Chapter 4

The man grinned, finding the exchange between them amusing despite the clear language barrier. Somehow, they were managing to communicate—or at least he was pretending they were. Suji, on the other hand, felt at a loss for words. His smile made her realize that no matter how much she protested, he wouldn’t understand—or perhaps he simply didn’t care. His expression was unfeeling, as though he found this all a grand joke.

What unnerved her even more was how his eyes didn’t crinkle or soften when he smiled. It gave him an unnervingly cold, mechanical aura, like a human in appearance only.

‘Is he even human?’

Suji couldn’t help but wonder. Everything about him—from his presence to his eerie calm in this strange place—seemed extraordinary. No, abnormal. Then a thought crept into her mind: ‘Am I normal?’

‘After all… here I am, in this ridiculous place, relying on someone like him…’

It was enough to make her dizzy. She dropped her head and shut her eyes tightly, hoping to shake off the unease. But she felt his gaze following her, curious and probing.

‘What’s with him?’ she thought nervously. Was the poison affecting her again? Before she could process the thought, the man extended his hand and placed it around her neck, his grip firm but not suffocating. Startled, Suji snapped her head up, her flushed cheeks and defiant glare meeting his steady gaze.

“You’re fine,” he said, releasing her as though her reaction confirmed it. His tone was almost dismissive, but there was a trace of relief in it.

Suji felt deeply uncomfortable with how casually he touched her, as if her neck were no different from a chicken’s he might inspect. Yet, there was something about the way he pulled back quickly that didn’t feel entirely bad.

‘But why does he keep touching my neck?’

Unable to shake off the sensation, Suji instinctively rubbed her neck with both hands. She glanced at the man, who had turned his back on her. Bare-chested, he was repairing a hole in the wall using nothing more than long, woven leaves and a small knife. The patch job wasn’t much, but it seemed essential for surviving in this place.

‘Does he live here?’

He worked with such practiced ease, his face and movements unbothered by their eerie surroundings. His calmness, his complete lack of fear, only added to the sense of strangeness surrounding him.

Hesitating, Suji shifted her gaze to the door behind him. ‘What if I leave? What’s out there? Could I find my way back home?’

She glanced at the man again, then cautiously began to move toward the door. He noticed the sound of her footsteps but didn’t react, merely flicking his gaze toward her for a moment before resuming his work.

‘Good.’

Encouraged by his lack of resistance, Suji took a deep breath, steadying herself. A strange mix of fear and anticipation coursed through her. Slowly, she reached for the leaf-covered door and pushed it open.

SPLASH!

A sudden torrent of water slammed into her face. Suji froze, stunned, and wiped at her dripping face with both hands. ‘What just happened?’ Before she could regain her senses, a long, frog-like creature emerged from the darkness, opening its mouth wide as if waiting for its next opportunity to strike.

Smack!

Before the creature could unleash another attack, the man stepped forward and slammed the door shut. The sound of water splashing against the leaves echoed as Suji, now completely soaked, looked up at him in disbelief. He tilted his head slightly, one corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk that seemed to say, ‘See? I told you so.’

Suji couldn’t muster a word. She wanted to protest, but her thoughts were too jumbled to form a coherent argument.

“It’s best not to go out at night,” he said, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.

The man muttered briefly, his gaze drifting to Suji’s drenched clothes. The water-soaked fabric clung to her, outlining her figure in stark detail.

She had a body that could make one pause—a slender yet curvaceous frame with just the right balance of softness. Her chest was modest but shapely, and her hips had a fullness that made her silhouette captivating. It was, in his eyes, far more alluring than any noblewoman clad in the form-fitting dresses popular in the kingdom. A crooked smirk crept onto his face.

‘What… What’s with that look?’ Suji thought, unsettled.

The man’s expression was unnervingly suggestive. Without hesitation, he gestured toward her clothes, motioning for her to remove them. Suji’s jaw dropped in disbelief before her face twisted in indignation. Shaking her head vigorously, she made it clear: Absolutely not.

‘What does he expect me to do? I don’t have anything else to wear!’

If she stripped off her clothes, she’d be left in just her underwear. No matter how much of a lifesaver he was, there was no way she was going to face him dressed like that. Her resolute refusal seemed to amuse the man, who stepped back with a shrug as if to say, Do as you please.

“…Huh?”

Moments later, Suji tried to wring out her wet clothes, only to find her fingers wouldn’t move. Panic set in as the numbness quickly spread from her hands to her arms, then to her torso and legs. She blinked in alarm, her eyes darting toward the man. He seemed completely unfazed, calmly tying a piece of meat to a thick branch, likely to cook it over the fire he was building.

