TPOP 65

Chapter 65

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"Damn it..."

Felix muttered a curse as he controlled his breath, which had risen to his chin. He still couldn't see anything. The strange sense of unease that had been bothering him slowly disappeared like a bubble.

Yes, it didn't make sense for it to be a spirit. Where would spirits just be lying around anywhere?

Still, the unpleasant feeling wouldn't go away.

Diana, trapped in his arms, made a crying sound.

"I was thirsty, Master. I wanted to quench my thirst first, ugh."

A small tear hung from the corner of Diana's eye. She looked clearly in pain.

Felix finally realized that he was gripping her shoulders with all his strength. When he relaxed his arms, Diana looked disappointed.

"I want to swim..."

"No."

“I’m a good swimmer. I’ll just go to the waterfall and come back.”  

“I said no.”  

“You said yes last time.”  

“That was then.”  

Diana lowered her eyes dejectedly. Her frustration with his inconsistent behavior was evident.  

“Then I’ll just go in and come out really quick….”

“You can use the bathtub, so what’s different about the river? Stop being stubborn and stay put. If you want to come out again next time.”

In the end, harsh words were spoken. Diana’s persistent dissatisfaction disappeared.

He knew it.

However, Diana, who had been silent, made a bold suggestion.

“Then would you like to come in with me?”  

“What?”  

Felix looked down at her with an expression of disbelief.  

Diana scolded herself for being crazy, but she gripped his sleeve tightly. Had the crown prince ever immersed himself in such river water in his life? But she had to take a chance, whether it was a gamble or not.

As she ran through the forest, she had clearly felt the presence of spirits. The beings that had safely guided her here had melted into the river and called out to Diana.  

They were not as mysterious and awe-inspiring as the spirits she had spent time with at the Balestega Spring. Perhaps it was because their power was insufficient. Therefore, she had to feel them directly with her hands and skin to truly connect with them.

How had she gotten this far? She couldn't just return empty-handed. There was only one method that came to Diana's mind.

Something Felix could never refuse. The one thing among his desires that Diana could offer.

"At the Balestega Spring... nothing made by humans was needed."

Diana began to remove her outer garments one by one. She took off the coarse-textured vest and undid the buttons of her shirt one by one. Instead of her usual undergarments, she had loosely wrapped a bandage around her chest. The knot came undone easily.

“I roamed the forest in my natural state. So until I was ten years old, I didn’t truly understand how people outside the spring lived or what they looked like.”

The bandage brushed against her skin and slid down slowly.

Next were the pants, which were tied tightly around her waist. The pants, whose waist circumference was twice her own, slid down on their own without needing to be touched. After pulling down the suspenders and removing each piece of clothing from her ankles, Diana was completely naked.

A faint chill crept over her, and goosebumps rose on her skin. Imagining the man's gaze touching every part of her body, her spine tingled and her heart raced.

But just then, the sun broke through the clouds and illuminated the forest. The warm sunlight dispelled her fear.

Diana slowly unfolded her hunched shoulders. There was no need to feel ashamed. At the Balestega Spring, this was a natural and normal thing.

Come in, Diana.

Diana slowly backed away.

The lukewarm river water wrapped around her toes. The sensation of the water brushing between her toes tickled her, and a small smile appeared on her face.

The spirits responded to her smile by creating ripples in the water. Her excitement was palpable.

Come on in. Come on in.

I've been waiting.

"No other humans could enter. No one except those summoned by the spirits themselves. But they said that if there was someone I wanted to invite, they could come anytime."

As she stepped onto the flat rock half submerged in the water, her body naturally leaned downward. A frantic hand wrapped around her waist. Diana seized his forearm without missing a beat.  

"This isn't the Balestega Spring, but..."  

Water was Diana's friend and family, her shield and sword, and her most useful tool. Water made her mysterious. Especially by the water's edge in the forest, it exerted a power far greater than Diana herself realized.

Her eyes, resembling blades of grass, shone with an unusually bright glow. A transparent moisture glistened on her cheeks and lips. Her fingers teasingly touched Felix's lips, warm and soft, and her whispering voice tickled like a feather.

“I want to go in with you.”

Her hand pulling Felix tightened. It was a weak force, but he couldn't resist.

It was as if he were spellbound. Yes, spellbound was the right word. Felix couldn't take his eyes off Diana for a moment and stepped into the water as she pulled him.

If there were fairies living by the water, they would surely look like this.

The woman surrounded by sparkling ripples was so beautiful it made him sigh. Even more so than the pleasure-filled image he had wanted to capture on canvas. So engrossed in staring at Diana, he didn’t even notice his wet clothes hanging heavily on him.  

Vitality overflowed endlessly from her entire body. It was a sight he hadn’t seen since she had been confined to the palace.

All the sketches Felix had drawn up to that point suddenly lost their value. If he could only paint one picture in his entire life, he would choose this moment without hesitation.

But at the same time, he felt helpless. Would he be able to capture the image he was seeing with his own eyes? Could he dare to copy it with his crude brushstrokes? Before he knew it, he was cupping Diana's cheeks in his hands.

"You ..."

The voice that echoed in his throat did not sound like his own. Felix had never heard such a passionate voice before.

"What exactly are you?"

Just because she was pure and beautiful did not mean she was good. Perhaps she was the opposite. Did the spirit that ruled and wielded nature view even humans as its subjects?

Feeling the touch of his hands on her face, Diana's eyelids slowly closed. But the hand leading him into the depths of the river remained unchanged.

One step, then another. As he followed her footsteps, the water soon rose to his waist. The riverbed was much deeper than it appeared.

With half her body submerged in the water, Diana exhaled excitedly. Her hand, which had been clutching his forearm, let go without hesitation, as if she had achieved her goal.

Diana stirred the water with her hand, creating small ripples. The water droplets that flew into the air reflected the sunlight and sparkled like jewels. Her expression, as she splashed around like a child, was the brightest he had ever seen.

Ironically, the moment he recognized her joy and delight, Felix realized that he had wanted to see Diana like this.

Vitality did not only explode in cruel and tragic moments. It overflowed endlessly even in moments of pleasure, even in moments of unparalleled happiness like this. He didn't even want to blink, lest he lose this image of Diana etched in his mind.

A little closer, closer still.

He wanted to look into her eyes even closer.

"Diana."

Felix called out, but she was too busy splashing around in the water that had risen to her chest. She seemed completely lost in thought. She even took a step to the side, as if she wanted to swim against the current.

Diana was acting as if she had forgotten his existence.

His rapidly beating heart came to a halt.

"...Diana?"

He couldn't tell if she couldn't hear him or if she was refusing to listen. But it was clear that he wasn't in her mind.

The dreamlike, hazy feeling vanished in an instant. A clear sense of discomfort filled its place.

He was right there, in front of her. What on earth was she so preoccupied with?

Felix turned Diana’s head, which was turned to the side, and kissed her. Diana was startled by the sudden contact, but he didn't care. He parted her lips, pulled out her sweet little tongue, and sucked her delicate flesh to draw her attention back to him.

Diana frowned and shook her head. As soon as he felt her resistance to escape, his spine grew cold.