He then gently walked over to me and put his hands softly on my cheek and he then began to lean in. It was stupid of me to assume he wanted to kiss me so I closed my eyes but I was still happy with how he put his forehead against mine, cooling to the touch.
"It was as I thought," he muttered "you have a fever." He then quickly bought over a bowl tter medicine that had steam which should it was freshly brewed.
I made a face at the bitter taste, but still ate it since he fed me.
"Good medcine tastes bitter*." he said with a gentle flick in the nose. And I got a whiff of what I thought was the scent of the medicine or maybe the surrounding but was actually him.
"It's probably because of my diet. It's usually the meat that causes unpleasant body odor*, and as you can probably tell I'm not exactly a hunter."
"Oh shit did I-"
"Yes, you did say it outloud." He answered my question, then turned to me "It should be a little more pleasant now." Then he gently blew on it and offered a spoon to me. And with his breath as if it was magic all the bitterness went away. During the few days he took care of me, he didn't ask any questions that most people can't help and be curious about such as:
"Who are you?"
"Why are you in such a condition?"
"Why are you so deep in the mountain?"
But no, he only quietly took care of me even though we know nothing of each other, we didn't even know each others name. I didn't want to ever leave his side...I even pretended to still be injured, and I thought I got away too...
~Flashback~
"Is that rice...?" I asked almost afraid of his answer, after he came back from his daily routine of picking medical herbs, but he ended up later tonight.
"Yes." He replied, continuing to cook.
"I thought you only had vegetables and fruits?" I asked taking a huge bite of soft, fluffy, hot rice which was absolute heaven mixed with some spicy cucumber salad* which was chilled.
"I can't live on vegetation alone, its not like I'm a rabbit*." He said, and immediately an image popped up which caused heat to go down to my neither regions. "Every couple months I go down into the village to trade some herbs for some rice, clothes, tools, and... etc."
"What's the occasion?" I asked with my mouthful of food after willing my mini me down, probably spewing a couple of those pricess rice; completely forgetting the etiquette I learned in the palace.
"You're all healed, I also traded a ginseng for a horse. Leave tomorrow morning." And that statement shook my world.
~A/N~
Smut next chapter
*良药苦口
*Why some people actually turn to be vegans or vegetarians, because their bodily fluids and odor would be more pleasant mostly for their partners. But also most asians like me have A-genetics, characterized by dry ear wax that allows them to have little or no body odor which is why their little choice in deodorant overseas.
* Liángbàn Huángguā; 涼拌黃瓜
*Fuck like rabbits, since rabbits don't have a designated mating season so they fuck all year round