His body was rigid, his hands clenched tight, and he said nothing.
The boy looked up and found that he had turned his face away, the tips of his ears bright red.
The boy froze too, belatedly realizing that after several days of treatment, the wounds crisscrossing his body had gradually scabbed over, finally revealing glimpses of the fair skin he should have had all along.
And to make applying the medicine easier, he had stripped off all his clothes...
Before, the boy had focused solely on applying the medicine, without a stray thought. Now, however, something different stirred in his heart.
Blushing furiously, the boy quickly put his clothes back in order.
When he finished, he noticed that he was trembling slightly, as though cold.
The boy added a few more pieces of wood to the campfire beside them.
The fire burned brightly, crackling softly.
The cave grew a little warmer.
He curled into a ball, still shivering.
The boy draped his outer robe over him, wrapping him up snugly.
It still was not enough to keep out the cold.
After hesitating for a few seconds, the boy finally lay down on his side and drew him into his arms.
Feeling the person in his arms stiffen, the boy cleared his throat and said awkwardly, "I didn't mean to take liberties, but I've seen your body, and even touched... I'll take responsibility for you."
The man in his arms raised his head and stared at him.
The stare made the boy's face burn, but he spoke each word with utter seriousness.
"One day, I'll marry you with a wedding procession stretching for miles. Will you let me?"
What had he felt then?
A little bewildered, a little shocked, and a little at a loss.
It was as though something