Ch.51Heat (1)

*

Sylvia lifted her head with her eyes closed.

The wind, carrying the scent of the river, flew through the cool night air, brushing past her chin and the tip of her nose.

She undid her belt and let it drop to the ground.

One by one, she removed her clothes, stiffened by the blood soaked into them, and dropped them onto the sand.

Thud, thud.

With a sound too heavy to be mere fabric, the robe and tunic that had wrapped her body fell to the ground.

At Sylvia’s feet, her bundled clothes lay crumpled, and in the middle of them stood Sylvia’s naked body, her snow-white skin gleaming in the moonlight.

Sylvia stepped over her clothes and walked forward.

The shifting sand embraced her feet softly.

With each step forward, the sand that crept between her toes grew cooler.

Beyond the coldness felt by her soles, she could sense the gradually increasing moisture.

“Ah!”

Sylvia shivered slightly as she dipped her foot into the cold river water.

Her ankles splashed in the water, feeling so cold that she wanted to pull her feet out immediately, but seeing the clumps of blood washing away in the flowing water, she clearly needed a bath.

Sylvia took a deep breath and boldly strode into the water.

The wind passing over her wet skin made her body cool rapidly.

She needed something to keep her warm.

Sylvia slowly turned around and said:

“Aren’t you coming in?”

Ash stood awkwardly on the riverbank.

Despite his supposed trauma that kept him from leaving the house, it seemed he could venture out if he was with Sylvia.

The entire way down to the river, he had clung to Sylvia’s arm, not caring about the monster’s blood on his body. Sylvia found his behavior both pitiful and adorable.

Looking at the hesitant Ash, she spoke again:

“Ash. The river water is cold.”

“What?”

“I’m cold.”

“…?”

Ash didn’t understand what Sylvia meant and stared at her blankly before hastily averting his eyes.

Seeing Ash’s foolish expression, Sylvia smiled slightly and said:

“…Hold me.”

After hesitating, Ash slowly nodded.

As he began to step forward into the water, Sylvia stopped him.

“Wait.”

“W-what is it?”

“Are you planning to bathe with your clothes on?”

“…”

Sylvia laughed mischievously.

Ash blushed and stumbled, clearly flustered.

Watching him, she felt satisfaction spreading through her heart.

Trauma, guilt, sadness, suffering.

All those emotions eating away at Ash’s mind.

That black soot in the heart—Sylvia knew it all too well.

If this sinful body of hers could pull Ash away from that pain, even for a moment, she couldn’t ask for more.

Sylvia bent slightly at the waist, as if showing off her large breasts.

The lower curves of her breasts almost touched the cold water, splashing gently.

“It’s okay. Come quickly.”

Ash squeezed his eyes shut and carefully lifted his tunic.

His soft skin was gradually revealed, starting from his legs.

Sylvia watched intently.

Time seemed to flow slowly.

Ash’s hands removing his clothes, the river water flowing over Sylvia’s body, the clouds slowly covering and revealing the moonlight—everything moved lazily.

As always.

It was hard to measure how violently this slow time had shaken and gnawed at Sylvia’s mind until now.

But at this moment, she sincerely welcomed the slow passage of time.

Ash’s body, which she had only glimpsed from the corner of her eye last night.

Even now, it was hidden in darkness, not clearly visible.

But that haziness only pressed harder on the bellows in Sylvia’s mind.

Heat-laden breath rushed from Sylvia’s nose, and the furnace in her heated mind burned hot enough to melt everything.

Her guilt, worries, conscience, and even the last handful of loneliness—all melted away.

The molten mixture of various emotions was poured into the mold of thought and slowly solidified.

And so, a single thought was completed.

At this moment, a single thought, heavy as well-forged iron, filled her mind.

‘I want to hold Ash.’

Sylvia hugged her arms and whispered quietly:

“Come quickly, Ash.”

In her red eyes, desire flowed slowly like bubbling lava, quietly smoldering.

*

Ash let out a trembling sigh as the cold river water wrapped around his calves.

It wasn’t the coldness he had imagined.

The chill was so sharp it felt like a blade cutting his legs, forcing Ash to pause occasionally and wait for his body to adjust.

Sylvia waited for him, slowly submerging herself in the river water up to her shoulders.

She wasn’t being leisurely.

Rather, Sylvia needed this cold water.

If she couldn’t cool the burning heat that threatened to consume her entire body, she felt she might grab Ash and use his body according to her desires.

