Chapter 29

Apparently, Ca.s.sion also felt the sensation that he had stopped breathing.

Now that Rosetta saw how energetic hes being, she thought that it was just a feeling that she sensed for a moment.

She smiled, then she lowered her gaze and focused on the bandage.

You died for a moment.

Like a spiders web dangling in the air, the b.l.o.o.d.y bandages were unraveled one by one as silence stretched between them.

So that you could breathe again, I tried to breathe into you. You cried and told me to save you after all.

So I pinched your nose and leaned your head back to secure your breath.

After explaining like this, she glanced at Ca.s.sions reaction. The more she talked, the more worth it was seeing.

In particular, his expression was the best when she made a pinching gesture as she explained the nose holding part.

At that moment, Rosetta realized that a cold, prideful face could also look stupefied enough.

Secretly amused by this, Rosetta lifted her head once more and made eye contact with Ca.s.sion as though she hadnt been inwardly laughing at him.

Why the h.e.l.l What made you think that way?

His pale face began to heat up again as he whispered breathlessly.

Colorful, too.

If he changed his expression that much, his face must be doing a lot of work.

No, never mind.

The hastily made comment was crude.

Rosetta shrugged, then opened her lips to speak.

Really? Then thats that. Well for me, with memories of a first kiss I thought youd misunderstand me for this.

Humming slightly, she lowered her eyes again and focused on his bandages.

In any case, the temperature of the hand she was holding seemed to be higher than before.

As she continued to unravel the bandages, it wouldnt be long until its off entirely, and red stained skin would slowly be revealed.

Feeling something close to a.s.surance, she focused all her concern towards the mans hand.

Indeed, what do I want to see here?

Soon, the last remaining layer of the bandage fell off his hand and onto the bed.

Plop.

With a dull noise, the palm of the man was revealed.

Hard calluses.

Old scars with unknown origins.

New scars that had yet to settle in.

Wounds.

No, they were scars.

As expected.

His palms were dyed red only because his bandages were soaked with blood, but that was it.

The wounds under the poorly opened bandages were steadily healing.

She wouldnt even have guessed that he got hurt there today had she not known.

Her heart pounded.

As though regaining something once abandoned. No, as though realizing that what had once been given up had already come true.

The wounds that healed at an abnormal rate was evidence of his healing due to the momentary mana amplification that was described in the novel.

In short, this meant that mana had begun to circulate within Ca.s.sions body.

It didnt seem like he noticed yet.

Why?

In the novel, she thought he realized it shortly after.

Is it that he couldnt notice it because hes so focused on the matter of touching lips?

She wondered why it was like this, but she thought this might be the likely situation.

When a person was distracted by something, they wouldnt even know they were hurt.

Just as you wouldnt feel a papercut until the moment you see it.

With both thumbs, Rosetta relaxedly swept over Ca.s.sions scars on his hand.

Whatre you doing?

Ca.s.sion flinched as he asked.

His face, on which the red tinge had not subsided, looked like a lovely, blus.h.i.+ng boy.

No, he really was lovely. As if looking at a child she was proud of, Rosettas heart was full of endearment.

Do you know how many times I saved your life today?

Instead of answering, Ca.s.sion only blinked in return.

The way his eyes flitted left and right, it seemed as though he was counting in his head.

That, or he might be hesitating to say sorry.

He had forgotten the first instance, he wasnt happy with the second instance, and the third instance was misunderstood as a shameless act.

At this point, he might be thinking that Rosetta had taken him out of the waters to save him from drowning, but she was not only asking for compensation, but that she had slapped him and was asking for money in return as well.

Three times?

At his belated response, she shook her head.

Bzzt. Wrong.

She didnt save Ca.s.sion three times today.

His abnormally fast-paced healing was evidence to this.

Perhaps his waists condition wouldnt be so different.

I did save you that first and second time, but I didnt during the third.

She said this in an almost sing-song voice.

Then who saved me during the third time?

And his tone was that of befuddlement, his brows furrowed.

Rosetta brushed Ca.s.sions hand with her thumb again. Feeling the b.u.mps of his callouses, she lifted her own hand and reached near his heart.

Despite the slow movement, Ca.s.sion did not avoid her.

Because they were already so close together, she touched his chest without having to reach far.

This.

She felt his hardened muscles.

What?

Whenever he breathed, she felt his chest rise and fall.

And, here.

Caged by his ribs, she could feel his heart beating.

Yes, his heart.

She felt the beating of his heart, and she could sense the subtle flow around itthe weak sensation of mana flowing from his heart. Mana, magic.

I was worried that I wouldnt feel it, but

She could feel mana from his heart and internal strength from his core.

Even if the core and the manner of use was different, there was a similarity with a certain energy that flowed within her.

So perhaps thats why Rosetta could feel his mana.

In this novels setting, the only person who could feel mana was another person who could also wield mana, but the power she had was something that didnt fit this place.

