* * *

Thud!

A sticky sound echoed as our damp bodies collided.

I couldn’t even catch my breath, overwhelmed by the sensation filling my abdomen.

Jerome frowned, watching me gasp with my head thrown back.

He forced open my tightly shut lips, pressing a calloused finger against the roof of my mouth.

“Breathe. Are you trying to make me a widower?”

“Ugh, no… I can’t…”

“You’re not exactly a virgin anymore; don’t act like you can’t take it.”

I tried to push against Jerome’s stomach, and the defined muscles beneath my hand twitched in response.

Tears rolled down my cheeks, settling on my chin, brought on by sheer physical reflex.

Jerome sighed, then slipped his arm under me, pulling me close.

He picked up the pace, his movements now fast and unrestrained.

Each thrust left a relentless ache in my stomach.

“Ah, ugh!”

“Ha…”

Jerome’s hand moved naturally toward my neck but stopped, his fist clenching as if restraining himself.

His large hand hovered, then brushed my damp hair from my face.

Touching my sweat-covered forehead, he muttered in a puzzled tone.

“Why isn’t your fever going down?”

“…”

“Isn’t a cold supposed to break if you drink and, you know, have a good time? Maybe it’s because we skipped the drinks.”

He spoke with a bizarre certainty, as if this crude home remedy only applied to him.

If this guy ever decides to study medicine, I’ll make sure he stops—for everyone’s sake.

I tried to pull away, the constant pressure of his large presence inside me leaving me desperate for release.

“It hurts… please, it really hurts…”

Sweat and tears streamed down, dripping from my nose.

Jerome just watched me struggle to escape, a small smile playing on his lips.

Just as I was soaked in sweat, straining to pull away, he grabbed my hips and thrust himself in forcefully.

“Ah!”

I couldn’t even scream.

My vision blurred, and my insides quivered at the unfamiliar, intense sensation.

As I lay collapsed on the bed, Jerome pinched my chest, twisting it.

His hardness brushed deep inside me, each movement a shivering, raw sensation.

Despite the initial pain, a growing, twisted pleasure began to spread, making the damp creases of my skin slick with sweat.

I whispered weakly.

“Water… please, just a little…”

“Your body… it’s like it was made for this.”

“Water…”

“It’s like you were meant to ruin men.”

Jerome’s deep, husky voice barely registered as heat crept up from inside me.

I gasped, gripping the air in some desperate attempt to alleviate the ache.

Jerome caught my hands, interlacing his fingers with mine, pinning them above my head.

As he moved faster, the rhythmic creaking of the bed filled the room.

The hopelessness of escaping this torment made my vision blur, and I burst into tears, crying openly.

“Mom… please…”

I realized in that moment how fear can drive anyone to call out for their mother, no matter their age.

Jerome, instead of softening, seemed only more aroused by my sobs, nibbling my ear with a grin.

“Sorry, I’m going to finish inside.”

At the height of release, he grabbed one of my shoulders tightly.

His warmth poured deep within, filling every crevice he’d reached.

I gasped faintly as he twisted his hips to leave no part untouched.

With a wet pop, he finally pulled out, and my stomach, once taut, softened.

As my hazy mind tried to comprehend, I felt his arms gently lifting me.

“I know… that you feel some kind of pity for me. You think if you pour all the love you missed out on as a child into me… maybe, just maybe, you’ll find salvation, don’t you?”

Jerome sat me between his legs, pulling my knees up as I leaned on his shoulder, breathing heavily.

He spread his fingers, letting the warmth he’d left inside me trickle out.

He placed a short kiss on my cheek as I trembled in shock.

“It’s okay. In fact, keep feeling sorry for me.”

Jerome scooped up what had seeped out, pushing it back in.

If I’d had the strength, I would’ve squirmed, but all I could do was moan weakly.

As I started to collapse forward, his strong arms held me tightly.

“As long as I have all your attention…”

He whispered to himself, almost chanting, his intense gaze softening.

With a final kiss, his lips pressed against mine as I slipped into unconsciousness.

✽ ✽ ✽

Sunlight warmed my face as I slowly opened my eyes.

My throat felt dry and raw.

The soreness in my body reminded me of the exhausting days I used to spend working in a delivery warehouse.

But the pain today was even worse. I managed to mumble with cracked lips.

“Water… please…”

“Water? Hold on.”

I heard a rustling beside me, and then a hand gripped my hair, tilting my head.

Something soft touched my lips, and I eagerly drank the water that was offered.

As I swallowed, a light chuckle reached my ears.

A gentle hand stroked my head, and a deep, unnerving voice whispered close.

“My wife…”

“Ah.”

I shivered, every hair standing on end. I snapped my eyes open, only to find Jerome calmly braiding my hair.

He raised a curious brow at my shocked expression.

“Water?”

“No, it’s… it’s nothing…”

My voice trailed off, my heart pounding as I tried to calm myself.

Jerome watched my nervous reaction, then resumed braiding my hair, seemingly unfazed.

“Marchen went back to the capital already. We should think about heading back too.”

“…”

“I heard something strange surfaced in the southern sea—a maze. The temple is all stirred up, issuing orders to all the guilds.”

