Chapter 83: An Unresolved Curiosity (5)

Chapter 83: An Unresolved Curiosity (5)

Ner couldnt sleep all night.

It wasnt that she hadnt been in contact with Berg until now...but this was the first time hed embraced her like this with force.

If it had happened before, it was at most a forced grab of the wrist?

But this embrace was incomparable to that.

Berg hugged her forcibly even though she resisted.

She pushed him away, but he demanded her.

Breathing became slightly difficult in the face of this fact.

Her tail bristled up periodically.

Each time, a pleasure-like shiver lightly flowed through her body.

Until now, she had only been rejected by her family.

They had prevented her from coming closer, even when she tried to.

But Berg...somehow, when he came closer even as she tried to push him away, it felt like acceptance.

She wondered how much he needed her to act like this.

It was a feeling of being loved.

...

Simultaneously, Ner gradually noticed the change occurring within herself.

At some point, it had become natural to be in contact with Berg like this.

It wasnt out of a sense of duty either.

She too felt comfortable being in touch with Berg...smiles kept emerging.

Whether she should welcome this change within herself or be wary of it, she couldnt tell.

Was this what it felt like to become addicted to something?

She ceased thinking about the future.

She focused only on the current pleasure.

And at the moment, Ner did not dislike being in Bergs arms.

She looked at Bergs scarred arm tightly wrapping around her waist.

...

She was worried again whether her belly would be touched.

She always maintained it well enough to not be chubby...but being touched in this area by a man was also a first.

Could he possibly think she was overweight?

But contrary to her worries, Berg was fast asleep, exhaling deep breaths.

Perhaps she was the one overthinking things.

...

Once she realized Berg was asleep, some of her tension eased, followed by a blossoming of concern in her heart.

Everything that had occurred with the Hea Church in the village still weighed on her mind.

What past could he possibly have had, to be struggling so much now?

...

In any case, she could ask tomorrow.

...But she didnt know whether he would tell her or not.

His emotions seemed too intense, and it worried her.

Nonetheless, Ner closed her eyes.

Lightly encircling Bergs arm and relaxing her body.

Her tail, which had been twitching, gently rested on Bergs thigh.

Now it was time to fall into a deep sleep.

She couldnt continue staying awake like this.

Before falling asleep, Ner took a breath.

....Haa.

Perhaps it was because she had been riding the same horse all day.

Now Bergs body carried her scent.

Finding comfort in that fact again, for some reason.

Soon, Ner tried to fall asleep.

...

Thus, after quite some time, she murmured.

What can I do

Sleep did not come.

****

Ner, unable to fall into a deep sleep, stirred slightly at Bergs movement.

The blue light of dawn came through the window.

It wasnt time to rise yet.

A fair amount of time seemed to have passed, yet Bergs hand still lingered around her waist, and Ner, in turn, held his hand.

The chilly dawn air had stealthily crept through the gaps in the window frame, cooling the room.

However, the parts of her that touched Berg retained warmth, and Ner found herself wishing to remain just as they were.

...Haa.

It seemed Berg, having awakened from his sleep, felt similarly.

Sounds of Berg lifting his head and glancing around came from behind her, but soon after, he relaxed his body and lay back down.

He didnt retrieve the arm he had wrapped around Ner. Instead, he held her tighter.

...

Ner, feigning sleep, found joy in that modest action.

If Berg had withdrawn his arm first thing in the morning, or right after calming yesterdays emotions, she thought she would have, for some reason, disliked it.

She would have felt like she was used just to get through a days emotions.

However, since he continued to hold her, those doubts faded.

She felt he must truly desire this as well.

Does he like me that much? Such a conceited, playful thought momentarily flitted through her mind.

She forcibly held back a forming smile.

Naturally, she embraced Bergs arm tighter.

As they lay there, resting again, Bergs breath tickled her neck.

Did she think of me too?

Even though I felt it yesterday...talking about Sien was still very painful for me.

It seemed I hadnt been able to forget her at all for the past 7 years.

The wound I ignored hadnt healed in the slightest.

Instead, it had been festering, slowly eating away at me.

But now, it felt like I was finally facing that wound directly.

Traveling here and there, erasing the promises I made with her by hand... gradually, I was letting go of my lingering attachments to her.

There was still a long way to go, but perhaps this was the start.

...

I smiled, looking at Ner nestled in my arms.

-Thud thud thud!

Then someone knocked on the door.

Ner stirred, startled by the noise.

A voice came from outside the door.

Berg? Are you awake?

It was Arwin.

She must have been worried because we didnt get up for so long.

Ner, startled, turned her head and looked up at me, and I responded.

Im awake.

-Squeak...!

As I responded, Arwin swiftly opened the door and came in.

Then she froze, seeing us embraced.

...

Ner, waking from sleep, hastily removed herself from my arms under Arwins gaze.

The previously rigid Arwin, glancing alternately at Ner and me, lightly asked,

...Arent you hungry? Lets go eat.

It seemed she had decided not to talk about what just happened.

After all, there was no reason a married couple couldnt do this.

Yeah. Lets go eat.

With that, I looked at Ner.

...

...

I blinked my eyes.

For a moment, it seemed like Ner was glaring coldly at Arwin.

...Why, Berg?

But when I blinked again, Ner was smiling at me.

I dismissed my illusion and asked,

...Did you sleep well?

****

While Berg went to wash up, Ner secretly glared at Arwin.

She wasnt too thrilled that her time with Berg had been interrupted.

Even considering polygamy from the start, was it right to enter a married couples room like that?

Setting aside everything else, it seemed lacking in respect.

...Ner. It was tough, wasnt it?

However, Arwin quietly approached and asked a question, which was enough to momentarily startled Ner.

A question filled with pure concern.

Her caring for Ner was evident.

...

Though taken aback by the slightly different atmosphere from yesterday... upon reflection, this was natural.

Arwin had said from the start that she could not love Berg, a short-lived species.

From her perspective, falling asleep in Bergs arms might be a hard ordeal.

So perhaps she asked this question out of concern.

...

Ners heart softened at Arwins worry.

I was fine.

So, she answered lightly and evasively.

But it seemed Arwin couldnt forget the scene she had witnessed in the morning, so she asked.

...Did you sleep in his arms all night?

As the questions continued, Ner chose her words carefully.

After all, it was a matter that had occurred between a married couple.

Even if it was Arwin, it wasnt something to be shared with her.

On the one hand... there was also a feeling of not wanting to share yesterdays memories with Arwin.

How warm Bergs arms were.

How sturdy his arms were.

If she carelessly mentioned this, and Arwin even became a little curious, it wouldnt do.

Arwin, who was already quite curious, did not need to hear it.

She did not want to tell her.

...Of course, whether telling her would allow Arwin to experience it, Ner wasnt sure.

This incident was something that happened because Berg forcibly held her.

...I dont really know.

So, Ner skirted around the truth.

...I just woke up and found myself in his arms.

The End of The Chapter

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