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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: A Warm Touch
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“…Most people don't ask to be touched unless they're in pain, do they?”
“Perhaps. But I’m not in a position to be selective.”
“Have you considered being a little more… selective?”
“No.”
Ah… right. This guy was a pervert… No, a man of unusual tastes.
His reply was faster and more resolute than when he’d offered me the apple.
The answer came back so cleanly I had no room to argue. I remembered Enoch's true nature, which I’d briefly forgotten, and shook my head. Just then, a rustling sound tickled my ear.
“By the way, what’s that rustling sound you’ve been making… Whoa.”
As my gaze shifted back to Enoch at the sound, a pure exclamation, unfiltered by my brain, escaped my lips.
Seriously, are his clothes held together by a single button? How did they open so easily?
I stole a glance at the muscles peeking out from between the folds of his fluttering clothes, then covered my eyes a beat too late.
“Wh-wh-what are you doing! Cover yourself up!”
“…? Didn't you agree to touch me? Yesterday, you seemed to like it here, and here. Would you like to touch the same spots?”
“I-I don't remember saying anything like that.”
Flustered by Enoch innocently pointing to his pecs and abs, I brazenly feigned ignorance. His head tilted slightly to the left.
“You don't remember again?”
“No. I, uh, don't.”
“So you're not in pain, but you don't remember. And what happened just last night, at that.”
“…”
“Hmm…”
Enoch, who had paused as if pondering my reaction, slowly raised the corners of his red lips into a grin.
“Well. In that case, I'll just have to make you remember.”
*No… How are you going to bring back a memory that's gone?*
As I leaned my upper body back from his clearly impure smile, his solid frame strode forward to close the distance I'd created.
“Wh-why are you coming closer?”
“There is someone I know with terrible amnesia. He once told me that if you forget something—”
*Rustle.*
In the brief, tense silence, a large hand gently took hold of the ends of my hair.
As I stared, mesmerized, at my platinum blonde hair flowing softly through his black-gloved fingers,
Enoch, who had come close enough for me to feel his breath, crinkled the corners of his long eyes into a gentle smile.
“—you just have to repeat the actions from before you forgot. So, Riana, shall we repeat what happened yesterday until your memory returns?”
*…Excuse me? Could you please not say it like something actually happened?*
*All that happened yesterday was this body's original owner getting drunk and groping you a few times! That's it!*
Just as I was screaming internally, I swallowed hard at the sight of the overly captivating Enoch.
“Huuu… Waaaaah!”
The baby in my arms suddenly burst into tears.
The sound snapped me to my senses. Seizing the opportunity, I pushed away the firm chest that had been inching closer and frowned slightly.
“The baby is crying because you keep baring your chest. Please cover yourself up properly.”
“What did I…? And what do you mean, keep…”
“Waaaaah!”
Muttering as if wronged, Enoch sighed at the baby's renewed, louder cries and began to awkwardly cover himself.
And after tying the knot securely, he looked at me with an extremely displeased expression.
“I'm all covered up, so why is he still crying?”
“I know…, why is he like this?”
The baby was sobbing, his face beet red as if he couldn't catch his breath. A look of bewilderment gradually appeared on Enoch's face as well.
“Is he hurt somewhere?”
“That's strange… He was playing just fine a moment ago.”
Though he couldn't bring himself to touch the baby, he was clearly worried.
When Enoch bent down to meet the baby's eyes, the crying subsided just a little.
Watching them, I unconsciously grabbed his hand and shook it.
“Your Majesty, what should we do? Try something.”
“…”
“Quickly. Please?”
Wondering why he'd suddenly gone quiet, I was about to shake his arm again when I realized I was holding onto him and tried to let go.
“Just a moment.”
But Enoch caught my hand as I tried to pull away, lacing our fingers together tightly. He blinked slowly and muttered something.
“So… it doesn't necessarily have to be my torso, I see.”
“Pardon?”
“Riana, it wasn't a mistake. It really does feel good when you touch me. My body feels like it's getting warmer, too—”
*Smack.*
“…”
Caught off guard by Enoch's sudden confession of his peculiar tastes, I raised our joined hands and covered his lips. I was more than a little flustered.
*I'm crazy. I'm insane! This stupid hand. Why did you have to cover his mouth?*
*It hasn't even been three seconds. If I quickly pull my hand away, maybe he won't realize I covered his mouth?* I was having this ridiculous thought when,
Enoch, who had been watching me quietly, smiled, the corners of his eyes curving beautifully.
*Wow… How can a man be that beautiful?*
His smile was so captivating it blew away all thoughts of his embarrassing remarks from moments before. I stared, my mouth agape.
