Mr. Kadan in the Deep Forest - Chapter 13

“Th-thank you.”

Luna blushed, avoiding eye contact as she expressed her gratitude for wiping her face. Kadan, unsure of what exactly she was thanking him for, bowed his head deeply.

“Ah, sorry. I’m sorry.”

Even in that moment, he hurriedly grabbed a cloth nearby and gently wiped her face clean once more. Luna, in the meantime, was staring at him intently.

“Do you know? It’s the first time you’ve called my name.”

Luna smiled shyly, recalling the sound of Kadan’s voice calling her. Kadan’s hand, which had been wiping her face, paused for a moment.

Was that true? Had he never called her by her name before?

Kadan briefly lost himself in thought before continuing to move his hand.

“Th-the situation is like that, but… I was happy you called my name. Please call me by it more often.”

“…Okay.”

Despite Luna’s honest words, Kadan merely answered briefly, saying nothing more. However, the slow, rhythmic movement of his throat revealed his emotions in that moment.

Once Kadan finished wiping Luna’s face, he hid the cloth behind his back. Every time he looked at the cloth, memories of the previous day’s embarrassing actions kept resurfacing.

“Why didn’t you come in yesterday?”

“…”

“You can say whatever you like. Honestly, I know. I have these cursed tattoos on my body, so people have always disliked me. I understand if you feel uncomfortable with me…”

But, when it came to sleep, she had to ask him to sleep in the house, but Luna paused for a moment, unable to bring herself to speak.

Actually, it wasn’t okay. She couldn’t help but feel a desire for him to not think of her as something uncomfortable. Luna wanted to be liked by Kadan. She didn’t want to be remembered as the cursed woman.

“No. No, not uncomfortable.”

Kadan shook his head and waved his hands in a frantic gesture. He kept insisting that it wasn’t the case, his whole body tense as he denied it.

Uncomfortable? If anything, the only discomfort he felt was when he saw her—every time he saw her, it made his body react in ways he couldn’t control. The reason he had stepped away yesterday was because he feared he might make a mistake with Luna.

How could he possibly explain this feeling? Kadan rubbed his forehead in frustration.

His genuine feelings were clear to Luna. She smiled in relief, loosening the tension that had been weighing heavily on her shoulders. She had been so nervous about being disliked by him, and now both of her shoulders ached from the tension.

Luna gently massaged her shoulders. At her feet, a small lamp rested. Kadan stared at it quietly.

“When did it come out?”

Noticing the candle inside the glass box had shortened, it seemed she had been wandering around the area since it had gotten dim. However, Luna didn’t mention that she had been searching for Kadan since dawn.

“It hasn’t been long.”

“Why?”

“Monsters appear near the forest. I’m worried it might be dangerous for you.”

“I’m strong. But you, dangerous.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful. But you should be careful too. Some monsters are so strong that even dozens of soldiers can’t defeat them.”

“I’m stronger.”

“I know. You’re an incredibly strong man. But Kadan, you could still get hurt if you let your guard down.”

“I don’t get hurt. I’m healthy.”

“Right. You’re very healthy, but…”

Luna lightly scratched her reddened cheek with her finger, lowering her gaze. Her shy behavior made Kadan take a deep breath. As his chest expanded, his beastly lower half tensed up as well. Kadan covered his lower body with both hands and lowered his head.

“Go first.”

“Huh?”

“Go ahead. I’ll follow.”

“You mean, if I go to the cabin, you’ll follow?”

At Luna’s question, Kadan slowly nodded. Luna fiddled with her fingers before glancing at his covered lower half.

“By the way, I heard that when that happens you can’t walk.”

“Huh?”

“I heard it from the slave traders. When men… when that grows bigger… they say it’s hard to walk.”

Luna gently placed one hand on his thigh. As her small hand touched his thigh, his tense leg trembled slightly.

Kadan glanced at the innocent fir tree, then at the peaceful ground, and finally at Luna, who looked beautiful in the dress he had bought for her. Her white dress and neatly braided hair made her look like a fairy, and he couldn’t bear to look at her for too long.

“Please… let me help.”

“Huh?”

“With my mouth.”

Luna pointed to her slightly parted lips. Kadan, who wasn’t very imaginative, furrowed his brow, unsure of what exactly she meant by helping. Embarrassed by his lukewarm reaction, Luna gathered her courage and explained further.

“Because you don’t mind touching me. And… I’m familiar with these things.”

The reason the exceptionally beautiful slave hadn’t suffered mistreatment was because of her tattoo. The only people who didn’t mind her were the nanny, who had passed away while caring for her as a child, and the head of the slave traders.

‘The head of the slave trader was too afraid of getting corrupted to demand more than self-pleasure from me.’

Of course, it wasn’t just self-pleasure. Some days, she had to sing or dance in front of him. And when his face turned red and his pants grew tight, she had to kneel at his feet and open her mouth.