Isekai: Princess Marquess Becomes Entrepreneur of Tempe

Chapter 52. Warm and Soft

"Elona! You all right?"

Art shouted towards Elona who was drowning on the bank of the river. After falling from the cliff of a waterfall as high as 30 meters, lucky they both splashed into the river deep enough that under the cliff so they survived. Then they were carried away by the torrent for a few minutes.

Art continued to hug Elona's body as they were bobbing in the water. The young man protected him from the impact of the strong river currents and the rocks that blocked the middle of the river. Despite the pain and bruising here and there, at least they have reached the part of the river that flows more calmly than before when they fall. Art pulled over while carrying Elona's limp body helplessly.

"Uhuk! Uhuk!"

Elona coughed at the riverbank. Her whole clothes were soaked. The girl still regained her senses, but continued to fight against the rushing stream of the river making her body limp. Elona looked at Art who was inspecting his entire body in worry.

"I'm fine." she replied, then tried to get up. A moment later, he realized that this man before him was not moving as he should. Like there's something wrong with his leg. Elona looked at Art's left leg carefully, and there was fresh red blood pouring from it.

"The art! You bleeding??"

Art turned to his feet for a moment and said, "So it seemed to have scratched something in the water, but I don't know what. But it's okay... I can still hold it... Ughhhh..."

"You're right is okay? You look in pain, Art!" Elona cried out in panic.

"Maybe a slight sprain as well. But it's okay. Come on, let's find a safe hiding place. Looks like it's gonna rain in a minute."

With the help of Elona, Art can walk while stumbling. They both tried to walk as much as they could to find a safe place.

The bright afternoon sky turned cloudy slowly. Dark clouds shrouded. And before long, raindrops came down from the sky soaking the earth. The droplets over time are getting more and more rapid.

Elona continued to circulate her gaze around, hoping to soon find a suitable place to shelter. His body has been cold since. Then the girl turned her head towards Art who also looked pale, just like her.

"Art... Are you still strong?" elona asked so worriedly. But Art still smiled with his lips starting to whiten.

"I'm fine.don't worry, yeah." said the young man trying to calm down.

Before long, the two of them saw a cave that was enough for humans to enter. Elona and Art immediately went inside. Seen not far from the mouth of the cave, there are small rocks stacked in a circle, with a slightly blackened pile of firewood in the middle.

"Something seems to have been here" said Elona.

With great difficulty, the girl sat Art down slowly and carefully so that the man could lean back and rest without feeling any pain. Art straightened his legs, and it was seen that blood had been pouring from his left leg nonstop as he walked towards the cave.

"The art! You have more and more blood!" Elona screamed hysterically. While the young man before him seemed to be breathing heavily like fatigue. A cold sweat came out from the pores of his forehead and immediately mixed with the rainwater that soaked his head.

"You... can light a fire with flint?" art asked as he looked at Elona. The girl nodded her head.

"I've never tried it myself, but I've seen people do it." said Elona.

"Good.and thank God the firewood is still dry." said Art, pointing to the firewood in front of him. Then, Art reached into his pants pocket on the right side. A moment later he took out a flint and handed it to Elona, along with a small dagger attached to his waist.

"Light the fire by swiping this dagger on the flint stone. Careful on the spark, yeah..."

Elona also tried to hit the iron eblati blade into flint stone. It was hard enough to try it out on your own. After more than five attempts, the girl finally succeeded. A medium-sized fire had lit up. It cannot warm, but it is enough to illuminate the environment in a dark cave.

After the fire lit up, Art's blood-soaked trousers on the left began to be clearly visible. Staring in horror, Elona opened the trousers slowly, and there was a small twig that pierced the flesh of Art's leg. It also appears large puffiness near the eyes of the feet.

Unable to say anything more, Elona immediately opened her small bag and took out a bandage and alcohol. The girl did indeed carry the medicinal preparations of the outer wound, as soon as she heard that this forest was full of ferocious beasts.

"The branch must be removed first, but I can't..." Elona said hesitantly looking at Art's wounds that were still shedding blood little by little.

Art also held the twig that pierced his leg. "Let me just."

