Chapter 25.
#25.
The cold wind bites the skin.
If it was a normal person, it would be so cold that he would lose his life in no time.
If at least the cold had come, I would have been able to do something about it.
Dark night.
This place was hell, with intense snowstorms that made it impossible to see an inch ahead.
A hell with ice caps that seem to freeze even the flames of eternity.
Such hell.
Ariera walked out through the knee-deep snow.
“…”
Summer has passed and winter has come, and her heart has been torn apart by the storm of the Iron Mountains.
Like a dead man.
She roamed the summit of the Iron Mountains.
“My plan was perfect…Iris couldn’t have died.”
Muttering these words.
There was no focus in Ariera’s eyes as she uttered those words.
Who would think of an elf enjoying a heavenly life after seeing this?
Staggering gait.
Her arms and legs turned blue.
Truly, the term “Dead” Fit perfectly.
“Where the hell are you?”
Ariera then bit her lip nervously.
Her dry, twisted lips were easily torn even by such weak stimulation, and blood flowed out.
Tuktuk.
Blood flowed from her lips, down her chin, and wet her eyes.
Ariera walked over her red eyes.
“It must be around here…”
According to her plan, Iris’ landing point should have been here.
There must have been traces around here.
But why is there nothing?
“If it goes according to my plan…So if it goes according to my plan…”
Ariera muttered.
Two lost eyes scanned the frozen ground.
The surroundings were desolate with a blizzard.
Nothing was visible.
I didn’t even feel Iris’ energy at all.
Fluff.
Ariera, who confirmed that, collapsed onto her field of pure white snow.
The reality she didn’t want to face became lodged in her head like her knife.
That’s right, this place.
This is where Ariera is standing now, exactly where she first came to find her Iris a few hours ago.
It will go around the top of the mountain.
In order to feel the aura of Iris a little more clearly, she did not use any protective magic and endured her naked body, her tender skin against the biting cold, she said.
Still, I couldn’t find a single feather of Iris.
“Ah…”
Ariera groaned in her sorrow as she sat down in her snow.
The cost of blindly believing in her plan was too great.
Her sun, the only one of her own, has disappeared.
In her mind, the past days with Iris passed slowly like a kaleidoscope.
3 Years ago.
Iris, whom I happened to see, was so beautiful.
She wanted to keep those bright red eyes of hers.
Everything about her was good.
Even the smell of sweat.
I just wanted to hug her and roll her bed and bury her face on the nape of her iris, which smelled like thick flowers.
“Ah.”
A smile spread across Ariera’s face for an instant.
Perhaps her unfocused eyes were showing something she couldn’t see anymore, something that couldn’t be achieved.
Knock tok.
Ariera’s fingers moved as if they were playing her piano.
She tapped her finger on her collarbone, which was stained bright red with embarrassment.
Weakly biting Iris’ ear as she tried to escape.
The image of herself whispering her words, I love her, stood in her tear-filled eyes.
Her tears that froze before they could flow down her eyes made her yellow eyes red.
It stings.
The feeling in her hands and feet has long since disappeared.
But for some reason, it wasn’t as much as snow.
The tingling pain from her frozen tears lifted Ariera’s mind, which was struggling in her delusion, to the surface.
“…”
Whii—!
A cold wind brushed her cheeks.
She seems to have had a hot time with Iris in a warm room even just a moment ago.
While basking in her warmth, Iris, she was warm enough to forget about the occasional storm.
When she came to her senses, there were only cold eyes rolling around her.
“……”
Where did it go wrong?
She just wanted to monopolize her limited resource called Iris.
I wanted to make them rely on me and only look at me.
Her greed was too much.
“Ughhh…!”
Drops of ice fell from her eyes.
I shouldn’t have let go of Iris.
I shouldn’t have rolled her head and sent Iris flying into this inhospitable place.
It was a belated regret.
By the time I realized that, it was too late.
Her heart broke.
“Huhhhhh..!”
The sadness that she couldn’t bear to contain in her heart burst out of her mouth.
Ariera’s howl echoed across the Iron Mountains.
* * *
I have no home.
There were many items for sale.
It’s just that we didn’t have a house where we could live.
“…Go away.”
“If you give me your body, I might sell you?”
Most of them were like this.
“…”
Lucia’s face darkened as she eagerly held her hand and went to save her house.
Her face was full of regret.
Seeing Lucia like that, she seems to have some sense of responsibility in saving my house.
Suddenly, I smiled bitterly as I was grateful for Lucia’s heart.
At the same time, Lucia let out her wide sigh.
“…I have to go to the guild.”
Up until now, the only place that said they would sell us a house was the guild.
However, the price was an issue…
I was able to find out how much the price offered by the guild was a bargain while looking for a house.
It was roughly twice the regular price.
Calling a run-down cabin twice as common.
There was no scam like this, but it was a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of
So this wasn’t Lucia’s fault.
In a way, it could be said that it was my fault for not preparing my identity.
