Chapter 3 "Hidden Greenery"

Drip, drip, drip.

The cold water dripping down on Yuri’s forehead gently opened her eyes. Gradually, her senses were awakened by the soft glow of light that surrounded her, causing her vision to become slightly blurred.

The first thing that caught her eye was the sight of the tree roots above her, glistening with water droplets.

Yuri jolted awake, disoriented and confused. She quickly scanned her surroundings, trying to piece together where she was.

"Where am I?" she muttered, her head throbbing with pain.

As she struggled to sit up, she let out a groan of discomfort. But to her surprise, she realized that her body was no longer cold. In fact, she was covered in a thick cloth that provided warmth and comfort.

Looking around, she spotted a bonfire burning nearby, casting a warm glow over the area. But she was alone.

‘My friends aren’t here yet.’

Then, she remembered the man she saw before losing consciousness.

“Was it him?”

At the same time, a rustling sound was heard. She raised her head, and she found him.

A man with silver hair tinged with a light-forget-me-not color. It looked much lighter in the sunlight than in the dark.

And the biggest feature was his beautiful eyes.

The man was wary of Yuri. But after moments of hesitation, he came closer as if he had decided.

Their eyes locked in a silent exchange, each waiting for the other to break the stillness.

“…”

“…”

Seconds ticked by, but neither uttered a word.

The man unfurled a cloth, revealing a tantalizing array of berries, mushrooms, and herbs. Yuri's gaze lingered on the spread, watching the man deftly place skinned chunks of meat over the crackling bonfire.

The aroma wafted towards her, tempting her senses, but she couldn't bring herself to take a bite.

Finally, the man broke the silence. “Qae ijo kljipxo.”

Yuri was left bewildered, unable to decipher the language. She stood there, staring at the striking man, unsure how to respond.

However, after contemplating, Yuri decided to nod and offer a friendly smile.

To her surprise, the man reciprocated her gesture by extending a berry toward her. It appeared that her response had been well received.

“O-il,” he said, signaling her to eat.

Yuri shook her head. So, the man ate one fruit.

“Pa gaukaf.”

“What?” Yuri asked this time. “I am sorry. But I could not understand you.”

The man stared at her before he replied, “A human.”

“Oh? So, you know my language?”

“I don’t know if my words will sound right. It is my first time talking to a human,” he replied.

He didn’t have the proper accent, but she now understands him.

“Sorry for pushing you before. I was shocked to see someone like you,” he added.

“Me either. You look so… different,” Yuri said. “What are you?”

He lowered his eyes, and his beautiful eyelashes fluttered. When he returned his eyes to Yuri, he answered, “Humans aren’t allowed to enter the Hidden Greenery.”

“Hidden Greenery?” she repeated. Yuri had no idea at all.

The conversation ended there.

Amidst the silence, only the sound of a bonfire was heard.

The man stared at Yuri, who did not even eat the meat, let alone berries. After a while, Yuri spoke again.

“Will it be possible for my friends to come here and find me?”

His face turned into a frown.

“You didn’t listen. I said you are in the Hidden Greenery. Humans aren’t allowed to come here.”

“What? Then how can I go back home? How would my friends find me?”

“They can’t go in, but you can go out. There’s a pathway leading outside the Greenery. However, you need someone’s permission to do that.”

“And that is?”

“The Pack’s Alpha and Elder.”

“Alpha and Elder?”

“Once you feel okay, I’ll take you to them. If they permit you to leave, I will escort you out of this forest.”

Yuri let out a sigh.

She still does not know what kind of species this man is, but she is thankful he’s ready to help her.

“Eat,” he said.

He put down all the berries and the leather water bag he had brought. Meat cooked in the bonfire was wrapped in broad leaves and placed next to the fruits.

Also, seeing Yuri’s thin clothing, he clicked his tongue and took off his cloak, putting it on Yuri.

He then got up and pursed his lips, and left Yuri.

