You, My Devil - Chapter 18

Leaving behind the prayers of Laura and Kun, Yuri quickened his pace as they entered the mountain trail. Each step he took sent the saddled horse rocking gently, and Heina, seated on it, found herself unable to mask her puzzled expression.

Yuri, walking below, held the reins of the horse in one hand and a small knife in the other, occasionally slashing through overgrown bushes and tall grass.

Why am I the one riding while he’s walking?

She had never seen Yuri walk before, not even once. His commanding presence and imperious nature made the sight of him on foot feel almost surreal.

Heina didn’t dare ask, though. She kept her mouth firmly shut, worried that if she spoke up, he might decide to pull her off the horse and make her walk instead.

Overhead, a large bird cut through the sky, letting out a sharp, piercing cry. As they delved deeper into the forested mountains, the thick canopy of trees made it seem darker than it actually was. Thankfully, the dense shade offered respite from the blazing desert sun.

Shhhk—shhhk.

Yuri swung his knife through the waist-high grass, pausing only briefly to wipe the sweat beading on his brow. The terrain was as difficult as Kun had warned it would be. This was Yuri’s first time crossing the Knompen Mountains; during his initial campaign against Constance, his army had entered directly into Lucina, the First District, after finishing their conquest in the north.

This isn’t going to be an easy trek. It might take longer than expected, Yuri thought grimly.

He had assumed there would be paths carved out by travelers, but that hope quickly proved naive. The rapid growth of weeds and wild plants in this region made human maintenance a losing battle.

The horse, Atlas, snorted and panted audibly as they encountered another steep incline. White foam had begun to dry around its mouth. Yuri knew the strain on the animal was immense.

No wonder it’s struggling, he thought. The horse was already burdened with supplies and would have collapsed before they were halfway through the mountain if two people had been riding it. That’s why he had insisted Heina ride alone.

“Such pretty, delicate feet, completely ruined…” Laura’s voice echoed in his mind, a reminder of her earlier warning. “There’s a special salve in there. Be sure to apply it. It also works as an antidote for most poisons, so she can even drink it if needed….”

The memory made Yuri’s irritation boil over. Why was this girl so stubborn? Why couldn’t she simply admit when she was in pain?

“Are you mute?”

The sudden, curt question startled Heina. She frowned slightly, baffled by his abruptness.

“What are you talking about?”

Yuri didn’t even look at her as he slashed at the grass ahead.

“You can clearly talk, so why can’t you say when you’re tired or in pain? If you’re going to spew that nonsense about enduring pain being a royal virtue, save it.” His voice was twisted with annoyance, though his gaze stayed fixed on the path ahead.

Heina was so taken aback by his words that she couldn’t immediately think of a retort. It seemed like another of his petty attempts to provoke her.

“Who said I was in pain? Even if I were dying, I wouldn’t ask for your help, so you don’t need to worry,” she replied coldly.

Yuri stopped abruptly, turning sharply to face her with a scowl.

“Women are fragile creatures. And you, of all the women I’ve seen, are the most fragile of them all—small and brittle, like you’d snap with the slightest pressure.”

Now he’s resorting to insults, Heina thought, biting back a sigh as she tried to ignore him. But Yuri wasn’t finished.

“To let your feet get into such a state… I can’t tell if you’re stubborn or just plain stupid.”

“W-what did you say?”

The tension in the air was palpable as Heina stammered, her anger and confusion rendering her momentarily speechless. A slight furrow appeared on her delicate nose, only emphasizing her irritation.

“If you’d walked much farther on those feet, the infection might’ve spread. You could’ve ended up losing a leg. If you don’t want that to happen, you’d better start taking better care of yourself,” Yuri said sharply, his bluntness cutting through the silence.

Heina pressed her lips together, unable to form a reply. Yuri clicked his tongue as he glanced at her injured feet before gripping the reins and continuing his stride through the dense grass.

Could that be why he made me ride alone? Because of my feet?

The thought flitted through her mind briefly, only for her to shake it away. No, it can’t be. He doesn’t care about me like that. Still, the possibility lingered uneasily in the back of her mind.

As she watched his figure slicing through the overgrown trail ahead, her narrowed eyes betrayed her suspicion.

KREEE—!

Suddenly, a black bird swooped low, startling the horse. It let out a sharp whinny and reared up, causing Heina to lose her balance.

“Ahhh!”

As her body slid from the saddle, Yuri turned instinctively. He dropped the reins and caught her just before she hit the ground, his body cushioning her fall.

