Chapter 65
What could he have remembered? Was it for the woman, Eir, who was probably hiding and waiting for him?
If so, it was time to discreetly withdraw. They put on solemn expressions, trying to suppress their smirks, and bid Rubel farewell before leaving.
As soon as they went inside, Rubel looked up at the night sky and quietly said,
“You can come out now.”
Eir decided to be satisfied with this and stepped out from behind the tree, wearing an awkward expression.
“You knew?”
“How could I not?”
Rubel’s indifferent reply turned into a strange expression as he took in Eir’s disheveled appearance. What on earth had she been doing all day to end up looking like this?
After shouting “Freedom!” upon leaving the room, had she been so overjoyed that she rolled around in the dirt?
No, but how on earth did she end up looking this…… messy?
Rubel furrowed his brows, looking at Eir as if she were a dirty dog that needed washing, even though she wasn’t.
“What’s with that look?”
“Huh? What look?”
Eir, completely oblivious, brushed her cheek. Did she think Rubel was only talking about her cheek?
Her hair was disheveled, with twigs sticking out here and there, and her clothes were covered in dirt. There were even torn parts visible. Rubel sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
Right. Come to think of it, he had lived with her for months, seeing her like this every day, and had managed just fine. Back then, he had thought, ‘Is she really this clueless? Why is she always like this? Not all herbalists are like this.’ But he had let it slide.
There was no need to fuss over tidying her up now.
Whether she knew Rubel was watching her or not, Eir’s futile attempts to smooth her hair and face continued a few more times.
“Oh, I was in the mountains, so…….”
“Were you trying to run away?”
“Of course not! I did this for you!”
With that, Eir pulled something out from her clothes. It was wrapped in a white handkerchief, clearly something precious. Rubel watched as she unwrapped it layer by layer.
“Herbs?”
“Yes. Since you used your divine power for me…… I heard these herbs are good for restoring divine energy.”
Rubel simply stared at it.
Eir frowned. When someone gives you a gift, isn’t it rude to just stare at it without accepting it?
During the few seconds Rubel spent just looking at the herbs without taking them, Eir first felt embarrassment and a faint anger, then awkwardness and a slight sense of self-reproach.
Come to think of it, he had so many good things around him—why would he care about some herbs she brought to restore his divine energy?
He must be feeling awkward too, right? Eir quickly lowered her hand and added,
“No, it’s nothing.”
Only then did Rubel take the herbs. He brushed off the dirt and brought them to his mouth as if to eat them raw.
Eir, startled, quickly grabbed his hand and shouted,
“What are you doing?”
“You said to eat them.”
“Who eats them like that!”
He shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
“Not long ago, I had to chew on roots and grass because there was nothing to eat.”
He was probably referring to when he had been stranded or during battles with witches. Eir stared at him, dumbfounded, then snatched the herbs back.
“But you don’t have to do that now! There’s water, a kettle, fire, and even cups here!”
“Then do it properly for me.”
Hah.
An incredulous sigh escaped her. Was this arrogance or incompetence? She couldn’t decide whether to be annoyed or amused.
While she stood stiffly, Rubel grabbed her shoulder and pushed her into the inn.
Before she knew it, she was seated in a corner of the inn’s kitchen. The innkeeper looked at her as if she were a great lover, saying, “You even picked the herbs yourself?” and Eir, under her encouraging gaze, had no choice but to brew the medicine for Rubel.
The innkeeper, noticing Eir’s exceptional skill in preparing herbal remedies, asked questions and even took notes on some of her techniques. By the time she finished explaining how to distinguish various herbs to the knights watching from a distance, the medicine had already started to simmer.
Eir looked at the brewed herbal concoction, then, with the innkeeper’s permission, took a piece of sweet fruit and went upstairs.
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