Chapter 9: The First Dungeon (5)
Chapter 9: The First Dungeon (5)
It had been a very long time since she had experienced such a deep sleep.
Before becoming a follower of Tiamat, Grace had lived in a state of constant, extreme tension, struggling to survive in her dying world. Even when she slept, she always held her sword in her arms, her senses sharpened so she could spring into battle at any moment.
After becoming a follower of Tiamat, she lived in the Sanctuary—a private space reserved for the followers.
Strictly speaking, the Sanctuary was a space outside the physical world. There, followers didn't need to eat or sleep; they could recover simply through Tiamat’s holy power. While it was possible to sleep in the Sanctuary, it was different from falling into a slumber in the physical world.
Though she slept, she had to remain in a strange state where her consciousness stayed alert, ready to head out to battle at Tiamat’s call at any time. If such a state were to persist in the real world for a long time, one would eventually go mad, but the Sanctuary was different.
For these reasons, Grace had finally enjoyed a truly deep sleep for the first time in ages.
Grace’s eyes slowly fluttered open.
She stared at the ceiling for a brief moment, momentarily confused about her situation.
“Ah...”
An involuntary soft exclamation escaped her lips.
Grace realized that after overexerting herself in the dungeon, she had returned here with Han Shin and collapsed from exhaustion. She felt the soft blanket covering her body and the plush mattress beneath her back. Moreover, she couldn't help but know who had placed the wet towel on her forehead.
“Han Shin-nim...”
Grace immediately sat up. Her beautiful face, framed by slightly swaying platinum-blonde hair, showed that she had returned to normal.
Holding the wet towel from her forehead in one hand, she carefully stepped down from the bed. Earlier, she hadn't been able to see much due to the backlash of forcing her power, but now she realized she was in Han Shin’s room.
She slowly scanned the neatly organized room. As someone visiting Earth for the first time, it was only natural that there were many strange objects she had never seen before. The electronic devices, in particular, were things that didn't exist in her world, making it difficult to even guess their purpose.
As her gaze shifted, it stopped on the wheelchair Han Shin used to use.
Grace’s world was a place where magic was highly developed, and while they didn't have electronics, wheelchairs did exist. There were people there who were injured or born unable to walk, and such tools were used by them. In particular, soldiers and knights who were so severely wounded while fighting monsters that even holy magic couldn't heal them would use such things after retiring. Grace was well aware of them.
Grace recalled the basic information she had received from Tiamat about Han Shin—that he had originally been injured by an Orc. Looking at the wheelchair, it was hard to believe that Han Shin, who had been unable to walk until recently, had sensed and evaded the Serpent’s attack, even if it was thanks to Tiamat.
She would have to confirm it in detail, but Grace was certain that Han Shin possessed latent talent.
Click.
Having organized her thoughts, Grace cautiously opened the door and stepped out of the room. Since Han Shin wasn't in the room, he was bound to be outside, and she needed to express her gratitude for him taking care of her.
‘Ah... He’s sleeping...’
As soon as she left the room, Grace found Han Shin asleep on the living room sofa.
‘He went into a dungeon for the first time today, and yet, because I collapsed as soon as we got out...’
Grace blamed herself, knowing that it was only natural for Han Shin to be exhausted.
‘He even gave up his bed for me...’
She had known the moment she woke up that the room she was in was Han Shin’s and the bed was his. It would have been stranger not to know, given the bed and blanket smelled of him.
Fearing she might wake him, Grace approached with hushed footsteps. She looked down at Han Shin’s face and knelt before the sofa. She watched his peaceful, sleeping expression.
‘Han Shin-nim...’
He was clearly a being weaker than her. As the Proxy of Tiamat, he was technically her superior, but Grace wondered why she felt so drawn to him.
Was it because this was the first time someone had nursed her when she was exhausted? She felt a flicker of fear that the thumping of her heart might wake him.
She had already met Han Shin and knew what he looked like, but this was the first time she had watched him this closely while swept up in such a peculiar feeling. Perhaps she was seeing him through rose-tinted glasses, but...
‘Han Shin-nim is quite handsome... His proportions are good, too... Wait, this is... this is just to evaluate Han Shin-nim’s talent.’
