His fingers wandered inside her mouth, gentle yet inconsiderate, and Odelliana found herself momentarily dizzy from the strange sensation.
“Haa… Ha… S-stop…” she gasped.
Blood and ointment-laced saliva trickled from the corner of her parted lips. Breathing heavily, Odelliana was wrapped in his arms as he locked eyes with her.
“A disciple…” he began.
“…Cannot tolerate even the smallest wound on their master,” he continued.
What should she do?
Matthias paused to catch his breath. His eyes, still intensely focused on her, were wild and relentless. His breathing remained heavy, and there was a raw savagery in his gaze that didn’t match his otherwise composed and refined face. The unspoken question in his eyes was unmistakable: Could he deal with that man right now?
Odelliana shook her head. At that, he let out a brief sigh.
“You always tell me to hold back,” he said, a faint note of complaint in his voice. It carried the tone of a young boy frustrated by the complexity of the world, mixed with a hint of resentment.
“All I do is hold back,” he continued.
“You turned everything upside down with your last reckless stunt,” she replied.
“Then why not stop holding back just as you did then?” he asked.
“Knowing when not to hold back depends on who you’re dealing with,” she answered.
Getting rid of a mere maid and killing the heir to the Grüsewald family were two entirely different matters. Regardless of how repulsive Hermann was, the value of his life was not insignificant. That was why she had to hold back. Retaliating against him would bring far more trouble than it was worth.
“Don’t even think about revenge. He’s not someone we can handle right now,” Odelliana said.
“And besides, who are you to worry about someone else when you’re the one more badly hurt?” she continued.
With a firm grip, Odelliana snatched the ointment jar from his hand. Then, carefully, she began applying the ointment to his torn cheek. As Matthias quietly allowed her to tend to him, he suddenly clasped her hand.
“You have to take care of the inside of my mouth, too,” he said.
“…What?” Odelliana replied.
He gently bit down on Odelliana’s index finger. Then, with a casual expression, he opened his mouth, revealing the torn wounds inside. The sight of his mouth filled with blood left her speechless.
He really swung his fists like he meant to kill, she thought.
If Matthias was in this condition, a direct hit from that fist would have killed her on the spot. That deranged bastard—no matter how much his birth was hidden, could he really try to kill his own sister?
Odelliana glanced between the jar of ointment and his mouth before awkwardly scooping some onto her finger. A wave of embarrassment washed over her, though it was a different kind of awkwardness compared to when he had touched the inside of her mouth earlier.
She hesitated for a moment, then realized there was no reason to feel awkward. After all, what was so embarrassing about applying ointment inside someone’s mouth? She could have simply let him do it himself, but dismissed the thought. How could she claim to be his master if she couldn’t even perform such a basic task?
With her fingers coated in ointment, Odelliana gently reached into his mouth, carefully tracing the torn wounds. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel unpleasant or awkward at all. She felt only pity for him, knowing the pain he must be enduring.
Matthias, watching her closely as she delicately applied the ointment, playfully bit down on her finger every now and then, only to stop again. Odelliana frowned and gave him a stern look.
“Stay still!” she commanded.
He laughed aloud, and as if in defiance, lightly bit her finger again—this time without causing any pain. His behavior reminded her of a puppy craving attention, and she couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity.
“You really…” she began, her tone playful.
The tense and serious atmosphere immediately dissipated.
The two of them laughed together for a while, teasing each other. The unpleasant incident that had caused their injuries faded into the background, replaced by the lightheartedness they shared in that moment.
