Confusing Warmth
Hayeon, who had been fast asleep in a warm and reassuring embrace, unconsciously burrowed deeper into the chest holding her.
A familiar warmth. The sensation of firm, solid pectoral muscles.
It was so comfortable that she wanted nothing more than to stay like this and keep sleeping.
She tossed lazily, rubbing her cheek against the cozy warmth of the chest.
Wait... was her chest always this hard?
Ksenia's breasts were soft and voluptuous, certainly not hard as a brick wall like this.
As a sudden chill washed over her mind, the sharp, masculine scent tickling her nose forcibly dragged back the memories of last night.
Don't tell me this isn't Ksenia... Oh god, is this...?
Hayeon's eyes snapped open. The memories of last night flashed through her mind.
The goblin's aphrodisiac, the feverish confusion, and the sight of herself clinging to Goldsun, utterly surrendering her body.
The scene of her own undoing amidst the boiling waves of pleasure replayed vividly.
"Aaaah!"
Hayeon shrieked, springing out of Goldsun's embrace as if she had been shot.
The moment her naked skin met the cold cave air, goosebumps erupted all over her body.
Looking around in sheer panic, she quickly snatched Goldsun's coat from the floor and wrapped it tightly around herself.
"Oh, you're finally awake, my sleepy little rabbit."
Unbothered by her sudden movement, Goldsun propped his head up with one arm and looked down at her with a lazy smirk.
His naked physique was as flawless as a sculpted statue, but to Hayeon, he looked like nothing more than a lecherous demon.
"You held onto me so tight I could barely breathe. You kept crying out my name all night, too. 'Goldsun, deeper... deeper!' just like that."
He spoke slyly, gently stroking Hayeon's disheveled hair.
At his touch, the memories of last night rushed back reflexively, making her face flush bright red.
"S-Shut up! G-Get up already! And put some clothes on! You pervert!"
She hastily curled into a ball, crouching down. Her face felt hot enough to combust.
Goldsun chuckled at her reaction, casually standing up in the nude to start tidying up their surroundings.
His movements as he stoked the fire, packed the water skins, and cleared away the remnants of last night were incredibly practiced and relaxed.
With his solid back muscles and bare buttocks on full display, Hayeon couldn't bring herself to look up.
"Here, wash up. I brought some water."
Goldsun set down a large water container and quietly stepped outside, giving her some privacy.
Hayeon stared at his retreating figure for a moment. Once she was sure he was completely gone, she quickly washed herself with the water and scrambled to put on her clothes.
Every time the fabric brushed against her skin, her entire body reacted with hypersensitivity, triggered by the lingering sensations of last night.
Before long, Goldsun returned quietly after scanning the perimeter for any signs of monsters.
After checking the area one last time, he turned to Hayeon and asked in a calm voice,
"Think you can make it back to Akron now?"
Hayeon replied in a voice barely louder than a whisper.
"Yes..."
But the moment she tried to stand, her legs trembled violently from the sheer intensity of last night's activities.
As her body began to tilt, Goldsun quickly stepped in and caught her.
When his strong arm wrapped around her waist, Hayeon felt her heart leap into her throat.
"Walking in this state is out of the question. Get on my back."
Goldsun offered his back.
"I'm fine! I can walk on my—ah!"
Stubbornly trying to take a step, Hayeon's knees immediately buckled, nearly sending her sprawling to the ground.
Flustered, she bit her lip and hung her head.
"...Just a little bit, please."
With her face burning hot, she carefully climbed onto his back.
His back was broad and dependable.
To the point where it was hard to believe he was the same man who had thoroughly ravaged her body last night, the scent and warmth radiating from his back made Hayeon feel strangely at ease.
The memories of last night flickered in her mind, but now, instead of pure humiliation, they felt like a secret memory tinged with a strange, fluttering excitement.
She even found herself harboring the dangerous thought that maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad to be held by him again.
...I want him to hold me again...
Right at that moment, a heavy, firm sensation pressed against Hayeon's buttocks.
Goldsun had playfully squeezed her rear.
"Now, hold on tight. Our little rabbit's bottom is so soft, she might just slip right off."
"You pervert! What do you think you're doing?! Put me down this instant!"
She despised herself even more for letting her heart flutter for even a second.
