Mr. Kadan in the Deep Forest - Chapter 11

“There’s a rumor spreading through the village that a monster kidnapped a woman. I need to know what’s going on to calm things down.”

“……”

“Anyway, I’m leaving. Don’t grab me by the collar again. If you do, I won’t even come near your cabin.”

Ah, have a good time with her. Ruth whispered the last words playfully before leaving the cabin. A brief silence followed.

Luna, who had been clutching Kadan’s shirt, waited until Ruth was completely gone before hesitating and then offering an apology.

“I-I’m sorry. It seems strange rumors are spreading in the village because of me.”

Kadan turned and looked down at the top of Luna’s bowed head. Her small head was trembling. He draped the wool blanket over her shoulders once more and dipped his hand into the bathwater she had used. The water was icy cold, not a trace of warmth left.

Frowning, Kadan glanced at Luna briefly before silently stepping outside. He lit a fire in the yard and boiled water. After filling a wooden tub with the hot water, he returned to the cabin.

The tub Kadan usually used was much larger than the metal one Luna had bathed in earlier. He added a ladle of cold water to adjust the temperature, then gestured to Luna.

“Get in.”

“Huh? No, I’m fine now.”

“You’re shivering. Get in.”

Kadan lifted the shivering Luna and gently placed her into the warm bathwater. As her body, along with the blanket and cloth she was wearing, sank into the water, Luna gasped and quickly tossed them aside.

“Oh no, what do I do? The blanket got wet.”

Her panicked eyes looked up at Kadan. But it was Kadan who seemed more flustered. His pupils flickered slightly.

It wasn’t because of the wet blanket. His gaze lingered on Luna’s golden hair, slender neck, and delicate shoulders, now glistening with water. Droplets slid down her pale skin in a way that felt strangely alluring.

Ugh. Kadan let out a soft groan and quickly turned away. With hurried movements, he shook out the wet blanket and cloth, hanging them on the clothesline. The short line could barely fit the blanket, leaving the cloth still in his hands as he fumbled awkwardly.

“Um, Kadan…”

Luna’s gaze drifted to Kadan’s lower body. The outline of his arousal was unmistakable, pressing against his pants. The size she had glimpsed before was as thick as a baby’s arm.

‘I want to help.’

Luna knew what to do when a man reacted like this. It was something she had learned during her time with the slave trader.

Luna faced Kadan. Her reddened cheeks and lips, along with the dazed, wet glimmer in her eyes, seemed to tempt him. The hot silence was broken by Kadan’s voice.

“W-washing.”

“What?”

Luna swallowed the saliva that had gathered in her mouth. But the next words that came out were not what she expected.

“I’m going to do the laundry.”

Kadan covered himself with a cloth and awkwardly left the cabin.

“Wait, Kadan!”

Luna called out, but he didn’t return. His figure gradually disappeared as he walked further away from the cabin. After going through all the trouble to tempt him, Luna couldn’t hide her feeling of disappointment as she watched the man run away like that.

‘Am I really that unappealing?’

She stretched her lips and checked her reflection on the surface of the water. A familiar face appeared on the rippling waves, but what caught her eye was the red tattoo etched above her rounded chest.

Oh, right. She had this. Luna submerged her body in the warm bath up to her neck and sighed softly.

‘I had forgotten about that for a moment.’

Back when she was with the slave traders, she often heard that her face was so beautiful she would be sold for the highest price. Maybe that’s why she had arrogantly thought that Kadan would embrace her.

‘Now that I think about it, the slave traders never called me beautiful after seeing my tattoo. They just said I was unlucky.’

Kadan had treated her without prejudice, but perhaps when it came to close intimacy, he might have felt uneasy. It was strange how she had forgotten such an important detail while feeling so at ease recently. The human heart truly was fickle.

‘Don’t act so pathetic. You should be grateful he feeds and shelters you. Look at this, even now.’

Luna stirred the perfectly warm water. It was ironic to experience luxuries like this in a cabin, something she hadn’t enjoyed even as a noble.

‘He’s really a kind man.’

She smiled bitterly as she slowly stirred the water. The temperature of the water, just the right warmth, seemed to resemble the warmth of the man’s body. A pleasant sense of calm seeped into her skin.

‘By the way, where did Kadan go?’

It was quiet outside. There were no sounds of chopping wood or clearing snow.

If he’d just gone to the forest, he’d probably come back with a bundle of mushrooms. Then she would greet him with a casual, “Hello, Mr. Kadan.”

Luna quickly began washing herself. When Kadan returned, she planned to be properly dressed so he wouldn’t be embarrassed.