As Rienne’s body trembled, Black asked her a question.
[ Black ] “Are you afraid?”
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
She couldn’t say yes or no.
[ Black ] “Endure it.”
And then his lips fell.
Rienne took a short and sudden gasp. The feeling of someone she couldn’t see kissing the back of her neck was indescribably strange. Was it because it was a place no one had ever kissed her before?
It felt like Black was opening up a part of her that was once hidden away and branding it with a mark.
But she couldn’t say she hated the feeling.
…..This is insane.
The sensation of his lips being slowly drawn across her neckline felt like it was setting fire to her skin. Though her shoulders were once the only thing shaking, strong shivers were now pulsating through her body.
Even as Rienne tightly bit her lip, she couldn’t rid herself of those sensations he left behind.
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
Eventually the soft breathing stopped and Black pulled his lips away from her. But even after such a kiss, he didn’t leave, instead tightly wrapping his arms around Rienne.
[ Rienne ] “Why…….?”
As Rienne asked in confusion, Black put strength into his grip and forced her to lie down. She felt the weight of a familiar blanket covering her body as he dropped himself right next to her.
[ Black ] “I’m sleeping here.”
He wasn’t asking permission for this either.
But despite his demanding words, he didn’t get very close to her. He remained out of reach of the blanket where they wouldn’t touch on accident.
He’s kind yet forceful. Forceful yet kind.
[ Rienne ] “……Without a blanket?”
[ Black ] “Don’t need it.”
[ Rienne ] “But you’ll get cold.”
[ Black ] “My body runs hot. I’ll be fine.”
He turned on his side and looked at Rienne.
[ Black ] “Go to sleep.”
Rienne could feel the side of her face stinging from his gaze. She kept her eyes on the ceiling, not confident enough to face him directly.
Already the tip of her nose was starting to feel cold.
[ Rienne ] “Then……You should get another blanket.”
She couldn’t see him that well from her position, but Black’s shoulders seemed to twitch.
[ Black ] “So I can sleep next to you?”
[ Rienne ] “You’ve already decided to do so, regardless of what I say.”
[ Black ] “There’s a difference between my insistence and you saying it’s okay, Princess.”
[ Rienne ] “Is there? The result is the same in the end, even if I didn’t say anything.”
[ Black ] “…….Can’t it be the same?”
[ Rienne ] “It already is. If you’re going to sleep here, then you shouldn’t have to sleep cold.”
[ Black ] “…….You’re a strange woman, Princess.”
His voice was so low, his words came out like a whisper. Rienne always wanted to say something like that to him, too.
That’s how you appear to me.
A very unusual man.
Whether he acted polite or rude, affectionate or cold—all of those traits were encompassed in a single person, so she had no choice but to accept it all.
[ Rienne ] “Stay here.”
Black was unlikely to get up and get another blanket himself, so Rienne pulled herself out of bed.
[ Black ] “Where are you going?”
[ Rienne ] “The closet.”
From the closet behind the bed, Rienne pulled out an additional blanket that had been stored there in preparation for the colder months of winter. For some reason, Black’s body stiffened as she approached, unfolding the blanket and draping it over him.
Now he won’t be so cold lying next to me.
For some reason, Rienne felt relieved, as if she had done her job.
[ Rienne ] “You should be able to sleep comfortably now.”
[ Black ] “. . .”
Rienne heard Black mutter to himself, but she didn’t bother to ask what he said. She just assumed he was thinking she was strange, just like before.
[ Rienne ] “Goodnight, then.”
The two of them closed their eyes, lying in a single bed with two different blankets.
Eventually, a peculiar night gave way to an even more peculiar morning as Rienne drifted off to sleep first.
*
* * *
*
When Rienne stirred awake, the first thing she noticed was how everything felt too warm.
That doesn’t make sense.
The morning hours were always cold during this particular time of year. When it was like this, her nose would be shivering and her head would still be in a sleepy daze, but her body would wake up nonetheless.
It was a season where the only thing that got her out of bed was forcing herself to open her eyes after hearing Mrs. Flambard’s approaching footsteps.
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
But this time, Rienne’s eyes fluttered open.
And she realized she was in Black’s arms.
Though they fell asleep using separate blankets, for some reason they were using only one now. And just as Black said his body ran hot despite the season, Rienne’s cheek that was up against his chest could attest the truth of that.
[ Rienne ] “Ah……”
But just as Rienne was about to let out a sound of surprise, she bit down on her lip.
Black was still fast asleep.
