HHLP Chapter 12

Chapter 12. The Forest of Honeymoon

 

They were on their way back after greeting Blanca’s family.

As they walked, Leon noticed a familiar fruit among the bushes.

“This is…!”

“?”

Ar turned to glance at him but didn’t pay any attention to the fruit.

She had tried it once before and found it unbearably bitter, so she had ignored it ever since.

“Aren’t these Koi berries?”

Leon looked at them excitedly. He hadn’t expected to find the berries used in one of his favorite drinks here.

Deciding to collect some, he thought about making a drink for Ar as well.

Seeing Leon clumsily but eagerly picking the berries, Ar didn’t understand his fondness for bitter things, but she helped him anyway.

Together, they managed to fill their pockets and headed home.

Back at the cabin, Leon eagerly prepared the Koi berries in the way he enjoyed most—grinding them and mixing them with boiling water.

He explained that sugar or milk could be added to adjust the taste and suggested Ar try it plain first before deciding on any additions.

Following his advice, Ar took a sip of the bitter drink, then immediately added a generous amount of sugar and a splash of milk.

When she took another sip, the drink had transformed into something delightfully bittersweet, suiting her taste perfectly.

As she drank eagerly, Leon watched her with satisfaction.

However, in his excitement over finally enjoying his beloved Koi tea again, Leon had overlooked one crucial detail—the effects it could have on someone trying it for the first time.

Unlike him, who had grown accustomed to it over the years, Ar was experiencing the tea’s infamous side effect for the first time.

The nickname of Koi tea—the “Elixir of Passion”—was not given lightly.

At first glance, Ar didn’t seem any different. She was a little more affectionate than usual, but that was nothing out of the ordinary.

The real problem was Leon, who had long since gotten used to her affectionate nature and let his guard down.

That mistake would soon lead to his downfall.

“Sit down.”

Ar guided Leon to sit on the bedding beside the bed.

He followed without resistance, accustomed to her affectionate gestures.

As expected, she immediately showered him with kisses, something he had long grown used to.

Satisfied with his passive acceptance, Ar buried her face in his neck. Each breath against his skin made Leon tense up, his senses suddenly heightened.

Then, as usual, she inhaled deeply, as if savoring his scent.

“What are you—?!”

And then—she bit him.

It wasn’t painful, just a playful nibble, but Leon nearly jumped out of his skin.

His already heightened senses made the sensation overwhelmingly intense, sending a shiver down his spine.

Worse still, while Ar seemed unaware, Leon’s lower body had already begun reacting.

The tension building there was undeniable.

Desperately, he tried to push her away, but when she looked up at him with slightly furrowed brows and a questioning gaze, all strength left his arms.

“You don’t like it…?”

“No, it’s not that, but…”

Flustered and struggling to find the right words, Leon hesitated. Ar watched him curiously, then slowly licked the spot she had bitten.

“A-Ar…!”

At that very moment, Leon’s body responded instinctively. The unexpected reaction caught Ar’s attention.

Before Leon could stop her, she reached down and grabbed him.

“Wait! Just—wait…!”

But his protests faded into ragged breaths as her hands explored him. His heavy breathing and flushed expression only fueled Ar’s curiosity.

She had never experienced anything like this before, but some things didn’t need to be taught—instinct guided her.

The desire to connect with her beloved consumed her, and she clung to Leon even tighter. Their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss, tongues entwining in a heated dance.

Soon, they collapsed onto the bedding, bodies pressed together as Ar’s hands roamed lower.

Leon, his mind clouded with desire, weakly grabbed her wrist as she reached for his waistband. But his grip lacked strength.

At last, his pants were undone. As she wrapped her fingers around him, he couldn’t suppress a moan.

And then—

“….”

Ar suddenly stopped.

The abrupt halt left Leon confused. He opened his eyes, panting, to find Ar staring at what she held in her hands.

Blushing furiously, he called her name.

“Ar…?”

She looked up at his face, then back down again.

“This is…”

Her brows furrowed slightly before she delivered the final blow.

“It’s ugly.”

For a moment, Leon forgot how to breathe.

“I thought everything about you would be beautiful, but this…”

She wrinkled her nose slightly.

“This is kinda gross.”

Leon did not recover for a long time.

 

***

 

The Next Morning

Leon woke up with an unsettling feeling. The moment he opened his eyes, he instinctively checked the spot beside him.

“…!”

Ar was lying on the bed, sweating profusely, letting out weak groans.

Alarmed, Leon immediately reached out and touched her forehead. A faint fever radiated from her skin.

