139 – Jin…Jeon? (1)
“But, but I mean…”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t it too early? When you think about it, we still don’t even know what the owner is thinking, and, what should I say, doing this and that. Isn’t it a bit too early?”
Without even knowing what she was saying, Merilda started to babble, and Ryoo, looking at her with slightly cold eyes, sighed and spoke.
“Chief, do you want to retreat at this point?”
“No, it’s not about retreating, it’s about being more cautious-“
“Whether it’s cautious or not, if it’s not now, then there’s no other way, right? Look. Right now, Matapju has left home and Teinu’s top won’t be coming back anymore, right? Am I wrong?”
“Well, that’s true, but-“
＜p class=”a”＞From Noble mtl dot com“Now all we have to do is stop the blue-haired hero next to that lord. Of course, there’s also a blacksmith, but we don’t even need to stop the blacksmith in the first place.”
“True, but-“
“Plus, Giral is working hard to stop the disciple of the absolute ruler of darkness, right? Do you seriously think a better situation than this will come in the future or not?”
Merilda fell silent at Ryoo’s words.
She had nothing to say, and, to be honest, her words were correct.
Despite being fully aware of this fact, Merilda continued to be anxious because she had no idea how Kim Hyun-woo would react.
Merilda wanted to share affection with Kim Hyun-woo and even thought about deepening their relationship, but she had never gone that far.
Furthermore, ten years ago, Merilda did not receive Kim Hyun-woo’s courtship.
In fact, she didn’t receive his courtship because she was afraid that misusing magic could ruin the territory.
However, despite being aware of this fact, Merilda hesitated, fearing what Kim Hyun-woo’s reaction would be to what happened next.
“Chief.”
“…Yes.”
“I don’t know about anything else, but you must remember this one thing, Chief. If you keep going around in fear, nothing will work out. In reality, it’s been half a year… no, it’s almost been a year and there’s been no progress, right?”
“That’s, true…”
“Of course, it seems like the others you mentioned are also unable to move easily due to the fear of how their relationships might change. But eventually, someone will break the ice.”
“…”
“Of course, if the lord really hates it, then I don’t know. But on the contrary, if someone breaks the ice and things go well for that person? Chief, you will definitely regret it. Truly.”
Ryoo looked straight at Merilda as she spoke.
“Leader, fortify your resolve. Ultimately, staying put or taking a step forward in hatred amounts to the same thing.”
“…It’s not exactly the same.”
“No, if you spend your whole life just going around in circles, it all ends up the same.”
Upon Rieu’s firm words, Merilda licked her dry lips several times before nodding as if in agreement.
“…You’re right.”
With a determined expression, Merilda gazed at the walls of Lartania.
“Yes! That’s it!”
Looking at Merilda like that, Rieu flashed a bright smile and struck a fighting pose.
And then.
“…In reality, it feels odd to be so enthusiastic when it’s essentially forced.”
Watching them quietly, Gerta, one of the Four Kings with crimson eyes, made a subtle expression as she observed the two.
And as time passed a bit, evening fell.
“Phew…”
Letting out a long sigh, Kyrall arrived in front of the hill overlooking Yeongjuseong, where he usually sat, and breathed out lightly.
In the end, although Kyrall accepted the water Rieu offered to help the Leader, he had no intention of actually using it.
Initially, it wouldn’t be entirely true to say Kyrall had no human affection towards Lorelle, but he was well aware that using it recklessly was not the right approach in their relationship.
Of course, using such things carelessly was difficult in any relationship.
…Anyway, that’s why Kyrall planned to persuade Lorelle as best as he could, turning his gaze away for a moment as he headed towards the hill.
“…!”
“Long time no see.”
Soon, Kyrall could see Lorelle standing as usual.
No,
“Why is that?”
“No, no… It’s just… I had a brief different thought.”
He could see a very suspicious Lorelle.
