front of the man responsible.

“…Down there. A little.”

Thankfully, Kelian immediately understood.

“My apologies. I should have exercised more restraint.”

“More” restraint?

That meant he actually had been holding back? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“We should treat that first.”

Unlike me, who could barely move, Kelian got out of bed without hesitation.

Our clothes had long been discarded, tossed haphazardly to various corners of the room, leaving both of us completely naked.

Though the room was dim, the lantern’s glow was enough for me to see him clearly—just as he could see me.

That perfectly sculpted body… the same one that had ruined me over and over.

“I’ll call Seiris.”

Kelian’s words instantly snapped me out of my daze, shattering the trance I’d fallen into while admiring his naked body.

I bolted upright in panic—only to immediately groan and collapse onto my side again. My legs refused to cooperate. Still, I desperately reached out to stop him.

“No, Kelian! You can’t!”

He paused just before stepping out, turning back to me with a puzzled expression.

Sure, getting healed by Seiris’s magic would take care of the soreness and exhaustion, but there was no way I could let her see me in this state. I would die of embarrassment.

“At least let me wash first before calling—”

BANG.

The door suddenly flew open.

Both Kelian and I whipped our heads toward it at the same time.

Standing in the doorway was Seiris, dressed unusually casually, her silver hair tied back and draped over one shoulder. As always, her expression was unreadable.

I let out a strangled Hiiik! and immediately dove under the covers.

“I was just about to call for you,” Kelian said, completely unfazed.

“I thought I heard my name as I was passing by,” she replied flatly.

“Good timing. Heal Aine.”

“…Is she injured?”

“She seems to be.”

Kelian’s gaze darkened slightly, likely recalling when I’d mentioned that it hurt a little.

Though hurt wasn’t exactly the right word. More like… it still felt as if he was inside me, stretching me open. My arms and legs were so weak that I could barely sit up, but aside from that, there wasn’t any real injury per se.

Seiris let out a quiet, unimpressed Hmph and walked toward me.

Even though I had managed to cover myself with the blanket, there was no hiding the visible traces of what had happened—the damp, wrinkled sheets, the unmistakable scent lingering thick in the air. There was no point in trying to conceal anything. I had already been completely caught.

Still, refusing her help out of sheer embarrassment wasn’t an option either. So, with all the dignity I could muster (which wasn’t much), I awkwardly greeted her.

“H-Hello, Seiris. Good morning—or, um… is it morning?”

“It’s morning.”

Then, after a beat, she added,

“It’s also the fifth day since the two of you locked yourselves in this room.”

“Five days?”

My voice came out louder than expected, and I nearly jolted upright—only to realize the blanket was slipping. I hurriedly pulled it back up, covering myself again.

“Has that much time really…?”

With the room sealed in darkness the entire time, I had completely lost track of the passing days.

But five days… of doing that with Kelian…?

Sure, there were brief moments in between—when he had me sit on his lap and fed me, or when he carried me to the bath to wash me—but aside from that, my only memories were of being relentlessly taken, my body shaken to its limits, before finally passing out.

Heat flared up my face, my skin burning with mortification.

Thankfully, the healing process itself wasn’t embarrassing. The light seeped through the blanket, wrapping around me, and soon, the lingering soreness in my lower body and the weakness in my limbs disappeared completely.

“Thank you, Seiris. Really.”

“Has the curse been lifted?”

I hesitated, then lowered my head.

“No….”

A familiar unimpressed Hmph came from her direction.

“Then it seems you’ll need more time.”

“What?”

Before I could fully process what she meant, Seiris turned on her heel and strode out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

“I’ll place a locking spell on the door so that no one can interrupt. You won’t be able to leave from the inside either.”

…What?

Wait, what?!

Without warning, she had effectively sealed Kelian and me inside the room.

“You shouldn’t think of leaving until the curse is fully purified,” she added matter-of-factly.

There was an eerie calm to her voice—tinged with a faint hint of madness.

I froze, completely dumbfounded.

Just as I was about to scramble to the door and beg her to undo the spell, Kelian moved first.

He rapped his knuckles against the door twice, as if politely knocking.

