Chapter 77 Cherish’s Demonstration

The forge was quiet that night. The fire had long since died, leaving only the smell of smoke and metal. The tools on the wall looked heavy and unused, shadows stretching across the floor.

Kai sat at the long table, his bandages fresh, his body stiff from the fights. He didn’t say much. His eyes looked tired, wandering, like a man drifting somewhere far away.

Cherish stayed close. She moved around him, pouring water, setting food in front of him, brushing against his arm as though it were nothing. When she leaned over, her chest pressed against him, and she smiled when he didn’t move away.

“You’ll wear yourself out at this pace,” she said, her voice low and warm. “Even the hardest iron breaks if you beat on it too long.”

Kai just nodded. “I’ll manage.”

She touched his shoulder, her fingers slow, trailing down as if to check the bandage. Her hair brushed against his cheek. Her hand lingered, too long to be only care.

“Thank you,” he said simply, as though she were just patching him up.

Revoli sat across the room, knees pulled tight, holding a rag she hadn’t even used. She watched, eyes wide, heart knotted. Cherish was fearless—always touching, always leaning in, never hiding what she wanted. Revoli felt small watching her. Small, and left behind.

Cherish laughed softly, her hand now resting on Kai’s thigh. “Most men would be red-faced with me this close.”

Kai blinked at her, a little puzzled, then said, “You’ve helped us a lot. I’m grateful.” His tone was steady, plain.

Revoli’s chest ached. He didn’t even realize. He didn’t see the way Cherish pressed against him. He didn’t react the way most men would. His heart was open, kind, but blind.

For Cherish, that only made him more appealing. She liked the way he didn’t leer, didn’t grab, didn’t cheapen her touches. The more oblivious he was, the more she wanted him.

Revoli lowered her head, whispering in her own mind: I could never do that. I could never be like her. But maybe… maybe he doesn’t want me to.

Kai leaned back, eyes half-closed, as Cherish brushed his hair from his forehead. She watched his face as if searching for a crack in his calm, but he stayed the same—distant, steady, heavy with exhaustion.

Revoli lay down on her side, curling in on herself. She kept her eyes open, watching, listening. She wanted to reach out too. To touch his hand. To sit close like Cherish did. But her body wouldn’t move.

Kai drifted off without ever realizing what either woman felt.

And so the room stayed heavy—one woman bold and daring, the other quiet and waiting—while the man at the center carried no thought of either way.