265 – FAY 265 (Complete)

A tower to protect the peace of the home? Could Aska have been building those stone towers here and there with that in mind?

Aska first started building those towers after the Greenhouse was built… Come to think of it, he ate and slept there, making it like a home. He always nagged me about not coming home when I was late. I was clearly sleeping just fine in my room.

The thought of him digging in the dirt and packing the ground with those small hands, carefully selecting pretty stones to stack, made my heart ache.

I wasn’t sure if using the word “ache” was right here, but my heart hurt so much that I couldn’t explain it any other way.

“I’ll be going then. Are you leaving tomorrow, by any chance?”

“I don’t know. It depends on what Aska wants to do.”

As I mumbled, Ran asked, sounding puzzled.

“What’s your relationship with him?”

“We’re married.”

“Huh… Really?”

Ran asked, more surprised than necessary.

“Why?”

“Actually, my younger sister told me to check you out because she thinks you’re cool. I’m totally screwed. Anyway, I understand. Goodbye.”

Ran is young, so his younger sister must be practically a baby. I watched Ran’s retreating back, feeling dumbfounded, when Aska approached.

“Did you pay?”

“Yeah, but they kept being suspicious, so I think it’s better to leave quickly. Are we going to see the lake? It’s supposed to be close by.”

“Let’s go.”

I took Aska’s hand and leisurely walked along the path. It really was close by, as they said. We hadn’t walked much before we saw a small lake.

“A dragon lived here, but it’s this small?”

“It seems like it used to be much bigger. Maybe it shrank over time.”

I didn’t know about such things, but Aska seemed to have remembered much more than I did. We sat down roughly on a large rock nearby and admired the calm lake.

“What’s the difference between finding memories using the needle and what’s coming to mind now?”

“I don’t know either. They said that if you regain your memories, you’ll know all the secrets of the world, so isn’t that the difference? Well, there must be some key content.”

Neither Aska nor I knew anything. We could only make predictions based on the events so far.

The sky had already turned dark, but it wasn’t dark thanks to the bright, round moon. I stared at the moon reflected in the lake and said,

“You told me to tell you in advance if I wanted to die.”

Aska, who was arranging the long hem of the robe he was wearing and covering my knees with it, was startled.

“Do you want to die?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that question. The lake was beautiful, but Aska was the best of all. I took in every detail of the most beautiful face in the world.

“Are you going to die tomorrow?”

“I’m not going to die.”

“Then why did you suddenly bring that up?”

I shrugged.

“I just suddenly thought of it. I feel the same way as you.”

As Aska had said, regaining his memories was practically the same as dying. There was no guarantee that his ego would be maintained, so we couldn’t recklessly search for his memories.

“Even if this pretty shell stays the same, you might not be you if you find your memories. So you made a good choice. What does it matter if the world is destroyed? You might die.”

I reached out and grabbed Aska’s cheeks, pressing them hard. He had an excessively cute face, but Aska was still serious.

“I didn’t really think much about it at first…”

His speech was slurred because his cheeks were pressed.

“But when I thought about it, it’s the world you live in.”

“Me?”

“It’s your choice if you want to die, but dying because the world is destroyed is just an accident.”

It didn’t seem like a problem to worry about, but I wondered why he was so gloomy, and it turned out he was thinking about this. It was a truly unexpected reason.

“But wouldn’t that be better? It’s better to die together in an accident than to die alone.”

“…Is that so? Still, since I don’t know when that accident will happen…”

Aska’s expression quickly became bewildered at my words. I clicked my tongue and kissed his protruding lips.

“When you were building stone towers in the Greenhouse and wishing for peace in the home, you didn’t know, did you? That cracks would appear in the sky, Magical creatures would pop out, and you and I would get hurt, and we wouldn’t be able to see each other for so long.”

Aska, who was looking at me with wide, startled eyes, awkwardly avoided my gaze.

“How did you know?”

“I heard it. Was that a custom here?”

“Not really, I just overheard it when I was in the slums. They say that if you build such things, married life will be smooth and the family will be peaceful.”

It was cute, but more than that, I felt bitter. At that time, I thought of Aska as a pet. But Aska was building towers with those small hands and wishing for such things alone.

He should have told me. Then I would have reluctantly stacked stones together and wished for something, too.

“When I think about it, it seems like that’s how it is. Everyone wants their life to be happy and peaceful, but you never know what will happen in the world. You could suddenly die in an accident or become unhappy out of the blue.”

His cool cheeks gradually warmed with the warmth of my hands.

“Who knows when they’re going to die? Everyone knows they’re going to die someday, but they just live hard anyway. Just like you were building stone towers for an uncertain future.”

I suddenly found it funny. I never thought the day would come when I, of all people, would be telling such a hopeful story.

That’s because I had never placed much importance on life and death.

Of course, it wasn’t like that from the beginning, and there was a reason. So many reasons, so tiresome and terrible. In the storm of tedious, miserable days, I fought a very long battle.

There’s no great meaning in living. I have no regrets even if I die today. I don’t know the difference between dying and living. I should die.

After such a long and arduous struggle, I finally made that decision. It was a thought made possible by excessive sadness, immense pain, and the repetition of verbose tragedies.

But why was the decision to live with Aska so quick?

Just because I wanted to wake up together in the morning sunlight. Because I wanted to hold hands and walk together on a night with a full moon. Because I had to talk while eating delicious food and discuss what to do tomorrow. Because we had to climb to the top of the mountain together and reach out to the high sky. Because we had to watch the sunlight breaking over the vast sea.

There was no logic and no particularly important reason, just extremely trivial reasons.

It took so long to decide to die.

Aska made me live in an instant.

“What’s the point of me living if the world is intact but you’re not here?”

The words Aska once said to me applied equally to me. What I needed to live was Aska. Aska is what gives meaning to trivial days.

“Like Ophelia did, the people around us will leave one by one someday. Maybe we’ll die first. We can’t predict anything.”

Aska reached out and hugged me, looking anxious. I leaned comfortably against his warm embrace, resting my face on his shoulder.

“So that’s what living is like.”

“…”

“In such an uncertain daily life, we somehow live while praying to the sky. Please help my wife be happy today.”

As Aska smiled and took my hand as I put my hands together and prayed. Then he rubbed his fingertips against his lips and muttered.

“Why are you saying that to the sky? You should say it to me.”

If I just made up my mind, could I make Aska happy? It was a bit funny, but when I thought about it, it was the same for Aska.

“Anyway, the most important thing is that we’re together, whether it’s a certain daily life or an uncertain one. Not only on good days, but also on bad days.”

“I want to be with you on bad days too. Even in your sad, unhappy, depressed, lazy, and maybe even immoral moments.”

Aska’s urgent words made my heart ache again. I couldn’t tell if I wanted to cry or laugh.

“Putting aside the other things, what’s with the lazy and immoral part?”

Still, it seemed better than crying, so I asked with a smile, and Aska smiled along.

“I mean I want to be with you on all the days that aren’t beautiful.”

Words thrown lightly as if joking turned into gold and made me live again.

“When I’m worrying alone, I can’t figure it out no matter how much I think, but why does it get resolved so quickly when I just talk to you?”

Aska muttered, sounding amazed.

But in fact, nothing had been resolved. That’s because we were still in an uncertain world, not knowing when we would die or when unhappiness would strike.

It was closer to not caring whether we died or became unhappy. Because in the end, we would be standing together in the same place, looking in the same direction, on any day.

“Shall we go see the purple sea on the way back? Let’s go to a bigger city and ask if there’s anything to see around there.”

Aska, who was quickly in a good mood, chattered excitedly like a baby bird.

“And go to a hot spring.”

“Ah, that’s right. Hot spring. We have to go to a hot spring. I’m going to buy gifts too. You stole all of Mahir’s accessories, so let’s buy something nice if we see it on the way. And something for Nasser too.”

Nasser and I got up from the rock and brushed the dust off our clothes. Come to think of it, Nasser must be quite big by now. Maybe Nasser has a younger sibling.

“What about my gift?”

I was thinking about that when I suddenly became curious and asked.

“You’re buying gifts for everyone else, but why aren’t you buying one for me?”

Aska closed his mouth, looking flustered. Then he asked with a dazed expression.

“What do you want?”

I took Aska’s hand and walked along the dark forest path, thinking hard.

“First, let’s buy a house. We can’t keep staying in inns.”

“Here?”

“Yeah, it would be nice to have one in each place we visit. We might come back later.”

“…Each place we visit?”

No matter how much we travel around, we still need a house. Aska likes fruit, so we should plant a lot of fruit trees. And we need a few horses to travel around.

“I, I made a lot of money when I was in the guild.”

At that time, Aska suddenly started stuttering. I looked at him with a puzzled expression, and he stammered with an awkward face.

“I also know a few abandoned mines, and if you sell what you find in the Ruins, you can probably get a high price for it?”

“Oh, you’re totally rich.”

“I also saw a cargo ship that sank in the sea while I was looking for you before. There were a lot of antiques on it too…”

I clapped my hands from the side as he counted on his fingers.

It seemed that finding the mines, Ruins, and antiques from the sunken ship that Aska mentioned would be the purpose of our next trip. If we changed our minds, we could go somewhere else.

“We don’t have to worry about money anymore.”

“Trust me.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I looked at the confident Aska. I don’t know what tomorrow will be like, but I was so happy today. Of course, if Aska is by my side, I’ll be happy tomorrow too.

Or not.

1 – Side Story 1

The winter in Leiberry was harsh.

Even with corpses frozen to death scattered like trash throughout the streets, no one cared. The barren mountains, devoid of firewood, had long been emptied of weeds and animals, and the best one could do was barely survive by stripping the bark from the remaining trees and eating it.

The situation just a few steps outside the alley was slightly better, but that didn’t change the fact that Leiberry was a slum.

“I was told you hated coming here so much that I expected it to be much more horrific, but it’s not that bad.”

“……”

At Kyle’s words, I once again scanned the scenery of Leiberry. Surely, Leiberry in my last memory was much more miserable than this, but it certainly looked like a place where people could live now.

Just the fact that there were no corpses on the streets…

I hesitated, feeling strangely uneasy, and before I could stop him, Kyle took off the hood he was wearing.

“Where was your house?”

Kyle’s gray-blue eyes sparkled unusually, as if he was very excited. Normally, I would have reached out to touch his pretty face, but I wasn’t in the mood right now.

I told him not to take it off just anywhere, so why is he taking it off so easily?

Despite the fact that his appearance was very different from usual due to the long voyage across the sea, a halo shone behind Kyle’s head. Even with his disheveled hair and shabby clothes, he never looked like an ordinary person.

As soon as he took off his hood, gazes poured in as if they had been waiting for it. Passersby hurrying along, merchants at stalls, people picking vegetables, etc… Everyone’s jaws dropped as if they were watching jewels fall from the sky like rain.

It wasn’t just a matter of being pretty or handsome, but there was an indescribable atmosphere. From the look in his eyes, his actions, and every gesture, even the air around him shouted that this man was no ordinary person.

“We can’t just go back after coming all the way here.”

I don’t know if he doesn’t feel the blatant gazes, or if he doesn’t care even though he knows. He’s not interested in his surroundings, so it’s probably the latter. Maybe he’s used to the attention.

“Where is it? Is it that way?”

Kyle moved his legs, turning his head this way and that. It looked like he was just guessing, but surprisingly, he was right. He’s always had an uncanny knack for everything, but at this point, I wondered if I could simply dismiss it as having a good sense.

The streets were quite crowded, but as Kyle moved, a path opened as if by magic. As if dealing with a patient with an infectious disease, no one tried to enter within a certain radius of Kyle. Kyle didn’t seem to feel anything strange about the crowd parting like water flowing around a huge rock.

Perhaps because I wasn’t moving, Kyle, who was walking ahead, turned his head and looked at me. Then he held out his hand.

“Why aren’t you coming? Don’t you want to go?”

“……No, it’s not that I don’t want to.”

“Why have you been sulking since earlier? Are you pouting because I kept insisting on coming even though you didn’t want to?”

Kyle, unable to wait even for a moment, eventually came to me and took my hand first. He intertwined his fingers with mine, pulling me in with a force that was strong enough to prevent me from escaping, but not painful.

“Is it because you don’t have good memories?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then?”

I muttered as I slowly moved my feet.

“Anyway, the house I lived in is all gone. It’s a bit much to even call it a house in the first place…”

“Gone? Then let’s go near there. Maybe something will still be left.”

Why does he want to see it so badly? And how does he know the way so accurately? Did he come here secretly without me knowing? I had a feeling that Kyle might have investigated it a long time ago.

We arrived near Crow’s Well, which was still there as it was when I lived here. Suddenly, a little boy with a pitch-black dirty face started running towards Kyle at full speed.

To be exact, it was closer to running along the open path to escape rather than running towards Kyle. I reached out my gloved hand to prevent the boy from touching Kyle before he collided with him.

“Get out of the way!”

The expression on the face of the child, who didn’t even look 10 years old, was ferocious. His cheeks, stained with dirt and grime, were swollen reddish, as if he had been beaten somewhere.

“Let go of me, you bastard…!”

Before he could even finish his sentence, Kyle put his hands under the child’s armpits and lifted him up. The child’s face, suddenly lifted off the ground, was filled with bewilderment and fear.

“Why are you running around like this?”

“Wh-What? Put me, put me down…!”

“Stay still. Why is your cheek like that? Who hit you?”

The child struggled and kicked, then paused at Kyle’s question. The ferocious energy on his face just a moment ago was quickly replaced by a fragile one.

“Th-They asked for money…”

“What money?”

“But who are you?”

“Just someone passing by?”

“Are you a noble?”

Judging from the situation, it felt like he was going to get involved. Kyle was generally uninterested in his surroundings, but he didn’t easily ignore the sight of the weak suffering.

That doesn’t mean he helps them kindly. It’s closer to smashing the cause, so it’s unique that even the person who received help usually doesn’t know.

But this time, he seemed to have a different idea, as Kyle bought a bread filled with meat torn and mixed with seasoning and handed it to the child. I didn’t know why he was doing this suddenly, but I had been feeling uneasy since earlier.

“Looking at it, there are two shelters nearby and volunteer groups, so why are you running around and swearing like that? There are quite a few nobles mixed in among the people who come to the volunteer groups.”

“That’s… I’m… Maybe volunteering…”

The child mumbled, gobbling down the bread. Of course, I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. I had no idea what he was saying, but Kyle managed to understand it.

“I’m not here to volunteer.”

“Then?”

The child, who had eaten about half of the meat-filled bread, finally swallowed what was in his mouth and raised his head.

“I’m just someone passing by, you know? Like an adventurer.”

“Are you an adventuring noble?”

Kyle’s expression became subtle at the innocent question.

“Why did you swear so much earlier? What if the person you bumped into wasn’t me but another noble?”

“What noble would be standing still in the middle of the road? Especially wearing such shabby clothes. The really nasty bastards don’t dress so shabbily.”

It was a pretty smart remark, but Kyle’s expression wasn’t very good. He had been smiling all along, but his eyes were actually strange. That’s why I had been feeling uneasy since earlier.

When faced with a problem or incident, Kyle tended to consider whether to eliminate the cause first. In other words, he carefully thought about whether to kill or not, and the expression he had now was exactly that expression.

“And here, it’s important to take the initiative. Of course, you might die doing that, but you’re going to die anyway if you’re looked down on.”

“So you’re picking fights with nobles too? Only picking on people who don’t seem like they’ll punish you?”

“N-No, it’s not that…”

The child hesitated and mumbled.

“Actually, I didn’t know he was a noble at first… When I saw his face, I thought he might be a noble… But his tone wasn’t like one… I don’t really know. If I had known he was a noble, I would have avoided him from afar.”

“Why is your cheek like that? Did you get hit by a noble too?”

“Huh? Ah, this…”

“You carried charcoal but didn’t get paid?”

“Huh? Ah, yes… Yes? Yes? H-How did you know?”

The child’s surprised eyes widened like saucers. I was just as surprised. Had he really been here before?

“Because there’s a lot of charcoal dust on your clothes. Why aren’t you eating the rest?”

“I’m saving this for my younger sibling…”

“I’ll buy you another one, so you eat all of that.”

“Really?”

The child happily started gobbling it down again. Meanwhile, Kyle silently stared at him without saying a word. His expression was still not good.

I tilted my head and searched my memory. Had I ever told him about Leiberry? I think I only told him that I wrapped bandages, smeared mud, and lived in the slums.

2 – Side Story 2

My memory has been strangely poor since returning from the Primeval Forest. Or, to be precise, it was closer to being normal. Before, I would recall memories that weren’t mine, and once I became aware of a memory, I would never forget it again. But now, I occasionally forget things that are old or unimportant, just like a normal person.

