R 07

Chapter 7

“Ah, I’m all done. I’ll be out in a moment.”

Startled back to her senses, Ellie answered and put on the robe provided in the bathroom.

She tied the sash tightly around her waist so that the robe wouldn’t come undone, then ran a towel through her damp hair again.

Her hair, still slightly wet, now looked clean and fresh.

She gathered up the laundry and opened the door. Lus was waiting right outside the bathroom with his arms crossed.

“Why are you standing here?”

“……!”

Lus’s eyes widened when he saw her. Following his gaze, Ellie looked over her clothes again.

“Why? Is there still somewhere that’s dirty?”

Instead of answering her question, Lus fixed his gaze on the bundle in her hands.

She knew what he was curious about without having to ask, so she held up the laundry and smiled.

“My dirty clothes and your cloak. I washed mine roughly, but I washed yours properly. I hope they’ll dry well before we leave. Where should I hang them?”

“……”

Lus looked utterly dumbfounded. He abruptly snatched the bundle of laundry from her hands and tossed it into the trash can in the corner of the room.

“Throw it all away. You go to all sorts of trouble. You don’t need to do things like this from now on.”

His tone was firm, as though he had just witnessed something he shouldn’t have. Ellie, meanwhile, was extremely flustered. She had gone to all that trouble to wash her clothes, only for them to end up in the trash.

“But they’re torn.”

“Even so, those are the only clothes I have.”

“I’ll get you new ones.”

Lus turned his gaze back to her, and his expression soon hardened. His brow furrowed as well.

Ellie realized why when she followed his gaze and awkwardly touched the back of her neck.

It was probably because the dark, finger-shaped bruises were still visible on her neck.

Lus clenched his teeth slightly. He seemed extremely displeased by the bruises.

Ellie was the one who had suffered the ordeal. Yet for some reason, she felt as though she should be the one comforting Lus instead.

“I’m fine. The bruises will disappear after a few days.”

“Phew.”

Lus quietly sighed and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light pat.

Then his gaze stopped somewhere else again.

“……”

At the same time, Ellie instinctively held her breath.

Her lips.

Lus was definitely looking at her lips. Without saying anything, he alternated his gaze between her eyes and her lips before lightly biting his lower lip.

Gulp.

At the same time, his Adam’s apple bobbed. A brief silence fell between them.

At his subtle reaction, the thought of a kiss suddenly crossed Ellie’s mind.

She reflexively began examining his face again.

She had noticed it from the beginning, but Lus had exceptionally beautiful features.

His ruby-colored eyes seemed to contain a brilliant light. There was something stubborn in his gaze, yet it also possessed an irresistible charm that drew people in deeply. His neat lips were equally captivating.

As Ellie continued studying Lus, who became more attractive the longer she looked at him, she unconsciously swallowed. An urge arose to press her lips against those enticing lips of his.

Of course, they weren’t close enough to have reached the point of kissing.

But what if Lus impulsively kissed me?

Would she accept it, pretending she couldn’t resist?

The truth was, Lus was a man attractive enough to make her think that way.

Once they became accustomed to kissing, Lus’s hands would naturally move from the back of her neck toward her chest.

She wasn’t exactly sure, but she had heard that it felt good. She had also heard that if you allowed someone of the opposite sex to have a little more of your body, you could experience a pleasure that felt almost otherworldly.

“……!”

The moment Ellie’s eyes met Lus’s again, her cheeks grew hotter and hotter.

Wow, am I really this kind of person?!

She had suddenly realized what she had been imagining.

Come to think of it, it was really strange.

There’s no way Lus would want to kiss a woman he met for the first time today!

Ellie desperately tried to drive those impulses out of her mind and regain her composure.

Then she cautiously watched Lus’s reaction.

She wondered if he had noticed her completely irrational thoughts.

Fortunately, Lus merely took a step back and didn’t make any further move.

Should I really consider this a good thing…?

A strange sense of disappointment welled up inside her.

It is a good thing… right?

Knock, knock.

Just then, someone knocked from outside.

“Come in.”

At Lus’s permission, hotel staff entered while pushing a trolley. They first bowed politely to Lus and Ellie, then neatly arranged the food on the table before leaving.

“Wow.”

Another gasp of admiration escaped Ellie.

