Chapter 231: Mixing Species (7)

As the dawn light began to rise, I gently tried to calm Ner down.

“…Ner… now…”

“Haa… Hah…”

We were sitting close together, our bodies entwined in an embrace.

With Ner resting her head on my shoulder, she continued to move ever so slightly, refusing to stop.

“Just a little more… just a little…”

She had already reached her physical limit after countless moments of deep emotion, her body trembling with exhaustion.

Judging by the sweat she had shed, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had collapsed from fatigue.

And yet, she kept going, as if drawing strength from somewhere unknown.

Having spent the entire night learning and understanding this connection, she had grown more attuned to the ways she could affect me, leaving me barely able to resist.

I, too, was drained.

The day had been spent chopping wood and leveling the ground to build a home, and the night had been consumed in this endless exchange.

Of course, I had endured fiercer battles, staying up through the night to fight… but that didn’t mean this didn’t leave me equally exhausted.

And without a doubt, the energy I had lost in this exchange was significant.

The space we occupied was damp with the traces of our time together, making it impossible to simply lie down and rest there.

It had been an intense and heated night.

I understood that Ner was deeply happy about our bond, but this was enough.

Tonight wasn’t the only night we had together.

“…Haa… Hnn… Hah…”

Ignoring my words, Ner continued her small movements.

The smooth curve of her damp back, glistening in the faint morning light, threatened to weaken my resolve again.

It wasn’t that I didn’t feel the temptation to continue—her warmth, her closeness, the way she sought me out—it would have been easy to let go.

But the sun was rising, and we had a long day ahead of us. Even a short rest was necessary.

“Let’s stop here. We need to rest.”

—Soft rustling—

At my words, Ner weakly shook her head.

Even the small motion of turning her head seemed to take all her remaining strength.

“…Just a little more… please…”

“You’ve been saying that for a while now.”

“…Ah… Ahh…”

In the end, I made the decision for both of us.

Gently, yet firmly, I pulled her close, stopping her movements.

“Nngh!”

She had been using the last of her strength, but against me, she was powerless.

Unable to continue, she let out a small breath as she leaned into me, her body trembling once more.

“…!”

As expected, that final moment sent another wave through her, and she collapsed against me, unable to support herself any longer.

She was so exhausted that she couldn’t even hold her head up, her cheek resting against my shoulder as she took deep, unsteady breaths.

“…Hah…”

Seeing her like this, I carefully shifted her, wiping away the damp sheets before laying her down properly.

“This is really enough now, Ner. We have things to do today… no, this morning.”

“…It was just… so good… I didn’t want it to end…”

“…Tonight isn’t the last time, you know. Get some rest. You’re at your limit too.”

“…Mmm…”

Ner hesitated as if wanting to argue, but I made sure she understood.

Placing a cool hand on her burning skin, I let her feel the exhaustion for herself. She shuddered slightly at the sensation.

“…”

Even then, she tried to resist, but I simply pulled her into my arms, leaving her with no words left to say.

Finally, she nodded and murmured softly.

“…Then, we’ll do this again next time.”

“…”

Hearing her say that, I let out a quiet chuckle, unable to help myself.

I reminded Ner of a truth she seemed to keep forgetting.

“…We’re husband and wife. We’ll have thousands more chances like this… so don’t worry and get some rest.”

“…”

At my words, Ner clung to me tightly.

“…Really? You promise? Thousands more times…?”

“Yes. I promise. So now, get some sleep.”

“…”

She nodded and finally closed her eyes.

With the sheets replaced, we were able to hold each other in a clean and comfortable space.

It would have been ideal to wash up, but at that moment, we had no energy left.

Besides, the lingering scent of each other was oddly comforting.

Ner wrapped her arms around me, pressing close.

Her soft skin brushed against mine, and the gentle warmth made my exhaustion settle in even deeper.

Before I could even think, I was already falling into a deep sleep.

****

Bang, bang, bang!

A loud knocking jolted me awake from my dreams.

Maybe because of the night before, my dreams had taken a rather vivid turn.

