Chapter 3

The man rationalized his decision to save the woman as he picked up a glass of water beside him. The soft sound of sloshing water drew her attention, and her eyes moved toward the glass. Her response was clear—she wanted it. Amused, the man shook the glass a few more times, watching her parched lips tremble slightly in anticipation.

Her lips, small and delicate, were cruelly cracked, resembling dry, brittle leaves. She must be desperately thirsty. The dehydration was a side effect of the poison being purged from her body. The man waved the glass in front of her face again.

“Not yet.”

Her pleading eyes were met with a faint, emotionless smile. His smile lacked any trace of kindness; it was as detached as the man himself—a being created to exist without altruism or compassion. He was a weapon, designed to harm other living things effectively, nothing more. Watching her, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

“You’ll have to wait until the poison is completely out of your system.”

She didn’t understand his words, but her face crumpled, as if she had grasped his meaning. Her nose wrinkled in frustration before she succumbed to her exhaustion once more, losing consciousness again.

The man stared at her limp body. She might die. No, she would die. The animals on this island carried potent toxins, and without the intervention of an alchemist or healer, survival was unlikely. If she did perish, the man thought, he would simply throw her corpse at the alchemists who had warned him and mock them for wasting his time.

The real problem arises if she survives, he mused.

When he first heard about her, his instinct had been to eliminate the problem preemptively. He had been mildly curious about what she looked like, but only in a detached way. There had been no pity for her supposed fate, no sympathy for her plight.

Thus, rescuing her hadn’t been a meaningful act in his eyes. She hadn’t died immediately, so he’d brought her along. She hadn’t succumbed to the poison right away, so he’d observed the process. That was all.

Giving her water could kill her, too.

But he didn’t do it. Instead, the man began preparing the game he had recently hunted, his hands deft and deliberate.

“…Ah.”

Three hours later, Suji awoke again. Her body felt like it had emerged from an inescapable mire. She struggled to orient herself, her senses sluggish. Something hanging from the ceiling caught her attention. She stared blankly until she realized—it was a freshly skinned animal, its blood dripping onto the ground.

A wave of nausea hit her. She gagged, turning her head sharply to avoid the sight. Her throat, stomach, and abdomen twisted in pain as she tried to steady herself. Just as she lowered her gaze to the ground to calm herself, a voice broke the silence.

“You’re awake.”

The man’s voice carried a note of unexpected admiration. Suji turned her head toward the sound and saw him sitting in a shabby wooden chair. Even seated, his tall, broad frame was imposing. Bare-chested, with a small knife in hand, he was casually peeling a blunt-looking fruit.

“That poison isn’t something a woman like you should have been able to survive. Could it be that the alchemists were right about you being… special?”

He brought a slice of the fruit to his lips, speaking as he ate. Suji felt her shoulders tense involuntarily. His eyes and expression carried no warmth, no humanity. It was like looking at a sculpture shaped from the harsh sands of an endless desert—unyielding and devoid of life. She had never encountered someone with such a stark and desolate presence.

Suji felt both fear and curiosity. What kind of person is he? she wondered. He didn’t seem like someone whose main job was peeling fruit leisurely in front of others. She turned her gaze away, afraid that meeting his eyes directly might provoke something unpredictable in his temperament.

Perhaps noticing her discomfort, the man’s gaze lingered on her even more intently.

‘She’s trying so hard to think with that little head of hers,’ he thought.

What kind of person is he? How should I deal with him? He could see the questions swirling in her expression, the slight trembling of her pupils. She was clearly in shock. The man found it both intriguing and unexpected. If she was truly the adversary the alchemists had described, shouldn’t she be brimming with hostility toward him? Yet her behavior suggested she had no knowledge of him or his role in her life.

Not that he had any intention of enlightening her. Teaching her the truth wasn’t part of his plan.

The man, who had been scrutinizing Suji like a predator eyeing its prey, suddenly froze.

“Don’t move.”

His sharp, glinting eyes sent a shiver down Suji’s spine, freezing her in place. The man flicked the knife in his hand with precision and hurled it toward her. Thunk. The sound of the blade sinking deeply into its target made Suji squeeze her eyes shut in fear. Yet, there was no pain.

When she dared to open her eyes, she saw the knife embedded in the loosely woven wooden frame beside her—right next to a bright yellow scorpion, now pinned through its body.

The man rose to his feet. As he approached, Suji instinctively shrank back, trembling. Up close, his presence was overwhelming. Though not excessively muscular or bulky, his tall, lean frame exuded an oppressive aura, like an invisible weight pressing down on anyone in his vicinity.

