Chapter 59

Chapter 59

‘It was a nice day today, so I didn’t even wear a coat… Come to think of it, we’re both like drenched mice. It’s really funny.’

Tessa shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Hert skillfully twisted the girl’s hair, squeezing the water out of it, grunting somewhat playfully.

‘What’s so funny about this situation?’

‘What’s not funny? And you have to laugh more at times like this.’

‘Let’s see if you can laugh again later.’

The two of them squeezed as much water out of their clothes as possible and looked outside in the chill that was slowly rising. The pouring rain still didn’t stop. Eventually, Hert got up, and said,

‘I’ll see if there’s anything I can use to make a fire.’

‘I do it too.’

The two set out to find something to make a fire with, and were able to pick up branches and discarded paper fairly quickly. Hert started lighting the fire with two seemingly suitable branches. As smoke rose from the frictional heat shortly thereafter, Tessa let out a startled voice.

‘When did you learn this?’

‘Looking over his shoulder while helping Uncle Den.’

‘Her, you won’t starve to death wherever you go. I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do. Compared to you, I… am more likely to starve to death. Oh, this won’t do. I have to work harder too!’

Seeing Hert using the embers to make the flames bigger, Tessa shouted loudly. Hert answered with a smile.

‘Well, I’m going to feed you anyway.’

‘Still won’t do. I will also become a person who can do my part. That way I’ll feed you later if something happens. So, don’t worry. Trust me, okay?’

Tessa said with determination in her voice. In a way, she even sounded heroic. Hert smiled slightly as he looked at Tessa.

‘It’s touching, but… I don’t think that will happen.’

‘What? Are you looking down on me now? I’m really serious. And according to Teacher Dora she said we know people, but actually we don’t. What if I really feed you later?’

‘Yes, Madam. I feel secure.’

‘Good.’

At the same time, smiles bloomed on both of their faces. Hert and Tessa sat close by the blazing fire and talked a lot. Even though they were hanging out every day and talking constantly, the words they wanted to say to each other kept pouring. Their topics of conversation varied from trivial daily life to their future.

‘Her, the clothes don’t seem to dry as quickly as I thought…’

At that moment, Hert took off his shirt. Then, the boy’s strong body, who had entered the prime period of his growth, was exposed. He didn’t look skinny because of his large build, but the tightly woven, thin muscles seemed to show his slim body.

Tessa turned her gaze away, embarrassed for a reason she didn’t know. Her heart was beating strangely fast, and heat rose in her face. Even though she had seen Hert’s body since she was a child, today, it had a different feeling than usual.

Why? Was it because it was raining and they were alone? Or the orange light of the small bonfire was flickering over his body?

What was certain is that, after Hert confessed, Hert began to appear more and more like a man in Tessa’s eyes.

Hert asked as if puzzled by Tessa’s reaction who was avoiding her gaze.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘Put, put on your clothes. If you take it off all of a sudden like that…’

‘What is it, all of a sudden? It’s not like you had seen my body only once or twice. Why, all of a sudden…’

Hert, finding Tessa’s cheeks getting redder than before, moved his body to come closer to Tessa. When Tessa was startled and was about to get away from him. Soon, Hert grabbed Tessa’s forearm and stopped her from escaping.

‘Your face is red.’

‘Thi, this! I got too close to the fire…’

‘Tessa.’

Hert, who had raised his face in front of her nose in an instant, called Tessa’s name in a low voice. Tessa gulped inadvertently as she looked at his exposed body. What to do! I must be crazy! Tessa was in a hurry to push Hert away.

‘Hey, I, I can’t, get away…’

‘Are you embarrassed?’

‘Me, me?’

‘Then why can’t you look into my eyes?’

‘No it’s not! I can look!’

‘Then look.’

With Hert provoking her, Tessa barely had the courage to look at him. His blue eyes were full of something and they were fluttering. Hey, that’s ……. She couldn’t speak anymore.

‘…….’

Hert leaned over to Tessa and kissed her. It was awkward, but it was a warm and soft kiss.

Embarrassed, Tessa immediately closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around the nape of his neck. She could feel the boy’s hot, hard skin. Most of all, the sound of the heart beating loudly, thump, thump, thump, did not leave her ears. The sound of their choking breath and sweet lips were also clear.

On such a rainy day, the two kissed for the first time.