I don’t know if it’s simply because of my decision not to inherit memories.

“Thank you!”

The child, who had finished his bread and even packed some for his sibling, waved with a bright smile. I watched his small back fade into the distance before asking Kyle,

“Have you been here before?”

“No?”

“But how do you know it so well?”

“I just know when I see it.”

The same goes for the shelters and volunteer organizations… I thought he was just looking around and walking without much thought, but that wasn’t the case.

We naturally held hands again and walked along the path. Kyle, who had been unusually quiet, stopped walking. Then, he looked at me and said something out of the blue.

“I want to eat that bread too. Go buy two, one for you and one for me.”

“…What? By myself?”

“I’ll wait here.”

It was a truly bizarre and incomprehensible request. He was clearly up to something, filled with hidden intentions.

“You can just come with me.”

When I frowned, Kyle tapped his right leg and whined.

“My leg hurts.”

“Then I’ll give you a piggyback ride.”

“With so many people around? I’m too embarrassed.”

“…”

Kyle’s cheeks flushed red as he said something ridiculous. He was utterly shameless. Nevertheless, it was a rare expression to see, and my fingertips tingled.

I suspected his intentions, but I couldn’t refuse such a request. Even if Kyle caused some trouble or acted violently, I could just pick him up and run away if things went south, so it didn’t matter much.

“Are you only going to eat one?”

“Yeah, just one for me. You eat one too. Let’s eat this as a snack and go to a proper restaurant later.”

“Okay.”

I was about to turn back when I paused. Thinking about it, it was something I’d only seen in books, so I asked, just in case.

“You’re not going to abandon me, are you?”

In books, parents usually say that before abandoning their children on the street. The thought suddenly occurred to me, and Kyle frowned deeply.

“Don’t even joke about that.”

“The situation is a bit like that.”

“Just hurry back.”

Reluctantly, I had to move my reluctant feet. Judging from the child’s conversation earlier, he was clearly planning to cause a ruckus at the charcoal shop by himself. Kyle tried hard not to show me his violent side, so he always tried to keep me away in situations like this.

I really couldn’t understand it. But if I had to understand… wasn’t it similar to how I didn’t want to show Kyle my wounded body?

Since I was so stubborn, I decided to indulge Kyle’s stubbornness as well.

I ordered as slowly as possible so that Kyle would have plenty of time to cause a scene. And after what felt like an eternity, I arrived at the place where Kyle was supposed to be waiting. As expected, Kyle was gone, and I heard a crashing sound from the slightly distant direction of the charcoal shop.

I sighed and walked towards the sound. Just then, Kyle was roundhouse kicking someone with his supposedly aching right leg.

“Why, why are you doing this! Aagh!”

“Do you know who I am?”

“N-No, aagh!”

“How dare you get dirt on my clothes? Do you want to die? You greedy toad.”

Judging by the situation, he wasn’t going to kill him, just beat him up a bit. The charcoal shop owner’s heavy body floated in the air as if it were a lie, then crashed into a corner.

“…”

What was his name again? It’s been so long, but he’s still ripping off kids like that… I remembered carrying charcoal as a child and not getting paid.

“Agh! Agh! Agh!”

Kyle kicked the charcoal shop owner several times. He kicked his legs, his face, his arms… It was also strange that he only used his feet and not his hands at all.

But is this really something to get so angry about? Of course, I felt sorry for the nameless child from earlier, but I wasn’t sure if it was something Kyle needed to get involved in.

He’s always been a bit soft on kids… But then again, thinking about it, it was because of Kyle’s personality that I was able to survive in Actan as a child.

Whether it was because I thought Kyle was no ordinary person, or because the charcoal shop owner’s reputation wasn’t very good, no one stepped forward even after a long time.

Kyle, who had been stomping and kicking the man for a while, finally seemed to have vented his anger and left the shop with a refreshed expression. Then, he looked up at the blue sky and took a deep breath.

“Ha, that was refreshing…”

He looked as if he had gotten rid of a thousand years of indigestion. Then, Kyle spotted me, waved, and ran towards me. It was a completely innocent smile that didn’t match the image of him half-killing someone just moments ago.

“When did you get here?”

“Just now.”

I handed Kyle the bread, carefully checking for bloodstains. He must have been careful while beating him up, because his clothes weren’t particularly dirty. He must have beaten up countless people before…

“Which way was your house?”

“That way. But can we just leave that guy like that?”

Shouldn’t we at least tell him not to rip off kids anymore? But Kyle didn’t seem interested anymore and took the bread without replying.

Kyle, who wasn’t used to eating while walking, spilled more than he ate. I roughly caught what was falling with my hands and wiped off anything that got on him, asking,

“Is it good?”

“It’s alright. But why don’t you have one? I told you to buy two.”

Only then did Kyle realize and frown.

“What does it taste like?”

“Just meat. The seasoning is a bit sweet and salty… Try it.”

And so, we shared a bite each and walked along the road. Kyle only ate a few bites, so I ate most of it.

And then we arrived at the place where I lived as a child, the outermost part of the slums. All the shacks were gone, and only a few warehouse-like buildings remained.

“You lived here?”

“Yeah, the terrain seems a bit different. The road is flatter too.”

“Where did you get the mud?”

He really asks about everything.

“There was water nearby. Not a stream, just… There were no roads back then, so the ground would get muddy when it rained. I just smeared that on, I guess.”

“Where did the grandfather you mentioned before live?”

“Grandfather?”

“The grandfather who raised chickens, something like ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’.”

What suddenly… I tilted my head and then widened my eyes.

“You still remember that?”

“Didn’t you say it was close to your house?”

“That’s right. It was probably around here?”

I roughly estimated the distance with my steps. Kyle continued to ask me about various things. He seemed to have remembered every word I had said in passing as a child.

We lingered near the warehouse for quite some time, and finally, Kyle, satisfied, returned the way we came.

“Let’s go now. Do you want to stay longer?”

I tilted my head at his question.

“You wanted to come so badly, and now you’re leaving already?”

“Well, there’s nothing to see… The house you used to live in is gone now.”

Did he really just want to see it once?

“And I’m afraid someone will come to catch me for beating up that bastard earlier. Let’s run away quickly.”

“Who’s going to catch you?”

“The guards or something.”

It was funny how he was pretending to be scared when he wasn’t scared at all.

“If you were so scared, why did you beat him up so badly? You didn’t even warn him not to rip off kids anymore. He’ll probably exploit young children again in a few days.”

“Who cares? The person developing this area will take care of that.”

That was a cold thing to say, considering he even bought bread for the child earlier and asked about the situation.

“He’s lived like that his whole life. Do you think he’ll listen to me if I beat him up a few times and warn him? You have to monitor people like that for the rest of their lives, or kill them to end it. Looking at his face, he seems too rotten to be reformed.”

That meant he wasn’t going to kill him. He was probably just going to stop caring about it altogether.

I hesitated for a moment and then said,

“I used to work at that charcoal shop when I was a kid too.”

3 – Side Story 3

Kyle turned to look at me at my sudden words. Then, he abruptly pulled off the hood I was wearing. My stuffy vision cleared, and cool air touched my skin.

Kyle stared at my eyes for a moment before asking,

“Shall I kill him?”

It was truly an unexpected thing to say. I was so dumbfounded that I was speechless.

“Out of the blue?”

“It wouldn’t be difficult.”

“No, why kill him?”

“He treated you badly, didn’t he? Without even giving you money. I guess it’s better to just kill him.”

Warm palms cupped my cheeks. At the gentle touch, my eyes closed without me realizing it. I rubbed my cheek against his palm for a moment, then mumbled,

“Let’s just go.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t tell you to kill him for me. I just remembered something from the past…”

I couldn’t let Kyle get blood on his hands because of someone like that. If I really wanted to kill him, I would have done it a long time ago. It’s all in the past anyway, and now the memories are faint. Because Kyle got angry for me, even the slight resentment that remained scattered like smoke.

“Then, instead of killing him, should I go back and break a few bones? You look so sad that my stomach suddenly aches.”

“I wasn’t sad?”

“Then what kind of expression is that?”

Watching Kyle frown, I burst out laughing. Since Kyle had taken off my hood, it meant there was no one around anyway. I lowered my head and rubbed my cheek against Kyle’s cheek, then buried my face in his warm neck. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs, and hugged Kyle’s body.

As if he had been waiting, Kyle hugged me back and muttered lewdly,

“Was it a horny expression?”

“……”

At the vulgar tone, I slowly raised my head. Seeing my distorted expression, Kyle smiled innocently. Then, he grabbed both my cheeks and gave me a series of short kisses on the lips.

Each time his soft, tender lips touched mine, I felt like someone was hitting my heart with a sledgehammer.

“Why is Aska so cute? It must be like some absolutely unchanging rule of the world that Ophelia talked about. Aska is always and everywhere unconditionally cute and pretty. Like this.”

“……”

It was a strange way of speaking, as if he was just reciting his inner thoughts. Unlike me, who was disgusted, Kyle had a serious expression…

That’s when it happened. I couldn’t help but turn my head at the faint sound coming from afar. Soon, I saw an eagle rapidly crossing the sky.

—Piiiii.

“Isn’t that Pipi?”

Kyle quickly recognized the eagle’s identity as well. Pipi circled above us, then quickly descended and landed on my head.

—Came! Came! Came!

“Ugh, noisy. Get down.”

Kyle shuddered and reached out his hand to Pipi. As if he had been waiting, Pipi instantly shrunk in size and sat on Kyle’s palm.

—I was good! And I didn’t eat anyone. Chichi couldn’t resist and tried to eat someone, but Popo and I stopped him. And Sakira gave me cake, so I was so happy. But she said if I eat too much, my teeth will rot. She said I’m a Magical creature, but Abyss kept treating me like a bird, which was funny. How can a Magical creature’s teeth rot? But it didn’t feel that bad.

At the rambling words, Kyle said with a grimace.

“You’re still talkative. Anyway, you’re saying you’ve been doing well?”

—Yes. I’ve been doing really well. I was so happy. And suddenly I couldn’t feel Aska’s energy, so I was a little sad, but Sakira gave me cake, so I felt better again. Chichi, Popo, and I kept looking for you.

When we were in the Primeval Forest, Pipi didn’t seem to know where I was at all. As Kyle gently scratched the top of his head with his fingertips, Pipi’s expression gradually melted.

“You’ve been with Sakira the whole time? Chichi and Popo too?”

—Piiing… Piiing. Piiruk…

A sound that was neither an answer nor a groan flowed from Pipi’s beak. I understood how Pipi felt because my muscles relaxed and I felt dazed when Kyle touched me, too. But I didn’t feel good about watching it for so long, so I just moved Pipi to my hand.

“You’ve been with Sakira the whole time?”

—Yes. And Sakira found out what Chichi was saying.

“So?”

—Popo tried to erase her memory, but I stopped him because I thought we’d get in trouble.

At those words, Kyle stroked Pipi’s small crown again as if he had done a good job.

—Piiruk piiruk.

“Let’s go now too.”

“……”

Is what we were doing earlier over like this? We couldn’t continue with Pipi here anyway. I haven’t been able to relax and touch him as much as I wanted because we’ve been moving around so much lately.

I was annoyed, but I thought I would be treated like a child again if I got angry over something like this, so I just swallowed it and put my hood back on.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

Has it been about five years since I first went to the Primeval Forest? No, it’s been almost six years. When I just went out to look around the birch forest, no one knew that I wouldn’t be able to come back for so long.

“Kyle-nim! Aska-nim!”

Whether Pipi had told them in advance before coming to us, quite a few people gathered to welcome Kyle. Everyone had a happy expression, but Sakira looked like she was about to cry.

They were still living in the mansion that I had almost destroyed before. Perhaps they couldn’t move rashly because Kyle would come here if he ever came back.

“Nothing happened, right?”

Kyle, who seemed awkward with the welcome, asked with an embarrassed expression as he looked around.

“Where are Zero and Abyss?”

“Zero started researching the Ruins at an organization under the Imperial Family four years ago. He was promoted and has been working at Jihad since two years ago.”

“Jihad?”

“Yes, Your Majesty personally saw the thesis Zero wrote…”

While the two were talking, I took out the pearls I had picked up from time to time while crossing the sea by boat. Then, I handed them out one by one to the people who had gathered.

“What is this?”

“Keep it as an emergency fund.”

“Thank you. I still have the one you gave me six years ago.”

“Aren’t you going to buy the peanut cookies again? They were so delicious.”

As someone mumbled, a dull sound rang out. When I turned my head, the person who had talked about the peanut cookies was holding their head and pouting. Next to them, another person was holding up their fist and scolding them fiercely.

“You should just say thank you and accept it. How dare you complain?”

“No, it’s not a complaint…!”

“I’ll buy them if I go nearby later, so don’t fight.”

“I’m really sorry. My younger sibling is still immature.”

There were more people than I thought, so the pearls weren’t enough, and I had no choice but to take out the other jewels that I had been carrying around. I handed them out one by one as a memento for meeting after so long, and finally approached Sakira.

Whether the six years had been quite long, Sakira’s face was much more mature than when we parted.

“Aska-nim. Thank you so much every time.”

I gave Sakira two especially. Kyle looked at me with a dumbfounded expression and asked.

“When did you buy that again?”

“I didn’t buy it, I picked it up. In the sea.”

“The sea? You went into the sea? When?”

“When you were sleeping.”

The mermaids always secretly followed me when I went to the sea, I don’t know how they knew. It probably wasn’t because the first needle was somewhere in the sea. Maybe they were bound by a mission like me.

Anyway, I had decided not to find my memories, so I couldn’t know the details.

“Where’s Abyss?”

At Kyle’s question, Sakira said.

“Abyss is now… Ah, he’s coming over there. Abyss! Lala!”

Sakira waved her hand, looking behind Kyle. Both Kyle and I turned our heads in that direction. I didn’t recognize him because of the beard he didn’t have before and the child he was holding, but it was Abyss.

“Kyle-nim! Aska-nim!”

He ran towards us with a happy face. Before Abyss could say anything, Kyle asked with a bewildered expression.

“Who’s that?”

Kyle’s gaze reached the small girl. Before Abyss could say anything, the child spoke first.

“I’m Lala?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m me?”

At the cheeky words, Abyss shook his upper body and said to the child.

“How can you speak so rudely? Say hello quickly.”

“Hello?”

“No, that’s not it…”

4 – Side Story 4

He was a small child, barely a hand span tall, to put it a bit exaggeratedly. Both Kyle and I had already realized who this child was. Kyle wore an expression that showed he didn’t know how to react.

I had no choice but to speak first.

“Is your name Lala?”

“Originally, it’s Laila, but people close to me call me Lala. Who are you?”

“I’m Aska. How old are you? You speak well for someone so small.”

At my question, the child spread out her five chubby fingers.

“Five years old?”

Then she shook her head and folded her thumb.

“Four years old?”

“Yes. And I was told that I’m tall and speak fast for my age. My dad says I’m a genius.”

Her pronunciation was still a bit clumsy, but she definitely spoke very well for a four-year-old. Abyss, who was watching Laila with a pleased expression, cleared his throat, as if he felt my gaze.

Then he looked back and forth between Kyle and me and said, “We were very worried when we couldn’t reach you.”

Kyle looked at Laila with a bewildered expression, then turned his gaze to Sakira. Sakira smiled as if she had been waiting for it and said, “She’s our daughter.”

“If I had known sooner, I would have bought her a gift.”

At those words, I put the jewel I was going to give to Abyss in the child’s hand.

“What’s this?”

“Buy some snacks with it later.”

“Thank you.”

“Aska, that’s too much for a child.”

Ignoring Abyss’s troubled words, I turned my head. I saw Chichi running from afar with Pipi, who had disappeared for a moment. Chichi, who ran at full speed and bumped his head against my leg, scratched my leg while purring sweetly.

—Nyaaang!

When I bent down and held him in my arms, Pipi also sat on my head. I couldn’t see it, but Popo seemed to be next to me, hiding his body, judging by the warmth on my left side.

—What about my present? What about my present?

Chichi kept meowing, bumping and rubbing his head against my body.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

While we were having a hearty meal together, Kyle frowned and asked, “Why is she dressed so thinly in this cold weather?”

Laila, who didn’t seem very hungry, ate a few pieces of bread and then got off the chair. Then she started playing with the jewel I gave her, a little away from us.

It wasn’t cold enough to see our breath, but the weather was still quite chilly, and as Kyle said, her clothes were definitely light.