His eyes were shut so tightly, there were small creases forming between them. Rienne knew he must be exhausted from his injuries, remembering how serious they were. If ever there was a time he was in desperate need of rest, it was now.
…….I shouldn’t wake him.
He was a patient, so naturally he wouldn’t be feeling very well. It was important she let him sleep while he could.
…….But how did I end up sleeping like this?
Right before she fell asleep, she could distinctly remember covering herself with a blanket and lying as still as possible. She felt so nervous she kept her hands close to her chest, too.
So when did he…?
She was surprised she didn’t wake up at any point feeling someone suddenly hugging her.
Even now, an absurd thought came to her that the position she was shocked to have found herself in felt comfortable and cozy—as if that’s how she fell asleep in the first place.
But…
But what was stranger….was that she didn’t hate it.
She didn’t hate the sound of his breathing so close to her, nor the sound of his hair softly rustling as he gently moved in his sleep. Feeling his strong arms tightly holding her wasn’t bad either. She didn’t even mind the loud pounding of her heart.
And Rienne didn’t hate that the first thing she saw when she woke up was the sight of Black’s closed eyes, deep in sleep.
Now that she was seeing him up close, she was noticing how long his eyelashes were. The bridge of his nose was as straight as a ruler and his pale lips had a defined line to them.
Though looking at his lips only reminded her of how he’d kissed her yesterday. The stinging heat she felt in her neck that had spread throughout her body only seemed to return with the thought.
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
The tension that kept her bound in place or that pulsated through her body—neither of them were bad.
I don’t hate any of it.
But the reason as to why was still unknown.
I….. I don’t know why.
Why didn’t she hate it? And why did she want to stay like this? She couldn’t move her body at all and yet she didn’t hate that either.
Everything’s too strange…..
[ Black ] “Mm…..”
Black moved in his sleep.
Putting more strength into his arms, he pulled Rienne even closer to his chest.
The same nose she had just been admiring brushed up against her forehead and his lips were a mere breath away from touching her brow.
Is he trying to wake up?
Rienne completely forgot to blink as she watched Black’s closed eyes.
I hope you’ll sleep for just a little bit longer.
And I hope we can stay like this awhile longer, too…….
But just as that hope entered Rienne’s unconscious mind, Black’s eyes opened as if they’d never been closed at all.
[ Rienne ] “……..!”
[ Black ] “. . .”
While Rienne’s eyes widened, Black’s narrowed. He also seemed to be realizing the position he was in now was very different from the one he fell asleep in last night.
[ Black ] “……..Did I do this?”
[ Rienne ] “I’m not sure.”
[ Black ] “I didn’t know I had this kind of habit.”
Though, despite being surprised, neither of them tried to be the first to break their position.
Rienne thought it was strange how Black was looking at her without even blinking, but she didn’t even seem to notice she was no different.
[ Black ] “I’ve never seen you this close before.”
[ Rienne ] “…..I see.”
As they sat completely still, they were so close their eyes could touch each other.
[ Rienne ] “You have a scar here.”
Time felt like it was moving incredibly slowly. Feeling her eyes start to hurt, Rienne finally blinked as she noticed the remains of a small scar, barely visible on Black’s eyebrow.
[ Black ] “Where?”
[ Rienne ] “Here.”
She reached out, touching her index finger against the scar, just a little paler than the skin around it.
[ Black ] “Is there?”
He seemed like he genuinely didn’t know what she was talking about.
[ Rienne ] “It’s very small. Even I can’t see it that well.”
She wouldn’t have seen it herself if she hadn’t been observing his face from so close.
[ Black ] “You have a freckle here, Princess.”
Rienne felt Black tap his finger in a spot just under her earlobe, near the start of her neckline. Just as his scar was unknown to him, this was unknown to her.
[ Rienne ] “I can’t see it. What does it look like?’
[ Black ] “It’s small and it’s a similar color as my hair. I don’t think many people would see it.”
[ Rienne ] “Yes…..I didn’t know I had a freckle there.”
Black was the first to see it…. Or maybe he was the only one. There was no one else who had ever observed her face this close before.
On an early morning that should have been cold, it was warm, and in the space next to her that was always empty, there was a person instead. She was looking at someone’s face without ever getting tired, as was he.
They were both looking for more things only the two of them could know.
And she didn’t hate it at all.
[ Rienne ] “Is there anything else?”
[ Black ] “I can look if you want.”
[ Rienne ] “Yes, please do.”