As if summoning her back.

“There’s no need for that. I’ll go to the temple.”

“A temple priest wouldn’t be as effective as you, Kelian.”

“That might be true, but… it’s not like I consciously control my divine power. It’s safer to use both methods together.”

“Hmm. Still, wouldn’t spending another three days rolling around in bed be more—”

Seiris…?!

She said that so bluntly!

Kelian and Seiris continued their conversation as if nothing was out of the ordinary, while I, on the other hand, sat there red-faced, flustered beyond words.

After a brief pause, Kelian glanced at me, as if weighing his options, then shook his head.

“I’ll visit the temple first.”

“…Fine.”

“Go ahead without me. I’ll wash up and come down soon.”

A faint glow flickered across the door as the locking spell was lifted.

Seiris’s footsteps faded into the distance, leaving the room eerily quiet.

Kelian turned back to me, and before I could react, he scooped me up, pulling me out from under the blankets.

Despite the utterly dazed look on my face, he remained perfectly serious. Without a hint of amusement, he carried me to the bath and gently, meticulously washed me as if I were something precious.

When we stepped out of the bathroom, a new prompt appeared before me.

[Do you accept the trade request?]

[Yes / No]

My mind finally cleared enough to process the message floating in front of me. I blinked up at Kelian, confused.

He now stood before me, dressed in a crisp tunic with a white robe draped elegantly over his shoulders, looking every bit like a prince—or even an emperor—from a neighboring kingdom.

Meanwhile, I was still stark naked.

“Kelian?”

“It’s all yours, Aine.”

“…Mine?”

Normally, small items were exchanged directly from the inventory rather than through trade requests, since it was simpler that way. It was unusual for him to send a formal trade request like this.

Curious, I accepted.

The moment I did, my inventory—previously more than half-empty—suddenly filled to near capacity.

[Crimson Jewel Dress of the Master Tailor]

[Akireta Dress]

[Formalwear Woven from Fiorét’s Tears]

The names alone sounded extravagant. There had to be at least thirty different outfits.

And among them—some were strikingly familiar.

This light blue dress… wasn’t this the one I had tried on at the boutique before?

“You bought all those outfits I tried on…?”

When had he even done that? More importantly, why was he giving all of them to me now?

“I’d be heartbroken if you refused,” Kelian said smoothly, cutting off any protest before I could even form one.

His expression was unreadable, yet his gaze held a distinct, almost dangerous hint of melancholy—as if daring me to deny him.

“But… this is too much,” I murmured.

“I already bought them.”

Well… that was true.

Besides, we weren’t even in the same town where the boutique had been—we had traveled all the way to the imperial capital.

Still, Kelian continued listing reasons why I had to accept the clothes.

“And, didn’t I completely ruin the dress you were wearing?”

“What dress…?”

“The white one.”

He gestured toward the corner of the room, where my dress lay crumpled on the floor.

It was wrinkled, stained in more ways than one, and definitely not clean, but I wouldn’t say it was ruined. It wasn’t torn or damaged—washing it would be enough.

“Aine.”

Chup, chup.

His lips brushed against the shell of my ear as he murmured my name, coaxing, almost pleading.

My thoughts spun dizzily.

At this rate, he was going to push me right back onto the bed.

Before I even realized it, words tumbled out of my mouth—Yes, yes, okay, I get it, so please… stop….

“Thank you,” I mumbled in surrender.

Kelian smiled faintly and pressed a final kiss to my lips.

That should’ve been my line.

“I should be the one thanking you…”

Since my white dress was in no condition to be worn, and since he had gone through the trouble of gifting me so many, I figured I might as well wear one in front of him.

I selected the light blue dress from my inventory and pulled it out.

Most of the others were too bold in color or heavily adorned—beautiful, but extravagant enough to belong at a grand ball rather than an ordinary day.

This one, however, was simple yet elegant. No elaborate patterns, no excessive embellishments—just a quiet charm that made it perfect for everyday wear.

Kelian silently stepped behind me and tied the ribbon at the back, his fingers moving with practiced ease.

“……”

Even after I finished dressing, Kelian remained silent.