The food laid out on the table was on an entirely different level from what she had seen in the secluded village.

Meals in the secluded village consisted of nothing more than hard bread, soup, and a simple salad. Other than soup, all the food was served on a single plate.

But even the presentation here was completely different. Each dish was served separately and beautifully arranged on plates decorated with charming floral patterns.

This is closer to art than food, isn’t it?

The spread was so elegant and magnificent that it almost seemed like a shame to eat it. On top of that, steam was still rising from the freshly prepared dishes.

Ellie instinctively swallowed hungrily.

So this is how Lus eats. He’s lucky.

At the same time, she found herself watching Lus’s expression.

There seemed to be too much food for one person, so she wondered if he might share some with her.

Lus frowned as he looked at her.

I guess I must look terribly rustic to him.

But despite his brief sigh, Lus said nothing more.

He merely gestured for her to eat.

Joy welled up from the depths of her heart.

Lus! He’s so considerate!

Ellie quickly sat down opposite him and picked up a fork. But the moment she looked at the food again, she hesitated.

She wondered if she really was allowed to eat it. The dishes were so beautiful that it almost felt wrong to simply dig into them.

Did I misunderstand his gesture?

She looked at Lus’s expression again.

He was watching her without touching the food himself.

If I wasn’t supposed to eat, wouldn’t he have said something as soon as I picked up the fork?

Ellie awkwardly reached out and picked up a piece of bread.

Gasp.

The unexpected texture against her fingers made her mouth fall open.

“What’s wrong?”

Naturally, Lus asked. But Ellie was so amazed that she burst out laughing.

“The bread is so soft and fluffy. Oh my goodness! And it’s even warm!”

One of Lus’s eyebrows rose.

“Why are you so moved by something like that? You sound as though this is your first time eating bread like that.”

Ellie nodded. Because it really was her first time eating bread like this.

“In the village where I lived, bread was always hard. But am I really allowed to eat this?”

Lus’s expression instantly hardened. It became as stiff as the bread in the secluded village.

“Didn’t the village chief provide decent food and clothing?”

“Yes. We had to be self-sufficient within the village, so there were limits. Still, the village chief was a very good person.”

“……”

Lus rubbed his forehead for a moment before speaking.

“I see. Anyway, eat as much as you want. If it isn’t enough, I’ll have them bring more.”

“Really?”

She smiled brightly with genuine delight. When she took a large bite of the bread, its warm, fluffy texture melted gently in her mouth.

Ahh, so this is what freshly baked bread tastes like.

It was so delicious she could have cried.

Suddenly, her hunger surged. She began reaching for the other dishes with her fork as well.

Only then did Lus begin eating too.

“My goodness, there’s meat that doesn’t have that gamey smell! And it’s still hot.”

With delicious food in her mouth, Ellie felt incredibly happy. She chattered excitedly as she ate.

Anyone watching her might have found it hard to believe that she was the same person who had been on the brink of life and death only a short while ago.

Lus’s knife stopped.

“Meat that doesn’t have a gamey smell?”

“Yes. Doesn’t meat normally smell gamey? Oh! So you can make salad dressing this way, too. How did they make the sauce?”

“……”

“This is so delicious. I’d only ever heard about cities, but now that I’ve experienced one, they’re really wonderful places.”

Lus stopped eating and stared at her with a blank expression. Ellie didn’t care in the slightest. What was wrong with saying delicious food was delicious?

Ahh, that was a good meal.

After finishing her filling meal, Ellie leaned comfortably back against the sofa.

With her back warm and her stomach full, what had happened in the village felt almost like a lie. The comfortable atmosphere made her eyes close naturally.

“If you’re going to sleep, go to the bed.”

At Lus’s words, Ellie staggered to her feet.

She fell backward onto the bed, which was filled with soft, cushy padding. The mattress gently bounced beneath her, enveloping her entire body in softness. It felt so comfortable and pleasant.

“Hehe.”

Hugging the pillow, she turned onto her side. The drowsiness that immediately washed over her soon carried her into a sweet sleep.

But how long had she been asleep?

The sound of Lus quietly talking with someone stirred her from her sleep, waking her just slightly.

Who is he talking to?

She forced open her sleep-heavy eyes.