VHRTDM 14

Chapter 14

Whoooosh.

The snowstorm grew even fiercer.

Kahinell stared at me.

His eyes looked like he was calculating the odds of whether or not he could break through the blizzard and return to the base camp with me.

After finishing his calculations, he walked toward me.

“Until the weather outside improves, let’s take shelter here for now.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

I quickly moved deeper into the cave to avoid the wind.

Kahinell kept a close watch on the conditions outside.

Watching his broad back, I almost burst into laughter, but barely held it in.

‘Hehe. What kind of jackpot is this?’

I knew I was causing trouble for Kahinell and everyone else because of me.

But humans were truly shameless creatures.

Why did being trapped in a cave together because of a snowstorm feel like good luck to me?

‘Should I just pounce on him like Anna said?’

The situation had already been created, so if I timed it right and initiated some natural skinship with Kahinell…

“Are you seriously smiling right now?”

Oops. I must’ve smiled too obviously.

Apparently, Kahinell’s lecture barrage didn’t require us to be at home.

“Do you even realize where the Northern Wall is before casually coming here?”

“How old are you that you behave so recklessly like a child?”

“Do you not understand the situation?”

I quietly sat there without reacting.

I knew what I had done wrong.

That was why I didn’t make excuses, nor did I get upset at Kahinell’s scolding.

But apparently, my attitude bothered him.

He grabbed my arm and snapped at me.

“Do you not have emotions?”

“Huh?”

“If I yell at you or speak harshly, at least act offended.”

Sir.

If I got angry too, you’d just say, ‘What right do you have to raise your voice when you’re the one at fault?’

‘So he knows he speaks harshly.’

If you know that, maybe try fixing it?

But honestly, expecting that much from him was probably asking too much, so I simply answered quietly.

“I know it’s my fault, so I’m not upset.”

There were many reasons people got angry.

Sometimes worry turned into relief, and that relief came out as anger.

Otherwise… it just meant they disliked the other person.

Kahinell’s anger toward me wasn’t born from worry.

That was the kind of relationship we had. The kind we currently had. The kind we would continue to have.

Which meant he was angry simply because he disliked me…

And since we would become strangers someday anyway, there was no reason to waste emotions getting deeply invested in this situation.

“I dislike your attitude. It irritates me.”

Kahinell moved farther away from me.

The atmosphere between us turned awkward.

“Kahinell.”

“……”

“Dear.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“Yessir.”

So much for trying to spend some cozy alone time together and maybe making a move if the opportunity came.

I’m doomed.

The weather didn’t improve, and the sky only grew darker.

I secretly glanced toward Kahinell sitting farther away.

‘He must be scared.’

The fact that I was worrying about Kahinell felt strange.

Awkward, yes—but my concern for him was genuine.

Kahinell hated darkness.

More precisely, he was afraid of narrow, dark places.

I knew it didn’t suit his image at all, but the author had written the original male lead that way.

And the author never explained why Kahinell had developed that fear.

The cave itself wasn’t cramped because it was fairly open, but the problem was that it was rapidly growing darker as the sun set.

‘I need to do something before it gets completely dark.’

Not that I had any brilliant plan, but I couldn’t just sit still either.

Being together was probably better than being alone.

Kahinell noticed me approaching.

“……What is it?”

His fear had already begun.

I could tell from the faint trembling in his red eyes.

“I don’t really like being alone in dark places. Is it okay if I stay near you?”

Kahinell’s trauma was his weakness, and I had to pretend not to know about it.

He didn’t see me as his wife, but as the daughter of Marquis Dale.

If someone like me knew his weakness, what would happen then?

At that point, escaping the curse would basically become impossible.

“Can I sit next to you?”

“……Do whatever you want.”

Earlier he had been yelling at me, and now he was telling me to do whatever I wanted.

That meant his fear was already overwhelming him enough that he couldn’t bring himself to reject me.

I moved closer to him.

Even in the darkness, his face looked pale like a vampire’s.

The situation was worse than I thought.

‘What should I do for him?’

Right now, I owed Kahinell a huge debt.

