Chapter 7

“Your emotions show so easily on your face,” the man remarked, watching Suji’s expression, still tinged with embarrassment.

“In most cases, that’s not a good thing. But for you… it suits you.”

“?”

“You wear it well,” he added with a faint smile, his tone soft but composed.

Suji wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but his demeanor didn’t seem malicious. She hesitated, unsure of how to respond, but before she could say anything, he stood up.

“I’m heading out,” he announced abruptly, moving toward the door.

As he made his way out, Suji hurriedly followed. “You’re going outside?”

He didn’t reply.

“C-can I come with you?” she asked hesitantly.

When he turned to look at her, his piercing gaze made her flinch. Was he about to tell her not to follow? Biting her lip, Suji steeled herself and met his gaze, determination in her eyes. She glanced between him and the door, trying to convey her intent. Finally, he nodded.

“Fine. Come here.”

“What… what are you doing?” Suji stammered as he suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her closer. She was startled but quickly realized he intended to treat her injury. Calming down, she allowed him to proceed. He searched along the wall for a crawling caterpillar, plucked it, and squeezed it between his fingers, extracting sticky green fluid.

Without hesitation, he rubbed the liquid between his fingers until it foamed, then carefully applied it to the wound on Suji’s foot where the crayfish’s spines had pricked her. At first, she wrinkled her nose at the primitive treatment, but as the stinging sensation subsided, her surprise overtook her discomfort.

“It works well for shallow wounds,” he said matter-of-factly, his gaze drifting to her face and neck. There wasn’t a trace of the scratches she’d had earlier.

“Though it seems your body doesn’t even need it anymore.”

His eyes lingered on her in a way that felt almost… searching. Suji, unsure how to react, bowed slightly. “Thank you.”

The man didn’t respond. He simply turned and headed for the door. Suji quickly slipped on her shoes and followed him.

“Can I really come with you?” she asked again, feeling an inexplicable need to seek his permission, even though he hadn’t explicitly told her no. Something about him made her want to tread carefully, even as she trailed close behind him.

* * *

The man moved like a flowing stream, cutting effortlessly through the fog-laden forest. His stride was steady and confident, his presence commanding despite the murky surroundings. Suji couldn’t help but marvel at him. The way his shoulders shifted with each step, the rippling muscles along his back—it all seemed deliberate, yet natural.

‘He’s like a masterpiece,’ she thought.

Everything about him seemed perfectly crafted, from his physique to the fluidity of his movements. He was both refined and wild, a paradox she found fascinating. Even his face, which she now recalled in greater detail, had an allure that was almost unreal. If he tied his long, dark hair back, she imagined his sharp features would stand out even more. He looked like someone who didn’t quite belong in the ordinary world.

‘If he dressed more conventionally, he’d be even more striking.’

But his constant lack of a shirt left her flustered, unsure of where to focus her gaze. Every time she looked at him, her heart raced—not purely out of nervousness or fear, but something else entirely. Curiosity, perhaps? Or maybe… attraction? Yet, despite her rapid heartbeat, his presence strangely put her at ease.

‘I feel lucky to have him here,’ she admitted to herself.

“This way,” he said suddenly, his deep voice cutting through her thoughts.

Suji startled, looking up. “Huh?” she managed, snapping out of her reverie. He was staring at her, his black eyes sharp, as if silently questioning what she had been thinking.

‘About you,’ she thought, flustered, but instead quickly turned her attention to where he was pointing.

“Oh…”

Ahead, the mist thinned, revealing a low-lying marshland. The morning sunlight reflected off the reeds, which swayed gently in the breeze. Scattered patches of mossy green bogs dotted the landscape, and beyond them lay a vast black lake that shimmered ominously. It was a strange blend of beauty and eeriness, like a scene from a dream.

“Kariban,” the man said, his gaze fixed ahead.

“Kariban?” Suji repeated, testing the unfamiliar word on her tongue.

It felt smooth, almost melodic. Was it the name of the place? The landscape? She wasn’t sure, but it rolled off her lips easily.

“Kariban,” she murmured again, the word lingering in her mind as she stared at the surreal scenery before them.

