Chapter 885

Outside, life thrived abundantly, but not a single sound invaded the bedroom of Kishiar. Was it because of the deep, tranquil silence, akin to being submerged in deep water? Kishiar, engulfed in the sharp scent of incense and with eyes closed, seemed to be in a world completely different from the outside.

The man, a swordmaster who hardly needed sleep, had utilized this advantage to its fullest. Yet now, he lay asleep almost all day. It made one wonder if his frequent stays in the bedroom, especially when his condition was poor, were not solely for isolation.

Yuder quietly took a seat beside the bed. His gaze first fell upon the incense, almost burnt out. The bitter fragrance was now overtaken by a stronger scent of smoke.

No matter how beneficial, it was an aroma Kishiar never particularly enjoyed.

‘It wouldn't matter if I removed it,’ Yuder thought.

With a light movement of his hand, the faint smoke from the incense ceased.

Yuder, instead of using a stronger breeze to dispel the remaining fragrance, released a scent he had recently kept contained. The scent of a second-gender Awakener, while not solely perceived through the nose, was definitely helpful in such situations.

The scent, known only to Yuder, spread like mist, pushing away the incense's aroma and enveloping the two in its embrace.

Such actions, in his previous life, were a way for second-gender Awakeners in deep relationships to express possessiveness. Yuder never expected to initiate such a gesture, but found the experience surprisingly pleasant.

Yuder's eyes then drifted to a hand peeking out from under the covers.

A bare hand, not clad in gloves.

He removed his own gloves, mirroring the bare hand, and slowly placed his atop Kishiar's. Kishiar's hand felt slightly warmer than usual, possibly with a mild fever.

‘The lack of sweat on his forehead suggests it's nothing serious…’

Yet, Yuder couldn't help feeling unfamiliar and worried. Looking around, he spotted a basin and towel nearby, seemingly prepared for reducing fever. This suggested such incidents might have occurred before.

Yuder filled the basin with cold water and soaked the soft towel. As he gently wiped Kishiar's forehead, neck, and hands, a strange feeling enveloped him.

It was his first time watching over someone like this, yet he managed to mimic the care quite convincingly, thanks to Kishiar's past demonstrations.

‘The reason I could do it so well... probably because there have been many days like today, and I have often been the one receiving care.’

Yuder moved his hands as he remembered how Kishiar had effortlessly handled similar tasks back in the West. The cool water eased the heat from the skin, but another dilemma arose.

‘Should I change his clothes?’

Hesitating, Yuder slightly pulled back the blanket. A glimpse of bare skin showed through the parted shirt. He knew what lay beneath, yet he felt oddly nervous.

It was funny to feel tense in front of someone he had been so intimate with. Anyone else would laugh, but even at 100 years old, facing Kishiar La Orr, he'd probably be just as tense in this situation. It can't be helped.

How could it not be so? Despite seeing his face every day, the emotions emanating from it always felt novel and unfamiliar.

Yet, on the other hand, when in contact with him, Yuder felt the most natural and familiar sensations. To be more precise, these sensations seemed akin to fitting perfectly into the missing piece of Yuder Aile’s existence.

After a moment of hesitation, Yuder decided not to change Kishiar's clothes. Instead, he once again took his hand and gently rested his forehead on the back of it. The faint body scent emanating from their touching skin seemed to occasionally stabilize his uneasily pounding heart.

What kind of dreams might Kishiar be having now? Yuder thought it would be better not to dream at all, but if he was dreaming, he hoped it would be a better dream than his own.

And, if possible, it would be even better if Kishiar woke up soon to hear and laugh about what had happened today with him.

After all, no matter how interesting or astonishing the events, they held no meaning if Kishiar couldn’t hear them.

Yuder found such thoughts unfamiliar to himself, yet they didn’t feel strange. He sighed deeply.

‘This is really severe,’ he mused.

From unwillingly letting other scents cover Kishiar to everything up to now, there wasn’t a single thing that wasn’t clumsily like a child’s.

Still, being able to freely watch Kishiar as much as he wanted wasn’t bad. Compared to the two weeks he himself had lain bedridden, waiting for Kishiar’s waking moments was but a fleeting instant.

Imprinting the sensation of waiting for someone slowly into his being, Yuder contemplated what he would say when Kishiar awoke.

Time passed without his gaze ever leaving the sleeping man's face, and finally, the closed eyelids silently lifted.

Perhaps this is what it felt like when time, which seemed to have stopped, started to flow again. Yuder felt his slowly beating heart suddenly quicken as he intently watched the awakening.

Kishiar's eyes, which had been staring blankly, first moved to Yuder's hand holding his, and then to his face. The face that had appeared lifeless, like an inanimate object, suddenly filled with vitality in a breathtakingly unfamiliar way.

"...Ah."

Kishiar parted his lips, let out a breath, blinked softly, and smiled broadly. "Have you been waiting all this while for me to wake up? This is the most pleasant awakening."

Yuder saw the familiar smile he knew so well and never tired of seeing, reappearing before him. At the same time, his time and heart, which seemed to have stopped, completely returned to their usual rhythm. The space, which had seemed colorless, filled with color, and sound returned to the silent world.

Yuder gazed at the man's face and murmured softly,

"...Did you feel like this?"

Kishiar's red eyes blinked, seemingly questioning, "Hmm?"

"Haven’t you watched me wake up several times? I thought it might be boring... but if you watched with such feelings, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all."

"What are you talking about?"

Kishiar might have thought it strange to say such a thing upon waking up, but he laughed as if he understood exactly what Yuder meant. His hand, regaining strength, grasped Yuder's hand and pulled it closer.

"I have never found waiting for you wearisome, not even once. Every moment you awaken and return to me is too wondrous and precious for such thoughts."

"..."

It was truly a relief that he had awoken. Yuder hadn't succumbed to the sudden impulse to press his lips against those of the sleeping man.

When Yuder leaned in to kiss him, Kishiar's eyes widened briefly, but then he smiled and accepted it. Their lips gently met and parted repeatedly until they finally completely separated, leaving Yuder keenly aware of his own scent, now much more intense in the bedroom than before.

Kishiar, too, seemed to fully perceive it, smiling. The man inhaled deeply, as if drawing in the scent, and then opened his eyes, slightly moist with a hint of warmth, and spoke slowly.

"...Did you wait long?"

Yuder slowly shook his head. In truth, he wasn't quite sure how many hours had passed.

"No."

"Seeing that the bandages on your arms are gone and you've changed your clothes, it seems I slept longer than I thought. You must have gone out, perhaps to meet the pharmacist..."

"..."

"It's fortunate, then, that waiting for me while I slept wasn't too tiresome for you."