A mountain breeze, carrying the scent of wild grass and the rich smell of earth, brushed past between the two walking across the open field in the forest.
“Commander, we’ve brought it.”
Dyke and his subordinates had returned with a handful of fresh wildflowers and strawberries.
The uniform of the Imperial Army was filled with colorful flower juice.
There were small scratches on the back of their hands, perhaps from thorny bushes.
“Was there anything strange in the surroundings?”
“No. There was nothing unusual.”
While reporting, Dyke glared at Delia with a grim expression.
It was clear that the prisoner had played with them.
Reading their unjust feelings, Delia chuckled.
Delia teased the Imperial Army, who were wasting manpower on flower errands.
“Your subordinates, they’re good at picking flowers.”
Even as she teased, Delia quickly scanned the sternfaced Dyke.
Modern guns, sharpened swords. Even when walking, the Imperial Army was fully armed.
Those who had gone to pick flowers were in sight, yet artificial sounds of rustling grass were heard from the bushes.
Surveillance on such a large scale just for a stroll.
Could they escape?
Delia quickly gathered her anxious feelings and responded with a bright smile.
“Commander, I will gratefully accept it.”
Delia, who calmly replied, extended her hand to receive the bag that they were handing over…
“Goodness, Commander. Please untie this. I can’t do anything like this.”
Delia flared up at Aaron who was holding her hand.
She strained her arm to get out.
Aaron frowned, looking at Delia.
“Good grief. This is the first time I’ve seen a prisoner like this in my life.”
While twisting her arm to break free, Delia kept grumbling.
“It’s my first time being captured as a prisoner too. It’s a first for both of us, so do you really have to hold on like this?”
Feeling the squirming of Delia’s body transmitted through his hand, Aaron clicked his tongue.
What if her wounds open because she’s straining like this?
“Just stay still. I’ll untie it.”
Aaron, with a light frown, finally drew his knife and cut the rope binding her hands.
The cut rope slid off, and deep marks remained where it had been.
The skin, rubbed by the rope, seemed tender.
Or maybe she had exerted herself trying to get free.
Neither situation was pleasant.
“You should have untied it earlier. You’re just making it hard for people.”
“That doesn’t mean you can run away.”
Aaron quickly grabbed the left wrist of the prisoner who was trying to escape from his hand.
He gently rubbed the wrist, which was marked by the rope, with his thumb.
As if doing so would erase the marks.
“If you’re going to untie me, you should untie me completely.”
While grumbling, Delia rotated her right arm to loosen the tense muscles.
Now that at least one hand was free, it seemed that her heart was half free as well.
Delia, whose expression brightened considerably, extended her hand and received the bag that Dyke was offering.
The colorful bag was filled with the scent of strawberries.
The sweet aroma comforted her anxious and restless heart as a prisoner.
Delia, who was enjoying the pleasant scent, suddenly erased her smile and glared at the bag.
“But how am I supposed to eat this? Can’t you untie the other hand as well?”
“No. You’re trying to escape.”
“Then how am I supposed to eat this?”
A puzzled expression appeared on Delia’s face.
Her left hand, firmly held by Aaron, and her right hand holding the bag.
Delia grumbled while alternately looking at her two hands.
“I want to eat strawberries.”
Aaron put his other hand into the bag that Delia was holding.
He pulled out a single strawberry from the bag and naturally brought it to Delia’s lips.
“Here. Say ‘ah’.”
Delia stared wideeyed at Aaron’s hand, which was approaching her lips.
Both eyes were focused on Aaron’s hand.
“Commander, you’re really enjoying this weird situation. You could simply untie me, but you insist on feeding me.”
The small, cute strawberry looked even smaller held in Aaron’s large hand.
Just like her own hand caught in Aaron’s.
“Will you say ‘ah’ quickly or not?”
Pressured by Aaron, Delia finally opened her mouth reluctantly.
Her soft lips touched Aaron’s hand, which was feeding her strawberries.
“Um, delicious.”
Her lips moved as she swallowed the strawberry that had slipped into her mouth.
Thanks to the flesh of the red strawberry, Delia’s lips became even redder.
Aaron, who had been staring at Delia’s lips, took another step.
“Our strawberries are definitely the best.”
“All strawberries are the same.”
“No, the strawberries from Eorenti are special.”
While being led by Aaron’s steps, Delia constantly complained as they walked.
She still had a bag of strawberries in one hand.
Aaron moved forward slowly, matching Delia’s pace.
Just like feeding a baby bird, he did not forget to turn back and feed her strawberries.
“I could eat well if you just let me.”
“Dream on. I won’t let you.”
Before they knew it, the path had become a secluded trail.
The rustling footsteps caused the mountain birds to fly up.
A squirrel climbing a tree looked at the two walking on the path with its big, twinkling eyes.
Sunlight mixed with the shadow of leaves, casting a pattern on the trail.
The brilliantly shimmering light reflected in Delia’s blue eyes.
“It’s so strange.”
“What is?”
“It’s too peaceful.”
Just the other day, she seemed to be struggling with her fastbeating heart…
She could not believe it was this peaceful.
While the imperial army was occupying neighboring countries Loyeni and Kirens, Eorenti also passed tense days.
They were busy analyzing the tactics of the imperial army and checking the situation.
They negotiated with the mercenaries, recruited reinforcements, and traveled all over the kingdom.
With a parched feeling, they were busily moving, barely matching their forces and setting off to the Cabat Plains.
And there was Tarence Mountain, where a small number of royal guards rushed just in case.
The days when they rushed breathlessly for Eorenti passed through their minds.
“It’s so peaceful that I can’t believe it. It’s like a dream.”
Delia closed her eyes for a moment, as if intoxicated by the sweet peace.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”