“Ah, that’s…”

“What if she catches a cold like that?”

“Well, Kyle… um.”

Abyss and Sakira exchanged glances as if they were troubled. Then Sakira poked Abyss in the side with her elbow. Abyss picked up a coat and approached Laila as if he couldn’t help it.

And I immediately understood why they were so troubled.

“No! I absolutely hate it. Hate it. Hate it.”

“…”

He had only said one word to put on her clothes, but she refused four times.

“Dad told me not to wear a vest either.”

“That’s for summer…”

“Anyway, I hate it!”

At her firm refusal, Abyss returned and sat down with a sad expression. Instead, Sakira said as if making an excuse, “She wasn’t like this until last year, but strangely, she’s become a bit stubborn this year…”

I nodded without much thought and was spreading jam on bread when Kyle looked at me. Kyle, who had been looking at me for a long time with an unreadable look, sighed.

“I know how you feel.”

Why is he saying that while looking at me? I felt strange and was feeling awkward when Kyle added, “I think it’s a relief that she’s wearing clothes at all, even if they’re not quite right for the season. It’s a blessing that she’s not running around naked.”

“Now that I hear it, that’s true.”

Suddenly, a scene from my childhood flashed through my mind, where I ran out the window naked. I had completely forgotten about it because I was so young, but what time are you talking about?

I lost my appetite and put down the bread I was holding, and suddenly Kyle patted my waist. I couldn’t help but frown at the way he was treating me like a child.

I was even more annoyed to see Abyss and Sakira desperately pretending not to see.

“Don’t.”

I lowered my voice as much as possible so that only Kyle could hear me, and I didn’t even open my mouth to speak ventriloquism. He must have heard me, but Kyle continued to stroke my back.

I never knew what to do in these situations. I don’t like being treated like a child, but wouldn’t getting angry and telling him not to treat me like a child make me look like a child? But if I leave him alone, Kyle doesn’t know when to stop.

Even now, his touch was getting stickier, so I had no choice but to grab Kyle’s wrist tightly and pull it away. Then I forcibly stuffed the bread I had spread jam on into his mouth.

Kyle groaned as if in pain, but he didn’t spit it out and somehow ate it all. While we were doing this, Abyss brought Laila back to the table and sat her on his lap. Sakira coaxed and soothed her, putting food in Laila’s mouth.

Seeing that, I felt strange for some reason. On the one hand, I felt anxious. I glanced at Kyle without realizing it. But contrary to my worries, Kyle’s gaze was fixed on me.

He was still touching my butt with a playful face.

“…”

If, just if, Kyle wanted to settle down somewhere, whether it was here or Actan, I should tell him to do so right away. I suddenly made up my mind.

I couldn’t help it. There were so many things in the world that Kyle loved and that loved Kyle that I felt self-conscious about monopolizing him for too long.

Even now, Kyle had given up too much because of me. I wanted to lock him up in a deep cave somewhere no one knew about, like in the underground Ruins, and have him all to myself, but that was my greed.

“…”

Looking back now, that was the most unstable time. I wasn’t in my right mind and couldn’t control my body as I pleased. But I was happy because it was the situation I had always wanted. Of course, I’m still very happy now.

Should I say it’s a happiness with a slightly different texture?

Still, I was glad that I didn’t feel like eating everything up like I did when I was younger. It was hard to bear when I couldn’t tell the difference between my appetite and my sexual desire, and the smell of blood was all over the place.

Thinking about that, I cut the peeled shrimp into small pieces and put them in Kyle’s mouth.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

After finishing our meal, we slowly caught up with each other while having tea and snacks. For some reason, Kyle didn’t bring up the story of going to the Primeval Forest. Not a word about Ophelia, the rules of the world, or my identity…

I thought he would explain about Chichi’s identity and talk about it together. It seemed like he was trying to keep it a secret, so I didn’t mention that part at all.

We talked about this and that until sunset, and then we entered the room that Sakira had prepared. Pipi, Chichi, and Popo had already come in and were sprawled out on the floor.

—Ah, hello. Long time no see.

Popo mumbled softly, avoiding Kyle’s touch, as if he had become awkward over the years. Pipi and Chichi were all over Kyle, rubbing and clinging to him.

Kyle, who was stroking the small fur balls, said to me, “Are you going to wash up right away?”

“Sakira says there’s a hot spring nearby.”

“Hot spring?”

“Do you want to go? I think she said it’s a bit small.”

Isn’t it better if it’s small? It was a place I had always wanted to go to since I was young, so I didn’t care how big it was.

Kyle, who was staring at me, didn’t answer, but chuckled and called Sakira.

After giving simple instructions to move to the hot spring, we changed into more comfortable clothes. I tied Kyle’s sleeve strings and asked, “Are we going by carriage? I can just hold you and run. It’s not very cold today.”

“It’s better to take the carriage and relax because we need time to prepare before we arrive.”

Is that so? There aren’t many people at night and it’s dark, so I think it would be better if it was just us. But are there other people at the hot spring?

When I saw it in a book, it felt like an outdoor bath. But judging from Kyle’s personality, he would probably kick everyone out of the hot spring. Wasn’t that what Sakira was instructed to do?

He takes off his hood and clothes anywhere, but he doesn’t let me do anything.

Anyway, we headed to the hot spring at a leisurely pace. It was deeper in the mountains than I thought, but thanks to the well-paved roads, we were able to move comfortably by carriage. There were lights along the way, so it wasn’t very dark.

5 – Side Story 5

When we arrived at the remote hot spring, there were hardly any people, as expected. Only an old man who seemed to be the owner and a few servants.

“Have you ever been to a hot spring?”

Kyle asked, breaking the silence that was so still you couldn’t even hear the rustle of clothes.

“No. I’ve only read about them in books.”

“You’ve always wanted to go since you were little. I thought you would have gone already.”

Come to think of it, in the five years I was separated from Kyle, I never once thought of going alone. I didn’t eat delicious food even when I saw it, and I felt no emotion even when looking at amazing scenery.

When we were together, even food that wasn’t that great tasted excessively delicious, and ordinary scenery felt beautiful enough to bring tears to my eyes.

I was so focused on finding him that I had no time to pay attention to anything else. The only leisurely thing I did was reading? But that was more for acquiring culture than for enjoyment.

Because of that, I unintentionally read some erotic books a few times. This is a secret because I think I’ll get scolded.

“What’s the point of going alone? It’s just a lot of warm water.”

It was so quiet that I unknowingly mumbled as if whispering. Kyle, who was right next to me, suddenly leaned his face in and whispered the same.

“You kept holding back so you could go with me?”

“I didn’t hold back, I just didn’t think about it.”

“That’s the same thing. It’s meaningless unless I go with you.”

“……”

It was true, but for some reason, I didn’t want to readily agree. I unknowingly glanced back. The servants were following us with their heads bowed so low that the tops of their heads were visible. They were walking silently, so even if we spoke quietly, they could hear everything.

“Why are you looking back?”

“What?”

“Why? Are you embarrassed?”

“Stop it.”

I gritted my teeth and spoke in a low voice, and Kyle rubbed his forehead against my shoulder and chuckled. It’s not funny at all, so why is he doing this? I felt unpleasant and slightly moved away, and Kyle looked back and said.

“Don’t let anyone in until I call.”

“Understood.”

As they had been doing, they all disappeared quickly without making a sound. Kyle, who had been still for a moment until he couldn’t feel their presence, took off my hood and asked.

“Is it okay now?”

He had a cheeky expression. But I couldn’t say anything. It’s always troublesome when Kyle acts like a pervert outside like this, but then again, I’m also a little unhappy if he doesn’t flirt with me at all.

So I couldn’t actively stop Kyle.

“It would have been better if you had come when you were younger. When you had Sealing Magic cast on you and your body wasn’t well.”

Kyle, who had stopped for a moment, started walking again and took my hand.

“You were worse off than me. I didn’t know it back then, but now that I think about it, it’s amazing that you were even alive.”

“Me?”

Kyle widened his eyes and asked back in surprise. The pain was so severe that he couldn’t possibly not know, but he had a truly hypocritical expression.

It would be fortunate if he had a constitution that was insensitive to pain, but I felt even worse because Kyle was probably just used to the pain that had been going on for too long.

“But you didn’t die, so it was bearable enough. If it was really bad, you would have died a long time ago.”

“……”

It was true, but for some reason, I felt even worse. This was Kyle’s specialty. He always said the right things and grated on people’s nerves. It wasn’t wrong, so it was hard to argue. But when I was young, I would just get annoyed, but now that I’m all grown up, I can’t do that.

Kyle, sensing that I wasn’t in a good mood, stroked my lower back with an overt touch. It was funny that he thought this would make me feel better. What’s even more annoying is that I actually felt a little better.

I gently grabbed his hand, which was slowly moving towards my abdomen and trying to go inside my clothes. And I stroked his arm all the way to his elbow and asked.

“When are we going to Actan?”

“Tomorrow or the day after? I don’t know. We can go whenever it’s convenient.”

I thought we would stay longer, but it was unexpected.

“What are you going to buy Nasser as a gift?”

Kyle seemed to be pondering, as if he hadn’t decided yet. While we were having that conversation, we arrived at the guest room. From what Kyle and Sakira said earlier, it seemed like we were staying here tonight.

The room wasn’t fancy or luxurious, but it was well-organized and clean. The bed was also much smaller than the one in the mansion, which I liked.

I sat Kyle down on a chair and undid the tightly fastened strings and buttons one by one. Kyle was completely entrusting himself to me and was quietly still, then he groaned.

“Hmm……”

My body suddenly trembled at his languid voice.

Kyle, who had been pondering until I quickly took off his clothes and put on a gown, asked as if he didn’t know.

“What do kids like? What did you want the most when you were little?”

I didn’t even need to think about it. I wanted a family the most when I was little. I had my grandmother, but even when I was young, I may have vaguely known that our relationship wasn’t normal.

Anyway, I thought it would only make the atmosphere strange if I said this, so I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth.

“A store?”

Kyle tilted his head, as if he hadn’t expected that answer.

“There was a chicken skewer shop outside the alley where I lived, and I wanted that the most. Then I could eat it every day. Because it’s mine.”

Now that I said it, it was strange. Nasser is the only Imperial Prince, so it’s ambiguous to give him just this as a gift…… I was feeling awkward when Kyle suggested a reasonable compromise.

“Then should I give him some land? And tell him to fill in the empty spaces himself.”

Somehow, the scale became much bigger than I had expected. Is it because he was born into the Imperial Family? I really couldn’t keep up with him in this area.

To give a recent example, Kyle had made an impulse purchase before crossing the sea. He suddenly bought a chandelier with a lot of crystals on it, saying that the quality was good, but it was worth my entire fortune.

He said so confidently that he would buy me everything I wanted and that I had money too, but I became penniless with that one expenditure. Of course, I didn’t show it, but it’s true that my vision blurred for a moment when I heard the amount.

That’s why I picked up a lot of pearls while Kyle was sleeping when we were on the ship. From now on, I have to travel around and diligently pick up jewels, find antiques, and steal Relics from the Ruins. That’s the only way I can afford that huge expense.

I made a solemn vow alone, and Kyle and I lightly washed our bodies and went to the outdoor hot spring.

It felt much colder because my body was wet. Kyle, in particular, is very sensitive to the cold, so I quickly put him in the water.

“Be careful because the stones are slippery.”

The temperature was slightly hotter than when I usually wash. I wondered if it would be okay because it was colder than I thought, but strangely, my body quickly warmed up when I came into the water.

“Aren’t you cold?”

At my question, Kyle nodded with his face submerged in the water up to his eyes. I wasn’t cold even though my upper body was out of the water, but I guess Kyle wasn’t.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his frog-like appearance. Actan is such a hot country that Kyle is particularly sensitive to the cold. I probably wouldn’t have dreamed of a winter trip if I didn’t have the robe I gave him.

I pulled Kyle’s submerged body and hugged him. As if he had been waiting for it, Kyle sat down between my legs. Taking advantage of the gap where his face slightly came up, I quickly cupped Kyle’s cheeks with my palms.

I stared at Kyle, who was closing his eyes with a happy expression as if he was warm, and asked.

“What did you want the most when you were little?”

At that, Kyle’s expression, which had been relaxed and comfortable, suddenly hardened. It was only for a fleeting moment, but I saw it. A playful smile appeared on Kyle’s face, who opened his eyes.

“The throne?”

“……”

“It was my dream to become Emperor and purge all the things I didn’t like.”

He was smiling wickedly, but I couldn’t believe it at all. Kyle sometimes seemed to forget that I had seen his entire past. Anyway, that liar. He lies as soon as he opens his mouth.

And why does he have to lie so brutally even when he’s lying? Occasionally, Kyle acted as if he was eager to prove that he was a terrible villain.

The reason why he feels comfortable doing that is because Kyle thinks that the many incidents and deaths he has experienced so far are his fault. So this behavior was paradoxically close to self-deprecation. I guess that’s the only way he can feel comfortable.

If I had been next to Kyle, who was so small and young at that time.

6 – Side Story 6

“Actually, I lied.”

Kyle retracted his statement, perhaps noticing my subtly distorted expression. However, there was no sign of remorse. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and chided me.

“But you lied first.”

“What did I do?”

I frowned involuntarily at the sudden, irrelevant accusation.

“You lied too.”

“When did I?”

Could he be referring to my earlier desire to own the skewer shop? Of course, what I wanted more was a family, but wanting to be the owner of the skewer shop was also true. It was just a matter of priorities.

“So, what did you really want?”

At my question, a soft groan suddenly escaped Kyle’s lips. It wasn’t particularly lewd; it was more like a sigh that came out involuntarily as his muscles relaxed from the warmth.

Even though I knew everything, my legs suddenly throbbed. Although there was no one around, we were outdoors and hadn’t been here long, so I desperately tried to cool down the heat.

Oblivious to my struggle, Kyle continued to fidget and rub his body against mine.

Perhaps uncomfortable with the position, Kyle leaned back against my chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist, helping him to get as comfortable as possible.

Now that his body temperature had risen considerably, he seemed less cold than before. He didn’t shiver at all, even with his wet shoulders exposed. When I came to my senses, I realized I was pressing my lips against Kyle’s neck and shoulders.

“What I’ve wanted since I was a kid…”

I snapped back to reality at those words. As I subtly raised my head, Kyle ran his hand down the side of my thigh and said,

“It was something I could never have.”

His face was hidden from view due to the position.

“What is it?”

“Mom, Dad. Family, stuff like that.”

“……”

I paused at the unfiltered sincerity. I had expected it to some extent, but I didn’t think he would be so honest. I knew that Kyle was very afraid of revealing his inner thoughts.

I moved my lips and mumbled.

“Actually, I wanted a family too.”

“I kind of figured.”

Kyle didn’t seem surprised, as if he had guessed it. His words made my eyes sting. If only we had met just a little earlier…

Suddenly overwhelmed with longing, I gently grabbed Kyle’s chin and turned his face to the side. Looking into his clear blue eyes, I imagined an impossible scenario.

If we had met just a little earlier, I would have taken his bloodied hand and run far, far away. Even if we were looked down upon and beaten while selling charcoal, it would have been much better than being alone.

“So, is that why you were in such a bad mood earlier?”

Lost in my imagination of selling charcoal to support a younger Kyle, I tilted my head.

“Earlier? When? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“When we were all sitting at the table together.”

“Sakira and Abyss? Why? Was I in a bad mood then?”

No matter how much I listened, I couldn’t understand what Kyle was saying. Seeing my bewildered expression, Kyle’s eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to gauge whether I was lying or not.

“Weren’t you looking at Laila and thinking you wanted to create a family too?”

It was completely out of the blue. Kyle’s expression turned awkward as he watched my bewildered reaction.

“Wasn’t it?”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Then why did you have that look on your face earlier? You looked so wistful and sad, watching Sakira, Abyss, and Laila.”

“……”

I finally realized why Kyle had been touching me and teasing me all along. Kyle has a bit of a perverted side, but… no, he’s incredibly perverted, but he still considers the time and place.

He rarely openly touched and flirted with me in front of everyone like he did earlier. Kyle had been trying his best to cheer me up in his own way.

So, Kyle had mistaken my sad gaze at the three of them as a desire to create a family? It was truly absurd.

“Create a family out of the blue? What are you talking about?”

“Right? I thought it was strange too. But you kept looking at Laila with that weird expression, so I thought maybe you wanted a child. You’ve wanted a family since you were little, after all.”

His soft voice filled the night sky and echoed quietly. His wet face was clearly visible through the steam. Kyle reached out and brushed my hair back, saying,

“You regained hope in the princess’s words because you wanted a family. Even after being treated so badly.”

