Amidst the echoing sounds from outside, which seemed submerged in water, Kamian’s voice pierced through my eardrums, bringing me back to reality.
Kamian, who had tidied up the egg basket alone, opened our door and stepped out. Leo and I followed behind him like ducklings.
“Liv, I have something to discuss briefly…”
Leo gave Kamian a meaningful glance. After everything we went through with him, can’t you see that he appears to be someone who will make way for us?
“Is it going to be a long conversation?”
“Well, um, no, not a long one….”
Leo’s pupils darted back and forth between me and Kamian, before finally settling on me, locking our gazes.
“I’ll be returning to the capital in two days.”
“Already? Time flies, doesn’t it?”
“Well, here’s the thing. Would you like to come with me to the capital, Liv?”
Leo’s casually thrown words felt like a bombshell. Caught off guard, I instinctively winced, contorting my face, and retorted, “What?”
“I’ll make sure the journey isn’t too arduous. Besides, there’s a skilled practitioner near my house. You can receive much better treatment there than here. Don’t worry about the cost; my income has increased recently, so I can take care of it.”
Responsibility! I have not seen a man who talks big like him actually take responsibility. Am I supposed to blindly go up to the capital, forsaking my family and studies, just because he says so? Human hearts change multiple times in a day, how can I devote my entire life to that man’s whim?
The impudent fellow, who only spoke for his own happiness, infuriated me without considering my perspective. Even if he were to tell me off sharply right now, I would just bite my lips in silence.
It was all because of Kamian behind me.
If I were to vent my anger at Leo here, all the efforts I had made to pretend to like him would go up in smoke in an instant. I endured his tormenting chatter with what mindset….
Instead of cursing, I sighed deeply.
“I think I need to think about it for a bit.”
“Yeah, I didn’t expect to hear an answer on the spot. I’ll come to your house tomorrow.”
Leo was imitating a considerate man. Is half a day supposed to be enough time for thinking? It was hardly refreshing, even if I were to give him a swift kick to the throat.
“No need to come.”
Kamian, who had been dozing off, stepped forward. Leo blinked, visibly flustered.
“What are you saying?”
“Liv won’t go with you.”
A chilling aura lingered at the fading end of her voice. I raised my head and looked at the tip of Kamian’s chin. His face emitted an eerie emptiness, as if observing ants that could be crushed with a single finger, devoid of any passion or vitality.
Overwhelmed by his overwhelming presence, Leo averted his gaze sideways. However, it seemed he couldn’t completely suppress his pride as his lips fumbled hesitantly.
“…This is not something you should decide for her. It’s a matter for Liv to choose.”
With an anxious heart, I scrutinized Kamian. He seemed ready to kill Leo. As Leo’s words trailed off, Kamian took a shallow breath. His entire body tensed, and I, without knowing what made me so unnerved, instinctively reached out and grabbed Kamian’s hand.
Our clasped hands trembled with such intensity that I mustered all my strength and offered Leo a smiling gaze.
“I will seriously consider it, Leo. See you tomorrow.”
Leo stuck out his tongue, pressed his lips together, and nodded. Then I firmly held Kamian’s hand and hurried towards home.
When Leo’s figure disappeared from view, I released his hand. Did Kamian really intend to kill Leo? Perhaps… it was just my own hypersensitivity? I didn’t want to entertain the thought that Kamian would harm someone from our town.
[Sigh]
The sun had completely risen, leaving the morning behind. I stood tall, basking in the moonlight pouring down upon me. And with both hands, I wiped my face.
Exhausted from being chased by a rooster and drained of the remaining bits of strength I had, which were already dwindling due to the inexplicable tension I had felt earlier, seeped away through my fingertips and toes.
“…Go ahead, go first.”
Amidst the echoing sounds from outside, which seemed submerged in water, Kamian’s voice pierced through my eardrums, bringing me back to reality.
Kamian, who had tidied up the egg basket alone, opened our door and stepped out. Leo and I followed behind him like ducklings.
“Liv, I have something to discuss briefly…”
Leo gave Kamian a meaningful glance. After everything we went through with him, can’t you see that he appears to be someone who will make way for us?
“Is it going to be a long conversation?”
“Well, um, no, not a long one….”
Leo’s pupils darted back and forth between me and Kamian, before finally settling on me, locking our gazes.
“I’ll be returning to the capital in two days.”
“Already? Time flies, doesn’t it?”
“Well, here’s the thing. Would you like to come with me to the capital, Liv?”
Leo’s casually thrown words felt like a bombshell. Caught off guard, I instinctively winced, contorting my face, and retorted, “What?”
“I’ll make sure the journey isn’t too arduous. Besides, there’s a skilled practitioner near my house. You can receive much better treatment there than here. Don’t worry about the cost; my income has increased recently, so I can take care of it.”
Responsibility! I have not seen a man who talks big like him actually take responsibility. Am I supposed to blindly go up to the capital, forsaking my family and studies, just because he says so? Human hearts change multiple times in a day, how can I devote my entire life to that man’s whim?
The impudent fellow, who only spoke for his own happiness, infuriated me without considering my perspective. Even if he were to tell me off sharply right now, I would just bite my lips in silence.
It was all because of Kamian behind me.
If I were to vent my anger at Leo here, all the efforts I had made to pretend to like him would go up in smoke in an instant. I endured his tormenting chatter with what mindset….
Instead of cursing, I sighed deeply.
“I think I need to think about it for a bit.”
“Yeah, I didn’t expect to hear an answer on the spot. I’ll come to your house tomorrow.”
Leo was imitating a considerate man. Is half a day supposed to be enough time for thinking? It was hardly refreshing, even if I were to give him a swift kick to the throat.
“No need to come.”
Kamian, who had been dozing off, stepped forward. Leo blinked, visibly flustered.
“What are you saying?”
“Liv won’t go with you.”
A chilling aura lingered at the fading end of her voice. I raised my head and looked at the tip of Kamian’s chin. His face emitted an eerie emptiness, as if observing ants that could be crushed with a single finger, devoid of any passion or vitality.
Overwhelmed by his overwhelming presence, Leo averted his gaze sideways. However, it seemed he couldn’t completely suppress his pride as his lips fumbled hesitantly.
“…This is not something you should decide for her. It’s a matter for Liv to choose.”
With an anxious heart, I scrutinized Kamian. He seemed ready to kill Leo. As Leo’s words trailed off, Kamian took a shallow breath. His entire body tensed, and I, without knowing what made me so unnerved, instinctively reached out and grabbed Kamian’s hand.
Our clasped hands trembled with such intensity that I mustered all my strength and offered Leo a smiling gaze.
“I will seriously consider it, Leo. See you tomorrow.”
Leo stuck out his tongue, pressed his lips together, and nodded. Then I firmly held Kamian’s hand and hurried towards home.
When Leo’s figure disappeared from view, I released his hand. Did Kamian really intend to kill Leo? Perhaps… it was just my own hypersensitivity? I didn’t want to entertain the thought that Kamian would harm someone from our town.
[Sigh]
The sun had completely risen, leaving the morning behind. I stood tall, basking in the moonlight pouring down upon me. And with both hands, I wiped my face.
Exhausted from being chased by a rooster and drained of the remaining bits of strength I had, which were already dwindling due to the inexplicable tension I had felt earlier, seeped away through my fingertips and toes.
“…Go ahead, go first.”
