Antidote

This time, I nodded.

Then, I spread my arms and hugged his neck. Our chests were both damp with sweat, and the sound of our pounding hearts was clear. He breathed heavily within my embrace.

“You shouldn’t act like that.”

“……?”

When I pulled away in confusion and looked up at him, he smiled. A few damp strands of hair were stuck to his smooth forehead. I reached out again to brush the hair back. His hand snatched mine. He pressed his lips against my palm, and his warm tongue traced each line on my hand. At the same time, the member inside me stirred.

I couldn’t think anymore. The thrusting grew stronger with time. Oil flowed freely, and the slick flesh made a slapping sound with every friction. Each time it forcefully pushed up inside me, my body was lifted. His hands gripped my waist.

“Don’t run away.”

“I’m not run, away… no, ah, ah, ah, ah!”

The solid tip struck deep inside my belly with a forceful thud. I cried out, scratching the back of the hand gripping my waist.

“I’m not running away, you’re, too, rough, ah, ah, so… aaaaaah!”

At that moment, he pushed deep inside me, and I screamed.

The sensation of my insides opening was vivid.

My body instinctively squirmed and struggled to escape, but Jiyod held me down from above, relentlessly stimulating the same spot with his member.

“Ugh, ah, ahh, ah, ah, ah!”

Oil gushed from the connected parts. My insides, regardless of my will, constricted and relaxed around his penis, repeatedly tightening and loosening.

Jiyod paused his rough breathing and momentarily stopped moving. His heavy body lifted off me, and he straightened up, holding my knees apart with both hands. As my legs spread, the back tightened further.

“Uhh…!”

I twisted my waist and groaned.

I couldn’t tell if it was painful or something else.

He grabbed my genitals. The one who had ejaculated earlier was now standing erect again. Realizing this, my face flushed red with embarrassment. His member inside me had made me erect. Jiyod quickly began stroking me up and down. His hand was also slick with oil, and the pre-cum flowed, creating a lewd slapping sound with every friction.

I cried as he touched me. Each time he pressed his fingers on the tip of my penis, pre-cum splashed, and my anus seemed to respond, opening up. Jiyod released my genitals and grabbed my thighs again.

“I’m going to start thrusting into your backside now, so you can ejaculate with that.”

He said, lifting my lower body and adjusting the angle before forcefully entering me again.

I could barely make a sound and only curled my toes in intense effort. My toes, lifted in the air, twitched with each of his thrusts.

“It hurts, it hurts!”

I cried out in pain, but Jiyod just laughed.

“It hurts? Is that all it is? It shouldn’t hurt.”

His words poured into my ear, and I could only cry without responding. At some point, I was groaning like a beast. My body was convulsing. His thick tip pressed against the inside of my navel. It slowly withdrew and then forcefully re-entered, pressing against the same spot. I cried for him to stop and hit his shoulder, but he just smiled and kissed my cheek gently.

“Did that feel good just now?”

He said, pressing his waist deeply.

My body jumped. My toes curled, and my body trembled.

“Ah, ah, aaaaah…”

A dazed sound, indistinguishable from a scream or a moan, escaped from me.

My facial muscles were a mess, and I couldn’t tell what expression I was making. Jiyod bent over and kissed the corner of my mouth.

Between my legs was soaked with the semen I had expelled.

Cloudy mucus flowed through my groin and pooled under the perineum. Each time he entered and exited, the slapping sound grew wetter.

His strong arms wrapped around my waist. His large hands explored my back and tightly gripped my buttocks on both sides. He began to move roughly while pinning me down. I lay beneath him, lost in a daze, only moaning.

The act lasted a long time. I was overwhelmed by an unknown pleasure, possibly an orgasm, shivering as he ejaculated inside me. His member, twitching and expelling semen, slowly withdrew and re-entered, spreading cum inside me. Finally, it came to a halt.

I lay there, breathing heavily with my eyes open blankly.

Jiyod embraced me and slowly pressed his lips to my forehead. He brushed my hair aside with his lips and licked my sweaty skin.

His hand gently stroked my back.

“You did well.”

I was too exhausted to respond, lying there in a daze. Over me, Jiyod lowered his head and kissed me tenderly. My mouth opened weakly, and a long kiss followed. His larger body meant he had to bend over to kiss me while we were still joined.

After a long kiss, I began to regain a little clarity.

“Wasn’t it painful?”

He asked confidently.

I didn’t answer and curled up. He was still pressing down on my open legs, and my entire body ached. Moreover, every time he kissed my face and stroked my back, the place still holding him seemed to twitch.