“……”

Just as I had seen Kyle’s past, Kyle had seen all the past I didn’t want to reveal. The pathetic and vulnerable side that I never wanted to show.

“If we finish this job well, we can live together as a family. Do you understand? Whether we live together or not depends entirely on you.”

“……”

“I’ll even let you meet your grandmother again.”

“……”

Kyle said everything, word for word, even things I couldn’t remember clearly. Kyle, who had been muttering with a look of fiery anger, closed and opened his eyes. All that remained in his blue eyes as he looked at me was pity.

Strangely, the more I saw Kyle looking sad and pitiful, the more the corners of my lips twitched. I was sure that when I was younger, just thinking about the situation would bring tears to my eyes and make it hard to breathe.

“Why are you laughing? Do you find it funny?”

I tried to hold it back, but I guess I failed. I didn’t hold back anymore and just laughed.

“So, you thought that’s why I kept staring?”

“Then why were you staring so intently? You had a weird expression too.”

Judging by his persistent expression, I couldn’t just gloss over it. If I didn’t answer properly, Kyle would probably start thinking strange things on his own again.

“I just…”

What should I say? Unorganized words floated into my head and disappeared without a trace. I pondered for a moment, then tilted my head and mumbled.

“I thought you might be sad later…”

Perhaps my words were too out of the blue, as Kyle also tilted his head in confusion.

“Why would I be sad?”

As time passes, Mahir, Sakira, and Abyss will all die. What will Kyle feel every time he watches his loved ones grow old? And when they all eventually die and no one is left, how great will the sense of loss be that Kyle will feel?

I couldn’t help but worry about the inevitable moment that would come someday.

“Huh?”

As I continued to remain silent, Kyle bumped his head against my chest with the back of his head. I stroked Kyle’s hair, tidied it up, and mumbled.

“Later, when a lot of time has passed and everyone is gone.”

“When everyone is gone? Are you talking about when they’re dead?”

I deliberately didn’t say the word “death,” but Kyle didn’t hesitate. I was worried to death, but I heard a snort.

“Are you scared of that?”

“……”

Could he be misunderstanding that I’m afraid of death itself? That I’m scared? That’s not it. I’m scared that you’ll be too sad.

“Everyone dies.”

Kyle opened his mouth with a pathetic expression, like an old parent wanting to give a lesson to their young child. My expression involuntarily contorted.

“I know.”

“Instead of fearing death, which may not come for a long time, you should live today to the fullest.”

“I know that too. Who doesn’t know that?”

I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth. I make a resolution every day not to act like a child, but this is how it turns out with just a little carelessness, especially in front of Kyle.

I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling lost, when Kyle asked.

“Are you already worried that I’ll be sad after everyone we know dies?”

I opened my eyes at those words. He hadn’t misunderstood; he had understood my words exactly. Just as a corner of my heart was about to weaken, Kyle said something that ruined the mood again.

“But worrying about it in advance doesn’t mean that someone who’s going to die won’t die. The result is the same.”

“……”

He’s right. Of course, he’s all right, but…

“Ha.”

Suddenly feeling suffocated, I sighed, and Kyle chuckled.

7 – Side Story 7

“So, don’t fret and worry so much. There’s still plenty of time left.”

“That’s why I’m doing this, because there’s plenty of time left.”

Something welled up inside me, and I deliberately slapped the surface of the water lightly in front of Kyle’s face. As soon as the water splashed, Kyle flinched and turned his head away.

“We might regret not spending a little more time together, you know. Traveling and searching for Ruins, we can do that later…”

If it would make Kyle even a little less sad, I could postpone traveling or anything else. Because it’s not what we do that matters, but being together.

“Even if we stick together every moment until we die, won’t we still be sad?”

But Kyle didn’t seem to think so. He turned his body completely to face me and said firmly.

“It’s going to be sad anyway.”

“I just…”

“Aska.”

“……”

Kyle’s low voice resonated, vibrating my eardrums. It was definitely a small voice, but it sounded unusually loud.

“Sakira is a mother now, too. Like Jia.”

“……”

“Abyss, who was always alone after losing his sibling, now has people to protect again.”

Kyle’s cloudy eyes lingered in the air as if recalling the past. In a short time, Kyle’s gaze changed dozens of times in the silence. His eyes, once turbid with mixed emotions, soon cleared and reached me.

“Now the three of them will continue to live well together. Because that’s the life they chose.”

“……”

“So, you and I should live well together too. We wanted a family, and now we have one.”

We’re a couple, so it’s natural to say we’re family, but strangely, my eyes welled up.

“Mahir told me that I’m all grown up now, so I should choose how to live my life myself, right? Remember?”

I was afraid my voice would tremble if I spoke, so I just nodded slightly.

“What did I say?”

Kyle, oblivious to my feelings, insisted on making me speak. His gaze was so intense that I couldn’t help but answer in a slightly choked voice.

“That you’d live for me…”

“You remember well. I made that promise, so do you think I’d postpone things I want to do with you and do something else?”

“……”

“So, stop worrying about useless things and look at the sky. There are so many stars, and the hot spring is warm. You sang about wanting to come so much, why are you just worrying…”

Kyle, who had been talking for a while, paused and then stopped. Then he sighed, touched his forehead as if blaming himself, and made excuses.

“No, it’s not that the worry you have is useless, but…”

“I know.”

I pulled Kyle back into my arms, which had quickly cooled down from being apart. Kyle straddled my thighs, facing me.

“You kept saying you wanted to come.”

Kyle leaned his chin on my shoulder and mumbled. I moved my lips and answered briefly.

“Yeah.”

“But you don’t seem to like it much and you keep worrying, so that’s why. Saying it was useless was a slip of the tongue.”

“I know. And even if that was your true feeling, it’s okay. You’re just a bit like that with your words anyway.”

Kyle slyly raised his head and looked down at me with a sullen expression.

“I know my way of speaking is a bit annoying, but it feels strange to hear you say that.”

“What’s strange?”

“I always try my best to be nice to you, you know.”

His expression was somehow sulky, and I burst out laughing. I hugged Kyle tightly, took a moment to catch my breath, and then raised my head. As Kyle had said, the black night sky was densely studded with stars.

“There are so many stars, right?”

Kyle said with a proud expression, as if he had put all the stars in that sky himself. In fact, watching his face was better than looking at the stars in the night sky.

But his eyes were so expectant that I couldn’t help but look up again.

“Come to think of it, we’ve never really looked at the sky leisurely together, have we?”

As I muttered to myself, Kyle said.

“We did once. When we went to Pukara village, on the tree.”

The scene flashed through my mind. A scene I could never forget. I opened my mouth with a slightly excited tone.

“When you were scared because it was high up on the tree.”

I thought he would deny it, but Kyle chuckled and nodded.

“Yeah, I was actually really scared then. Not because it was high, but because I suddenly saw hallucinations.”

I was startled by the unexpected words.

“Was it because I hadn’t recovered my memories yet? But I’ve had hallucinations and heard voices since I was a kid.”

He was saying something huge as if it were nothing. I felt like trash for simply being happy that it was a different side of him.

“I’m sorry…”

As I mumbled softly, Kyle tilted his head.

“What for?”

“When you said you were scared then, I didn’t know any of that and I was just happy.”

While I was talking, Kyle just stared at me blankly with a blank face. Then he said out of the blue.

“Take out your wings. Like back then.”

I couldn’t help but be puzzled by the words that were so out of context.

“Like when we were in the underground Ruins.”

Kyle added, looking at my bewildered face. If it’s the underground Ruins, is he talking about when I was completely out of my mind, really? It’s not just telling me to take out my wings, but I couldn’t figure out why he was saying ‘like back then.’

“You were cute when you did whatever you wanted back then. It was a bit overwhelming, though.”

“……”

What on earth is he talking about… I asked, dumbfounded.

“I’m saying I’m sorry, why suddenly wings? And it wasn’t just because of the wings.”

Is he getting a fever because he’s too cold? Is that why he’s losing his mind? I quickly touched Kyle’s forehead and neck to check his temperature. He wasn’t particularly hot.

“You told me not to meet anyone back then, and to live together in a cave with just the two of us. You said you’d pick fruit for me and let me swim, right?”

“……”

I had almost nothing but instincts left at that time, so it couldn’t be helped. I was lucky that it stopped there because I rummaged through Kyle’s stomach and drank his blood, otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, and Kyle narrowed his eyes.

“Do it like back then. Don’t hold back on what you want to do because you’re worried about me.”

Only then did I realize why Kyle was saying this. Still, I couldn’t understand it. Why is he like this? Or is it a problem with his way of speaking?

“Don’t even consider my situation, just use your strength and force me.”

“No.”

“Why? Just do it? Isn’t that what you really wanted? To tie me up so I can’t move and lock me up in a place where no one can come, and only look at you.”

It was true that I wanted to do that for a moment. But it wasn’t that I was holding back for Kyle’s sake, it was that I really didn’t want to do that anymore.

I wanted to go anywhere with him, rather than being alone with him in a strange place with nothing.

I stared at Kyle and said.

“You were really scared back then.”

“It wasn’t that I was scared of you, but it was a creepy situation because it was the first time I’d experienced it. Because I didn’t know what you were going to do to me.”

“That’s the same thing. Anyway, no. That’s not really my thing.”

At my firm words, Kyle clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed and muttered.

“You can be more greedy without holding back.”

I had never just held back, and I had never not been greedy. In the first place, I even heard you say you’d live for me, and I received your entire remaining life, if this isn’t greed, then what is?

“Then what’s your thing?”

Then Kyle snuggled into my arms and asked. The small voice whispering in my ear was excessively lewd.

“Do you like it when I stick close like this and whisper ‘I love you’ in your ear? Gently stroking you and slowly licking and sucking you until you melt?”

“……”

It felt like he was licking my eardrum, and my hair stood on end. I shuddered involuntarily, and Kyle slowly licked my ear.

“You don’t even put it in all the way because you’re afraid I’ll hurt.”

I held back and held back, but eventually couldn’t stand it and tried to turn my head, but Kyle grabbed the back of my head. It wasn’t a force strong enough that I couldn’t shake it off, but I couldn’t move at all.

“Do you hate me hurting that much?”

“Just a moment…”

“But I’d rather be in pain. It’s more agonizing to pant until all my muscles are relaxed to the point where I can’t even walk.”

8 – Side Story 8

The lips that whispered like feathers slowly moved and lingered on my cheek for a long time.

“You don’t even let me in until my brain is boiling and melting and I don’t even know what I’m saying.”

“……”

Kyle kept nagging at me, blaming me. Heat rushed to every corner of my body, to the point where my vision blurred. I couldn’t even open my mouth and was just barely breathing when Kyle raised his head and looked at me.

The moment our eyes met, I felt my face distort strangely.

“Why are you crying? I’m the one who should be crying right now.”

“I’m not crying.”

“Then why are your eyes so red?”

“It’s just hot, ugh……”

Kyle slowly pulled his hips back, pressing heavily between my legs. The sudden stimulation caused a groan to escape my lips involuntarily.

“You get hard when you’re hot……”

Before any more lewd words could come out of his mouth, I quickly blocked it with my lips. I rubbed my lips urgently, hard enough for our teeth to clatter, and kissed him deeply. Kyle moved his hips restlessly, rubbing himself between my legs as if he was impatient.

I felt like he was about to cum soon, so I gripped his hips tightly with my hands, preventing him from moving, and felt a vibration from our joined lips. That was more stimulating than direct friction, which only made the situation worse.

Water kept splashing and the rough breathing made my head spin. The sound of our lips parting and reattaching sounded like the sound of flesh colliding during intercourse, making it even harder to hold back my orgasm.

Kyle was just as excited. His face, which was always relaxed and leisurely, was flushed and wet, and his brow was furrowed. He moved the hand that was squeezing his hips and rubbed between his cheeks.

Just as he was about to put his fingertip into the soft inside, Kyle suddenly pulled away. I unknowingly stuck my tongue out, following his retreating lips, and then frowned.

“Why……”

I tried to ask why, but I couldn’t. Because Kyle put two fingers in my mouth.

“Your mouth is so small, how can you fit all of mine in it? It’s not like the inside is particularly wide either……”

It was a voice filled with pure curiosity, as if he really didn’t know. Kyle’s fingertips touched every part of my mouth as if exploring. He touched the inside of my cheek, the bumpy roof of my mouth, and the soft flesh under my tongue, then gradually slipped all the way to the root of my tongue.

He carefully went deeper, then flipped his fingers and scratched the sensitive wall above with his soft fingertips. My throat contracted and I reflexively coughed.

“Cough!”

Tears welled up in my eyes in an instant and saliva dripped down. I tried to hold back my cough, trying not to bare my teeth, but Kyle pulled his hand away. Then he grabbed my cheeks with both hands and forced me to lift my head.

After coughing for a while, I finally opened my eyes and met his gaze at close range.

“What a mess. You’re drooling.”

“It’s your fault.”

“Yeah, it’s my fault.”

Kyle muttered in a low, hoarse voice and kissed me more urgently and roughly than before. With one hand, I grabbed Kyle’s waist to hold him in place, and with the other, I slowly touched the inside of his butt.

As I rubbed the hot spot, I put strength into my fingertip and gently went inside. Kyle’s body stiffened quickly, whether he was bothered by the foreign object or whether he liked it.

The moment I scratched the inner wall like Kyle had done a moment ago, his waist twitched violently.

“Ugh……”

Kyle, unable to even kiss, parted his lips and breathed heavily, his chest heaving. I moved my head and blocked Kyle’s panting lips with my own.

I slowly pulled my finger out and then put it all the way back in, pressing on the spot that was particularly sensitive, and his breathing gradually became rougher. I didn’t miss a single detail of his face contorted with excitement, and I captured it in my eyes.

I loved it when Kyle was like this. I always had, ever since I was a child and liked it when you were in trouble. You say it’s okay for me to act as I please and be more greedy, but I’ve always been like that. I’ve never held back for a single moment.

“Ah, ahh……! Ugh!”

When I put another finger in and spread the tight inner wall to both sides, a high-pitched moan burst from his reddened mouth. I could feel him leaning on me more and more, as if he couldn’t even support his own body.

The flesh that touched was much hotter than before, but I couldn’t finish it here either. Kyle’s upper body was already out of the water.

“Kyle.”

I hugged his trembling body tightly and kissed Kyle’s ear before calling his name. Kyle answered between pants.

“Put your arms around my neck. So I can get inside.”

“Why?”

“It’s cold if we do it here.”

“It’s hot.”

That was even more of a problem. As the moisture dried, all the heat would probably fly away, and then he might catch a cold. I wondered if he could even get such diseases now that he was barely human, but anyway, it wouldn’t do to be cold.

When I lifted his wet body, Kyle naturally wrapped his legs around my waist. Since it was right in front of me anyway, I arrived in a few steps and laid him down on the bed as he was. Kyle didn’t fall off and continued to kiss me all over my face with his legs wrapped around my waist.

I lowered my hand and covered the wet tip of his glans with my palm. Another groan burst from our joined lips. My palm was soon soaked with a much stickier pre-cum than water.

Kyle’s body trembled as I rolled his glans a few times with my slippery palm. He couldn’t kiss anymore, nor could he keep his legs wrapped around my waist. And his lower abdomen spasmed and he ejaculated with a sob, spilling his semen.

“Ha…… Ahh!”

The milky white liquid that gushed out in several spurts splashed onto his stomach, pooled inside his navel, and overflowed. I stroked his limp body as if to calm him down, then lowered my semen-soaked hand further down.

“Not yet……”

“Huh?”

“Just a minute……”

Kyle stuttered and patted my arm, as if he was still in pain from the tremors. But my fingers were already inside. The inner wall, which had been so sensitive from cumming, was much more flaccid than before. The moment I bent my fingers, a little more semen splashed onto his stomach again.

“Ahhk!”

I could feel the muscles that had been so tense relax all at once. I put another finger in the gap and his lower abdomen spasmed again. I could feel the tremors through the palm of my hand that I had placed on his milky white stomach.

I kissed his lips, which were drooling as he panted. Every time he seemed like he was about to run out of breath from excitement, I would pull my lips away and wait. And when he calmed down a little, I would kiss him again, stretching his inner wall to its limit.

I kissed the corners of his eyes where tears were flowing, kissed his reddened ears, and kissed his constantly moving Adam’s apple. Every time I licked and sucked his wet flesh, reddish marks appeared.

I bit his neck and the prominent collarbone, and put his stiff nipples in my mouth. At first, he didn’t feel much, but as I kept licking, it seemed like something had changed.

