CH 60

Jackal, who had been silent, said seriously.

“…… Even if I die, don’t regress. Keep living your life. Even if you succeed in regressing, losing my memories of you would be the saddest thing for me.”

“…….”

Asha felt a warm feeling spread through her heart.

Jackal didn’t say anything, but he was thinking the same thing as her. 

If Asha died before him, he was willing to die.

Of course, before she dies, he will savagely kill all the bastards who killed her…….

After he succeeds in avenging her, he will join her in eternal rest.

The two looked at each other sadly.

Suddenly, a warm atmosphere in the room enveloped them. 

They naturally hugged each other tightly.

His bare chest was very hot and the sound of his heart could be heard close and loud.

It was like a vivid reminder that he was alive, so Asha leaned into his chest, closed her eyes, and listened to his heartbeat.

After a while, Asha made up her mind and started treating his wound.

There were really a lot of scars on his body.

It was hard for her to imagine what his childhood had been like.

Asha disinfected the wound with alcohol on a cotton pad, then daubed the wound with ointment and powder.

She was very careful. 

Jackal stared at her as she tended to his wound, suddenly realizing that his posture was rather strange now.

He is sitting on the bed with his legs apart, and she is touching his body while carefully looking directly over ‘there‘ between his legs…..

Jackal’s face turned red, he turned his head, raised a hand, and touched the corners of his mouth innocently.

If she knew what this wicked wild horse is thinking now, she would probably run away from here…….

If that happens, he won’t end up like Sheppy staring at the wall to reflect like last time.

He did his best to ensure that his important part did not react to her touch. He repeatedly told himself that he must have good thoughts.

But when Asha, after treating his wound, stretched out her arms and began to wrap the bandage, he bit down hard on the back of his hand with his teeth.

I just have to endure this…….

“It’s done.”

As soon as he heard Asha’s words, he loosened the power he was exerting on his entire body.

After examining the bandage again with a satisfied look, Asha raised her head, noticing his belated expression, and her eyes widened.

“Jackal! Did it hurt a lot?”

His face was flushed and he was breaking out in a cold sweat.

Looking at him now, his entire body was red and sweaty.

“My God, what to do! Why didn’t you tell me it hurts! You’re so silly….”

Asha was upset and she quickly put him to bed.

Jackal couldn’t bear to be honest, so he closed his eyes silently and remained calm as did Asha.

It might have been a bit dangerous, but he was glad that his bottom was covered by a blanket…….

Asha put the first aid kit aside and quickly grabbed a towel to wipe off the cold sweat.

Jackal shuddered again at the touch of her carefully cleaning his body.

After finishing, Asha stood up and said.

“Then rest now. I’ll be on my way now.”

“…… Are you leaving?”

Asha looked back when she heard his loving voice.

Jackal hesitated a bit, then tried to be bold.

“Stay a little longer. If you are tired, lie down next to me… You can rest here.”

Asha glared at him and thought to herself once more, ’Sly horse’, but she hid the thought and said something else.

“No. I’m not a patient. I can’t go back to sleeping in the bed like last time. Then I’ll watch you until you fall asleep.”

Asha put her arms on the bed and then put her head on them like a sepal.

Jackal rolled onto his side with one hand on his head and stared at her.

She could see the veins in his masculine, coppery and muscular forearms.

Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe and the mood turned hot.

Jackal smiled faintly at Asha, who involuntarily glanced at his neck and firm chest.

Asha jumped to her feet, her face heating up as she met his gaze.

“I can’t. I don’t think you will be able to sleep if I’m here, so I will really go now.”

Asha turned and walked a few steps until she was walking towards him again.

The moment he stared at her in disbelief, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead, just like she did with Sheppy.

Jackal’s eyes widened. 

Asha, whose cheeks turned red before his eyes, said with a smile.

“Don’t get sick, and have a nice dream.”

“…….”

Jackal’s eyes suddenly changed and he leaned his head closer to her.

When his lips touched hers, Asha’s eyes widened in surprise this time.

Jackal kissed her softly, and immediately pulled away.

“Good night to you, too. Don’t worry about me anymore.”

Asha froze in place, her eyes wide, but Jackal lay back on the bed as if nothing had happened.

Their faces turned red from the unexpected goodnight kiss.

“……Then I will go.”

