Mr. Kadan in the Deep Forest - Chapter 29
The scent of herbs mixed with bubbles slid over Luna’s skin. Kadan lingered particularly over the places where Luna’s tattoos were, tracing them almost sensually. His long fingers moved slowly over her pale skin, as if drawing rune symbols.
Luna, her head resting weakly against the edge of the bath, finally broke down into tears.
“Ugh, Kadan, I can’t… do this anymore.”
“No, no. That’s not it.”
It was partly right, but Kadan denied it. His eyes, burning with desire, openly revealed his frustration, though he still shook his head in denial. Despite his words, his fingers kept tracing over Luna’s tattoos.
As Luna shivered, Kadan added an explanation, almost as if it were an excuse.
“Today, I saw it. These symbols.”
“Huh?”
“I saw these symbols on your body. In the forest.”
“!”
Luna, who had been slumped over, suddenly straightened up. Even though she had read countless books locked in the mansion’s basement, she had never found a single clue.
Could Kadan have found it? It seemed impossible, but Kadan wasn’t the type to lie. Luna grabbed his finger and pointed to the tattoo on her chest.
“You’ve seen this before?”
“Yes. In the forest, right next to the hole where the beast lives.”
Kadan slowly pulled his finger away from Luna’s full chest. The urge to touch her b*****s and suck on her pink n*****s surged up, and it was becoming dangerous. He covered his lap with one hand, not wanting her to notice the prominent silhouette through his pants.
Luckily, Luna was only focused on the runic symbols carved into the stone.
“Do you remember where it is? I want to see it right now!”
Luna grabbed Kadan’s shirt and looked up at him eagerly.
Because of this tattoo, she had lived her life being pointed at and ostracized. She had to know as soon as possible. What was the truth about the curse she had carried since birth. She needed to know if the people who died around her had really perished because of her curse.
“No. You…”
Kadan couldn’t finish his sentence and scratched his head. To confirm that, they would need to go to a very dangerous place, one where they couldn’t predict when the beasts would attack.
Taking Luna there was unthinkable. She was too fragile; even a small beast’s attack could seriously injure her.
“Is it impossible?”
When Kadan said no, Luna’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. Kadan glanced at her and, after a moment, nodded reluctantly.
“Follow me carefully.”
“You’re allowing it?”
Luna’s face brightened like a flower, and without realizing it, Kadan’s lips curved into a small smile. He should have warned her to be careful, but his facial muscles had already loosened.
“Just don’t get too far from me. The beasts are dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay close to you, Kadan!”
-
- A Secret is Exposed
The next morning, Kadan and Luna entered the northern forest.
Luna had to waddle like a penguin. Kadan had brought all the furs from the cabin and wrapped them around her body, so now she looked like a round bundle of fur. It was a stark contrast to Kadan, who was casually wearing just a jacket.
As expected, Luna encountered some beasts in the forest. Some of them didn’t even attack Kadan when they saw him. They cowered like scared puppies and quickly fled.
“Do beasts usually run away when they see people?”
“They run because they want to live.”
Kadan gave a vague answer and continued walking.
Well, if Kadan is just walking forward, it must be fine, right? Luna kept her eyes on the direction the beasts fled in and followed closely behind Kadan.
Then, when a particularly menacing beast lunged at Kadan, Luna finally understood what he meant.
‘So, the beasts earlier ran away because they didn’t want to die by Kadan’s hands.’
The beast, covered in sharp spines, didn’t even reach Kadan before its body was split in two and tumbled through the snow. Kadan’s body was untouched by a single drop of blood.
“Be careful of the bigger ones, not these.”
After easily dispatching the large beast like it was a rabbit, Kadan warned her. Luna, unable to look at the beast’s corpse, recalled how it had looked while alive. Wasn’t that one big already?
“Are there bigger beasts than this one?”
“Many.”
Many? Luna’s shoulders tensed up. Kadan chuckled softly and gently stroked Luna’s cheek.
“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
Kadan took Luna’s hand and slowly walked deeper into the forest, matching his pace to hers. Thanks to this, Luna was able to follow him without much difficulty.
About an hour later, as Kadan had said, a massive beast blocked their path. It had a horn the size of an adult’s leg growing from its forehead, and its appearance was similar to a wolf. The creature was as tall as the cabin, casting a shadow over Luna’s head.
The beast, dripping saliva, stared at Luna for a moment before turning its gaze back to Kadan. It seemed as though Luna wasn’t its target at all, and the beast was far more interested in Kadan.
“B-Be careful, Kadan!”
Luna could tell with just one glance that this was a stronger beast. She pressed herself tightly against Kadan’s broad back and trembled with fear.
But Kadan showed no sign of tension, as though he was facing a mere herbivore.
If anything, he seemed more relaxed than ever.