After all, he was the one who kept me from suffering.

So I wanted to protect his secret and help him too.

For shameless me, it was one of the few ways I could repay the debt I secretly owed him.

“It’s cold. A fire would be perfect right now.”

Honestly, I wasn’t cold at all since I had bundled myself up thoroughly for the Northern Wall weather.

I was just saying random things to ease the awkwardness.

I even did my best imitation of shivering.

Then Kahinell handed me something.

“What’s this?”

“A magic tool that creates fire.”

So… a lighter?

As I carefully examined it from every angle, Kahinell took it back and demonstrated it himself.

The flame was tiny, about the size of a lighter flame.

But even a small spark could become a great fire with enough fuel.

A brilliant idea struck me, and I clapped my hands.

“Perfect! Then let’s make a fire right away.”

“If we go outside to gather firewood now, we could encounter danger.”

“We don’t need to gather any.”

“If there’s no firewood, how exactly do you plan to make a fire?”

Kahinell looked at me like I was hopeless.

My dear husband, I keep telling you—listen until the other person finishes speaking.

I walked to the other side of the cave and returned carrying an armful of branches I had collected earlier.

“Here. Firewood.”

Kahinell’s eyes widened.

“Where on earth did you get all this?”

“I picked them up earlier. In case monsters attacked and I had to fight.”

“You planned to fight monsters with these?”

“Yes. Why?”

Kahinell still looked utterly dumbfounded.

What? Why are you reacting like that?

After a short silence, Kahinell finally opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something… then closed it again.

Damn it. I got tricked.

“Anyway, start the fire with these. I’ll bring more.”

“There’s more?”

“Yep. A lot.”

Probably enough to keep a bonfire burning all night.

Kahinell still looked like a malfunctioning person.

“How many monsters exactly were you planning to fight?”

“I don’t know. I collected them without really thinking.”

I answered seriously, but suddenly Kahinell burst out laughing.

I blinked slowly.

“Did you just laugh at me?”

His smile vanished instantly.

“I was mocking you.”

“But you still laughed.”

“Do you not know what ‘mocking’ means?”

Of course I do.

And of course I know it’s not supposed to be positive.

‘But mocking is still laughing, isn’t it?’

Honestly, old sayings existed for a reason.

The saying ‘People become close while fighting’ had clearly been tested and verified over hundreds of years.

“Kahinell, mock me one more time.”

“Stop saying nonsense and bring over the rest of that firewood you supposedly gathered.”

“If I bring it, will you laugh at me again?”

“I’ll go get it myself.”

“Oh my, your temper really is impatient.”

I pressed down on Kahinell’s shoulder just as he started to stand, forcing him to sit back down.

“I’ll bring it.”

Then you’ll have to laugh at me again!

Once the fire was lit, warm light spread through the cave.

Kahinell’s complexion also gradually calmed.

Everything looked resolved now—but when one problem disappears, another always appears.

Grrrrowl.

‘Ah, I’m hungry.’

I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud to Kahinell.

No matter how inconsiderate I might be, I still had at least that much shame.

Afraid he might hear my stomach growling, I deliberately started a conversation.

Hopefully the noise would blend in.

“Everyone must be having a hard time searching for us, right?”

“No searches are conducted at night.”

“Why?”

“The nights at the Northern Wall are dangerous. Even if people are stranded, the search is suspended.”

“So they won’t sacrifice the majority for the sake of a few.”

That reasoning made complete sense.

But why is this man making that expression again?

What’s with the face that says, ‘How can you possibly understand that?’

The crackling sound of burning wood quietly filled the cave.

As the orange and red flames flickered, Kahinell’s gaze fixed on me also wavered little by little.

“Have you truly changed?”

“There you go again.”

I narrowed my eyes sharply.

“Did you get betrayed a lot while doing business or something? You seriously have trust issues.”

“I don’t trust Dale.”

“Knew it. I was wondering when you’d bring up Dale again.”

At first, I understood why Kahinell distrusted me.

But after hearing it nonstop for nearly three weeks…

How should I put it?

It was starting to awaken my competitive spirit a little.