I tried to lift my heavy arms to embrace him. Our sweaty bodies clung together. Our body temperatures were perfectly matched. Jiyod pressed his lips against my face and stroked my back up and down. His fingertips playfully tickled between my shoulder blades.

After a while, tangled up and enjoying the languid aftermath, he withdrew from me. The connection was broken, and a moan escaped. Then he lunged at me again, mixing our lips in another intense kiss. His thick tongue, as if performing intercourse, slid in and out of my mouth. I lay there with my mouth open, giving him my lips for a long time.

Jiyod finally collapsed, panting violently. His hand came through my hair and gently stroked my head. As our lips parted, our bodies reconnected. I trembled, reaching out to grasp his shoulders.

“Hold on tight.”

He whispered this into my ear and then re-entered me in one swift motion. This time, my insides were even slipperier and looser than before, and the insertion was almost instant.

“Ugh!”

I inhaled sharply.

My lower abdomen was moving up and down vigorously.

The second round of intercourse lasted longer than the first. He piston-pumped for a long time, stopped to touch me, and then repeated the process several times before finally reaching climax.

The lamp oil was showing on the floor. The dimmer light cast a shadowy glow around the room.

I was half asleep, half dazed, enduring as Jiyod maneuvered my body, sucking and licking me.

When he finally forcefully pulled me into his arms, yanking the drenched sheets off the bed and tossing them aside, I knew that everything had finally come to an end.

My eyelids were heavy. I closed my eyes, resting my cheek against his chest. His hand gently stroked my back. This careful touch was completely different from the intense sexual act we had just engaged in.

Feeling this, I began to drift into sleep, but then suddenly opened my eyes and looked at him. Jiyod was awake, staring at me.

“When spring comes, you’ll leave Karlac, won’t you?”

His brow furrowed at my question.

He suddenly looked gloomy.

I hesitated, biting my lip, then lowered my gaze and rested my forehead on his shoulder. As I smelled the sweat, musk, and the lingering scent of his body, I whispered softly.

“Take me to Ipsen too…”

It was an unreasonable request.

Yet, the lingering effects of our passion had my tongue moving on its own.

“Even if it’s just carrying bricks for the walls or cleaning the stables, just sometimes… occasionally…”

I continued weakly.

“Just call me when you want, like now, and kiss me.”

“Slan.”

He called my name softly.

I couldn’t bring myself to look up at him. I was embarrassed by my own excessive desire. But Jiyod’s hand grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up. Our eyes met, and I then realized that tears had formed in my eyes. My vision was blurred.

“Why do you say such things?”

He murmured in a somber tone.

“I won’t leave Karlac. At least not without you…”

His voice trailed off, then returned to its usual depth. His arms, wrapped around my waist, twitched. He buried his face in my crown.

“One mistake is enough.”

I couldn’t ask what the mistake was.

***

In the early hours, closer to dawn than night, I was forced awake. Groggily, I was lifted onto him, and his firm hands roughly stroked my back. As I lay on him, unable to fully wake up, I was penetrated from below.

When I screamed in pain, Jiyod soothed me by caressing my coccyx and kissing me. I endured for a while, lying on his chest, until I climaxed from his thrusting. I never knew my body could be so wanton.

He placed his hand on my limp body, grabbing my buttocks. As I shivered from the sensation of his member withdrawing, warm lips pressed against my forehead, rubbing it gently.

He carried me to the bathroom, where hot water was already prepared.

As he bathed me, I drifted off to sleep again. When his fingers entered me to retrieve the semen inside, I woke up once more.

When we emerged from the bathroom, my joints felt like they had turned to jelly.

As I got dressed, someone knocked on the door, as if they had been waiting. In the early dawn, still shrouded in silence, the sound of the door handle rattling echoed in the quiet parlor.

It was Ismion. He had a displeased look on his face, as if he had just had a very unpleasant experience. He held a small leather bag in his hand, which he set down on the table.

“Good morning.”

Ismion greeted me as he looked at me.

My face was still flushed, so I was embarrassed to meet his gaze. I turned my head slightly, looking down at the floor, and nodded.

Seeing his face reminded me of the hallucination of the black snake I had seen in the corridor. I wanted to ask if it was really Ismion, but I swallowed the question, not wanting to appear foolish.

“What’s going on at this early hour? If you two have something to discuss, should I leave?”

“No, Master Slan.”

He approached me and lightly knelt before me.

“Excuse me, I need to take a look at your foot for a moment.”

With those words, his hands grasped my feet which were resting on the chair. Startled, I flinched, and Jiyod placed a hand on my shoulder.

“I thought your ankle might be hurting…”

A hint of displeasure crossed Jiyod’s otherwise composed face.

