Farewell to the hero! chapter 35

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I remembered the brown rabbit Daniel had called over.

His ability to summon small creatures so effortlessly was fascinating.

Did he say his mother was an elf, so he could communicate with non-human creatures?

I recalled what Daniel had told me and glanced at Kaindel, who was watching me silently.

If anyone would know about Daniel’s origins, it would be Kaindel, the one who brought the group together.

After all, it’s impossible to risk your life with someone you know nothing about.

“Kaindel, did you know Daniel is half-elf?”

“To be precise, only I know. The others don’t.”

I asked carefully, and he answered with a slightly hoarse voice.

“He usually doesn’t talk about himself much. But it seems he’s already told you.”

“I found out by chance. Daniel said that elves would like me.”

“Elves?”

“Maybe it’s because my skin is so pale.”

I muttered, showing my hand.

My pale skin was both translucent and ghostly, with the only visible feature being the blue veins beneath.

Even after hours in the scorching sun, it would barely turn red.

It never looked healthy. I’d always stood out in the village because of it, and I used to dislike that.

But hearing that elves would favor it made me see it differently.

Kaindel’s gaze dropped, and his eyes clung to me with an odd persistence.

That steady gaze made my lower stomach tighten.

Just as I was about to pull my hand away, unable to withstand the growing discomfort, he slid his hand under mine.

Then, in a low murmur, his voice brushed against my ears.

“So pale.”

He grasped my fingers and kissed them with a soft smack.

“Beautiful.”

As Kaindel’s lower face became obscured, only the crescent shape of his smile remained.

His long lashes cast shadows over his eyes, their green irises darkening like a late summer evening.

I bit the inside of my cheek, a pleasant shiver running down my spine.

Heat gathered in my lower abdomen, making me tense up.

My toes curled involuntarily.

I couldn’t even begin to grasp Kaindel’s sudden seductive intent.

Not that I’d ever been quick enough to understand his intentions in the first place.

All my attention was drawn to where we were touching.

The kisses continued.

Smack, smack.*

Like a bird pecking, his lips moved from my hand to my wrist.

The sensation on the tender skin of my wrist was different from that on my hand, as though an invisible spark had ignited.

This was dangerous.

I furrowed my brow at the increasingly intense kisses.

My heart pounded unnaturally fast.

The conflicting thoughts of needing to pull away and wanting to stay collided.

“Kaindel.”

“Just a moment.”

Clinging to my remaining sliver of reason, I called out to him.

But Kaindel, engrossed in his actions, didn’t stop.

He began to nibble gently at my wrist, like a teething child, before licking it softly.

Each time his lips touched and then left, faint red marks appeared on my skin.

Finally, a stifled moan escaped from between my teeth.

“Ugh, Kaindel.”

As I called his name, his lips moved further upward.

The kisses traveled from my wrist to the inside of my elbow, then to my shoulder, and finally to my collarbone.

Despite my clothing, I could distinctly feel the warmth of his lips, making my fingers twitch.

His arm wrapped firmly around my waist, pulling me closer.

The blankets I had been holding slipped from my grasp, fluttering to the ground.

I had no time to lament the loss of the blankets I had just picked up.

As I pressed my hands against his chest, Kaindel chuckled.

“Hold on tight, so you don’t fall.”

He whispered those words and then left his mark on my collarbone, biting into the prominent bone and slowly licking down its length.

The heated sensation stirred deep inside me.

I felt like I was burning.

Even though Kaindel was the one taking what he wanted, it was I who felt like a wanderer lost in the desert, desperately thirsty.

Just a little more…

“Just a little more…”

I frowned at the sensation rising within me and lifted my eyelids.

It was an impulsive action—perhaps born from a clumsy sense of rebellion.

My mind was completely consumed by the overwhelming desire to see Kaindel right away.

And the moment I saw him…

“Kaindel…”

The thread of heat that had been sustaining me suddenly snapped.

A cold splash of water poured down the back of my neck, bringing my dizzy mind back to reality.