Of course, compared to the reality of last night, those dreams weren’t nearly as intense.

…Still, there was no doubt that even in sleep, my mind had been overwhelmed by the lingering sensations.

The warmth, the closeness—I could still feel it as though it hadn’t faded at all.

Bang, bang, bang!

‘Berg? How long are you going to sleep?’

The familiar voice of Sien called from outside, making me sit up.

I turned to look outside and saw the sun already high in the sky.

I had planned to wake up after just a short rest, but… clearly, that plan had failed.

I couldn’t even remember the last time I had slept in this late.

‘…Come on, get up already. I’m starting to worry. Are you awake?’

Hearing the concern in Sien’s voice, I quickly answered.

“I’ll be out soon—ugh…?”

But before I could finish my sentence, a strange sensation stopped me in my tracks.

A soft, warm feeling that made my breath hitch.

I hesitated before lifting the blanket to see what was happening beneath it.

And there, curled up between my legs, was Ner.

She lay close, resting against me, looking up with a playful yet determined expression.

There was a glint in her eyes—part teasing, part sincere.

“…Are you awake?” she murmured.

“…What are you doing?”

“Just… taking care of my husband,” she replied with a small smile.

It was clear she had woken up before me, but instead of getting up, she had chosen to stay close, pressing against me like a child seeking warmth.

Her movements were gentle, deliberate, and filled with an undeniable affection.

‘Berg?’

Sien called out again, snapping me out of the moment.

“…Just a second, Sien.”

I raised my voice slightly to answer, but at the same time, Ner pressed closer, refusing to let go.

A teasing gleam flickered in her expression, as if she knew exactly what she was doing.

I sighed, shaking my head at her antics.

“Ner…”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you think you like teasing me a little too much?”

“…”

But instead of answering, she simply tilted her head and spoke in a soft, matter-of-fact voice.

“You said it yourself—among humans, this kind of closeness is the deepest expression of love.”

“…”

“I’m just showing you how much I love you.”

“…Haah…”

Then, as if whispering a secret, she added under her breath:

“…And besides, you’re mine now. Completely.”

“…What?”

“Nothing.” She giggled before quickly changing the subject. “Sien’s waiting! We really did sleep too long. Sien! We’ll be out soon!”

With that, Ner finally pulled away and slipped out of bed, leaving me shaking my head at her mischievous nature.

Perhaps due to the intensity of last night, Ner staggered slightly as she began putting on her clothes, her movements slow and deliberate.

Faint traces of our time together remained on her body—subtle marks on her skin, a faint imprint on her collarbone, and a small red mark at the nape of her neck where my teeth had grazed her.

“…”

—Soft touch—

Ner lightly ran her fingers over those areas, a small, satisfied smile appearing on her lips. Then, as if suddenly remembering my presence, she met my gaze.

Her expression lit up with an undeniable sense of mischief, as if she had discovered a new game to play. Without hesitation, she moved closer.

“…We really did share our love, didn’t we?”

“…Yeah. We did.”

Chuckling, she nuzzled into my chest, her warmth pressing against me in a way that made it clear—our bond had deepened.

As she clung to me with playful affection, I ran a hand through her hair before finally standing up and reaching for my clothes.

One by one, I slipped on the accessories I had set aside last night—each piece holding significance.

The World Tree Leaf Pendant. The ring from Sien. The ring from Ner. And the ring from Arwin.

“…Hn.”

At that moment, Ner made a small sound, her expression shifting ever so slightly.

It was subtle, but I could sense her dissatisfaction as she watched me slide the ring onto my left ring finger.

I understood why she felt that way. After all, there was only one left ring finger, and yet… there were multiple rings.

It was something I would have to find a solution for in the future.

“Shall we go?”

Ner’s voice was soft as she asked the question, her eyes filled with warmth as she gazed up at me.

“…?”

Then, for some reason, she giggled while looking at my face, as if she had played some sort of prank on me during the night.

Whatever it was, I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Sien was waiting, so I stepped toward the door, pulling it open.