“Aska, stop that, ugh!”

Kyle especially hated it when I touched his chest, as if he didn’t like it. He seemed to hate it much more than when I sucked his penis, bit his butt, or licked his hole. Maybe he was embarrassed to feel it in his chest.

As I kept sucking on the hot tip, which was flushed with heat, Kyle grabbed my hair and desperately tore at it, pushing me away. I kept hearing moans that I couldn’t understand, but I didn’t stop. I touched the opposite side with my thumb and pressed it up, and his waist lifted slightly before falling back down.

“Ah, hhh…… Ah, shit……!”

Moisture gradually began to form in the moans that were bursting out randomly. I slowly raised my head as I rolled the hard nipple with my tongue. I could see traces of tears flowing towards his temple.

“Stop doing that there……”

He shuddered in a weak voice, as if he was about to run out of breath. Listening to his tearful voice, I closed my eyes for a moment and lowered my head.

“Ha.”

I waited for a wave to pass, breathing heavily. I almost came. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I rubbed my painfully erect penis against his butt crack.

Kyle groaned as he groped his own chest, which was red and had teeth marks on it, as if it hurt.

“Does it hurt?”

I took his hand off his chest and asked. Kyle frowned and nodded. He looked like he wanted me to stop touching his chest now. That kind of troubled, helpless look.

“Ah…”

As I slowly pushed the head of my penis into his twitching hole, Kyle squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his head. The tightly closed hole gradually began to open unbelievably.

9 – Side Story 9

“I told you I like it when you’re troubled.”

He slid in smoothly, then slowly pulled out, and when he inserted again, he went in deeper. After repeating this several times, he was already halfway buried. Kyle gasped, cutting his breath short, then opened his eyes.

“Do you remember?”

I couldn’t tell if he couldn’t answer or didn’t want to. I kissed his eyes as he stared at me as if wondering what I was suddenly saying. My back bent, unintentionally digging in deeper.

“Ugh!”

“Even after hearing that, that’s the sound you make?”

“What, ugh!”

I raised my lowered upper body and lifted one of his legs onto my shoulder. Then, I tightly gripped his waist and stared at the wide-open, wet hole. The inner walls clung tightly, and when I slowly pulled out, the red flesh came out with it before going back in.

“Huff…”

When I slowly pushed in, the inside of his thighs spasmed. Then, when it touched too deeply, he stiffened and then slumped.

Even though I torment him like this every time, Kyle tells me I can act even more recklessly with him. As if he thinks I hate it when he’s troubled.

I like it when you’re troubled. I like it when you moan in pain. I like it when you sweat, beg, and whine.

“Agh!”

I like making you end up crying like this, unable to hold back.

I pulled out halfway and pushed in a little harder, until almost all of my member was inside. I’d done it so many times I couldn’t even count, but my eyes still stung.

It felt like we were the only ones in the world. Clinging to each other without a gap, hugging, kissing, rubbing our bodies together.

“Aska.”

When you reach out and call my name.

I lowered my head, and tears fell onto Kyle’s wet face. His trembling hand touched my face and wiped my wet eyes. As if comforting me, as if reassuring me it was okay, Kyle kissed my face and wrapped his legs around my waist.

“I love you so much.”

The moment I lowered my upper body to kiss him again, the little bit of my member that was left outside slipped all the way in. A scream that couldn’t escape burst from our touching lips.

I could feel the opened flesh writhing desperately to adapt. I didn’t want to move until it had adapted even a little, but I couldn’t hold back any longer. In fact, it might have already been leaking out little by little.

The moment I poured it all out inside his convulsing depths, where he couldn’t even breathe, Kyle’s eyes clouded over. I stared into his wet, blinking eyes, which looked like they were about to lose consciousness at any moment, as I came.

Why does it feel so good every time I do this? Do other people cry like this every time they do it with someone they love? Is this normal?

“Sniff…”

I was the one who kept crying, but a sob came from Kyle’s mouth. I could tell Kyle had come again because my stomach felt sticky. I rubbed his damp eyes with my lips and muttered.

“I feel like I’m going to die because I love you so much…”

At my words, Kyle opened his eyes, which had been closed. His gaze was still blurry, but he was trying to focus somehow. Kyle lowered his trembling hand and groped at his lower abdomen. My gaze followed his down.

“Wow, this is a problem.”

There was a hint of fear in his sunken, wet voice. I wondered if I had put it in too deep, but Kyle looked at me with a face that I couldn’t tell if he was smiling or crying and said,

“It doesn’t even hurt anymore…”

“…”

Why did his terrified voice sound so good? Kyle would probably say that he wanted me to act even more recklessly, like a fool.

I grabbed his thighs, pulled back a long way until only the glans was touching, and then pushed back in hard.

“Ah!”

A sharp scream burst out along with the sound of wet flesh colliding. He looked pained, but unfortunately, I couldn’t stop.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

After coming two more times, Kyle was exhausted. I wanted to do it just one more time, but I couldn’t push him any further because his voice was already hoarse. So I was going to stop, but that idiot Kyle told me again that I could do more if I wanted to.

I said no, but he kept kissing me, rubbing against me, calling my name in a sexy voice, and licking me, so I ended up doing it one more time.

I hugged Kyle’s limp body and buried my face in his sweaty neck. We fell asleep like that for a while, and then we woke up almost at the same time.

We hadn’t slept for very long, and I thought he would be tired, so I tried to get him to sleep again, but somehow we ended up doing it again. After eating, we went into the hot spring again, and I wasn’t going to insert, but somehow it happened again…

Anyway, we spent almost the whole day stuck together like animals in heat until the sun went down. I really couldn’t believe it.

I had no choice but to sleep another night and try to go back the next day, but that failed too. Was it because I had never felt so comfortable while traveling from another continent by boat?

Once I let my guard down, I couldn’t come to my senses.

Anyway, I ended up coming all the way here and not even seeing the hot springs properly, and just spending two days in the room.

“I think my internal organs have shifted a little…”

Kyle muttered, groping at his lower abdomen as I cleaned him up and dressed him. Of course, that couldn’t be true, but if we had done it that much, it felt like it could be possible.

Was two days too much? I should have only done it for one day…

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“No? I just can’t feel anything.”

“…”

Kyle smiled and said not to worry, but this was even worse. And his voice was still hoarse.

“I’ll carry you around until you feel better.”

“Then can’t we do it for one more day?”

It was a playful tone, but he had been joking like this yesterday and then suddenly got excited, so I couldn’t let my guard down.

Before the atmosphere could get weird, I quickly took Kyle, who was warmly dressed, outside. It had snowed a little last night, and there was a thin layer of whitish stuff piled up on the ground and trees.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“No, I’m warm. Put me down for a second.”

“Why? Can you stand?”

“Of course. It’s not that bad. It’s not like my bones are broken. I was just faking it.”

He was good at faking things over nothing, but Kyle was the type of person who would say he was doing okay even when he was on the verge of death. I was suspicious because there was no in-between, but I carefully put Kyle down on the ground.

Even though I had mercilessly tormented him for two days straight, he stood and walked surprisingly well.

“Aska.”

I was intently watching his back when Kyle called me. Then he bent his waist slightly and pointed somewhere.

“Look at this.”

There was a small flower with yellow petals blooming where his finger was pointing.

“Is it going to get warmer now?”

“It’s about time for spring to come.”

“This flower kind of looks like you when you were young…”

That’s when it happened. Kyle and I turned our heads in the same direction at the same time. A small, gray, fluffy lump that seemed to have come from nowhere was wiggling in the snow.

“What is that?”

Kyle made a strange noise as I frowned.

“Is it a bug?”

“A bug? Where is there a bug that big?”

“There are earthworms that fly in the sky, so there might be a bug that big.”

We had a ridiculous conversation and slowly approached it as if we were possessed. When we got closer, it looked like a fledgling that hadn’t been born long ago.

I wondered if it had fallen from somewhere, so I looked up, but there was nothing that looked like a nest. Where did it suddenly come from? It couldn’t have been here all this time on such a cold day.

The bird, which couldn’t even make a sound, tried to crawl towards us, flapping its wings that didn’t even have all its feathers yet, as if asking us to save it. Kyle carelessly picked up the bird, which looked so fragile that it would die if you just touched it.

Then he started examining it intently with a serious expression. It was just an ordinary little bird that didn’t need to be observed, but Kyle looked at it seriously for a long time and said.

“Let’s take it with us. I should give it to Nasser as a gift.”

“Suddenly?”

“I saw it in a book when I was young. I think it’s a Copa chick.”

I didn’t know what a Copa was, but since Kyle had decided that, I couldn’t leave it to die. I took the fledgling from Kyle and put it in my arms, sending a very small amount of into it.

The bird, which had been on the verge of death, closed its eyes and wriggled as if it were in its mother’s arms, and soon fell asleep.

“Is its habitat near here? It seems like it since it can’t even fly yet.”

10 – Side Story 10

“Shall we look for it?”

“No, it’s fine. It’s an endangered species, so it’ll be hard to find. It seems they’re breeding and living well on their own in places where people can’t find them.”

Endangered species? As I tilted my head, Kyle jumped onto my back. I put the bird in my pocket and supported Kyle’s bottom with my hands.

“I heard they only live in high mountainous areas, but I guess that’s wrong information. Mahir gave me one as a birthday present when I was young.”

“Ah, you mean a Fairy Pitta?”

I had seen the scene of him receiving the gift when he was young in my memories.

“I thought it would die if it stayed in Talim, so I secretly released it at night. I wonder if it’s doing well.”

I hadn’t seen it in other memories since then, so I didn’t know where it went, but it seemed he just let it fly away. Just like he sent Sakira and Abyss far away.

I carried Kyle on my back and slowly walked down the snowy path, asking,

“But wasn’t that Fairy Pitta really big? And I think its feathers were really colorful. And its eyelashes were really long.”

“Its colors change as it grows. There are three major growth periods…”

After that, Kyle explained about the Fairy Pitta for a long time. He didn’t even look for it or give it a name, but when did he find out so much information? If he liked it that much, he could have just raised it.

If I had been there with him then, I would have done whatever it took to catch the bird Kyle let go of. And I would have told him that I would take good care of it so it wouldn’t die, and he could just watch it sometimes.

Then wouldn’t Kyle have reluctantly agreed?

I suddenly felt sad, so I closed my mouth and just listened to Kyle’s words.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

After arriving at the mansion, we slowly began to prepare to leave for Actan. Since we weren’t parting forever, there was no need for a grand farewell.

While Sakira prepared the ship so we could go to Actan comfortably, Kyle called Abyss. And he handed him a sword he had brought from the Primeval Forest.

“What is this?”

It was a sword made of metal that the elves of Ophelia’s clan had used in the past. If you looked for it, there would be a few more on the ground, but even the method of forging it had been lost, so it could be said to be a national treasure.

Abyss, who received the sword with a bewildered expression, tilted his head as if he found it strange that the sword was too light.

“It’s instead of scissors.”

“Yes?”

“Be careful, it’s sharp.”

Abyss’s bewildered face turned white, then red, then blue. All sorts of emotions swirled around, and tears began to well up in his eyes. Kyle, seeing him about to kneel, stepped back in disgust.

“Your Highness, I…”

“Stop. Stop it, it’s creepy.”

“But!”

“That’s an order. And…”

Kyle, who was about to say something, moved his lips and then closed them. Then he sighed and muttered.

“Okay. You’re all grown up now, so I can’t tell you what to do.”

“Yes? I’m much older than you? And I was already an adult before I met Your Highness.”

“Anyway, I’m warning you, if I hear that you’re mistreating Sakira, you’re dead.”

Despite the harsh words, Abyss hugged the sword Kyle gave him and smiled.

“Even if I am mistreated, it will be me, so don’t worry, that will never happen. But when are you coming again?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you remember? When we first went to war…”

Abyss began to reminisce about the stories that had happened in the past, as if he was lost in memories. Kyle had a look that said, ‘What are you talking about all of a sudden?’ but he didn’t bother to stop him.

There were things I knew because I had seen them in Kyle’s memories, and there were things I was hearing for the first time.

“I also saved Your Highness when you almost fell off your horse while riding because you fell asleep.”

“The reason I fell asleep in the first place was because you kept crying all night the day before while camping, saying you wanted to go home. If Garam hadn’t kicked your butt for being noisy, I would have strangled you to death first.”

“Isn’t Garam too much? How could he kick the butt of someone who is crying because they are sad?”

It must have been a long time ago when Garam was around, but Kyle hated it as if he had experienced it yesterday. I carefully observed Kyle. It was an expression and tone he didn’t show me very often.

Abyss was already used to it, so he was calm no matter what harsh words Kyle spat out.

But their conversation didn’t last long. It was time to set sail, so Kyle and I boarded the huge sailing ship. Kyle was held back again and received farewells from many people.

“……”

At that time, I faintly heard a sound like water droplets splashing in my ear. I quietly moved my steps and went to the source of the sound. Hair that curled like seaweed floated on the calm sea. And my eyes met dark blue eyes.

“What are you doing there?”

Kyle, who had finished greeting, quietly approached me without a sound. I only turned my head for a moment, but when I looked at the sea again, the mermaid had already disappeared.

“They’re about to set sail soon. Let’s go.”

“Have you finished saying goodbye?”

“Yeah.”

Looking at the pier, there was quite a crowd gathered. Sakira, Abyss, and Rylai were also there. They were waving their arms enthusiastically, so I waved my hand along with them.

“Please buy me peanut snacks when you come next time!”

“Stop it! Enough with the peanut snacks!”

I heard a familiar voice on the wind.

“Come visit again!”

We left Calderia with the farewells of many people. Kyle didn’t move from that spot until the pier was too far away to be seen.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

The distance between the peninsula and the continent from which we departed was not that far, so we would probably arrive in Actan in three days at the latest.

“What were you looking at earlier?”

As soon as we entered the luxuriously decorated cabin, Kyle asked.

“I saw a mermaid.”

“A mermaid? With a scaly tail?”

“Yeah. It appears and follows me whenever I go near the sea.”

“Don’t you have something to say? It wouldn’t be bad to meet and talk to it once. As long as it’s not hostile.”

At those words, I frowned.

“I don’t think it’s hostile… It was the mermaid who told me the location of the pearl.”

“A pearl? Ah, from the last voyage?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t say anything and doesn’t come closer than a certain distance.”

It just watched from afar as if observing. It was the same when I was at sea looking for Kyle.

“I wonder if it’s still there? Do you want to go out and see?”

“But it doesn’t come if there are people nearby.”

“Then let’s call it out at night.”

I nodded, but I didn’t expect the mermaid to appear. After all, from the mermaid’s point of view, Kyle was also a person.

“If you’re there, come out.”

In the dark night when everyone was asleep, Kyle, leaning against the railing of the deck, muttered softly. But contrary to my expectations, the mermaid appeared as if it were a lie at that half-hearted call.

The face that floated above the dark night sea like black darkness shone strangely in the moonlight.

“It really came out?”

Kyle was also surprised and looked at me in embarrassment.

―Beep beep beep.

I heard a high-pitched sound in my ear for the first time. It sounded like a clear musical instrument, but it was definitely the mermaid’s language. Of course, I couldn’t understand what it was saying.

―Beep beep beep.

Sometimes I remembered something, like when I fell in the Northern Continent, but I couldn’t remember the mermaid’s language. Is there a separate condition for recalling memories from my past life?

“It keeps asking if you’re not going to look for the needle?”

At that time, Kyle looked at me and said. I blankly looked at Kyle and asked.

“How do you know what it’s saying?”

“Don’t you know what it’s saying? Why do only I know? We both remembered it together when we were in Gallak.”

A part of my flesh existed inside Kyle’s body. It seemed that even a small part was considered to inherit blood and flesh. So, when you think about it, the seamstress of this generation was Kyle and me.

Of course, it could be a wrong assumption, but there was no way to know for now. In order to know everything, not just fragments of memories like now, I had to find the first needle and perform the final ritual to incorporate myself into the mission. But since I had already decided not to do that, I would never know all the secrets of the world.

“I’m not going to do it.”

―Beep beep beep.

“No, can’t you hear me?” – Beep beep beep.”

“I decided not to do that.”

11 – Side Story 11

Kyle was busily communicating with the mermaid while I was lost in thought. He seemed to understand the mermaid’s words, but he couldn’t imitate its language.

Kyle raised both hands above his head, forming an X.

“I won’t. I won’t do it.”-Beep beep.”

“Okay, I won’t look for it.”

After that, the mermaid looked back and forth between Kyle and me before diving into the water. A large tail fin covered in shimmering blue scales flashed above the surface before sinking.