That’s why Lucia herself doesn’t have to be so morose.
‘I should at least comfort you.’
I was about to open my mouth after thinking that.
Lucia spoke softly.
“…Sorry. I wanted to find a good house for the newlyweds.”
“…”
I tried to tell you it was okay, but my mouth closed tight.
Then she raised her eyes and glared at Lucia.
Did you feel that stinging gaze?
Lucia, who was looking in front of her, turned her head and looked down at me.
Lucia looked at my expression and trembled.
“This is not a newlywed house.”
I stretched out my index finger toward Lucia and said, as if admonishing her.
Then Lucia shook her head, sweating profusely.
I smiled at him with a satisfied smile and finally delivered the comforting words I had prepared earlier.
“I wish I knew. And I’m just happy to have a house. Don’t make that face.”
No matter how expensive the house is.
If it was out of the hands of the emperor, that was it.
Now I was proud and happy that I was preparing for a new life.
Above all…
“Wandering around looking for a house with Lucia, that alone was a valuable experience for me.”
It was true.
Even just walking around freely on this street and having a conversation was a happiness for me.
Sometimes, when I felt anxious that someone was watching me, it was enough to shake off that fear with Lucia’s hand that I was holding tight.
That’s why Lucia was like a gift that really fell from the sky to me.
“So don’t die.”
Looking at Lucia, he smiled brightly.
“…”
Then she raised her head and looked at Lucia, her face flushed red.
At that, my head tilted.
I didn’t think what I said was romantic or embarrassing.
But why?
Push—
Now, the more I look at Lucia, who is starting to steam, the more questions come to my mind.
She became a woman, but that didn’t mean she could understand a woman’s heart.
Because I was a man inside.
But, seeing things I liked didn’t make me feel bad or anything like that.
‘That’s it.’
Because good is good.
I understood alone and shook my head.
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Just then.
“…Then, shall we go? Ah, Iris.”
Lucia, whose cheeks were still blushing, said while holding my hand tightly.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
I nodded at that and we headed to the guild.
On the way to the guild, we walked hand in hand without saying anything to each other.
Both Lucia and I seem to have thought deeply about something, but she didn’t really remember that thought.
She just seemed to enjoy the atmosphere itself.
When I arrived in front of the guild like that.
Kiki—
Lucia opened the guild door and entered.
“Puhahahahaha!!!”
At the same time, the loud voice of guests and guests is heard once again.
Hearing that sound again didn’t make me happy.
My body naturally clung to Lucia’s side.
It was an unconscious act.
“…”
With a hard face, he lowered his head to avoid eye contact with the guests.
At the same time as we entered the guild, the surroundings were swallowed up by the silence, like a lie.
I started to feel the serious gaze again.
My body trembled intermittently.
Perhaps feeling the trembling, Lucia squeezed my hand once more.
“Don’t worry.”
After saying that, Lucia took the lead and started walking.
Babaktabak.
The sound of her footsteps resonated throughout the quiet guild, and her gaze was somewhat distracted by Lucia, who was leading the way.
Only then did I feel like I could breathe.
I let out the breath I had been holding back.
“Excuse me.”
Meanwhile, Lucia shouted as she arrived at the counter.
Then far away.
The guild master, who was sitting in a chair and drinking, slowly walked out.
He said in a smirking voice.
“This…A welcome guest. Where… Did you get the house? Well, if I had saved it, I wouldn’t have come here. Or are you here to sell your body?”
“Puhahahahaha!!!”
At those words, the guests nearby burst into laughter.
It was an unpleasant situation.
Lucia’s eyebrows moved.
“Whoa. Anyway, can’t you joke with your temper? Are you looking for a house? Let’s see… The house from a moment ago?”
“…”
The guild master with a big smile said quietly.
The disgusting smell of alcohol seemed to reach here.
Lucia’s hand that was holding her trembled.
The last time we met, Lucia seemed to hate men very much for some reason.
Because she was the one who didn’t hesitate to say she would tear my boyfriend to death.
If it was her usual personality, that guild master would probably be wandering around her death by now.
It seemed that he was holding back because of me.
Lucia held her hand firmly and let go of her anger, then continued her words.
“…Right. I came to buy that house.”
“Ah, that house. Fortunately, it’s not sold yet. But who will live there? Are you the younger brother behind me? Puch. It must be dangerous for two women to live.”
After saying that, the guild master glanced at me.
My body trembled at the sight of that sticky and disgusting gaze.
She hurriedly pulled her hat on tightly so that her face could not be seen.
The guild master looked at me like that for a while, then turned his gaze away while licking his lips.
“Well, that’s for them to decide on their own. As I said before, the price of the house is 130 gold. Oops! But it just changed. With 150 gold.”
The guild master erases one part of the contract while squeaking.
And then I started writing anew on it.
150 Gold instead of 130 gold.
“What…”
My face stained with bewilderment, I muttered as if in a state of collapse.
That was the moment.
Dduk.
There was the sound of something breaking.