Chapter 54

Chapter 54

When Holly stopped by Sharif Kingdom, even though she told Cahill that she might have been born there, she never imagined that he would remember and care about the story.

“Cahill…”

Her throat was choked up for a moment.

Hearing her wet voice, Cahill tilted his head in disbelief. Soon after, he curved the corners of his mouth and bent his upper body as if he didn’t care.

“Should we spend the night here? Then, I’ll settle down.”

Suddenly, a tired voice broke between the two of them. As she was about to close her eyes at Cahill’s lips slowly approaching, Holly winced and turned her head away. Badin was leveling the floor with the tips of his toes, making a weary face.

“No matter what, if it’s that woman’s business, I won’t help!”

Adam gritted his teeth. The kick between the legs by Holly must have been terribly etched in him.

‘Who’s going to bully you?’

She snorted and looked away from him. As the colder air soon sharpened her skin, her body trembled naturally.

“Recall your skills well. Holly is cold.”

Seeing her crouching down, Cahill narrowed his eyes as he glared at Adam.

“That doesn’t seem like much. It’s too hot here.”

At that, Badin also expressed his emotions by frowning, which was rare.

‘…Is it really difficult if he doesn’t lower the temperature?’

Holly looked back at Cahill, surprised. Perhaps caring for her, who couldn’t stand the cold, he did not lower the temperature around her from a certain point on.

“That’s right! I am putting up with this a lot.”

Adam was thrilled when Badin somehow sided with him. As if those words weren’t false, drops of sweat were forming on his pure white forehead.

‘Why didn’t I think it would be difficult?’

Her face contorted in embarrassment. At first, she didn’t know because Cahill didn’t say anything, but later she felt it vaguely though she thought he was comfortable with it, so she let it go.

“You don’t have to put up with it too much because I just need to wear more clothes.”

As it would be a long journey, she couldn’t ask them to sacrifice all the time. In fact, she was most worried about Cahill, who had endured by her side until now.

“It’s not to the point where I can’t stand it.”

Seeing Holly’s hand clinging to his arm, Cahill turned to Adam with a disapproving expression.

“Don’t be rude. If you’re serious, you’ll die before you set foot in the desert.”

Even though his tone was light, as if he was joking, his eyes were colder than the air around him as he glared at Adam. Adam flinched and shut his mouth, feeling as if his body could be torn apart just by looking at him.

He slipped her hand on his arm, and he intertwined her fingers between his.

“It hurts, Cahill!”

Holly yelled, waving her arms as she strained her tangled hands. He held her so tightly that her hands turned white.

“Oh, sorry. I am afraid I will lose you.”

Even though he loosened the strength out of his hands, he didn’t let go. Holly lifted her head at those words and stared straight ahead.

The next moment, the infamous forest of death was suddenly approaching. The densely green forest looked rather dark because of that. Like stepping into the mouth of a black beast, anxiety crept up and covered her back.

She took Cahill’s arm and wrapped it around her waist. As was her habit, he put on a puzzled face while tightening his hands around her waist.

“I thought it would be harder to do it this way.”

As she whispered, Cahill hugged her so tightly that their body was half overlapped, and he rubbed his lips against her ear. Holly frowned at the hot, wet breath pouring into her ear.

“What to do. It seems that something between my legs has also hardened.”

He pressed his body against hers. Holly’s jaw dropped open at the hard feeling behind her back.

“Is that standing again?”

Saying that, she glanced up at him with weary eyes as he smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

“Do you want to go back like this and rest for one more day?”

Cahill whispered softly and stroked her waist. Holly got goosebumps as between her legs started to tingle.

“…You actually weren’t worried about my body.”

“It’s good for loosening tight muscles as well.”

Cahill said casually to Holly, who glanced at him through narrowed eyes.

‘It’s better to move when you’re feeling stiff.’

Hesitantly, she felt gazes pierce the back of his head. Two of Cahill’s men were watching with wary eyes as if they were worried that the two people who had stopped walking might turn back.

“Let’s go.”

She stabbed Cahill in the side and heard them both breathe a sigh of relief. Embarrassed at the thought of them overhearing the secret conversation, Holly hurried her steps and he quickly caught up with her, as he was careful not to lose her.

Crunch.

There was the sound of fresh grass being trodden on. Holly took a deep breath. She could feel the air touching her body change.

The scenery she saw was also different from the thick darkness she had seen before stepping into it. Rows of trees with profuse pale pink flowers formed a path. Like the ground was sprinkled with pearls, her eyes sparkled everywhere her gaze landed.

There was a small clearing between the trees that seemed to be densely packed.

A jade-colored duck swam in the small lake, and a deer stretched its long neck to drink. A leopard appeared behind the rabbit, who stopped in one place and scratched its ears with its front paws, licking the rabbit’s fur with its tongue.

“Ah…”

Holly covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, where an admiration escaped. She was afraid to even breathe, fearing that the beautiful sight would be shattered like her dream.

“Gasp!”

The moment she blinked and took a deep breath, the four pairs of eyes were on her.

‘Should I run away…?’

Holly looked at the animals with nervous eyes. The animals, who had been looking at her with dark eyes, turned their head again and continued as if nothing had happened.

“Cahill… did you see?”

Holly whispered next to her in a quiet voice to avoid disturbing the animals enjoying their peaceful time. But there was no answer.

“Cahill?”

Holly turned her head. Cahill, who was moving as if he was one body with her, wasn’t there. When she looked back, her back was covered in pitch-black darkness, just like she had seen before entering. Not to mention Cahill, the shadow-like Badin and Adam who would argue with her at every opportunity, was not there.

“…I am really alone.”

She felt strange because it had been so long since she had been with Cahill, this would be the first time she was alone. Holly took a deep breath, recalling the advice she had been given by Adam before entering the forest.

“Where the wind blows…”

When she deliberately spoke those courageous words, her tumultuous heart sank in surprise. And she was about to take a step.

Crunch.

Holly’s face twisted in disbelief as she turned her head in the direction she heard her voice.

At that moment, Adam stood in the center of everyone’s gaze.

“He is the First Prince’s most trusted subordinate, isn’t he?”

“How can he be so beautiful and charming?”

“With a person like that, I would be happy to spend even one night, no, even an hour.”

Adam controlled the corners of his mouth, twitching as he scanned the crowd in awe.

Badin stood blankly and looked around. The landscape he saw was a hill with a wide lawn.

“Is it a dream?”

Badin, who opened and closed his hand a few times, walked under the shade of a tree. He lay down on the grass and closed his eyes. A cool breeze blew in from time to time to cool his hot body.

Then, with a sudden sense of alienation, he opened his eyes.

“…Is it okay to be this peaceful?”

As he glanced up at the blue sky and murmured, his eyes hurt when he saw the clear, cloudless sky.

“Let’s stay like this until someone comes to look.”

However, even though a very long time had passed, there was no sign of anything around.

“If it’s a dream like this, I really don’t want to wake up.”

He whispered softly, closing his eyes and enjoying the peace.

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