Chapter 668 The Effect Of The Fruit

Liam decided that whatever was happening with Irina was none of his business.

At least, that was what he told himself.

He turned toward his room and began walking, passing Irina without another word. She remained standing where she was, her expression strangely calm despite the sweat covering her body. Liam had already dealt with enough strange things for one day. They had chased a shadow into a mountain, discovered a mysterious fruit, returned to the village and now Irina was behaving like someone who had forgotten how to act normally.

He didn’t have the energy to figure it out tonight.

He took another step.

Then stopped.

Something had caught his attention.

A scent.

Liam slowly turned his head toward Irina.

His enhanced senses immediately picked it up again. It was faint, buried beneath the smell of sweat and the cool night air, but it was unmistakable.

Sweet.

Almost exactly like the strange red fruit from the mountain.

Liam’s eyes widened.

His mind immediately returned to the forest.

Irina picking the fruit.

Irina eating one.

Then another.

And another.

His expression changed as everything suddenly clicked into place.

"Wait."

He turned around completely.

Irina looked at him.

Liam walked back toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you actually okay?"

Irina shook her head.

This time, she didn’t smile.

Her eyes were watery.

Liam froze.

He had never seen that expression on Irina’s face before.

Irina was one of the strongest people he knew. She was proud, sharp-tongued, disciplined and almost impossible to intimidate. Even when things became dangerous, she rarely showed vulnerability.

But now there were tears gathering in her eyes.

Liam’s confusion deepened.

"Irina?"

She looked at him for several seconds before suddenly speaking.

"You know... I found you really annoying at first because you looked so good."

Liam blinked.

"What?"

Irina’s eyes became even more watery.

"You heard me."

Liam stared at her.

"You found me annoying because I was attractive?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

Liam’s brain struggled to process that sentence.

"That makes absolutely no sense."

"It does to me."

She looked down briefly, almost embarrassed by her own confession, before raising her eyes toward him again. "I’ve never been with a man in my entire life. I’ve always had responsibilities. I’ve always had something that needed to be done. There was never time for personal pleasure, relationships or anything like that."

Her voice became increasingly unfiltered.

"But then you came along."

Liam remained completely silent.

Irina swallowed.

"You have this ridiculous thing around you that makes me want to abandon every responsibility I have and just follow you somewhere."

Liam’s eyebrows rose.

"I like you," she whispered. "But I can’t have you. How is that fair?"

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Liam stared at her.

He had absolutely no idea what to say.

This wasn’t the Irina he knew.

Something was definitely wrong.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

System.

The familiar presence responded immediately.

[Analyzing target behavior.]

Liam kept his expression neutral while the system processed the information.

A moment later, the answer appeared within his mind.

[Behavioral analysis indicates symptoms consistent with intoxication.]

Liam froze.

Intoxication?

[Affirmative. Target displays emotional instability, reduced inhibition, heightened emotional expression, altered judgment and increased impulsive behavior.]

Liam’s eyes widened.

The fruit.

He finally understood.

"That damn fruit."

Irina looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Liam’s thoughts raced.

He had initially assumed the fruit was simply some strange food growing near the mountain. Now he realized it had another property entirely.

System, when will the effects disappear?

[Estimated duration: until approximately morning.]

"Morning?"

Liam almost said it aloud.

His expression became complicated.

He looked at Irina.

Then at the door to his room.

Then back at Irina.

He had to deal with this woman for the entire night?

This was going to be a disaster.

Before he could formulate another thought, Irina suddenly stepped forward.

Liam barely had time to react before her arms wrapped around him.

He stiffened.

Irina pressed herself against him and rested her head against his chest.

"Can I stay like this?"

Her voice was strangely soft.

Almost childish.

Liam looked down at her.

For several seconds, he didn’t move.

His first instinct was to gently push her away and tell her that she was intoxicated and needed to sleep. That would have been the sensible thing to do.

But then he felt her trembling slightly.

The tears.

The confusion.

The complete lack of the usual pride that defined her.

She wasn’t acting like herself.

Liam sighed quietly.

"Fine."

His hand slowly moved to her back.

He returned the embrace.

And immediately realized that perhaps that had been a mistake.

