Chapter 232: Mixing Races (8)

Stretching my stiff body, I began my late-night work.

As I continued chopping wood, memories of last night resurfaced in my mind.

A smile crept onto my face.

After countless years, Ner and I had finally become one.

So much had happened between us.

But after last night, I felt as if the wheels had finally started turning in the right direction.

Could we truly call ourselves husband and wife if we hadn’t yet shown each other everything?

Last night, Ner laid everything bare before me.

Even in her embarrassment, she gathered the courage to give herself completely.

And amidst it all, she revealed the deep, hidden desires that had lurked within her.

Some might say it was just the act of making love.

But for me, the emotional bond was just as—if not more—important than physical pleasure.

It seemed the same was true for Ner because she kept smiling at me, her expression brimming with joy.

Even a simple glance would make her giggle as if nothing in the world could make her happier.

Yet at the same time, she bit her lip as if it still wasn’t enough, her eyes clouded with longing, her body pressing against mine with newfound boldness.

...If that had been the only thing to consider, everything would have been perfect.

“...Was it good?”

“...”

The problem was Arwin.

On the very day I was supposed to flatten the land, she had stubbornly insisted on following me, throwing out questions at every opportunity.

She sat just far enough away to avoid getting hurt, resting her elbows on her neatly folded knees.

Her long green hair swayed in the wind, and her elongated ears were a clear testament to her unique lineage.

“...Was it good, Berg?”

“...”

Her voice carried an icy chill.

I swallowed hard and kept swinging my axe.

As if I hadn’t heard her.

It wasn’t that I wanted to ignore her.

I just had no idea what to say.

Sien had decided to rest today to recover, and Ner had complained that her legs weren’t cooperating, so she had stayed behind at the lodging.

That left only Arwin following me out here.

And she was using that opportunity to pressure me relentlessly.

“...It must’ve been good. Right?”

—Thud...! Thud...! Thud...!

“I sacrificed my lifespan to save you, but the first person you embraced was Ner... Right.”

—Thunk.

I forced myself to find my voice.

“Arwin...”

“Oh, no, don’t mind me. It was my choice to give up my lifespan, so I don’t regret it... But still, it’s a little... How should I put it? It feels a little... off?”

“...Arwin, it wasn’t something I planned—”

“—Of course not. I could tell from Ner’s behavior lately. Her heat cycle was approaching. I understand, Berg.”

But her expression was anything but understanding.

Her lower lip jutted out, and she avoided looking at me directly.

Everything about her screamed that she was sulking.

Sometimes I forgot—Arwin was the type to get upset easily.

She might usually mask it with her cold exterior, but the closer we became, the more attuned I was to her shifts in emotion.

“...”

In the end, I found no response.

Awkwardly wiping the sweat off my forehead, I raised my axe again.

Just as I was about to bring it down on the wood, her voice rang out.

“Haah... I wonder when we’ll have our turn.”

—Freeze.

Her words made my body go rigid.

“I wonder when I’ll get to be loved.”

“...”

I finally set the axe down and started walking toward Arwin.

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, but the moment she saw I was approaching, she turned her head in the opposite direction.

And yet, despite acting indifferent, her expression betrayed her.

She wasn’t truly displeased—if she were, she would have moved away.

Instead, she stayed put.

I sat down on the side where she had turned her head.

—Whoosh!

Immediately, Arwin whipped her head to the opposite side again.

“...”

After a brief hesitation, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered softly.

“Are you sulking?”

“...Hah! No?”

“Tch—!” With a sharp breath, Arwin exhaled loudly, but her words couldn’t have sounded more like a lie.

I chuckled at her reaction and continued speaking.

“I told you, it wasn’t something I planned. The order of things doesn’t reflect the size of my feelings.”

“...”

“Look, even now—I have two accessories related to you, don’t I? A ring and a necklace… Besides, we decided to build a house here because you wanted it. Wasn’t that the case?”

“...”

As I kept explaining, I could feel the stiffness in Arwin’s body slowly easing.

Her attitude, too, was starting to soften.

Sensing an opening, I kept weaving my words like honey.

“Arwin, let it go. Once we finish building the house, all that’s left is a happy life. Do we really have to start off on the wrong foot?”

“...It’s not like we’re actually on the wrong foot.”

Smiling at her response, I leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips.

“...”

At that, Arwin glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.

I could tell for sure that her frustration was fading.

I didn’t stop there. Pulling her closer, I pressed another kiss onto her lips.

And another.

Every time our lips met, the corners of her mouth curled up a little more.

Before long, she let out a giggle.

“Ha... There’s just no winning against you.”

“So, are you not mad anymore?”

But Arwin shook her head.

