For The Butterfly That Disappeared

“Ah! I apologize.”

The startled Ibella sat up by resting her hands on the man’s chest. Even in this situation, she could see that the man’s chest was as hard as that of a warrior. That was just case just looking at the texture of his chest, visible through the open collar of his shirt. The feel of his skin on her palms due to the wet clothes was clear.

As soon the sky, that had been blocked by her face, was revealed again, his face was hit by the rain. Without showing much displeasure, he wiped his eyes with his hand, and raised half of his body. The distance between their faces, which had just widened, narrowed again.

“Are you all right?”

“Do I look fine to you?”

“Pardon?”

Not expecting the man to ask back, Ibella opened her eyes wide in embarrassment. He wasn’t outright angry, but there was an unconcealed annoyance in his tone.

“My back is killing me. My clothes are dirty, and the rain hitting my face stings.”

“I’m sor…”

“Because you are sitting like that, my lower body also feels heavy.”

“…”

Momentarily feeling apologetic at the man’s complaints, Ibella shook her head trying to understand his last words. The way she is sitting, the man’s lower body, and something heavy that is poking her butt.

“Oh, dear! So… sorry. It happened while I was trying to escape from someone chasing me.”

Ibela, who belatedly realized the situation, immediately lowered her leg and got away from him. To her dismay, she didn’t realize that she was sitting on the man’s lower body until he pointed it out. Whether it was because he was overly handsome or because she was distracted by his injuries and the rain, neither was an acceptable excuse.

Why didn’t she notice it at all? It was the first time that something like that had ever happened to her, so she just laughed.

“You’re the one in a dangerous situation, but somehow I am the only one hurt.”

The man stealthily blamed her, and smiled wryly. Regardless of his body getting wet, he slowly got up. A tall, well-built man instantly filled her vision. As he brushed the dirt off his clothes, he frowned as if he had injured his back.

“Ah, it looks like I am more injured than I thought.”

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Well, it doesn’t hurt just a little.”

The man’s words pricked Ibella’s conscience. The back of his coat that was covered in dirt also added to Ibella’s remorseful feelings. Although it wasn’t her intention, in any case, the man had become in this state mostly because of her.

“Where do you live?”

 Due to the strong rain, Ibella raised her voice and asked.

“Far away from here.”

“Then…”

Ibella hesitated for a moment. There was nowhere to hide from the rain, the man was injured, and both looked like a mess. The man had become like that because of her, so she just couldn’t leave him behind like that.

“Do you want to go to my house?”

The man didn’t look dangerous, and even if he was dangerous, she wasn’t afraid. Ibella learned swordsmanship as a child, and even learned the rudiments of shooting on the battlefield. As long as the man was not a soldier skilled at fighting, she wouldn’t be easily attacked.

“Is there anything to eat there?”

The man didn’t even thank her, and asked brazenly without hesitation. Ibella was strangely uneasy, but she had no choice because her body was already soaking wet.

“Maybe…”

Ibella replied, thinking of the few pieces of bread, fruit and cheese left at the cabin.

The man bent over, and grabbed Ibella’s bags with both hands.

“Lead the way.”

He urged Ibella, with a nod of his head.

For someone who just a while ago complained of shoulder and back pain, he seemed to carry her bags fairly easily.

*****

“You can wipe yourself with this.”

Ibella took a dry towel from the shelf, and held it out to the man. She pretended to be calm, but her mind was a tangled mess. The man’s body and clothes were terribly wet, his coat was so muddy that he couldn’t wear it, and he had even sustained injuries. She is the owner of the house, so she has clothes to change into, but what about the man?

“Do you live here alone?”

The man asked indifferently, wiping his face and neck with the towel. As she was pondering the answer, his eyes circled around the house. Ibella, who was contemplating whether or not to say that she lived alone, realized that it was an unnecessary worry. With only a bed, two small chairs, a bookcase and a desk, it was clear evidence that this place was only for one person.

“Yes. For the time being, I live alone. A ferocious dog entered my house, so I had to run away.”

“It is the opposite for me. A sneaky cat left the house, so I was looking for it.”

“At the place from earlier?”

“Yes. It’s a place where cats often pass through.”

The man took off his soiled coat, and answered indifferently. She didn’t see him as someone who would care about a small cat, but he seemed to have a surprisingly meticulous personality. Her wariness towards the man subsided just a little.

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“Cats are free-spirited, so it must be hard to find.”

“It’s okay. Since I know where it is.”

“That’s fortunate. I hope you find it and take it with you. Without getting scratched.”

At Ibella’s words, he smiled brightly instead of answering. The pure smile that appeared on the man’s face when he was in a good mood suited him well. He was handsome even when he was expressionless, but his smile had the ability to make people feel good.