As she observed his face and body, Grace belatedly realized her own behavior and her face turned bright red. Making excuses to herself, she tightly gripped the wet towel on her lap. Anyone watching would have seen her flustered and fumbling.
If the knights who had known her for a long time had seen this, they would have rubbed their eyes in disbelief. It was a feminine side of her so unexpected that it would have been dismissed as a hallucination or an illusion.
“Mmm...”
Just then, Han Shin furrowed his brow slightly, showing signs of waking up.
Grace jumped in surprise. She was someone who wouldn't even blink or lose her composure when facing a giant the size of a house, yet now she was startled.
Han Shin woke up, rubbing his right eye. He immediately noticed Grace beside him.
“Oh... Grace, you’re already up. Are you feeling okay?”
Han Shin immediately asked about her condition out of concern. His gesture brought a natural smile to Grace’s face.
Just before Han Shin woke, Grace had straightened her back and resumed a formal kneeling posture. Because of this, Han Shin couldn't have imagined the way she had been looking at him while he slept.
“Yes, I am fine, Han Shin-nim. You must have had a hard time because of me... Thank you.”
“No, it wasn't hard at all.”
Han Shin felt good seeing the beautiful platinum-haired knight smiling pleasantly at him and expressing her gratitude. Being praised while facing such a beauty this closely made his face flush, and he felt the urge to look away.
However, Han Shin soon faced a major dilemma.
It was good to see Grace recovered and greeting him, but because of that, something he hadn't paid much attention to until now caught his eye.
It was the clothes Grace was currently wearing.
Grace was revealing the beautiful female body she usually hid beneath her full body armor. The white cloth top and under-trousers were custom-made to fit her body perfectly. But because she had overheated earlier from overexerting herself, she had been drenched in sweat, causing the fabric to cling even more tightly to her skin, emphasizing her figure.
‘They’re... big...’
Since Han Shin was a man, his eyes naturally drifted to her physique. Before, he hadn't had the luxury to care because Grace wasn't in a normal state and he had been overcome by sleep, but now...
Now that Han Shin was fully awake and Grace had recovered, the situation felt different. Two grown adults alone and this close together—and with the woman wearing an outfit that fully revealed her figure—it was only natural for Han Shin to have a physiological reaction.
‘Ugh... This is driving me crazy...’
Han Shin deliberately averted his gaze from Grace and stammered.
“Ah... Grace. Um... well...”
“Yes, please tell me if there is anything you need, Han Shin-nim.”
“First... shouldn't you wash up and change your clothes...?”
Grace, who hadn't understood why Han Shin was acting this way at first, belatedly realized her attire. She was someone who usually wore full body armor and only took it off when she was alone. Since becoming a follower of Tiamat, she had always been alone in the Sanctuary, so she had become insensitive to such things.
“Ah... Yes. I am sorry, Han Shin-nim.”
“No, no. There’s nothing to be sorry about... You can wash up over there.”
Han Shin pointed toward the bathroom. Grace immediately stood up and headed toward the bathroom he indicated.
Click!
Only after Grace entered the bathroom did Han Shin finally manage to calm down.
“Whew...”
Letting out a long sigh, Han Shin took a deep breath to steady himself.
‘Ugh, you idiot...’
After scolding himself for getting excited over Grace, who was a noble knight, another thought occurred to him.
‘Ah... but... Grace will need to change after she washes... Does she have any clothes to change into...?’
Shhhhh—
The sound of running water from the bathroom indicated that Grace had already started washing. Han Shin racked his brain for a solution and quickly reached a conclusion.
‘Ugh... I can’t exactly give her Yujin-noona’s underwear... I’d better go buy some quickly.’
Han Shin hurried into his room, grabbed his wallet, and threw on some simple clothes for going out. Fortunately, there was a large mart not too far away where he could buy underwear and clothes for Grace.
Once ready, Han Shin went to the bathroom door and spoke to Grace.
“I’m going out for a bit, so please wait a moment.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Grace didn't know why Han Shin was leaving, but she had no reason to object, so she simply agreed. As soon as he heard her reply, Han Shin headed out and made his way toward the nearby large mart.