In the beginning, when he was full of pain, he had no appetite. His mouth had been torn and ripped, so it was only full of a fishy metallic taste.
However, the soup that Damia had fed him was different. The warm and fragrant texture spread on his tongue, spreading a salty and savory umami flavor.
It’s delicious— The moment he thought of that, the salivary glands on both sides of his chin started to ache, and his appetite instantly grew.
“Have another bite.”
The first time was difficult, the second time was easy. Akkard opened his mouth and ate, like a docile baby bird.
Then Damia smiled slightly as if satisfied.
“You eat well. You have to take medicine later, so your stomach should be full.”
“… … yes.”
Akkard nodded his head, feeling like he was about to cry.
Damia was kind to him. As if she didn’t know how much of a scumbag he was. It was as if they had returned to a time before he committed all those wrongs against her.
So he was happy, and at the same time, he was terribly miserable. He now knew how agonizing disappointment can be after expectation.
‘But, for now, it’s okay to get drunk on this sweet dream.’
Akkard thought so and laughed at himself bitterly. He understood why flying insects drowned in honey.
Even if the price of this sweetness was death, what choice did he have? It was worth it.
Akkard emptied a bowl of soup in the blink of an eye. He also ate the soft white bread Damia had torn for him with her delicate, fine hands.
Finally, after taking all his medicine, she nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. Shall we take a rest now?”
Akkard laid back in bed as she suggested. Sleeping pills were a part of the medicines he was taking.
Soon, he felt sleepy. But he thought it was a pity to fall asleep now, so he struggled to keep his eyelids open when they kept closing.
‘If I fall asleep, Damia will leave.’
He lamented wasting even a second of their time together and persisted staying awake like a silly child. Then Damia, who was waiting for him to fall asleep while reading a book by the bed, tilted her head.
“You can’t sleep, can you?”
“A little bit.”
“Hmm, you’ll recover faster if you sleep.”
Damia was thinking about something and came up with an unexpected suggestion.
“Should I sing you a lullaby?”
“… … Lullaby?”
“Yes, in the north, the wind is noisy at night, so it’s difficult for children to fall asleep; during those sleepless nights, we sing lullabies to comfort the children.”
A lullaby she sings for me.
His heart fluttered softly.
“I want to hear it.”
She closed the book she was reading. And after clearing her voice, she began to sing a lullaby:
When it snows, the white rabbit sleeps under the briar bush.
When the red raspberry freezes, it becomes a ruby.
When the cold wind blows, the fairies of frost come over the window.
If you don’t close your eyes, they’ll make your eyelashes white.
The lyrics were crude with a northern sensibility: the monotonous melody, the beautiful voice, and the warm sunlight coming through the window.
Akkard could no longer resist the surge of sleepiness like a tidal wave. He closed his white eyelashes as if frost had fallen and fell into a deep slumber.
Creak-
Even in his dream, he could vaguely feel the signs of Damia getting up. Akkard flinched, his eyelids trembling.
No, don’t go yet. Please stay with me a little longer
Damia’s footsteps approached him as if she could even hear the voice of his heart that he could not convey. Her scent entered the tip of his nose. It was as if she was bending over and looking at him.
“Sleep well.”
Her whispering breath lightly touched his eyelashes and caressed the hair on his cheek. The tickling sensation was so good that it melted his heart.
But what was even better was her promise after it.
“See you tomorrow. I will be back.”
Unlike himself, who was not trustworthy, Damia was a woman who kept her promises. So she would definitely come back tomorrow.
Even if it’s out of sympathy or a sense of duty.
‘Still, I can see her tomorrow.’
When relief flooded his heart, his consciousness blurred. Akkard fell into a very deep sleep.
In the beginning, when he was full of pain, he had no appetite. His mouth had been torn and ripped, so it was only full of a fishy metallic taste.
However, the soup that Damia had fed him was different. The warm and fragrant texture spread on his tongue, spreading a salty and savory umami flavor.
It’s delicious— The moment he thought of that, the salivary glands on both sides of his chin started to ache, and his appetite instantly grew.
“Have another bite.”
The first time was difficult, the second time was easy. Akkard opened his mouth and ate, like a docile baby bird.
Then Damia smiled slightly as if satisfied.
“You eat well. You have to take medicine later, so your stomach should be full.”
“… … yes.”
Akkard nodded his head, feeling like he was about to cry.
Damia was kind to him. As if she didn’t know how much of a scumbag he was. It was as if they had returned to a time before he committed all those wrongs against her.
So he was happy, and at the same time, he was terribly miserable. He now knew how agonizing disappointment can be after expectation.
‘But, for now, it’s okay to get drunk on this sweet dream.’
Akkard thought so and laughed at himself bitterly. He understood why flying insects drowned in honey.
Even if the price of this sweetness was death, what choice did he have? It was worth it.
Akkard emptied a bowl of soup in the blink of an eye. He also ate the soft white bread Damia had torn for him with her delicate, fine hands.
Finally, after taking all his medicine, she nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. Shall we take a rest now?”
Akkard laid back in bed as she suggested. Sleeping pills were a part of the medicines he was taking.
Soon, he felt sleepy. But he thought it was a pity to fall asleep now, so he struggled to keep his eyelids open when they kept closing.
‘If I fall asleep, Damia will leave.’
He lamented wasting even a second of their time together and persisted staying awake like a silly child. Then Damia, who was waiting for him to fall asleep while reading a book by the bed, tilted her head.
“You can’t sleep, can you?”
“A little bit.”
“Hmm, you’ll recover faster if you sleep.”
Damia was thinking about something and came up with an unexpected suggestion.
“Should I sing you a lullaby?”
“… … Lullaby?”
“Yes, in the north, the wind is noisy at night, so it’s difficult for children to fall asleep; during those sleepless nights, we sing lullabies to comfort the children.”
A lullaby she sings for me.
His heart fluttered softly.
“I want to hear it.”
She closed the book she was reading. And after clearing her voice, she began to sing a lullaby:
When it snows, the white rabbit sleeps under the briar bush.
When the red raspberry freezes, it becomes a ruby.
When the cold wind blows, the fairies of frost come over the window.
If you don’t close your eyes, they’ll make your eyelashes white.
The lyrics were crude with a northern sensibility: the monotonous melody, the beautiful voice, and the warm sunlight coming through the window.
Akkard could no longer resist the surge of sleepiness like a tidal wave. He closed his white eyelashes as if frost had fallen and fell into a deep slumber.
Creak-
Even in his dream, he could vaguely feel the signs of Damia getting up. Akkard flinched, his eyelids trembling.
No, don’t go yet. Please stay with me a little longer
Damia’s footsteps approached him as if she could even hear the voice of his heart that he could not convey. Her scent entered the tip of his nose. It was as if she was bending over and looking at him.
“Sleep well.”
Her whispering breath lightly touched his eyelashes and caressed the hair on his cheek. The tickling sensation was so good that it melted his heart.
But what was even better was her promise after it.
“See you tomorrow. I will be back.”
Unlike himself, who was not trustworthy, Damia was a woman who kept her promises. So she would definitely come back tomorrow.
Even if it’s out of sympathy or a sense of duty.
‘Still, I can see her tomorrow.’
When relief flooded his heart, his consciousness blurred. Akkard fell into a very deep sleep.
