The Monster Lady and the Paladin

They rode north for hours without stopping. With no armor or cloak, Leon braved the cold winds. 

They finally stopped when they came upon a barn that had been abandoned for the evening. The stables next to it were in disrepair, but fortunately still had some water in them.

As Leon inspected the barn, Veronica met the black horse’s dark eyes and cautiously reached out to brush its brow. It had seemed so frightening the first day she had met it, but now that it had saved her life, it felt different.

“You saved my life today. Thank you.”

She whispered quietly, and the horse just stared at her. She had heard that horses were timid animals, but this one did not seem afraid and instead seemed gentle. 

It was so large, but the water in the horse trough in the stables would probably not be enough for it.

Wanting to give it something more, Veronica looked around, picked up some grass and held it out to the horse. She thought it was going to ignore her, but it suddenly opened its big mouth, startling her.

She barely avoided getting her hand wet with saliva as the horse chewed up all the grass. She quickly ducked, and the horse’s chewing mouth spat out all the grass clippings. 

Veronica flinched, put on a futile expression, and then laughed out loud. 

Hahahahaha.

When she felt eyes on her and looked up, the smile was still on her face. The man leaning against the door of the barn watched her with eyes that seemed to see something unexpected. 

When their eyes met, instead of panicking, Veronica grinned like she had gone crazy.

“At first, it looked big and fierce, but now it seems a little cute. What’s its name?”

“It doesn’t have a name.”

“Then can I give it one?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t name animals that are going to die.”

The hand that had been stroking the horse’s brows froze. The horse knew nothing, its black eyes glittering. They were as bright as stars in the night sky. Veronica stood still for a moment, then leaned her head against the horse’s forehead.

“Night star, don’t worry about those bad things. You’ll live well for a long time while being loved.”

The horse’s ears perked up as if responding to her words. 

Look, even animals can understand human speech.

It’s funny how the words people say comfortingly are actually the words they want to hear themselves. Veronica, unlike before, smiled self-deprecatingly this time.

A smile is usually an easy mask to wear. When she smiles, people don’t catch her emotions and just smile back. They loved her for it. So, she smiled more.

Thanks to this, there were sometimes men who were deluded like Benjamin, but it was better than revealing the underlying melancholy.

She wasn’t sure if Leon was fooled by her laughter as well, but he continued to watch her as if rooted to the spot until Veronica whispered goodnight to the horse.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ❁ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

The wooden barn was extremely small. It was not a conducive environment to start a fire. Leon rummaged for food and brought out hard bread and goat milk with a relatively short shelf life.

Veronica took the bread and jug and hungrily ate while puffing her cheeks, blushing as usual when Leon observed her.

He remembered the mischievous smile she had shown earlier. The bright face that cleared away the dreary mist paradoxically contained a strange absence within it.

It was the second time he saw that smile. That’s why his gaze was drawn to it. 

That was all.

“Aren’t you cold?”

After the meal, Veronica hesitated before pointing to the fur cloak.

“If you want, I can give it back. You have to sleep now.”

She was still wearing his cloak, having hastily left the city. Leon glanced at the thin clothes underneath the cloak and replied bluntly.

“No need to give it back. To survive this weather, we need to cover and huddle together anyway.”

It was snowing heavily outside. Based on the accumulating snow, it was likely to reach ankle-deep.

A snowy winter night can be cozy and pleasant in front of a warm fireplace, but in a barn with holes scattered here and there, it was a mountain to overcome. Winter deepened no matter how the world was.

Veronica stiffened at his bold declaration that they should sleep together. 

Her lips opened and closed several times, but she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She knew he had been riding all day against the cold, biting wind.

As soon as he got up, he gathered the scattered straw in a corner of the barn.

The bed was a rough pile of hay, and the blanket was a wolf fur cloak for one person.

Veronica scrambled to her feet and began plugging the holes in the wall with torn sacks. The wind lessened, but the cold still gnawed through her body. The hole in the ceiling near the door could not be blocked, so the snow kept piling up there. 

When she was done, Veronica limped over and sat down on a pile of straw.

“What—what are you doing?”

Sitting on one knee in front of her outstretched foot, Leon grabbed her calf and pulled off her shoe. She was startled and tried to pull her foot away because of the embarrassment at showing her bare feet to someone else, but he didn’t release his grip on her leg. 

