TGW Chapter 38 Part 5

 

Kuhn said nothing, but his eyes spoke more than a hundred words. She could see the joy in them, mixed with caution. His emotions were clear as day.

His large hands cradled her face and gently pulled her closer. Sienna closed her eyes and parted her lips. Kuhn tilted his head slightly, pressing his lips against hers. Like a tender first kiss, he savored her lips, tasting them slowly before slipping his tongue into her mouth.

The kiss wasn’t rushed, but deep and intense. It wasn’t just a passionate kiss—it was filled with longing and tenderness.

When their lips finally parted, Sienna scrunched her nose and laughed.

“Tastes like sand.”

The two of them laughed softly together as they met each other’s gaze.

Thud, thud. Something began to fall from the sky, striking their bodies. Sienna looked at the drops of water landing on her hand and gasped in surprise.

“It’s raining…”

Rain in the desert—how incredible. While Sienna marveled at the rarity of it, Kuhn looked up at the sky with a more concerned expression. In the desert, when rain starts falling, it quickly turns into a downpour, which can last for days or even weeks without stopping.

Kuhn stood up, extending a hand to her as she sat crouched on the ground.

“Let’s go. There’s a place nearby where we can shelter from the rain.”

Sienna took his hand and stood, but then her legs gave way, and she sank back down.

“What’s happening? I’m not hurt…”

“You’re just in shock. When tension releases after being wound so tight, your body can react like that.”

Kuhn bent down, sliding his arms under her legs and lifting her up into his arms. Sienna wrapped her arms around his neck. As he carried her, Sienna looked around at the rocks.

“I don’t see Rit anywhere.”

“That horse knows how to take care of itself. It seems familiar with the terrain around here.”

“I don’t see your horse either.”

“They’re probably together.”

“Together?”

“In times of crisis, people and animals tend to stick together.”

“Why did Rit bring me here, though?”

“I’m not sure. Who knows what was going through its head. But it seemed to sense the coming sandstorm.”

“Rit didn’t even flinch when the desert beast attacked. It’s not a skittish horse like the others that ran away. But was it startled by the storm?”

“Rit was found near here, so maybe it has bad memories of sandstorms. It could have lost its parents to one, and its instinct kicked in to protect itself.”

Sienna found that surprising. When she first received Rit as a gift and heard it had been rescued as a foal, she had imagined a lush, green forest—not the desert.

“Where are we going now?” she asked.

“There’s a cave nearby.”

The raindrops, which had started falling sparsely, were now growing heavier and more frequent. Kuhn ran with Sienna in his arms, and by the time they reached their destination, the rain had turned into a full downpour.

Although Kuhn’s special armor was waterproof, repelling the rain, his hair was already soaked. Sienna fared a little better, having worn a cloak with a hood.

The cave they entered was naturally formed beneath a giant mushroom-shaped rock. Inside, the floor sloped down slightly, preventing the rainwater from flowing in.

Once inside the cave, the rain intensified, pouring from the sky as if someone were dumping buckets of water.

Kuhn gently set Sienna down in the back of the cave, and she looked around. She had thought they’d just taken shelter in a random spot, but it was clear the place had been prepared in advance.

The floor was covered with animal hides, and neatly stacked dry firewood was piled in one corner. There were signs that a fire had been made here before, and a wide wooden plank leaning against the wall held various sizes of daggers and axes.

“What is this place?” Sienna asked.

“Like a mountain lodge for hunters, but in the desert.”

“Are there many places like this?”

“Not really. The desert doesn’t have many suitable places for shelters, so there are only a few.”

Kuhn gathered some of the dry wood and used flint to start a fire. Soon, the flames crackled and spread warmth through the cave.

After shaking some of the water from his hair, Kuhn began to take off his armor. Though it looked like one solid piece, it was actually composed of parts that fit together around his joints.

Watching him, Sienna decided to try taking off her armor as well. She had received help putting it on, but after seeing how it was done, she thought she could manage it herself. However, it turned out to be more difficult than expected. She managed to remove the arm pieces but struggled with the leg armor.

“Need help?” Kuhn asked, already having removed his armor and now standing beside her in a simple shirt and pants.

Sienna nodded, and he sat down next to her. He gently lifted her legs and placed them across his lap.

