Good Night, Hero
“...Yes, yes???”
“What are you so shocked about?”
“Ah, no....”
I hadn’t done anything like that with Estelle yet!
“There’s no help for it. I’m too hot to hold down.”
...You really don’t care at all?
Celine wore a completely calm expression. She looked as if she had no choice but to do this, her posture perfectly composed.
...It feels like the one who’s acting embarrassed is the weird one.
“Huu, got it.”
I tore off a generous chunk of the roasted meat and held it out to Celine. Celine glanced at the meat I offered, the corner of her mouth twitching upward, then parted her tightly shut lips.
“A~.”
“...Here.”
When I placed the meat between her lips, she kept them closed and began chewing quietly. Then, eyes suddenly wide with surprise, she started to savor it happily.
“Haa~ Now it really seems like real meat.”
“Tastes good?”
“Yes, it’s extremely delicious. As expected from a pig.”
It felt satisfying to eat the meat I’d caught... but does this mean I have to keep feeding her like this?
It was a little embarrassing. Doing something a couple does between themselves with Celine instead of Estelle... was I the only one feeling awkward?
“Hero-nim, one more, please.”
“...Yes.”
But if I stopped feeding her now, it would be weird. I tore off another chunk and offered it. Celine promptly opened her lips and gobbled it down in one bite.
...I felt strangely conflicted.
“Mmm~ It’s really tasty. It melts so smoothly in my mouth.”
“I bet it would be even better if we added salt or pepper. Too bad.”
“...I think it’s perfect right now.”
“Eh?”
Wouldn’t it be way better with salt or pepper? When I gave her a puzzled look, Celine smiled softly and answered.
“It’s because Hero-nim fed it to me that it tastes even better.”
...What?
“...Y-yes!?”
“Puhaha!”
I let my bewilderment show, and Celine giggled cutely.
...She was teasing me.
“Celine....”
“Ah, sorry. I saw that Hero-nim was embarrassed, so I couldn’t help but... tease you.”
“...Then of course it’s embarrassing.”
Isn’t it strange that someone wouldn’t be embarrassed?
“Why is that embarrassing?”
“What?”
Well, Celine was a woman and I was a man....
Celine tilted her head slightly and asked.
“If Hero-nim doesn’t feel anything special about me, there’d be nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s a bit odd.”
“...Eh?”
“Does that mean you’re overly conscious of me?”
Wh-what? Of course it’s impossible not to be conscious. After all, it’s a grown man and woman, and Celine is really pretty....
Celine was a beauty with an entirely different charm from Estelle. Her light brown hair glowed faintly red when kissed by sunlight, her eyes like polished rubies, her round face, her delicate features, and snow-white skin.
Honestly, I could understand why Levius had been so obsessed. Living next to a woman like this must have been torture. But that didn’t make Levius any less of a bastard.
While I stood there speechless, Celine chuckled and said.
“...Hero-nim.”
“Yes?”
“If you keep giving me leeway, I’ll get tired too.”
“...Eh?”
...What does that even mean?
Celine gave me a meaningful smile and pointed at the meat.
“Give me more. I’m still hungry.”
“...Yes.”
Crap... now I’m getting even more conscious.
After that, Celine and I continued descending slowly downward from the spirit stone outcrop. The weather here was bitterly cold, so we had to light fires every now and then to warm her body, which slowed our progress considerably.
“Cough!”
“Celine?”
“Ah... sorry. It’s probably because it’s still a bit cold....”
A cold. In situations like this, even a minor illness was bad news.
“Can I heal a cold with divine power?”
“It’s possible, but... honestly, this kind of ailment can only have its symptoms alleviated at best. If divine power could cure every disease and plague, soldiers wouldn’t be dying from illnesses in the first place.”
That made sense. It was different from wounds.
“..For now, let’s rest here. It looks like it’s better not to push too hard.”
“I’m sorry, it’s because of me....”
“There’s nothing you have to apologize for. It’s cold, after all.”
Because she had traveled with Levius, Celine immediately apologized whenever she felt like she was inconveniencing someone, no matter how slightly.
“...Thank you for your consideration, Hero-nim.”
“Stay here for now. I’ll go gather some firewood.”
While I went to collect wood, I reviewed our situation. It had been roughly a day since we left the plateau, and even though we moved slowly, it still didn’t feel like we had descended far.