Swish.
Black moved his face closer.
As he pushed her hair aside, the grip his arms had on her didn’t loosen in the slightest. Eventually, the side of Rienne’s face and her neck were revealed.
He ran a solitary finger along her jawline.
[ Black ] “There’s nothing here.”
Black took his finger, running it along her neck down near her chest, which was still covered by her nightgown.
[ Black ] “Can I keep looking?”
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
Those words took her breath away.
[ Rienne ] “Well….. You’d need to pull my dress down.”
[ Black ] “Yeah.”
[ Rienne ] “So…..”
[ Black ] “Can I?”
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
As he waited for an answer, he kept gliding his fingers slowly over the neckline of her nightgown.
He didn’t even try to hide the explicit meaning behind the gesture—his blue eyes, closer than ever before, were just as honest.
[ Rienne ] “No, not here.”
And that’s when she realized.
Regardless of his purpose—whether he wanted revenge or whatever—the fact of the matter was that he wanted her.
And my mind isn’t very different, either.
Though she knew he desired her outside of whatever he planned on doing with Nauk, beyond even that, she wanted him to want her.
I wonder…will thoughts like these just end up becoming poison?
Or would it end up just the opposite?
Rienne wanted to know. More than anything, she desperately wanted to know.
[ Rienne ] “Now….it’s too bright out right now.”
[ Black ] “I won’t be able to find anything if I don’t have any light.”
[ Rienne ] “You don’t need that…..if you look closely enough, it doesn’t have to be light.”
[ Black ] “Then, can I take a closer look?”
[ Rienne ] “Somewhere where it’s darker than this.”
[ Black ] “. . .”
Black’s fingers stopped at her neckline. Rienne’s unusual sentiment made his eyebrows tense. He held her face and began gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb, a frown forming in his eyes.
[ Black ] “I wish you knew what you were saying, Princess.”
[ Rienne ] “You….don’t think I do?”
[ Black ] “No, I don’t.”
Black gave a soft sigh.
[ Black ] “That’s why you keep doing these kinds of things without even blinking. You have no idea what you look like to me right now.”
[ Rienne ] “What…..I look like?”
The movement of his hand stopped.
[ Black ] “You don’t want to hear it.”
[ Rienne ] “Is it because I look bad?”
[ Black ] “Other way around.”
That sounded very strange to Rienne.
[ Rienne ] “Why wouldn’t I want to hear it if it’s good?”
[ Black ] “. . .”
Again, Black sighed instead of giving an answer.
[ Black ] “That’s why I said you don’t know.”
[ Rienne ] “Then you can tell me.”
[ Black ] “It’s not something I can talk about.”
[ Rienne ] “Why is that?”
Suddenly, the look in Black’s eyes shifted.
[ Black ] “This is why.”
The hand that was once resting on her cheek found a new place on the bedsheets. As Black lifted himself up, Rienne thought he was merely getting out of bed.
[ Rienne ] “……!”
But that wasn’t what happened.
He was now towering over Rienne, who was lying on her back pinned to the bed—locked between his arms.
[ Black ] “Do you understand now?”
[ Rienne ] “I……think….I do.”
[ Black ] “No. You still don’t get it.”
[ Rienne ] “No, I…..”
Black gave a disbelieving smirk.
[ Black ] “If you knew, you would’ve shoved me off and run away by now.”
[ Rienne ] “What?”
[ Black ] “But it’s too late now.”
And then, without a moment’s hesitation, he lowered his head.
While Rienne’s mouth was slightly parted, he didn’t waste the opportunity, slipping his upper lip in between the gap. Before she even knew it, her lips opened up, giving him more room as she closed her eyes.
[ Rienne ] “. . .”
What started off as a slow, soft, and alluring kiss became more and more needy—like a gentle rain turning to a sudden downpour. She wrapped both her arms around Black’s neck, while he kept one supporting her back, pulling her up to him.
Over time, their position changed. Holding her in his arms, Black fell onto his back, with Rienne following and settling on top of him as her body pressed into his.
But the movement was so frantic, her knee was left to awkwardly push into his leg as they tangled up together.
[ Rienne ] “Wait……”
In the brief moment their lips were apart, Rienne’s breathing was heavy as she spoke.
[ Rienne ] “Wait, your leg…..”
[ Black ] “Leg?”
[ Rienne ] “I thought you were hurt….”
[ Black ] “It’s fine.”
Black cupped the back of her head with his big hand and pulled her right back in.
How do you feel?
