MHWSW | Chapter 007

Chapter 7

I couldn’t move my body until two days after staying in Didier’s cabin. My ankle, which had been in the worst pain, showed no signs of improvement, but I was very satisfied just to be able to leave the bed. I felt grateful for being able to walk on my own.

But there was one person who didn’t want me to move.

“…You shouldn’t move…”

“It’s fine to this extent.”

“Your injury will worsen, Lady Erica.”

“I’m telling you it’s fine.”

“Lady Erica…”

Didier acted as if my moving would lead to a catastrophe. I tried to convince him that the pain threatening to kill me had subsided, but his face grew paler, and he shook his head vehemently in refusal.

“Normally, one doesn’t move in such a condition…!”

Didier spoke with wide eyes, his neck flushed with the intensity of his enthusiasm. I had to give in to his words, agreeing reluctantly.

Since then, Didier stuck to me whenever I tried to move. He acted as if I’d die if I left the bed, which sparked my stubbornness. No matter how much he tried to stay by my side, I knew there would come a time when he’d have to leave. I waited for that moment.

And that moment was now.

‘I’m sure Didier isn’t here now, right?’

I was alone in the well-decorated cabin. Didier had gone out with Lis to fetch some food. So, this was my only chance to explore the cabin and leave. After bringing food, he wouldn’t go out again for days, as what they brought would last for a while.

I couldn’t stay here until the food ran out. I had things I needed to accomplish.

“Ugh.”

I felt pain rising from my injured ankle as I put weight on it. Gritting my teeth, I held onto nearby objects and moved slowly. Neatly arranged bookshelves, a cooking table emitting a delicious aroma, and a room that seemed like a workshop. But during my entire stay here, I hadn’t seen Didier enter or exit that room.

‘Is it just a storage room?’

A room with an unknown purpose. It was too well-placed to be just a storage room, so I assumed it was a workshop. I hadn’t seen books or other items in the places I could see. Of course, I hadn’t gone outside yet, so I didn’t know if there were other spaces.

So, it was natural to be curious about that room after staying in the cabin for a while.

I hobbled over and stood in front of the room that might be a workshop or storage. I placed my hand on the handle but immediately lowered it.

‘What am I doing now? I should stop.’

When I thought of Didier, who worried about me so much, exploring his home didn’t seem like a good idea.

So… let me do what I originally intended.

I moved toward the door that seemed to be the entrance. As I slowly lowered the handle, the door opened easily.

With the door open, dense trees covered in snow appeared before me. In the family, I always felt tense when opening doors, but here, I felt like I could breathe freely.

‘Is it because this place is safe? Or because of Didier?’

I didn’t know, but I felt a strange sensation. Since arriving here, I kept finding myself immersed in these mysterious emotions. Was it because of my injury? Or did this scene feel strangely familiar?

I couldn’t find the answer. If I couldn’t find an answer, it was best to do what I had to. I stepped into a slightly brighter spot and pulled the magic stone from my pocket. Since I didn’t know my location, I needed to make my companions, who had completed their mission, come here.

‘Did Kob find them?’

Since Kob was here now, I had sent him to inform my worried companions.

Of course, Kob didn’t know the location precisely. But he had a way to find my companions.

Kob could detect people he knew if they were within a certain distance.

‘Kob knows Arin.’

Because we used to go training together in the forest.

“Kob, can you hear me?”

The magic stone suddenly glowed, forming a light at my feet. Then a loud voice echoed in my mind, as if it had been waiting for this moment.

[My lady! Are you okay? Can you move now?]

“I can move.”

[What? Shouldn’t you be lying down?]

“This much movement is fine.”

[Anyway! Be careful, my lady. We need to return in four days, right?]

Kob was right. I needed to focus on recovering now. In the family, any weakness meant quick exclusion. I only had four days left. During that time, I had to recover as much as possible and return to the family looking perfect.

That reality was…

‘Horrifying.’

[I’ll return with you this time, right? Right?]

“Yes, you too. By the way, have you found the companions?”

[I caught their scent. I think I’ll find them tomorrow, my lady.]

“Good job, Kob.”

[Dried lizard tail!]

Dried lizard tail was Kob’s favorite treat.

“Alright, I’ll prepare it for you.”

[Great! I’ll fly even harder!]

“When you find Arin, deliver the message.”

[Of course! You’re the only one who can understand me.]

As Kob said, I was the only one who could hear him.