Back at the boutique, he had told me it suited me, but now he wasn’t saying anything.

“Does it… not look good on me?”

“It does.”

Thankfully, his answer was immediate and positive.

His fingers brushed lightly over the exposed skin of my nape, my shoulders, and my collarbone—just barely grazing me. The ghost of his touch sent a shiver down my spine.

“It’s just that my marks are showing.”

“…Marks?”

Alarmed, I hurried over to the full-length mirror in the room.

The dim lighting made it hard to see, so I pulled back the curtains. Sunlight poured in, illuminating my reflection—

And I barely stopped myself from screaming.

No, actually, I might have let out a strangled noise.

Everywhere his fingers had traced just moments ago was covered in bruises and love bites.

If it were just one or two, I could’ve maybe passed them off as bug bites. But this…?

Even someone with no experience would immediately know what had happened.

Wait—what about the rest of my body?

I had only checked the visible areas, but I hadn’t seen myself properly under bright light since waking up. What if it was worse under my dress?

“I’m sorry.”

This time, even Kelian seemed to acknowledge that this was beyond playful teasing.

One hand came up to cover his mouth, his gaze shifting awkwardly away.

“I… must have lost control.”

Yeah. That much was very clear.

❖ ❖ ❖

As soon as I went down to the first floor, Jenin was the first to greet me warmly.

“Aine!”

“Jenin!”

Seeing her welcoming me as always, I felt the same warmth and hugged her.

“How’s the curse? Seiris said it hasn’t been completely purified yet. Shouldn’t you be back in your room? Is it really okay for you to be out like this?”

“…….”

Although she seemed frustrated that, unlike Seiris earlier, she couldn’t trap Kelian and me in the same room, I was still embarrassed about it. But at the same time, I was also happy to see her.

“What’s with that robe?”

Dain, who was lounging in a slouched posture, pointed at the robe I was wearing.

It was too hot to wear a high-necked winter outfit to cover the kiss marks, so I kept the blue dress on and draped a white robe that Kelian had given me over it to conceal the exposed areas. Coincidentally, Kelian was also wearing a white robe, making it seem as though we had matched on purpose…

“So, you’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”

Narrowing his eyes, Dain muttered sulkily before turning his head away with a huff. Considering it was Dain, that was a surprisingly mild reaction. Judging by the blunt comments from Seiris and Jenin, Dain was probably also aware of what had happened between Kelian and me… Yet, oddly enough, he didn’t seem particularly angry about it.

“Eat up. Strength is important.”

“Thank you, Barkrud.”

It hadn’t been that long, yet sharing a meal together felt like something we hadn’t done in ages. Even after the truth was revealed, the fact that I could still sit and eat with them made this moment all the more emotional.

“So, the plan is to proceed after Aine’s curse is completely purified, right? We can’t have the key figure of the plan still cursed.”

Jenin suddenly asked after finishing her meal. Was she talking about that ‘revised plan’ they had mentioned before? But what did she mean by calling me the key figure…?

“What exactly is this plan?”

“Oh, the plan? Hehehe.”

Jenin let out a mischievous laugh. It was an expression that hardly suited her usual cheerful personality, but right now, ‘mischievous’ was the perfect word for it. Resting her chin on one hand, she leaned on the table with one elbow propped up.

“We call it: Operation Aine Level-Up!”

“Level-up…?”

“If we put our minds to it, you could level up quite a bit in a short time.”

She wasn’t wrong. Traveling with them had already boosted my level significantly—from level 7 to level 29. Of course, that was still nowhere near their high levels, but from my perspective, if I returned to my hometown, I’d practically be treated as a hero.

Still, had my level been bothering them all this time?

“Uh… what about the SS-ranked rare dungeon?”

“Huh?”

“That was the original plan, wasn’t it? To earn the qualifications, your next step should be heading to the SS-ranked rare dungeon.”

Putting aside the original plan just for my level-up didn’t make sense. I already owed them too much.

“My curse will be fine for now. Since Kelian and I… well… that happened, and even just a kiss was enough to hold it off for a few days—no, that’s not the point. Anyway, I also received purification at the temple.”

