The Sweet Afterglow
When Arkin opened his eyes, he finally understood that he had been freed from the long nightmare's trap. How many years had it been since he last slept so sweetly? It was an incredibly refreshing sensation compared to the time when he had barely managed to open his eyes, clinging to the edge of consciousness.
No more unpleasant headache, no more hazy consciousness, no more eerie goosebumps rising on his skin. Arkin woke up with a clarity and sharpness of mind that he had never experienced before.
“Did you sleep well, Arkin?”
Nefetia’s face, looking up at him from within the embrace, made his heart flutter with excitement. He could finally confirm it. Nefetia truly was his salvation. There existed a powerful force between you and me.
“Yeah. I slept really well. No nightmares.”
Arkin wrapped his arm around Nefetia’s shoulder and gently pulled her body closer. The warm skin felt incredibly soft and heavenly.
“Are you okay? Did… anything hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
Seeing her sharp golden eyes sparkling with vitality was a relief, but he still couldn’t help stroking her back. Gratitude, guilt, worry, and a lingering regret—all these emotions intertwined in complicated waves.
“Did you stay awake the whole time? Waiting for me to wake up?”
“I just woke up a little while ago.”
“Good.”
Arkin brushed Nefetia’s hair aside, covering her neck and shoulders. The long locks parted, revealing the perky breasts that clung to her body and the scattered purple marks.
Her chest pressed firmly against his arm. Seeing her naked body without even a single thread covering it reignited his arousal.
A desire to bury his face in her body stirred, but Arkin forced it down and swept her hair aside one more time.
The night’s events felt like a hazy dream. Having spent the night together with you… was like a fantasy.
Arkin’s face, as he stroked her back and quietly pondered the process of their first intimacy, grew increasingly hot. He hurriedly rose, thinking he needed to return to the lodging before it was too late.
“I have to go now, Nefetia.”
When he stood up, Nefetia’s cheeks flushed red. Arkin noticed her eyes glancing down beneath him. Her erect arousal, which had shot up instantly, became even more rigid thanks to his attention, but Arkin pretended not to notice and picked up the clothes that had fallen to the floor. This was a time for restraint.
Arkin led Nefetia to the spring inside the cave. He placed the tunic he had laid on the floor on a rock and sat her down on it.
“Wait a moment. I’ll wipe you.”
Arkin tore a piece from the thin, soft undergarment at the waist and soaked the cloth in water. The clear, cold water was so chilling that he first placed the cloth on his own body to adjust the temperature before wiping Nefetia.
“Even though it’s cold, I’ll go slowly.”
Nefetia nodded. She didn’t say a word, but her eyes never left Arkin’s movements.
When he drew closer, his erect member brushed against Nefetia’s thigh. The brief contact sent a wave of heat surging through his entire body. However, Arkin maintained a calm expression. His hand moved with a solemnity as he carefully wiped her neck, shoulders, chest, and abdomen, striving not to lose his composure.
And then, finally…
When their eyes met, Nefetia hesitated, gripped his thigh, and opened herself to him. Arkin moved his hand faster to maintain control. With a heart full of atonement for the lingering marks on the inside of her thighs, he wiped her thoroughly. Calling himself a madman, an animal, he chastised himself.
The hand that had carefully tended to the outer lips and the entrance around them suddenly stopped. It was the moment a faint red light shone on the white cloth.
Blood…
Arkin froze for a moment. Seeing the bloodstain left his mind blank. He had only thought about his own body and hadn’t even considered whether Nefetia had experienced anything. Such things had never mattered much to him.
But the moment he saw the bloodstains on Nefetia’s body, an indescribable heaviness came over him. A kind of guilt, perhaps?
Even if it meant nothing in her country, Arkin felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility. After the tournament ended, we would have to go our separate ways…
With a heavy heart, Arkin wiped the bloodstained area with a clean cloth as if nothing had happened. Then, cautiously, he asked.
“So, Nefetia… did I please you enough last night?”
I promised you the ultimate pleasure. I hope you felt satisfied…
“Yeah… it was too good.”
Nefetia smiled faintly, her cheeks blushing. The moment he heard the answer, some sensation stirred. Arkin’s gaze drifted downward. The damp cloth was warm. Nefetia’s lower part was becoming wet again.
“…”
In the silence, their eyes met. Arkin’s was still erect and ready, while Nefetia lay with her legs spread, surrendering her body to his hand.
Nefetia noticed Arkin’s jaw stiffen. She caught his lowered eyes, hot and fixed between her legs, and the difficult movements of his Adam’s apple.
Her gaze moved to the cloth in Arkin’s hand. The arm holding it was veined, on the verge of losing control. Yet Arkin quietly soothed her body.
The sight of Arkin desperately restraining himself ignited Nefetia’s impulses. No longer able to hold back, she grabbed Arkin’s arm as he tried to pull away.
She cupped his lowered cheek with both hands. The palm was scorching hot. Between the forward-swept golden hair, his blazing eyes shone clearly.
“Kiss me, Arkin.”
Nefetia pulled Arkin closer and turned her head urgently. This time, she wanted nothing more than to taste the flavor of his lips.
“……!”
Arkin pulled away his hands, straightened up, and spoke in a low, firm voice.
“I told you I wouldn’t kiss you. Did you forget?”
“Why…?”
Nefetia tugged his arm again, but Arkin held firm. He gently pushed her wrist away and drew another line.
“No. Don’t regret it later.”
“So what? We already broke the rules by spending the night together in this cave.”
Arkin put on his tunic and tied the belt. Even though the cloth beneath was clearly erect, his grip on the knot was resolute.
“I don’t understand, Arkin. We spent the night together and now you won’t? Now that I’m okay?”
Nefetia’s brows furrowed. In the pond, I tried to kiss you first! Even now, insisting on refusing to kiss me even though I’m fine is something I can’t understand.
“Why are you being so picky? Isn’t punishing me now for rejecting me yesterday childish?”
It was a frustrated outburst born from knowing it was impossible yet still feeling wronged and embarrassed by the rejection.
“Punishing me?”
Arkin’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward and firmly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.
“You don’t know my heart at all.”
Nefetia saw the overwhelming desire in Arkin’s eyes. She also understood that Arkin was holding it back for his own reasons.
Arkin spoke each word with force.
“From the moment I first saw you, you told me to spend the night with you. That was within your limits. Right? Even if someone questioned you about last night, you could say you met a ‘Hetasept’ from the old tales. No matter what they believed, you could push them aside with your authority.”
“…That’s…”
“But here… it seems like a different matter.”
The tips of the fingers gripping her jaw pressed lightly against Nefetia’s lower lip, crushing the red flesh. As if forever regretting what was never possessed. Like someone who loses something precious right before their eyes.
“When you feared and avoided me, there was a very short moment, but it was exactly like mine.”
Nefetia’s words caught in her throat as she looked up at Arkin. The tips of Arkin’s fingers touching her lips felt burning hot, scalding her.
“So that when you inherit the throne, no one can stop you, and so that you never regret today’s mistake in the future, you will become a king without any blemishes.”
“……”
The hand gripping her chin gently stroked her cheek. It was far from the initial passion—it was infinitely tender.
“The one who breaks the rules and ends up in trouble is enough with just me. So…”
Looking deeply into her wide-open eyes, Arkin whispered softly.
“Protect your dignity, Nefetia.”
Protect your dignity…
His heart sank heavily. The more he pondered why Arkin kept pushing him away, the tighter his throat felt.
Nefetia leaned her cheek against Arkin’s hand, which kept caressing her cheek and lips, and gazed at him with her eyes. Her eyelids gradually grew hot, but in the end, she couldn’t say a word.