Chapter 59 - VERONICA'S FEELINGS

Arthur gave her a water pouch and said, "Drink it all up."

"Is this okay? Water is rare in the desert," Veronica was concerned for him.

Arthur assured her, "It is fine. There is an oasis not so far from here. But you should be careful not to go there alone, especially in the dark."

Veronica tilted her head. She couldn't understand why she couldn't go there alone or in the dark. "Why not?"

Arthur shortly narrated, "That's because animals need water too and they go there to drink water."

"I-I see." Veronica drank water and didn't leave a single drop.

Arthur was examining her ankles while commenting, "You have become thin. Your skin is dark. Were you working too hard?"

Veronica flinched as she felt a slight pain. She replied, "I was doing whatever I could to help everyone."

"As a healer?" Arthur casually questioned her.

"No…" Veronica hesitated. She couldn't tell anyone, including him.

"Why aren't you wearing a temple uniform? You are a part of the temple, right?" Arthur tried to find out in a roundabout way.

Veronica averted her gaze. "It's a long story." If it wasn't for the Head Priest Saint Ava's warning, she would have already let him know.

Arthur grabbed her thighs and stated, "I'm worried."

Veronica stubbornly said, "I can't tell you."

"Fine. I will wait until you are ready to talk. I hope you weren't punished after being caught." Arthur easily gave in. He didn't want to force her and let her become suspicious of his behavior. It would be troublesome if she was being cautious around him.

Veronica replied, "You can say that."

"So, this is a punishment." Arthur sighed. Now he could understand why she was hesitating. She was embarrassed to tell him.

Veronica quickly expressed, "I'm doing great. I'm outside the country. I'm in a desert, saving people as much as I can. This is far better than living inside the wall."

Arthur smiled. "Don't let them hear you." He didn't have a problem as long as she liked her punishment.

For some reason, he felt that there was more to it than just punishment. But, since she was an inexperienced woman who knew nothing about the world, he couldn't find the loophole in her words. With a logical explanation, someone like her would be sent on a mission. He saw with his very own eyes how scared she was. She was going to burn to death if he didn't save her.

"I won't." Veronica finally noticed where his hands were touching. Her face flushed. She told him, "Hey, you should move your hands from my legs."

Amusement flickered in his eyes. "Are you embarrassed?"

"It's not appropriate," Veronica's face was turning deep shades of red.

Arthur's deep voice rang on her ears, "But you have shown me more than your legs. I've touched the places no one ever touched before, not even you." His lips brushed over her left knee.

Veronica's heart was going crazy. Her body temperature increased. She had the same buzzing feeling just like six months ago. She shut her eyes and shouted, "Don't say anymore! Forget about what you saw that night."

Arthur's fingers traveled a bit deeper. "How can I forget something so alluring?"

"Are you doing this deliberately? I'll leave then." Veronica couldn't take it anymore. She tried to stand up.

Arthur moved his hands away from her thighs. "All right, all right, I won't do anything to harm you. Don't move too much. You are injured." He didn't want her to run away after he finally got a hold of her.

A gust of chilling breeze blew. Veronica shivered and rubbed her cool arms.

"The nights are cold. You shouldn't sleep wearing thin clothes." Arthur draped a blanket over her body and sat beside her.

When he saw her being cautious, he raised his hands to show that he was harmless. "Easy, I won't attack a woman who doesn't want me. You need warmth. If I don't share my warmth with you, tomorrow, you will catch a fever. It's easy to capture targets like this. Do you want to be kidnapped by the enemy party?"

"N-no," Veronica didn't argue anymore. She was indeed feeling cold. She snuggled closer and asked, "Did they really come to kidnap the healers?"

Arthur answered, "It seems so. That's why they attacked the enemy camp."

Veronica couldn't understand Riverhill's plot. "Why would they do that? They have healers as well."

Arthur explained, "With healers on Synetians' side, Riverhill has no chance of winning. Riverhill is certainly good at chivalry, there is no doubt. However, they are no match for the masters of weapons that Synetia possesses."

Synetia has iron ore mines and they create first-class weapons. They export weapons to other countries. They train the best fighters with the best weapons. They haven't lost a war to date. It will be impossible for Riverhill to win against them without taking the healers away.

Veronica became quiet. She was thinking of lots of things. Arthur's presence caught her by surprise. After he saved her, she realized that she was missing him.

Discovering her inner thoughts, she was surprised. She didn't know him at all. Knowing a person's face, name, and occupation wasn't enough to evaluate their character. Moreover, he was a downright playboy. She knew that he was playing with her too. However, she couldn't help but get drawn to him. She felt reassured whenever he was close to her.

It was weird that she felt like that but it was true and she couldn't deny it.

Arthur noticed that she was in deep thought. He asked her, "Did you miss me?"

Veronica's chain of thoughts broke. She instantly replied, "Not at all."

Arthur leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Liar. Didn't you go to the library to meet me?"

Veronica sensed his hot breaths on her skin. It heated her face. She responded, "I went there to give your books back. Did you think I'd steal your books?"

Arthur chuckled. "I did not. At least you could tell me that you were going to the desert."

Veronica retorted, "Even though I didn't tell you, you still came and found me. Wait, don't tell me you are here because of me. How did you find that I was here?"