Incompatible Interspecies Wives chapter 175

175 – The Passage of Time (7)

Dozens of days passed again.

The weather was slowly growing colder.

I was in a state of meeting Brother Adam.

“The weather’s getting cold.”

I said to my brother.

As I did, I swept up the fallen leaves off his gravestone.

I still couldn’t come to terms with the fact that my brother had left.

Rather than him being dead…it felt as if he had only temporarily moved somewhere else.

I thought he would show up again and greet me at any minute.

I felt like I could welcome him with a laugh without any resistance.

Perhaps for that reason,

I still couldn’t fill in his tombstone inscription.

It seemed impossible to write words of farewell to someone who didn’t seem to be gone.

“I’ll come again…”

I spent some time in front of the grave and started moving.

– Chirp! Chirp!

During my walk, a recent animal companion lands on my shoulder.

A bluebird.

Interestingly, I even gave it the name ‘Lua’ as it followed me.

“You came today too, Lua.”

I whispered to the bird as I stroked it.

Recently, Lua strangely approached only when Cien was not around.

“It’s getting cold, isn’t it?”

– Chirp! Chirp!

I paused for a while and spent time with Lua.

Interacting with animals somehow calmed my heart.

Soft feathers. Cute appearance. A shared sentiment with a silent creature.

Lua accepted my touch as I stroked her, and climbed up onto my shoulder, leaning her head on me.

I smiled faintly, enjoying the soft touch.

“Now, it’s time to go.”

I gently kissed Lua and let her fly away.

The bird flew high as if it understood my words.

“…”

I wasn’t sure if that bluebird could withstand the coming cold.

I thought that she might seek a warm place not to return.

In my heart, I was preparing to say goodbye to a friend who had become close.

Today, too, I tried to resolve the issues left with Gael.

Many new members joined the Lyka family.

Maids who assist me. Butlers. And even a secretary.

As much as I needed, I was filling the family with talent.

Baran also helped with my decisions by my side.

Since there wasn’t a particular successor, Baran also held the next power in the Lyka family.

… Although Baran didn’t seem to want it.

As the family grew, news came about a new house.

Suggestions came in to demolish the original house I lived in, and build a mansion.

The whole village and the Red Flame Group agreed, Gale and the secretary, and even Sien agreed but…

For some reason, I didn’t like it.

In fact, I knew the reason as well.

I just didn’t speak it out loud.

Also, immediately there were many other places to use the power.

It was fine to postpone the demolition of the house to the distant future.

Having worked all day, night approached quickly.

New laws were established in the territory, monitoring the behavior of thieves and mercenary groups around, and discarded letters related to endless strategy.

Then, the sound of the returning Red Flame Group who were logging returned.

The sound of laughter and playfulness indicated the end of the day.

“Gale, get up. Good work today.”

Upon hearing this, I declared the end of the day.

“Yes. It was a hard day.”

I spoke while watching Gale get up.

“… Thank you always.”

All Gale did was lower his head to that remark.

“I’m just atoning for Adam.”

That day, as I went out, there were already many people waiting for me.

They were mostly women.

I was surprised, and so were Gale and butler Desmond.

There was Sien, pushed foremost with a back full of sacks.

The wife of Theodore, who was behind, called out.

“Captain! No… Lord Lyka! Ah… The title doesn’t stick…”

“It’s okay to be Captain.”

“Then, Captain! Sien has a favor to ask today…!”

Due to the efforts of Sien, who was a Saint, all the villagers treated her kindly.

I looked down at Sien with question.

Sien, who had a favor to ask, was just blushing.

“… What is it, Sien?”

When I asked, the women in the back cheered.

More questions popped up in my head, and Sien hid her expression more.

That girl, twirling her hair.

“…”

As Cian ultimately couldn’t open his mouth and stopped, Theodore’s wife raised her voice again.

“Commander, there’s something I’ve wanted to say for a while… Cian’s sleeping place is just too shabby. Little sunlight comes in… Mold is spread … The bed is precarious…”

“…”

“But…There’s an extra room in your house, right?”

It was then that I finally understood where the conversation was going.

A short moment of laughter was inadvertently interpreted as acceptance, and everyone again burst into noise.

Theodore’s wife, the most excited, continued.

“So… if the commander is okay with it…what if we give Cian a room?”

Even the members gathered together one by one in the crowd.

I looked down at Cian before the spectators increased.

Cian eventually looked up at me nervously at my silence.