The sniffling baby looked at Enoch with fascination.
“Baa!”
“Oh? He's not crying anymore.”
Finding this fascinating, I removed my hand from Enoch's face. His gray eyes followed my hand with a hint of disappointment.
I wiped away the tears clinging to the eyes of the now-quiet baby. He looked at Enoch and giggled, seemingly in a good mood.
This was even more amazing. So I grabbed Enoch's sleeve and shook it excitedly.
“Your Majesty, the baby is smiling at you! Quick, do something cute.”
“Me?”
Enoch furrowed his brow, flustered by the sudden request. Then, as if he'd thought of something, he covered his face with both hands.
And then,
“Pee… ka… boo?”
He revealed his face from behind his hands. It was so awkward it was embarrassing just to watch.
The sight was so funny I had to bite my lower lip to keep from laughing. The tips of his handsome ears turned fiery red.
“…Do not laugh.”
“Yes. *Ahem.* I'm not laughing.”
After barely suppressing a burst of laughter, I watched the baby, who was now grinning brightly and reaching for Enoch, and tilted my head in confusion.
“Wow. He's actually smiling at that?”
“What do you mean, 'that'? I was trying my best.”
“Yes, you did well. But it's really strange. How could he smile at that? Maybe he just likes handsome faces?”
Enoch, who had been looking dejected by my reaction, flinched at my muttering.
The crimson blush that had colored the tips of his white ears now crept down his neck.
“Am I handsome?”
“Yes. Objectively speaking.”
A tall stature and a well-balanced physique with firm muscles.
Perfectly arranged features, like a masterpiece someone had painstakingly painted. And among them, his mysterious eyes were the most captivating of all.
Well, regardless of his tastes.
Enoch was, both objectively and subjectively, a handsome man with an aura that made it hard to look away.
I was only stating what I saw and felt, but for some reason, the more I spoke, the redder the man before me became.
“Is that so. Then, in your eyes as well…”
“Aboo!”
“Ah! Baby, you can't touch him!”
The moment the baby's small hand touched the cheek of Enoch—who was covering his blushing neck, unused to compliments—
His large body shot backward as if thrown.
“A-are you all right? He's just a baby. He doesn't know any better, so please don't be too angry—”
Even though he'd been begging me to touch him, the real Enoch hated physical contact with anyone else.
I had started to move away, worried he might get angry at the baby, but his unexpected reaction made me rush toward him instead.
“Your Majesty? What's wrong?”
His pupils were wide with shock, his hands trembled minutely. And the veins standing out starkly on his neck.
What Enoch was showing was not anger or irritation. It was more like…
*Is he… scared?*
Yes. The emotion dwelling in his once-languid gray eyes was something close to fear.
“Your Majesty?”
Startled by his unfocused gray eyes, I started to run toward him but faltered, stopped by the chill radiating from his body.
Worried the cold air might affect the baby, I first placed him on a nearby chair. When I approached Enoch again, I saw glittering ice crystals forming on his skin.
“What is this… Your Majesty, Enoch! Snap out of it.”
He was clutching the area around his heart as if in pain. I snatched his frost-covered hand, and a chill shot up my arm.
“Ngh, it's cold.”
But that was only for a moment.
The frost blooming on the back of his veined hand began to melt where our skin met, and a faint light returned to Enoch's eyes.
Though his breaths were still faint.
“Are you all right? Your body… your body is so cold.”
This time, I placed my hand on his pale cheek, where frost was also forming. A strained voice escaped Enoch's lips, as if he could finally breathe.
“Riana…”
“Are you conscious? Your body temperature suddenly dropped…!”
As I patted my chest in relief at the sight of him seemingly regaining consciousness,
Before I could stop him, Enoch pulled on our intertwined hands and drew me into a full embrace.
“A little longer… just a little longer…”
Startled by the sudden contact, I raised my hands to push him away, but they hovered in the air when I felt his body trembling.
*How can a person's body be this cold?*
His body was as cold as a corpse, and he clung to me pitifully, as if I were his lifeline.
Seeing this, I finally lowered my hands and patted his broad back. Enoch let out a long, weary sigh.
“Haaah…”
He leaned his smooth forehead against the bare skin of my neck as if exhausted, and I could feel the chill that had been radiating from him quickly fade away.
How long did we stand there, frozen like that?
Only after the last of the frost creeping up his neck had vanished did I gently push Enoch away.
“Your Majesty, what… what just happened?”
“…I told you, did I not? That when you touch me, my body grows warm.”
