The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 13
She stared at him, her mouth slightly open, completely captivated. It wasn’t until a moment later that she realized the state she was in. She was out of the water now, and he could see everything. Everything.
‘What do I do…?!’
Should she dive back into the water? She hesitated, then quickly lowered one arm to cover herself below the waist. Just as she did, Cassis spoke again, his voice steady and calm.
“Evelyn, the essence of the World Tree within me… the best way for you to absorb it is to be close to me. To be precise, it’s not just an embrace I’m talking about. It’s the union between a man and a woman. You must join with me, and even after it’s done, we’ll need to spend many nights together.”
His words hung in the air, heavy and unflinching. Evelyn’s mind reeled. The heat in her throat surged, and her cheeks burned even brighter. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. The weight of what he was suggesting pressed down on her, leaving her breathless and unsure.
Cassis, however, remained composed, his gaze steady as he waited for her reaction. The sunlight caught the edges of his silhouette, making him seem almost otherworldly. And in that moment, Evelyn realized that her life was about to change in ways she could never have imagined.
“……!”
Evelyn’s mind was still reeling from the kiss earlier, her fingertips tingling with the lingering sensation. And now, this? His words hit her like a thunderclap. Join with him? Her thoughts spiraled into chaos. My… and his…?! Her arms, which had been covering herself, dropped limply to her sides in shock.
The droplets of water falling from her wet hair seemed to slow, as if time itself hesitated.
“You must decide now,” Cassis continued, his voice steady but firm. “If you cannot accept this, I will try to find another way to save you, but I cannot guarantee the outcome. The sapling that carries your life… its condition is not ideal. But if you choose to survive through me, then…”
“Then… what?” Evelyn’s voice trembled, her eyes wide.
The corner of Cassis’s mouth lifted slightly, and in that moment, Evelyn felt a strange, intense premonition. He had been kind to her, healing her when she was weak and in pain. But now, she saw another side of him—a side that was unflinching, even dangerous. Yet, oddly, it didn’t frighten her. Instead, it felt like a safe harbor in the midst of a storm. If she held his hand, she thought, she might be okay.
As if reading her mind, Cassis spoke again, his voice low and reassuring. “I won’t let go of your hand first. So, what will you choose?”
“I…” Evelyn’s lips parted, catching a droplet of water that fell from her nose. She hesitated, but not for long.
Night had fallen quickly, the dense forest canopy obscuring the sky, leaving only faint glimpses of the Milky Way. The air was cooler now, the wind carrying a chill, but Evelyn didn’t feel cold. Cassis’s presence, the warmth of his body pressed against hers, kept her grounded and safe. If she had been back in the village, laughing with Faye and doing something reckless like this, she would have surely caught a cold by now.
“Tell me if you’re cold,” Cassis murmured, his breath brushing against her ear.
“I’m not…!” Evelyn replied quickly, her voice a little too high-pitched. She shifted slightly, trying to distract herself from the way his low voice seemed to seep into her skin, sending shivers down her spine. He was kind, yes, but there was something about him that left her feeling unsettled—in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
Instead of responding to her refusal, Cassis simply reached out and pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around her with a firm yet gentle grip.
‘Ah…’ Evelyn’s heart raced, each beat louder and faster than the last. She could feel his heartbeat too, steady and strong, a contrast to her own frantic rhythm.
In the end, she had decided to follow Cassis’s suggestion. She had no other choice. Her lonely heart might not fully belong to him, but her body, now that of a nymph, seemed destined to fall into his hands. It was a fate she couldn’t escape, no matter how much she hesitated.
As the night deepened, the forest around them grew quieter, the only sounds the rustling of leaves and the occasional whisper of the wind. Evelyn closed her eyes, letting herself lean into Cassis’s warmth. For now, this was her reality—a strange, uncertain path, but one she had chosen to walk. And as she lay there, her body pressed against his, she couldn’t help but wonder what the future held.
