CH 85

Evan’s room was on the third floor, one floor higher. The old staircase creaked and made eerie sounds every time Riett stepped on it.

“Phew.”

Riett stood in front of Evan’s door and let out a small sigh. Suddenly, she felt that her attitude was strange.

‘Why am I so nervous?’

Her heart had been pounding loudly since earlier. Perhaps it was because of her speculation that she might be Evan’s secret crush.

No, that’s not it. She didn’t come here to talk about that, she just came to say thank you. 

Riett quickly dismissed the disturbing thoughts from her mind.

She knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside. Judging by the light seeping through the crack, it seemed like Evan was still not asleep.

“Evan.”

Riett hesitated and called his name softly. However, there was still no sound coming from inside.

‘Where could he have gone?’

Riett considered going back, but she remembered that Evan had ridden a horse for a long time to come here.

He couldn’t have collapsed from exhaustion, right? She had rarely seen him sick, except for a few times when they were young, but she felt a vague sense of unease.

Riett realized that her worries were different from her usual self.

‘This isn’t like me at all.’

When Natasha was surprised by her words about Evan earlier and dropped the brush, she felt like she knew why she was so surprised.

Riett felt a sense of discomfort with her own changed behavior, but her concern for Evan made her feet not falter.

As Riett’s worry deepened, she eventually put her hand on the doorknob.

‘Let’s just go in. What’s between us?’

When she was young, Riett used to barge into Evan’s room without hesitation. Even during adolescence, she had never seen Evan hiding something or acting suspiciously.

‘I thought there would be a red book or something.’

On the contrary, it seemed like Evan knew when Riett would come, as he always read books or sharpened his sword with a neat posture whenever she entered his room.

Moreover, it’s just because she’s worried about Evan, right? It’s fine.

After finishing her thoughts, Riett opened the door wide.

“….”

Contrary to her concerns, Evan was sound asleep on the bed. He was sleeping silently, as if dead.

Riett approached Evan’s side, treading softly to muffle the sound of her footsteps. Seeing his wet hair, it seemed like he had washed up and fallen asleep without even turning off the light.

‘He must be exhausted.’

He rode from the port to here. Moreover, the roads in the northern port were not well-maintained as they had not been developed for a long time. It must have been more tiring than riding for the same amount of time in the capital.

Riett looked down at Evan, who was peacefully asleep with a touch of pity.

His jet-black hair was softly disheveled, and his eyelids were closed tightly underneath.

When he closed his eyes like this, he looked just like a wax doll crafted by a skilled artisan. The sharpness of his nose and jawline, the perfectly balanced features, and the clear, glass-like skin felt even more artificially pristine.

‘So, this is what they mean by a protagonist.’

A cold breeze entered through the open window at that moment, brushing past Evan and Riett. As if the wind was chilly, Evan slightly furrowed his brows.

Riett thought he would catch a cold while sleeping like this. His hair was wet, and he wasn’t even covered with a blanket.

‘Why did you leave the window open on such a cold day?’

Riett grumbled as she closed the window. Then she approached the bed and rescued Evan from the blanket underneath him.

The blanket was heavy, making it difficult to pull, but little by little, it came off more smoothly than she expected.

Riett spread the blanket out and covered Evan with it. Looking at Evan, who appeared cozy, she smiled satisfactorily.

‘Thank you for today.’

Sitting on the bed, she pressed the blanket tightly once more to prevent any breeze from getting between the sheets. Just as she was about to move away,

Thunk!

Evan, who had awakened from his sleep, suddenly grabbed Riett’s wrist. His gestures were quite threatening, but when he saw the familiar red irises up close, he seemed relieved.

Nevertheless, Evan remained silent. 

It was around the time Riett thought that her wrist was hurting from being held when Evan whispered.

“…What is this, a dream?”

However, he still seemed unable to distinguish between dreams and reality in his drowsy state.

“If it’s a dream, my wrist, which you’re gripping so tightly, wouldn’t hurt like this.”

Riett looked down at the wrist held by Evan and spoke, and he released his grip on her hand.

“Did you dream of me?”

“…”

Evan averted his gaze in response to the question thrown at him without any thought.

‘Look at this.’

Was it really true?

“What did you dream of?”

“…”

Evan’s ears turned noticeably red.

Because Evan was not easily flustered, his current attitude was quite an appetizing prey for Riett.

She chuckled ominously.

“You had a strange dream, didn’t you?”

“…Pointless chatter.”

Evan covered his mouth with his hand and turned his head. It felt strange to be tormenting the innocent young man.

‘That’s enough.’

Satisfied with having unsettled Evan, Riett tried to move away, but Evan grabbed her wrist again. His touch was much softer and more delicate than before.

“Why did you come to my room?”

“Huh?”

“I asked why you’re in my room at this late hour.”

More importantly, couldn’t he speak from a little farther away? Now that she realized it, the distance between her and Evan was too close.