Seeing his eyes, I finally ask,

“Is that it?”

After swallowing his saliva for a moment, Cian asked me.

“… Can’t I?”

I pondered for a moment.

…But then, I realized there was no need to ponder.

So I lightly said to her.

“…Let’s go.”

..

..

..

A few days passed while living with Cian at home.

As always, we didn’t forcibly narrow the distance.

Unexpected things happened once or twice.

There were cases where Cian was so surprised and sitting down when he concluded that he was home alone and was walking around without his top.

Even though he would have seen my body quite a bit when we were young, he was so surprised.

Such a sight also became a source of laughter.

“You must have seen all sorts of things in the war.”

“Yeah… But I haven’t seen the naked body of the person I like…”

“…”

From time to time, Cian showed a very honest side.

As if to apologize for his previous lies.

And I found her words to be warmly comforting.

I was becoming happy with each passing day of living with her.

..

..

..

Again, time passed, until one night.

As always, the most malicious thoughts come at night.

I was unknowingly drinking alcohol, repeatedly going over the scenes of separation.

I tried not to think about Ner and Arwin… But when I let my guard down with alcohol, I found myself silently recalling them.

It had been a while since their news stopped coming.

I wonder if they’re living well.

Now that my anger and rage have calmed down… I sincerely wished for their happiness.

I was able to somewhat forgive them for their attempts to betray me, and even kill me.

It was difficult, but I tried to do so.

I tried to remember only the good memories.

-Swoosh.

As I kept thinking on my own like that, Sien sits next to me.

In the dark living room, she sits by my side while I drink with a single candle lit.

I looked into her eyes.

I gaze into her dark eyes.

“…You were having a hard time like this again…?”

“…”

From noble mtl dot com

Sien asked.

Even without me saying anything, she could read my heart.

Sometimes, she hurts more than I do with my pain.

There were many days where she would heal my scars and there were also many times where she cried because of those scars.

But, more meticulously than the physical scars, Sien looked at the scars engraved in my heart.

Despite my constant efforts to hide that pain, Sien’s actions were unfamiliar yet… provided me a great strength.

Would I have ever imagined that our relationship would progress as it did in the past?

“…Bell.”

Sien said.

“…It’s okay to be struggling.”

“…”

“I’m here with you now.”

“…”

“…Let’s only live happily from now on.”

Sien slowly stroked my hair, and then placed her hand on my cheek.

I just silently stared at her.

For a moment, our eyes simultaneously directed towards each other’s lips.

The quiet room.

The space where only the candle flickers.

Sien slowly closed her eyes.

It was a moment that felt all too natural.

I also closed my eyes and slowly approached her.

Our lips finally met after a long time.

*****

“aaa!!! aaaH!!”

Roots of trees pulled away from Arwen’s back.

And at the same moment, Arwen’s strengthless body, drenched in sweat, fell onto the floor.

-Thud!

Arwen’s body made contact with the damp cave floor.

She lay there in the filthy place, like a corpse.

She was unconscious, incapable of even a slight movement.

Having borne unbearable pain, incessantly screaming, her body had been exhausted for a long time.

It was as if the world tree had tortured her till its very last moment.

“….Ah………Ah….”

Arwen, taking faint breaths, only lay there on the floor.

Her whole body is shuddering with cold.

Cold sweat soaked her body.

No warmth reached her at all.

Inactive eyes of Arwen shortly discover something.

The necklace that was around her neck had fallen in front of her eyes.

The World Tree leaves symbolizing her happiest moment.

One leaf is shriveled, and the rest were gradually regaining their green color.

-Thump…TUMP…

Despite feeling relief in knowing that Berg’s pain was being erased, her heart ached for Berg, who seemed to be forgetting himself.

Arwen was left with endless thoughts.

If Berg could see her state now…would he worry and get angry as before?

Arwen sobbed quietly.

“I’m… in so much pain, Berg…”

She spoke to her husband, who won’t come, while laying on the floor.

“It’s… so tough…”

How many days passed since parting with Berg.

Arwen’s sense of time was strangely twisted.

It seemed years had passed since she parted with Berg.

Keeping in mind the short lifespan of her race… she needed to return to him quickly.

And each day after parting with Berg, Arwen had been performing sacrificial rituals.

The Elders had finally agreed to negotiate on how to share the lifespan.

Thus, Arwen breathed on the cave floor, reciting her spells.

The only motivation that helped her hang in there during these trying times.

It was Berg’s image shown by her bird.

