Chapter 176: Aria’s Strange Feeling.

And at that moment, Jake turned.

He looked at her and frowned.

Then he walked toward her through the shallow water, his boots splashing once, then again.

Aria involuntarily flinched.

This was the same man who had just used his bare hands to beat those monsters to death.

Although the red glow in his eyes was gone, she couldn’t forget the sight of it.

She was half-naked, exhausted, and had nothing left to hide behind except one arm.

Jake stopped directly in front of Aria.

Aria then closed her eyes, unsure herself if it was due to fear or another reason.

A moment later, however, she reopened them and blinked.

Jake had removed his dark coat and placed it over her shoulders.

The heavy fabric settled over her chest and back, concealing what her hand couldn’t.

His body’s warmth still clung to it.

He didn’t say anything about her ripped uniform, but instead, he just looked at her and asked softly.

"Are you alright?"

Aria pulled the coat tighter around herself and nodded.

"I... I think so."

She then attempted to stand up.

"Thank you—"

Her legs, however, gave way before she could finish speaking.

"Careful!"

Jake managed to catch her.

With one arm around her back and the other at her waist, she found herself leaning against his chest instead of falling to the ground.

However, her coat had slipped halfway off one shoulder, revealing a large, pale breast with a pink nipple in the faint crystal light.

When she lifted her head, their faces were close together, and Aria’s fingers gripped his shirt tighter.

Jake’s gaze instinctively lowered to the attractive sight, then returned to her face.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and used the hand behind her back to help close the coat over her chest.

"Ehem... you really should be careful. It looks like your body is completely worn out."

"..."

Aria remained silent, continuing to gaze at his face with the same serious expression and wide eyes, as though she hadn’t heard him speak.

Her hand slid beneath her coat and pressed against her chest as a look of confusion flickered in her eyes.

’Why is my heart beating so fast...?’

She had been afraid before, and she had been in pain before, but this was different.

The monsters were dead and the cave was quiet, yet Jake’s arm was still around her and her pulse would not settle.

She had never felt this before.

But... she did not seem to hate the feeling.

If anything, some quiet part of her wanted more of it.

’Maybe... my heart will beat faster if I...’

Remembering how it had started racing in the first place, Aria lowered her head a little and moved her hand to the coat covering her chest.

Jake felt the shift against him and frowned in confusion as he looked down.

Then his eyes widened.

Aria shyly parted the coat she was holding against her chest, revealing her pale, flawless skin.

In the dim light, her large, bare breasts were heavy, their pink nipples firm from the cold cave air.

She kept her gaze lowered.

Her ears were red, but she did not close the coat again.

"What—"

Just as Jake was about to ask what was wrong—

ROAR!!!

A roar that seemed to come from the distance tore through the tunnel before he could finish.

The sound, much deeper and more powerful than anything previously made by the monsters, causing the water around their feet to tremble and dust to shake loose from the carved rock above.

Aria’s face went pale.

As loose rocks began to fall, Jake immediately pulled her close and shielded her head with his arm.

Despite taking hits from stones on his shoulder, hand, and the side of his head, he kept his arm protectively over her without flinching.

Aria felt the impacts through his body and looked up, her face still pale.

"Sir Jake...! Your head!"

"I’m fine," he said calmly, but he was not looking at her.

His eyes stayed on the tunnel, on the direction the roar had come from, as right now his Instinct was screaming... that whatever monster was behind that roar was extremely dangerous.

’Tch, damnit... where actually are we...’

Jake’s face was extremely dark, and he felt so frustrated that they had suddenly arrived at an unknown place with so many monsters.

But then, realizing something, he looked down at Aria’s pale face, which was gazing up at him with concern.

Jake paused and inwardly cursed himself, thinking,

’What am I doing? I shouldn’t be showing such an expression to a helpless woman!’

That was one of the lessons his father had always told him: never reveal vulnerability to a woman who depended on him.

With a quiet sigh, he then offered her a smile.

He reassured her, "It’s alright. Whatever that thing is, it doesn’t sound close. It’s just the roar echoing through the tunnels."

Aria studied his expression briefly before nodding.

Jake maintained his smile until she seemed more at ease.

Inside, his Instinct had not gone quiet.

The source might not be in this chamber, but it was in the same network of stone and cave.

He looked back toward the tunnel.

"We should move while we can. Can you walk? No... never mind."

After those words, Jake went back for his sword, wiped the worst of the dark fluid on a dead monster’s hide, and sheathed it.

He then went back to Aria, helped her onto his back, and supporting her knees with one arm and her back with the other, he lifted her up in a princess carry.

The coat stayed closed over her chest as she settled against him.

"This will be faster," he said.

Instinctively, Aria wrapped her arms around his neck.

Although her face felt warm, she didn’t object.

A quiet sound, "Mhmm," escaped her lips.

Jake maintained a calm expression, but inwardly, he was far from it.

He was surprised by how much lighter and softer her body felt than he had anticipated.

Even through her coat, she was warm, and a peculiar, captivating scent emanated from her hair and skin, lingering around him with each step they took.

However, he then gave his head a single shake.

This was not the appropriate moment to dwell on such matters.

His legs surged with strength, and he dashed back into the tunnel, maintaining a firm grip on her.

Jake stayed focused the whole way.

He watched the path, listened for more monsters, and didn’t look down at her.

Because of that, he remained unaware that Aria was intently observing his face the whole time.

Her bright blue eyes stayed fixed on him, scrutinizing every detail of Jake’s face with a gaze that held an emotion she couldn’t yet comprehend.

"..."