Suji held her breath. The man, now standing mere inches from her, leaned forward, his bare chest almost brushing her as he yanked the knife free.

Squish. The sound of the blade sliding out was unnervingly loud in Suji’s ears. She wished he would step back, but instead, he lingered, observing her closely.

“Your wounds have healed,” he remarked, his tone one of detached curiosity. “Fascinating.”

His fingers brushed against the nape of her neck. Suji flinched, startled, and looked up at him. Despite noticing her discomfort, the man didn’t withdraw his hand. Instead, he casually ran his fingers over her skin as if inspecting it.

“Completely regenerated. The skin’s as good as new,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Impressive. Like a three-headed lizard. You know, those can regrow their tails and limbs in half a day. Even venom doesn’t kill them easily.”

The absurd comparison between her and a lizard made Suji shrink further, her discomfort plain on her face. The man, finding her reaction amusing, smirked. It wasn’t until Suji glared at him, trembling with indignation, that he finally pulled back and stepped away.

As he turned his back, Suji fought the urge to shove him. Instead, she reached for her neck, where his cold, uninvited touch had lingered. There were no traces of the snake bite. What did he do to treat me? she wondered. Despite his unsettling demeanor and cryptic words, had he actually saved her?

After all… just now…

Her eyes fell to the dead yellow scorpion on the ground. The spot where its venom had leaked had turned a dark brown. If it weren’t for him, I might have died. Suji’s face turned pale as she glanced back up at him. The man was leisurely eating the rest of his fruit, his gaze fixed on the makeshift shelter’s entrance.

The outside world, now cloaked in the dim light of dusk, seemed to have slipped into night. Following his gaze, Suji peered out as well before breaking the silence.

“Water…”

She couldn’t hold back any longer. Her body screamed for hydration. Pointing desperately at her lips and throat, she pleaded silently. But the man only shook his head coldly. Suji felt despair wash over her. Her insides felt like they were burning, and it was as though her entire body might shrivel up if she didn’t get water soon. Grimacing in frustration, she gestured at him again.

“Anything… something like water, please…”

She clutched her chest in desperation, pounding it weakly to emphasize her agony. The man’s expression shifted slightly, his eyes gleaming with an inscrutable emotion. He muttered under his breath, barely audible.

“Another day to be sure the poison’s gone… but you can’t wait, can you?”

Whatever conclusion he came to, he popped the remaining fruit into his mouth, chewing it with deliberate slowness. Suji scowled, her throat painfully dry. Is he mocking me? she thought bitterly. Here she was, nearly dying of thirst, and he was casually devouring fruit in front of her.

But then, to her shock, the man approached. She watched warily as he came to a stop in front of her. She couldn’t fathom what he intended to do—until he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss.

“…!”

The rough press of his lips against hers left a stinging pain. Before she could react, he forced the contents of his mouth into hers. The sour, pulpy juice of the fruit flooded her mouth, making her gag. Suji tried to pull away, but his grip was unyielding, his strength far surpassing hers.

The slimy, tangy liquid slithered past her tongue, sliding down her throat despite her protests. Suji choked, her face flushing with humiliation and discomfort. The man, however, didn’t release her, watching her struggle with a calm, almost amused expression as he continued to hold her captive in the forced exchange.

He finally pulled away once Suji had swallowed the last of it, albeit with visible reluctance. The unfamiliar sensation of his tongue brushing against hers as he withdrew left her shoulders trembling in disgust.

“W-what on earth… What are you doing?!”

Suji’s face flushed red with fury as she shouted, her hand clamping over her mouth in indignation. The man, unfazed, simply shrugged, his expression cool and detached.

“You said you were thirsty. I figured the juice would do since water wasn’t an option.”

“You could’ve asked first!” she snapped, her voice rising with frustration.

“I don’t think this is the kind of place where you get to worry about manners,” he replied flatly, his tone laced with mockery. “Expecting civility in a situation like this? Here of all places?”

He crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly, as if amused by her outrage. Suji glared at him, her indignation simmering. But deep down, a small, reluctant part of her acknowledged that he wasn’t entirely wrong. Still, the way he’d gone about it…

“That doesn’t excuse—”

“Surviving doesn’t come with a rulebook,” he cut her off, his voice calm but firm. “If you’d rather die thirsty while I politely ask for permission, suit yourself next time.”

His eyes narrowed, dark and unreadable, daring her to argue further. Suji bit her lip, torn between her anger and the uncomfortable truth of his words.