<Episode 41>

“Elkais.”

Eveline smiled as she wrapped her arms around Elkais’s neck.

“I want to kiss you.”

He looked at her, pulling away slightly.

She grew impatient, seeing that he was still hesitating.

“What does my pheromone smell like?”

“It’s very… intense. Sweet.”

“Really? I want to smell Elkais’s pheromone too. Kiss me.”

She started to apply more pressure with her arms around his neck, bringing his face closer to hers.

“I want you, Elkais… mmph…!”

But before she could finish, he broke the cap off a sedative and pushed it into her mouth.

“Ugh!”

He held her nose shut as he forced the sedative into her mouth.

He watched as she struggled, the sedative sliding down her throat, accompanied by her choked sounds.

“Gah, ugh…!”

Once he saw that she had swallowed it all, he removed the bottle and threw it aside, covering her mouth.

When her furrowed brows finally relaxed, he removed his hand from her face.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because if I don’t, you’ll never look at me the same way again.”

Eveline didn’t understand his words at all.

The heat within her was subsiding, but she was still angry that he had restrained her like this.

“Elkais, I…”

She pressed her lips to his.

When Elkais turned his head away, Eveline followed, grabbing his chin and asking.

“Do you hate it?”

“No.”

“Then why avoid it?”

“Even if I don’t hate it, some things just shouldn’t happen.”

His expression tightened in pain as he spoke.

The sensation of her soft flesh made it hard for him to think clearly.

Even a fleeting touch of her lips was overwhelming.

“I want you to ruin me, Elkais.”

Elkais regretted giving her the sedative.

“If we were completely imprinted…”

She started to speak but then fell silent, her expression becoming blank.

“I’m crazy.”

“Are you back to your senses?”

“Yes.”

She wanted to die from the shame.

But the situation was so serious that she felt oddly calm.

“Elkais.”

Seeing him still above her, his serious expression, and the way his dilated pupils shook, made her feel even more apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Eveline.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry. I was really… out of my mind.”

He sighed and moved away from her.

He didn’t want her to know how much he regretted giving her the sedative. Yet, he did regret it.

Even if they went through with it, the trust between them would be shattered forever.

Couldn’t he make it unbreakable? If they were imprinted, they would be eternally bound to each other.

But he would never be able to love her truly.

With that thought, he sighed in torment.

“I wish I could go back to being a Beta too.”

When Eveline said that, Elkais grew even more despondent, feeling as if she found the whole situation with him abhorrent.

“Eve!”

Suddenly, a voice called Eveline from a distance.

“Brother.”

“Are you okay, Eve?”

Behind Abellard stood Grand Duke Rubellite Croppers.

“There was a sunshower…”

“Nothing happened, thanks to the sedative I brought.”

“Why is your face scratched?”

Abellard looked sadly at the wound on Eveline’s cheek before healing it with a touch.

“I ran to Elkais in the rain.”

“What?”

“That’s why Elkais had to give me the sedative.”

“I see.”

Abellard glanced at Elkais. He could tell that Elkais was already drawn to Eveline. Yet, he had resisted, which made him seem more trustworthy.

He had rushed here, fearing that they might have imprinted due to the sunshower.

“Why are you covered in wounds, brother?”

“I was worried about you and ran here.”

“How did you know where I was… Ah, pheromones.”

“Yes.”

Abellard leaned his head on Eveline’s shoulder.

Eveline pushed his head away and stood up.

“Since you’re here, why don’t you both wash up? I’ll go back with Elkais.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Then I’ll wash alone.”

Rubellite’s words made Eveline sigh.

“Fine. The three of us will go back.”

“Okay.”

“Sure.”

The three of them needed to head back to the cabin first.

Abellard couldn’t shake the feeling that Eveline was wearing Elkais’s shirt instead of her own, which made him uneasy.

“Eve, can you put this back on?”

“My wedding dress? It’s too uncomfortable.”

“Then can’t you wear my shirt?”

“This is new. I’m too lazy to change again.”

