A Wish to Grab Happiness

Volume 10, Chapter 239: That Body Shield

「How is it going to be, Caria? Will you take care of my back? 」

Caria’s lips moved a little when she received such an embarrassing and unspeakable word. The expression on her face had a faint smile when looking at me.

「…I understand. If you desire, this body will be your shield from now on, Lugis.」

While saying that, Caria’s silver eyes looked straight at me.

It seemed that the cruelty and danger in her eyes had somehow disappeared, but what about now? This time, on the contrary, I felt like the color that I often saw in the past was floating in her eyes, which took me aback.

I had a bad feeling. Yes, I had a very, very unpleasant feeling. Her little lips swayed again in front of me. I blinked my eyelids lightly in response.

「There’s no way I’d say those exact words, Lugis. Did you think you could trick me with your own tongue?」

The moment such words hit my ears, Caria’s little fingers wrapped around my cheeks. I felt a very distinctive feel. On this moment, she had the power to squeeze my face.

You’re kidding me, hey. A cold sweat fell from my spine and felt a clear sense of death. I heard the sound of my nerves throughout my whole body being tightened sharply.

「Listen, Lugis. Don’t compare me with the other women. I’m not sweet enough to be fooled by your words.」

Caria imprisoned my body in the chair and echoed her voice slowly in my ears. As soon as I heard those words, a sign told me that my cheeks were being squeezed.

Apparently, I did not only step through Caria’s reverse scale, but even misread her intentions. It seemed that Caria emitted a deep emotion named obsession. It was now incomparably denser than it was in the walled city of Garoua Maria. It was no longer just dullish.

I wondered if I’ve ever seen Caria’s deep emotions on the past journey.

Her teeth were somewhat distorted, did not mesh well, and made strange noises. I asked in my heart what happened exactly.

Fear should be the exact word after taking a glimpse of Caria’s ferociousness. It seemed to swallow people and even chew them as they were.

However, it seemed that my chest was feeling differently. Rather, those emotions were about to overflow from my chest. What was the exact opposite of it?

「…Then, what should I say? Shall I ask another person to be my shield? Tell me.」

That said, Caria laughed with her lips rippling. A beautiful line was drawn on her cheeks.

I thought she was rather beautiful after seeing her laugh. However, she was a very terrifying woman because she often had cruel and atrocious intentions behind her beautiful expression.

Perhaps, Caria was looking for something clear whom she could rely with all her heart. It seemed that I lost a lot of Caria’s trust in me. It felt somewhat sad.

Well, it should be fine otherwise. Shall I run a pen on the parchment? I’d do it in order for Caria to be satisfied.

The moment I thought that way, I moved my shoulders and smiled like Caria.

Nonetheless, something came into my mouth. Something thin and soft forcibly pushed my lips and teeth away, and pierced my throat.

My vision flickered. I felt something going to the back of my throat.

What was going on? My body tried to win against the stimulus, but was unable to move because Caria held me down.

I opened my eyes and looked ahead while sobbing lightly. I saw the true identity of what had been pushed into my mouth.

It was Caria’s white finger. Caria teased my tongue and throat with her finger while showing the color of sadism in her eyes. The smell and taste of iron covered my mouth. It was the unmistakable taste of blood.

「Drink, Lugis. Bloodline crossing is an old contract method, but it’s an easy deal. You’re going to keep your words now. There won’t be a problem anymore.」

Did she say drink just now? Was she pouring blood into my throat forcibly?

Blood dripped from Caria’s hand wound, and forced into my mouth and throat. It spread all over my tongue to a point that I began to hate the taste of iron.

Bloodline crossing, a ritual used between the aristocratic houses during the old days.

It was an era when the kingship was still vulnerable and all the people from upper classes were like snakes that spit poisons. Finding a good person at that time was like finding a small boat in the ocean, or like finding a single leaf in the woods.

However, there were situations in which they had to join hands with someone to save their own backs. At that time, the aristocratic people used a contract ritual called bloodline crossing.

The aristocrats valued pride and blood first and foremost. That commitment was probably beyond my comprehension as a commoner. They sought the purity of their bloodlines to the point of being crazy, undisturbed from other types of blood.

I thought they sought this type of alliance because they valued pride and blood above all else. Therefore, it made sense for them to establish this kind of bloodline crossing ritual. Those who made a contract donated blood to each other and let their blood pass through their throats. By doing so, they became clan members who were no longer of different bloods. They became even closer than their own relatives.

To be honest, I didn’t know how useful it was, but it must have been a ritual that was treated with caution, even among aristocrats. There were many aristocrats who had deepened fellowship just because they were once clan members.

But, of course, when the ritual was performed, it was not done by forcing a hand into the other person’s mouth, but dropping a drop of blood into each other’s wine.

After all, this woman named Caria was not just crazy, but extremely insane.

Caria whispered in my ear, wondering if I was happy to hear the sound of my throat squeaking repeatedly. She pulled out her finger, but not her body, therefore, I was still unable to move. I closed my eyelids and let my weight fall on the chair, quietly sighing, as resistance no longer made sense. Somehow, I had an imagination of what was going to happen next.

I imagined that I would feel a slight pain in my cheek after that moment. Yes, I thought I’d feel a sharp, numbing stimulus that came from a flesh torn by a blade.

However, I felt a strange feeling on my cheek. I gritted my teeth in response.

What should I do? It felt both warmth and tickling. Caria’s strange touch and breath touching my skin made me swallow my spit.

「Good, Lugis. You gave me your back to protect, and I received your words. This is a contract made between master and servant.」

Caria whispered in my ear. The blood dripping on my cheek was licked by Caria’s tongue. Her whispering voice made my spine quiver.

「If you break the contract and disappear somewhere alone as you did before…I’ll definitely find you even if I have to go to the end of the earth. If you do so, I’ll make sure your body will never go out alone again.」

After a while, Caria’s breath gently separated from my cheeks. The weight disappeared from my body, and my limbs were finally released. The blood dripping on my cheeks had already been erased.

Caria stared at me up close without getting bored. However, her expression was much softer than when she entered the tent.

Her small lips opened in front of my eyes.

「…Lugis. You must never let go of your shield, because if you let go, your shield will find you and kill its master.」

Caria jokingly spoke to me. Her silver eyes seemed to be looking at me happily. I sighed a little and opened my mouth.

Really, what did not change about this woman was her essence.

「…I’ll be careful enough to avoid turning you away, Caria.」

I said with a deliberate smile to match Caria’s expression.