Episode 38
Episode 38
After they resumed their journey and a week had passed, Aron couldn't help but regret his actions.
He'd brought up something that made Mia feel embarrassed, and now they couldn't even have a proper conversation.
She kept her distance all day, only approaching briefly when it was time to smell his scent each day, but even then she would run away immediately if he tried to talk to her.
'I thought it would last at most a day...'
But with it continuing for a whole week, even Aron was starting to want to resolve the situation.
He was bored without Mia around, especially since he didn't have any close friends to begin with. Meanwhile, Mia herself had good social skills and was chatting with the caravan members.
Maybe it was more about the atmosphere than social skills.
Aron, who stood nearly 2 meters tall, found himself thinking this.
If you compared small, cute Mia to himself, anyone would agree that Mia was easier to get along with.
He watched Mia chatting with the female caravan employees from a distance.
"Tsk... Should I just wait? If I force my way over, she might dislike it."
Though Mia had good social skills, she also had strong cat-like tendencies.
If he stayed still without making any separate moves, she would approach. But if he showed interest in her when she approached, she would distance herself again.
It seemed to be because she was embarrassed, but this time it was a bit excessive, which worried him.
Just then, someone approached from the side.
"Ah, Merchant Leader-nim."
The Merchant Leader gave a light bow in greeting and took a seat beside him.
"It seems like Aron-nim has done something wrong to Mia-nim."
"Ah, yes... A little."
The Merchant Leader's gaze, which had been watching Mia chatting in the distance, turned toward Aron.
"When you make a mistake, you apologize; when you fight, you make up. That's what lovers do, right? Don't worry too much and try talking with her tonight."
"Lovers...?"
"Yes, aren't you lovers? Mia-nim said you two were lovers. That's why we gave you one large tent and put only one bed inside."
She always said it was because of instincts and that she couldn't help it, but behind the scenes she was saying things like this.
Was this also because of Mia's personality?
He found this side of Mia cute too.
"No. We are lovers. It's just that we haven't been dating for long, so she seems to be embarrassed."
"Is that so? She brags about you in front of us... It seems she's quite shy. In such cases, the boyfriend needs to approach her more, you know?"
"Is that so?"
"Of course. Especially for someone like Mia-nim who likes you but can't be honest, it's even more necessary."
The Merchant Leader looked at Mia again.
Mia, who had been chatting with the female employees, seemed to notice their gaze and looked over before blushing bright red.
As she quickly turned her head away, the watching female employees burst into laughter.
"It seems I need to have a talk with her tonight."
*
That evening.
After finishing dinner as usual, I approached Aron to be held in his embrace.
Without saying anything unnecessary, I stood before him, spread my arms, and stared straight into his eyes.
Aron also noticed what I wanted and immediately spread his arms.
"Hup... Haaa..."
I quickly buried myself in his embrace, pressed my face against him, and took a light breath.
The energy and vitality that had been lacking in my body instantly filled up, and life began to return.
While his scent circulated through my body, it was like breathing fresh air.
"Huu..."
If I had just stayed in his embrace and only smelled his scent before leaving, it would have been the same as usual, but this time Aron pulled me into his arms.
I immediately tried to break free, but I lacked the strength.
I spoke to Aron in an irritated voice.
"Let go! I'm going to leave now...! Let me go!"
Even though I'd grown significantly as a beastkin and gained more muscle, breaking free from Aron was impossible.
As I struggled, Aron instead gently pulled my head closer.
Naturally, my face ended up buried in his chest.
'The scent... It's too strong...!'
Because of the increasingly addictive scent, I had been deliberately controlling it. I would smell it briefly, feel good, then breathe fresh air again.
But I hadn't anticipated being forced to inhale his scent so suddenly like this.
"Ugh, ugh...! Hueup... Kyup!"
My movements were rough because I was resisting, which made me take deeper breaths. And just at that moment, Aron pulled my face closer.
In an instant, the intense scent filled my body, and my rationality began to melt away.
My body went limp from the stimulation that far exceeded my limits.
"Huk! Huu... Hueuk..."
"Hey, what's wrong with you all of a sudden. Are you okay?"
At Aron's voice, I looked at him.
Even without looking in a mirror, I immediately realized what my expression must be.
My face was flushed, my eyes were dazed and staring blankly at Aron. My lips were slightly parted, with my red tongue visible between them.
That tongue twitched as if wanting something, licking my lips.
"You really... Huu..."
Aron noticed my gaze and looked down at me. The moment our eyes met. My entire body understood instinctively.
That I wanted to fill the emptiness inside me with him.