Panic-stricken, he lifted the blanket slightly—

A sharp scent of blood filled the air.

“Ar!”

Leon’s eyes widened in horror. He quickly looked down. Her lower body was covered in blood.

The sight left him momentarily dizzy.

Ar stirred at the commotion, groggily opening her eyes.

“Ar! Are you alright? When did you start bleeding this much?”

His voice wavered, bordering on hysteria. To him, she looked like someone suffering from a life-threatening illness.

Ar barely glanced at her blood-stained clothes before nonchalantly patting his hand in reassurance.

“It’s fine… this happens every month…”

Her weak, exhausted voice only made Leon’s face pale further.

“You mean this happens often?! Do you know what illness this is?”

Leon was already contemplating treatments and possible remedies when Ar sighed and pointed weakly to the bedside drawer.

“It’s a monthly thing. Just get me some cloth from there. And fresh clothes.”

“Every month…?”

Leon froze.

As realization slowly dawned on him, his face turned bright red.

He had just made a complete fool of himself.

Still flustered, he followed her instructions, pulling out clean cloth and spare clothes.

When he returned, Ar had barely managed to sit up.

He hesitated, watching her with concern.

“Can you change on your own?”

Ar’s eyes lit up mischievously.

“You’ll dress me?”

“…!”

Leon’s face burned. Without another word, he grabbed the soiled laundry and fled the room.

Ar, disappointed, clicked her tongue and sluggishly changed into fresh clothes.

Meanwhile, outside, Leon anxiously washed the stained cloth, his mind spinning.

As he watched the endless stream of red bleeding into the water, his stomach twisted.

‘How can such a delicate body lose this much blood…?’

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Leon didn’t know what to do, feeling helpless as he watched Ar groaning in bed, unable to even sit up.

After hanging the laundry, Leon returned to the room and gently wiped the sweat from Ar’s forehead.

Carefully pressing a towel against her face and neck, he softly asked,

“Do you want anything to eat?”

“Meat.”

Even without opening her eyes, Ar buried her face in the bedding and made her request with clear pronunciation.

Leon decided to interpret her words in his own way.

He grilled a well-aged cut of meat—one of Ar’s favorites—and simmered it into a hearty soup, adding medicinal herbs that were said to be good for the body.

The result, however, was a broth filled with bitterness.

The moment Ar took a sip, her face scrunched up in displeasure. Even without words, Leon could tell exactly what she was thinking.

She looked at him with eyes full of reproach, as if asking why he would make her eat something like this.

“You have to eat well when you’re sick.”

Leon said, feeling guilty as he gently patted her and lifted another spoonful of the herbal soup to her lips.

Ar glared at the shimmering liquid, then shifted her gaze to Leon’s worried face.

With a resigned sigh, she reluctantly opened her mouth and swallowed another spoonful.

“Ugh.”

The sharp bitterness spread across her tongue, making her frown.

Then, without warning, she leaned in and pressed her lips against Leon’s, murmuring,

“Bitter.”

Now, Leon could taste the bitterness she had endured. Yet, despite that, he couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she looked.

Praising her for eating well, he scooped up another spoonful.

Though Ar obediently swallowed each bite, she made sure to share the bitterness with him every time.

Once breakfast was finished, Ar lay back down in bed. Normally, she would have been restless, unable to roll around as usual due to her discomfort.

But as she watched Leon—his brows furrowed in worry, constantly checking on her—her tension eased.

That day, Ar allowed herself to be pampered, fully embracing her weakness.

And Leon, though he took care of her with unwavering devotion, only felt more and more concerned, tirelessly bustling about to do even more for her.

And so, another day passed in their secluded cabin.

 

***

 

A few days later, thanks to Leon’s devoted care, Ar had not only recovered but felt even more energetic than usual.

As she strolled lightly through the forest, taking small sips from a drink Leon had specially prepared for her, she mused to herself,

‘Everything Leon makes tastes good.’

Humming the rhythm he had once taught her, Ar moved gracefully, stepping carefully on sturdy tree roots to avoid making noise. She looked every bit the seasoned hunter.

She also quietly hummed a song Leon had sung to her before, all while checking the traps she had set up.

Satisfied with her small bounty, she tucked it into her pouch and quickened her pace, eager to return to Leon.

As she moved swiftly through the forest, her keen eyes caught sight of something unusual.

Ar nearly passed it by, but she hesitated, lowering herself to take a closer look.

Pushing aside the fallen leaves, her face lit up with excitement.

In the next instant, she sprang to her feet and dashed home.