“...Not yet. But if you do one thing for me, I think I’ll feel completely better.”

“Name it.”

She didn’t hesitate before responding.

“...The ring.”

“The ring?”

“...The one from me. You’ve never once worn my ring on your left ring finger. Show me that you love me more.”

I looked down at my hands.

On both of my ring fingers sat two different rings.

Arwin’s ring, however, was on my left index finger.

As I blinked at my own hands, Arwin whispered softly.

“...What’s this? You’ve been with both Sien and Ner already, but you still won’t even wear my ring on your left ring finger? Isn’t that a little unfair to me?”

Unlike before, there was genuine disappointment in her voice.

She wasn’t just sulking anymore—she truly felt left out.

Without hesitation, I removed the ring.

She was right.

Physical intimacy undeniably strengthened emotional bonds.

Arwin was the only one I hadn’t shared that with yet.

On top of that, I had worn Sien’s and Ner’s rings on my left ring finger for quite some time.

When I first married Ner, I had placed her ring on my left ring finger.

And ever since I had bonded with Sien, I had been wearing hers there as well.

The only ring that had never once been placed on my left ring finger was Arwin’s.

I shuffled the rings around.

And then, I fulfilled her request.

“Happy now?”

In the end, all I had to do was adjust the timing and arrangement.

Only then did Arwin finally smile and nod.

“...I’ll let it slide this time.”

****

Though Arwin had momentarily quieted her discontent with Berg, the lingering sense of disappointment in her chest refused to fade.

She understood it—at least in her head.

There was no real benefit to rushing into things.

After all, the four of them had ultimately chosen a life of seclusion.

And in such circumstances, the less attention drawn to their peculiarities, the better.

But if every woman who stepped into Berg’s room ended up gasping and moaning, if it became an unspoken truth that he was engaging in physical relationships with them… who knew what kind of misfortune such traces could bring?

So Arwin knew she had to suppress her desires.

Even if she longed to be with Berg, she had to endure.

Of course, as an elf, her natural libido was weaker than that of other races.

Compared to humans, it was undoubtedly lower. Compared to the wolfkin, especially those in heat, there was simply no competition.

But that didn’t mean she didn’t want it.

If anything, the deeper her love for Berg grew, the stronger her desire became.

The problem was that she had no way to express it.

To be honest… even if she had to keep everything hidden, if Berg were to suddenly strip her and take her without warning, she knew she wouldn’t resist.

Maybe—just maybe—she was waiting for that to happen.

But Berg had as much patience as she did.

And from what she could tell, he intended to hold out until the house was finished.

Unlike Ner, Arwin wasn’t bold enough to take the initiative herself.

And so, they continued to walk parallel lines.

Even when she shared a bed with Berg, all she could do was swallow nervously.

Even when she mustered the courage to touch his hand suggestively, he only smiled and pulled her into an embrace.

And so, day after day, her frustration continued to build.

Meanwhile, construction on the house progressed smoothly.

The dwarven carpenters that Flint had brought in had already begun laying its foundations.

Each passing day, the house grew larger—like a puppy getting bigger right before one’s eyes.

And just like the house, Arwin’s desires only intensified.

Perhaps it was because she kept imagining what would happen once the house was complete.

Like waving food in front of a starving person, the thought of what would come after the house was finished only made her anticipation grow.

But to make matters worse, Ner didn’t stop.

Having already spent an entire night making the inn shake with her cries, Ner no longer hesitated when it came to being with Berg.

Every time they spent the night together, muffled moans of pleasure would leak through the walls.

The rhythmic sound of skin meeting skin followed.

And the next morning, Berg would sheepishly claim that he had tried to resist.

It wasn’t pleasant to hear—but if she were being completely honest, Arwin understood.

Because she wanted to do the same.

And so, Ner’s smiles grew brighter.

Her skin glowed with a newfound luster.

And the way she looked at Berg was filled with even more love.

The phrase “eyes dripping with honey” finally made sense to Arwin as she watched Ner.

She had never seen her look so utterly content before.

And as Ner’s happiness blossomed, Arwin’s jealousy deepened.

At some point, she began imagining it over and over again.

…How she could finally be with Berg.

How she could trick him into giving in.

How she could make him crave her.

And the more those thoughts consumed her, the further Arwin drifted from rationality—without even realizing it.

****

“Whew!”

Once again, I was back at work on the construction.

Lately, it felt like there was nothing but reasons to smile.

Everything—just everything—felt overwhelmingly joyful.

It was as if the weight that had been pressing down on me since childhood had finally lifted.

Back in the slums, I had worried about how to survive.

After escaping the slums, I had worried about how to sustain a life with Sien.

When I joined the mercenary corps, I had worried about the lives of my comrades.

