Chapter 170: Picnic (2)
Chapter 170: Picnic (2)
‘Mmm... for some reason... I’m so sleepy...’
The sun was warm, and they were halfway up a gentle, deserted ridge.
The slope was perfect for lying down, and a nearby rock provided just the right amount of shade.
England was famous for its gloomy weather, but today was exceptionally clear. Grace had been worried about the weather while preparing for this picnic, so this was a stroke of luck.
Having filled up on the bulgogi sandwiches Grace had made, Han Shin felt a pleasant sense of satiety. Combined with the mild temperature, drowsiness began to wash over him.
Grace was happy to be on a private date with Han Shin, basking in the warm glow of the sun.
After tucking the basket away into her subspace, she spoke to him softly.
"Han Shin-nim. Please, lie down here."
Grace, who was sitting on her knees, patted her thighs. She wanted to give him a lap pillow.
"Huh? No, it’s okay."
Han Shin declined, worried that her legs would fall asleep, but...
"I truly wish to do this for you."
When Grace, whose tone was usually soft when they were alone, spoke with such firm resolve, Han Shin had no choice but to comply.
Grace wore a navy long dress made of high-quality fabric. As he rested his head on her soft yet firm thighs, he felt a sense of healing wash over him.
‘Come to think of it... have I ever done this before?’
Searching his memory, Han Shin realized he had never received a lap pillow from anyone. Resting on Grace’s lap and feeling her warmth, his mind began to settle.
Without realizing it, his eyelids grew heavy.
Since becoming the Proxy of Tiamat, his physical abilities had far surpassed those of ordinary people and even most Awakeners. Thanks to his powerful recovery skills, he rarely felt fatigue, as his body restored itself almost instantly. However, now that he was in a place of absolute safety, his body finally allowed him to drift toward sleep.
Just as Grace had feared, Han Shin had been deeply scarred and mentally burdened by the loss of life during the recent incident in London.
Only two months ago, Han Shin had been an ordinary person who could barely even look after himself. While Tiamat had strengthened him physically upon making him her Proxy, there were limits to how much she could protect his psyche.
The reason Han Shin hadn't fled in terror or frozen up when facing monsters was partly due to Tiamat’s help, but also because his own mental fortitude was stronger than the average person's.
As for killing the Demonic Humans, he had managed that because Grace and Laysia had drilled it into his head during his training that he must never show mercy to his enemies.
However, he couldn't help but feel a crushing weight of responsibility for the staggering number of innocent victims.
Though he tried to tell himself it wasn't his fault and consciously denied the pain, the trauma didn't fade easily.
He had tried his best not to show it. He didn't want to worry the others.
But the pain was merely suppressed, not gone. He consciously tried not to think about it, but covering a wound doesn't mean it heals instantly.
During their stay at the villa in the UK, Han Shin had remained on high alert, ready for battle at any moment. He feared the escaped Demonic Humans might be plotting something else or attacking more civilians.
To minimize further casualties, he had spent his time glued to the news, communicating with the Association and Kang Yujin instead of doing anything else.
Because of this, for the past two weeks, Han Shin hadn't fooled around or had sex with Grace, Laysia, or Kang Yujin. "Resting" had simply meant staying at the villa and waiting without engaging in active combat.
Now that the situation seemed to have concluded, they were preparing to return to Korea, but he had come out on this picnic at Grace’s request.
Only now, resting his head on her lap at her insistence, did it feel like he was truly resting.
The mental strain of staying tense for so long had been exhausting.
Strangely, the moment he laid his head on Grace’s lap, a sense of psychological relief washed over him. It was the feeling of finally having a place to lean on.
"Han Shin-nim. You don't have to carry so much guilt over what happened."
"...... That... yeah..."
At first, Han Shin tried to offer a forced rebuttal.
But then he saw Grace’s grey eyes gazing down at him with a warmth that suggested she understood everything. He could feel immediately that she saw right through his state of mind.
A short sentence, without the need for long explanations. Han Shin realized that true comfort didn't require many words.
"Thanks, Grace."
He finally understood why Grace, who usually wasn't one to push her own agenda, had insisted on a date in the UK—a place where they had no ties and had never visited before.
‘She did this to comfort me and take care of me.’
Knowing that he had been waiting in a state of tension and hadn't truly rested mentally, Grace had brought him to this peaceful, secluded spot. The fact that she had scouted such a place and prepared a picnic without him knowing was incredibly touching.
Han Shin felt an immeasurable sense of gratitude for her preparation and thoughtfulness. Naturally, his affection for her grew even deeper.
He felt like doing something more, but...
For now, he decided to enjoy the moment as it was. Lying there with the warm sunlight and the gentle breeze, his head pillowed on Grace’s lap, he found that all other desires faded away.
Grace, too, was happy as she watched Han Shin. After two weeks of being on edge and unable to rest properly, seeing his face finally relax as he closed his eyes to sleep brought her joy.
Her primary goal for this picnic was to ease and heal the mental exhaustion Han Shin was suffering from.
Han Shin’s eyes drifted shut, and he fell into a deep slumber.
Grace watched him quietly, then slowly reached out to brush a stray hair from his forehead.
Soon, Han Shin was fast asleep. She watched his face, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing, never growing tired of the sight.
Doing absolutely nothing but looking at him—even though it might seem meaningless to some, Grace loved being able to give him this rest and simply watch over him.
The two of them stayed there in silence until the sun began to set.
*
Time passed, and the sky was now fully stained with shades of orange.
Only then did Han Shin wake up.
When he opened his eyes, the heavy weight of guilt that had felt like a massive boulder on his chest was gone.
"Refreshed" was the only word for it.
"Are you awake, Han Shin-nim?"
"Ah... yeah."
Grace had been watching him the entire time, so she noticed the moment he stirred. Han Shin quickly sat up, moving off her lap.
Seeing the world bathed in the orange glow of twilight, he realized a significant amount of time had passed.
‘Ugh... I slept too long.’
He felt a wave of guilt toward Grace for sleeping on her lap for such a long time.
"I'm sorry. Your legs must be numb because of me, right?"
At his words, Grace gave him a bright smile.
"No, Han Shin-nim. I’m fine. My legs don't get numb from something like this."
She had wanted this, and in truth, her physical body was far too strong to suffer from a simple lap pillow. For Grace, the fact that she could provide Han Shin with a place to rest and sleep was enough to make her happy and satisfied.
Conversely, Han Shin couldn't shake the feeling of apology for just sleeping the whole time they were out on a picnic. It was a trivial, light sort of guilt compared to what he had felt before falling asleep.
Han Shin suddenly felt that he was in a much better mental state than before the incident.
‘It’s thanks to Grace.’
Grace had willingly used her date opportunity for his sake.
A beautiful woman with platinum hair, glowing in the light of the setting sun.
He felt a renewed sense of gratitude toward this female knight who always put him first, and he found himself wanting to find a way to repay her.