“What did it say?”

At my question, Kyle looked at me and said, “It kept telling me to go to the Dried Sea to find the needle? And it asked which one of us is the real one.”

Has it gotten to the point where other races can’t tell us apart either? Is that why Ophelia was confused and appeared in Kyle’s dream? Considering that we passed the biometric authentication when we were moved to the underground Ruins, there must have been signs since then.

Kyle took my hand and muttered as we entered the cabin, “But what’s the Dried Sea? How can a sea dry up?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s a metaphor? Like the seamstress.”

Just as repairing the torn wall of dimensions was called sewing or stitching, this might also be a kind of metaphor.

“I remember seeing a scene where someone said the needle was so hot that they were cooling it with seawater.”

At Kyle’s words, I vaguely recalled a scene I had seen sometime. It was the sight of a metal object, towering like a tall spire, stuck alone in the dry land. Could that huge thing have been the needle?

“What was it… something about it being forged with the flame of somewhere, and that’s also a problem. My memories are so fragmented that I don’t understand anything.”

As we slowly entered the cabin, the fledgling in the cage chirped for the first time. It seemed to have recovered quite a bit, perhaps because Pipi had held it for a while before we left.

Kyle approached the small cage, checking on the fledgling’s condition as he continued, “We might find other information if we search around the Ruins a bit. There were so many books in the Ruins in the Rollai Mountains.”

“Okay.”

If we tracked down the hidden side of the world and gathered information, wouldn’t we be able to find a way to prevent the destruction? Of course, Ophelia said it was too late now, but you never knew.

Honestly, I didn’t care if the world was destroyed or not, but I hoped that at least while Kyle was alive, it would be peaceful.

“I used to see Forbidden books often when I was young, and they said there were many bizarre phenomena in the Rocky Desert. Let’s go there first.”

“Okay.”

As I nodded in response, Kyle’s gaze, which had been fixed on the cage, turned to me. His expression was subtly strange.

“Why do you keep saying okay to everything?”

“Because it’s good, so I say it’s good. Why?”

“What do you want to do? Tell me your opinion.”

I just want to do that too… Magical creatures might appear, and it might be dangerous, but I think I would be so happy if we could go see new things together.

“I want to travel to every corner of the world with you.”

But it was too much to say in detail, so I just shortened it. It would be much more dangerous, but if I could, I would like to go beyond the world. Like the Primeval Forest, there would be many more Forgotten places around the edge of the boundary.

At my words, Kyle closed his mouth and just stared at me. He kept thinking about something and remained silent, then pulled me closer. Kyle, who had laid down on the soft bed, embraced me and whispered softly, “Ophelia said her friend had finished a long journey and returned, remember?”

It was recent, so I remembered it quickly. She had said that last before leaving.

“Weren’t the Forgotten Race that he met in the Ruins of the deep forest of Gaulaprum and Ophelia the same race?” They looked similar based on what he described. Like having long ears.”

Now that I heard it, it seemed that way. As I nodded, Kyle opened his mouth in an even smaller voice than before.

“Even if Gaulaprum has a natural fortress, it doesn’t make sense that the war hasn’t ended for almost 100 years. And there was also some strange, unusual magical power.”

“…….”

I frowned without realizing it. Just thinking about the terrible humiliation Kyle suffered there when he was young made me feel suffocated.

“Could that power have been passed down by the Forgotten Race that Mahir met? He told Mahir all sorts of things just by being a temporary companion. And it’s strange that there’s a lush forest only in that barren desert.”

Except for what I saw in Kyle’s memories, I had never been to that place myself. But listening to Kyle’s words, it seemed like there were quite a few unusual aspects.

“Why?”

“Let’s go there. Something feels suspicious.”

Kyle’s pronunciation was getting slurred and his voice kept getting smaller, as if he was sleepy. I put my hand inside Kyle’s clothes and gently stroked his back.

“Have you been there since then?”

“Gaulaprum? No.”

He was treated like that there, but he didn’t feel any aversion? He might be okay right now, but it might be difficult when we actually go there.

“The cliff fortress was mostly destroyed in the battle back then and is so dilapidated that it was rebuilt. Anyway, let’s go there too, and let’s go to the Rocky Desert.”

“Okay.”

“Mahir won’t stop us, will he?”

Is there any reason to stop us? Maybe if there’s a dangerous element, he might. I hugged the almost half-asleep Kyle tightly and whispered in his ear.

“If he does, I’ll secretly carry you away.”

At my words, Kyle chuckled.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

The journey to Actan was smooth. The weather was nice, and nothing special happened, so the two of us lazed around leisurely. The only bad thing was that the temperature was slowly rising.

Kyle had already thrown off his clothes. He was almost shirtless, enjoying the sunshine on the deck. In the end, I had no choice but to wear the robe that Kyle had been wearing again.

The most useful of the Magic tools found in the Ruins was this robe. Regardless of the outside weather, it allowed the wearer to feel the most comfortable temperature. It didn’t get dirty easily, so it was very useful for Kyle, who was sensitive to the cold, and me, who was sensitive to the heat.

Anyway, Kyle and I, who had arrived in Actan, didn’t go straight to the Imperial Castle but wandered around the streets for a while.

“The roads around here have changed a lot.”

“Really? I don’t know.”

I hadn’t been out much, so I didn’t remember anything. It felt unfamiliar, as if I had come to a new country, but I felt a strange nostalgia, which was amazing.

“I used to sneak out through the secret passage when I was young and pass by this area often. There are many alleys here…”

Kyle, who was talking excitedly as if he was happy to be back in his hometown after a long time, stopped. Then he turned his head and looked at me.

“Aska.”

Kyle’s eyes sparkled like a child who had found a toy he wanted. It was very pretty and cute, but I suddenly started to feel uneasy.

“Do you want to go to the secret passage with me?”

“…….”

As expected, he was saying something ridiculous. I asked again, just in case.

“……The Imperial Castle? Are you saying we should go into the Imperial Castle through the secret passage now?”

“Yeah, if that secret passage is still there.”

“Wouldn’t it be very embarrassing if we got caught?”

“Then you can carry me and run away.”

No, still, he’s been missing and is returning after a long time… Can a Prince do this? No, he’s not a Prince now, but the Emperor’s only younger brother, the Prince.

Suddenly, I remembered the scene where Kyle nagged Mahir, whom he met at the Calderia Royal Castle, about the Emperor’s dignity and decorum. He was so hard on Mahir…

“Let’s go.”

But if we didn’t get caught, it would be fun, so I only pretended to dissuade him a little and followed him as if I couldn’t help it.

We arrived at a very secluded place where the outer wall of the Imperial Castle stretched out for a long time. It was difficult to approach because it was densely fenced with ornamental garden trees.

Even though so much time had passed, Kyle accurately remembered the location of the secret passage he had dug when he was young.

“These crazy bastards. How long ago did I make this, and it’s still the same?”

The hole, perfectly hidden by grass and dirt, was still there, just like Kyle said. But the problem was that we had already grown too big to pass through it.

“Should we break it a little more along the edge?”

12 – Side Story 12

Now they’re even talking about destroying the castle walls. I was momentarily stunned by the absurdity of it all when Kyle untied the string of the pouch he had fastened to his waist. It was a Magical tool he had brought with him from the Primeval Forest, along with various other items. It looked small on the outside, but the space inside the pouch was incredibly vast; even the crystal chandelier Kyle had impulsively bought was in there.

Kyle pulled out a sword from the pouch. Fortunately, he didn’t draw the sword from its scabbard but started banging the hilt against the wall.

With Kyle’s strength, which was now hard to define as human, breaking a bit of the castle wall wasn’t a difficult task. With each crumbling fragment that fell, the size of the hole grew larger.

“Isn’t that too big?”

“I can get through, but you’re the problem. I need to break it down some more.”

“I can just climb over the wall.”

“If you climb over the wall, the Security magic… Ah.”

As if something had just occurred to him, Kyle stopped moving and looked at me. His face was filled with dismay.

“I forgot, they said the Security magic would go off if the wall suffered an impact beyond a certain level. Asella…”

“…”

As soon as he finished speaking, a presence was felt from beyond the wall. Kyle seemed to sense it too, as he stealthily got up and came to my side. Before I could decide how to react, a deafening roar echoed, and a part of the wall collapsed. It was just big enough for one person to pass through.

“…”

“…”

Through the thick dust, the figure of someone could be seen. I stared intently at the face, which seemed vaguely familiar, and a small voice escaped from Kyle’s lips.

“Daram?”

“Your Majesty.”

The man who had not just made a hole but completely destroyed the wall itself knelt on the spot as soon as he recognized Kyle. I wondered why he looked so familiar; I had seen him before too.

It was when Kyle’s birthday banquet was held, and I accidentally broke the balcony window. I think he was the one in charge of Talim’s security?

I was still trying to understand the situation when Kyle asked, sounding bewildered, “Why did you break the wall?”

“I couldn’t allow Your Majesty to kneel to get through.”

“That’s no reason to smash the whole thing like this! And why does it break so easily?”

“Not long after Your Majesty took office, there were repairs, but His Majesty ordered that this place should not be touched again.”

At those words, Kyle paused. Could Mahir have known about the hole? Well, otherwise, there was no way he would have left a hole in the Imperial Castle wall unattended for so long.

“Get up. Let’s go for now. Who knows I’m here?”

“Only Asella and I know at the moment. Shall I inform others?”

“No, it’s fine. Hasn’t Asella retired yet?”

Kyle and I stepped over the debris of the broken wall and went inside. It had been so long that I was reminded of my childhood, and my heart fluttered.

“Your Majesty.”

Asella, who had been anxiously waiting in the distance, spotted us and quickly approached, looking delighted. Her face had more wrinkles than the last time I saw her, and her hair was now completely white.

“Welcome. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Even though his face was completely hidden by the hood, he knelt directly in front of Kyle. Kyle pursed his lips and handed Daram the sword he had used to break the wall.

“Take this.”

“…Yes?”

It was the same material as the one he had given to Abyss. Kyle, having bestowed a sword upon him as well, immediately moved on as if it were nothing. Daram looked flustered, but Kyle didn’t give him any more attention.

“Has anything happened?”

“No, His Majesty has been very considerate. Her Majesty the Empress also comes occasionally to tend to the garden herself.”

“I see. Prepare water for a wash. I must go and see His Majesty. Don’t make a fuss.”

“Understood.”

It was quite a subdued conversation for having met after so long. It was the same when I met Abyss and Sakira. I always felt that Kyle’s emotional range wasn’t very wide when dealing with his retainers.

Perhaps it was because he had to maintain composure since he was young, or maybe he deliberately tried not to get attached. He shouldn’t have to do that anymore, but it was too ingrained in him to suddenly change his attitude.

When he had lost his memories or when he was with me, he would joke around and smile much more often when he was with other people. Maybe that was Kyle’s true personality.

“We’ll stop by the Greenhouse, so go ahead. Take good care of this. It’s a gift to take when we meet His Majesty.”

Kyle handed Asella the birdcage covered with cloth that I was holding.

“My room is still the same, right?”

“Yes.”

Kyle, answering with a nod, took me and went ahead. But he stopped after a few steps and turned around. He looked at the top of Asella’s white head, which was bowed, and said,

“Thank you for protecting the castle without its master all this time.”

At those words, Asella raised her head. Her wrinkles deepened as she smiled brightly.

“I am simply grateful that you have returned safely.”

Kyle didn’t reply further and took me forward at a brisk pace. When they were no longer visible, I asked in a soft whisper,

“Is it awkward meeting them after so long?”

I asked because he seemed unsure of what to do, but Kyle chuckled.

“It’s not so much awkward as it is embarrassing. I disappeared after abandoning everything and then suddenly reappeared. I guess I can give them some kind of severance pay before I leave later.”

“…”

Wouldn’t it be better to just say thank you for waiting? What’s with the severance pay all of a sudden? And Kyle didn’t abandon them in the first place. It was just that the situation was unavoidable.

“Asella has worked in Talim for a long time, so I should acknowledge her contributions and give her a mansion in a quiet place. So she can rest comfortably in a place with good water and air in her old age.”

Kyle continued, swinging my hand back and forth.

“It’s strange to keep the castle empty, so Talim…”

The familiar Greenhouse began to come into view in the distance. But we had to stop. Someone came out as the Greenhouse door opened.

At first, I thought it was the gardener who managed the Greenhouse, but his attire was too extravagant for that. His appearance was also familiar, so I immediately recognized who the child was.

If I recognized him so quickly, Kyle must have noticed as well.

“Your Highness.”

As expected, Kyle approached him without hesitation. The prince, who looked to be about ten years old, stared at us with innocent-looking black eyes.

“Huh? Who are you? I’ve never seen your face before.”

The prince’s guard, who had been waiting nearby, made his presence known and approached. The guard, who seemed wary of us who had suddenly appeared, widened his eyes when he saw Kyle’s face. On closer inspection, it was Parha, who had taught me swordsmanship when I was young.

“A Servant? You?”

His chubby cheeks, not yet rid of baby fat, twitched. Nasser fiddled with his chin with his small hand, not letting go of his suspicious gaze.

Kyle just stared blankly at Nasser with a brazen face. He’d be found out soon anyway, so why was he playing this prank? Even as I wondered, I met Parha’s eyes.

I was wearing a hood, but he seemed to guess who I was. His face turned red, then blue, it was a mess.

“You don’t look like a Servant? What’s your name?”

Nasser muttered and glanced at me. I couldn’t help but wonder if I should take off my hood. Should I greet him as a Servant first? But isn’t it too late?

“Abyss.”

But those worries didn’t last long. Nasser’s eyes widened like saucers at the smooth lie that came out without even wetting his lips.

Looking at his surprised expression, I thought he really looked a lot like Mahir.

“U, Uncle?”

Kyle asked, looking bewildered, as if he didn’t expect to be found out.

“How did you know…”

Before Kyle could finish speaking, Nasser’s small body suddenly charged. There was no other word to describe it but a charge.

“You are my uncle, aren’t you?”

“…”

Nasser, who had hugged Kyle before I could even stop him, raised his head with a flushed face. His white, chubby cheeks were flushed red, and his black eyes sparkled.

13 – Side Story 13

“You are, aren’t you? You’re my uncle, aren’t you?”

Kyle, who had been silently looking down at Nasser repeating the same words like a parrot, moved his lips and answered.

“Yeah.”

Kyle hadn’t looked this flustered in years.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

We decided to go to the Greenhouse later and came to the drawing room first. Even though it had been a while, Kyle treated Nasser with the ease of someone who had been here yesterday.

At Kyle’s command, the Servants moved with precision, and tea and refreshments were quickly set on the table.

“When did you arrive? Did you come without any notice? My father didn’t say anything, so I didn’t even know you were coming, Uncle. Did you just arrive? And how is the Prince Consort so tall? I exercise every day, but I’m worried because I’m not getting any taller. Do you have any secrets?”

“……”

“……”

They had exchanged simple greetings, but Nasser was being excessively informal for a first meeting. Kyle and I were also a bit much in that regard, but Nasser was far worse than us.

“I told my mother my worries, and she stretches my legs and arms every evening and morning. But why am I not growing taller? And can I call you Aunt?”

“Nasser.”

Eventually, Kyle called him in a low voice. Nasser, who had been chattering away, looked at Kyle and smiled.

“Yes?”

“Height comes with time. You’re still young, so it’s natural to be small.”

“I’m already ten years old. What if I don’t grow taller?”

Nasser sighed deeply with a face full of worry. He looked so serious that I had nothing more to say. Kyle seemed troubled too, so I opened my mouth.

“Why do you want to be tall?”

“You don’t have to use honorifics, Aunt. And the reason I want to grow taller quickly is so I can help my father. Right now, I’m too small, so he doesn’t answer me properly even when I ask him something. He doesn’t take me anywhere either. He always says, ‘Let’s go together when you’re bigger’… My mother always tells me to do things when I’m bigger too.”

Nasser’s words flowed out quickly without any room to interject. Kyle stared silently at Nasser, who was pouting with a sulky expression, and said.

“Since you were born a Prince, it’s already decided that you have to take care of state affairs.”

“That’s right. That’s why I want to grow taller quickly.”

Height and age have nothing to do with each other, do they? Does he think you have to be tall to be an adult? It was a very childish idea.

“So there’s no need to start so early. You still have a lot to learn, so study and play in moderation. When you grow up, you’ll only have to do things you don’t want to do, and you won’t be able to do what you want.”

Nasser’s eyes widened at Kyle’s words. Then he smiled brightly and said in amazement.

“My father said the exact same thing to me.”

