CH 239

“With the lips.”

“What, what?”

I was startled enough to jump out for a moment. But Jake urged me on.

“Do it. Hurry.”

“…… I, I see. Khhm.”

I cleared my throat slightly and cautiously walked over to Jake, kissed him lightly on the forehead, and immediately pulled my face away.

Then, Jake’s face, which had been expecting a lot, was soon stained with disappointment.

He widened his eyes and asked.

“…… Um, is this all?”

“What more do you want? Well, if you want to do something more, do it yourself!”

I was flustered and blurted out my words, but Jake seems to have taken them quite seriously.

“Then shall I?”

“Wait a minute! How hard did I make it!”

I was horrified to see Jake standing up after shaking off the sand I had worked so hard on.

I turned around and ran and shouted.

“Catch me if you can!”

* * *

It was embarrassing to say such a thing out of curiosity, then get quickly caught.

“Haah, haah. What are you? Why so fast? Did you use magic to cheat?”

“I didn’t use it.”

Jake gave a relaxed smile.

Even if this game went wrong, it was terribly wrong.

‘Even if I neglected sports after graduating from the academy, this is really ridiculous!’

Jake was staring at me.

We exchanged glances for a moment, then he asked a question first.

“So, can I really kiss you? Really this time. Not the forehead.”

I nodded.

However, there was still a question lingering in my mind.

‘Not too long ago, Jake was obviously embarrassed to even hold my hand, let alone kiss me. When did he get his heart ready like that?’

I thought it was unknown, but I closed my eyes as his face slowly approached.

“…… ?!”

However, it was a kiss that just passed by pressing my cheek, not my lips.

Once on the right cheek and once on the left cheek.

‘…… What?’

I thought something was wrong with this, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Jake with a mischievous smile.

“This time, I tried it on the cheek, not the forehead. What do you think?”

“Jake, you are bad.”

“Yes, I am a bad person. I wasn’t like that at first, but I just changed that way thanks to you, Mir.”

“…….”

As I was unable to say anything while reflecting on what I had just done, he turned around this time.

“Now, Mir catch me. Instead, I will walk instead of running.”

“Stay there!”

I caught Jake trying to turn right away.

“…… !”

He seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

“Are you catching me this fast?”

“Jake, you played with me, so I have to punish you.”

“I’m looking forward to it. With what?”

I replied, holding Jake’s shoulder with a slightly trembling hand.

“…… With the kiss you so longed for.”

“…… !”

Jake’s eyes widened.

The next moment I lifted my toes and kissed him with my eyes closed.

“…… !”

I couldn’t tell what expression Jake was making now, but one thing was certain.

That he was very happy with the punishment I impulsively gave him.

His hand, which seemed to be shaking slightly at first, gently cupped my cheek.

At some point, a warm breath came and went from nearby.

‘This is the first time, something like this.’

It was a very ticklish and affectionate feeling.

Perhaps it was the same with Jake.

He treated me like fragile glass, but soon became more and more persistent, as if he wanted to satisfy the longing he had been enduring.

Before I knew it, my steps were being pushed back.

Thinking I might touch the sea, I hurriedly stopped him.

“…… wait!”

I put my hand on his shoulder and shook his head slightly.

Then, with a glance, I pointed to the waves that seemed to catch my clothes and make it wet if I took a few more steps.

Then Jake quietly asked with a flushed face.

“…… then only here for today?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, he replied.

“What a shame.”

In fact, so did I.

But while hesitating whether to say it or not, Jake muttered with a light smile.

“But I am satisfied with this much. For now, today.”

It was a meaningful word.

Words that make me expect the next time that hasn’t even come yet.

* * *

First kiss.

I thought it would be pretty awkward afterwards. But it wasn’t.

We had a lot of fun playing with the sand and dipping our feet in the seawater. And we talked as usual.

In the meantime, Jake, who suddenly took out his watch, muttered.

“It’s time to go to the mine.”

“Oh, already?”

I looked back at the beach where the sunset had begun to set before I knew it. I looked at it regretfully.

Then Jake spoke to me, to comfort me.

“Well. Although we haven’t spent a long time today, let’s come again next time.”

“For our honeymoon?”

I just said it without realizing, but Jake answered very gladly.

“That’s good too. Honeymoon, I’m already looking forward to it.”

“Haha, me too…… ack!”

“What’s the matter?”

“…… Nothing.”

But it’s definitely different from before.

Even the light touch of Jake’s fingertips made me feel dizzy.

I got embarrassed for nothing.

Soon after, we received the magic stone from the nearby mine, loaded it onto the carriage, and set off on our way back to the capital.

Everything was exciting and smooth.

On the way to the neighboring estate, the carriage suddenly stopped in a mountain with the neighing of two horses.

‘There wasn’t an accident, so why did the carriage suddenly stop?’

Puzzled, I got off the carriage with Jake.

“What is going on?”

What we saw in front of us were two horses, almost half-sitting and foaming.

And next to them was the coachman who was at a loss.

The coachman saw us and, stunned, explained the situation.

“Oh no! Forgive me. Young Master, Lady. I haven’t been able to look at the poison weeds around here……. It seems that the horses have been poisoned.”

“What?”

Jake and I were stunned.

As we listened to his detailed explanation, we could see how it had come to this.

Earlier, when we were on the beach, the coachman had taken the horses to the nearby small spring to rest and quench their thirst.

However, it seemed that the horses had eaten the poisonous weeds there while the coachman tied them up near the small spring and took a nap.

‘The poisonous weeds that only grow in this area are fragrant, so horses sometimes eat them without realizing it…….’

It was known information among the coachmen. But he asked for an apology from us, saying that he hadn’t thought of it because it had been a long time since he visited.

“It’s okay, you can make mistakes.”

I also sometimes forgot what I knew, so I decided to understand the coachman’s mistake.

Jake glanced at me and nodded his head in agreement.

“Yes. Rather, Derek, then what about these horses? Can they be cured?”

“That’s it, young master. This is a grass that causes a slight hallucinatory effect on horses, so even if left alone, they will return to normal in about a day.”

“That is a big deal. It’s night now, and we’re on the move.”

This was a mountain road too.

Since it was a day trip, I didn’t bring any food except for some snacks, but we’re getting stuck here.

‘It’s not a walkable distance. That’s why we can’t just leave the sick horses and carriage and go.’

As I was thinking about it, I heard the coachman’s next words.

“Of course there are ways to cure it quickly. They can eat detoxifying grass. I will find the grass for them.”

Jake asked the coachman who spoke confidently.

“Derek, are you going?”

“Yes, fortunately, this is where I lived when I was young, so I know this mountain road well. Now that the effect is slowly drying up, but it seems that there are few left, so I will definitely come find it.”

Jake briefly exchanged glances with me and nodded his head.

“Okay, you can go.”

“Yes.”

The coachman left, and really it was just the two of us.

The carriage became quiet.