Don’t Be Holy! - Chapter 76

“Well…… sure.”

“Good, then. Let’s leave it at that. You’ve been starving for a while, so if you’re feeling up to it, I’ll bring you something to eat.”

“I am hungry, but…….”

With that, Rubel quickly disappeared.

Eir clutched her empty stomach and pinched her cheek to check if she was still unconscious or if this was all a dream.

“Ah.”

But the pain was real. Moreover, as the painkillers began to wear off, her wrist and side started to ache as if they were burning.

“Ugh, seriously.”

Eir furrowed her brows, trying to make sense of what had just happened to her. But since no one had ever experienced something like this before, there was no proper term to define it.

Was it a forced confession?

Even though she didn’t like him, she had gone through the whole process of being told, ‘You like me, don’t you? I know how you feel. I misunderstood you. Sorry. Let’s just leave it at that.’ It was beyond ridiculous—it felt like her soul had left her body.

“Can people really think like that?”

Eir scratched her chin, pondering.

Come to think of it, from his perspective, Eir’s desperate act of saving him might have been burdensome. Maybe he had attached that reason to her actions to make sense of them.

Besides, he had said he wouldn’t dig into it further and even called her a good person, so Eir figured there was no need to drag it out any longer.

“Alright. I’m hungry, so I’ll think about it after eating.”

Eir clutched her stomach and curled up in a shrimp-like position. Shortly after, she heard footsteps on the stairs and perked up, her expression brightening as she thought she was finally going to get some food. She lifted her head and asked, “Are you here?”

But instead of Rubel, a strange, unfamiliar woman stood at the door, looking surprised.

“Oh my! The bride is finally awake.”

The woman, with a cheerful expression, quickly approached and placed food in front of Eir.

Though she didn’t look the type, Eir was somewhat shy around strangers. The woman’s familiarity made her feel a bit awkward and embarrassed, so she nodded shyly and greeted her.

“Ah, hello.”

The woman burst into laughter and lightly tapped Eir’s shoulder.

“Were you expecting your husband? Were you surprised to see me instead?”

“Ah, no…….”

“The young man had some urgent business to attend to. You know, he’s working hard to earn money for your treatment. He’s probably out collecting fragments from the broken ships by now.”

The woman, who seemed naturally talkative, chatted away as Eir slowly emptied a bowl of thin, pale vegetable soup. Thanks to her, Eir was able to piece together what had happened.

First, they were on an island, and due to consecutive storms, the ships were wrecked, and the sea had become too rough for anyone to leave or arrive.

Second, in the midst of this, Eir and Rubel had suddenly appeared on the sandy beach, startling everyone.

Third, to explain their unique situation—a man and woman stranded together—and Eir’s critical condition, Rubel had told everyone they were a couple who had eloped against their families’ wishes.

And fourth, fortunately, it wasn’t Rubel who had changed her bandages and washed her while she was unconscious—it was the woman in front of her.

Of course, all of this was conveyed through the woman’s endless chatter.

‘Ah, the young lady’s body was in such good shape. Youth is truly wonderful. How can skin be so firm and wrinkle-free?’

‘The young man wanted to take care of it himself, but my father is quite conservative. He said a man shouldn’t wash an unconscious woman, so I did it. Later, when the young lady wakes up, the young man might have lied about it.’

‘But he doesn’t seem like the type to do that, does he? His face alone—he has such a strong, handsome impression. And my father changed his mind after seeing how devoted the young man was to you. He’s so sincere. And for a young man, he’s very precise with his calculations, not trying to take advantage of anyone. Thanks to him, he’s been handling all the chores around the house.’

After such a long stream of chatter, Eir was almost out of her mind trying to piece everything together.