Looking at Berg’s image through the bird was a gamble.

Sometimes, she was swept up in an extremely happy sensation.

Because Berg treated the bluebird with kindness, just like before, often smiling at it.

Seeing the world through the bird, Arwen received many expressions of love from Berg.

She was stroked by him… She indirectly experienced his kisses.

It was a consciousness that recently felt the explosive happiness that had not been felt… and also the emptiness of losing it.

Arwin casts his spells, anxiously wondering what kind of sight he will see today.

-Swoosh…

His bluebird was perched on a tree that overlooked Berg’s house.

-Chirp! Chirp!

The world was night now.

When stationed under the root of the world tree, you wouldn’t know how time would pass.

‘…Approach Berg for me.’

Arwin asked the bird.

Since he only shared sight, he could still vividly feel the cold touch of the cave floor.

The bird flew to Berg’s house, chirping.

Soon, Berg’s figure appeared through the window.

Arwin lied weakly on the cave floor, smiling at his presence.

He didn’t know why his heart hurt so much.

“I…missed you today too…”

Arwin whispers a phrase that no one could hear.

He stretched out his empty hand to touch him… but his hand only touched the air.

Berg was drinking at his desk.

He sat there, with a pained expression on his face.

Why would such a simple sight bring him to tears?

Arwin now couldn’t fix his tear glands that seemed to be broken.

He indulged himself for a moment.

What about approaching Berg to comfort him?

Berg, who used to smile at the cute appearance of the bluebird.

Maybe he could provide some comfort for him who was struggling.

‘…Will you go inside the house…?’

So Arwin asked the bird.

The bird tried to tap the window lightly with its beak.

-Groan…Groan…

Then, a saint appeared from somewhere.

Seeing the saint living with Berg, Arwin’s breath momentarily stopped.

“…..Huh?”

That house…was his and Berg’s.

It was their nest.

But why was that woman there?

He had recently become aware that the saint and Berg were getting closer.

Therefore, it was a gamble to see Berg through a bird.

When faced with such a sight, the pain that would come later could not be compared to anything.

‘…It’s my place.’

Arwin whispered to himself.

‘…my position.’

Before she realized it, her fist had tightened and her jaw was clenched.

Despite that, she couldn’t take her eyes off the scene.

Sometimes, imagination can become the greatest monster.

She would suffer the same if she look away from it.

Perhaps they would have nothing to worry about.

With such hope until the end, Arwin stared at the situation.

However, contrary to the expectation, the saint slowly caressed Berg’s face while talking to him.

“….don’t touch him….”

Arwin was whispering without realizing it.

Yet, their eyes didn’t part from each other.

Berg, who was exhausted, was emotionally leaning on the saint.

That was clearly visible even from afar by Arwin.

“…Berg…please…”

Before she knew it, Arwin was reaching out into empty air and pleading.

However, the saint’s eyes slowly started to close.

“Ah…..ah….!”

Berg’s upper body also slowly approached the saint.

“Ah….please….stop….!”

Their lips overlapped.

Berg continued with a long, love-filled kiss with the saint.

Pulling each other’s neck, they expressed their love.

“Stop it!!!”

Arwin, feeling a tearing pain in her chest, severed her magical connection.

“Heh….! Heh….!”

Just as if waking up from a nightmare, Arwin found herself lying on the floor of the cave when her magic was severed.

There was no Berg next to her.

She was alone, shivering in the cold.

“….ah….ah….”

She couldn’t believe this dump-like reality.

In the past, she felt warmth by Berg’s side…and now this situation.

The kiss with Berg should have been her future.

She should have been in the place of that saint.

“Cuh….hoick…”

She had to share warmth with him, and to kiss him.

They should have whispered love to each other every night.

How would it feel to kiss him?

How warm would it be to stay by his side?

“Heh….uh…sob…”

But that was the future she had lost. It was a moment she could no longer grasp.

Knowing that, all she could do was shed tears.

After a long time.

Arwin slowly picked herself up from the ground.

The hair that Berg had touched fell down.

She’d been sitting cross-legged for quite a long time, eventually stood up from her place.

Without anyone’s help, she managed to stand up all by herself.

She had to get ready for the sacrifice ceremony that would take place tomorrow.

However, through all the pain she experienced, Arwin felt some kind of change in herself.

Even after enduring centuries of torment, this was pain too unbearable for Arwin who had endured 160 years.

She moved her steps as she blinked her vacant eyes…

Her heart and mind were twisting.