The food supply was fine because we had dried the boar meat we caught... but the water was the problem. The canteen we had was nearly empty, so we would need to find a way to get more.
“...Do I have to melt snow and drink it?”
But how could I drink water that might contain bacteria and viruses? We didn’t even have a way to boil it. There were no rivers... or at least not yet. We would need to go lower for that.
I shook the canteen; there was still enough for a few sips. If I rationed it, I might last until tomorrow.
After gathering the firewood, I returned to Celine. As I kindled the fire, I asked her.
“Celine, how’s your body?”
“...I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“...Hmm, just a moment.”
I reached out and touched her forehead. Celine looked at me with wide eyes, startled.
“...Hero-nim?”
“You have a bit of a fever. Let’s rest here for today.”
“I’m okay though....”
“It’s not okay. We’ll stop here for today.”
If you’re sick, you should rest. The worst moment I remembered suffering from a fever was when I had to do homework and sat in front of my computer.
I handed her the nearly empty canteen and said.
“Drink plenty of water. There’s still plenty of food left, so eat up.”
“...There’s not much water left, Hero-nim.”
“Drink and get better quickly so I can find more water. You used divine power to alleviate the symptoms, right?”
“Yes... I managed to do it to some extent.”
Then it should have been boiling by now. The problem really was that she was wearing so little.
“For now, why don’t you bless yourself?”
“No, it’s fine... I don’t want you to catch a cold because of me.”
...That was true. If both of us got sick, it would complicate things.
“Just drink this and the water quickly and go to sleep. Resting comfortably will help you recover.”
“...Yes.”
Because of my firm attitude, Celine obediently nodded. After our simple meal, Celine curled up and soon began to doze off.
“...Celine, rest comfortably.”
“The ground is hard though....”
“Then not there.”
I patted my thigh and said.
“Here.”
“...Eh?”
“...N-never mind. I’m telling you this because I’m embarrassed too... you should lie down and sleep when you’re sick.”
“.......”
Celine hesitated for a moment. Perhaps even a knee pillow was embarrassing for her.
But what else could I do? I wasn’t doing this out of ulterior motives. It was just that the situation was the situation.
...It’s true.
“...Then I’ll excuse myself.”
Celine carefully leaned her head against my thigh.
I turned my gaze to the campfire. Soon, soft, steady breathing sounds came from below. Watching her sleep with her head on my thigh was surprisingly adorable.
Looking at her up close like this, she really was beautiful. How was this a real face?
...I must have been staring too much.
“...I should sleep too.”
Since we were on a spirit stone outcrop, it didn’t look like monsters would appear anytime soon. I closed my eyes for a bit.
“...Hero-nim?”
Celine woke up with a start. Judging by how much she had slept, the blessings of Solaria had already vanished, and darkness had fallen over the sky. Yet the gentle moonlight of Lunaria was still illuminating the world here and there.
Even on the white hair of Abel, who had been snoring peacefully while sitting, a faint lunar glow spilled down. Watching that Abel made Celine’s lips curve into a smile on their own.
“...You must have been really tired.”
Ever since yesterday, Abel hadn’t slept much. Even at night he had curled up beside Celine, acting as the night watch. I had thought he was fine despite the state he was in... but he had only hidden it, apparently he was still exhausted.
Celine reached up to touch her own forehead. The fever had eased slightly, but it wasn’t severe anymore. It was good that her condition had improved so much.
Everything was thanks to Abel’s consideration. Thanks to his words not to worry about the water and food and just eat and rest comfortably, she had been able to sleep deeply.
Celine gazed quietly at the sleeping Abel. His rare white hair, his sharp features, his handsome face that made the word “handsome” come to mind naturally, the firm body honed by training. He was the very image of an ideal man.
Just from his appearance, yet his personality was perfect too. The kind-heartedness befitting a hero, a touch of mischievous innocence, and a voice that listened subtly most of the time. It was like looking at a big, cute puppy.
Honestly, there was no one who couldn’t fall for him. Watching Abel so quietly, Celine murmured to herself.
“Hero-nim... because you don’t realize how you charm women, that’s the problem.”
And she chuckled to herself.
“...But that part is also a cute charm.”
Celine knelt beside Abel and carefully laid him down to sleep.
Just as he had done for her, Celine rested her head on his thigh and whispered tenderly to the sleeping man.
“Good night, Hero-nim.”
And in a tiny, sweet voice, she added one last thing.
“...Sweet dreams♥”