Hayeon yelled with a bright red face, while Goldsun just laughed heartily and kept walking nonchalantly.
"Hahaha! Your ass is just too tempting, I couldn't help myself. Come on, hold tight. I won't take responsibility if you fall."
With light steps, he carried her on his back, heading toward the familiar city.
Hayeon could feel the familiar city of Akron drawing closer, but for some reason, the warmth radiating from his body felt far more welcoming than the city itself.
By the time they arrived at the Adventurer's Guild Headquarters, the sun was already high in the sky.
Sunlight poured through the glass skylight, and the boisterous voices of adventurers echoed throughout the hall.
As if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Hayeon walked calmly and confidently toward the reception desk.
Riena, who had been buried under a mountain of paperwork, ran over to greet Hayeon warmly.
"Hayeon! Welcome back!"
"Yeah! I'm back, safe and sound, Riena!"
After briefly reporting the completion of her mission to Riena, Hayeon headed to the loot processing counter with her neatly bundled leather pack.
"Three wolves. Harvested without any damage to the pelts."
"Oh, clean work. I'll stamp it right here."
The clerk stamped the logbook and handed over a small pouch containing her reward.
"Base pay plus a bonus for the excellent condition of the pelts. Keep up the good work, miss."
"Yes. Thank you."
Hayeon bowed politely and accepted the coin pouch.
The clinking of the coins inside the pouch sounded exceptionally rewarding.
Watching her from a distance, Goldsun leaned against a wall of the guild hall with his arms crossed, observing her with an amused expression.
The two returned to the Wind's Lodging together. When they opened the door, Serena welcomed them with a warm smile.
"My, you two made it back safely. Hayeon, you look... quite exhausted. Goldsun, you didn't put our young lady through anything too grueling, did you?"
Though Serena's words sounded concerned, her eyes had already pierced right through the subtly shifted atmosphere between the two.
Goldsun let out a laugh and shrugged.
"Grueling? That's harsh. I was just giving her a thorough lesson."
After finishing dinner, Hayeon excused herself to her room, using fatigue as an excuse.
"I'm... a bit tired... I'll head up first."
Left behind in the dining room, Goldsun and Serena exchanged glances, quietly promising themselves another night.
Back in her room, Hayeon went straight to the bathroom.
As hot steam filled the bathroom, her tension melted away, and the memories of last night replayed in her mind like a movie.
The sight of herself losing all reason under the influence of the aphrodisiac, begging him, and the scorching pleasure they had shared.
Eonni... Ksenia-eonni... I'm so sorry...
She closed her eyes and conjured Ksenia's face in her mind.
Her firm yet soft breasts, her passionate kisses, and her deep, unwavering love.
The thought of committing such a betrayal against the woman she loved so dearly made Hayeon's heart ache as if it were tearing apart.
Yet, at the same time, her body began to react strangely once more.
Her skin, sensitized by the hot water, seemed to remember his touch, and an unbearable itch began to bloom between her thighs.
A craving for unfamiliar pleasure rushed in alongside her humiliation. She was furious at her body for reacting on its own, but her flesh, already conditioned to pleasure, utterly ignored her willpower.
"I'm sorry... Eonni... This time, really... I didn't do it on purpose..."
She whispered pleadingly as she slid her hand down between her thighs.
The moment her fingers brushed against her sensitively swollen clitoris, an uncontrollable moan escaped Hayeon's lips.
"Ahhh...! Mnh...! Ahh...! I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Eonni...!"
She writhed in the water. Her fingers grew increasingly bold.
Rubbing her clitoris, she slipped her fingers inside her wet entrance, pumping them in and out.
The sensation of Goldsun's thick, massive length filling her inside, his ragged breath, his hot palms gripping her buttocks.
Every detail came back vividly. Her guilt was crushed beneath the overwhelming waves of ecstasy, and her body craved only stronger stimulation.
"Ah...! More...! Deeper...! Goldsun...! Ahhh...!"
In the end, she cried out his name as she finally came.
Her juices dispersed into the hot bathwater, and she slumped back, completely drained and limp.
Barely managing to drag her exhausted body out of the tub, she roughly dried herself with a towel and crawled into bed.
Curling her arms around herself, she fell asleep amidst a deep sense of shame and confusion.