* * *
Klen, who had only been forcefully pushing me away until now, suddenly yanked my wrist toward him.
The two opposing forces surged in the same direction for a moment, and the impact sent my body toppling forward.
But with both hands restrained and my legs unable to move freely, I had no way to react.
By the time I came to my senses, I was pinned down on the sofa.
And—
“……?!”
As soon as I lifted my head, a medicine vial was shoved into my mouth.
He did exactly what I had tried to do to him.
“Ugh.”
That weird-tasting medicine filled my mouth.
It would’ve been better if it were just bitter.
But no—there was something beyond bitterness.
Something unpleasant.
Was he deliberately making it taste like this to get out of work?
But no, he seemed genuinely devoted when making it.
“Come on, swallow. Adrian.”
Like hell I’m swallowing this.
Brushing off the hand that spoke so gently—as if he’d won this round—I pushed myself up and swiftly grabbed Klen’s face with both hands.
He hadn’t expected me to resist after I’d already taken in all the medicine, and his eyes widened in surprise.
Since he wasn’t defending himself, now was the perfect chance.
I pressed my lips against his.
Then, forcing a gap between his lips, I poured the medicine into his mouth.
“……!”
How shocked must he have been?
He didn’t even try to resist.
He simply frowned slightly and gulped it down.
There. I got him to take it.
If he swallowed it, that means I win.
Just as I was pulling back with a triumphant smile, something touched the back of my head.
“Mm?!”
I was pulled forward again, hard.
Even though the medicine was already swallowed, he acted like he had to share the lingering taste with me.
His tongue began exploring every corner of my mouth, and finally, he captured mine—the part best suited to tasting.
“Ugh… mmph!”
His warm, wet tongue slowly licked up my own, sending a jolt of shivers up to the crown of my head.
As he pressed and rubbed with increasing intensity, the sensation raced down my spine like a lightning bolt.
I was sure I hadn’t moved, and yet my body felt like it was bouncing up and down.
Instinctively, my hands gripped his arms tightly.
The faint sound of something wet echoed in my ears, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
This couldn’t be called retaliation.
I’d had the medicine in my mouth too, after all.
“Nngh… mm…”
Only after my throat reflexively swallowed again did he finally pull back.
“Blegh.”
Still disgusting.
What did he even put in that?
Medicine or not, it shouldn’t taste this awful.
I quickly wiped my lips.
“…That kind of reaction after a kiss is a bit hurtful, you know. Don’t you realize it’s rude to your partner?”
“No, I mean…”
How can anyone smile after tasting that?
Your face didn’t exactly scream joy either.
Just as I was about to retort, Klen rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a small raspberry vial.
“This will help cleanse your palate.”
Without another word, he popped one into his mouth.
When I reached out for my share, he caught my hand mid-air.
I frowned.
My mouth was still bitter.
Don’t tell me he meant only he would get the palate cleanser?
I turned my head toward him with a look full of protest.
“Mm!”
My lips were captured again.
The unpleasant bitterness was smothered by something sweet and tangy.
‘You could’ve just given it to me normally…’
Sure, I didn’t mind getting rid of the taste.
And it’s not like kissing him was all that unpleasant.
Okay—this ticklish feeling in my chest was hard to deal with, but I could manage it.
What bothered me was—did he really have to give it to me this way?
And why weren’t his lips pulling away, even after the raspberry had melted and vanished in my mouth?
If he keeps this up, my lips might just melt from the heat too…
As weird as that healer’s medicine tasted, its effects were undeniably good.
I hadn’t taken much, and I wasn’t even that tired, so I didn’t feel a major difference.
But the next morning, Klen’s face was almost unrecognizably bright.
He looked radiant—like someone who had finally bloomed.
His complexion glowed with a healthy flush.
Yet ironically, he seemed sulky about it.
Was he hoping to use his condition as an excuse to rest?
“So, where are you going today?”
“To see the healer…”
My eyes darted.
Should I just say I’m picking up more medicine, or be honest?
As I rolled my eyes back and forth and gathered my thoughts, I answered:
“I plan to check out the forest entrance.”
There was no need to lie in front of him—he knew I wasn’t some fragile thing.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Linda and Vis sigh quietly.
Their eyes, full of silent protest, seemed to beg Klen to stop me.
“If you see anything strange, don’t touch it. And don’t stay out too late investigating.”
“Understood.”
A few days ago, I might’ve poked around anything unusual without a second thought.
But after what happened with Klen—getting dragged into the forest for doing just that—I wasn’t about to be that reckless again.
I’d already experienced how dangerous the forest was.
And I’d very much like to avoid going in and getting lost for months—or even years.
“If you find something worth looking into, just mark the spot and come back.”
“But… I want to see it for myself.”
“Then next time, go with me.”
His follow-up made my head tilt slightly.
Wouldn’t it be better to investigate now while I’m with the healer?
If I had extra yarn with me, I might be able to find my way back even if something happened.
And I could be treated right away if I got hurt.
‘Hmm.’
But then again, maybe Klen wanted to investigate this himself—especially if it involved him somehow.
It must be frustrating not to be able to move right now.
And honestly, it’s easier for me to be myself around him. I don’t have to pretend or act.
“Alright. I’ll do that.”
I answered lightly.
If it’s not an urgent matter, then waiting a little wouldn’t hurt.
His face relaxed into a smile, seemingly satisfied with my response.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
“Another check-up today?”
“Yeah. Well… probably.”
Even with that healthy glow on his face, his shoulders and tone were drooping.
Then, just as I thought he was done, he came closer and gently brushed his lips against mine.
It had become such a routine part of our mornings that I didn’t even blush anymore.
But the warm gazes of the nearby attendants still made me feel self-conscious.
“I’ll head out too.”
“Please come back before you collapse.”
“I’ll be with the healer. It’ll be fine.”
“But Lord Klen wants to go out and play with you, so don’t take too long!”
That last comment made me stop in my tracks.
It seemed they misunderstood the earlier conversation between Klen and me.
He had only suggested joining me later as a precaution against danger, but they’d taken it as him pouting like a child who wanted to tag along.
It was all just part of his ongoing act.
But the fact that they took it so lightly was… a little surprising.
Then again, maybe it just meant they trusted that I’d be safer with him than even with a healer.
“…Got it.”
I gave a small wave and stepped outside, Vis closely trailing behind me.
* * *
