<CHAPTER 09>
It was terrifying how she could say that with such a gentle smile. Or was hangover something you could actually get used to?
I asked in a hoarse voice.
“You’ve been staying here all the time lately, is it okay for the Artemis maid to be like that?”
“Yes! Rather, it seemed Lady Leuka was pleased that I could contribute to building the temple.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
“Also, recently you haven’t gone hunting and have been reading, so the maids’ work has decreased significantly.”
“The dog reads?”
Artemis reading. It was a combination of words that felt completely absurd.
“Yes. I think it was something like following Lady Athena, or so it seemed.”
No matter how many thousands of books it read, the dog couldn’t possibly follow Athena. It was like a sparrow trying to follow a stork and tearing itself apart.
“Freshly squeezed milk. Please drink.”
“Thanks…”
My voice was hoarse from shouting so much. As I drank the warm milk Callisto handed me, Achaste approached.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I did.”
“The others didn’t seem to sleep well, though.”
Thinking of the siblings curled up on the beds from sleeping outdoors, Achaste looked at me with a flat gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Did I make a mistake yesterday?”
I was already worried enough from my memory gap.
“No, it wasn’t a mistake, it was just like usual.”
“Like usual?”
That made me even more anxious.
“Hey, what’s going on! What is it!”
“That’s fine, but where is Lady Adis?”
“Huh? Why Adis?”
“You slept together yesterday.”
What kind of dangerous statement was that?
“There weren’t any tents left, so you two slept together. Wow, you don’t even remember that? How much liquor did you drink?”
“Yes… so, did you save that friend?”
“I don’t know.”
The chattering voice trailed off weakly.
“The opponent happened to be a gray wolf… they probably died.”
“You’re alive. If the wolf killed them, it wouldn’t have left you nearby, right?”
“Oh, then maybe they survived? That would really be a relief…!”
Solishar watched the night sky and sighed as the innocent voice brightened again. Every time he realized that woman was not the same one he knew, it was surprisingly irritating.
“I hope they weren’t badly hurt. The dog was only carrying a small sword.”
“I’m fine, so the dog must have been fine too.”
“Sol is an expert. The dog was just a child. A young child.”
The man stopped talking and continued his work silently.
That memory must be real. There’s no reason to fabricate memories when Melona didn’t exist.
The problem was that he had the same memory.
Don’t follow that voice!
At thirteen, exhausted from seizures starting just before leaving the capital, he heard that voice. During the seizure, the only sensation was excruciating pain that made him lose reason, so there was no way he could follow another’s words.
Yet he calmed down. An absurdly upright, pure voice that felt innocent.
“Don’t give up!”
The pain tore through his mind and body; bones and flesh ruptured, blood flowed everywhere. He lost himself, striking and breaking, wishing he could keep his eyes closed—but that would serve resurrection and stepmother, so he endured. When he regained consciousness, he was lying among the corpses of wild beasts in an unfamiliar wilderness, wounded.
Vermil tried every method, even sustaining major injuries to confront him. Solishar even bound himself deep in underground cells. But during seizures, he broke even chains, and would run outside the fortress uncontrollably if a seizure showed signs.
At that time, not knowing the cause, everything touching him—food, clothing, everything—was meticulously scrutinized. But clearly, the letters mixed with the northern prince’s entourage caused more frequent seizures.
So the seizures inevitably began. His ears couldn’t bear the painful sounds, his vision was red, and the world was filled only with pain. He had to endure until collapsing.
“I’ll help you!”
The soft voice suddenly emerged, easing the pain clawing at his skull.
In an instant, Sia cleared. His hand met his, warm. Like the lips that kissed his neck yesterday… oh. The hangover isn’t gone yet. Such irrational thoughts.
“Honestly, I liked the kiss too.”
“Huh?”
Startled by the unexpected words, Adis smiled gently.
“Now we’re lovers. Expressions of affection are allowed, aren’t they?”
“I suppose so.”
“I liked seeing this new side of Liri.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly opening his shirt, I didn’t expect him to be such a daring man.
“Aaah!”
This one really planned to shame me! I covered his mouth with my hand, panicking.
“Isn’t ignoring a lady’s embarrassing past the mark of a gentleman? Of course, I was at fault, but exposing it here is too much!”
The shock and unpreparedness made me rebut without breathing.
He pressed his lips to my palm and chuckled, the warmth making my hairs stand on end.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, laughing. Adis’ scattered smiles brought calm. Even the men stacking firewood, and the women deciding lunch, fell silent.
Someone murmured, “Crazy.”
I felt the same. Yes, that person’s beauty is insane.
It felt like peach blossoms scattered, like a ballad playing with cherry blossoms as background music.
“Leuka.”
Adis called me with a laugh.
“I guess I like funny women.”
This man, really.
Giving him a resentful glare, he buried his face in my shoulder and laughed uproariously. Feeling my trembling back, I spoke.
“Then I must like men who smile often.”
He laughed as if going mad with joy at my words.
Indeed, I seemed to prefer men who smiled beautifully. Despite the biting cold, my wounds already hurt far less.
Solishar gripped his sword with numb hands and stabbed the exhausted wolf’s neck in one swift motion. Had he missed, the wolf would have struggled, but he pressed the blade fully, and when it finally died, he lost consciousness.
When he came to, it was inside the fortress. Vermil wept, urging him never to go out alone. They searched where the wolf had been but found nothing. That was the first time he regained consciousness during a seizure.
And that was only the beginning?
“Are you really okay?”
Belona had stopped the seizure, but from eight years old? Even in the small mountain villages, the little one who roamed forests could suppress a seizure that top empire wizards couldn’t?
As Solishar aged from thirteen to twenty-six, the little one also grew up. Not very tall by his standards, but Belona became a proper adult, and the memory was completely lost. Convenient, isn’t it?
“You’ve asked that four times now.”
“Aren’t you hurt? Shouldn’t you rest? Isn’t it hard? If your heart is too troubled and exhausted, it’s okay to take a break.”
He looked at her, bewildered, as questions poured rapidly. Was she always this outspoken? Solishar looked at the woman barely reaching his chest, usually quiet, and smirked.
“She’s hiding more than a few things,” he thought.
“Let’s go.”
She glanced back nervously. The wasteland was eerily silent. The corpses would be devoured by prowling beasts and vultures. By the time trackers crossed the wasteland in days, traces would vanish. Solishar had already carried Belona onto the horse silently.
Even the place he planned to rest was ruined. Belona had many questions but remained silent. She now understood not to speak while riding.
Regaining consciousness, she found herself in another unfamiliar inn. Solishar woke her, and she looked around, surprised. The drink silently set her down. How did we get here?
Now she had skills even on horseback. She felt a bit proud. With food and water available, she quickly sought the bathroom, washed when she could, ate when possible, and slept when she could.
Every movement made her muscles ache, but nothing serious. After washing off the dust from the wasteland, she felt alive again. The drink brought a stew steaming in a large bowl and roasted dishes.
“Thank you.”
She didn’t forget to bow.