The man watched Suji intently before turning and stepping into the reed forest. Suji hesitated, her unease bubbling as a flock of two-headed birds burst from the reeds with loud cries, just as they had the day before. He paid the chaos no mind, crouching down to search for something amidst the foliage.

“Eggs?” Suji asked as he stood, holding two pale white eggs in his hands. Without hesitation, he cracked one open and drank from it right there.

“Here,” he said, holding the other egg out to her. It was an unspoken command. Suji felt her throat tighten as thirst clawed at her. Above them, the birds screeched, their wild cries unsettling her, as if they might swoop down for vengeance at any moment. Yet the man seemed utterly unbothered, even defiant, as he poked a small hole in the egg and held it closer to her.

When Suji hesitated, he yanked her forward by the neck, his grip firm but not painful.

“I-I’ll eat it!” she stammered, flustered by the sudden motion. She had no intention of letting him force-feed her again—not when the memory of his lips and tongue still lingered, hot and mortifying.

“Eating it like that… it might, uh, give me a stomachache…” she trailed off weakly, feeling her face grow warm.

The man studied her, his gaze unwavering. Her flushed cheeks and stammered words seemed to amuse him. She looked almost delicate, a small flower caught in a storm. He found himself wanting to taste her again—just to see if her flavor matched her expression.

Her rapid heartbeat betrayed her emotions. It wasn’t only her pulse that quickened; his own body responded in kind. The warmth that had stirred earlier in his lower abdomen returned, ignited by the way she stared at him, her wide eyes both alluring and vulnerable.

‘What a fascinating woman.’

While he analyzed her every reaction, Suji was caught in her own thoughts, her gaze wandering over his face.

‘How is he so impossibly perfect?’

The way his black hair shimmered under the morning sun, the sharp cut of his jawline, and those intense, dark eyes—it all seemed unreal, like a portrait of a nobleman hanging in an old European castle. His expression, so often set in a cold smirk or mocking tilt, only added to the otherworldly aura.

‘He’s the kind of person everyone admires but no one dares to approach,’ she thought, her heart racing as she realized she could barely find a flaw in him.

If there was one thing that unsettled her, though, it was his eyes. Beneath their sharp focus, there was an emptiness that tugged at her heart in a way she didn’t understand. She wanted to reach out, to soothe whatever lay behind those hollow depths. It wasn’t like her—this urge to comfort someone, to hold them close.

‘It must be the situation,’ she reasoned. ‘Anyone would feel this way after being saved in a place like this.’

It was a shaky justification, but it was the best she could come up with.

“C-could you step back a little?” she asked, trying to put some distance between them. His proximity was overwhelming, her racing heart practically screaming at her to get some space.

But instead of retreating, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own.

Suji froze, caught completely off guard. His kiss was firm, decisive, and utterly unapologetic. He wasn’t a man to hesitate—if she seemed like she wanted it, he’d simply give it to her. His lips pressed hard against hers, his tongue parting them easily as he deepened the kiss.

“Mm…!”

His tongue moved with purpose, hot and insistent, coaxing hers to respond. Suji felt her mind spin as her body betrayed her. The heat of his touch sent a shiver down her spine, and she couldn’t help the warmth pooling low in her stomach. Her knees grew weak, and she clung to his shoulders for support.

The kiss was intoxicating, his skill evident in every motion. Suji couldn’t think—couldn’t fight it. Her body trembled as she felt herself melting into him.

When he finally pulled away, his voice was low and teasing, like melted sugar. “Not bad, right?”

Her breath hitched as she stared at him, her face flushed and her fingers trembling against his broad shoulders. She couldn’t control the frantic pounding of her heart.

“You’re excited,” he noted casually, a sly smile curling his lips. He could feel the heat radiating from her, the way her body responded without hesitation. He didn’t need words to know how deeply his touch had affected her.

The subtle, tantalizing scent of her arousal brushed his senses, and for a moment, his instincts urged him to claim her completely. But he hesitated. Suji wasn’t just anyone. She was… different.

She wasn’t someone to be taken recklessly. Not yet. He decided to wait, to see where this would lead. For now, he could enjoy her flustered reactions, the way she avoided his gaze as if trying to compose herself.

She wasn’t ready to fully accept him, not yet. And that was fine. For now.