With a loud crack, a small branch snapped beneath his back, and the horse neighed and huffed nervously nearby.

Heina slowly opened her tightly shut eyes, only to find Yuri’s face mere inches from hers. Her large, emerald eyes widened even further as she realized their compromising position—her body sprawled atop his, their faces so close that she could feel his breath on her lips.

She quickly tried to push herself up, but her arms trembled, and the awkward closeness made it nearly impossible.

“L-let me go,” she demanded, her voice shaking.

Yuri’s gray eyes gleamed mischievously as he caught both her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head.

“Ah!”

The motion brought her even closer to him, her chest pressing against his. Heina’s face burned crimson, the heat traveling all the way to her ears. Yuri smirked, tilting his lips in amusement.

“Your wrists seem fine,” he remarked casually.

Heina squirmed, attempting to kick herself free, but Yuri swiftly entangled her legs with his own, rendering her completely immobile. Now fully trapped, she lay helplessly atop him, her breathing erratic.

“What the hell are you doing? Let me go—now!” she yelled, her voice laced with both fury and embarrassment.

“Your legs don’t seem broken either,” he observed, his tone infuriatingly calm as he looked up at her with an inscrutable expression. His sharp features were softened slightly by the red strands of hair falling over his forehead.

Heina glared at him, her anger boiling over. “Do you enjoy tormenting people this much?”

Despite her protests, she couldn’t break free. Yuri’s strength was overwhelming, and her struggling seemed to amuse him further. He sighed and spoke in a low, slow tone.

“So, are you hurt or not?”

For a moment, Heina thought she detected something different in his voice—a subtle shift, as though he were holding something back. He seemed tense, as if fighting against some invisible discomfort.

“Everything’s fine, so just let me—”

“You’re too noisy,” he interrupted coldly, his eyes narrowing.

And then, without warning, Yuri closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a forceful kiss.

“Mmmph!”

Heina’s muffled protests were swallowed as Yuri’s tongue invaded her mouth, seeking and tangling with her own. His grip on her tightened, holding her in place as he kissed her with a fierce, almost primal intensity.

Despite lying on his back moments ago, Yuri quickly shifted their positions. In a swift motion, he flipped Heina onto the ground, pinning her beneath him while his lips remained locked with hers.

Her hands, now free, pounded against his back in desperation, but Yuri seemed unfazed. His focus was entirely on her, his breathing growing heavier as their mingled saliva glistened between their lips.

“Haah… you… what do you think you’re—mmph!”

“I said, shut up,” Yuri growled, his voice low and rough as he cut her off with another deep kiss.

His tongue moved greedily, exploring every corner of her mouth while his hands held her firmly in place. Heina’s mind raced, overwhelmed by the intensity of his actions, her struggles growing weaker with each passing moment.

Ever since their kiss in the desert when she was unconscious, Yuri had been battling an overwhelming urge to claim Heina’s lips again. The memory of her soft, sweet tongue yielding to him, her warmth as she unconsciously accepted him, haunted him. Now, as she writhed beneath him, her resistance only made the temptation burn hotter.

“Haah… what’s this? You hate it now? Your reaction is so different from the other day,” he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery as he pulled back slightly, his breath ragged.

Heina quickly covered her lips with her trembling hand, glaring at him with tear-filled eyes. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her heart pounding against her ribcage.

The moment his lips had touched hers, her body had betrayed her, recalling every sensation from that day in the desert—the coolness of his lips against hers, the way his tongue had dominated hers, and how it had felt like stumbling upon an oasis in the searing heat.

But now, the memory brought not just shame but a strange, shivering thrill that she couldn’t understand. Her back prickled with unease, and her heart raced wildly in a way she didn’t want to acknowledge.

“I hate it…,” she whispered weakly, her voice trembling as she tried to suppress the flood of confusing emotions.

Yuri smirked, his eyes narrowing as he leaned closer. His lips brushed against the palm covering her mouth, planting slow, deliberate kisses.

“Do you?” he murmured, his gray eyes locking onto hers with an unsettling intensity. He grasped one of her slender fingers and ran his tongue along its length before gently nibbling on it.

“Sh-Stop… don’t…!” Heina gasped, her body jolting at the strange sensation. Her voice trembled, but Yuri’s only response was a quiet, sinister laugh.

“Relax,” he said, his voice laced with cruelty, “just a joke.”

Yet his actions were far from playful. He sucked her finger into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it as he held her gaze. The wet warmth of his mouth sent shivers up her spine, and goosebumps rose along her arms.