“Then why don’t you listen?”

“I just thought he was saying it to get rid of me because I was annoying. There wasn’t a single passage in any book that said you should play when you want to. But hearing you say the same thing, Uncle, suddenly makes me believe it.”

As if his worries had been resolved, Nasser grabbed the teacup with both hands and began to gulp it down. The way he ate the refreshments and picked up the fruit with his hands was childlike, but he didn’t look like a Prince.

Nasser, who had suddenly poured out all his worries to his uncle whom he had just met for the first time, ate the fruit with a comfortable expression, as if he felt relieved.

“When did you see me that you suddenly have faith in me?”

Kyle, who had been silent for a while, asked a beat later. There was no intention to scold, just a purely curious expression.

I was a little curious too. I wondered if he was just not shy, since he was acting as if they had met yesterday.

“I’ve heard a lot about you since I was little, Uncle. And I’ve seen video stones too. You were this small when you were little…”

Nasser wiggled his small hands, making a size about the size of an apple. I almost burst out laughing, so I quickly bit my lip and turned my head.

“You were even smaller than me. I think I was four or five years old then.”

“……”

Kyle didn’t say anything, looking displeased as if he didn’t like something.

“That’s why I was so happy to see you for the first time earlier. I always wanted to see you whenever I heard stories from my father and mother. I’ve heard a lot about you too, Aunt. You’re very talented in swordsmanship, so your skill was amazing even though you hadn’t been learning for a year.”

Could that be called talent? It was just possible because I was mindlessly strong without any technique. If we’re talking about talent, Kyle was much more amazing than me.

He was able to fight people several times his size with weak strength and was skilled at using the terrain. He had an excellent ability to assess the situation and was quick to judge, knowing exactly when to retreat and when to push forward.

But because his fighting style was more violent than his personality, I didn’t really like Kyle fighting. If we had to fight, it was better to run away as much as possible or for me to handle it.

“I went on a Stealth mission with my mother and the three of us, and she told me stories about you then too, Uncle. She said you often went outside and had fun playing around.”

“You went on a Stealth mission?”

Kyle asked in surprise, looking at Nasser, who was speaking with a chuckle.

“Yes, sometimes. Only when my father isn’t busy.”

“What do you do when you go out?”

“We just look around and buy delicious things to eat. The last time we went out, he bought me a wooden soldier doll. Seeing that suddenly made me want to try carving wood too. Have you and Aunt had that kind of experience? Anyway, I slightly cut my finger while carving. It’s all healed now. Do you want to see?”

Nasser held out his finger. Of course, there wasn’t even a scar left. Nasser’s cheeks, which had calmed down, turned red again as if he was excited and thrilled.

Kyle seemed interested but also somewhat puzzled. How should I put it? As if he didn’t know what to do. There wasn’t a hint of it on his face, but I could tell.

So the conversation was often interrupted awkwardly. Nevertheless, Nasser kept talking without a break, so it was at least not getting too awkward.

“When I was seven, I asked for a sword as a birthday present, but he said no to that too. Isn’t it okay to carry one for self-defense?”

“Well… carrying a sword that you can’t handle is counterproductive.”

“But if something happens, isn’t it better to have one than not to have one?”

At some point, Kyle stopped saying much, and only Nasser and I were talking. I handed Kyle a green jujube and said.

“Since you always have bodyguards with you anyway, nothing can happen in the first place.”

“But there’s always a chance of something happening.”

There couldn’t be a chance of something happening. Nasser didn’t seem to know, but there were already several more knights hiding around us since the first time we met.

I glanced at Kyle, thinking he probably already knew that fact. Kyle was already eating his fifth jujube that I had given him, as if he wasn’t going to say anything about that.

“Could it be because I haven’t learned swordsmanship?”

“It could be. Like Kyle said earlier, you’ll learn it naturally over time anyway. Don’t think about it too hastily.”

“I’m already ten years old. And I do basic training every day. When did you start learning swordsmanship, Aunt?”

I was speechless at that question. How old was I? I thought for a moment and opened my mouth.

“Was it fourteen?”

“Three.”

Kyle added, tilting his head. Then Nasser widened his eyes in surprise.

“That’s about the same age as me now?”

“It’s not the same at all? There’s a three-year difference.”

“Could you teach me swordsmanship in secret from my father, Aunt? I’ll keep it a secret until I die.”

As if this was his purpose, Nasser pleaded with a pitiful expression.

“Since it’s just us here right now, I’m acting like a child, but I’m actually quite mature when I’m with my retainers. I keep my promises well, and many people around me say I’m very grown-up. So there’s no way I won’t keep the secret. Please believe me.”

14 – Side Story 14

I don’t know what that has to do with this, but I could tell Nasser was really desperate. But it wasn’t a problem I could just solve because I wanted to.

“I’m not talented at teaching anyone.”

When I refused nicely, Nasser looked at Kyle this time.

“Then, Uncle…”

“……”

Kyle stared at Nasser and slowly moved his lips. Only the sound of the fruit being crushed and crunching could be heard. It felt like he was going to say no, but strangely, there was no answer.

Was he perhaps thinking about how to refuse nicely? Kyle has been spending quite a bit of time choosing his words during conversations these days. It was obvious that he was trying to say things as clearly as possible, thinking of all sorts of words.

I knew what he was going to say just by looking at his face, but young Nasser couldn’t wait patiently.

“Uncle? Uncle?”

The more he called, the more pitiful his voice became. Kyle’s face was also becoming increasingly troubled, and just as I was about to intervene, the door opened without a knock, and a welcome face appeared.

“Father!”

It was Mahir and Nadia.

Kyle, who had been sitting in a lazy posture, leaning almost lying down on the back of the sofa, was startled and jumped up. I also got up and tried to kneel with Kyle, but Mahir approached first.

Mahir closed the distance in just a few steps, hugging Kyle tightly before letting him go. Then he opened his mouth.

“Why do you always make me come find you first?”

“No, that’s not it, I was going to go wash up…”

“Aska, it’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“Yes, it’s been a long time.”

Mahir, unable to contain his joy, hugged Kyle tightly again, making a loud thud. A cute “cough” escaped from Kyle’s lips.

“Mother, Uncle saw me and joked that I was a new recruit who had just entered Talim.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and he said his name was Abyss. If you hadn’t told me about Uncle’s bodyguard before, I would have been completely fooled.”

With Nasser’s chattering added, the reception room instantly became noisy.

After standing for a long time, greeting and asking after each other, we were finally able to sit down after Asella brought tea.

“Have there been any problems in the meantime?”

“There were problems. A lot of them. I went to new places here and there…”

“I’m glad you’re doing well.”

Mahir, whose hair was shorter than the last time I saw him, said with a smile. He seemed to think we were traveling. The Primeval Forest and the Northern Continent were ambiguous to call trips.

Like everyone who meets after a long time, Mahir and Nadia had both matured a lot. In particular, Mahir even had wrinkles on his face that weren’t there before.

“If I had known this would happen, I would have made some more cookies today.”

Then Nadia looked at Mahir and said regretfully. I checked the table again, not paying attention to her words. In addition to fruits and refreshments, there were several types of cookies with slightly uneven shapes.

“You still go in and out of the kitchen?”

Kyle asked, looking dumbfounded, and Nadia’s eyes widened.

“Why? I go every day? My skills have improved a lot. Right?”

Mahir only smiled kindly at the question. It was an ambiguous reaction, neither affirmative nor negative. Kyle picked up a brown cookie with a sullen expression, put it in his mouth, and chewed.

“Mother, did you make cookies when you were young too?”

“Of course. Your Majesty and Prince Kyle both liked them very much. They ate them every day.”

“Really? Mother, you’re amazing!”

“……”

“……”

Nasser, with eyes full of respect, cheered, but Mahir and Kyle were still silent. Their appearance seemed so solemn that I turned my head away, pretending not to see. What do they taste like?

Then Kyle put the cookie he had half-eaten into my mouth. It was delicious without any particularly bad parts, but it was soft and heavy, so it wasn’t the kind of taste Kyle would like.

Mahir probably has a similar taste to Kyle. Or is it too sweet? Anyway, it was delicious to me.

“Come to think of it, Princess Asella has also tried the cookies I made before.”

“Aska? When?”

Kyle was the first to react to Nadia’s words. I couldn’t remember either, so I tilted my head. In the first place, we hadn’t met much.

“At the birthday banquet before. Don’t you remember? You were with me for a while.”

I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten for a while. It was when I came to Actan and attended Kyle’s birthday banquet for the first time. Come to think of it, we were together for a while back then.

Kyle told me not to take off my veil or speak, so we didn’t talk, but Nadia kept bringing me plates of food, so I remember eating well thanks to her.

“Haha.”

Kyle suddenly burst out laughing as if he remembered that time.

“Do you know what Aska said to me after the banquet that day? He said you kept bringing him delicious things, so he thought you were a really good person.”

Come to think of it, I think I said something like that. I still feel the same way now.

“Oh my, really? I heard you weren’t feeling well at the time, so I was very worried. But you were splitting apples with your hands that you barely stuck out from under the veil. I was relieved to see that.”

I remember. I was originally going to bring it inside the veil to eat, but it was too big, so I couldn’t help it.

“You split an apple in half?”

Kyle looked at me as if he was dumbfounded. Kyle sighed as he watched me turn my head away, pretending not to notice.

“I told you to pretend to be sickly back then.”

“No one saw it. Only me. And Princess Asella was very careful to hide and eat.”

“You handed them over to me at my eating speed, so I was able to eat well without getting caught.”

She even picked out only the delicious ones and gave them to me evenly, so I was able to eat a lot in a short amount of time.

“Anyway, he’s just happy if you give him something to eat…”

Kyle rubbed his forehead as if he was tired and muttered to himself. Honestly, there wasn’t a single bad person among the people I had met who gave me something to eat.

“Aunt.”

Then Nasser, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, called me. He had a worried look on his face.

“You shouldn’t follow just anyone who gives you something delicious…”

I suddenly received ridiculous advice from a child.

“I’ve never followed anyone.”

I replied, feeling dumbfounded, and Kyle interjected.

“Nasser is warning you in advance because your words and actions make it seem like you’ll follow anyone if they give you something to eat.”

“That’s right.”

I was about to say something, but then there was another knock. It was fortunate because I was in trouble. If it was just the two of us, I would have insisted that it wasn’t true until the end, but the situation wasn’t good now.

“Oh, right. I brought this as a gift for Nasser.”

Asella, holding a birdcage covered with cloth, was the one who opened the door and came in. Kyle took the birdcage, placed it on the table, and slowly removed the black cloth. The small bird, which had been covered in fluff, had red feathers in places, as if it had molted in that short time.

“A gift?”

Mahir asked, tilting his head. Kyle put his finger into the birdcage, rubbed Copa’s forehead, and said.

“Aska and I went to the hot springs and picked it up. It looked like a Copa chick, so I brought it for Nasser.”

“Copa? Which mountain?”

“Just a mountain near Sakira’s merchant guild. It was shivering under a tree covered in snow. I thought it would die if I left it alone, so I brought it.”

“My gift? Really?”

Nasser was delighted, circling around the birdcage. Nadia was looking at Nasser as if he was cute, but Mahir’s expression was subtle.

“But I can’t come empty-handed when we’re meeting for the first time. It’s smart enough to remember words and distinguish people, so take good care of it and raise it.”

“Thank you, Uncle. I’m so happy. Is it a chick now? How big will it get when it grows up?”

“The size difference is big depending on whether it’s male or female. It’s too young to tell right now, so ask a scholar when it grows up a little more. Or you can look for related books. It’s probably in my study, so take it with you when you go later. It’s still young and weak, so don’t touch it or bother it too much.”

“Yes, I understand. Is it nocturnal? Why did you cover it with a black cloth? Should I raise it in a dark place?”

“I was worried it might be anxious because we came on a ship…”

15 – Side Story 15

Nasser, full of curiosity, continued to ask questions. Kyle answered each one with sincerity, many of which contained knowledge that could only be obtained through research.

He mentioned the molting season, and that the longest feather in the tail should never be broken or plucked. He also emphasized minimizing environmental changes and always being attentive, especially since they were sensitive. Along with Nasser, Nadia listened intently to Kyle’s words, interjecting with questions from time to time.

Mahir still stared silently at Kyle.

“What’s its name?”

At Nasser’s question, Kyle shrugged.

“I don’t know. It’s your bird now, so you should name it.”

“Me?”

Nasser hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure, before speaking.

“Could my uncle perhaps name it?”

“What?”

“Since it’s a gift from you, Uncle, please give it a name too. Something cute, pretty, cool, and that sounds like the strongest in the world. Something that evokes a mysterious feeling just by hearing it!”

It was truly an absurd and unreasonable request. Where in the world could such a name be found? Kyle would surely be taken aback or flatly refuse, but his expression didn’t suggest that.

He certainly looked troubled, but not displeased. Kyle moved his lips, seeming to speak but hesitating for a long time, before muttering softly to himself.

“Agnes.”

Nasser, who had requested a name that was cute, pretty, cool, the strongest in the world, and evoked a mysterious feeling, smiled brightly, pleased with the name.

“I love it!”

At those words, Kyle’s rigid expression relaxed.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

By the time they finished dinner together, it was already dark. Nadia returned first with a sleepy Nasser. Once they were alone, Mahir asked as if he had been waiting for the opportunity.

“How is your injury?”

“All healed. That’s why I couldn’t contact you. I was somewhere near the World Boundary.”

“I had a feeling that was the case.”

Kyle poured two glasses of fruit wine, handing one to Mahir. He glanced at me as he brought over the remaining glass.

“You don’t drink.”

“Why?”

“Why, you ask? Anyway, absolutely don’t drink.”

Seeing the look in his eyes that said he wouldn’t let me get away with it, Mahir tilted his head.

“It’s not very strong, so one glass should be fine.”

“Absolutely not. She gets completely wasted after just one sip.”

“Ah… If you’re weak to alcohol, it’s best not to drink. There’s no health benefit to drinking anyway. Should I ask for some juice?”

“It’s alright.”

It felt strange to be the only one drinking juice while everyone else was having alcohol.

“Anyway, I went to the Primeval Forest, which is near the World Boundary. I met a Forgotten Race called Ophelia there…”

Kyle began to explain everything that had happened in great detail. I stared silently at the dark red fruit wine in the glass. What did it taste like? Could I just touch my tongue to it lightly?

I shook my head, lost in such thoughts without realizing it. As Kyle said, my alcohol tolerance was so terrible that something was bound to happen. It had been a long time since I’d come, and it would be more troublesome for Kyle than for me if I caused trouble for no reason.

Of course, I was all grown up now, so I might not act like a crazy clown like I did when I was young, but…

I stopped, remembering laughing and crying, clinging to Kyle, and splashing in the fountain.

“You’re inheriting memories?”

“So, if we assume Aska is a piece of cloth, right now it’s just a single, independent piece of cloth. Just one piece. The Succession Ritual is like sewing that piece of cloth onto the end of a long string. That string is made up of pieces of cloth that existed independently like Aska, sewn together to form a long line.”

“Does that mean one entity is being incorporated into a larger one?”

“That’s right.”

Suddenly, Mahir and Kyle both looked at me at the same time. But I had no time to worry about that.

Right now, my head was filled with the scene of me, drunk, acting out towards Kyle when I was young.

‘You can’t get mad at me even if I do something wrong…’

Crying and whining, making absurd demands.

‘Water… Water got in my mouth. Hahaha. I went ‘glub glub’.’

Crying, then suddenly laughing like crazy.

‘Someone gave you work and didn’t pay you? The charcoal shop owner?’

‘Yeah, he’s bald… Has blue eyes and always wears gray clothes… And he’s fat…’

‘Where’s the shop?’

‘Next to the Labori Crow Well…’

Forgotten memories began to surface vividly. The warmth and sensation of a large hand wiping away tears from my wet eyes, the gentle voice…

‘Okay, I’ll scold him next time I see him.’

Even the whispered promise.

“If you’re incorporated like that, all the memories of the predecessors get mixed in. So I decided not to do the Succession Ritual.”

“There are no disadvantages?”

“I don’t know. There might be, there might not be. Even if there are, I don’t want to do it. Right?”

Kyle asked, looking at me, who was lost in thought. I nodded with a dazed expression. Then Kyle’s eyes narrowed.

And like that day when I was drunk, Kyle gently stroked my forehead and eyes with his hand and asked.

“Are you sleepy? Why have you been so out of it since a while ago? Are you sulking because I won’t let you drink?”

“No.”

“Maybe some juice after all…”

Mahir was about to call a Servant, so I quickly shook my head.