"Can you?" ask Elona.

"I used to do it. I often get hurt like this, take it easy. blow your face if you can't see it..."

Elona looked away and closed her eyes. Art took a breath, tried to be as relaxed as possible, and then with a flash, the man pulled out a twig that pierced his leg while screaming in pain.

"Aghhhhh!!"

Elona peeked out of the solids of her eyes and saw that the twig had been removed, as soon as possible she cleaned the wound with alcohol and bandaged it with bandages to stop the blood from flowing out.

At the time of bandaging bandages at Art's feet, immediately tears flowed unbearably from the eye of Elona.

"Hiks.. hyks..."

The sobbing couldn't be contained by the girl anymore, making Art shocked.

"Hey..why crying.." asked Art. Then he straightened his body from the backrest and touched Elona's cheek. The tears that flowed down the girl's cheeks.

"It's not your fault..."

"But, had I been more vigilant, none of this would have been"

"Sshh, it's over. The important thing is that now my wounds have been treated, we have a shelter, the fire has been lit. Just waiting for my friends to come pick us up..."

Art tried to calm Elona who was still crying. The two young men's hands rubbed Elona's cheeks, in an attempt to wipe away her tears.

Although outside the cold air the forest and rain enveloped, but Elona felt a warm flow from Art's palm through her cheek. Elona held Art's wrist, and rested her head on the young man's palm.

"You don't do anything... Don't ever do anything because of me..."

The beautiful face of Elona crying begging for her to be okay, making Art want to hug the girl immediately. But his injured leg left him helpless.

"Come here..."

Elona moved closer to Art, who then pulled the girl's hand and her body fell into the man's arms. Elona sat down right next to Art, as the young man's hands curled around his shoulders.

"Art...?"

"I'm cold." replied the man briefly, lest Elona ask any more questions.

"Oh." Elona tried to make her sit. It was quite warm and comfortable, even though the clothes of the young man who had her face was soaked just like him. The two sat facing towards the burning fire.

"You remember, the first time we met, you also bandaged me the wounded, right?"

"Yes." replied Elona. "You were wounded after hunting, you said."

"Haha, yes, I used to be less careful against the bear." Art replied while chuckling in memory of the past.

"It must have hurt a lot, huh, that time?" ask Elona. Art nodded his head.

"Yes. But I have to thank the bear for making me hurt."

Elona scrunched her forehead, then turned to look at the face of Art next to her. "Why?"

"Because of that blessing," Art stared fixedly at Elona's eyes which were currently only a few inches away from her. "...i can meet you."

"The art..."

Elona's heart immediately also beat irregularly. The young man's breath was blowing on his face. The red hue on his face would have been very noticeable, if it had not been for the not so bright lighting of the fire.

"Elona..." Art called out the girl's name, and tried to convince himself to say the heart.

"Have you ever seen me as a friend?"

"I'm..."

"What for a moment, I never stopped in your heart as a man?"

Hearing Art's question, Elona was slightly stunned. Actually all this time, the girl had always realized that there was something different with her heart every time she saw the young man before her. Elona actually always realized that Art's treatment of her was more than what a friend usually does.

But the girl refused to notice. After two times his love story ran aground, he became unsure if he deserved to be loved and fought for by a man.

But here, at this time, there would be no way Elona could deny any more, if she was so afraid of losing the man before her. Seeing Art get hurt just made his heart feel like it was slashed. Elona realized how important Art was for a long time. And after everything that happened today, made himself even more unable to get far from the man.

"Elona..." Art called again the girl's name deeply and gently, making Elona's heart melt instantly.

Art looked into Elona's eyes as if he didn't want to let go. Art's face was getting closer to the girl's face. The breaths of the two of them exchanged in the air. The sound of a strong heartbeat disguises the sound of heavy rain drops out there.

And slowly, their two pairs of eyes each reflexively closed to each other, and their lips touched each other warmly and gently.

*****

...\=\= original writing by @author.ryby \=\=...

...\=\= cover art by @fuheechi_ \=\=...

((Ryby: touch also finally the lips.(" -_-) who want to follow ig at @author.ryby yes))