Heina’s body betrayed her again. Though her skin crawled with discomfort, a heat began pooling deep within her, foreign and unwelcome. She felt like she was losing control, her confusion only intensifying.

“Stop it… please,” she managed to choke out, her voice a mixture of desperation and anger.

Yuri finally released her hand, lifting his head to look at her.

“Did you know,” he said in a voice as calm as it was chilling, “that I like the way your eyes look when you’re pushing me away? It makes me want to take you right to the edge of breaking—until you beg me to save you.”

“You… you’re insane,” Heina spat, her voice trembling with barely contained fury.

“Maybe,” Yuri said with a smirk, his finger brushing against her slender neck. “But you’ve figured that out by now, haven’t you?”

His long fingers trailed lightly over her throat, skimming her delicate, pale skin. Her pulse raced beneath his touch, the veins faintly visible against her translucent complexion.

Yuri, who had always loathed the stark paleness of his own skin, found hers strangely captivating. Her skin, flushed with life and tinged with warmth, seemed to invite him closer, tempting him to lose himself in her. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, a visible sign of the tension gripping him.

Drip.

The droplet landed on Heina’s face. She flinched slightly, but before either of them could process the moment, another drop followed—this time from the sky.

Drip. Drip.

The light rain quickly escalated into a torrential downpour. The sharp scent of rain filled the air as water streamed down Yuri’s hair, tracing paths along his face and dripping onto Heina.

Swaaah—

The downpour turned the trail into a muddy mess, with soil splashing in all directions and small puddles forming rapidly. The once-clear sky was now blanketed by dark clouds, casting an eerie gloom over the mountain.

Kun’s earlier warning about the weather had proven all too accurate. What had been a bright and cloudless morning was now a stormy chaos by mid-afternoon.

The mountains were no place to linger, especially as nightfall would come far quicker here than on open ground. The storm demanded urgency—they had to get out of this treacherous terrain before it was too late.

The cold rain pounded against their bodies, gradually cooling Yuri’s earlier frustration. He stared at Heina for a moment, her trembling form soaked through, before finally lifting himself off her with a heavy sigh.

“Get up. Take my hand,” he said brusquely, extending his arm.

Heina didn’t respond immediately, her wide, fearful eyes blinking at him.

“Are you just going to sit there all day?” he snapped impatiently, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet.

As she rose, her gaze shifted past him, and her expression shifted into one of panic.

“The horse…” she murmured.

“What?” he asked sharply. “Speak louder.”

“The horse is gone!”

Yuri’s face twisted into an irritated scowl as he turned to see for himself. All that remained was the scattered pile of supplies.

Damn it.

He hadn’t tied the reins to a tree, and now the horse, likely spooked and exhausted, had disappeared into the forest. His steed was clever enough to find shelter somewhere, but for now, it was gone.

“Damn…” Yuri muttered under his breath, furious at himself for being so distracted that he hadn’t noticed. Losing the horse would slow their progress considerably. Still, with the horse in no condition to carry two people in the first place, the situation wasn’t entirely unexpected.

There’s no time to search for it now, he thought grimly, kneeling to sift through the scattered belongings. He began quickly gathering the essentials, leaving behind anything unnecessary.

“What are you planning to do? We need to find the horse,” Heina said, her voice laced with unease.

“There’s no time for that. We have to keep moving,” Yuri said curtly, slinging a bundle over his shoulder.

Raindrops—or perhaps sweat—streamed down his face as he turned to her, glancing briefly at her feet.

“Can you walk?” he asked bluntly.

Heina froze, a flicker of fear crossing her eyes. Is he planning to leave me behind if I can’t keep up?

She had hidden her injured feet for that very reason, terrified that Yuri might abandon her as a liability. Knowing his ruthless nature, she wouldn’t put it past him.

But she couldn’t stop now. Just beyond this mountain lay the borders of Constance. The journey there had already taught her how harsh and unforgiving survival could be. She’d collapsed from dehydration once before, and she’d learned her lesson.

Her homeland was within reach, and no matter what, she had to set foot on Constance’s soil. Even if it meant using this devil of a man to get there.

Without answering, Heina strode past him, her boots squelching in the muddy ground.

“My legs aren’t gone yet,” she said tersely, picking up one of the heavier bundles from the ground and slinging it over her shoulder.

“My arms work fine too,” she added, her voice steady as she trudged forward.

Yuri smirked faintly, suppressing a laugh. “Good. Keep up, then.”