~Chapter 23~
There was another long silence.
If I didn’t start the conversation, Yushen wouldn’t say anything.
Why did you even come here if you’re just going to be like this?
Since it was already like this, I wondered if I should ask why he saved me that day.
Of course, Yushen is different from me—he’s a good person. That’s a fact I can’t deny.
But still, he chased the witch Leana for three years. If he really thought I was that witch, it couldn’t have been easy for him to save me.
I was curious about the reason. Even though I watched Yushen’s story in the novel, I couldn’t know all his true feelings. It was a puzzle I couldn’t solve alone.
“I have something I’m curious about.”
He didn’t answer.
“I’m not asking as a member of Luche, so don’t give me a hard time about using informal language.”
Yushen slowly nodded.
There was no sign of anyone around the tent, so it seemed okay.
I was also relieved there was no one else—this was something only Yushen and I should know.
“Why did you protect me that day?”
“I don’t know what day you mean.”
He obviously pretended not to know.
He wasn’t good at lying, so it was obvious.
And I didn’t get why he was pretending. From his point of view, there was no reason to avoid the question.
“When the supply room wall collapsed.”
He stayed silent.
“If you hadn’t protected me, I would have been at least badly hurt. If I was unlucky and got crushed by something heavy, I could’ve even died.”
No answer.
“So why did you waste such a good chance?”
I’d thought about this all week.
Yushen is supposed to have the setting where he has to kill me, so why did he save me?
And…
That scent keeps lingering around me too.
Even though the scent wasn’t really there, it stayed in my nose and brought back the memory of that day.
It happened so often it was annoying.
…Well, all that is just extra stuff. What mattered was figuring out why Yushen went against his “settings.”
Because of Yushen’s changes, the future I knew could be changing. If that happened, I’d be in trouble.
It’s completely absurd, but… could Yushen have developed a will of his own?
Of course, just the fact that I possessed this body is already absurd, but nothing even crazier should happen.
“I don’t know what kind of chance you mean.”
“What do you mean, what kind of chance? Of course, the chance to kill me!”
No answer.
“Me getting hurt, or dying. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
My eyes met Yushen’s. Darkness lay over his deep purple eyes.
He stared right into my eyes for a while.
Then he let out a sigh, closed his eyes slowly, then opened them again.
“…It’s true that my mission is to arrest you.”
“Then why—”
“But there’s no need for me to kill you.”
I stayed quiet.
“I don’t know what you thought of me… No, I didn’t want to know, but after hearing what you said, I think I understand a bit.”
A bitter feeling quickly passed across his clouded eyes.
But his face looked cold. Maybe it passed so fast I just imagined it.
I waited quietly for what Yushen would say next.
He looked like he was choosing his next words.
After a moment, Yushen frowned slightly and spoke.
“To be honest, I do hate you enough to want to kill you.”
Hearing those words, carefully chosen, hurt a little.
I knew I deserved to be hated by Yushen, but it didn’t feel good to be hated by anyone.
“But the crimes you committed should be paid for in court, not by my own hands.”
I said nothing.
“And most of all, I’m not such a messed-up person that I’d kill someone because of personal feelings.”
It sounded like he was saying that on purpose, thinking I was Leana, to make me feel guilty.
But I’m not Leana, so why did it sting so much? Maybe… because he figured out how I saw him?
“I hope you don’t read too much into me saving you. I would have done the same for anyone else.”
He paused.
“If you really want to give it meaning…”
He hesitated.
“Just think of it as me doing my duty as Captain of the Luche knights.”
Yushen drew a clear line.
Right now, we’re not the hunter and the hunted—we’re just boss and subordinate.
Yushen is probably always thinking of ways to arrest me. If he finds one, he’ll treat me as a criminal without mercy.
Still, at least now I have time to explain myself, so things aren’t all bad.
But… it did sting a little.
…I must have thought Yushen was finally accepting me as part of Luche without even realizing it.
And maybe I wasn’t totally wrong.
What he just said meant that, at least for now, until he finds proof, he’d accept me as a member of Luche.
Even though a year from now, I won’t even be in this world, my mouth felt bitter for no reason.
“Oh, and I don’t think Aydin told you this, so I’ll say it: don’t lie to me in Luche.”