 

***

 

That evening, before darkness fully settled, Ar dragged Leon into the forest.

One hand clutched a bag stuffed with every large container she could find in the house, while the other firmly held Leon’s hand.

Though the uneven forest terrain made walking difficult, she insisted on keeping their fingers intertwined.

Leading him to the spot she had marked earlier, Ar finally stopped, recognizing a familiar tree stump.

She carefully arranged the containers around it before turning to Leon, pressing a hand firmly onto his shoulder.

“Sit down.”

At her words, Leon immediately recalled the last time she had said those exact words. His face flushed as he grasped her hand resting on his shoulder.

“Ar… Even if it’s just the two of us here, we’re still outside….”

It hadn’t been long since that happened, and lately, his mind had been filled with thoughts of those moments.

Leon hesitated, unsure whether he was trying to stop her or encourage her.

She easily intertwined her fingers with his and gently brushed her fingertips against his palm.

Leon let out a shaky breath, melting under her touch.

And so, as she guided him, he sat down without resistance, murmuring weakly,

“The ground is rough… If you get scratched…”

Ignoring his concerns, Ar lowered her head and placed a soft kiss on his hair.

‘I should have brought a cloak to lay down.’

Leon thought with regret.

As he cursed his lack of foresight, Ar, now fully satisfied with her stolen kiss, took her place beside him.

She nestled close to his side.

…And that was all.

“…”

Leon felt his face heat up for an entirely different reason now.

Embarrassed by his own imagination, he suffered in silence.

Unaware of his turmoil, Ar snuggled against his neck, enjoying his warmth.

Leon inhaled sharply. Her breath tickled his skin, further unraveling his frayed nerves.

Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to stay still.

Meanwhile, his hands, resting on his lap, clenched into trembling fists, the veins on his neck standing out in tension.

“Oh.”

Ar curiously observed the blue-tinted veins beneath his pale skin.

Having seen them with her eyes, she now wanted to feel them with her tongue, leaning in ever so slightly.

But before she could, Leon, sensing her intent, hastily diverted her attention.

“D-Didn’t you say you had something to show me?”

Ar blinked, realizing she had been too excited and had dragged him here without explaining anything.

She quickly picked up a twig and brushed away the leaves around the containers.

“Here. Look at this.”

“Mushrooms?”

“Mm-hmm. Look at the tips.”

The mushrooms she pointed to had delicate, fluttering caps, with their edges curling slightly upward.

“When the edges turn up like this, it means the Glowing Dew Mushrooms will shine tonight.”

“Oh! Is this the one you mentioned before—the one that glows blue?”

Leon recalled what she had told him. Since they emitted light at night, all they had to do was wait.

Leaning back against the tree stump, they idly played with each other’s fingers as the sun set.

The forest was quickly swallowed by darkness.

Suddenly, Ar squeezed his hand.

Leon turned to her, only to see her lifting her other hand, pointing at something. He followed her gaze and fixed his eyes in the same direction.

The forest was now pitch black.

Tonight, the moon was hidden behind clouds, and only the stars faintly twinkled above.

Then, it happened.

A faint shimmer flickered at her fingertip. At first, it seemed like a trick of the eye, but soon, the glow remained steady, gradually intensifying until it burst into a deep, radiant blue.

The entire scene was bathed in ethereal light.

Mesmerized, Leon turned to look at Ar—only to find her watching him, her dark eyes reflecting the brilliant blue glow.

For a long moment, they simply gazed at each other. Then, as her eyes crinkled into a smile, Leon instinctively leaned in.

In the deepening night, their silhouettes melted together.

The next thing Leon knew, the glowing light had vanished. Only the soft rustle of leaves and the distant twinkling stars remained.

A pang of quiet loneliness flickered across his face.

While he was lost in thought, Ar busily gathered the containers, now filled with the melted essence of the mushrooms.

“After glowing, they dissolve completely.”

Carefully pouring the precious liquid into a bottle, she grinned as she handed it to Leon.

“This tastes amazing.”

She urged him to take a sip. Trusting her, Leon downed a mouthful.

“It’s sweet, isn’t it?”

Indeed, the drink was incredibly sweet—smooth and refreshing, with no lingering bitterness.

Just as he was about to take another sip, Ar suddenly pulled the bottle away.

“My turn.”

Instead of drinking from the bottle, she pulled Leon in for a kiss.

As expected, he tasted just as sweet.

Beneath the moonless sky, the lovers remained entwined, whispering their affections deep into the night.

The forest embraced them, shielding them in its quiet darkness.