Her firm tone made Elkais chuckle before stifling his laughter.

He thought he should keep his distance from her. If he had been just a little later, he might have ended up acting like a beast, rutting with her on the dirty ground.

The thought twisted his mind in a disturbing way.

“Elkais, is there anything I can help with?”

Eveline had pushed Abellard aside and moved closer to where Elkais was preparing food.

“We’re short on pots. Could you cut some bamboo?”

“Let’s go together, Eve.”

“I can go alone.”

“Let’s go together, Eve.”

Abellard insisted, not wanting to leave her side.

Eveline found it much more comfortable to move alone than to go with Abellard.

Still, she sighed, knowing well that he didn’t want her to be alone with Elkais.

“Alright.”

Elkais didn’t like the idea of her going alone with Abellard but tried not to show it.

He resolved to distance himself from Eveline, feeling pathetic for having such thoughts.

She probably considered him a good colleague because she didn’t know what was going on in his head.

Even now, he wanted to cut down Abellard and chase Rubellite away, then take her back to the lake and stay together until nightfall. He wanted to stand in the rain with her at night.

“I must be out of my mind.”

“Pardon?”

Eveline turned around at Elkais’s muttering.

She was about to leave with Abellard when she heard his voice.

“If you cut the bamboo, water will come out. It might be good to collect it for drinking.”

“It doesn’t matter which water we collect, does it? I’m here.”

At Abellard’s words, Elkais nodded, as if he had momentarily forgotten.

Abellard’s blood, filled with divine power, had such a high purifying ability that it could turn water into holy water.

“I’m curious about the taste of the water from the bamboo.”

Eveline sided with Elkais, feeling guilty.

She felt both sorry and embarrassed about what had happened earlier.

Elkais might have acted as if he was fine, but she knew he must have been shocked, especially if he had never properly held a woman’s hand before. He probably didn’t see her the same way anymore.

Even knowing it was an unavoidable accident didn’t help much.

“I’ll be back.”

“…Alright.”

Eveline awkwardly spoke and then immediately left the cabin.

Abellard found the slightly awkward and distant atmosphere between them suspicious yet gratifying. It seemed they had drifted apart without him having to do anything.

“Eve, shall we hold hands and walk?”

“Walk separately.”

Hearing this, Elkais let out a small sigh of relief and started preparing the food.

* * *

“This place is really strange.”

Eveline said this when they reached the bamboo grove.

“What is?”

“It feels like all the creatures here are living freely.”

“What do you mean?”

“It feels like animals and plants that shouldn’t be in the same area are all gathered here.”

“Oh, that.”

Abellard suddenly choked up, and Eveline noticed.

“You can’t speak again?”

“Yeah.”

To break the awkwardness, Abellard took Elkais’s knife, which Eveline had brought, and swung it toward the bamboo.

“Ah…!”

“Let me do it.”

“Eve…”

He deliberately raised the knife high and then pretended to drop it, hitting his head and falling to the ground.

“My head hurts.”

“Who told you to hit your head?”

“I was just trying to do well…”

“I know.”

“I’ve got a bump.”

Abellard said, looking tearfully at Eveline, who picked up the fallen knife.

“A bump.”

“Where?”

“Here, in the middle.”

He pointed with his hand, and Eveline parted his hair, gently touching the bump with her finger.

“Use your divine power.”

“Okay.”

Feeling energized by her concerned touch, he used his divine power. Eveline watched him and then stood up, gripping the knife.

And then.

Thwack!

When she struck the middle of the bamboo, water gushed out.

“Ugh…”

Eveline frowned as water poured over her still damp hair. But the water was quite clear, so she didn’t feel too bad.

“Eve, you look much prettier when wet.”

“Be careful with your words. Someone might misunderstand.”

Eveline found his genuine admiration amusing, like a child blurting out random things.

“Eve. Did you kiss Elkais?”

He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but now he recalled the bloodstain that had been on her lips, which was now gone. The bloodstain had also been on Elkais’s lips.