The man threw his coat over the back of the chair, and picked up an apple on the table. When they were outside, he’d asked if she had anything to eat, and it was obvious now that he was very hungry.

“I will wash it for you, so please give me your coat. If you take off your shirt, I will also dry it for you.”

The man’s clothes were completely soaked, and dripping with water. It was not a problem to feed him, but she couldn’t let him eat in that state. Fortunately, she had lit the fireplace this morning in order to get rid of the humidity inside the house, and there were still some embers left. If she makes a fire to dry the man’s clothes, they will be dry enough to wear when he leaves. She would be able to change her clothes comfortably only after roughly solving the man’s troublesome situation.

“Over there, the bathroom….!”

She was about to tell him to change in the bathroom, but cut off her words instead. Before Ibella could finish her sentence, he put down the apple, lifted his shirt without hesitation and took it off. It happened so quickly that Ibella didn’t even think to turn her head. After that, she gazed up at his body as if possessed.

The deep valleys under the shield-like pectoral muscles, the hard abdomen and strong flank lines. It was as if a beautiful valley and rocky landscape were unfolding over the man’s body. It was at that moment, when her gaze was climbing up the firm skin again and reaching the two mountain peaks.

“Aren’t you looking too blatantly?”

The man frowned, and took a step towards her.

“Somebody’s eyes are rolling all over my body, so it’s unbearably itchy.”

“It’s… it’s not that I was trying to look, you undressed so naturally that, without knowing, I…”

Ibella mumbled excuses without realizing it. She couldn’t even understand what she had just done.

A man she didn’t know took off his clothes before her, and yet, she wasn’t afraid nor offended. He looked handsome, and also familiar. She was embarrased because she knew it wasn’t a sensible reaction.

“You can look, but…”

The man paused and put his hand on the wall next to her.

“I want to watch, too.”

As soon as the languid voice fell, the man’s gaze followed down her body from her face. Whether he meant it or was joking, every time his strange eyes met her body, it stung as if it were on fire. She also reflexively lowered her head and looked at her body, which was being swept away by the man’s eyes.

God!

Her rain-soaked clothes clung to her body. Her clothes were made of a thin, white material, so her shoulders, arms, collarbones, and breastbones were clearly visible. In a way, it felt more erotic than showing off her body openly.

Ibella swallowed dryly, and struggled to maintain her composure. This man was so calm, so she didn’t want to be the only one nervously covering her body.

“If you want to see it, use your imagination. Don’t you get a rough idea since the clothes are wet?”

Ibella firmly retorted, and invited him to use his imagination. The man’s pupils dilated as if he hadn’t expected her to say that. A crack appeared for the first time on his face, which had been relaxed since the moment they met. Ibella felt a thrill as the opponent was taken aback.

Before going to the bathroom to change her clothes, she threw out another decisive word.

“By the way, it’s bigger than the apple you were holding just now.”

“Ha!”

At a loss for words, he laughed out loud. At the same time, the bulging front of his trousers caught Ibella’s eyes. The fabric was wet, making it more visible. The size of it made her hold her breath.

Her relaxed attitude changed at once. She hurriedly averted her eyes, but the clear afterimage didn’t disappear easily. Not knowing that her face and neck had gotten red, she pretended to be calm and opened her mouth.

“Could you remove your arm?”

When Ibella, who had struck the final blow, was about to grab the man’s arm, he pulled his hand from the wall, and grabbed her wrist first.

“What are you doing?”

“I have already seen it in my head. But, I can’t taste it with just my imagination.”

“What?”

Ibella’s nerves were on edge at the man’s unusual words. The moment she glared at the man, he let go of Ibella’s arm and took a few steps back. Ignoring her inquisitive eyes, he picked up the apple he had just put on the table. The man, who had somehow regained some composure, raised the corners of his mouth and smiled gracefully.

He placed the apple in his hands and began rubbing it left and right. It wasn’t a meaningless hand movement that someone made before simply eating an apple. Inside his hands, slowly, curiously.

“…”

Ibella, who was watching, couldn’t say anything. Although his actions were ridiculous and infuriating, she didn’t have the courage to reprimand him.

He kneaded the apple to his heart’s content, before holding it in one hand and bringing it to his mouth. Capturing Ibella with his eyes so that she could not turn away, he took a big bite into the apple.

‘Ah.’

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She didn’t know why, but suddenly, a tingling pain was transmitted to one side of her chest.

The frozen Ibella watched the man while he grinned and munched on the apple. At some point, he noticed the apple juice that had dripped on the back of his hand, stuck his tongue out and licked it.

“It’s delicious.”

The man smiled with a very satisfied expression.