“I called Ismion. Let’s have him take a look.”

“How…?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice just from your walking gait?”

He said this, and I saw the veins bulging on the back of his hand resting on my shoulder. Ismion looked up at him.

“Does someone who knows so well really torment patients all night?”

Ismion mocked briefly, and I inhaled sharply, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“W-w-what…”

“What? Yelling all night…”

At that moment, Jiyod suddenly kicked Ismion’s shoulder with his right foot. Ismion yelped in pain and fell backward.

“Barbarian! Beast!”

“Ismion has sharp ears.”

Ignoring Ismion’s outcry, Jiyod continued speaking kindly as he looked down at me.

“I swear, the others won’t know. Don’t worry. If it becomes a problem, I’ll pull out that scoundrel’s tongue so he can’t dare to babble elsewhere.”

I looked between Jiyod and Ismion, unsure of what to do.

“Are you okay?”

I extended my hand to Ismion. He took my hand and stood up.

“Master Slan, reconsider. The thought of that beast exploiting you every night in bed…”

Jiyod shifted his body again, causing Ismion to flinch. I was so flustered that I placed my hand on Jiyod’s chest.

“Stop it. We came here to look at my ankle.”

“Hah. You’re too soft.”

He lowered his head and kissed my crown.

“Don’t listen to that scammer. The idea that I exploit you, where does he get such nonsense…”

Jiyod then looked down at me with a very gentle and soft gaze.

“You know better than anyone that it’s nonsense.”

“Who the scammer is…”

Ismion muttered, and before I could stop him, Jiyod kicked his shoulder with lightning speed. Ismion fell backward again.

Finally, after a few minutes, Ismion was able to examine my ankle.

“Hm. It seems Karlac’s magician has already seen this. It wasn’t treated incorrectly, but… when did you get injured?”

“About two months ago…”

At my answer, Jiyod’s eyebrows twitched and Ismion sighed quietly.

His hands examined my ankle, pressing and probing the inside of my calf, the tendons and bones at the back of my knee, and then massaging my heel and the top of my foot. After twisting my toes and doing everything he could, he finally withdrew his hands.

“I don’t think there’s much I can do for you right now.”

He then took out a small ceramic container from his bag. It was round and flat, about half the size of my palm, with a lid decorated with rose vines and a red robin. Ismion handed it to me.

“Apply this as often as possible and massage it. If it’s too much trouble, you can ask Sir Jiyod here. He will be happy to help.”

Jiyod looked at me, and I quickly snatched the container from Ismion’s hands, avoiding his gaze.

“I can do it myself.”

I put the container into the inside pocket of my coat.

“I should head back now.”

I glanced at the mechanical clock above the fireplace. The ticking of the clock indicated that dawn was approaching soon.

“Would you like to have a meal…”

Jiyod began to speak sympathetically, but I shook my head before he could finish.

“I think it’s better to return before anyone notices.”

“Hah.”

He sighed.

“I’ll escort you.”

His arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me off the chair. He embraced me as if it were the most natural thing, pressing his lips to my crown. Since Ismion was standing in front of us, I felt embarrassed and pushed against his chest to distance myself.

“No, it’s okay.”

“Yes.”

Ismion interjected.

He had an indifferent expression.

“Wandering around like this will only attract attention. Let me take you. Well, at least to the corridor, if not to Glenberg’s residence…”

He paused for a moment.

“…Um, that is, the corridor where I happened to see Master Slan before.”

“There’s no need. Aren’t you busy?”

“I’m not busy.”

“That quack is the most idle person here.”

Jiyod and Ismion answered simultaneously. A smile crept onto my lips, but I quickly covered it with my sleeve.

“I’m really fine. And Ismion is a magician from Karlac. If someone sees me with a Karlac magician…”

Karlac magicians are considered the eyes and ears of the Duke of Karlac. If someone were to see Ismion, a member of Karlac, with me, it wouldn’t result in anything good. The same goes for Jiyod.

I forced a smile.

“Anyway, thanks for offering.”

Jiyod tightened his embrace again.

“Flip a coin.”

He whispered briefly.

“You must flip it.”

Then he bowed his head and kissed me. I turned my head to the side, embarrassed that Ismion might see, and met the gaze of Ismion, who looked quite displeased. My face flushed, and he bowed his head deeply.

“I’ll take my leave.”

He gathered his bag and, without hesitation, left the parlor.

Before the door even closed, Jiyod kissed me.

I didn’t even hear the door close.

Not long after I returned to Glenberg’s residence, dawn began to break. The sky gradually brightened with a purplish hue above the eastern gate, and soon golden sunlight surged over the castle walls. I watched from the northern corridor as the round sun rose above the gate.

