Chapter 49
Even Green Kinzello, who liked to exploit other people’s labor, didn’t even let her hold a tool when she was training as a trainee at his hut.
―“If possible, my great-granddaughter, don’t bother with fiddling with things by hand. Just hit the enemy on the back of the head instead.”
―“Eh?”
―“Then instead of your tools, their skull will break! At least their durability will drop dramatically! Ha ha, ha ha ha!”
‘Hmm… but this isn’t really “official potion-making”…! I don’t need to be scared.’
For now, she had to at least save Theodore.
After all, he was the male protagonist of the original story she had possessed. If he were to die before the ending…
‘I can’t even imagine how that would affect my fate.’
Sighing deeply, Aibin carefully grabbed the root in her hand.
She brushed off the soil sticking to it and began slicing it thinly with a knife.
“This should be enough.”
Once a suitable amount was prepared, she put the root pieces into a beaker.
Plop, plop.
Swish.
As the slices touched the distilled water, the color began to change.
At first, it was a soft light green, then gradually darkened, eventually turning a deep green.
Aibin was briefly captivated by the beautiful sight.
“Oh! Of course, the master’s poison-making really is spot on! This Oborok can be trusted!”
Seeing the unusual color, Obok seemed overly excited, hopping and squeaking with delight.
“…Be quiet.”
Aibin added a bit of jet-black powder to the beaker and began heating the water.
Bubble, bubble.
When bubbles started rising, she stopped heating and waited for the water to cool.
Trickle, trickle.
She carefully filtered the water using a sieve and poured the strained liquid into a crystal bottle.
Aibin held the completed makeshift holy-water potion and looked at it with a proud smile.
“It’s done.”
Now, all that was left was to have Theodore drink it.
She looked down at him with a worried gaze. It seemed he had lost consciousness again while she was brewing the root water.
‘I hope it at least has some effect….’
Watching the tiny bubbles rising in the emerald liquid, Aibin squared her jaw and nodded slightly. She had to believe this root infusion would help Theodore recover.
Supporting Theodore’s neck, she said:
“Ugh…”
The warmth radiating from his neck made her palm feel like it was burning.
Trickle, trickle.
She carefully let the potion slip between Theodore’s slightly parted lips.
The man felt his consciousness slowly returning from her cool touch, as the liquid traveled down his throat.
―“Could you help this poor little bird, Ned?”
Gulp.
As he swallowed the liquid, a constriction in his throat released again and again, and the voice of the elder echoed in his ears.
―“The saint is helping to absolve your sins. You understand, don’t you?”
Sticky, mortar-like memories seemed to churn through every fold of his brain.
―“Think of me as your father…”
Elder.
Am I still a sinner?
―“You are the son I have raised in my heart, Ned.”
Rustle.
In front of his eyes, a white sheet revealed the body of the cold, lifeless little bird.
―“It’s a small, pitiful life that has fallen to the ground, pushed out of the nest by cruel siblings. For the sake of you and your parents’ souls, dedicate your life and will to the divine to receive absolution. Until then, there will be no salvation in your life. But, child, do not weep; rejoice. The saint herself is present before you, praying to the god of light for your fallen soul. The miracle that can turn your ability from a curse to something special is only possible through her grace. So love, child. Love the saint, and praise the light. Dedicate your soul to hers.”
“Ugh… cough…! cough!”
As the man began retching violently, seemingly about to vomit, Aibin hurriedly pulled his head toward her chest and placed the potion bottle beside them.
“Obok! Water!”
“There’s no water for that guy.”
“Macaron!”
“Ugh…”
She poured plain water into his mouth, and his tightly shut eyelids slowly lifted.
With eyes like someone waking from a light sleep, the man stared at Aibin for a long moment.
His usually neat black hair was matted with sweat and heat, falling across his forehead.
“Sir Leitner, are you feeling a bit better?”
It was then.
A single tear slid down his rough cheek.
“….”
Aibin, stunned by the unfamiliar sight, quietly looked down at him.
He was crying.
Not just anyone, but a man who seemed tougher than steel.
Like a child.
Thump.
Her heart sank to the floor at the sight.
As Aibin reached to wipe the tear from his eye, he parted his lips as if trying to speak and stretched his hand toward her face.
“….”
“Eh? What…?”
Just then, the man wrapped his hands around her neck and drew her even closer.
“…Don’t go.”
The desperate look in his eyes, the kind she had never seen before, mirrored his hair color.
He clung to her.
As if gripping something he shouldn’t let go of.
The heat of his breath brushed the fine hairs around her mouth.
His large hand gently stroked her cheek, then slowly moved closer to her lips.
His hand, pressing down on her plump, red lips like a flower petal, gradually moved lower, now holding her chin.
The heat from his body radiated through her like iron gloves.
“Wh-what…?”
“…I’m here.”
“…Huh?”
Don’t go.
Please don’t leave me alone.
I’m wrapped in white paper.
With broken wings, lying on the ground.
―“Could you help this poor little bird, Ned?”
Theodore guided her lips slightly closer to his, almost touching hers.
As the slight bitterness of the herb and damp moisture from the potion merged with her lips, suddenly—
Bang!
“Kyah!”
Aibin’s vision flashed, and her body tipped to the side.
“Ugh… my head…”
Rubbing her throbbing temple, she turned to see Obok floating in the air, puffing indignantly.
“Has the master gone completely mad?”
“What on earth… ugh! ugh!”
Bam, bam!
Obok flew next to her and began mercilessly thwacking her back with his soft, fluffy paws.
Known as “Obok’s Pink Jelly Mill Fist.”
“Even if Oborok’s eyes turn white, I will never let him touch our master’s lips! Master’s gone mad! Completely mad!”
The fully white-eyed Obok looked like a mother catching her reckless daughter in the middle of a midnight escape.
“Ah! Stop hitting me! Ah!”
“Or else I’ll throw you in the storage for scrubbing your head raw!”
“No, what did I even do…!”
While Aibin struggled with Obok, Theodore suddenly sat up.
“….”
“….”
A few seconds after their eyes met, his gaze returned to normal.
The first thing he said was:
“What’s this strange white clump next to you?”
White clump.
It seemed he meant Obok, who was holding a handful of Aibin’s hair.
“Who’s crazy… trying to… huh?”
Obok, who was frowning at Theodore, suddenly seemed to realize something and covered his mouth with his paw, eyes wide in surprise.
“Ah! I forgot!”
It seemed his passive invisibility skill had temporarily deactivated.
Buzz.
Obok quickly reactivated his skill.
Of course, before his whole body became invisible, he still made a small paw gesture toward the thief who tried to steal his master’s lips.
“You sneaky little thing…! Trying to take our master’s… lips again…”
Slide.
Obok became completely transparent.
Aibin silently sighed with relief that his last words toward Theodore hadn’t been heard.
“What just happened?”
Theodore immediately turned his gaze toward Aibin.
His eyes were so dark and profound that it was impossible to gauge their depth.
Seeing her face flush scarlet as she remembered what had just happened, he asked:
“Wh-what exactly…?”
Aibin asked back with a vague, slightly mischievous smile.
She felt guilty for no reason, just because of Obok’s chaos…
Wait, why did I just get beaten by Obok?
“….”
Theodore’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at her.
He usually called Aibin a “little demon,” but now, the expression didn’t seem to fit her at all.