And when I gained my own territory, I had to bear the responsibility for the lives of my people.

But now, all of that was over.

Now, all that remained was to live happily in my own home, with the people most precious to me.

Without even realizing it, I began to whistle as I lounged in the first-floor tavern.

Since neither the workers nor Flint were coming today… I had decided to take the day off.

With a light drink in hand from the early afternoon, I basked in the rare moment of leisure.

Through the window, I gazed into the distant landscape, letting myself drift into thought.

“...Berg?”

Then, a voice called my name.

I turned to see Arwin descending the stairs from the second floor.

“...?”

Her face was strangely flushed.

With her naturally pale elven skin, the red hue stood out even more.

For some reason, even her gaze carried a sultry air.

“...Haa... Haa...”

Even her breathing wasn’t normal.

—Creak.

Noticing the unusual state of her body, I immediately rose from my seat and hurried toward her.

“Arwin, are you okay?”

“...Be...Berg…”

The moment I approached, Arwin leaned into me, pressing her body against mine.

The way she slumped weakly against me only deepened my concern.

“Wh-what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

Still panting heavily, Arwin lifted her gaze to meet mine.

Today, her green eyes seemed even more dewy than usual.

Then, tilting her head slightly, she gestured for me to lend her my ear.

I leaned in.

“...I… I need your help, Berg.”

I nodded immediately.

“Just tell me. Are you in pain? I’ll call the physician right away—no, I’ll get Ner—”

—Tap.

Arwin shook her head firmly, rejecting the suggestion.

“...I can’t. It’s too embarrassing.”

“...What?”

“...You’re the only one who can help me.”

“...”

The more calmly Arwin spoke, the more I felt my own heartbeat settle.

It didn’t seem like it was a medical emergency after all.

Realizing that, I exhaled a quiet breath, releasing the tension in my chest.

“...Should we go inside first?”

Arwin gave a small nod.

With a steady grip, I supported her and led her to her room.

Inside the room, it was just the two of us.

—Click!

The moment we stepped in, I heard the latch on the door slide into place.

“...?”

Arwin had locked the door.

I turned to her, puzzled by the action. Seeing my expression, she spoke again.

“...I-I told you… it’s embarrassing, Berg.”

“.......”

I blinked.

She fidgeted in place, exhaling shaky breaths before eventually sitting demurely on the bed.

“...You won’t… get tired of me, right?”

And then, out of nowhere, she said something strange.

I had assumed she was feeling unwell, but why was she suddenly worried about me losing interest in her?

“Why would I ever get tired of you?”

“...”

“Don’t worry about things like that.”

“...”

Hearing those words, Arwin took a deep breath as if gathering courage.

Then, hesitantly, with her face flushed in embarrassment, she stammered through her words.

She usually carried herself with sharp confidence, but seeing her like this—so meek and vulnerable—only made her all the more endearing.

“S-something… that shouldn’t have gone in… is inside me.”

“...?”

She averted her gaze and slowly raised her left hand.

“Huh?”

The ring that should have been on her ring finger… was gone.

“...Where’s your ring?”

Lowering her head once more, Arwin hesitated before whispering in a voice so small it was almost inaudible.

“...I told you, something went in that shouldn’t have…”

“...Did you swallow it?”

—Shake, shake.

She shook her head, but still, no further words came.

She remained frozen for a long moment before finally speaking, her voice barely holding steady.

“...Th-this is all your fault, Berg.”

“...What?”

“If you had noticed sooner… I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“...”

I still didn’t fully understand what she was trying to say. I could only blink at her in confusion.

“It’s not like I don’t have… desires too, you know?”

“...”

“Every night, when you sleep beside me… I want to do more than just kiss you.”

“...”

“But you never noticed… so I had to imagine you… and relieve myself… alone…”

“...Ah.”

I wasn’t naive enough not to understand what she meant.

Hearing her confession, even my own body felt like it was heating up.

The thought that Arwin had been thinking of me, using my image to deal with her own desires… made my heart pound violently.

Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined her doing that.

But I wasn’t about to judge her for it.

If anything, the idea stirred something deep inside me.

...That was one thing.

But the missing ring was another.

Why had she started with this confession before even mentioning the ring?

“....”

A sudden realization hit me, and I blinked.

“...Where is the ring?”

I asked hesitantly, hoping—praying—that my suspicions were wrong.

“...”

Slowly, Arwin bit down gently on her index finger… and parted her legs just slightly.

Without meeting my gaze, she whispered.

“...It… it was an accident.”

“...”

“...My fingers… can’t reach it anymore.”

“...”

“...Take it out, Berg.”

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

[TL: Just wow, author-nim. Just wow…

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