* * *
Right.
This was inevitable.
If Serta had been here, it would’ve been a disaster.
I accepted his kiss without protest.
The sweetness was impossible to refuse.
Even with the thick summer air and damp breeze reminding me we were outdoors…
I made excuses.
No one else was around, so it was fine.
I ran my hands down Ateol’s back.
His firm muscles tensed slightly under my touch.
Slowly, my fingers traced lower toward his hips.
The pleasure from last time was still burned into my memory— so vivid it haunted me at the most inconvenient moments.
Was it because I needed to raise Ateol’s Affinity?
Or was I just that eager for this?
Either way, there was no reason to hold back when the opportunity presented itself.
The fact that we were outside was a bit concerning…
but the carriage was nearby.
The coachman and knights were far away.
If we just moved over there…
Just as that thought crossed my mind—
A sudden gust of wind blew in, sending a strong wave crashing onto the shore.
I had been about to take a step back to speak to Ateol— when the water pulled at my legs, making me stumble.
I thought Ateol would catch me.
But he just stood there, watching.
So I fell.
Right into the water.
“Ugh….”
The water wasn’t deep.
Even sitting down, it only reached my wrists.
Unless another big wave rolled in, there was nothing to worry about.
But since I had practically plunged into the lake, my clothes and hair were completely soaked.
Ateol made no effort to help me up.
He just kept staring.
I lost patience and scooped up water— then splashed it right at him.
“You just let me fall!”
“I was going to catch you. I was just a little late.”
“Liar.”
He definitely let me fall on purpose.
He wanted to see me fall into the water.
Ateol let out a low chuckle, as if admitting to it— then knelt in the water and leaned over me.
Another kiss followed.
For a second, I thought about biting his lips or tongue in revenge—
but…
It wasn’t fair.
Ateol was just too good at kissing.
“Mm… ngh….”
Ateol lifted me into his arms.
Water dripped from our clothes as he carried me to a large, flat rock near the shore.
Laying me down, he climbed over me— all the while, his lips never left mine.
The sun blazed overhead.
I could feel my wet clothes and hair drying quickly in the heat.
Ateol’s hand slipped beneath my collar, gliding over my chest as he continued kissing me.
When his fingers pinched my nipple, a rush of heat spread through my stomach.
I was so lost in the moment that the dampness of my clothes no longer bothered me.
Then, Ateol murmured in a low voice,
“There’s a temple nearby. Shall we stop by?”
“…A t-temple?!”
There’s a temple here?!
And he wants to—right next to it?!
Panicked, I shoved Ateol away.
He easily let himself be pushed back, though he looked genuinely confused.
“Why the sudden reaction?”
“You said there’s a temple!”
“And?”
“It’s sacred!”
Ateol’s confusion only deepened.
“Why would a temple be sacred? We’re not even believers.”
Oh. Right.
That’s how things worked in this world.
I hadn’t thought much of this place just because it was called a temple.
Of course, it depended on the person, but Ateol seemed particularly indifferent.
Here, temples didn’t carry the same solemnity as shrines or cathedrals did in Korea.
If anything, magic was revered more than the gods.
“It’s not even a sacred temple, so why bother stopping by?”
“It’s the largest temple in the area. I figured we might as well offer a tribute while we’re here.”
A tribute, despite not even considering it sacred?
Well, it wasn’t as if only the devout made offerings at temples.
People sought out the temple of the god who governed whatever they needed help with.
Regardless of Ateol’s views, I had grown up in an orphanage where religious sanctity was drilled into me, so I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
I slipped out from beneath Ateol, adjusted my clothes, and he didn’t say anything more.
The sun was strong, and since I had been wearing summer clothes beneath my robe, the dampness had mostly dried.
I sat on a rock, running my fingers through my still-damp hair to help it dry.
Ateol kissed my cheek briefly before settling down beside me.
Droplets of water, glimmering like shattered gemstones under the sunlight, shimmered in a dazzling display of colors.
It felt less like a lake and more like a massive work of art.
I could feel Ateol’s gaze on me.
[Event Complete!]
Ateol seems pleased.
…He’s even proud of himself?
I stared at him in silence, and he tilted his head before leaning in for another kiss.
I quickly raised a hand to block his lips and turned back toward the lake.
We stayed like that for a long time, watching the water until my clothes were completely dry.
It was the kind of view I would’ve wanted to capture if I had a camera.
I needed to take it all in before I made my escape.
Once I was dry, Ateol walked to the lakeside to retrieve the robe and shoes I had carelessly discarded.
He helped me put them back on, fastening them carefully.
As soon as I donned the robe again, the vivid heat of summer faded, leaving only a cool chill.
It was a relief, though a small part of me missed the warmth.
Human nature is fickle.
If I had to endure the heat indefinitely, I’d be the first to complain.
Ateol adjusted his own attire, securing his sword and brushing off his cloak.
I noticed that the clasp of his cloak was slightly askew.
Without thinking, I reached out and straightened it—only to realize he was watching me with a smile.
‘This bastard…’
He had done it on purpose. Unbelievable. He was a fox in human form.
Annoyed, I flicked the clasp back into a crooked position and strode ahead toward the carriage.
Ateol, infuriatingly enough, caught up with me in just a few steps.
His cloak pin, of course, was now perfectly aligned.
“Was that too much of a prank?”
He asked as he sat across from me.
Too much? Well, not really…
I merely shot him a sideways glare.
[Affinity
+5
60%]
…My Affinity went up just from glaring at him?
For a brief moment, I wondered if staring at him more would make it rise further, but I held back.
I didn’t want my eyes to end up permanently narrowed like a flounder’s.
The temple was indeed close.
Not just close—once we circled the lake, it was right there.
To think we did that sort of thing in a place like this.
The real problem wasn’t the temple’s proximity but the risk that someone might have come to the lake to fetch water and seen us.
Anxious over the very real possibility, I fidgeted until Ateol leaned down and whispered in my ear.
“There was no way we could be seen from the temple’s entrance. You don’t have to worry.”
“How can you be so sure…?”
“Because no matter what I did there, not once has anyone caught me.”
Just how much has he done there?!
* * *
