Angelina felt as if she were trapped in a pitch-black room—cold, silent, and devoid of hope. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free, nor could she see a glimmer of light ahead. Just then, a source of warmth approached her. Instinctively, Angelina clung tightly to this unexpected heat. It reminded her of the small teddy bear in her bedroom at the palace, a gift from her mother when she was a child. Smooth and adorable, the bear became even warmer after her magic tutor etched a heating rune on it. From then on, Angelina never slept without it, a habit that lasted until her tenth birthday.
Angelina first regained consciousness when Caesar fed her the previous night. However, she was only barely aware and lacked the strength to open her eyes. Her naturally strong mental fortitude, combined with her magical training, had given her an impressive spirit and willpower—but not physical strength.
Hungry and cold, she could faintly sense something warm and fragrant near her lips, but she couldn't even muster the strength to open her mouth. Perhaps this is the end, she thought. Her tutor had once said that after death, a soul lingers in the world for the time it takes for half an hourglass to empty before fading away. Picturing her fate, Angelina felt a strange calmness, as though she were an outsider observing her own demise. The first princess to die of hunger and cold, she mocked herself bitterly.
But fate is often unpredictable. Just as Angelina was ready to surrender to death, a pair of warm lips unexpectedly pried open her teeth. Something sweet yet faintly salty slipped into her mouth. Instinctively, her body swallowed the food. Before she could even process what was happening, another mouthful followed, and then another. Having had little to no close contact with others, Angelina felt overwhelmed by this series of unexpected events. The bristling sensation of facial stubble against her chin and neck left her with no doubt—the person feeding her was a man.
Despite her desperate efforts to resist, Angelina's weakened body refused to cooperate. She would rather starve to death than be humiliated in such a way by an unfamiliar man. If only she had the strength, she would have bitten off the tongue invading her mouth without hesitation.
The food slowly traveled down her throat, and the sharp ache in her stomach gradually subsided. Amidst her exhaustion and helplessness, the foreign sensation of such intimate contact left the sheltered princess with an odd mix of resistance and indignation. The feeding process felt endless to her. How she wished she could wake up, summon a basic fireball spell, and hurl it at this insolent man's face. But she couldn't. At the end of the feeding, Angelina could have sworn she felt the man's tongue briefly flick against hers as he pulled away. Before she could dwell on the strange sensation, her consciousness faded again.
The next time Angelina drifted back into awareness was the following night. Despite lying on a grass mat and being covered by a layer of grass, she still felt a bone-deep chill. Then, a warm body approached her. Instinctively, Angelina nestled closer to the warmth. The familiar temperature, the familiar scent—how could she not recognize it? This was the same warmth she had felt while unconscious, the same man who had fed her at noon. This is my teddy bear. This is my teddy bear, Angelina repeated to herself over and over again, almost as if in a trance. Whether through self-hypnosis or sheer exhaustion, she genuinely began to believe it. That night, she clung tightly to Caesar like an octopus, holding on until dawn.
By the next day, Angelina had recovered slightly. A full day and night of deep sleep had alleviated most of the mental exhaustion caused by her overuse of magic—a testament to her exceptional magical potential. Most others would have required at least two days to recover. Though she still couldn't fully open her eyes, she could manage a faint slit.
The first thing Angelina saw was the man who had carried her all this way—Caesar. In the chaos of their escape, she hadn't gotten a good look at his face. Now, with her vision slightly restored, she took the opportunity to observe him carefully. Perhaps out of carelessness, or perhaps because he avoided looking directly into her eyes while tending to her, Caesar remained unaware that Angelina had partially regained consciousness.
Angelina watched silently as Caesar disappeared into the forest in the morning and returned with a handful of fruits. She even recognized two of them—one of which had mild paralytic properties. Completely oblivious to her awareness, Caesar carelessly discarded the suspicious fruits before preparing their lunch.
The dish, which Caesar had named "Meat-Fruit," left a deep impression on Angelina. She had watched him head to the sandy shore, where he brutally smashed two saltwater crabs with a sharp stone. Those are saltwater crabs with the potential to evolve into magical creatures! Angelina's mind buzzed in disbelief. Caesar had taken them down without using any fighting energy—only brute force. In truth, Angelina had overestimated the creatures. Even injured, Caesar—or someone like Jon or Tom—could easily handle them.