Seeing Lorelle very anxious and flustered upon looking at him, even to the extent of making him, who was contemplating how to persuade her, momentarily regain a cool-headed composure, Kyrall was quite composed.
Just as Kyrall was about to speak.
“Wait…!”
“!?”
Lorelle grabbed Kyrall’s hand and began to pull him down the hill.
Kyrall was greatly taken aback by the sudden situation.
Why on earth is this woman doing this? Yet, deep down, he couldn’t help but think that things were unexpectedly going well, which led him to consider if this wasn’t so bad after all, as he followed her down the hill.
“?
As they descended the hill, Kyrall could see it.
A small pink water bottle inside her pocket.
“Huh?”
The moment Kyrall saw the water bottle, he couldn’t help but let out a puzzled sound.
It was understandable, as anyone would recognize that the water in her pocket was from the Shyue Spring.
Staring blankly at the water, which was already halfway used up and swishing inside the bottle, Kyrall soon raised his gaze to look at Lorelle’s face.
‘Ordinary.’
Her face was ordinary. It was a face that could never have had a sip of Shaiyu’s spring water, even just a little.
So, was it something she brought back after using it? If one were to consider that, the likelihood was high that it wasn’t the case.
Originally, the spring water made by the Suis would, once opened, evaporate completely within three days from the moment of opening.
Therefore, when Gyral, with a puzzled expression, noticed there was still water left in the vial, it meant that someone had recently used the water.
“When I first saw you, you looked extremely anxious, the reason you hurriedly dragged me down the hill, and there was nothing left in the vial but a half cup of spring water…!”
Soon, the truth dawned on him.
“This-!”
Thinking he was caught, he frowned and tried to push the hand away.
Pop-!
“Huh!?”
In the next moment, Gyral realized that a vial was stuck in his mouth.
Moreover, it was the Shaiyu’s spring water that was in Loriel’s embrace just a while ago.
Gulp-!
And as Gyral instinctively swallowed the water that rushed into his mouth in a split second, he felt a dizzying sensation and an inexplicable chill as he looked at her.
“…You seem like you need to play with me a little.”
Loriel looked at Gyral with a decisive gaze.
And that was the moment Gyral was taken by Loriel.
After the lights in the room where Kim Hyunwoo was turned off, Merilda, who was about to enter Lartania, took a deep breath and realized one thing.
That the window where Kim Hyunwoo was covered with something black.
The moment she realized that, she instinctively thought she was late, widened her eyes in realization of being too late, and dashed out as she was.
And at that moment.
“Hmm?”
As they had reached the depths of winter, Kim Hyunwoo, who had fallen asleep under a thick blanket, woke up feeling that his stomach was heavier than usual.
“Huh?”
Soon, Kim Hyunwoo could see Lin out of the blue.
With moist eyes, looking at him with an adorable expression.
Momentarily looking at her with a blank expression, Kim Hyunwoo blinked several times as if not quite grasping the situation.
“Are you awake?”
“I… I am, but… why am I here all of a sudden?”
“It’s only natural. You came because you missed me.”
“Because I missed you…?”
Through several repeated conversations and Lin’s actions of getting closer with her body pressed against him, Kim Hyunwoo realized that this was not a dream.
“Huh…?”
As he properly grasped that fact, Kim Hyunwoo looked at Lin’s face in confusion.
Feeling a sweet scent emanating from her body that momentarily made his head spin, he looked at Lin with a slightly bewildered expression.
But regardless of Kim Hyunwoo’s reaction, she delicately cupped his cheek with her right hand.
Handling it as if it were something very precious, Lin playfully teased his cheek a few times, then slowly lowered her face towards Kim Hyunwoo, closed her eyes softly, and leaned closer in his direction.
“!?”
Immediately, she bent down and their lips met.
And.
“Eubub-!?”
Small and delicate, a tongue began to enter Kim Hyunwoo’s mouth.
Seggsu