Chapter 214
Though her fever made her warm to the touch, Payne thought he preferred Ashtel’s usual, lukewarm temperature.
“Please get well soon.”
Payne whispered, and kept by her side for a while just as she wanted.
* * *
Still, people need to eat to survive.
Once he was sure Ashtel was sound asleep, Payne carefully slipped out to the kitchen to cook some porridge. He wasn’t confident in his cooking, but plain rice porridge was something he’d made often back at the orphanage run by the temple, so he managed without much trouble.
When he returned to the bedroom, Ashtel was still sleeping peacefully. Thanks to the divine energy and the fever medicine, she finally seemed stable.
“Ashtel.”
He placed the bowl of porridge on the bedside table and sat down next to her. As if handling delicate glass, he gently shook her shoulder, but she didn’t stir.
After hesitating for a moment, he leaned in and whispered a bit louder,
“Sue, you need to wake up now.”
Maybe she heard him this time. Ashtel wrinkled her nose and sniffled.
Was she getting a cold, too? He placed a hand on her forehead, but she suddenly opened her eyes and, without warning, threw herself into his arms.
It was a good thing he wasn’t holding the bowl, or disaster might’ve struck.
“Ashtel.”
“Call me Sue…”
“Sue, I brought some porridge. You should sit up and eat.”
“Ugh… I don’t have any appetite.”
“I know, but you need to eat something.”
She needed to eat before she could take any more medicine.
But Ashtel only poked her head out from under the covers, eyeing the bowl before looking up at him.
“Then… can you feed me?”
“What?”
“Just this once, please?”
Even though she barely had the strength for it, she fluttered her lashes and tugged on his shirt, giving him a pitiful look.
Payne just stared at her, dumbfounded, before finally sighing.
“…Alright. Just sit still.”
“Yay!”
Ashtel shouted with more energy than expected, then clutched her forehead as the sound made her head throb.
Seeing her like that, Payne sighed again, sat up straight, and picked up the spoon and bowl.
‘It’s probably still too hot, so I’ll have to cool it down first…’
It had been a while since he’d cared for a sick person, and the whole thing felt strangely awkward. Still, Payne didn’t let it show. He carefully blew on the spoonful of porridge to cool it, then held it out to Ashtel.
She opened her mouth and daintily licked the spoon before taking the porridge inside.
Watching her bright red tongue flick in and out, Payne felt a strange flutter inside.
“It tastes better because you’re feeding me.”
“…”
“Payne?”
“Ah—yes.”
He shook himself and prepared the next spoonful, but this time he hadn’t cooled it enough and Ashtel quickly recoiled.
“My tongue… It’s burnt…”
“I’m sorry. Let me see—are you alright?”
Payne gently cupped her chin and examined her lips.
Her soft, warm lips parted at his touch, revealing her moist mouth, bright as a ripe pomegranate, and just a glimpse of her white teeth. For a moment, he nearly lost control.
‘Get it together…’
Quickly regaining his composure, Payne pulled back and took a few steadying breaths. Ashtel blinked at him in confusion, so he apologized again.
“I’ll cool it better this time. It won’t be hot.”
“Mmkay.”
How could he be lustful toward someone who was sick—someone who was hurting because of him, no less?
He couldn’t believe himself; all it took was a glimpse of her mouth and he almost…
‘Focus.’
With slightly trembling hands, he cooled another spoonful and offered it to her.
Thankfully, Ashtel seemed oblivious and simply ate it with a smile.
Then, as if remembering something, she grinned brightly and said.
“Doesn’t this remind you of the old days?”
“The old days?”
“When we first met, remember?”
Did she mean… that dream?
Payne’s only memory of their first encounter was a rather racy dream—Ashtel, as a succubus, seducing him in black lingerie. That bouncing chest of hers…
‘Oh, hell…’
He quickly glanced down to check himself. Luckily, he wasn’t showing anything.
“Why bring that up all of a sudden?”
“You used to feed me like this, too.”
What was she talking about now? When Payne didn’t seem to get it, Ashtel giggled and explained,
“I mean when I was a little yellow bird.”
“…Oh.”
That’s right—he’d once helped her when she was transformed and injured as a tiny bird. After that, Ashtel had fallen for him and started following him everywhere.
To hide his embarrassment, Payne dropped his gaze, and Ashtel’s laughter grew even brighter.
Then, she added playfully,
“Actually, I saw you naked back then, too.”
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