“Aren’t we going?”

“If we follow every order, the old folks will take it for granted. Sometimes, you have to stand your ground.”

I looked at him, feeling uneasy.

The southern sea maze was where the second divine beast appeared in the original story.

It was also where the guild selection trials were held for the third beast.

I spoke with a rough, hoarse voice as Jerome finished another braid.

“Aren’t you still mad?”

“Hmm?”

“You were angry with me.”

The lingering sickness clouded my thoughts, making my head feel heavy.

Jerome’s hands paused, his fingers tense, as he silently mulled over something.

After a long pause, he murmured in a gruff voice.

“Dear.”

The serious tone in his voice made me freeze.

I held my breath, wondering what he was going to say.

Jerome gazed at my freshly braided hair, then cautiously asked,

“Do you remember which direction I braided it last? Left… or right?”

Stunned by his sudden shift, I didn’t know how to respond.

Jerome, deep in thought, finally settled on the right side and finished braiding.

He turned my head gently to look into my eyes.

Holding my gaze, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my temple.

“How can someone be this beautiful without even trying?”

Suddenly, a hand on my shoulder startled me, and I jerked away, feeling my face flush.

For Jerome, this sort of casual touch might be amusing after all we’d been through, but for me, this unannounced contact in broad daylight threw me off.

“Oh, right. I left water boiling on the stove.”

Jerome, unfazed by my tense reaction, hummed a tune as he made his way to the table.

Now that I looked, I saw it was set with bread, fruit, and other food.

The smell of freshly baked bread tickled my nose.

Jerome, noticing my gaze fixed on the food, motioned to the table.

“What are you waiting for? Come over here and lean over the table.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“If I were joking, one of us would be laughing.”

The room grew silent instead, and as my face went pale, Jerome finally added, “Idiot. It’s a joke, obviously.”

Seeing that I still wasn’t relaxing, he laughed, gesturing for me to join him. M

y stomach growled, and finally, still wrapped in a sheet, I pulled out a chair and sat down.

‘Why is he acting so… normal?’

Everything about him felt completely ordinary, unlike my own awkwardness.

It made me wonder if last night had been nothing but a dream.

Jerome noticed my unsettled look and handed me a piece of toast spread with jam and butter.

“You put the tea in first when you make milk tea, right?”

“…”

“Eat while you wait. I’ll steep it for you in just a moment.”

I took a bite of the toast, staying quiet as hunger gradually gave way to awareness of my surroundings.

Having always seen him well-dressed, it was strange to see Jerome disheveled, shirtless, with tousled hair.

I didn’t remember him working out, yet he seemed naturally built, his lean muscles accentuated in a way that caught my eye.

It was different from my flat, slender frame.

I absentmindedly rubbed my own stomach and asked, “How do you even get a body like that?”

“Shouldn’t you be asking me about something else?”

The question hit home, and I hesitated before speaking.

“When did you find out I was a man?”

“…”

“Doesn’t it bother you? Isn’t there some sense of betrayal? I did lie to you, after all.”

“Did you seriously think I didn’t know?” Jerome replied, sounding almost incredulous.

I’d honestly believed he hadn’t noticed, and I felt a shock at how wrong I’d been.

Jerome took a sip from his teacup, then continued.

“Everyone has a side they’d rather keep hidden. And finding someone who accepts that side of you? That’s rare. It’s close to a miracle.”

“…”

“You accepted me as I am, without running away. I’m only returning the favor.”

The image of Jerome in his monstrous form—his “hidden side” as he called it—came to mind.

Seeing him speak about it so lightly somehow eased my tension.

I felt as though a heavy weight was finally lifted.

As if sensing my relief, Jerome leaned in and then dropped a bomb.

“So, do you want to become a woman?”

“What? No way! I’ve only pretended to be a lady out of necessity. Just as you’re trying to regain your true self, I intend to reclaim my own identity someday too.”

Jerome nodded, smiling faintly.

“It’s like one of those fairytales, huh? A prince cursed to turn into a frog or something like that.”

“…”

“Anything else you want to ask?”

I swallowed and hesitated, then finally asked, “You’re sure you’re really okay with me being a man? You’re not going to suddenly change your mind, saying it’s too much…”

Jerome sighed, tilting his head back, rubbing his hand over his mouth as if he found this conversation difficult.

Then he replied firmly, “What does it matter? The man right here in front of you went through some serious discomfort just to…”

He trailed off, but his gaze, intense and amused, met mine.

I wasn’t sure if my being a man mattered to him or not.

Jerome had always been detached from things outside his interest.

Yet, for what he did care about, he was almost obsessively exacting.

His possessiveness toward me seemed to stem from that, and I found myself staring down at my empty teacup, not knowing how to respond.

Sensing my silence, Jerome came closer, kneeling by the table to meet my gaze.

“Don’t you have any real questions for me? How disappointing. I was ready to share the code to my father’s safe if you’d asked.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

An image of my father’s back, the weight of his turned shoulder, flashed in my mind, and the teacup trembled in my grip.

Jerome’s smile softened as he observed me struggling to find the right words.

“Is it because… you like me?”

* * *