Chapter 23
Chapter 23
“J-just… please bear with it a little longer… I’ll be done… soon….”
She stammered, but Camellia’s hand gripping my clothes didn’t stop in the slightest.
Srrrk—
My sweat-soaked, worn-out shirt slipped down helplessly.
Cool air brushed against my bare skin in an instant. My upper body—lined with lean muscles built from hard labor and scattered with countless scars—was fully exposed to the open air.
“……”
Camellia froze.
Her gaze slowly traced down from my neck to my collarbone, then to my abs. As her eyes followed that blatant path, her milky-white cheeks flushed bright red, as if they might burst at any moment.
At this rate, it felt like steam might shoot out of the top of her head.
I, too, was overwhelmed by sudden embarrassment and blurted out words as if chased.
“C-Camellia… your face is really red right now… Are you maybe catching a cold or feeling sick somewhere—”
“I-it’s not red! I-I’m fine!”
She shook her head vigorously in panic.
“T-taking care of a patient is only natural! I’m just… doing my duty!”
Her voice was firm, but the hand holding the warm, damp cloth trembled every time it touched my chest.
The faint warmth from her fingers through the cloth only made my nerves more sensitive.
This cramped, run-down house in the slums.
The only obstacle—the dragon—had left to earn meat money, and the front door was tightly shut.
In the silent space, only the heat rising from the basin of warm water and the faint soap scent from Camellia lingered thickly in the air.
“Hngh….”
She leaned in closer to clean my upper body more carefully.
Her warm breath brushed dangerously close to my neck.
Her touch itself was unbelievably gentle, like handling something precious.
But that wasn’t the real problem.
‘Wait… this is way too close….’
The problem was the distance.
I blinked blankly, staring into empty space, unable to decide where to look.
If I lowered my gaze even slightly, I’d see past the neckline of her dress. If I looked forward, our eyes would meet directly.
My heart started pounding like crazy.
At this rate, I felt like I might lose control.
And with this heavy cast, I couldn’t even move properly.
I drew a final line of defense and shouted firmly,
“Camellia. Ngh… I’m really fine. I’m seriously okay, so you can stop now!”
At that moment—
Her hand stopped.
“……”
She lowered her head, and a dark shadow fell over her face.
The blush drained instantly, and her eyes lost all light, turning cold and hollow—like staring into a deep abyss.
“…Does my touch… make you uncomfortable?”
A chilling voice struck my ears.
‘Hii?!’
I nearly screamed.
Not again—what’s with that look?!
Why does she fall straight into self-loathing the moment I push back a little?!
That terrifying “darkened archmage ending” I saw before was starting to surface again.
I flailed my casted arm and hurriedly explained,
“O-of course not! Why would I hate it?! You’re taking care of me! I just thought you might feel burdened! I was saying you don’t have to go this far for me!”
My desperate words echoed.
After a suffocating pause—
“…That’s a relief.”
She let out a breath of relief and approached me again with a visibly brighter expression.
No—she didn’t just approach.
She got even closer than before.
As she twisted her body to wipe my side and abdomen, her soft hair brushed against my chin.
“Ugh….”
The warmth—whether from the cloth or her hand—made my whole body burn.
Every touch seemed to melt away my reason.
‘This is insane….’
I fixed my gaze on the ceiling and clenched my trembling jaw, desperately reciting something in my head to stay sane.
‘The East Sea and Mount Baekdu…’
I have to endure this.
‘She’s just sincerely taking care of a patient. If I let my thoughts go astray here, my entire long-term investment plan is ruined. I’ll just become a beast!’
But despite my desperate efforts, things were spiraling out of control.
Because her hand, which had been carefully wiping my chest and abdomen, was slowly… moving downward.
Toward my waist.
“N-Nasus….”
Her trembling voice was half breath.
“D-down there too… I-I can… help….”
Blushing deeply, her shaking hand reached for the string at my waist.
The fragile thread of my sanity was snapping.
“C-Camellia!! Th-that’s really not okay!! I can handle that myself!!”
I shouted in horror.
I tried to twist away, but my casted body only responded with intense pain.
“P-please stay still… You said patients shouldn’t overexert themselves….”
Despite my desperate protests—
Her hand kept moving.
Right as my mental defenses were about to collapse—
—BOOM!!
The front door burst open like thunder.
“Nasus!! We’ve got a problem!!”
“…E-Erika?!”
I turned my head in shock.
The black-haired dragon who had gone to the construction site was now standing there, breathing heavily.
Camellia’s hand froze just before reaching my waist.
I seized the chance and hurriedly asked,
“Why are you back already?! And what do you mean problem—did something happen at the site?!”
“Problem? No! I am doing perfectly fine!”
Erika frowned and strode in.
“I simply forgot something important!”
“…You mean your lunch? You already took the biggest container!”
“That was lunch!”
She slammed her chest in frustration.
“I forgot my dessert and snack meat! Do you expect me to starve?!”
“……”
This crazy glutton.
While I stood there speechless, Erika rummaged through the kitchen, found extra meat and jerky, and smiled in satisfaction.
“Heh, found it.”
She turned to leave—then stopped.
Her red eyes scanned the scene.
A grown man lying shirtless with a cast.
A woman frozen over his lower body.
“…What are you two doing?”
“Ah….”
Camellia snapped back to reality.
“H-hii?! I-it’s not what it looks like!!”
Her entire body flushed red as she jumped away.
“I-it’s just that Nasus can’t move, so I was helping him wash!! It’s completely pure!!”
“Hmm….”
Erika stroked her chin.
“I understand.”
She shrugged.
“Then I’ll return to earning meat money.”
—BANG!
And just like that, the storm passed.
“……”
“……”
Silence fell again—this time unbearably awkward.
I forced a laugh.
“H-ha! She really came back just for snacks….”
Then I quickly added,
“Anyway! Thanks for helping, Camellia. I’ll handle the rest—”
“……No.”
She lifted her head.
Her face was red, but her eyes burned with strange determination.
“I was taught… that what you start, you must finish.”
“Wait, Camellia? You don’t have to force yourself—”
“I’m not forcing myself! I want to help!”
“W-wait—!”
I tried to stop her, but she shook her head firmly.
“Stay still! Patients shouldn’t move!”
“Hey, the one overdoing it is you— Hii?!”
A sudden soft pressure.
A clumsy hand pressing something precious.
And an utterly undignified scream escaped my mouth.