I felt strange.

My body was languid.

I was wearing new clothes, and the scent of musk was still on me, with a sensitive tingling at the tips of my fingers and toes, so much so that I could feel the air moving beneath my nails.

I raised my hand and touched my cheek. My cheeks were hot. They were definitely flushed red.

I stood in the corridor for a long time, waiting for the sweet scent to blow away the traces of last night’s cold.

The sun fully rose above the gate.

The residence became noticeably busier. Someone from inside the corridor pushed the door open and, upon seeing me standing in the corridor, looked surprised. They were probably going out to fetch water in the early morning. They greeted me lightly, and I returned the greeting.

A few knights in thin shirts walked noisily from a distance. Young attendants burdened with swords and spears groaned as they hurried out.

I didn’t want to return to my room, so I lingered in the corridor a bit longer. However, my hesitation was short-lived. I quickly headed to the kitchen.

The kitchen, which started the earliest in the morning, was already bustling with activity. There was the sound of something boiling and frying, and a thick haze of smoke filled the air. The clinking of laughter, the clattering of dishes, and appetizing smells wafted around.

As I entered the kitchen, a few familiar faces greeted me awkwardly. I looked around and asked,

“The morning tea for Lisbeth hasn’t gone out yet, has it?”

“It hasn’t left yet.”

One of the cooks answered loudly.

“I’ll take it.”

At that, someone shouted in agreement.

A young girl in a large white apron placed a gleaming silver tray in front of me. On the tray was a tea service set with a wooden slatted tea tray, and on top of that was a set of expensive porcelain teapots. The teapot, sprinkled with gold dust, gleamed with a soft shine. Steam rose from the spout of the teapot.

“Can you take it with you?”

The girl asked, and I nodded instead of answering, lifting the tray with both hands.

Lisbeth had retained the habits of a knight, so even in retirement, she started her mornings early. Her special indulgence was a cup of tea as soon as she woke up, and the expensive tea leaves, costing as much as a gold coin per handful, were her only luxury.

I made my way quickly to her quarters. It was still quiet there, but the curtains were almost completely drawn, making it bright. Her maid greeted me.

“She just woke up a little while ago. You can go in.”

I entered the bedroom.

Lisbeth was sitting by the window, still in her pajamas. When she saw me, she widened her eyes.

“Why are you bringing that? Are the servants being lazy?”

“I volunteered to bring it myself.”

She gestured for me to come closer, and I approached right in front of her. I set the tray down on a black paulownia table.

She liked wooden furniture, so most of the furnishings in her quarters were made of wood. As a result, her quarters had a dignified atmosphere and smelled of dry wood.

I carefully turned over the teacups and poured tea from the teapot. Lisbeth frowned.

“Can’t they pay attention? Why is there only one teacup?”

“Well…”

“Did you really think I’d send you away without a cup of tea just because I sent you with the tray? I don’t know how Lister has been managing the servants in my absence.”

A bitter smile naturally appeared on my lips.

Managing them, huh… In front of others, they dragged me by my hair, saying they’d make me mate with the horse. They made me kneel in front of the horse, slapped me, and frightened me until I cried and apologized on my knees.

But instead of mentioning this, I answered with a deliberately light tone. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought, and I genuinely chuckled because it was amusing rather than fabricated.

“Nothing special. Just as usual. They were all in a hurry to torment me…”

“That’s how he always is. Since he was a child… Hmph.”

She sighed and called loudly for her maid. An older maid came in, and Lisbeth ordered her to bring a new teacup.

Soon, a new teacup was placed in front of me.

“Sit down.”

I quietly took a seat opposite Lisbeth.

The tea was at the perfect temperature. The bitter yet savory taste lingered on my tongue.

“Lisbeth, I have a favor to ask.”

She turned her head from the sunlight by the window and looked at me with a curious expression.

“What’s this? You’re making a request? Alright, let’s hear it.”

“My ankle is in bad shape, so it seems like it will be difficult to serve Lister. You know, Lister is a knight… It won’t be easy to carry armor or perform his hunting duties with this leg.”

Her wrinkled eyes twitched. She sighed several times.

“Hmm… Even if I scold Lister, I can’t prevent him from tormenting you in places I can’t see. It was the same last time. Do you remember the day we had goose for dinner? The goose.”

Ah…

I quickly understood what she was talking about.

It was the day when Lister had forcibly dragged me to the hunting grounds and made me jump into the lake several times.

“You took me along on that hunt? Really, with the hunting servants clearly around, why did you…”

Lisbeth clicked her tongue. I quickly interrupted her.

