Page 5 of Lonely Orcish Girl

"Thank you. You’re not bad yourself," Katuri replied in a different tone than before, and to Reed's surprise, he found that her voice contained very similar vibes to Jolene's when they spent time together.

"Good night, Katuri," he said quietly.

"Good night, Reed," she replied with a warm smile.

With those words, she moved out of Reed's sight. He closed his eyes and tried to process everything that had happened. It wasn't easy, as the rising fever caused his mind to drift away quickly, but for the first time, he thought about a girl other than Jolene before he fell asleep.

***

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Katuri's voice reached Reed's ears as if through water.

He opened his eyes and saw her sitting beside him, her legs crossed. Again, the light struck him painfully, and he had to blink a few times to see clearly.

"Morning," he said in a hoarse voice. His throat felt like he had swallowed a handful of gravel.

"How do you feel?" Katuri asked, touching Reed's forehead. She kept her palm there for a moment, then let it slide down to his cheek in a motion that felt almost like a caress. It was almost shocking to Reed how pleasant this simple gesture was. Until that moment, he hadn't realized how much he longed to be touched by another person.

"Ugh… like a herd of cattle trampled me," he answered faintly but gave her a smile.

"If it cheers you up, at least you're not burning like yesterday. Here, drink this." As she had the day before, Katuri lifted Reed's head and brought the mug to his lips.

This time, he drank without hesitation, recognizing the same infusion Katuri had given him the day before. Reed found it to be the most delicious taste he had ever experienced.

"Finish it all, Reed. You need to drink a lot. It'll help you," she said calmly, her voice almost as soothing to Reed's ears as the herbs were to his throat.

"Oh, so much better." He sighed as he emptied the cup.

Katuri didn't reply but rose to her knees and reached for something above the stove that Reed couldn't see. What he could see, however, were Katuri's full breasts hanging almost directly above his face. He averted his eyes, but not because he thought it was rude to stare at them; he didn't want to get aroused. He was afraid that Katuri would notice.

She sat back on her heels and placed a short board with a wooden bowl next to her legs. Then she bent over Reed and lifted his head and shoulders, pulling him closer to her. If earlier he had been merely distracted by her plump breasts, now he couldn't help looking at them as they were almost pressed into his face. For a split second, his chin touched the smooth green skin of her cleavage, and Reed felt a wave of swooning heatengulf him. His cock instantly stirred, and Reed thanked the gods that the furs covering him were heavy enough to hide his reaction.

Katuri laid him down again, placing a pillow under his head and shoulder blades so that he was in a slightly elevated position.

She looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes. "Are you all right? You're blushing." Her hand went to his forehead again, but she quickly lowered it. "Weird, you're not burning… Anyway, time to eat," she said with a smile and picked up the bowl of food.

Katuri lifted the spoon and blew on it before carefully bringing it to Reed's mouth. Obediently, he opened his mouth and swallowed.

"It's delicious!" he exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. It was a thick, rich stew with vegetables and some kind of shredded meat.

"I'm glad you like it. It's quail. I caught it yesterday." Katuri sported a warm smile.

She gave him spoonful after spoonful, and Reed could swear he felt a little better with each bite. He also felt more and more grateful to Katuri, appreciating how focused she was on trying not to spill the stew on him. That was unexpectedly sweet and caring of her.

Reed still couldn't believe his luck—there were countless ways he could have died in that wild forest. But not only had he been rescued and cared for, but it was all done by a unique girl who knew herbs, could cook so well, and was a skilled hunter. A girl who was a stranger yet had shown him more kindness than anyone else before, apart from his mother.

More than anything Jolene had ever done for me, a bitter thought crossed his mind, but he pushed it away.No, shewanted to be with me; it's not her fault that her parents would rather have her married to Petyr.

No matter how much he tried to rationalize Jolene's decision, it just didn't ring true. Especially when he recalled her demeanor when she and Petyr had shared their wedding plans. She seemed genuinely ecstatic, as if her time with Reed had never mattered. He tried to convince himself that Jolene was simply putting on a show for others, but deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that her actions toward him were also part of the facade.

Suddenly, he found a certain clarity, as if for the first time he perceived the whole affair with her through facts rather than feelings. But it only made him feel incredibly naive. All the reasons he had wanted to go to Larrant, his whole plan to 'win back' Jolene, seemed silly and completely pointless.

"Now, will you tell me what you've gotten yourself into, Reed? Why did you wander so deep into the forest at night?" Katuri interrupted the silence, looking intently at him.

"I was going to Larrant, but—" he began, only to be interrupted by Katuri.

"To Larrant? Reed, you came to my house from the opposite direction of the path leading to the city. The trail is north of here; you came from the south. What happened?" She frowned.

"I had to go off the path…" replied Reed, then he told Katuri about the day's events, hesitantly mentioning the men he thought were thugs. He knew it was an irrational fear since he wasn't a warrior, but still, he felt uneasy about admitting that those men had scared him—the last thing he wanted was to appear cowardly, especially in front of a strong-looking girl like Katuri.

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