“It doesn’t seem to be broken.”

“Let go. It doesn’t hurt that much—ah!”

The red, swollen bruise throbbed unexpectedly at his touch. The slender leg, half held in one hand, struggled. Leon, unmoved by her screams, examined her ankle expressionlessly, then asked.

“When did you get hurt?”

“I sprained it earlier while carrying the luggage down the stairs.”

As she groaned, the grip on her leg loosened. Leon pushed himself to his feet, grabbed the cloth pouch that had held the bread, and headed outside. 

She was confused about what he was going to do, but he came back soon with a round, swollen bag and put it on her sore ankle.

“Ah.”

“You don’t need a splint. But still, try not to move too much.”

The cloth was cold from the snow. Veronica stared blankly at the man crouching before her. Leon was taller than her as she sat on a pile of straw, even though he was kneeling. 

It was strange to see such a man carefully compressing her little ankle.

As coolness spread over the swelling, Veronica’s lips curled into a smile.

“…Thank you.”

Leon glanced up, and their eyes met in the blue moonlight.

“It’s the first time someone has done this for me. I often fell down because I was clumsy, but most of the time, I endured it or took care of it by myself.”

At the bluntness of her words, Leon gave her a strange look. A snowy gleam flashed across his icy eyes. For a fleeting moment, the abyss pulsed like a heart.

It was said that if you stare into the abyss long enough, it will stare back at you.

For a moment, the only sound in the silent barn was the soft falling of snow. Leon wordlessly lowered his gaze and tore off the cloth pouch. 

Veronica hesitantly removed her cloak, and Leon lay down beside her. It was a natural gesture that didn’t feel awkward.

As he pulled her back into his arms, her muscular legs and her slender legs intertwined. Veronica was the only one who could feel the full warmth of the blanket, as it didn’t quite reach Leon’s height. Her heart pounded, and she found it difficult to swallow.

The warmth of their bodies seemed even warmer in the cold. Veronica was startled by the urge to snuggle up closer.

Strange. I’m sober today. It’s not like I’m out of my mind, like yesterday.

“Oh, by the way…”

She mumbled to his chest as if she had suddenly remembered something.

“What if I wake up in the middle of the night again today?”

It was unclear how long the divinity he had given her would last. In fact, she was perfectly fine until yesterday. 

However, it was not easy to set the rules based on a single incident.

“You won’t wake up.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I’ll do it beforehand.”

Her breath hitched. Veronica unconsciously lifted her head.

Beyond the shimmering silver moonlight, Leon’s well-defined mouth twitched.

“I don’t want to repeat what happened yesterday.”

As memories of her involuntary harassment came to mind, Veronica blushed. Fortunately, it was dark.

“No, I didn’t mean to do that yesterday.”

“Of course you didn’t. If you did, isn’t that a crime?”

“As far as crimes go, you kidnapped me first. Anyway, if it happens again, I’ll wake you up and greet you politely.”

Leon burst out laughing, as if Veronica’s sincere promise was ridiculous. Her heart skipped a beat at the low chuckle.

They hadn’t become close. They had just reached a point where they could have a conversation after a few considerations. 

And they were too close. His face was too handsome to look at, without any mental preparation.

Her head felt dizzy as if it was filled with hot water. It was at that moment when Leon erased his smile, cupping her face with his hands. Reflexively, Veronica closed her eyes and waited.

How long did she wait? One, two, three… maybe she had counted to ten in her mind. But his cool lips didn’t come close. There were no words.

When she pushed her eyelids up in panic at the silence that ensued, Leon swooped in and swallowed her lips. As if he had been waiting eagerly for her crimson eyes to open, he suddenly sought revenge from yesterday.

“Mm…”

By the third time, the kiss felt natural. His tongue slipped in smoothly, exchanging breath and saliva, like a fresh stream. Leon’s intention was probably just that. 

However, Veronica was different. From the moment she tasted his sweet breath, she changed.

Their lips separated by just an inch, only to collide and join again, like a moth drawn to the flame. Her consciousness and thoughts vanished like smoke.

Leon stiffened slightly, not expecting for Veronica to act like that while in her sane state.