In the end, Eloise's hair was damp with sweat, her fair skin covered with a fine sheen, making it appear even more translucent and dewy, like a river's surface after a long freeze.
Isidore caressed her shoulder lovingly, kissing it, alternating between biting and sucking with his teeth and thin lips. It was finally over. She collapsed into a sitting position, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
She felt absolutely miserable. She preferred freshness, seeing herself as a world apart from barbarians. But her body was adorned in a mess of colors—various fluids mixed together... Her large eyes closed in suppressed anger.
Isidore wasn't much better off; his sun-kissed muscles were also marked with various traces, crisscrossing across his skin.
However, he seemed far more at ease with it. With a hint of kindness, he casually wiped the liquid from the seat cushion with his shirt, tossing the shirt onto the backseat. He straightened the driver's seat, tilted his long neck back, and closed his eyes to soothe the lingering sensations.
He didn't say a word, nor was he in any hurry to put his clothes back on. He was totally naked. Eloise was in no mood to speak either. She was trying to clean herself up, struggling to feel dry, at least to avoid looking so disheveled and miserable.
Earlier, Isidore had noticed her thoughts and helped her search through the car for a while. This was a car he had casually picked when leaving, chosen for its low profile and spaciousness. He hadn't driven it much, and he knew nothing about what was inside.
He searched through the glove compartment and every corner, but found not even a single tissue, nor any of the usual items one might expect. He raised his hand to close the compartment, then casually tossed his underwear at her, as if to say, "Use this as a towel."
Eloise frowned in disgust, but with nothing else to use, she reluctantly unfolded the underwear. Seeing that it was fairly clean, she begrudgingly made do with it. The motion of wiping inevitably carried a sense of anger. To keep him from noticing, she turned her face toward the side of the car window.
Her arms and belly could still manage with his underwear, but when it came to her lower body, she just couldn't bring herself to do it—using a man's intimate clothing in that area was something she hadn't yet reached the mindset for.
Unable to avoid it any longer, she turned her head and sought his help, saying, "Could you... go out and buy me a pack of wet wipes, or tissues?" She tried not to sound too demanding, making an effort to keep her voice gentle and polite.
Isidore opened his eyes and glanced at her, his expression a mix of amusement and mockery. He motioned toward her bare upper body, then cast a look at the shirt on the backseat, which was now filthy after wiping the seat, before narrowing his eyes and giving her a sly grin.
"You're asking me to go down there naked?"
Wasn't it fine? His face was thick enough! Eloise barely managed to stop herself from saying the words, her tone filled with barely contained frustration. She was increasingly tempted to slap him. "Just make clean with that for now." Isidore nodded toward the underwear in her hand.
It wasn't that he intentionally played with her; eighty percent of the reason was laziness, and twenty percent was because he had been through countless fights, blood, sweat, and tears. To put it bluntly, he just couldn't relate to those delicate, tangled little feelings.
Eloise stared into his eyes, and the more she looked, the more she felt there was a wicked amusement in them. She clenched her fists, remaining still. Seeing him lean back into the seat so comfortably again only made the fire in her chest burn hotter.
Isidore noticed her silence, let out a soft sigh, and sat up straight. He picked up his discarded pants, turned them inside out, and handed them to her, silently indicating that she could use them to cushion herself for now, and he would help clean up once things had settled.
"I'll take you somewhere to clean up later." He was thinking of resting for a few minutes; his body was feeling lazy, and he didn't feel like moving just yet.
Eloise took the pants with a dark face, throwing them hard under the seat, almost stomping on them. She said nothing as she put on her underwear and got dressed, not bothering to check if there were any remaining traces to wipe off.
Isidore furrowed his brow slightly. "What, you don't mind the mess now? I said I'd take you to clean up..." He reached out to grab her wrist, but Eloise dodged, pressing her hand on the car door switch. With a stiff expression, she said, "I'll handle it myself, Mr. Kingswell. I wish you a safe journey. See you again if fate allows."
She pressed down, and the car door popped open. Isidore hadn't locked it when he got in earlier.
Isidore could tell she was genuinely upset. Not wanting to argue with her at that moment, he gently grabbed her arm and, in a teasing tone, tried to ease the tension: "Getting angry now? If I had known, I wouldn't have kissed you." Eloise's cheek twitched, and she scoffed softly, muttering, "If I had known, I wouldn't have…"
"What?" Isidore didn't hear clearly, raising his voice in a questioning tone. Eloise, anger rising from within, turned her head to see that he was focused entirely on watching her expression. Taking the opportunity, she suddenly lifted her foot and kicked between his legs.
Even with iron will and unyielding strength, he couldn't withstand such a blow. Isidore bent over in pain, wincing from the impact. Eloise seized the chance to spring up, using both her hands and feet to strike his back in a chaotic manner, each hit forceful enough to leave a bloody mark. Then, she pushed the car door open and ran out.
Fearing he might chase after her, she even took his pants with her when she slammed the car door shut. After taking five steps, she turned back and shouted at him from a distance: "Had I known you were Mr. Kingswell, I should've taken us both down on that mountain road!"
Having said that, she ran off without looking back. The pant legs were too long, dragging on the ground, causing her to trip and fall heavily as she fled. Isidore watched through the gap in the front window, his gaze fixed on her petite figure as she scrambled to her feet and continued running. His teeth clenched tightly.
