Chapter 161
‘We must have been… a couple who got along very well.’
Otherwise, there was no way her husband’s attitude could be this polite. And even affectionate.
‘He doesn’t hesitate to touch me.’
Why?
Suddenly realizing her own train of thought, she twisted her hand to pull away. But all that accomplished was getting held more firmly.
And yet, she didn’t dislike being caught like this. Rather, it felt natural… She didn’t understand why, but Siren decided to simply surrender herself to it.
Even if this was a dream, she didn’t want to let go of this small warmth.
‘No, if it’s a dream, I want to hold on even more. Because it would only last for a moment.’
She had imagined before—someone holding her hand, embracing her. Long ago, she had given up on such things, thinking they could never happen to a monster like her. But deep down, she had always wanted it.
I want to be loved, too.
I want to be someone precious to another.
Like this.
“U-um, aren’t you… busy? I-I’ve lost my memory, so I can’t even help… And yet, I’m taking up your time….”
Please don’t go. Stay with me a little longer.
Suppressing such feelings deep inside, Siren whispered weakly.
Yasamin looked down at the woman who couldn’t lean on him yet couldn’t walk away either, and let out a dry laugh.
He just… found himself laughing.
Even though he wasn’t truly happy.
‘Shouldn’t I be pleased? This is what I wanted.’
With eyes that had cooled, Yasamin tilted his head.
He wasn’t sure anymore.
Was this really what he had wanted?
Leaves piled up in a corner of his heart. Beneath them, the buried soil seemed to rot away, and in the end, he turned away from his own feelings.
Because it felt like that was the only way he could breathe.
“There isn’t much to do at the moment.”
“Ah….”
At his curt response, her large eyes trembled. She was frightened.
Sighing inwardly, Yasamin adjusted his tone and spoke again, this time more gently.
“Jin and Eltan have taken on their respective duties. Thanks to you, the infected have returned to being human… The entire South is bewildered, but it seems to be in a festive mood.”
“The infected….”
“There are none anymore, so you don’t need to worry. The important thing is that the people adore you.”
This was the absolute truth. Already, the praises for Aquafuran were growing louder. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, Yasamin was planning to establish Aquafuran’s temples throughout the South.
Now that the infected had disappeared and the population had grown, there were more mouths to feed.
Up until now, currency hadn’t been used in the South, but it would need to become commonplace.
Some of Wilkeron’s systems had to be implemented to integrate the two completely separate nations.
“Ah, that reminds me. The Southern system needs to be revised. Would you be willing to help, madam? Since you’ve read many books, you should be able to review policies.”
“M-me?”
“Yes. You, madam.”
When he spoke firmly, worry surfaced on Siren’s face this time.
How transparent.
Compared to the past, when she had to live in constant fear because she could never read others, it was astonishingly easy now.
“I don’t know if I’ll be of any help, but I’ll do my best. I-if you entrust it to me.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry to ask this of you as soon as you’ve risen from your sickbed. But there’s no rush, so focus on your recovery first.”
A breeze tinged with warmth passed between them.
A wind where one side grew colder while the other burned even hotter.
For the next few days, Siren let go of her worries and truly rested.
This was the first place where no one hit or tormented her. On top of that, even though she didn’t remember it, people seemed to like her because of something she had accomplished.
If she had come here after death, she wished she could remain dead forever.
‘I like everything. It’s as if I’ve always belonged here.’
She even grew fond of the light sheen of sweat that formed when she walked, of the noonday sun heating her crown.
Draped in a thin, light dress, Siren climbed the ramparts and gazed into the distance.
The land before her was barren, with sparse trees and cacti, yet it felt beautiful—perhaps because of the sunlight.
‘Still, I’d love to see more plants grow. If the land were covered in green, life would be easier for people. It would solve food shortages too.’
Though she had been resting, Siren hadn’t spent her days doing nothing.
She had listened to Pamilla and Jin explain what the South was like and what it needed.
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