“The light in the room was on, but you didn’t answer when I called you. I was worried that something might have happened like you fainting or something.”

“Worried…?”

Evan showed a reaction similar to Natasha’s earlier.

Although he wasn’t as surprised as Natasha, one raised eyebrow was one of the actions Evan exhibited when he was extremely astonished.

Riett thought she had chosen her words poorly, but she couldn’t take back what she had already said as it would only seem more strange.

“…Yeah, worried! Who rides a horse all the way from the port to here?”

“I couldn’t bear the thought of worrying about Riett.”

Evan’s low voice pierced Riett’s ear. Her mouth opened weakly.

‘What is he saying right now?’

It wasn’t just her who was different from her usual self. Evan was the same.

Riett was worried that she might cause another incident, so she was concerned.

― She should have said it like this originally.

“Riett.”

As if it was too early to let her guard down, Evan called Riett softly.

“Are you thankful to me?”

Somehow, this voice sounded strangely alluring. Evan let out a faint smile and approached Riett.

“You’re never one to say sorry or thank you.”

“……I know, right?”

“But today, I don’t want to hear words of gratitude.”

Riett was unnerved by Evan’s teasing tone and the closer distance than usual. Just a moment ago, it was Evan who seemed flustered, so when did the situation reverse like this?

Riett found it difficult to take her eyes off Evan, who kept staring at her without a moment’s hesitation. 

Eventually, when Riett tried to shift her gaze first, Evan, as if unwilling to allow it, lightly grabbed Riett’s chin and turned it towards him.

“Riett.”

“…”

“Instead of words of thanks, I wish you could give me a reward…”

Wha… What?

Caught off guard, Riett’s wrist was gently pulled by Evan. Riett stood there like a marionette with strings, gradually moving closer to him.

The distance closed in an instant. A shadow cast over Riett’s face as Evan lowered his head slowly, and his lips lightly brushed against hers.

And then…

Soft lips met and parted.

Riett blinked slowly as she looked at Evan. A satisfied smile formed on Evan’s lips.

“I ran here without resting for ten hours. I should at least receive this, shouldn’t I?”

So… this is considered a reward…

Riett realized that the act Evan had just performed on her was a kiss.

Thump-thump. The sound of her heartbeat resonated loudly in her ears. For a moment, she was stunned by the unfamiliar touch, but soon her words burst out.

“What… What are you doing…?!”

“I kissed you. What’s wrong with that?”

Evan’s tone was casual as if he had done the most natural thing in the world.

In contrast, Riett’s face felt like it was about to explode.

“Who asks for a kiss as a reward…?”

“Well, it can’t be called a kiss.”

Evan approached Riett again.

“Then what is it… mmph.”

And unlike before, a deep, intense kiss followed.

Her mind melted away, leaving no room for any thoughts. She could only manage to keep her body from collapsing and maintain her standing position.

When their lips finally parted, Riett looked at Evan again, but he was not as composed as before. His gaze, much darker than usual, was directed at her. However, he was trying hard to maintain his usual expression.

As Evan wiped the corners of Riett’s lips, he spoke.

“This is a kiss.”

Riett’s eyes grew redder with the dizzying sensation. She barely lifted her head to look at Evan.

“…Are you… by any chance…”

“Yeah.”

“The person you said you have a one-sided love for… was me?”

Riett struggled to open her eyes fully as she asked. Evan chuckled lightly as if finding her question cute.

“No. How dare you kiss me.”

Riett’s red pupils shook in all directions.

‘He… really… likes me…’

Her speculation had become the truth.

As the heat from the kiss dissipated, only a bewildering mix of emotions remained.

“After meeting Riett, there hasn’t been a single moment when I didn’t like her.”

Under the relentless bombardment, Riett was at a loss for words. The guy she had always considered her rival had suddenly confessed.

‘It’s not the first time something like this has happened, but…’

It felt distinctly different from the confessions of their childhood. It was deeper, more intense.

“You wanted me to be your rival.”

“Just for that reason…….”

“That’s why I didn’t want to be a rival, I hated the idea of growing distant from Riett and settling for a mediocre relationship because of my selfishness.”

Why didn’t she realize it before? Whenever Evan touched her, he was always cautious and gentle, as if handling a newborn baby.

Even now. As he untangled her disheveled hair, he did it with a touch so careful and delicate.

Not just his touch, but his gaze and expression as he looked at her, everything conveyed his emotions.

Looking at the frozen Riett like an ice sculpture, Evan let out a small sigh.

“I didn’t plan on saying this now, but I blurted it out right after dreaming about you.”

Evan ran his hand through his hair and then stared at Riett before opening his mouth again.

“Since we’ve started, I’ll say it clearly.”

“…?”

“I’m going to step back and stop pretending not to know. Whether it’s a risk for Riett or the other men around her.”

Evan smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth, but his gaze was fierce, like that of a wild beast.

“So be prepared.”

As if declaring that he would never let go.