Desperately holding back another wave of nausea, Maxi pushed his chest away with her trembling hands. “P-Please…c-ca-call Ludis….”
“It’s all right. Go ahead.”
She covered her mouth and shook her head. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and her stomach twisted painfully, but she did not want to humiliate herself in front of him again.
“I-I want…” She squirmed to free herself from his arms. Riftan tossed the bowl aside and pulled her to his chest, holding her close. Shaking her head, she tried to escape again, but his arms did not budge.
Holding her chin, he pushed two fingers into her mouth and gently pressed down on the back of her tongue, prompting her sticky bile all over his chest. She shook as she coughed it up, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Shhh…It’s all right.” Riftan rocked her in his arms as he rubbed her back, as one would when comforting a child.
Maxi sniffled in shame and revulsion at the vomit now covering Riftan’s hands and clothes.
“Don’t cry,” Riftan murmured into her hair, wiping her face with his clean sleeve.
His grave expression was a stark contrast to his gentle actions. With his mouth pressed in a tight line, he loosened the straps of her soiled dress and pulled it over her head before taking off his tunic.
Maxi curled herself into a ball against the cold air, but he swiftly pulled her to him again and resumed stroking her back. Seeking warmth, Maxi burrowed herself deeper into his embrace, pressing her breasts against his muscled chest and entwining her legs with his.
“Damn it…” A burning flush colored Riftan’s cheeks, and Maxi saw droplets of sweat on his forehead. His body felt like a heated iron against hers, his heart pounding loudlybeneath her cheek. Yet the hands that tended to her were steady.
She felt him wipe her face with a towel and begin removing the pins from her tangled hair. It was all she could do to lie slumped against him and try to clear her thoughts. When had she returned to the castle? And what of that colossal monster? Her memories prior to blacking out started to come rushing back, and she trembled uncontrollably.
“You’re as cold as ice.” Riftan continued to stroke her back with his warm palm, but he was clearly restless. Finally, he scooped her up, carried her to the tub in front of the fireplace, and lowered her into the warm water.
Hugging her knees, Maxi waited for the heat to seep into her body, but the chill clung to her. “Wh-Why…i-is my body…”
“Mana depletion induces the same reaction as blood loss. It causes dizziness and makes your blood pressure drop.” He scooped water over her shoulders. “I can’t believe that damned runt didn’t warn you about this. But then again, I suppose he also didn’t think you would do something so reckless.”
A sharp reproach edged his voice, and when she lifted her gaze to study his expression, she saw thinly veiled anger burning in his dark eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, clearly trying to suppress his emotions. Removing his trousers, he stepped in behind her.
“Sharing body heat will help.” Not waiting for a response, he hoisted her onto his solid thighs and wound his arms around her waist.
Although she felt his manhood press against her buttockslike an iron rod, his warm skin offered a temptation she simply could not refuse. She clung to him like a chick nestling against a hen, and she heard him draw a sharp intake of breath. With faintly shaking hands, he began to massage her stiff limbs.
Maxi numbly allowed him to care for her. Just as he had said, she felt dizzy, and chills racked her whole body. She felt as though she had aged a hundred years.
“Try to bear it, even if you’re uncomfortable.” He continued his ministrations until a rosy pink hue returned to her skin. When the water grew tepid, he carried her out of the tub. She staggered as he lowered her to her feet. Once she was leaning steadily against him, he wrapped her in a towel, quickly dried her off, and clumsily helped her into a nightdress.
“You should drink some water even if you feel sick.” Riftan brought a cup to her lips, and Maxi barely managed a sip. As soon as the lukewarm water entered her constricted stomach, she heaved again. She would’ve made another mess of herself had Riftan not swiftly caught the bile in his hands.
Panting, Maxi stared vacantly at his cupped palms. He showed no sign of revulsion as he wiped her mess on a towel before meticulously cleaning her mouth as well. Tears of mortification streamed down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sick,” Riftan whispered, peppering her forehead with kisses, misunderstanding the reason for her tears.
Her body shook with every hiccup and gasp as she cried her heart out. When she finally calmed down, it occurred to her that Riftan must be thoroughly exhausted himself. Hehad fought off such terrifying monsters. He needed as much rest as she did, likely even more so.
She pulled away, barely managing to get words out. “I-I apologize for troubling you. I-I am…all right now. You should…r-rest now….”
Anger flashed in Riftan’s eyes. “You might be all right, but I’m not.” His voice trembled slightly as if he were choking back emotions. “You can never begin to imagine how I felt when I saw you unconscious on the ground.” His face contorted with pain, and he roughly rubbed it in an attempt to rein in his emotions. After a moment, he covered her eyes with his palm. “Stop worrying about needless things and go to sleep. You look terrible.”
As soon as darkness filled her vision, drowsiness flooded over her, and she grew as limp as a rag doll. Slowly drifting off to sleep, she was vaguely aware of Riftan laboriously massaging her icy feet and stiff calves.
Somehow, she knew that he would continue to do so all night if she did not stop him, but she felt so drained that she could not even form the words. Soon enough, she fell into a deep slumber.
—
The sunlight was brightthe next morning, and Maxi struggled to open her eyes. Gradually, her blurry vision came into focus as she looked around the room. To her surprise, she was not alone as she had predicted. Riftan was asleep next to her.