But the river’s chill, which only cooled her outer skin, was woefully inadequate to extinguish the fire in her heart.

Sylvia bit her lip as she looked at Ash.

His hips, waist, and chest gradually disappeared into the dark water as he approached.

Ash, too, gazed at Sylvia’s face as it drew closer.

In that moment, he recalled the day he first cursed her.

Her figure bathing in the river under the moonlight, her white skin and brilliant hair gleaming, had been so beautiful that mistaking her for a fairy or goddess would have been understandable.

He remembered clearly how beautiful her face had been that day, secretly observed through the trees.

And now, that beautiful woman’s eyes, nose, and lips were drawing closer.

Close enough to touch if he reached out, close enough to feel each other’s breath,

And soon, close enough that their noses almost touched.

“Hold me,”

Sylvia said, and then she was the one who embraced Ash.

Ash’s body pressed against Sylvia’s.

A warm sensation spread across Ash’s skin, which had been wrapped only in cold chill.

Somehow reassured by that warmth, Ash exhaled comfortably and rested his head on Sylvia’s shoulder.

“Mmm…”

“I’m sorry for leaving you alone. I should have expected it.”

Sylvia said, slipping her arms under Ash’s armpits and hugging him tighter.

It was a persistent embrace, as if trying to leave no space between them.

Sylvia’s legs firmly entwined with Ash’s, which were floating due to the water’s buoyancy.

Losing his balance, Ash hugged Sylvia’s waist tightly to avoid being swept away by the current.

She fully supported Ash’s weight, tucking her chin into his shoulder.

Like puzzle pieces, the two fitted their bodies into each other’s gaps.

Looking at Sylvia’s golden hair tickling his nose, Ash slowly spoke:

“I’m sorry.”

“Hmm? For what?”

“This morning…”

Sylvia realized a bit late what Ash was referring to.

It was about how he had shown an aggressive attitude toward Sylvia just because she had refused a kiss that morning.

Sylvia smiled and shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it. I already told you. I’ve done worse.”

“Even though I know what kind of person you are… Even though I clearly knew you did your best to save me, a stranger… To such a benefactor, I…”

“Stop.”

Sylvia cut Ash off with a somewhat firm voice.

Honestly, she didn’t mind if Ash mistook her for a good person.

No, she welcomed it.

Sylvia had already decided in her heart that the further Ash was from the truth, the better.

But, for some reason, she didn’t want to hear praise for herself from his lips.

Some minimum conscience about ruining his life and taking his sister’s life seemed to be screaming that she couldn’t accept that much.

“I’m the one who should be sorry… After all, it was me who caused you to experience such things…”

“N-no, that’s not true!”

“…Fool.”

“…What?”

Sylvia slowly raised her head and looked at Ash.

Ash’s moist eyes seemed even wetter than the rippling water surface.

His cheeks, his lips—everything looked so moist.

And, what was wet was also between Sylvia’s legs.

Sylvia slowly grasped Ash’s lips.

“Sylvi—mmph?”

“Shh,”

A white light rose from Sylvia’s chest, traveled along her arm to her fingertips, and finally transferred to Ash’s lips.

Ash was already familiar with this warmth and light.

He could feel the holy power slowly soothing his chapped lips.

After a moment, Sylvia slowly moved her hand from Ash’s lips to his cheek.

That touch was so warm, even without holy power, that Ash slowly closed and opened his eyes.

“Ash.”

“…Yes.”

“I want to kiss you.”

Sylvia said, caressing his lips with the thumb of the hand holding his cheek.

Ash slowly moved his arms from Sylvia’s waist to her back.

Naturally, their bodies pressed even closer together.

He slowly approached her lips.

Close enough that their breaths intermingled just by opening their mouths.

At that precarious distance, almost touching but not quite, Ash whispered quietly:

“Me too.”

The burning flame that had been racing wildly through Sylvia’s body finally erupted.

Its power made her move faster, stronger.

Sylvia pressed her lips against Ash’s like a beast seizing its prey.

She wanted to pour all the hot heat generated in her body into Ash’s mouth.

But Sylvia could clearly feel it.

The strength in Ash’s arms clinging to her back, and that his breath was just as hot as hers.

Ash even boldly thrust his tongue into Sylvia’s mouth first.

The way he tapped her teeth was characteristically cautious, yet he gradually pushed deeper without stopping.

It was clear that Ash wanted to devour Sylvia just as much.

Something hot nudging near Sylvia’s stomach proved that fact.

.