IRATBP Chapter 12

Chapter 12 

“You said you had a question? What is it?”

Thankfully, the tree responded kindly. It looked like it was willing to answer properly. I took a deep breath and asked the tree,

“Who is the one managing this forest?”

The tree stayed silent. The air suddenly turned cold and sharp, like it pierced my lungs.

Why did it suddenly go quiet? I gently touched the tree’s bark.

‘Wait… It kind of feels like it’s scared…’

I was right. The tree shouted with a trembling voice,

“It—it’s that guy! The one with sunset-colored eyes and bright yellow hair! That man manages the forest!”

“Russell… is managing this forest?”

That was an unexpected answer. I thought I would learn about Russell’s past from the tree.

‘But why? There’s nothing in this forest that makes it worth managing…’

I kept my hand on the bark and asked again.

“Did Russell kill the forest?”

“No, no…! T-the people did it! Other people!”

The tree stuttered in fear and confusion but still managed to speak.

“E-everyone was powerless… Even though we tried to survive, talking to each other when the cold wind came, we… we all died! We all died!”

“Calm down! I’m not with those people.”

“I… I know… I can feel your kindness. You’re not like that man or the others.”

“So you answered me because of that?”

“Y-yeah.”

I gently stroked the young tree’s bark, feeling thankful.

I did want to know who killed the forest, but for now, I needed to find out why Russell kept coming here.

“Do you know why that man comes to the forest?”

The tree stayed quiet for a bit, then answered.

“If you go to the edge of the forest… there’s a grave… I think he always goes there.”

“A grave?”

I tilted my head in confusion. This forest wasn’t suitable for a grave. The trees couldn’t really protect a burial grave from the cold wind.

And the ground was frozen—digging a grave in this weather would be very difficult.

“Do you know whose grave it is?”

“I don’t know… But every two days, he visits and gives off this creepy, almost deadly feeling… and he always leaves flowers.”

If it was a flower bouquet, it was probably Russell’s magic. So he must be the one coming.

Maybe I could find the secret he’s hiding if I went to the end of this forest.

What kind of person was he, coming to this lonely forest?

The thought of uncovering Russell’s secret made my heart beat wildly.

“Thank you for telling me. I’ll be going now.”

“W-wait! Don’t go now—!”

As soon as I took my hand off the tree, its voice stopped.

I didn’t have much time.

Asha said she’d come for me in ten minutes. Considering the time I spent walking and talking, there wasn’t much left.

I grabbed my stick and ran. If Russell really had cleared the path, I wouldn’t trip on anything big.

After running and breathing in the freezing air, I tripped over a sharp rock and fell.

“Ouch!”

My arm stung and the top of my head hit something hard.

I stayed curled up, groaning, when I suddenly realized—

I had fallen on a stone grave.

“My stick… where is it…”

I slowly sat up and searched the ground.

But all I felt was the cold stone and snow. Nothing else.

If I dropped the stick when I fell, it couldn’t have gone far.

Then I realized what kind of stone it was.

“This is…”

It was rough and strong, even in the cold—just like granite.

‘But this forest isn’t a good place for a grave. Why did Russell…’

Usually, people are buried in sunny, peaceful places. Especially those with high status.

That’s how the living say goodbye to the dead with respect.

I knelt and touched the tombstone. My fingers felt some carved markings.

I gently traced them with my hand. It looked like writing.

“The most… painful… memory…”

I carefully followed the letters. I wanted to feel what Russell must’ve felt when he carved them himself.

What was he thinking?

As he buried someone here and wrote on this stone with his own hands, what emotions did he feel?

I followed the carved letters until the full message formed in my head:

[In the most painful memory, may your breath live on forever.]

My legs gave out, and I sank to the ground.

As I read the words, a deep thirst burned inside me.

There had to be more than just this.

I desperately searched the stone for more, but there was no name. Just the one short line.

‘Why is it so hard to breathe?’

My chest felt like it was caving in. I thought I wouldn’t have to feel sadness or anger anymore after getting my memories back, but now I felt like crying again.

‘I don’t feel good…’

I leaned against the grave, curling into myself.

Reading those words brought back a feeling, just like when I first regained my memories—like my very existence was being crushed, like the name “Fiana Lucianos” was being erased.

I felt like I couldn’t handle being myself anymore.

‘Could this be… my grave?’

No way. In my past life, I had no one but him.

The person who gave me courage was a young woman.

‘And she’s already gone…’

I bit my lower lip. Besides, Russell wasn’t from a dark slum. He was from the shining capital.

He wouldn’t know anything about my old life in the shadows.

So what I was feeling now had to be a mistake. It couldn’t be my grave.

No one mourned my death. No one grieved.

Even the gods didn’t care when I died alone. They took my sight and gave me a second life.

What was Russell trying to hide here?

What was in his heart when he came to this grave?

I knew we weren’t close. If I did my job as his pretend fiancée, would he eventually bring me here and reveal the truth?

‘No… that’s not possible.’

Russell himself said he only needed me as a stand-in. That meant he would never open his heart to me.

Then maybe I had just barged into something I shouldn’t have touched.

“I’m cold…”

The north wind blew, and the chill pierced my bones.

Even in my thick fur coat, I couldn’t stop shivering. I rubbed my arms to warm up.

That’s when it hit me—a strong, burning sense of danger.

“Grrrr…”

I turned around instantly at the growling sound and heard heavy footsteps rushing toward me.

“Dodge to the side!”

Without even thinking, I rolled to the side, following the voice. As I got up, I grabbed something long and solid—definitely my lost stick.

What was that just now?

Bandits?

No, it couldn’t be. Bandits wouldn’t be this deep in the forest. If they wanted to steal, they’d be near the roads or borders.

That left only one explanation: a hungry bear that woke up from hibernation.

“Raaaaargh!”

I heard the bear roar.

My body froze with fear. I couldn’t move a single muscle.

I was always a small animal, easily devoured by the strong. If I could see, would I have been able to escape this situation? No. If the enemy was a bear, any resistance would’ve been pointless.

“Urgh!”

With a thunderous sound, it slammed the ground again. This time, there was no voice telling me where to run.

“Is this the end of my life too?”

Just as I thought that and closed my eyes—

I smelled the scent of mint.