Alone, Yuri leaned against the dirt wall.

“I wanted to thank him,” she uttered,

But until now, she didn’t have the will to put those words in her mouth. Her mind wandered to what was happening outside this forest.

Will Chase search for her after knowing that she fell on the cliff?

With a heavy heart, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

 When she woke up, Yuri felt like her body was floating. There was a pleasant smell too. She followed the scent, buried her face, and then came to her senses.

‘Someone is carrying me!’

Stunned, she got up and tried to escape. But the man, who was carrying her behind his back, stopped her from escaping.

“Stay still.”

Breathing heavily, Yuri looked at the man.

“W-What happened? Why are you carrying me?”

“You’ve been unconscious all day.”

“P-Put me down.”

“No. You’ll die.”

Yuri bit her lower lip as she was not keen on clinging to her life.

Not knowing what she was thinking, the man fixed her position on his back and started walking again.

“Bear with it. I will take you to the Pack soon so you can return home.”

With his words, Yuri stopped her movements as she had been squirming and making him uncomfortable.

“Pack? Is that the place where I can meet the Alpha and Elder?”

“Yes. It is called ‘Ever Green Pack.’”

She could not imagine there would be a town in the deep forest. Even so, her heart relaxed after hearing those from him.

Eventually, her fever got worse, and she got terribly sick.

The man brought her to a cave so she could rest.

“Here, eat this. Come on.”

He kept shoving fruits in her mouth, but Yuri, who was out of her mind because of the fever, did not want to eat.

“No. I can’t. I won’t eat… ugh.”

The man sighed before he showed her a liquid medicine he made for her.

“If you want to go home, you must be strong.”

With lightning speed, the man downed the medicine in a single gulp. Without hesitation, he grasped her shoulders, leaned in, and planted a kiss on her lips.

“Mmph!”

Her reaction was immediate!

She furrowed her brow and pushed him away.

“Hmm!”

But he held her face gently to prevent the medicine from spilling.

Yuri recoiled at the bitter taste of the medicine, but as she settled down, she noticed a surprising sweetness.

Each time his tongue swirled the bitter liquid around her mouth, it transformed into a delicious sweetness.

‘And his sweet scent wasn’t helping to calm my heart,’ she thought.

Yuri realized that the sweetness that was mixed with the medicine was the taste of his saliva.

‘I want to taste more of that. More,’ having that thought and with a weak body that hasn’t eaten anything, Yuri instinctively follows the alluring taste.

“Hmmm…”

She devoured the medicine with a seductive gulp, her tongue entwining with his in a tantalizing dance.

“Hmmm, haa…”

Yuri was lost in the moment, her lips hungry for more as if her very existence depended on it.

Their tongues intertwined, thick and sweet, like a forbidden elixir she couldn't resist. It was a taste of pure ecstasy, a sensation that left her craving more.

In the end, it was he who grabbed her shoulder and pulled his lips off first.

“Ha…..”

His face, as he wiped his lips with the back of his hand, was redder than that of Yuri’s, who was down with fever.

Finally, Yuri came to her senses.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. Y-You must be f-feeling lost because of your f-fever,” he stuttered.

He turned around momentarily.

Yuri ought to feel embarrassed, having just planted a wild kiss on the man who had supposedly administered her medication.

However, her feverish state seemed to have clouded her sense of shame, and instead, she found herself growing increasingly intrigued by him.

As he turned to face her again, he held a damp cloth in his hand, chilled with icy water. He gently dabbed it against Yuri's face, soothing her skin with its coolness.

Curiosity sparked within her as she gazed up at him, and she inquired, "What is your name?"

Pausing in his ministrations, the man ceased wiping the sweat from her forehead and locked eyes with her, his gaze unwavering.

“You can’t tell me what you are,” she added, “but at least tell me your name.”

He wiped away the medicine that had spilled under her chin.

Touching her forehead to check the temperature one last time, he replied, “My name is Mikhail.”