Angelina had tasted saltwater crab before at the palace. Despite their potential magical properties, they weren't difficult for most people to catch; their rarity came from their peculiar habitats, not their strength. Surprisingly, the dish Caesar prepared tasted comparable to what the palace chefs could make. As she endured Caesar's rather direct feeding method, Angelina distracted herself by focusing on the taste of the meal. With her eyes barely open, she was in no position to refuse his feeding attempts.
The afternoon sunlight was warm. The cave where Angelina stayed was shallow, allowing the light to fall directly on her body. How long had it been since she had basked in the sun so comfortably? One year? Two years? Despite being a princess, Angelina had spent years studying magic, leaving her little time to enjoy life's simple pleasures. Compared to the bustling nightlife of the royal capital—the lavish balls and horse races—this moment of tranquil comfort felt infinitely more satisfying.
Caesar spent the entire afternoon weaving grass mats, while Angelina spent the afternoon watching Caesar. Perhaps the impression of being violated by him was still too vivid, but at this moment, Angelina found herself inexplicably thinking that Caesar seemed… handsome. His gray-white hair gave him a rugged, weathered look. His careful weaving of crab claws into the 'quilt' suggested an unexpectedly meticulous nature. The muscular build of his body, paired with faint scars peeking out from his sleeves and collar, added to his undeniable masculinity.
After years spent in the deep palace, Angelina wondered if she had lost her mind. Why am I observing him so closely? If she could return to the palace, she would have her father and brothers punish this man severely. How dare he… how dare he… The memories of the events from the previous night and earlier today brought a flush to her cheeks. Thankfully, the sunlight masked much of her embarrassment.
As night fell, Caesar set aside the nearly completed grass mat and began preparing dinner. His methods were the same as at noon, and Angelina couldn't help but recall the earlier feeding incident. No, I can't let this continue. What about my dignity as a princess?
While Caesar was chewing food and preparing to feed Angelina, her eyelashes fluttered slightly. A few seconds later, her enchanting eyes slowly opened and gazed at Caesar. Mid-bite, Caesar froze, his eyes locked on hers, and the food in his mouth was unconsciously swallowed.
After a brief silence, Caesar broke the awkwardness with a stammer, "Y-You're awake…"
Angelina didn't respond but blinked softly in acknowledgment. She was still too weak to speak and could only communicate with her eyes.
"Uh… um…" Caesar fumbled for words, his gaze wandering around before settling on the food in his hand. "Here, have something to eat. I just made it."
Of course, Angelina knew it was freshly made. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and after a brief hesitation, she nodded weakly in agreement. But as soon as she did, she realized something—she still didn't have the strength to open her mouth.
Caesar gently helped Angelina sit upright. The moment their bodies made contact, both of them stiffened slightly. Shaking off any inappropriate thoughts, Caesar brought the food to her lips. Angelina's throat moved, her lips trembled as she tried to open her mouth, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't do it. Tears welled up in her eyes out of frustration.
Caesar noticed Angelina's tear-filled eyes and quickly realized that she still lacked the strength to eat on her own.
Both of them simultaneously thought of that previous feeding method.
If I had known, I wouldn't have opened my eyes. It wouldn't kill me to let him feed me again, Angelina thought bitterly. He's already done it so many times.
Caesar, on the other hand, was torn. Should I really feed her like that again? She's awake now. Wouldn't that be taking advantage of her? He felt like a scoundrel—but then again, he'd already crossed that line more than once.
At that moment, Angelina's stomach let out a loud growl, breaking the silence. Her frail body urgently needed nourishment to recover. Caesar wasn't one to overthink things. After a brief hesitation, he bit off a piece of the meat-fruit, chewed it thoroughly, and leaned in towards Angelina.
Angelina squeezed her eyes shut, unable to look at him, fully aware of what was about to happen.
Caesar, less concerned with shyness, pried open her teeth and fed her the chewed food. Angelina, resigned to her fate, mechanically accepted his feeding.
After feeding her, Caesar cleaned up the food scraps, added a few more logs to the campfire, and sat back down in the cave. Having spent the entire morning foraging and the afternoon weaving grass mats—all while still recovering from his injuries—Caesar was utterly exhausted.
The cave was cramped, and the grass mat Caesar had woven wasn't very large. Now that Angelina was awake, Caesar couldn't bring himself to sleep too close to her, which meant most of the grass mat ended up covering her. Caesar himself was left with only a small corner.
The autumn night in the forest was bitterly cold, and the chill seeped into their bones.