A Cruel Beast’s Leash

Casualties literally meant either dead or injured people.
Emma felt that she had to clearly check the facts before moving on.

“What about Otto and Dora?” she asked.

“Well, I didn’t have time to check on them, but if they hadn’t died, I guess they would have avoided the wolves with their party.
After all, I was busy taking care of the werewolves.”

Emma’s eyes, which had been trembling from fear, gradually loosened as she watched the man casually talk about what had happened, as if one were talking about the weather.

‘Well, monsters and wild animals must be very familiar to this cabinkeeper. After all, he was already living in such a dangerous mountain range without any difficulties before I came. Things like someone dying or killing werewolves would be normal routine for him.
There is no need to make a fuss.’

With her mind in the clear, her concern shifted to his bloody bandages.
“Did you get hurt? Are you okay?”

The man stretched out his hand regardless of Emma’s belated worries.
His fingertips, which were wrapped around the blood-soaked bandage, were pointing to the front door.

“It’s okay.
There’s nothing to worry about, so close the door.”

Emma reluctantly walked to the front door and closed the door firmly as he told her to.
The heavy door rattled loudly.

If it had been Emma who was wandering outside or had she been caught by Dora and made their way across the forest to the carriage, she also would be part of the carnage.
Indeed, she felt like she had avoided the terrible monster by a short margin.

Perhaps all the accumulation of bad luck throughout the years was for this very moment.

Basking in relief, her knees suddenly buckled.
When she turned her head back to the man in the middle of the living room, she was greeted by the sight of his naked torso.

Embarrassed, Emma turned her head slightly to the side, giving him what little privacy she could afford.
Her eyes trailed to the floor, to the blood-stained shirt thrown away haphazardly, randomly clumped together like a mop on the floor.

Despite her better judgement, her eyes made their way back towards the man.

As the cabin keeper of the dangerous Ferragen Mountains, the man’s body was filled with new wounds over old scars, large and small ones alike.
But even that seemed to be part of his strong beauty which worked in harmony with his lean body.
The sinewy muscles that wounded around his body made him into a beautiful and articulate sculpture, and Emma couldn’t take her eyes off him.

The man turned his head, his shoulders moving in harmony.
Having not seen a man in the flesh, Emma was simply mesmerized and quite dumbfounded.

The shoulders connected to his sharp neckline were wide, and his waist was sleek.
The lines and volume created by his tightly weaving muscles were so beautiful that they seemed unrealistic at first glance.

Even though it was just a simple movement of standing upright and moving the body, it was terribly fascinating and Emma was captivated.
Suddenly, her fingers flinched as if they were attracted to a magnet.
Emma had a strong will to reach out and touch the man’s body.

If I’m able to touch it, it would be unbelievably hot and hard.

It was a feeling Emma had never felt before.
She didn’t know why this urge suddenly occurred, but at the moment, all she could think was to run her fingers over the man’s body, feeling the touch of his skin.
She was also very curious about how it would feel.
Would it be hard as expected? Or would it be hot?

The more she looked at the man, Emma felt a strong rush of fever cross through her face.

‘Huh!’ With her cheeks colored red, Emma came to her senses and turned her head. It felt like she was suddenly released from a terrible magic.

As she tried to fix her awkward stare at the front door for a while, she felt the man’s presence gradually becoming distant.

Emma finally blinked and took in a deep breath. She didn’t realize she had been holding her breath after all that time.

Even the thought of the man made Emma feel ashamed and she gradually shrunk her shoulders.But despite her rationalism, her body was honest.
Because her heart, which had been tightened so much, began to pound vigorously as if it had broken.