After the long kiss, the boy looked embarrassed…

‘I like you, Tessa.’

“Tessa, Tessa?”

Someone grabbed Tessa’s shoulder and shook it. When she came to her senses, Janet was looking at her. Tessa panicked and apologized to Janet. As she was thinking about the past, she completely forgot that Janet was by her side.

“Ah… I’m, I’m sorry. I was thinking for a moment…”

“What were you thinking of? The old days? You looked very happy, there was a smile on your lips. What did you remember? Can’t you tell me?”

“Ah, that… It’s nothing.”

“Hey. I told you mine. Did you think of something naughty?”

Janet’s words made Tessa’s face flushed. She cried out to Janet in a loud voice once more.

“Absolutely not…!”

“Hmm, a strong rejection is a strong affirmation… Alright. I will stop here.”

Seeing Tessa with strength in her eyes, Janet smiled and nodded her head. Because that reaction was really cute. Jean, who was standing next to Janet, looked at Tessa and smiled softly too.

At that time, still with a red face, Tessa quickly changed the topic.

“But Janet… Why did you leave the convent?”

“Ah… That? Uh, because of my friend.”

Janet faltered for a moment, then she quickly schooled her features. Fortunately, Tessa asked again, tilting her head as if she had not seen it.

“…A friend?”

“Um, so my friend… wanted me to get out of the convent. So I went out. It’s like granting my friend’s wish.”

“Yes… I see.”

Is that the reason why she can come out of the convent? There was a small question, but Tessa nodded her head for now. She was belatedly convinced that if Janet said she could, she could. After all, Janet knows better than herself about the convent.

“Actually, it has been quite some time. I think it has been about five years.”

“Ah, I see… Five years…”

“Now I have forgotten all the convent rules.”

I’ve become smitten by the worldly ways, too. The last words were added as some kind of joke, and Janet smiled at Tessa.

“Then maybe… That friend…”

“Tessa.”

All of a sudden, Janet called her, cutting Tessa’s words off.

“Yes, Janet…”

“What I said before, I mean it.”

“Yes?”

“I will always help you, Tessa. So if you want to run away…”

At that time, the whole area became noisy. The two women looked at where the people’s eyes were focused. Hert was there.

Why was Hert here…? Tessa looked at him with a blank expression as he strode towards her. Not long after, Hert arrived in front of Tessa. His hair was soaked wet from rain on his way here.

“Long time no see, Your Excellency.”

Janet bowed her head and greeted Hert politely. But Hert’s reaction was a little cold. He glanced at Janet with a puzzled look, then snatched Tessa and pulled her towards him. Because of this, Tessa glanced at Hert and Janet alternately with a puzzled look.

“I’ve called the carriage, so you can take it. Tessa and I will go first.”

“…Yes, understood.”

Hert led Tessa out. As she was about to be pulled by his hand, Tessa continued to look at Janet. Janet waved her hand off as if she was okay with it.

“Wa, wait… I need to say goodbye…”

“Do it later.”

“…….”

Tessa looked up at him when he answered so. He seemed to be in a bad mood ever since. Tessa stopped talking and shut her mouth. She did not want to upset him here either.

When they came outside to the rain, the knight handed the robe to Hert. Hert meticulously put it on Tessa, and he led her to the front of the horse on which he had ridden here.

“I’m not going to go fast, but it’s raining, so be careful. Hold on tight.”

Tessa was mounted first, followed by Hert getting on it. When the knight nodded his head signaling there was nothing wrong, he moved his horse and headed for the castle.

Hert didn’t say a word the whole way to the castle. Tessa’s heart grew unsettled when she saw a vein sprouting from his hand, which was holding the horse’s reins.

As expected, was he angry because she went out on a picnic to the lakeside? If not, then what… She wondered if Hert had been upset because she had done something wrong, and that was Tessa’s first concern.

“The bath?”

“I have prepared it as you instructed.”

After arriving at the castle, Hert grabbed Tessa and strode towards the bathroom adjoining the room. When he opened the bathroom door, warm steam poured out.

Hert, dismissing all the maids, took Tessa into the bathroom, seated her in the chair, and began to take off the robe. Even the hand that untied the strings was as strong as when he grabbed the reins before.

Then, after a while, Hert’s hand stopped moving, and he let out a deep sigh.

“Why aren’t you asking me anything?”

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