“They’re probably worried about us, right?” Sienna asked.

“No one would be worrying about me. They’ll be worried about you,” Kuhn replied. “But they’ll be fine. The one left behind will manage things.”

“Who... Ah! Sir Kali?”

Sienna recalled the familiar voice she had heard earlier during the desert beast hunt.

“Wasn’t one of the people with you earlier one of the Kali brothers?”

“Us. Martin is taking care of something else.”

“You were amazing earlier. Kaligo’s reputation isn’t exaggerated, it seems. How were you able to bring down that desert beast so easily? Was it because of the armor? The weapons? Or is there some special technique?”

“It wasn’t easy. That was a special case.”

“A special case?”

Kuhn smiled mischievously as he finished removing the last piece of her armor and looked at her.

“Because I was there.”

Sienna glared at him playfully before bursting into laughter.

“All done.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

With her now lighter body, Sienna rubbed her arms, her expression tightening.

“My whole body’s covered in sand.”

The sandstorm had left her drenched in sand, and the rain had caused the fine particles to stick to her skin. Her skin felt rough and scratchy from the grains.

“Want to wash up?”

“Where?”

Kuhn gestured toward the cave entrance with his chin. Sienna’s eyes widened in realization. She thought for a moment, then nodded with amazement.

“Of course… rainwater…”

The idea of washing with rainwater hadn’t even crossed her mind. In the Empire, rain was rare and something to be avoided, not embraced.

“Is it still raining hard?”

“More than before.”

Because of the slope of the cave, they couldn’t see the outside from where they stood, and the sound of the rain wasn’t too loud as the sand absorbed the falling water. Sienna walked to the entrance to take a look.

She stood in awe at the sight of the heavy downpour that obscured the landscape, reaching her hand out into the rain. After letting her arm get soaked for a moment, she touched it and found the sand had been washed away, leaving her skin smooth.

‘I really can wash myself out there.’

Just as she was about to step outside, Kuhn grabbed her wrist.

“You’ll need to take your clothes off first.”

“I was going to wash the clothes too since they’re covered in sand,” Sienna replied, confused by his suggestion.

Kuhn chuckled at her expression.

“Your Highness, the Silver King, washing leather vests and boots with water? You’re in for a surprise if you try. And taking off wet clothes in that rain is no easy task. How about just washing your face?”

Sienna, who had rarely dressed or undressed herself, had no experience with the inconvenience of clothes soaked through and sticking to the skin. Though she was knowledgeable in many areas, she lacked common sense in others.

She shot Kuhn a mock glare as he smiled.

“You’re terrible, enjoying teasing me like this.”

Kuhn responded by placing a light kiss on her pouting lips.

“I enjoy it because you’re someone who requires so much attention.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I get to help you with things like this.”

Kuhn’s hands moved to undo the buttons of her vest. Sienna stood still, allowing him to undress her. He removed her vest and shirt, then her leather boots, leaving her barefoot. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as he removed her pants until she was left in just her undergarments.

Though she was used to being dressed and undressed by others, she began to feel a growing sense of unease as the pile of clothing around her grew. The sensation of Kuhn bending over to pull down her pants and the brush of his hand against her legs made her body feel warm.

When his hand grazed her thigh, Sienna flinched instinctively. Their eyes met as Kuhn slowly looked up at her. A sharp, tingling sensation tightened inside her legs, and she felt embarrassed by her body’s reflexive response.

“Can we not move while it’s raining?” she asked, attempting to change the subject.

“The rain here is different from the Empire’s. It’s so heavy you can’t see ahead. We’d lose our way in the desert, and prolonged exposure to the rain would lower our body temperature. It’s not a good idea.”

As Kuhn spoke, he stood up, their eyes still locked as Sienna’s gaze followed his upward movement.

“We should send word to let them know we’re safe.”

“I can send a message through the hawk.”

“That’s good enough for now.”

“I’m not sure when the rain will stop, but I’ll figure out a way for us to move when it does.”

Though they continued their conversation normally, both could feel the tension rising between them.

Sienna slowly reached out, cupping his cheek. Beneath her palm, she could feel the slight stubble that had grown, something she’d never noticed during their time in the capital. It fascinated her.

“Kuhn.”

“Mm?”

“We don’t have to rush. Eventually… the rain will stop.”

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