Asha carefully covered him with the blanket one last time and left the room.

At the sound of the door closing, Jackal turned his head and looked at the door sadly, but tried to give up.

He thought that if she didn’t lie next to him now, he really thought that something could happen to her.

Furthermore, with such an injured body, he can’t properly use his abilities…

Jackal shook off his thoughts and pulled the blanket up to his chin.

* * * * * 

The date of the request is approaching. 

The Lycaons would undertake a search together to find the missing children.

Jackal wore a dark blue cloak with a hood.

In the current situation, the Imperial Family’s attention was focused on the northern region, especially the minority, so it was easy to discover them if they moved recklessly.

However, since all requests were carried out only when his decision was finally made, Jackal would always go to see his client in person on these important issues.

No matter how injured he was, it was about Asha’s well-being, so he seemed to be relieved just seeing it with his own eyes.

A feeling of coolness flowed from him as he pulled on his hood and looked only ahead.

Asha looked at him expressionlessly for a long time.

Sensing her gaze, Jackal looked at her with piercing eyes, then a small smile appeared on his lips.

Seeing him change his expression as soon as he looked at her, Asha’s heart pounded again.

He obviously has the same face as when they first met, but now his eyes looking at her are completely different, and she also thinks of him differently.

Asha didn’t realize it then, but maybe what she said about falling in love with him, at first sight, was true.

She wanted to ask him to take her as he did then, but knowing how much he cared about this problem, Asha gave up and said something else.

“……have a safe journey. If it gets dangerous, use the horn immediately. Then I’ll take my bow and quickly go to save you.”

Jackal laughed, and the Lycaons whistled and howled like wild dogs.

Before getting on his horse, Jackal approached Asha, gently grabbed her side face, and lightly kissed her forehead.

“I’ll be back.”

Despite their display of affection, the Lycaons laughed and mounted their horses.

Asha, her face slightly flushed, clenched the necklace Jackal had given her.

He glanced at their distant backs.

When they were completely out of sight, Asha looked up at the sky with a worried look.

There were a lot of dark clouds and a lot of wind, which somehow gave her an ominous feeling.

* * * * *

The Lycaons arrived at the lakeside to meet the client.

The request contained information that the children went fishing in the lake and did not return. 

Asha also went to the forest to find food for them, but she never came back, so they requested because she was in a similar situation.

Jackal got off his horse and found a man standing in the distance under a large zelkova tree, the meeting place.

“Are you the client?”

As he approached, the man shrugged.

“…… Yes, I am.”

“Let’s check each other’s faces first.”

Jackal removed his hood first, and the other man seemed to hesitate before removing it.

Brown hair and yellow eyes. 

They were the features of the Nasson clan.

Jackal relaxed a bit and asked very curtly.

“I didn’t expect that old man to ask us for a request.”

The man rolled his eyes and said.

“That… … Actually, the chief doesn’t know about this. I personally made this request to Lycaon.”

Jackal’s eyebrows went up. 

Even with that small reaction, the man trembled in fear.

“You should know that we do not accept personal requests without the approval of the village chief.”

“B… but… I couldn’t help it because the village chief wouldn’t agree if I asked Lycaon…. I will give you any amount of money, so please accept the request….”

The man fell to the ground and begged him fervently.

Jackal kept his mouth shut and Sosa looked embarrassed when he saw him shaking his body pitifully as if he was scared.

Surely a chief wouldn’t be too interested in losing orphans who aren’t even sure of their origins.

It was not uncommon for ethnic minorities to be taken away so they wouldn’t go looking for missing people.

And Asha was also on that list. 

Jackal secretly clenched his fists.

If the missing people in the village were tribal chiefs, not ordinary people, would Chief Horak have stayed put?

If he had known that Asha was a butterfly, would he have left her in such danger?

No. 

He must have tried to find even the smallest clues anyway. Even if it means sacrificing someone…….

Jackal, well aware of his discriminatory tendencies, hardened his expression.

With this opportunity, he wanted to talk with the village chief and tried to release the emotions accumulated in the past.

However, the village chief was not the type to apologize first or create a place for reconciliation.

Since Jackal disregarded him first, that would be the end of it, but Jackal wanted to confirm if he had turned into a different human being.

“…… Is this the place where the children disappeared?”

The client’s eyes, who had set aside his expectations, widened at those words.