Ner, showing no intention of hiding our closeness, immediately looped her arm around mine, leaning into me with a content expression.

“…Sorry. We overslept,” I said as we stepped outside.

“…”

Sien, standing there with her arms crossed, gave me a slow once-over, her lips pressed into a firm line.

Then, her sharp gaze shifted to Ner.

For a brief moment, I noticed a flicker of realization in her eyes. The way Ner looked—satisfied and content—must have made things obvious.

“…Ner-nim.”

Sien’s voice was colder than I had ever heard before.

“…Yes?”

The cheerful smile on Ner’s face wavered at the sudden change in tone.

“…What exactly do you plan to do about my husband’s face?”

“…What?”

Confused, I reached up and touched my cheek.

What was she even talking about?

“Did I get something on my face?” I asked, still not understanding.

Sien let out a long, tired sigh.

“…Your face is covered in marks,” she said flatly. “Lip prints. Enough to leave scars, even. It looks like you two were—” She cut herself off, exhaling sharply before continuing, “…like two wild beasts who spent the night in battle.”

“…”

“Also,” she added, turning back to Ner with a pointed look. “You do remember that our relationships are supposed to remain discreet, don’t you? If you’re that loud, how exactly are we supposed to keep it a secret?”

“…”

Ner’s face instantly flushed a deep shade of red.

A mix of embarrassment and shame flickered across Ner’s face.

“Ah… w-was I really… that loud?”

“…Loud enough that Arwin-nim couldn’t sleep all night. You enjoyed yourselves until sunrise, didn’t you?”

“…”

Sien then shifted her sharp gaze toward me.

“…And you too, Berg. I told you before…”

“...?”

“…N-not to enjoy it more than when you’re with me.”

Her voice trailed off into a whisper, her frustration clear.

I couldn’t help but glance at her cautiously.

For some reason, she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Hoping to calm her, I spoke gently.

“…Sien, it’s not like tha—”

“…Oh?”

But before I could finish, Ner let out a small, wounded sound.

Hearing the emotion in her voice, I shut my mouth.

“…”

An awkward silence settled between us.

I could already feel the sweat forming on my back.

In the end, I chose to say nothing and instead pressed a soft kiss to Sien’s forehead.

It was my way of apologizing.

Luckily, it seemed to work, as her tense expression softened just a little.

“…Haa.”

She let out a long sigh, as if trying to clear the air.

—Grab!—

Or at least, that’s what I thought—until she suddenly grabbed my collar and yanked me forward.

Her narrowed eyes met mine as she spoke in a low, warning tone.

“…Once we have children…”

“…Huh?”

“…You’d better be ready.”

“…”

Sien wasn’t normally the type to say things like this, which made her words all the more terrifying.

I was already aware that each of them carried their own form of jealousy.

But if I didn’t handle things properly, that jealousy might soon turn into something far more dangerous for me.

At this rate, I might end up reliving the exhausting events of last night every night—with everyone.

“…Let’s just go eat,” Sien finally muttered as she released me.

It seemed like, for now, the issue had been settled.

—Creak—

At that moment, Arwin stepped out of her room, rubbing her tired eyes.

The slight frown on her face made it clear that she wasn’t particularly pleased, either.

I flashed her a sheepish smile before turning toward the dining area.

Then—

“Ah!”

Ner’s legs gave out beneath her.

We all knew exactly why.

No one needed to say it out loud.

“…”

“…”

“…”

For a moment, an uncomfortable silence hung in the air.

Clearly not expecting this to happen, Ner hesitated before shifting the blame.

“…B-Berg… T-this is your fault…”

“…”

But she was the one who insisted on continuing last night.

I was innocent.

If I was guilty of anything, it was simply trying to meet her expectations—to satisfy her.

At worst, I had perhaps been too eager to match her energy.

But none of this was something I could actually say out loud.

I swallowed hard.

Because right now, both Sien and Arwin were staring at me with eyes that felt sharp enough to pierce my back.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

[TL: Bro is suffering from success😂😂

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