“That’s alright. Really. It’s just that I don’t think I can serve Lister any longer with my leg. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t do anything at all. For the time being… until the children grow up, may I take care of them? Including Kirsten… and your daughters as well.”

Lisbeth smiled slightly.

“What are you saying, Slan? That’s something I would actually ask of you.”

She tilted her head and rested her chin on her hand. A gentle smile appeared on the weathered lines of her eyes, a soft smile from a woman once known as the best swordswoman at court.

“First of all, your ankle is what’s important. Have the magician look at it again. Let’s see what those quacks have to say.”

Lisbeth, true to her knightly nature, didn’t have much faith in magicians. She shrugged her shoulders and continued.

“I appreciate you saying you’ll take care of the children, but don’t overdo it. As you know, Kirsten follows you, and there are also nurses, so I don’t think it will be too busy… I’ve said it many times, but it pains me to see you…”

Her eyebrows twitched.

“It pains me to see you acting like a servant, truly. Though, for now…”

She paused for a moment before continuing.

“…there are eyes watching. Even Duke of Karlac, for now… Hmph. No, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

I couldn’t tell how my expression was, but Lisbeth’s gaze grew melancholic.

“At least within the manor and within my sight, I want you to be at ease.”

Her concern was genuine.

It was also true that she made an effort to take care of me despite her own ailing health.

I decided to accept her feelings rather than lamenting over personal matters.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you…”

She smiled again.

After chatting for about twenty minutes while drinking tea, I gathered the tea set and tray and left her quarters.

Returning to the kitchen, I reflected on Lisbeth’s health. She seemed worse than before winter. Her hands and the back of her hands were thin and bony, while her feet, which I glimpsed briefly, were swollen. The flushed complexion from getting off the carriage last night had turned waxy. I had thought her health had improved somewhat in the Movik Sinen hot springs, but it seemed not.

Lost in worries about Lisbeth’s health, I headed towards the exterior passage connecting to the back door of the kitchen. I deliberately chose this route to avoid meeting people.

The weather was chilly and the sky was overcast. It seemed like the last snow of the winter was about to fall.

As I turned a corner in the passage not far from the back door, someone grabbed my shoulder. Startled, I turned around to see Lister standing behind me.

My breath stopped. Though my breath had ceased, my chest was heaving. I tried to step back, but his hand gripped me, making it impossible to move.

“Why, why?”

I barely managed to speak.

“Why? Is that a question for me now?”

Lister asked in a cold tone.

He took another step closer to me. The tray he was holding wobbled in his hands.

“I want to ask, why didn’t you come this morning? Are you planning to give up on everything now?”

“I, I…”

I didn’t want to, but my voice trembled.

I didn’t want to seem scared in front of him.

Yet, the memory of him forcefully crushing and overpowering me the previous night made my body tremble uncontrollably.

“What’s the matter?”

Lister looked displeased.

“Do I look like I’m going to devour you?”

I shook my head.

“I’m not serving you anymore…”

“What?”

My voice was barely audible, but Lister understood it. His voice grew louder.

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

He shouted. The moment his shout erupted, the tray in my hands dropped. With a clattering noise, the expensive tea set shattered against the tiles and the tray rolled out into the passage. But I had no mind to care about it. Gasping for breath, I looked up at him.

“I’m not serving you anymore. Lisbeth allowed it.”

Saying those two sentences felt as difficult as crossing the Grand Canyon.

In that moment, a blaze of anger erupted in Lister’s eyes.

“Ha… You didn’t tell my sister, did you?”

“I didn’t say anything! I just… I just said that because of my leg, I don’t think I can serve you anymore.”

He glared at me. I could read hatred in his eyes. My body trembled. It felt like he might hit me again suddenly, knock me down, climb on top of me, or tear my body apart by force. I panted and struggled to keep my gaze fixed on him.

“I’m not serving you anymore…”

I repeated only that phrase.

At some point, the strength left his hand that was gripping my shoulder.

I didn’t miss the chance. I immediately pushed hard against Lister’s chest, turned around, and fled as fast as I could. I was so terrified that I didn’t even feel the pain in my left ankle.

I ran desperately through the outer passage and only stopped when I reached the northern courtyard. My ankle throbbed terribly. I was out of breath and soon started hiccuping. My eyes were hot, but I swallowed hard to keep the tears back. It was a miracle that I even thought about the need to tell the overseer about breaking the tea set.

I limped painfully across the courtyard. My gaze inadvertently turned to a corner of the courtyard. My steps halted.

On a barren orange tree, about my height, green buds were emerging.

I looked up and stared at the sky.

Amid the cloudy gloom, the turquoise sky shimmered.

It was the end of a short winter.