More precisely, this was possible because I had the magic stone. To an ordinary person without the stone, Kob was just a noisy raven making annoying Kaaa! sounds. But sometimes, people with strong intuition could hear him.

That’s why I hid Kob from my father. What if he could hear him? But when I hid Kob in his office, my father didn’t hear his voice.

Why did I think my father was capable of everything, and why did I want to be like him in every way? I felt sad. As if sensing my mood, Kob began speaking with even more enthusiasm.

[My lady! My lady! I want to see you soon!]

“Me too, Kob. I want to see you.”

[I’ll find them quickly and bring them to you.]

“Explain the route well. Don’t take them through rugged paths. It’s dangerous, Kob.”

[Alright, my lady. Trust me!]

I closed my eyes at Kob’s enthusiastic voice. Perhaps because the scene before me was unfamiliar, this simple conversation felt precious. When I returned to the family, I wouldn’t be able to relax like this.

‘Maybe it would be nice to leave the family and live in a quiet place.’

With kind people, if possible. Arin and Riel, whom I trust, and Mary, who worries about me more than anyone. That would be enough.

And if the atmosphere was like Didier’s cabin, with a forest like this in front of me, it would be perfect. A place where Kob could fly freely, and I could live comfortably without tension. An environment like that would be suitable.

And also…

“Lady Erica!”

I saw Didier approaching from a distance, having finished gathering food. He looked shocked to see me outside the cabin, running toward me with wide eyes.

‘Come slowly.’

A hidden desire began to grow within me, to live with Didier too.

Because with him, I felt I wasn’t Erica the heiress, but just “me.” It was just a guess, but I had given him so much of my heart in such a short time.

I had never wanted anything before, so was this intense feeling born from that? Or because Didier was the only one who showed me such pure kindness?

I kept wanting him to stay by my side. I was drowning in the kindness he gave me.

Yes, it was possession and addiction. For me, who had lived in a place full of hostility, it was overwhelming.

‘And above all, Didier is a mage.’

At a time when I needed strength to take revenge on my father, Didier the mage appeared like magic.

A mage that families seek with glowing eyes.

If Didier showed me such kind affection, how could I refuse him? I, too, strangely, was giving him my affection.

‘I feel sorry for Didier, but he’s necessary for me.’

But regardless of my need for him, I felt guilty for thinking of dragging Didier, who lived in this peaceful place, into a hell like my family.

Was it right to take a kind sheep like him to a place where everyone goes mad, just because I needed his strength?

Even if he wanted to stay by my side, I should stop him. Because offering him to those families, who would bare their weak fangs, would be like throwing him to predators.

But my selfishness seemed uglier than I expected.

My desire to have more of Didier’s affection surpassed my guilt and grew stronger.

So did the irresponsible thought that I would protect him. I felt ridiculous, but I had already begun adjusting my plan to leave the family to include Didier.

While I was lost in thought, Didier, who had been far away, reached me. He spoke in a voice full of worry.

“Lady Erica! Why are you out? You haven’t recovered yet…”

His worried expression, his red eyes reflecting my image, the way he ran to me and held my hand to support me.

Everything stirred my desire. I didn’t know I had such a deep longing.

I stared at Didier’s face. Kind, beautiful Didier. His face was full of affection and concern for me. For a moment, I felt he might suddenly embrace me.

“Is something worrying you? Your expression isn’t good, Lady Erica.”

My expression, as I suppressed my desire, must not have been good. Perhaps Didier was the only one who could see such an expression from me. Having known this simple happiness, kindness, and pure affection, would I be able to stay sane in that family?

‘I need him.’

Whether it was his affection or his strength, he was what would keep me alive.

I couldn’t let go of something I had tasted once. It was the only affection left to me after losing everything. My desire swallowed me.

It was a moment of impulse.

“Didier, will you marry me?”

Even I was shocked by my words, but I felt an even deeper desire. I knew I didn’t want him by my side just as a mage.

***

The cabin was very quiet.

All I heard was Lis’s occasional Chirring chirring sound. Didier and I sat quietly across from each other.

But this silence was necessary. It was a very important moment for us. Because I was trying to fix what I had done.

“So, you mean a contractual agreement, right?”

I didn’t know if he was shocked by the sudden proposal or disappointed by something, but Didier’s voice was subdued. It was as if he had wilted completely. His pursed lips looked pitiful. Or was he hiding his joy at getting what he wanted? Whatever his expression, I felt sorry for confusing him, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.