Chapter 53
Paiki muttered the promise as if talking to himself. His eyes burned as he held the now reassured, still-crying Aniella and kissed her. He was angry that she, while in his arms, still couldn’t let go of her attachment to her family.
But it’s fine. He had decided to end the temporary protection and care for her for life, so even this anger would be sublimated into love. After all, there would be no family left to receive her body, so even in death, she had to be buried in his world.
* * *
Paiki tried to make her think she wanted to be buried here. First, since she seemed bored with the monotonous scenery, he planned to start with the forest.
“Do you like the sea? Some people prefer rivers over the sea, what about you?”
At Paiki’s question, Aniella couldn’t answer readily. Lately, due to her depression, her mind felt full of water, making it hard to think quickly.
Paiki gently bumped his forehead against Aniella’s dazed one. Calling her name softly, “Aniella,” her cloudy eyes gradually regained focus.
“The sea is scary. I’m afraid of stopping in the middle of it, and I’m scared that if I encounter a storm, I won’t know where I’ll drift to.”
“Have you been on a boat and had that happen?”
“I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
Aniella lowered her head and blinked. Was she comparing her life to a boat? Was she really on a boat adrift in that vast ocean? Reality and imagination were confused.
Paiki held her chin and lifted it.
“I’ll take you to the beach. You don’t need to get on a boat. Just dipping your feet in the calm waves and enjoying it is enough.”
He said it to help her cheer up, but it was of little use. She didn’t smile once, just nodded with a listless face. Seeing her reaction differ from what he imagined made Paiki anxious.
It’s like this just hearing about it. It’ll be different when she sees it.
Trying to console himself, he took Aniella’s hand and headed outside the mansion. The forest that was visible outside the window just moments ago had disappeared somewhere, and a beach appeared, just as he had said.
“How does the sand feel under your feet? It’s nice, right?”
Aniella replied weakly, “Yes.” Seeing she wasn’t very impressed, Paiki quickly moved on. He led her to where the waves washed in and out.
“Is it cool?”
Aniella said it was, but her brow furrowed slightly. It might have been from the sudden cold, and her brow soon relaxed, but this was also a failure.
Paiki had no choice but to use his last card. The sunset. She loved sunsets immensely, so this was sure to make her happy.
Though his anxiety made him miscalculate repeatedly, he somehow succeeded. He made the sun slowly submerge into the sea, creating a red sky. With a trembling heart, Paiki glanced at her.
He thought this would surely make her happy. But a tear dropped from Aniella’s eye. In that moment, Paiki felt as if his heart had sunk to the bottom of the sea. He couldn’t breathe, as if someone was covering his nose and mouth.
He wanted to make her the most comfortable and happiest woman in the world. But now, she looked like the most unhappy woman in the world.
Was it possible that no matter what he did from now on, she would never be happy? That she would lose her smile and shed tears every day?
Paiki was suddenly afraid. This feeling of terror was unfamiliar, even though no one was threatening him.
“Aniella.”
He called out with a trembling voice, and she turned her head.
“Thank you. For showing me the sea.”
Even though he heard the words of gratitude he so desperately wanted to hear, he felt no joy. He knew all too well that there was no sincerity in them.
Paiki grabbed her face and asked.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you crying while saying thank you? You should be looking at the sunset with a bright face like before, asking me why I’m being so good to you. Then I could…!”
I could say it’s because I like you.
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.