Chapter 40: Making Monica Feel A Sensation [2]

"Yes, I did," Monica answered in a quiet voice.

Elias stared at her for several seconds, his expression becoming increasingly thoughtful as he tried to understand what had just happened.

He had expected Masterful Hands to perhaps reduce her constant aching, loosen the stiffness in her body, or simply make it easier for him to handle her without causing discomfort. He had never imagined that the skill would allow Monica, who had spent the last three years unable to feel physical contact properly, to experience an actual sensation again.

It was far more marvelous than he had expected.

Elias placed the rubbing cloth aside before looking back at Monica and mumbled, "If you can feel it... then perhaps I should try something else."

He slowly raised his hand and began rubbing her skin with his fingers instead.

The moment his palm touched her shoulder, Monica’s eyes trembled.

The faint tingling sensation returned, but this time it was clearer than before, spreading from the point of contact and traveling through her body in a strange yet pleasant wave.

"W-Wait!" Monica mumbled with wide eyes.

Elias immediately stopped.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No," she said quickly before looking directly at him. Her brows remained furrowed as she tried to understand what was happening.

"How are you doing that?"

A wry smile appeared on Elias’s face, and he said, "I don’t know, I just can."

Monica frowned.

That answer was completely unsatisfying, but Elias genuinely didn’t know how else to explain it. Masterful Hands was an S-grade skill from the system, and he had only recently discovered that its effects extended beyond swordsmanship.

He looked at her carefully before asking, "Do you want me to stop?"

"Obviously not!" Monica blurted out, her face turning red the next moment.

Her answer came so quickly that Elias couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.

Monica’s face remained red, but she stubbornly maintained eye contact as she said, "Touch me."

Elias furrowed his brows.

’There are definitely better ways to phrase that.’

Still, he didn’t comment on it and simply placed his hand against her shoulder again.

His fingers moved slowly across her skin, and as he continued, he naturally adjusted the pressure of every movement. Masterful Hands guided his fingers almost instinctively, allowing him to make subtle changes without consciously thinking about them.

It was almost like the skill was teaching his hands how to understand the body beneath them.

Monica’s shoulders gradually relaxed.

The faint tingling became stronger, and she could finally distinguish the sensation of his fingers moving across her skin instead of feeling only the dull ache caused by the Shadow Ghost Poison.

Her lips parted slightly as a quiet breath escaped her.

"Haa..."

Elias glanced at her.

Monica immediately pressed her lips together, but Elias continued without saying anything.

His hand moved along her shoulder and upper arm, then slowly returned toward her neck before gently rubbing the muscles there.

Monica’s eyes gradually closed.

Another faint sound escaped her lips.

"Mmh..."

Elias’s expression became slightly amused.

"Are you liking it that much?" he asked.

Monica opened her eyes and looked at him.

A bright smile appeared on her face, completely different from the embarrassment she had displayed moments earlier.

"Yes, I love it."

Elias chuckled softly.

"Then I suppose I can continue."

"Please do," Monica said, a faint blush on her face.

Elias continued massaging her carefully, allowing his hands to move over her shoulders, arms, and back while avoiding any movement that might make her uncomfortable. Every time his fingers passed over a certain area, Monica seemed to experience another unfamiliar sensation, and her expression gradually became more relaxed.

For the first time in years, she wasn’t merely enduring the constant pain inside her body.

She could actually feel something else.

The difference was difficult for Elias to fully understand because he had never experienced the world without touch, but seeing the happiness on Monica’s face was enough for him to understand how important it was to her.

He continued for several minutes before eventually finishing her bath.

After making sure she was properly cleaned, Elias carefully lifted her from the water.

He made her sit on his lap as he dried her with a towel.

She could still feel his hands on her, but for some reason she didn’t dislike it. Maybe because Elias was just so caring about it.

Even now, he was looking to not make her uncomfortable.

’Hoho. I may have hit a jackpot by that marriage,’ she thought.

He finished drying her, and then he put on her shorts and bra, picked up a newer silk blanket and draped it over her before lifting her in his arms.

Monica’s head rested against his chest while looking up at him.

"We can take more time, you know..." she said somberly.

Elias looked down at her.

"What do you mean?"

"You do not have to rush," Monica explained, her expression carrying a faint frown.

"You can continue doing that for a little longer."

Elias glanced toward the bath before looking back at her.

"We are already done bathing."

"That does not mean you have to stop."

He considered her words for a moment before an idea entered his mind.

"What about I massage you in your room instead?" he suggested.

Monica blinked.

"You know how?"

Elias shook his head.

"No, I don’t."

Monica stared at him with a completely deadpan expression.

"Then how?"

Elias smiled awkwardly.

"I will figure something out."

Monica continued staring at him for several seconds, seemingly wondering whether she should trust those words. However, she didn’t argue.

Elias adjusted his grip around her before making sure the black blanket was wrapped securely around her body.

Monica could still feel the lingering sensation left behind by his hands, and even though the Shadow Ghost Poison continued to ache within her body, the unfamiliar warmth had given her something she hadn’t experienced in years.

She quietly glanced at Elias.

Her husband didn’t seem to realize how significant what he had done was.

Instead, he simply carried her toward her room while thinking about how he would somehow learn to massage properly.