Ch.6969. Cherry Flavor

Like the aftermath of a storm, a serene silence enveloped the room.

A thin thread of saliva stretched between them. Chloe slowly pulled her face away. Despite holding her breath for quite some time, strangely, she wasn’t breathless at all. She touched her glistening, moist lips and opened her eyes. Her gaze met Rex’s blue eyes.

“S-sorry.”

She had acted on an uncontrollable impulse, but now shame and worry washed over her. With a deeply flushed face, Chloe fidgeted with her fingers and hung her head low.

“…Uh…”

Rex creaked like a broken wheel. The sensation was so vivid that it made his head spin. When he swallowed and moved his tongue, he could still taste it. The kiss, stained with hot excitement and pleasure, had tasted like cherries.

Cherry flavor…

Staring blankly into space, Rex barely managed to gather his scattered thoughts and shifted his gaze. Chloe was glancing at him timidly, like a puppy waiting for punishment after misbehaving.

Normally, he would have chuckled at such a sight, but now it was truly difficult to maintain his composure. Barely resisting the urge to keep looking at Chloe’s lips, Rex spoke in a faltering tone.

“Um… it’s okay. I liked it.”

He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Shouldn’t he have said something more romantic in this situation? What he said made him sound like a complete awkward mess. He should have lowered his voice too. What if he came across as frivolous? All sorts of thoughts whirled in his mind.

“Really?”

Chloe’s eyes widened. Rex nodded while internally screaming. Chloe shyly averted her gaze and twirled her hair with her finger.

“…Me too. It was my first time… but I liked it.”

Rex screamed internally once again.

An awkward silence fell between them, and through that silence flowed a strange, sensual current. After gazing at each other wordlessly for a moment, Chloe leaned forward with a dreamy expression. Rex shouted without thinking.

“Wait!”

“…Why?”

Chloe responded with a deliberately disgruntled voice. Rex pulled something out from inside his tunic. It was a small brooch crafted in the shape of a rose. Red petals embedded like jewels gave it a rather antique feel.

“This is…”

“It’s been on my mind.”

Chloe looked back and forth between Rex and the brooch with wide eyes. Her face showed she didn’t understand the situation. Instead of explaining at length, Rex brought the brooch to Chloe’s chest. As he pinned it to her thin nightgown, he murmured.

“You seemed to want it, so I bought it… I’m glad. It suits you.”

Rex scratched his cheek awkwardly and smiled, while Chloe, still dazed, touched the brooch pinned to her chest.

“When did you…”

“I bought it on my way here. I thought the shops might be closed because of the rain and the late hour, but luckily it was open.”

Feeling embarrassed, Rex cleared his throat unnecessarily as he answered. That brooch was something Chloe had been staring at for a while in the merchant district earlier that day. She seemed to want it but ultimately turned away without buying it, which had been bothering him.

After finishing his business with the Underhand Clan in the red-light district, he had stopped by the shop on his way to the orphanage… Seeing her reaction now brought a satisfied smile to his face.

“…Rex.”

“Do you like it?”

After touching the brooch for a while, Chloe nodded vigorously. Then once again, she rushed forward and embraced Rex. It wasn’t a kiss this time. It was merely a hug from someone unable to contain her emotions. Chloe held Rex with all her might, burying her face in his chest.

“Thank you…”

A sniffling sound accompanied her wet voice. Rex’s eyes widened for a moment, then he smiled gently and stroked Chloe’s hair.

Rex didn’t say anything, but to Chloe, that gentle touch felt as if it was telling her, “It’s okay. I’m here, so you can cry as much as you need until you feel better.”

After staying in Rex’s arms for a long time, the trembling that ran through her shoulders gradually subsided. Chloe awkwardly raised her head. Rex smiled and wiped her eyes with the fabric of his tunic.

“…Ugh!”

“Want me to wipe your nose too?”

“N-no thanks.”

Chloe pouted and hurriedly rubbed her face with her hands. It seemed all the negative emotions that had built up inside her had finally exploded. After releasing all that frustration, she felt much more at ease.

“You know.”

Chloe sat down next to Rex and began to speak.

“I…” she started, and began her story.

