'Damn it. He saw me like this again.'
Josselyn closed her eyes, her breathing still uneven as the storm inside her slowly settled.
"So, you're conscious now?"
The vibration of his voice against her back only made her blush deepen. She wanted nothing more than to get off the horse and put distance between herself and the man who had now seen her most embarrassing side twice.
"Where… are we?" Josselyn asked, changing the subject.
"A detour along the edge of the village," Howarth replied casually.
Josselyn turned her head quickly to look behind them. "Isn't that dangerous? What if those bandits come back?"
Howarth did not answer right away. He let out a soft chuckle.
"You're more worried about the Rootborn than about…" his gaze lowered, "…your wet body?"
Josselyn turned forward again, quickly pulling her disheveled clothes back into place.
'Tch, damn it, damn it, damn it!'
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, humiliated.
"We… we should go back to the residence immediately," Josselyn said stiffly. "We don't want Sebastian and the others finding out about this."
"We? Are you sure about that?"
That tone again, teasing, almost mocking, like he was toying with her.
"Sebastian wouldn't be surprised. He's seen me with plenty of women," Howarth said.
Josselyn rolled her eyes, even though he could not see it.
"Plenty of women?" she muttered under her breath, then scoffed. "Men always brag about the most trivial things."
Howarth frowned slightly at her muttering, then continued,
"Oh, is it trivial? What if others hear about Yorick and Killian? About what you did."
Josselyn's body stiffened.
"W-what do you mean? Were you peeking into my thoughts?" Her voice rose. "That's incredibly rude!"
She lifted one leg, trying to get off the horse, but it was not as easy as she imagined. Her body nearly slipped, but Howarth quickly caught her.
"If you didn't tell the story in your mind, I wouldn't know," Howarth said, lowering his head, his warm breath brushing her ear.
"Unfortunately, those two names appeared in your thoughts. Ever since the first night we arrived in this village," he added, emphasizing the words first night, as if waiting for her reaction.
Josselyn pressed her lips together. She remembered that night. The memory resurfaced effortlessly, without her even trying.
Suddenly, Howarth dismounted the horse and gestured to the side with his chin.
"Clean yourself up over there first. You won't be comfortable walking around with a 'wet' body like that." He extended his hand to help her down.
Carefully, and with some difficulty, Josselyn finally managed to dismount.
She followed the direction he had pointed, and her eyes widened at the sight before her.
A lake, stretching wide, bordered by tall, slender trees.
"Wow…"
Without realizing it, Josselyn ran closer to the water. The clear blue sky reflected beautifully on the lake's surface, framed by the surrounding trees. It looked like a painting.
"How did you know about this place?"
She turned to Howarth with a bright smile.
"I saw it on the way to the village," he answered, stepping closer.
Josselyn frowned.
"Really? Why didn't I see it yesterday?" she murmured.
"Because you were too busy enjoying your 'walk together' with Kael, perhaps." Howarth was now standing beside her.
Josselyn's gaze drifted. She gave a faint nod.
'That's because I was more curious about Kael's promise to tell me about my mother,' she thought.
"Your mother and Kael have some kind of connection?" Howarth asked directly.
Josselyn glanced at him. "Before that, I want to ask you something."
"What?"
"Can't you ask for permission before reading my thoughts? It makes me very uncomfortable."
Howarth turned his head, scratching the back of his neck. "I can't control it."
"Oh? So I'm the one who has to empty my mind," Josselyn replied, half muttering, half complaining.
"I'm sorry," Howarth said with a smile. "But you could make use of my ability."
Josselyn scoffed, uninterested. "Like what?"
"You could call me through your thoughts if you need me. Like that night."
Josselyn paused, processing his meaning.
"Why would I need to call you?" she asked, once she understood.
Howarth chuckled. "To satisfy your desire…"
In an instant, Josselyn clamped her hand over his mouth. Her eyes widened completely.
"Don't say it out loud!" she whispered sharply.
"Mmh… mmh…" Howarth tried to respond, but only muffled sounds came out.
Josselyn refused to release him at first. Then Howarth gestured around with his eyes.
Josselyn looked around. No one was there. He was right.
Reluctantly, she let go.
"Fine," she said quietly. "But don't tell anyone about the effects of my ability."
Her eyes locked onto his, sharp, almost threatening. But Howarth simply crossed his arms.
"Let me make this clear. An agreement only works if both sides gain something fair."
He tilted his head.
"So, what do I get out of this?"
Josselyn bit her lip. She stayed silent for quite a while.
"C-can't you… do that… with me…" she stammered. A blush spread across her cheeks.
"We didn't do anything, Josselyn," Howarth said firmly. "If anything, you were the one taking advantage of me from the start. Even earlier on the horse."
Josselyn quickly covered her ears, refusing to hear it.
"I didn't—"
"Wait," Howarth cut in, frowning deeply.
"You still remember what just happened? When you reached climax—"
"HOWARTH!"
"What?" he shrugged.
"Stop saying things like that so clearly," Josselyn pleaded. Her face was as red as a boiled crab, even her ears flushed.
"I… I don't know why I still remember what just happened, but…" she looked at him, her eyes pleading, "just for today, please don't bring it up again."
"Why?" Howarth asked, his voice sharper now. His expression changed, more serious, as he stepped closer.
Startled by the sudden shift, Josselyn instinctively stepped back.
"Do you realize what you're doing, Josselyn?"
He kept moving forward, and she kept retreating.
"You're selfish, Josselyn. You pull me in when you need me, then pretend it never happened."
Howarth ran a hand through his silver hair, frustration evident.
"I-I didn't mean it like that…" Josselyn tried to defend herself.
"Now that you remember, you want to act like nothing happened," he continued. "That hurts my pride as a nobleman. Especially one from a neighboring kingdom."
He took a breath. "Do you know what that means?"
Josselyn stepped back again, then flinched when cold water touched her feet. She turned her head instinctively.
'I'm already at the edge of the lake? Ugh.'
"War," Howarth said, ignoring her reaction entirely. He did not stop advancing.
"Are you ready to bear the consequences?"