Sensing her gaze, he glanced over his shoulder.

“One of the creatures here sprays a colorless, odorless toxin to paralyze its prey,” he said, his tone casual, though Suji couldn’t understand his words. “It drags them to the lake later to eat them.”

Even though she didn’t grasp the specifics, his expression and tone hinted at an explanation for why her body was immobilized. Frustration and embarrassment overwhelmed her as she glanced down at herself. She desperately wanted to resolve the situation but was helpless to move. Asking for his help seemed unthinkable after how she had rejected him earlier.

‘Was he trying to warn me? Is that why he told me to take my clothes off? Maybe that’s why he doesn’t have any clothes himself… Did he get drenched too? If so… have I completely misunderstood him?’

Her cheeks flushed at the realization. Had she judged him unfairly, assuming the worst based on his rugged demeanor? She felt a twinge of guilt.

Suji glanced at him again, watching as he expertly started a fire. There was something extraordinary about his method. Her eyes widened as she noticed him striking two stones together to create sparks. It was a technique she had only seen in stories, and it fascinated her. Her lashes fluttered rapidly, her astonishment plain on her face, which finally drew his attention.

“What’s with that look?” the man asked.

Suji met his gaze with a pleading yet determined expression, signaling with her eyes that she had something to say. He seemed to find her state amusing and leaned closer, reaching out.

‘What now…?’

His hand came to rest on the back of her neck, his fingers pressing firmly at the base of her spine. Suji shivered at the unexpected heat of his touch. As his fingers moved downward, pressing along her vertebrae, the paralysis began to ease, replaced by a sensation of warmth spreading through her body.

Her breathing grew shallow, and she let out an unsteady gasp. Each point of pressure felt oddly stimulating, not unpleasant but intense, as though it were waking up her blood vessels and nerves.

“You’re quite sensitive, aren’t you?” he murmured, his voice low and teasing.

“?”

Though she didn’t understand his words, the sound of his voice against her ear made her face flush even redder. He seemed to notice her reaction, smirking as he continued to press down her back. His touch moved lower until he reached her tailbone, applying gentle but firm pressure.

“Ah…!”

Suji couldn’t hold back the startled sound that escaped her lips.

Finally, Suji let out a sigh of relief, her chest rising and falling with a deep exhale. Her upper body was starting to move again. Though her legs still felt stiff, they were no longer completely immobile. The damp clothes clinging to her didn’t matter now. Suji gave the man an awkward, grateful smile, then immediately began rummaging through her pocket, looking for something.

“What’s that?”

The man raised an eyebrow when Suji pulled out an unfamiliar object. When she flicked the metal lighter, producing a small, bright flame, he froze. It wasn’t mana. It wasn’t alchemy. It was something entirely mechanical and scientific in nature.

“Is this from your world?”

Though she couldn’t fully understand his words, the tone suggested he was asking if it belonged to her. Suji nodded, pointing toward a bundle of leaves tied to hold the meat he had prepared. Understanding her intention, the man took the lighter from her hands, intrigued by the strange device.

With a soft click, the flame sprang to life again. The man stared at it, mesmerized. It required no magic, no special energy—just a clever invention. The soft glow of the fire illuminated not just the twilight around them but also Suji’s face, which now shone with a radiant smile he hadn’t seen before.

Her joy was genuine, pure. She seemed utterly pleased to have been of help in such a strange and dangerous place. The man found himself unable to look away, captivated by her open expression.

‘It’s not even that remarkable of an event,’ he thought.

Why was she so happy? And why couldn’t he bring himself to turn away from that happiness? When their eyes met, an unfamiliar feeling stirred within him. It was as if a weight, heavy like a waterlogged cloud, settled in his chest and sank lower. That feeling seemed to fill an empty space inside him, softening the barren edges of his heart. Was this… human emotion?

‘Strange.’

The man continued to watch her, trying to decipher the foreign sensation. He couldn’t put a name to it—not yet. All he could do was observe her and try to understand. While he was lost in thought, Suji, frustrated by his stillness, reached over to take the lighter back. She struck it again and lit the leaves beneath the meat herself. As the flames rose, the meat began to sizzle, filling the air with a savory aroma.

“Useful,” the man muttered, his voice low but not harsh.

Suji perked up at the sound. His tone wasn’t sarcastic or dismissive—it was almost… appreciative. She smiled quietly, her eyes crinkling slightly in response. The man’s gaze lingered on her, as if studying a rare and curious creature.

Feeling self-conscious under his unrelenting stare, Suji was the first to look away, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment.