HPV 34

I pulled a toy-sized cauldron out from the baggage.

“You’ve done well.”

Lately, Yurichen seemed to praise me whenever I did anything, but it must’ve been just my imagination.

Probably just a generous gesture, nothing more.

Anyway, when I handed the cauldron to Penzey, he lifted the magic spell cast on it.

The tiny cauldron instantly grew large enough to boil even Buzan inside if we wanted.

We split the campfire into two: one side to boil water for bathing, and the other to simmer a stew with all the ingredients thrown in at once.

Yurichen surveyed the surroundings.

The trees weren’t dense enough to wash behind them unseen.

But not far away, there was a dip in the ground.

If we washed down there, we wouldn’t be visible to the others.

“Let’s go down two at a time to wash, and then come back.”

“So we have to pair up, huh? I…”

“Penzey, go with Paronai.”

The mage had no say in the matter.

No matter how disappointed Penzey looked, Yurichen fell into deep thought, serious and troubled.

Bathing outdoors was no light decision for him. As the High Priest, he couldn’t easily show his body to others.

But on this journey, where no one could demand special treatment, he couldn’t exactly flaunt his status either.

Someone among us had to see his body.

Though he had occasionally glanced at me—not unpleasantly—in the end, he chose someone else.

“…Bzhan, come with me.”

The boy who seemed barely present, not even looking at Yurichen.

Since Bzhan’s figure was invisible, to our eyes it simply looked like Yurichen was heading down alone.

‘But in the end, I didn’t have any choice either.’

When we were deciding the bathing order, I had volunteered to go last.

No one even asked Banwes.

When Paronai asked why, Banwes cut in, almost vengefully.

“He’s slow and takes forever to bathe.”

That was exactly what I was going to say, but it felt completely different when Banwes said it.

Our gazes clashed, equally displeased.

When Penzey and Paronai went down, we could hear them giggling and splashing water at each other.

Once they came back, I got up.

Banwes naturally followed behind me.

Since I didn’t have the strength to lift my own steaming bucket of water, Banwes carried mine as well.

The summer night air was slightly chilly.

Beside me, I could hear Banwes rustling, undressing. Having my own water bucket made me unexpectedly happy.

It was true that I took a long time bathing.

The others probably thought it was because I was a pampered noble who didn’t mind wasting water and time.

But it wasn’t a habit from the cult.

Back then, I had to wash quickly.

They only gave me water when my stench became unbearable—dirty cold water with black, foul-smelling soap made from ashes.

Even then, I had eagerly looked forward to those rare baths.

But the moment I actually got to bathe, it was always rushed, because the cult members would leer at my bare skin, turning it into a battle of nerves.

Even amid all that, I stubbornly refused to cut my hair.

Maintaining it in such desperate conditions meant I had to be fast.

My hair was the only thing they never took from me.

Living that way for twenty years, now bathing slowly like this felt like something only royalty could enjoy. So I was savoring it.

Staring endlessly at the clean water, enjoying the heat melting my body, splashing the water to float little leaves for fun.

I found a suitable rock and sat atop it to wash. I cleaned my body with mild soap, and poured hot water over myself.

My wet hair clung to my waist, so I gathered it up and lifted it high.

The towel I had draped over my knees slid down, but I couldn’t pick it up—both my hands were busy holding my hair.

My pitiful body was exposed to the open air—a flat, unimpressive chest, a slender waist almost embarrassing for a man, and a round backside.

Banwes, turning his head indifferently, ended up glancing at my body without meaning to.

“You…”

He suddenly shot to his feet, his face freezing over like he’d seen a ghost.

Water dripped from his muscular torso, still wet from bathing.

His heavy footsteps thudded toward me—straight and unerring.

I, instinctively frightened, let go of my hair.

At once, rough hands grabbed both my arms.

I was shoved down onto my back.

He pinned me like a madman, his body looming over mine.