That just his scent wasn't enough anymore.
'No. If I wait just a little longer... I'm sure I'll adapt.'
Even as my rationality was melting away in real time, I somehow held on and nodded my head.
My trembling lips moved.
"I'm fine. Really fine... and I won't... run away, so please let me go..."
If I inhaled any more of his scent, it would truly be dangerous.
I was experiencing throughout my entire body what Seoryeong unni meant when she said beastkins act on instinct.
I wanted to wrap my arms around Aron.
I wanted to wrap my legs around his waist.
I wanted to kiss him right then and there.
I wanted to fill my heated lower abdomen with Aron.
Such instincts were swallowing my thoughts, and even my body was trying to submit to him.
"I understand."
Fortunately, Aron carefully released me.
My body collapsed to the ground, and only then did fresh air begin to fill my lungs.
"Haa, suuup... Pahaa... So why did you pull me into an embrace?"
I repeatedly took deep breaths in and out while on the ground.
Only then did the air concentration in my body slowly begin to return to normal.
"Lately you've been running away whenever I try to talk to you, so I wanted to have a conversation..."
"Seems more like you were attempting a physical conversation."
If he had held me just a little longer, we might have ended up having a naked conversation.
I let out a deep sigh and continued speaking.
"Anyway. Please don't suddenly pull me into an embrace like that from now on. I also... have what you might call an appropriate amount."
"Appropriate amount? What appropriate amount?"
"There is such a thing."
I answered vaguely because I didn't want to be honest with Aron about it.
I didn't want to say something like "I have to control myself because smelling your scent makes me feel too good" to a man.
"I won't avoid you from today. I'll talk to you like before when you speak to me... but embracing is really forbidden."
"I understand. By the way, I heard you told the Merchant Leader we're lovers. Did you think this was your chance since Ryeong-i and Eri aren't here?"
Aron looked at me with an expression that seemed to say "I see your true intentions."
I frowned at that irritating expression.
"I just said that because it's the easiest explanation when a man and woman travel together. Actually, since I'm famous, this is the most convenient way."
As the vice-leader of a famous mercenary group, certain information was publicly known.
So instead of telling lies that might be discovered, I simply explained it as having a new lover in a way that wouldn't raise suspicion.
I absolutely didn't have any thoughts about wanting to be Aron's lover.
"Would I want to date you? After you forced yourself on me..."
I sharply turned my head to look away.
If I endured just a little longer, we would reach the Northern Region, and I would adapt to Aron's scent.
Once I finished growing, I could relax from then on.
"Is that so? Well... since we've already said we're lovers, wouldn't it be okay to stay a bit closer?"
"Do we really need to go that far?"
"There's a somewhat troublesome person in the Northern Region, you see. It would be helpful if you could play the role of my lover."
"A troublesome person in the Northern Region?"
I didn't need to think long.
There was a famously problematic figure who immediately came to mind.
"Are you talking about the Northern Duke?"
"Oh, you know about this from your information too?"
I shook my head side to side.
"I just heard about it a few times while taking requests. The duke there is a woman who's looking for a strong man, right? They say she's an old maid with high standards who's having difficulties."
She appeared in the original Black Nightmare game, and I'd also seen her personally while working as a mercenary.
She's pretty, has a good figure, and is capable, but she's really old. Even by reincarnation standards, she's truly an old maid.
No, she's beyond an old maid.
'According to rumors, she's already over 50.'
In this fantasy world, if you become a Swordmaster, you can maintain a youthful appearance.
Your physical abilities aren't different from a young person's either, but from the perspective of a marriage partner, being 50 years old is quite burdensome.
Especially in a medieval fantasy setting where women over 20 are considered old maids.
"Did that person also propose to you?"
"I heard that story once before... but the others refused before I could even decline."
"Ah... I understand what you mean."
It was clearly Seoryeong unni or Eri who refused.
"But does it matter? You like being with women anyway. Seoryeong unni is over 100 years old, and Eri is an elf who could easily be over 1000."
"Both of them would still be young if you convert to human age. But 50 in human years is a bit..."
Unexpectedly, Aron had his own standards.
I thought he would take any pretty woman to bed.
"And... there's also someone I'm a bit worried about."
As he said this, Aron looked at me.
I wasn't sure why his gaze was directed at me, but I nodded anyway.
"Well, I guess that makes sense since you already have Seoryeong unni and Eri. Then... I'll just play along appropriately."
I had no choice but to take on the role of Aron's lover.
Since Aron said he was in a difficult situation.
I really had no choice.
Yeah.