I pushed away the hand that tried to slip inside my clothes.

“Stop, Kaindel.”

“Haah…”

He, who had ignored my words until now, slowly drew back.

He buried his forehead into my shoulder, his breath ragged.

Soon, after regaining his composure, Kaindel lifted his head.

I replayed the scene I had just witnessed in my mind.

Kaindel, who had kissed me, was clearly as heated as I was.

His green eyes, filled with desire, were carefully watching my every reaction.

Yet, what was reflected in those eyes felt opaque.

It’s a paradoxical expression, but it was true.

Although Kaindel was staring right at me, it felt as though he wasn’t seeing me at all.

His gaze stretched past me, yearning for something beyond.

“The person was entirely pale, but their lips were strikingly red. There were times when the fairy would smile faintly, and that look was just so…”

The glass wall I hadn’t known existed shattered.

Unable to bear the sound of its breakage, I covered Kaindel’s eyes with my hands.

The green eyes that I had once loved gazing into, even if only for a moment, had become terrifying.

“So beautiful.”

Kaindel remained still, letting me cover his eyes.

It seemed as if he thought I was playing a bad joke.

I stared blankly at the elegant curve of his lips before speaking.

“I liked them… a lot.”

“You…”

Who were you seeing just now, through me?

The question I couldn’t finish lingered on the tip of my tongue.

Was it pride?

I couldn’t bring myself to continue and closed my mouth again.

When I gently lowered my hand from Kaindel’s eyes, his clear gaze was revealed.

He looked at me, puzzled that I had stopped speaking after opening up.

“Hmm?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

In the end, I chose to retreat.

I lacked the courage to dig out the truth.

A self-mocking smile crept onto my lips.

I was ridiculous, knowing the truth yet trying to cover it up.

Even this was born from hope, and my pitiful state was laughable.

I struggled to control the bitter twist of my mouth, suppressing the naive emotions that threatened to surface.

Kaindel, watching me, raised an eyebrow.

“Isa.”

Just as he spoke, a familiar argument echoed from a distance.

“Be quiet, would you?”

“Acting all high and mighty when you couldn’t have even reached the cave without me.”

“Yes, and I already thanked you.”

“I couldn’t hear it because of the fog. Say it again.”

“What do you mean, because of the fog? That’s clearly a problem with your ears.”

Recognizing Owen’s voice bickering with Ruen, I hurriedly stepped away from Kaindel.

I didn’t want anyone to notice the odd tension between us.

The lingering excitement in the air was inevitable, but I wanted to greet them with as much composure as possible.

As I hurriedly straightened my disheveled clothing, Kaindel briefly glanced at his own chest, then back at me.

It was then that Sehir approached, having spotted us up in the trees.

“We’re back, Kaindel.”

“Was there a magic circle in the cave?”

The gaze that had clung to me finally released.

“Not just a magic circle, but we also found three dead magicians.”

Sehir nodded as he explained the situation and set down his empty quiver.

His robe, stained with dirt and green liquid, was quickly discarded.

I scanned the surroundings and noticed that the fog, which had been thick earlier, had now significantly thinned.

It was almost indistinguishable from ordinary fog.

It must have been the magic circle.

Relieved, I glanced at Owen, who ruffled his disheveled hair and spoke.

“Judging by the shape of the circle, it seems they tried to sacrifice their bodies to summon a high-level monster.”

“Is that even possible?”

Kaindel, intrigued, asked in a low voice.

Owen’s face twisted in frustration as he irritably pushed up his glasses.

“No. Summoning a high-level monster is impossible for humans. Because it’s impossible, all they got was this fog instead.”

“What a foolish act.”

“That’s typical of magicians.”

Owen crossed his arms, agreeing with Kaindel’s sentiment.

He had always had a low opinion of magicians, likely because of his affiliation with the temple, which opposed the mage tower.

Even though he had escaped the temple, its teachings still formed the core of his beliefs.

As their conversation wound down, Daniel, who had been standing nearby, turned his gaze towards me.

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