“I’m fine. Anyway, as Kyle said, I’ve decided not to do the Succession Ritual. If my ego disappears, it’s no different from dying anyway.”

Kyle nodded at my words.

“The symbol of endless death ultimately refers to the memories being inherited. Even if the body dies, if the memories continue, you live forever. Ophelia said that if Aska dies, she’ll be re-impregnated in the most suitable host nearby.”

Mahir’s eyes widened at those words.

“Aska will?”

“If you don’t inherit the memories, the newly born one will be a completely different individual. Aska isn’t going to be incorporated into that long string.”

“Then what exactly is Aska’s current state? If she’s not that Seamstress you mentioned, and not a Magical creature…”

Mahir trailed off, looking back and forth between me and Kyle. I couldn’t define what I was either, so I couldn’t answer.

Then Kyle opened his mouth.

“Right now, you can just say she’s a rare species that exists only in this world. Ophelia said so too. A new species that arose naturally.”

“A new species… I see.”

“And the Queen Consort of Actan, and my beloved wife.”

“…”

Mahir’s brow furrowed for a moment at the sudden statement. His expression was somewhat awkward, which made me feel awkward too.

“No, now that I think about it, it’s not a rare species that exists only as one, but as two.”

Mahir tilted his head at those words. I realized what Kyle was about to say in an instant. No, like this all of a sudden? I thought he would tell Mahir someday, but I didn’t expect him to do it so suddenly.

Kyle pointed to himself with his finger, looking at the puzzled Mahir.

“Me.”

“What?”

“I ended up becoming like that too. So I’m not human now.”

“…”

Mahir didn’t seem to fully understand the meaning of the sentence at the shocking statement. He stared blankly at Kyle for a long time before turning his gaze to me.

Suddenly feeling ashamed, I couldn’t help but lower my gaze. Without realizing it, I neatly gathered my hands on my lap and straightened my back.

Because I was the culprit who made his only brother not human.

“Human…”

“I’m not.”

“Then, then…”

“A rare species that exists only as two in the world. The Prince of Actan. And Aska’s beloved groom.”

“…”

Oblivious to Mahir’s feelings, Kyle said proudly, as if he was proud of himself. Mahir’s face, which had been turning to shock, turned pale, and he finally grabbed the back of his neck.

“My wounds heal quickly now. Do you want to see?”

Kyle got up from his seat with a sly smile. Mahir groaned and muttered lowly.

“Sit down.”

At the low voice, Kyle quickly sat back down on the sofa. The smile still hadn’t disappeared from his face.

“Anyway, I’m fine now. I won’t die before I become an adult. Although I’ve already passed it a long time ago.”

16 – Side Story 16

“That’s not the problem… How did that happen?”

It wasn’t like he wasn’t human from the start like me. Kyle was human and then his race changed, so it was actually an impossible phenomenon.

“When I was badly hurt, Aska put his blood and flesh and stuff into my body. This and that. Somehow, I guess that caused a mutation in me… maybe? So I’m almost like a half-Revenant. Ophelia can’t really tell the difference between Aska and me either. And the Security magic in the Ruins too.”

Kyle seemed to be trying to explain it as easily as possible so Mahir could understand. But he was still playful, so Mahir’s complexion was still not good.

Seeing that, Kyle chuckled.

“Or maybe I’m not human anymore, so I can’t be called your brother anymore?”

Mahir was almost dumbfounded by the strange logic.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“But why are you so surprised? Nothing much has changed except that I live a little longer. It’s actually good. I live longer, my wounds heal quickly, and all my pain is gone.”

“……”

Mahir seemed to be at a loss for words at the overly optimistic attitude. I was also at a loss for words. Of course, Kyle’s words weren’t false, but it wasn’t a problem that could be easily dismissed.

When I first found out that I wasn’t human, Kyle took it so lightly. I couldn’t tell if he was bold or just didn’t think.

“So, I mean, don’t worry too much. Even if I become a monster worm, I’ll still be your brother.”

“Monster worm is a bit much…”

Was it because of Kyle’s overly calm attitude? Eventually, as if infected, Mahir’s complexion returned to normal. He was still confused, but the anxiety seemed to have disappeared a lot.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Mahir sighed and muttered to himself. Then Kyle nodded.

“That’s right, that’s how it is. Just like how you’re still my brother whether you’re the Emperor or not.”

“……”

“Like Actan is my home wherever you are, whether you’re in Actan or another country.”

“……”

Mahir’s eyes widened at the quietly flowing voice. After a moment of silence, Mahir turned to me with a serious expression.

“Aska.”

“Yes?”

“From now on, you must answer my questions honestly. Do you understand?”

“Yes?”

Mahir frowned at my bewildered question. I heard Kyle clicking his tongue and muttering.

“Annoying, really.”

“Can’t you answer quickly?”

“Give it up. What do you mean die? Are you drunk?”

“Surely you don’t have less than 10 years left, do you?”

“No!”

Mahir, who was overly moved, seemed to think that Kyle’s words were his last will.

¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸

Mahir, who said he would only wet his lips, drank almost a whole bottle of fruit wine because he was in a good mood. He didn’t seem particularly drunk, but he laughed much more than usual.

Kyle was excited and talked for a long time, as if a child who had finished his first errand was bragging to his parents. He exaggerated, bluffed, and then acted all pitiful to get a generous allowance.

Because Kyle kept giving me signals, I had no choice but to help him when he was acting pitiful.

“Your Majesty, it’s past midnight.”

If someone hadn’t reminded Mahir of the time, Kyle would have taken all the jewels on his body.

“It’s already this late.”

“You’re not drunk, are you?”

“No. Come to the main palace with Aska by tomorrow morning. I’ll tell you about the Ruins you’ve discovered so far.”

Kyle and I also got up from the sofa to see Mahir off. Kyle earnestly asked the escort knight.

“Tarik, take good care of Your Majesty.”

“I told you I’m not drunk.”

“I didn’t say take good care of him because he’s drunk, I just said take good care of him in the future.”

“Don’t worry.”

After exchanging a few more words while standing there, Mahir left.

I thought we would wash up and go to bed right away, but Kyle said he wanted to get some fresh air, so we went out to the garden for a while. Kyle walked leisurely along the path and looked up. I couldn’t take my eyes off Kyle, who was looking at the sky full of stars.

“Are you dizzy?”

Kyle also drank quite a bit of fruit wine with Mahir. I wondered if he was drunk, so I asked, but Kyle smiled and turned to me.

“I’ve never gotten drunk even when I drank alcohol since I was young.”

“You drank alcohol since you were young?”

“Just occasionally, depending on the occasion. Not often.”

He certainly wasn’t staggering, and there was nothing slurred in his speech. However, every time he spoke, there was a sweet fruit scent, which made my mouth dry for no reason.

“When I was young…”

As I muttered in a small voice, Kyle took my hand.

“Yeah?”

Then he moved closer and turned his head completely towards me. He looked at my eyes, which were particularly blue today, and continued.

“It reminded me of when I was young. Back then, I was the one who was drunk, not you.”

Kyle, who immediately remembered what I was talking about, chuckled.

“You were really amazing back then. You kept hugging me and laughing a lot. ‘Hee hee hee, hehe hehe,’ you said. You begged me not to marry and clung to my legs, begging me to love only you.”

“……”

When did I do that?

He shamelessly lied, cleverly mixing what happened and what didn’t. I was dumbfounded, but I didn’t feel like correcting him. In fact, my true feelings at that time were more than Kyle’s lies, not less.

“If you ever need anything in the future, just cry and cling to me like that.”

At those words, I frowned.

“Do I have to cry?”

“It’s much more effective if you do. Maybe I’ll even die if you tell me to die?”

Why did he have to use that as an example? Kyle laughed at my face, which was even more distorted because I was annoyed. It wasn’t funny at all, but what was so enjoyable about it?

“If you hadn’t cried like that back then, I might have gotten married. It wouldn’t have changed the fact that I liked you whether I got married or not, so I didn’t really think it was a big problem back then.”

It was really absurd logic. But it seemed like Kyle would really do that, so I suddenly felt a chill down my spine. Honestly, I was very embarrassed because I acted so disgracefully, but I was glad that I cried well at the right time with the help of alcohol.

“What would have happened if I had married someone else back then?”

Kyle looked at me with a curious expression. I imagined Kyle marrying someone else for a very brief moment. Carefully lifting the thick veil, kissing, and swearing love to the Sun God…

“If that happened…”

Even though I only recalled a brief fragment, it was so unpleasant that I quickly erased the thought. If I had actually seen that scene, I would never have let it go. I would have overturned the temple to prevent the marriage from happening in the first place, or, if that didn’t work, I would have knocked Kyle out and run away with him…

“If that happened?”

Wouldn’t I have run away? I was having violent thoughts because I was annoyed, but Kyle urged me to answer. But his eyes, staring blankly, were so affectionate that my eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

“…I would have been so sad.”

“……”

“……”

The moisture that had risen so urgently without any way to stop it eventually overflowed and slid down my cheeks.

“Why are you crying?”

The smile instantly disappeared from Kyle’s face. I was even more embarrassed by his flustered question. As I lowered my head, droplets fell down.

“I just asked without thinking, I wanted to hear you say not to marry someone else. It was a joke.”

“I know.”

“I don’t like anyone else. I only like you.”

Kyle hugged my head tightly as if he was being chased by something and said urgently. I burst out laughing because the situation was so strange, and only then did Kyle release the strength of his tightly held arms.

“Why are you crying about that?”

“I’m not crying.”

17 – Side Story 17 (Final)

“Yeah, I didn’t cry. You didn’t cry.”

As I mumbled with a nasal voice, Kyle wiped my eyes and cheeks with his hands. I quietly felt his warm touch before opening my mouth.

“You did that back then too. When I whined, you would always soothe me like this.”

“No, you didn’t whine much back then. You just stumbled around with a smile.”

“When I said I was working without getting paid, you said you’d scold that bald guy at the charcoal shop for me.”

I lifted my head from Kyle’s shoulder. My eyes grew hot again, making a mockery of his diligent wiping.

“So, is that why you kept wanting to go there?”

“That too, and I also wanted to see the place where you lived when you were young. It’s a bit of both. Stop crying.”

“How do you still remember that? I just said it while I was a little drunk.”

“I have to remember it even more because you said it while drunk. You don’t usually say things like that. In that sense, I should get you drunk periodically from now on.”

Kyle started joking again. Whenever I seemed sad or in a bad mood, Kyle was always like this. He would shake my mind with ridiculous nonsense. So, even when I was about to get sad, I would quickly cheer up.

“You become incredibly honest and cute when you’re drunk. You’re cute now too, of course, but it’s a little different when you’re drunk. It’s funny how you try so hard to walk on your own while staggering, but then you slowly cling to me. And it’s fun how you smile like a fool whenever our eyes meet. Ah, I want to get you completely drunk and do whatever I want.”

No, when you think about it, it wasn’t so much that I cheered up, but rather that all my worries became meaningless because it was so absurd.

Kyle did his best to cheer me up by rattling off all sorts of nonsense until we arrived at the Greenhouse. Fortunately, he became quiet once we entered the Greenhouse.

“It’s the same here.”

As Kyle said, the Greenhouse looked exactly as it did before we left. The stone tower we had built before, the swimming pool, the structure, and the types of plants. Even the bedding I had awkwardly placed was still there.

However, it wasn’t dusty or neglected.

“I was going to give the Talim to Nasser since we wouldn’t be coming often.”

Kyle, who had been scanning the Greenhouse, looked at me.

“I shouldn’t give it away. This is the first home you cultivated.”

I nodded at his words.

“That’s right, this is mine.”

I didn’t want to give it to anyone else because Kyle had given it to me. Even if we had to leave it empty for a long time, as Kyle said, I wanted to keep it.

“Should I hang the chandelier I bought last time here?”

It was such an incompatible combination that I couldn’t answer easily. Kyle took me to the small stone tower, noticing my obvious dislike.

I brushed back Kyle’s forehead and hair and asked.

“About the name you gave the bird earlier.”

I quickly changed the subject, afraid he would keep talking about the chandelier.

“Was that the name you wanted to give the bird you received from Mahir when you were young?”

Kyle’s eyes widened at my question.

“How did you know?”

As I expected.

He wanted to raise it, he wanted to take care of it properly until the end, so he looked up related information and even named it, but in the end, he let it fly into the sky. What was young Kyle thinking as he watched the bird fly high into the blue sky?

“I just had a feeling.”

“That’s amazing. How do you always know so well?”

Kyle, who was kneeling in front of the stone tower, muttered happily. Kyle began to clumsily stack small stones one by one next to it.

“Agnes is the name of a famous Saintess from ancient times. She was so beautiful and wise that she was loved by God. The bird I received from Mahir was a fully grown falcon. As soon as I saw it, it was so dignified. So, I couldn’t just give it any name.”

Until now, I had been constantly imagining escaping from the Imperial Castle with young Kyle.

Since we were both young, there would definitely be many difficulties, but I thought that if we overcame them together, relied on each other, and loved each other, it would be better than back then. So, I kept thinking that it would have been much better if we had met even a little earlier.

But my thoughts changed more and more. Not when we were young, but I wanted to go back to the past right now and meet young Kyle. Not the younger me who couldn’t do anything, who was dirty and weak, but the me of now.

Then I could block all the rain and wind that tormented you. I could always hold you so you wouldn’t fall. I could let you raise as many birds as you wanted, and I could make you laugh as much as you wanted without having to be cruel.

“Ophelia said the world is currently being destroyed. Isn’t there a way to stop it?”

Kyle asked, focusing on stacking stones. He managed to succeed up to three stones, but he kept failing on the fourth.

“Maybe there is.”

“Then maybe we can save the world from destruction?”

“We?”

As I asked, bewildered, Kyle raised his head and looked at me.

“If we wander around the underground Ruins, we might find a way to put the misaligned gears that Ophelia mentioned back in place.”

Honestly, it seemed impossible, but I didn’t care about that.

“That’s right, maybe we can.”

“I think I saw something similar in a book when I was young. Something about a hero defeating the Demon King to save the world.”

It sounded like a nonsensical and childish fairy tale that only children would read. But somehow, my heart was pounding at that absurd story.

“We’re not defeating the Demon King, but we’re still protecting the world, so it’s similar. We’re like a hero couple.”

Kyle’s voice gradually became smaller, and now he was completely silent. After concentrating, he finally succeeded in stacking four stones, and now it was time to put the fifth stone on top.

Protecting the world…

“…”

My whole world is all around you.

“Ah, done.”

Although it was much smaller, Kyle succeeded in stacking five stones, just like the one I made.

“The peace of the family…”

Kyle, who raised his head, smiled and was about to say something to me, but he trailed off. It was because I was crying again.

“Why are you crying again?”

“I just got something in my eye.”

My voice was so hoarse that I couldn’t even speak properly. Kyle, who was looking at me mumbling with a sob as if he was dumbfounded, stood up, supporting himself on his knees.

Then he hugged me again and kissed my eyes, cheekbones, cheeks, and lips indiscriminately.

“Is it because we came home after a long time? You keep crying.”

“I told you I wasn’t crying.”

“Yeah, you didn’t cry. Anyway, stop crying now that you’re a hero.”

“What hero? That’s childish, really. Are you a kid?”

At my words, Kyle suddenly pulled away from me and said as if he was wronged.

“Come to think of it, my 20s just disappeared? 5 years sick, and 5 years in the Primeval Forest just passed by… No, am I thirty now? That’s ridiculous. I haven’t even lived for many years.”

“Age doesn’t really matter now.”

“That’s true, but… The hero in the fairy tale was in his 20s.”

“No, why are you suddenly talking about heroes since a while ago?”

“Anyway, we’re people who can save the world. Or maybe not, but…”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I looked at Kyle, who shrugged his shoulders.

“What kind of hero says it can’t be helped? You have to say you’ll save the world without giving up until the end.”

My world is all around you.

In a place where you can reach out and grab it, in a place where your gaze lingers, at the foot of where your steps reach, I have built the whole world.

Without you, my world cannot exist.

“Still, we have to give up if it’s dangerous. My goal is to live with you for a long, long time. Anyway, let’s try to save the world as long as it’s not dangerous.”

Kyle held out his hand as if asking for a favor. I burst out laughing in absurdity. I pulled his neck and kissed his sweet-smelling lips and said.

“Okay.”

“I like it too.”

“I love you.”

Therefore, our journey is ultimately a journey to save the world.

Side Story End for All Your Unbeautiful Things

No sharing, it’s not hard to keep it for yourself

Please protect the precious Tokki