But luckily, her earlier a.s.sumption seemed to be correct.

A similar yet deviant energy pierced through the unwritten laws of the novels worldbuilding, and so she had become able to feel the flow of mana.

And if mana could be felt

The easiest and most efficient way of making Ca.s.sion stronger was now possible.

To open up his pathways.

Rosettas slender fingers folded towards her palm, leaving only her index finger pointed out towards Ca.s.sions thin s.h.i.+rt. There, she circled over where his heart should be.

Uh What are you doing.

He froze up but immediately flinched back in embarra.s.sment. But he couldnt move back much because the beds headboard was right behind him.

How is it, cant you feel anything?

At the subtle question, the mans eyes widened.

Anyway, it felt like there was a pattern here.

Rosetta would move, then Ca.s.sion would jump back like a startled rabbit.

Feel? I dont feel anything, so your hand, just Ah.

Ca.s.sion was trying to talk to Rosetta with a firm tone, but he stopped mid-sentence.

It seemed that he had finally recognized something strange within him, and that prompted his ability to sense it.

Urk

With a pained groan, he grabbed his heart. Then, he hunched over and bowed his head forward.

Haa

The hand that she was holding escaped from her grasp as he clutched his chest.

His harsh breathing quickly took over the dark, quiet room.

Rosetta stared at him. She wordlessly approached him and held his faltering upper body, folding him into her arms.

His large frame clung close to her as though he was a beast that had found haven for itself.

She could feel the mans warm cheek touching her shoulder.

And with the moisture that trickled down, she didnt know whether it was Ca.s.sions sweat or his tears.

She didnt think this happened in the novel, but

Do people become more child-like if they have someone they could lean on?

With a rather cold sentiment, Rosetta wrapped her arms around the mans searing body.

Shh Its alright.

She whispered into the red ears near her face.

When she patted his back lightly, his restless body continued to tremble.

While patting Ca.s.sions back, she secretly explored his pathways.

There are a lot of blockages.

There were places where his mana flowed freely, but not many of them.

The pathways were mostly empty, and the mana that did flow was a pitiful amount.

Gathering qi into her hands, she pointed to one of his blocked pathways. She kept her pointer and middle fingers together and pushed down briefly.

Ca.s.sion gasped, the sound of it accompanied by a sudden breath touching her shoulder.

As the shallow breath was spat out, Rosetta collected the energy on her fingertips.

When she checked the place she had just pressed down on, mana was now flowing through the newly opened pathway.

Still, maybe this is too much for a recovering patient.

Listening to his countless groans in between shallow breaths, Rosetta felt guilty for some reason.

Even so, shed have to proceed with opening up his pathways a little later.

Apart from that, the patient wasnt the only one here whos overdoing it.

Cough.

At that moment, a dry cough was spat out.

She could tell what the hot liquid flowing down the side of her lips was without having to check.

Ah, right I overdid it, too.

During the carriage incident, she ran up the cliff carrying Ca.s.sion on her back, then she dragged the horse and pushed it to the bottom of the cliff.

This was to deceive the eyes of Leo and the others, who would come later to inspect the scene. She scattered Ca.s.sions blood to make it look like he crawled to the river stream and was washed away.

What else. She also went to catch Ca.s.sion and she faced those men in the alley.

Then she carried Ca.s.sion again as they returned to the hotel.

It was clear that it was a tough day for the fragile body and unstable power that she had.

After roughly wiping the blood off her lips with a sleeve, she patted Ca.s.sions back once again.

Ca.s.sion, breathe. Take a deep breath and get some rest.

Along with my words, Ca.s.sions ribs swelled and sank over and over.

As he did, the mana that had been haphazardly tangled gradually regained stability.

Its fine now. Everythings okay, so just breathe.

His rough gasps gradually softened. The sound of his breaths that were once heavy with pain had changed, no longer seeming as if his throat was being scratched.

Over time, the shoulder where his face grew p.r.i.c.kly and warm.

Ca.s.sion?

When she called out his name and was answered back by only an ensuing silence, the man who gulped dryly raised his head with great difficulty.

The eyes that were close to her were a deep crimson shade.

Like scorching lava.

t/n:

what Rosetta mentions here is , which is a term used in the practice of martial arts. it originally means the strength and vigor gained by a long period of training or abilities gained by intensive training over time, but i translated this word simply as internal strength

the pathways mentioned here refer to the channels or meridians in which qi (or: chi, energy, vitalityand in this casemana) flows

side note: from this point onwards, ill be translating the that Rosetta mentions from time to time as qi to hark back to her power from her second transmigration. this will be different from when she mentions , which ill be translating as energy, force or vitality, and which ill be translating as strength, force or power

its confusing, yes. i didnt know id have to research so much martial arts stuff for a romance fantasy novel either lol

side side note: why is Rosetta so swoon-worthy huh?? who told her to be so cool??? i lowkey have a crush on her now aslkjdf whos with me here