Chapter 117
A massive bear burst out from deep within the forest, its jaws wide open, charging straight toward her.
His body moved faster than he expected. In the blink of an eye, he had already twisted the bear’s neck barehanded.
Thud—! The bear’s massive body collapsed with a loud crash. He jumped down from the bear’s shoulder, where he had landed in an instant, and let out a hollow laugh.
Just a few steps away from the bear’s carcass, the little girl stood there, her sapphire-blue eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him. Was she really standing there, leisurely admiring him? If he had been even a moment later, she could have been torn apart by the bear.
‘Has she lost her mind? Does she have a death wish?’
He stomped toward her with a menacing air, expecting her to shrink back in fear. But instead, she simply stared at him with those dazzling eyes, her gaze unwavering.
He was utterly baffled. Had she completely lost her sense of fear? Otherwise, there was no way she’d look at him with such an affectionate expression.
Irritated, he yanked one of the many arrows from her quiver and impulsively stabbed it into the throat of the dead bear, its mouth still gaping wide.
Hot blood splattered across his face. Only then did he realize what he had done and let out a frustrated sigh. What was the point of doing that to an already dead carcass? It was like he was venting his anger. This wasn’t like him at all.
‘Haaah….’
He blinked hard, his face sticky with blood. He wiped his cheek roughly with his thumb, but instead of cleaning it, the blood only smeared further. He let out a self-deprecating laugh. No doubt he looked grotesque right now—covered in bright red blood, how repulsive must he appear?
Shaking his head, he turned around, only to find a handkerchief suddenly thrust in front of him.
‘Thank you for saving me. I owe you my life.’
It was a pure white handkerchief, free of any blemish. Was this what princesses carried? Even their handkerchiefs had to be this pristine, huh? With that thought, he snatched the handkerchief from her hand.
He wondered if she’d still be smiling like this if this snow-white handkerchief were stained and ruined. With a twisted smirk, he scrubbed his face roughly with the handkerchief, smearing the blood all over it. Then, he held out the now irreparably soiled handkerchief to her.
He expected her to say something like, “It’s fine, just throw it away,” and refuse to take it back. After all, how could a precious princess like her touch something so filthy?
But his expectations were completely off.
Her delicate, fair hand reached out and took the blood-soaked handkerchief without hesitation. In the process, their fingertips brushed against each other. Her touch was surprisingly soft, and he instinctively jerked his hand back. The spot where they had touched felt strangely warm and tingly.
The heat that had been lingering at his fingertips quickly spread to his face, ears, and neck.
‘…….’
His expression hardened.
Rezus, muttering curses under his breath as he wiped his face, quickly reinforced his body. He was about to hoist the massive bear carcass, nearly 3 meters tall, onto his back and leave the area immediately when—
‘Hey… how are you so good at hunting?’
A voice as clear as a nightingale’s tickled his ears.
‘…What?’
He turned to look at her, a beat late. He hadn’t expected Psyche to speak to him again. And yet, there she was, still gazing at him with that unmistakable fondness in her eyes—her cheeks even tinged with a blush.
Even though he’d wiped the blood off with the handkerchief, he must still look monstrous.
‘I want to be as good as you. Do you have any secrets?’
‘…Hah.’
He adjusted the bear carcass more firmly on his back, then roughly swept his disheveled hair back with his free hand. For a moment, he stared at Psyche, then stepped closer to her.
Despite the intimidating sight of a man hauling a massive bear carcass, there wasn’t a trace of fear in her expression. Even as the stench of blood and beast wafted toward her, she didn’t so much as wrinkle her nose in disgust.
If anything, it was he who frowned.
‘Do you know who I am?’
‘I know.’
‘I know.’
Her voice was soft, echoing his words. He let out a hollow laugh into the air, then took another step closer to her.
‘Let me give you some advice.’
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