Chapter 23
I don't know how he got such an injury, but Kaiden couldn't wake up easily the next day either.
It looked like an animal's claw mark, but did it have poison like the Monster that attacked Enoch?
I sighed as I saw that the piece of cloth I was using as a towel was tattered.
I guess I'll have to tear the dress more. The dress was all torn, and my bare legs were already exposed up to half of my calves.
At first, I wondered what a dress was doing in this wilderness, but now I even thought it was fortunate that I was wearing a dress.
I need to find a cabin soon. There would be modern clothes there, so I wanted to pick up some pants to wear.
We decided to scout near the cave again, leaving Kaiden behind. It was to find the river. There was a valley nearby, but it wasn't easy to get food from the valley water.
Of course, it would be nice to find clues about the Bunker and the cabin in the meantime.
In my memory, both the Bunker and the cabin were located under a huge mountain, close to a cliff.
When I went to the top of the mountain last time, there were only three such huge mountains on this island.
We had to search near the mountain that Enoch and I climbed last time, and if there was no Bunker or cabin, we had to search around the next two mountains.
"It's hot."
I sighed as I walked through the bushes with Enoch, wiping away sweat in the sweltering heat.
"There's a place to wash up ahead. Just bear with it a little longer."
Enoch must have been hot too, as he loosened the cuff buttons on his sleeves and finally folded them up, revealing his forearms.
I looked at his thick forearms with firm veins and met his eyes. He frowned as he rolled up his sleeves with a puzzled look.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Nothing... Ah!"
I was about to answer that it was nothing, but I stumbled on a rock. I didn't have the strength in my body, probably because I had heatstroke.
Fortunately, Enoch wrapped his arm around my waist, preventing me from falling to the ground.
In fact, I had been overworking my body excessively since I woke up on the island. It was a miracle that I didn't get sick. Maybe I got heatstroke because my immunity was weakened.
I grabbed Enoch's firm forearm and took a deep breath.
Enoch's forearm had many scars. They must all be scars from the battlefield.
"Margaret."
Enoch, who was walking ahead, called me again. I blankly looked up at him. I kept having useless thoughts that didn't fit the situation.
He finally stopped walking and turned to me.
"Are you okay?"
"It's because of the heat."
I slowly nodded.
'Ah, I really feel like I'm going to die-.'
Just as I was thinking that, my vision changed. It was because Enoch suddenly picked me up.
I didn't have the energy to say anything, so I just hugged Enoch with difficulty. I think I'm exhausted. I definitely have heatstroke.
Fortunately, before long, I saw a valley with a cool waterfall. Enoch put me down on the ground only when he reached the water's edge.
"I'll be guarding you, so stay as long as you want."
With those words, Enoch stood not far away with his back turned.
I smiled faintly at Enoch's consideration and put my hand in the valley water. Just putting my hand in made me feel like the heat was gone.
I tried to take off my dress, but I couldn't reach the buttons on my back. I didn't have the strength, probably because I had heatstroke. I struggled alone to undo the buttons and eventually called Enoch.
"Enoch, I can't reach my back. Can you help me?"
I turned my back to him, pointed to the buttons with my hand behind my back.
"Please undo the buttons. Please."
Instead of answering, Enoch came closer. Then, I felt a large hand touch my lower back.
Maybe it was because it was hot, but I felt heat radiating from my lower back where his hand touched. He undid the buttons very slowly, which made my lower back feel very ticklish. The hand that was holding my head so that my back was fully visible gripped even tighter.
I felt a strange sensation, so I bit my lower lip.
"Enoch?"
I ended up urging him as if I was impatient.
"Margaret, what is it that you...?"
Instead of answering, Enoch opened his mouth.
"What is the first thing you want to do when you leave the island?"
It was a sudden question.
I couldn't see his expression because he was behind me. So I couldn't know what his intentions were when he asked that question.
"First of all, I want to wash my body with soap."
"And?"
Enoch continued to undo the buttons slowly, without any sign of hurrying.
I hesitated for a moment at his question, then chose an answer that the real Margaret would have given.
"Um, I want to eat a formal dinner. The last formal dinner I had at Flone's mansion was really amazing."
