Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 81

……And so, the situation unfolded.

Inside the humid bathroom, filled with damp air, Eir stood with the feeling that she was about to commit some grave mistake. One of her hands was tightly wrapped in bandages, while the other trembled uncontrollably, fidgeting nervously.

Really, just one?

The thought of undressing in front of a man again, even if it was just to wash, made her heart race as if it might burst.

“Y-you didn’t have to fill it with hot water.”

She said, trying to ease the tension by speaking up, but her voice shook so much that it didn’t help at all. Rubel reached out toward her but then lowered his hand, afraid she might jump like a startled rabbit.

Her hair was slightly damp from the humidity, and though she looked disheveled, her flushed cheeks made her somewhat presentable. Rubel tapped her shoulder lightly.

“Can I start undressing you now?”

“Ah, yes. Please help me.”

As she said this, she gathered her long hair and bowed her head. The back of her neck, once marked with a witch’s symbol, was now smooth. Rubel felt the urge to run his fingers through the wavy strands of her hair but forced himself to keep his hands on the buttons.

Take it slow, he thought to himself.

Click, click. The sound of buttons being undone echoed, and the thin slip dress she wore underneath became visible. Holding her breath, Eir watched as her bare shoulders were revealed, the fine hairs standing on end and goosebumps faintly visible.

Without realizing it, Rubel asked, as if entranced.

“Are you cold? You have goosebumps.”

Eir shook her head gently.

“Ah, no, I’m not cold.”

She wished he wouldn’t notice such details, but the thought barely made it to the tip of her tongue. Didn’t he say he’d close his eyes? He couldn’t undo buttons with his eyes closed, so maybe he was only keeping them open for now.

As she pondered this, the buttons came undone, and the clothes that had been tightly wrapped around her body gradually loosened. The warm, humid air seeped through the gaps in her clothing, carrying a wave of heat.

“I-I think you can close your eyes now.”

Eir stammered.

She didn’t doubt his sincerity, but if he showed too little interest in her body, it might become confusing when he should close his eyes and what parts he could or couldn’t look at.

The incident from before, when he abruptly undressed her and touched her chest, might have been part of that confusion.

“Are they closed?”

Eir asked as she hung the dress on a hook. Glancing back, she saw that he had indeed closed his eyes. Still, the fact that two adults were in this small bathroom together made her feel a little suffocated.

No, perhaps it was just his presence that made it feel that way. Her gaze drifted to his red hair, which seemed darker than usual due to the humidity.

And the fact that he had been dragged into the bathroom right after arriving, still dressed in the same shirt he had worn outside.

After a moment of hesitation, she approached him, intending to roll up his sleeves to keep them from getting wet. She thought he’d notice her presence without her saying anything, given how sensitive he was to movement. But as soon as her fingertips touched the back of his hand, he startled and grabbed her wrist.

“Ah, I thought your sleeves might get wet.”

Eir explained in a surprised voice.

Only then did he seem to understand, letting out a low sigh as he released her hand.

As his hand let go, their fingers brushed against each other’s skin. Eir felt an inexplicable urge to scratch the spot where they had touched and swallowed hard. She slowly rolled up his sleeves.

Now that she thought about it, she was still in her slip, and he could have opened his eyes to roll up his sleeves himself. But somehow, the atmosphere had shifted.

It was strange, quiet, and suffocating.

Of course, she was probably the only one feeling this way, right? After all, he had told her not to like him, rejecting her before she could even confess.

‘I can’t return your feelings, so I won’t delve into whatever those feelings are.’

At the time, those words had only felt absurd, but now, thinking back, they seemed a bit too harsh.

If she had actually confessed, how hurtful would those words have been? I can’t return your feelings, so I won’t even acknowledge what they are. Couldn’t he at least try to understand? Other people do that, don’t they?

Pouting her lips, she slowly rolled up his sleeves, revealing his smooth forearms. His firm, masculine arms showed clearly defined muscles, veins running down, and even the faint outlines of tendons.

Thinking about how those hands had carefully undone the buttons of her dress made her feel strange.

Why do I keep feeling like this?