42. We Survived Until Dawn…
Those words caused Hilda to blink in surprise as she felt herself being drawn in towards Nova and unable to look away from him any longer.
And after hearing those sweet words come out of his mouth, Hilda couldn't stop herself from doing what came next. She wrapped both arms around Nova's neck while leaning in close and pressing her lips against his for a soft yet passionate kiss.
Nova didn't expect Hilda to do this but didn't fight it at all as he responded in kind. As their lips moved against each other in perfect sync, he felt her body begin to relax a bit more than before as she clung tighter onto him.
They pulled apart after what felt like a very long time.
Hilda's cheeks flushed with color as she realized what she just did. She stared up at Nova with wide eyes full of confusion and embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have done that. I-I didn't mean to, Nova... I'm sorry."
Before Nova could respond, Alicia spoke up instead with a smile on her face. "I didn't expect you to act that quickly. But I understand how you feel and what you're going through. And Nova's words made even me want to fall in love with him again, so don't worry."
Hilda didn't know how to respond, as earlier she had accepted being in a romantic relationship with the village chief, and now it was another person she met just this morning.
She felt ashamed of herself for not being strong enough to handle this situation alone, but it seemed like Nova didn't mind at all since he continued holding her close and running his hands along her body as if she belonged to him.
This feeling helped ease away any worries or doubts that might have lingered in her mind, making her feel comfortable and safe.
After all, dangers always make people reveal their true selves, whether they make them rely on each other or be desperate and self-centered enough to abandon everyone else.
And since Nova didn't hesitate to support Hilda at this moment of need and Alicia didn't oppose their relationship, Hilda understood that these two people would never leave her behind.
All of this made her want to become stronger, to stand by Nova and Alicia's side as a reliable comrade rather than dragging them down by her own weakness.
"Thank you very much, Nova." Hilda whispered gratefully to him. "For comforting me when I needed it and accepting me despite everything that happened before. I swear that I'll do my best to become a worthy partner for you. Someone you can depend on and trust."
Nova smiled at those words before planting another passionate kiss on Hilda's lips without warning, causing her to moan softly into his mouth.
Then Nova moved on to Alicia, cupping her cheeks and passionately kissing her too. As she was his most beloved, Nova wouldn't let her feel excluded.
When Nova broke off their kiss, they just stayed silent with smiles on their faces while holding each other close.
They didn't try to continue hiding or running away from those who attacked the caravan, as they had already realized that if someone could track them down like the previous time, it meant that the other party had some means to do it no matter where they went.
And with how weak Nova and Alicia were, trying to run from such an opponent was meaningless, so they chose to stand their ground instead and fight if it came to it.
Of course, they hoped they wouldn't have to fight again. They didn't have the strength and skills to survive the current situation.
Therefore, they just embraced each other for now, trying to relax and enjoy being in each other's company without worrying too much about anything else that could possibly happen later.
Their moment of intimacy lasted for what felt like forever until the sky began brightening up, revealing more of the surrounding area to them.
They looked up and stared at the sky with awe as the darkness that blanketed their vision faded away bit by bit, revealing a new day approaching them in its place.
They continued to watch silently without saying a word until the sun rose fully over the horizon, causing a ray of light to fall on their bodies.
And at that exact moment, a sudden feeling of excitement rose up within their hearts as if they had just seen something amazing. It caused both Hilda's and Alicia's bodies to tremble slightly under the warm sunlight while they held onto Nova even tighter than before.
"We did it... We survived until dawn..." Hilda muttered under her breath while trying her best to contain the overwhelming joy she felt inside right now.
Alicia laughed merrily as tears rolled down her cheeks due to her extreme happiness. "I never knew it'd feel so great to see the sun again after being chased and living in the dark for so long."
Hilda nodded her head in agreement without saying anything else as she felt herself wanting to cry too. She looked up at the sky with sparkling eyes full of hope before glancing at Nova and giving him a warm smile. "We made it, Nova."
"Yes, we did." Nova answered while returning Hilda's smile with a smile of his own. "And now that it's morning, there shouldn't be any more enemies around to chase after us either, since most of them would've gone back already. So, let's get moving again and head to the town."
Nova took hold of Alicia's and Hilda's hands and stood up. Since he regained most of his strength during the rest, he could move without any issues, although he still needed to recover from the mana overdose.
Alicia was also more or less healed. Her face had returned to her usual bright complexion and no longer had any traces of being sickly or weak as before.
"Alright, it's up to you, Hilda, to lead the way. We don't even know where the town is." Nova said.
"Don't worry; I'm confident enough to find the way." Hilda reassured him and led the way out of the forest.