Chapter 11
As looked at me with worried, crimson eyes.
The moment our eyes met, something welled up in my chest.
Who exactly was this little kid worried about, telling me it’s okay?
Especially when he’s the one who got hit directly with the boiling stock!
I snapped back to my senses in an instant.
I immediately poured healing magic onto As’s back.
A blue light wrapped around his upper body and gently seeped in.
“You’re the one who’s hurt. Not me.”
Grinding my teeth, I muttered that and began checking As’s condition carefully.
First, his upper body, including his back that had been doused in the boiling stock, was smooth without a single wound.
As I inspected the nearby areas where splashes might’ve landed, I suddenly noticed that As was hiding his left hand behind his back.
“As, what’s with your hand?”
“…It’s nothing.”
He flinched, mumbling as he tried to hide his hand further.
His awkward reaction raised my suspicion.
I reached out and gently pulled his left hand toward me.
“…What happened here?”
On the palm of his hand was a blister so large it looked pitiful.
The sight of such an awful wound on a child’s hand made me freeze.
Instead of replying, As yanked his hand back and stood silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
“…How is it?”
When I slowly turned my gaze to him, As gave a bitter, self-mocking smile.
“Disgusting, right?”
The moment I heard those words, it felt like the last thread of reason in my mind snapped.
Just what kind of life did this child live to say something like that?
Tears welled up in my eyes.
As, unaware of what I was feeling, continued in a calm voice.
“It’s only natural to be disgusted. Even I find myself disgusting. It’s not your fault, Elnira…”
I grabbed his hand tightly again and pulled it toward me.
As I channeled more healing magic, I spoke, each word like a nail being driven in:
“Not disgusting at all.”
“……”
“All I can think is—how much that must’ve hurt. I just want to help you.”
The healing spell ended, and his palm was back to being perfectly clean, not a scratch left.
Only after confirming it with my own eyes did I feel relieved.
“Thank goodness, really…”
With a sigh of relief, I let go of his hand.
Then, As, who had been silent all this time, murmured softly,
“…Do you even know what that means to me?”
“Huh?”
I blinked, raising my gaze to look at him.
For some reason, his face looked like he was about to cry.
“When you speak so kindly to me like that, how could I not like you?”
“As…?”
“What am I supposed to do? I ended up getting my hopes up again.”
At his cryptic words, I tilted my head.
What do you mean you got your hopes up again?
Saying “again” means he’d had hopes before, right?
But I don’t remember ever meeting As before…?
As I narrowed my eyes in confusion—
“That festival you mentioned before, Elnira… Do you still want to go with me?”
As asked, voice clearer, like he had made up his mind.
The question brought a smile to my face, and I asked in return,
“You want to go together?”
He glanced down and gave a small nod.
“…If Elnira still wants to.”
“Yes! I do! I really want to go with you!”
My eyes sparkled as I nodded eagerly.
As gave a faint smile.
“Alright. Let’s go together.”
I grinned widely and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you so much, As! I’m really happy you’ll go with me.”
“…What’s so great about that,”
he mumbled, his face buried in my chest.
I replied with a light “Hm?” and As shook his head.
“It’s nothing.”
But I heard him clearly.
As I tilted my head again, wondering what he meant by “nothing,” As suddenly looked up at me.
His eyes, clear as pomegranate seeds, stared straight into mine.
“You were the one who said you wanted to go to the festival with me… so please, don’t hate me.”
I stared blankly at him for a moment before gasping in disbelief.
“What? As, why would I ever hate you?!”
“…You never know with people.”
He mumbled, gaze dropping again.
I hugged him tighter, putting a little more strength into it, and said,
“I would never hate you, As.”
How could I hate such a sweet kid?
“…Really?”
“You too, As—don’t hate me either, okay?”
Suddenly, his body stiffened.
After a short silence, a slightly hoarse voice came out.
“…There’s no way I could ever hate you, Elnira.”
For a moment, I froze.
If those words sounded like something spoken by someone who had known me for a long time…
Was it just my imagination?
I was about to think deeper into it—
But before I could, As wrapped his arms around me in return, and I stopped thinking, simply smiling instead.
Oh well, who cares. I feel so happy right now.