I fumbled my words, unable to directly say that because Kelian and I had been together for five days, the pain of the curse wouldn’t return for a while. In the end, I chose to state my conclusion firmly.

“So, you all should go to the rare dungeon.”

The group, the very ones I was addressing, didn’t look too thrilled about that suggestion. Especially Kelian, who was sitting beside me, reacted immediately.

“You’re trying to run away because you don’t want to be with me, aren’t you…?”

“Absolutely not.”

I shook my head and grasped his hand under the table.

“I just mean that this isn’t efficient. I’m really grateful that you all want to help me, but wouldn’t it be better if you focused on clearing the SSS-ranked rare dungeon first, which is your main goal, and then helped me when you have time afterward? I won’t be in pain from the curse for a while… since, um… those five days happened. I can work on leveling up on my own in the meantime.”

They listened to my long-winded speech in complete silence, so much so that even after I finished talking, the room remained quiet. Kelian, of course, was probably quiet because I was holding his hand.

Hmm… did that mean they agreed? Just as I was starting to wonder about their answer, Dain was the first to break the silence.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something.”

Leaning back against his chair with an air of elegance, he looked even more composed than usual.

“Clearing the SSS-ranked rare dungeon… it’s not that important to us.”

“…What? But when we first met, wasn’t that the whole reason? You even told me not to go around talking about it to others.”

The way Dain had sternly warned me before, as if it were the most crucial thing in the world, was still fresh in my mind—like it had happened just yesterday. It seemed he remembered it too because he cleared his throat a few times before abruptly raising his voice.

“That was just because I didn’t want people gossiping about it! And back then, I didn’t really… like you either.”

His sharply cut purple bob swayed slightly every time he huffed in irritation. The more I listened to him, the more I felt like I was sinking into an inexplicable pit of confusion. I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

“So, do you like me now?”

“…….”

Really…? After all that suspicion and nitpicking, now that those doubts had been confirmed, he was saying he liked me? Did that mean he hadn’t just tolerated me because the others insisted on keeping me around? I stared at him, waiting for an answer. Finally, the familiar irritation returned to his face.

“Ugh, just think whatever you want!”

Even that frustration lacked the sharp edge it used to have, which was even more surprising. Did he feel pity for me because of my rare curse? As I mulled over the possibility, Jenin, sitting next to Dain, spoke up with a barely concealed smile.

“Dain’s right. Clearing dungeons is fun, sure, but honestly, at this point, we only do it because there’s nothing else to do as a group.”

“I do it because I enjoy it,” Barkrud chimed in.

“Except for Barkrud, of course. Haha.”

Jenin winked at him before straightening her posture.

“Anyway, for us, who were stuck in that boring routine, you, Aine, appeared. If we had to choose between tackling dungeons day in and day out or training you to level up, I bet all of us would pick the latter.”

But… hadn’t Barkrud just said he actually liked clearing dungeons? At least for him, wasn’t he just going along with this whole plan for my sake? When I turned to look at him with that thought in mind, he seemed to understand my concern and shook his head.

“I like both. Both involve fighting monsters. And I like Aine too.”

“Oh… I really like all of you too.”

“Good.”

It had turned into an unexpected confession session, but seeing Barkrud grin made a smile creep onto my own lips as well. He had a way of disarming people, though in a different way than Jenin.

“And honestly, if you keep traveling with us, you’re bound to run into a lot of unpleasant people. I just hate the thought of Aine being looked down on because of her level every time that happens. Even if we all know those idiots are just that—idiots.”

People who would belittle me over my level… One person immediately came to mind. Hans—the man who had tried to kill me but ended up being overpowered by Kelian’s artifact handkerchief.

“So, that means Aine isn’t against it anymore. Right?”

Jenin seized the moment when I was at a loss for words and clasped my hands, making a gesture as if sealing a promise. Even though she was the only one actually moving my fingers, it still felt like an agreement had been made.

“There’s really no need to worry. You’ll have to enter rare dungeons to level up anyway. And while we’re at it, we’ll probably end up tackling that SSS-ranked rare dungeon too.”