Chapter 16

Playing With Hands (1)

One drop at a time, red dripped onto the shallow snow.

As the bloodstain widened, her face became paler. “Lord, b-blood…!” Lily was about to run to him, closing her eyes tightly at the cold wind that blew against her face.

It was so strong that she could hardly hear anything else.

The sound of moving armor, at least, was audible.

When she opened her eyes after the wind passed, her husband was right in front of her. Lily looked up at him, trapped under his shadow so entirely that she needed to squint.

The setting sun outlined his dark figure in red, as if he had just walked out it.

“Look carefully. It’s not my blood.” A slow, serene voice tried to appease Lily, who then looked down and saw pristine snow at his feet.

“The horse…”

Drops of blood were falling from the other side of the horse that Lily hadn’t seen.

Relief came rushing in like a wave, and the strength in her legs faltered. “That’s a relief. Really…” She reflexively grabbed what was around her.

It happened to be Ivan’s forearm, which felt surprisingly strong for a priest.

“Ah. I’m sorry, Priest.” Lily hurriedly regained her balance and let go of him.

Ivan looked at his arm and then the lord in turn.

At first glance, the lord’s eyes gleamed red, and Ivan shook his head as if he had given up on life.

The duke suddenly narrowed the distance and hugged Lily.

Lily let out a short, surprised shriek as her body was easily lifted. “Lord, please let me down” She struggled in his broad arms, the armor that touched her cheek hard and cold.

“We have to go back to the castle. You hurt your foot.”

“I’m fine. It’s not that I can’t walk. I’ve also come this far myself. So…”

“That’s not something to be proud of, given your condition.”

She shuddered. “It is disgraceful to be seen this way. Please put me down.”

The problem wasn’t the embarrassment of being lifted up like a paper doll in front of others, but the fact that he needed to act in front of the knights because of his commoner wife.

It was unimaginable for any noble family to do so.

It was more embarrassing than to be criticised by people.

But unlike the restless Lily, he was adamant. “I decide what is disgraceful.”

Realizing that it was a meaningless resistance both physically and emotionally, Lily stopped struggling.

Only then did he slowly look around at the knights. “Get ready for the expedition. We’re heading north at sunrise tomorrow.”

A faint groan broke out among the knights.

His gaze stopped at Ivan, who was studiously avoiding his eyes.

“This time, let’s make the priest go with us.”

As Ivan sighed, he called out the name of God.

The lord strode away with Lily in his arms.

Her relief intensified when she saw that he moved without hesitation. It was unlikely that he was hurt too badly.

Lily wondered about where his wounds were, if there were any, but the breastplate and pauldrons covered him completely, so she couldn’t see it until the end.

***

He didn’t look tired at all even though he walked for a long period of time carrying an adult woman.

Lily, who fidgeted in his arms, was equal parts embarrassed and exhausted by the time they reached her room.

He placed Lily on the bed as carefully as one would handle glass.

When he took off both gauntlets and threw them roughly on the floor, the loud thud revealed just how heavy they were.

His tunic sleeves were exposed, as well as his calloused hands.

It was the first time she ever saw her husband bare skin.

As Lily had imagined, his palms were wide and fingers long. Taut tendons and thick veins ran from his hands to his forearms.

Those were the hands that had been indulging in her body.

The fingers that had been mercilessly, endlessly buried inside her.

She flushed and shook her head slightly.

He placed a hand on Lily’s cheek.

Then he touched her neck as if to check her body temperature.

Lily’s body shivered. “My fever really is gone.”

The eyes that met her green ones were gray.

Were the red eyes only an illusion?

While she was thinking about it, instead of answering, he put his hand down and suddenly fell to one knee.

He promptly tried to take off Lily’s shoes.

Startled, she pulled back.

“Not my shoes, my foot wasn’t seriously injured in the first place. It’s fine!”

“There’s no answer needed other than ‘thank you’, my wife.” Perhaps offended, the voice from the armor was slightly stiff.

He slipped his hands into the dress to take off her fur boots, winter socks, and even her stockings. They came up to her thighs just before the apex.

Lily blushed fiercely, grabbing him over the dress. “Let me take it off myself. Please.”

It was embarrassing to show her bare feet.

She imagined that she would still kick her blankets at night if that had happened to her at ninety years of age.

He looked at her for a moment, holding her thigh. “Close your eyes, Lily.”

Lily’s shoulders stiffened, swallowing even as she obeyed.

The sounds of him taking off the rest of his armor were muted. It seemed that he was being extra careful this time.