Of course, I didn't eat it, Margaret did, but her memories are my memories.
In fact, I missed Korea more. I was an orphan with no friends, so there was no one to welcome me, but it was still the place where I was born and raised.
But I died in Korea after being hit in the head by a falling sign, so maybe I'll have to live as Margaret for the rest of my life.
While I was thinking about those things, I somehow realized that Enoch was quiet.
He was moving so slowly that I couldn't tell if he was re-buttoning my buttons or unbuttoning them.
"Enoch?"
There was no answer.
I hesitated and asked him the same question out of courtesy.
"Then, Enoch, what is the first thing you want to do when you get out of here?"
"...Well."
"What is it? Think about it. I answered honestly, are you going to be so insincere?"
He chuckled lightly at my question.
"But, Margaret."
His breath touched my ear, as if he had lowered his head.
"If I say it properly, you'll be in trouble."
He whispered as he swept my hair behind my ear. His hot breath teased my nape.
In trouble, what on earth?
Just then, he pressed down on the back of my neck with his finger, as if he had finished unbuttoning all the buttons. I was so surprised that I flinched and turned to him.
"It's been quite a while since I unbuttoned them, but you were just standing still."
"Then you should have said something!"
I was so surprised that I put my hand on my chest and raised my voice at him. Then he laughed and apologized again.
No, why is he so sly all of a sudden? It's not like Enoch. He's really changed.
I made sure that Enoch was standing quietly with his back turned before taking off my dress. Then I took off the Chemise I was wearing under the dress and put my feet in the valley water.
"Wow..."
It was so cool and refreshing that I couldn't help but exclaim. Then I heard Enoch laughing, as if he had heard my exclamation.
"Don't look back."
When I urged him one more time, Enoch replied in an insincere voice that he understood.
I went deep into the water and splashed around, diving and swimming.
"You're having a lot of fun."
I ignored Enoch's muttering, which I heard over the loud splashing.
Next time, when Enoch washes, I'll have to tease him as much as I want. Somehow, I don't think Enoch would ever splash around like that.
I felt so good that I wanted to stay in the water forever, but I had to finish scouting and return to the cave before the sun went down, so I finished washing appropriately.
I was about to go out in the direction where I had taken off my dress, but I couldn't see the dress anywhere.
Only the Chemise was left on the ground. I'm very embarrassed.
"Enoch? Where did you put my dress?"
"I don't know why you're asking me where the dress you took off is."
Enoch was still standing in the same spot where he had been, with his back turned. It seemed like he hadn't moved even a step from that spot.
Yes, Enoch is right. There's no way he would have played a prank...
"Damn it, why is the timing like this? Is this a fairy and a woodcutter story, or what?"
But no matter how much I looked around, my dress was gone. I had no choice but to call Enoch again.
"Enoch, I think my dress is gone."
"What?"
He turned around in surprise, and when his eyes met mine, he hurriedly turned back around. I was still in the water, but I don't know why Enoch was more embarrassed than me.
"Can you find my dress? Please."
Only then did Enoch turn to me again. I stayed in the water up to my neck and looked at Enoch.
I have no idea why he took that ragged dress.
"I didn't hear anyone coming, what's going on? Could there have been someone else?"
"Someone..."
Enoch frowned with a serious face and scanned the surroundings.
"I'll look around, so wait here for a moment."
"Yes? You have to come back quickly!"
What if a wild animal comes out while I'm alone naked? I shouted anxiously, and Enoch looked at me for a moment and frowned as if he was sorry.
"I'll be right back."
With those words, Enoch disappeared.
I waited quietly for Enoch in the water. But Enoch, who said he would be right back, didn't seem to be coming back at all.
I had no choice but to get out of the water and put on the Chemise.
My body was getting chilly. I was already feeling sick, so I was a little worried.
I looked up at the sky. This is bad. The sun seems to be setting soon, but Enoch isn't coming.
Did something happen?
Enoch moved as far away from Margaret as possible.
A man with his mouth gagged was dragged along with him.
Enoch knelt the man down as if throwing him to the ground.
"There are a lot of faces I haven't seen in a long time on this island."
The sharp tip of a Spear was held to the man's neck. Enoch held the Spear and looked down at the man with a chilling look.