Grabbing my left leg, he lifted it up, and stared fixedly at the inside of my bare thigh—where not a single thread of clothing remained.

A flashback struck me: the shameful memory of waking to find Banwes sucking at my tongue.

I clumsily covered my most important parts with one hand and snapped at him.

“What now, damn it?!”

Then realizing my voice was too loud, I hurriedly clamped my mouth shut.

“You… this mark.”

Banwes crouched on the ground, lowering his head.

Then he carefully examined between my legs.

“Was that always there?”

Only then did I lift my head in confusion.

I could see Banwes’s broad shoulders as he leaned down to inspect something.

He said there was some kind of mark on me, but with him holding onto my ankle, I couldn’t change my position.

I twisted my body, trying to see it too, but it was in a spot completely out of my view.

“That’s a mark the demon left on you.”

The man who had just attacked me while I was bathing now looked like a grim reaper.

His eyes were so ruthless it seemed he might slice open my thigh right there. I barely managed to hold back a shiver and force myself to breathe. I gave up trying to look between my legs, because Banwes was sitting there.

“If someone else sees your naked body, they’ll spot that mark too. Don’t ever undress in front of others.”

It was a warning that made the backs of my knees go numb.

“……Got it.”

My strength drained from my waist.

Oddly enough, it wasn’t the existence of the mark itself that crushed me—it was the helplessness of not even being able to see it myself.

Bathing or anything else didn’t matter anymore; I just wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere. But I was traveling with a group of heroes right now. And trapped between the ground and Banwes’s body.

“If you get it, then why aren’t you moving?”

Banwes stared down at me without budging.

This time, he looked at my face.

His red eyes gazed at me so quietly it was eerie, as if blood might drip from them.

“A demon left a mark on you. And you’re not even the least bit alarmed? Why aren’t you asking for help?”

“I did ask you. I told you to move so I could get up!”

“You should be asking me to take away the demon.”

His gaze, full of contempt, circled my face.

Then it clicked: Was he… not moving because he was trying to remove the demon right now?

His unmoving posture gave me the answer.

If we went back up, we’d be surrounded by the others, so this really was his only chance.

Still—

“At least let me put some clothes on first…!”

I was naked too, but having Banwes also naked made it even worse.

At least he had a towel wrapped around his waist, but me—

“Are you telling me to dodge something I’ve already bowed down for?”

He gave me a look full of irritation, then, without waiting, bent his head down and pressed his lips against mine. It was painfully clear that I was the one who needed help here. I couldn’t resist any longer; easily, I parted my lips.

A hot tongue brushed over my lips and smoothly pushed its way inside.

As our lips rubbed together, a strange sensation made my body tremble all over.

My knees jerked and bumped into Banwes’s body.

I think he flinched too, though I wasn’t sure.

Supporting himself with one arm, Banwes briefly pulled his lips away. A thin thread of saliva connected us.

Then he grabbed my chin with one hand and forcefully tilted my head back. His tongue slid in again.

“Ugh…”

The discomfort that had been pooling in my body was dragged upward each time Banwes sucked wetly at my mouth.

My damp breaths escaped raggedly. His tongue pressed and mashed the tender parts of my mouth, then rubbed against my own.

A strange moan slipped out of me as I turned my head.

Why… why was it that it was just our lips moving, yet my lower belly was tightening up?

It almost felt like the demon itself was sitting down there. When I had taken the demon from Banwes before, it hadn’t been like this.

Now, a tingling current seemed to run up my spine. I jolted, pressing my back to the cold ground and lifting it again.

Banwes swallowed thickly, then bit my lower lip.

Just as he was starting to rise, his gaze caught on something—it landed right on my center.

His expression blanked out.

In a panic, I shoved myself up and rammed my head into Banwes’s arm.

I snatched up the fallen towel and threw it over my lower body.

“You saw wrong.”

“……”

“I said you saw it wrong!”