Irina’s clothes were still damp from the excessive sweating caused by the fruit’s effects. The fabric clung closely to her body, and the warmth of her skin was noticeable even through it. Liam could feel the tension in her shoulders gradually disappearing as she relaxed against him.

Then he smelled it again.

That strange sweetness.

The scent of the fruit had mixed with her natural scent and the warmth of her skin, creating something unexpectedly intoxicating.

Liam’s breathing slowed.

He looked down at the woman in his arms.

For once, Irina wasn’t arguing with him.

She wasn’t criticizing him.

She wasn’t calling him irritating.

She was simply holding onto him as though she had finally allowed herself to stop carrying every responsibility for a few minutes.

Liam’s expression softened.

He understood something then.

Whatever the fruit had done to her, the feelings she had confessed might not necessarily be completely fabricated.

The fruit could have removed her inhibitions.

It could have made her say things she normally kept hidden.

But it probably hadn’t created those feelings from nothing.

That realization made the situation considerably more complicated.

Irina shifted slightly in his arms, her fingers tightening around the fabric at his back.

Liam looked down at the woman still clinging to him.

"You need to sleep," he said quietly.

Irina nodded against his chest.

"Yes."

Her voice was soft and tired. Her face remained buried against him, as though she had no intention of moving on her own. Liam let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness."

That would make everything easier. If she simply went to sleep, the rest of the night would pass without further trouble. He could leave her alone, wait until morning, and hope the effects of the fruit finally disappeared.

Then Irina spoke again.

"Carry me."

Liam froze.

He stared at the top of her head.

Of course.

He should have known it would not be that simple.

If he refused, there was a high chance she would start crying again or cling to him for the rest of the night. The last thing he wanted was to deal with an intoxicated Irina who refused to leave him alone. After a short moment of internal struggle, he gave up.

"Fine."

He slipped one arm under her knees and the other around her back, then lifted her off the floor with ease. Irina immediately rested her head against his shoulder, her long dark hair spilling over his arm. She felt warmer than usual, and the dampness of her clothes was impossible to ignore.

Liam carried her into the nearest room.

It was a simple space. The walls were plain, the furniture limited to a small table and a single wooden chair, but the bed itself looked solid and comfortable. He walked over and carefully lowered her onto the mattress. Once she was settled, he pulled the sheet up to cover her body.

Before he could step away, her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

Liam looked down.

Irina’s eyes were watery again. A tear slid down the side of her face as she stared up at him.

"Can you stay and hug me until I fall asleep?"

Her voice cracked slightly on the last word.

Liam had never seen her like this before. The proud, sharp-tongued woman who normally argued with him over everything was now lying on a bed with tears in her eyes, asking him not to leave. The fruit had truly done a number on her.

He stayed silent for a few seconds.

Then he sighed.

"Fine."

All he needed to do was hug her until she fell asleep. Once she was unconscious, he could carefully leave and put some distance between them for the rest of the night.

Liam climbed onto the bed and moved behind her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her gently against his chest. Irina immediately grabbed his hand and placed it flat against her stomach, holding it there with surprising strength. Then she shifted backward until the soft curve of her ass pressed firmly against him.

Liam’s body tensed.

She was still sweating. The fabric of her clothes clung tightly to her skin, and every time she moved he could feel the heat of her body more clearly. Worse than that was the scent. The sweet smell of the strange fruit mixed with her natural scent filled his nose every time he breathed in. Something about it made his thoughts feel slightly heavier than usual, as though a faint fog was slowly settling over his mind.

Before he fully realized what he was doing, his arm tightened around her.

They stayed like that for several minutes.

The room was quiet. The only sounds were their soft breathing and the occasional shift of fabric against the sheets. Irina’s body remained warm against him, and the sweet scent continued to drift into his lungs with every breath.

Then...

[Ding]

A system message appeared.

[Warning.]

[Prolonged proximity within three metres of the affected individual may result in secondary exposure to the same intoxicating effect.]

[Physical contact is strongly advised against.]

Liam’s eyes widened.

Huh?

He stared blankly at the empty air in front of him.

What the hell was this?

Why was the system only telling him now?

He was already lying on the same bed with her, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist, her body pressed against his, and the sweet scent of the fruit filling every breath he took.

The warning had arrived far too late.