The Beast That Licks Me - Chapter 2.3

“No! Sit back down right now!”

“…Okay.”

Evan sat back down glumly. Then he looked at her with the most pitiful eyes in the world.

“Ugh…”

Rosette was weak to this vulnerable side of Evan. Evan probably knew that fact.

“Ah, fine.”

“Really?”

“But don’t stand up. You can check your lower body yourself, so I’ll only look at your back.”

“Okay.”

Evan turned his back toward Rosette with a bright smile. Rosette reached forward, trying her best to look downward. Evan’s back came into her view. Seeing his muscular back made her feel strange. Rosette’s fingertips touched Evan’s nape. Evan docilely entrusted his neck to Rosette, slightly bowing his head.

Her fingers glided easily across his wet skin. Rosette’s fingers slid down Evan’s back. After tracing his shoulder blades, Rosette moved down along his spine. Evan’s smooth skin clung to Rosette’s fingers.

‘It feels nice…’

It was skin she wanted to keep touching. Without realizing it, Rosette kept moving her fingers downward until she abruptly stopped near his b******s. Evan was looking at her with a puzzled expression. Blood rushed to her cheeks.

“What’s wrong, Rosette?”

“N-nothing. You don’t seem to be hurt anywhere, so hurry up and finish washing.”

“Really? That’s a relief. Thank you.”

Evan said with a bright smile. Was it because of the hot air in the bathroom? Her head felt dizzy from that smile. Rosette fled the bathroom.

Rosette collapsed face-down on the bed with a thud, pulled the blanket over her head, and kicked the bed with her feet. Even with her eyes closed, she could still see the perfect inverted triangle of his back and Evan’s smiling face.

This is crazy. Evan is off-limits. This is just happening because I have no immunity to handsome men. Sure, there’s Stefan, but he’s not as impressive as Evan.

Rosette groaned and covered her face with her hands. Just then, with a click, Evan opened the door and came out. Afraid that Evan might be naked, Rosette quickly turned her head away.

“Evan, put some clothes on.”

At Rosette’s words, Evan giggled and approached her.

What? Why is he coming closer?

Rosette felt Evan’s breath on the nape of her neck. Her neck immediately stiffened. Evan whispered in her ear.

“I came out with clothes on, Rosette.”

At those words, Rosette turned her head with a tearful expression. True to Evan’s words, he was fully dressed. Evan said with fox-like eyes.

“You said civilized people should wear clothes, Rosette.”

“…Why did you have to come so close to say that!”

“Ow.”

Rosette said, tapping Evan’s arm. Evan, seemingly displeased with her reaction, rubbed his arm and pouted.

“I thought you’d praise me. It was cramped and humid in there, but I still came out fully dressed.”

Evan grumbled, but Rosette was in no position to humor him. When Rosette remained silent, Evan tilted his head and approached her again. The scent of freshly cut grass mixed with soap made her dizzy. Evan stroked Rosette’s cheek with a worried expression. At that careful and concerned touch, Rosette flinched and shrank back.

“Rosette, are you sick? Your face is red.”

Ah, this is my limit.

“You, don’t come closer than 1 meter from now on.”

“…Why?”

Evan asked with an aggrieved expression.

“Grown men and women don’t normally share a room. Our situation is special, but we need to maintain some boundaries.”

At Rosette’s words, Evan’s lips protruded in a pout. He didn’t seem convinced.

“Sarhen and Benedict share a room.”

“That’s because they’re married.”

“Then we can get married too.”

“Does that make any sense?”

“Why not?”

“Marriage is… something people who love each other do.”

“Rosette, don’t you love me? You hugged me every night and said you loved me.”

“That was when you were a dog!”

“But I… I love Rosette. I really love you.”

Rosette wondered how to make this puppy understand human common sense.

“Ah, anyway, you’re in human form now, right? So it’s not allowed. We could be together when you were a dog, but not now.”

“What? Then there’s no point in becoming human…”

Evan looked genuinely heartbroken when he said this. Rosette was weak to such expressions from him. She approached him and gently stroked his back. His clothes were damp with moisture he hadn’t fully dried. The rough, damp texture of the fabric didn’t look very comfortable. Moreover, since the clothes were made for average height, the hem was short, exposing his ankles in a somewhat comical way. Rosette thought she should look into buying clothes for Evan on the ship. Looking at the dejected Evan, Rosette sighed deeply.

“I take back the 1-meter rule.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but when you approach, you need to ask first or be careful.”

“Okay, I’ll do that.”

“By the way, why are you walking around all wet like this? Bring a towel.”

At Rosette’s words, Evan quickly brought a towel and plopped down in front of her. Rosette chuckled and vigorously rubbed his head with the towel. This caused Evan’s head to shake according to Rosette’s guidance. Evan mumbled with a slightly uncomfortable expression.

“I’m getting dizzy, Rosette.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

Rosette asked sheepishly. She had never dried someone else’s hair before. She was just imitating what she’d seen Becky do, but it seemed she wasn’t doing it right. Evan took the towel and shook his head himself, then stared at Rosette.

“What?”

“Your hair is wet too. Come here.”

Evan raised his hand and pulled Rosette closer.

Rosette touched her hair. Just as Evan said, water was dripping from her hair. Perhaps because it was short, she hadn’t noticed how wet it was since it didn’t feel heavy. Evan took the towel hanging around Rosette’s neck and gently dried her hair. Evan’s touch was gentler and more careful than she expected.

He knows how to do this, too.

Maybe it’s good that he’s human after all…

Rosette pretended not to notice her conflicting thoughts and surrendered her head to Evan’s touch.

When they were lying on the bed talking after drying their hair, a vibration came from near the bed. Both Rosette and Evan looked at each other with wide eyes.

Whoooo-.

The room shook with the sound of the ship’s horn. If they had been on land, they might have thought it was an earthquake, but this was different. Rosette said to Evan with sparkling eyes.

“Evan, I think the ship is departing.”

The ship, which seemed about to depart soon, took more time before finally setting off. Rosette hurriedly went to the window and sat down.

The night sea scattered light reflected from the moonlight, and stars filled the night sky above. At that moment, the ship’s horn sounded once more. Soon after, with a rumbling that seemed to shake the floor, the ship began to move. Rosette’s heart pounded as she watched the harbor growing distant. Now the real journey had truly begun.

“Evan, the harbor is getting farther away. Our real journey has started.”

Pressing herself close to the window, Rosette spoke to Evan, but he remained silent.

“Evan?”

When she turned around to check, Evan was sleeping with an angelic expression. Even while they were talking in bed earlier, he had been nodding off, and it seemed he had fallen asleep in that short time.