The earliest memory at the bottom of her mind was coming to the orphanage holding the hand of someone whose face she couldn’t remember. She met Lucas and the older girls, and as time passed, more younger siblings joined them. Then one day, the Underhand Clan came and took the older girls away.

She became an adventurer to earn money, joined Harald’s party, and…

…met you.

“I’m sorry for only telling you now.”

Chloe gave a bitter smile. It took quite a long time for her to finish her story, but Rex listened attentively without interrupting once. Then he responded in a calm voice.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

“But…”

“I haven’t told you about my past either. If anything, we’re even. Don’t you think?”

Rex gathered his thoughts for a moment and began to speak.

It was now Rex’s turn to share his past. Born in a backwater village called Oakbrook, he grew up under a gruff father and a kind mother. Bickering with his sister Anna. Following his father to learn hunting skills, chopping firewood every morning, cleaning the barn…

It wasn’t anything extraordinary—rather, it was an exceedingly ordinary life—but Chloe listened with rapt attention, as if she were hearing a precious secret.

Rex continued his story. Being chosen by Kaordix before his coming-of-age ceremony to become a Rune Knight, clearing the goblin dungeon. Chloe listened to it all with fascination. When he finally reached the conclusion—how his village was attacked by mercenaries and Rex awakened his holy flame to defeat the villain Darbein—she couldn’t help but let out a gasp.

“My father died sacrificing himself for me. I… I don’t want to lose precious people ever again, so I left the village to become stronger.”

Rex finished his story with a relieved expression. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had shared his life in such detail with someone. It wasn’t a bad feeling at all.

“I see…”

Chloe nodded and said.

“You worked hard, Rex. Yes, you worked hard. It must have been difficult… you’re amazing.”

Rex’s eyes widened as she gently stroked his head, just as he had done for her earlier, but then he smiled. Chloe smiled too. After sharing their life stories, they felt much closer to each other. It was as if they were now connected by something invisible.

“I should go now.”

After quietly enjoying Chloe’s comforting touch for a while, Rex slowly got up.

“To the inn?”

Chloe asked in a disappointed voice.

“Yeah. I should head back. I can’t stay here forever.”

Rex answered while gathering his equipment from the floor. As he was about to walk toward the door, Chloe urgently grabbed his arm.

“Stay here tonight!”

“…What?”

Rex turned around with wide eyes.

His expression made it clear what he was thinking. Chloe’s face turned bright red in an instant as she exclaimed.

“No! Th-that’s not what I meant. Don’t misunderstand. I just want to be with you a little longer. Ugh, no… I do want to be with you, but—yes! It’s raining heavily. If you go now, you’ll get soaked again. What if you catch a cold? Right? So… let’s just stay together until the rain stops. That’s what I mean.”

Chloe raised her finger and rambled incoherently. Even she didn’t understand what she was saying. She just blurted out whatever came to mind, driven by the single thought of stopping Rex from leaving.

Speaking rapidly without remembering to breathe left her short of breath. Chloe panted and then mumbled in a small voice.

“…Won’t you stay with me?”

Rex had a mischievous joke in mind but kept his mouth shut when he saw Chloe’s face. It was clear that even the slightest teasing would lead to disaster.

“Alright.”

Chloe beamed with a bright smile.

Lying on a blanket beside the bed, Rex heard Chloe’s voice.

“Rex… are you asleep?”

“Not yet.”

“I see.”

Chloe kept giggling and shifting around. They chatted about trivial things—favorite foods, favorite colors, things they disliked—until drowsiness slowly crept in.

Looking up at the drab ceiling, she could hear the raindrops pattering against the window in the silence. Chloe closed her eyes. The summer rain cooled the heat of the season. The chilly air seeping through the cracks of the building touched her skin.

She wasn’t cold anymore.

Rather, she felt warm.

Rumble!

Lightning struck. The dark room brightened momentarily, and a loud thunderclap hit her eardrums.

Strangely enough, the lightning wasn’t scary anymore.

“Good night, Chloe.”

Using that soft voice from somewhere as a lullaby, Chloe fell into a deep sleep for the first time in a very long while.

Now, she liked summer.

Chapter 5 – The Rainy Season (End)