Mr. Kadan in the Deep Forest - Chapter 5
The man looked at his hand and Luna’s tiny one in turn, then furrowed his brow. He carefully handed the snowberries over to Luna, ensuring they didn’t spill from her hands.
“Thank you.”
“……”
Luna placed the snowberries carefully on her lap and offered her thanks, but the man simply stared at her without responding.
His gaze made Luna uneasy, and she rubbed her arms, which were covered in goosebumps. The cold breeze that had entered when he opened the door made her body shiver.
The man quickly turned and walked over to the hearth, checking the fire. As he threw more logs onto the fire, the flames roared up, warming the entire cabin. Perhaps he thought she was cold. Luna quietly watched his broad back, and once again, her eyes began to sting with unshed tears.
‘What a kind person.’
The kindness she hadn’t felt in so long was overwhelmingly sweet. If given the chance, she would want to stay in this warm space for as long as possible.
Maybe that’s why, without thinking, an impulsive question slipped out of her mouth.
“Um, I’m sorry, but… would it be alright if I stayed here for a few days?”
“……”
The man quickly turned his head to look at her. His messy hair covered his face, so Luna couldn’t tell exactly what expression he had, but it was clear he was surprised.
“W-Well, I won’t stay for free. Please, give me work. I can help with many things.”
Luna listed off various tasks she had learned during her time as a slave—sewing, cleaning, laundry, organizing food supplies… and though she had also learned other things from the trader, things she would never speak of, she kept that part to herself.
“I’ll do anything you ask if you just provide me with a bed.”
Anything. Luna declared it with the determination of someone who had already accepted everything.
It was a rather impulsive decision, but she didn’t regret it. After all, her body was as good as dead, but the man had shown her even a little kindness. To help the man felt incredibly rewarding.
The man quietly listened to Luna’s words before turning his gaze back to the fire. Lost in thought, he added a few more logs to the hearth and slowly stood up. Then, he pointed at the bed where Luna was sitting and finally spoke, his voice heavy.
“That bed… it’s yours.”
His permission was simple. As Luna bowed repeatedly in gratitude, he awkwardly smiled, stretching his lips wide.
“Going hunting. Be back at night. Sleep first.”
He pointed at the moon, which could faintly be seen through the window, emphasizing that he would be late. Then, without putting on a shirt, he wrapped a leather harness around his chest and waist, grabbed two swords hanging on the wall, and left the cabin.
‘It must be cold outside, but why isn’t he wearing a shirt? Or maybe…’
Luna watched the man’s retreating figure as he left in nothing but pants, then glanced down at the shirt she was wearing. It seemed like he had given her his only set of clothes.
＊ ＊ ＊
The man returned at midnight, just as he had said he would. Luna, who had been nodding off on the bed, quickly looked up when the door opened, letting in the cold winter wind.
“Y-You’re back…kyah!”
She had to swallow her scream as she realized the man was covered in the blood of beasts. It took a moment for Luna to recognize him.
The man wiped his face with his palm, and black blood stained his hand. He stared at it quietly before stepping back out of the cabin.
‘What should I do? Did I startle him, and now he’s gone out again?’
Flustered, Luna peered out the window. The man was outside, making a fire. He filled an old, large bucket with snow and then melted it over the fire to make bathwater.
Although it was heated water, the night air would be freezing, yet he didn’t even cough, silently cleaning himself. The blood he washed off ran in small streams, darkening the white snow beneath him.
After washing his upper body, the man removed his blood-stained pants. Luna gasped in shock, and quickly turned her head, hastily beginning to tidy the cabin.
Even as she tried to keep busy, her mind kept drifting back to the image of him washing off the blood, and her heart raced. Why was her heart pounding like this? It was probably because she was worried he’d catch a cold.
Flustered, Luna shook out the blanket unnecessarily with a burning face.
The man’s bath didn’t last long. Once he finished cleaning his clothes, he returned to the cabin. That’s when Luna noticed something soft brush against her—it was a fur blanket he had wrapped against her body.
“It’s, it’s cold outside. Hurry, cover up or you’ll catch a cold.”
The man quietly stared at Luna, who couldn’t look him in the eye. The tips of her ears were bright red, like freshly picked snowberries. His gaze shifted slowly to the blanket she had given him. Her hands were trembling slightly as she held the blanket out.
“I… don’t catch colds.”
He muttered, then handed the blanket back to her. Naked, he crossed the cabin and began rummaging through a small basket in the corner. Every time he moved, his tightly defined back muscles shifted, and the water he hadn’t fully wiped off trickled down his spine, following the curve of his muscles.