I didn’t answer.
“At least here, everyone is my eyes and ears.”
Now he’s just telling me outright he’s watching me.
Fine. Whatever, you suspicious jerk.
That’s not something I can fix. I’ll just tell myself I stepped in crap and move on.
I was already tired, but talking with Yushen made me even more tired.
I really wanted to get him out and finally rest.
From early morning, I didn’t feel well. The reason was obviously Yushen.
Even after I kicked him out last night, I couldn’t sleep well. After talking to him, my mind was so mixed up that worries just kept growing.
I only managed to sleep around dawn, but I still felt terrible.
On top of that, I really hated the situation I was in now.
So I deliberately sighed over and over.
Right away, a question came from behind me.
“Are you doing that on purpose?”
“Yes.”
I dragged out the answer on purpose, and the back of my head prickled.
It was probably my mentor glaring a hole in the back of my head.
“Yes, I’m protesting.”
I said it again for emphasis.
So here’s what’s going on: I’m on my way to the ruins for the mission, but today I’m at the front of the group, not the back like yesterday.
The reason is Yushen.
I didn’t know “keeping an eye on me” meant THIS!
I thought he’d watch me from behind, quietly, like before. But now, he’s keeping me right by his side.
This morning, just before we set out, Yushen told the leader Hebranne that, since I’m new, he had to look after me, and pulled me up to his side.
So Tayla, my mentor, had no choice but to come too, since I have to ride the horse with her.
Maybe that’s why Tayla looks even more annoyed than usual.
Anyway, I was making it obvious I was in a bad mood for Yushen to notice.
I admit, it’s a pretty childish thing to do in front of your boss. But I was going to keep doing it until we arrived.
If Yushen is going to annoy me because he thinks I’m a witch, then I’ll become just as much of a nuisance to him!
I even heard Tayla sigh quietly, as if she could tell I wasn’t going to stop.
“Captain, I’m sorry. It’s my fault for not finishing the new member’s training yet, using work as an excuse.”
Then she apologized to Yushen.
I didn’t like that, but I didn’t stop her.
If I had a normal boss-employee relationship with Yushen, Tayla’s words would have made sense.
But why did she have to use “unfinished training” as the excuse?
To be honest, I finished new member training just before this mission.
But the funny thing is, I think she just assumed I’d leave soon like all the other women, so she only taught me the basics.
Just wait and see. I’m going to stick around until I return to my own world!
I glared at the side of Yushen’s head, fuming.
Maybe he felt it, because he looked left and right and then glanced at me.
“I’m fine, Tayla.”
“But—”
“No, really. I planned to give Miss Montrose special treatment anyway.”
Huh? What’s with that?
I had no idea what “special treatment” meant, and honestly, I didn’t care.
Knowing or not knowing didn’t change my plan.
“I see.”
Tayla didn’t ask any more about “special treatment.”
Maybe she knew, maybe she didn’t—but she wasn’t the type to worry about others, so of course she wasn’t interested.
“But there’s something I want to know.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“You two seem pretty close, huh?”
“What?”
Both Tayla and I said at the same time.
Just yesterday, Tayla rejected my offer to be friendly, but I guess to others we looked close.
No, maybe just to Yushen.
No matter how much I thought about it, we’d never once acted close in front of Yushen.
“…I just thought so since you’re riding together.”
Maybe our strong reaction made Yushen feel awkward, because he explained himself.
The veins on Tayla’s hand holding the reins stood out.
“I’m still not comfortable with Miss Montrose. We’re just riding together because she hasn’t ridden a horse before.”
Huh? I don’t want to look close with her, either.
Tayla’s blunt answer stung a little, but since I didn’t want to look close either, it was fine.
“Oh… I see.”
Yushen backed off fast after Tayla’s answer.
Why even ask if you’re going to retreat like that?
After that, the awkwardness continued, and nobody spoke until we reached our destination.
At least the place wasn’t far.
But something felt weird at the ruins. It was supposed to be a simple job—just replace the purification stones…
Why do I feel that creepy monster energy? I thought all the monsters were already taken care of.
I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Everyone’s eyes grew sharp.
“Hebranne.”
Yushen’s voice sounded self-mocking.
“Looks like something impossible just happened, right?”
Unlock soon!~