Chapter 65
“Since I already made it, you could just use it…”
“I don’t want it.”
Felix enunciated every single word with unmistakable force, leaving Abel no choice but to withdraw his hand.
He had thought it was a good gift. It had taken far more care than holy water to make, and if Felix carried it with him, it would even ward off misfortune.
Of course, Abel couldn’t claim his motives had been entirely selfless. Lovers exchanged rings on their fingers, so he had pulled off the nail from the ring finger of his left hand. But he probably shouldn’t mention that.
Abel tossed the fingernail into the stove in the corner of the room.
Then, noticing Felix watching the stove with uneasy eyes, he explained,
“It’ll burn once the holy power runs out. Speaking from experience.”
Felix looked at him as though asking, Why on earth do you even have experience with something like that? But in the end, he seemed to decide he didn’t want to know and kept his mouth shut.
‘The hostility really is gone.’
Even though Felix was still smiling, the razor-sharp edge that had clung to him this whole time had subsided. Looking at the exhausted expression on his face, Abel cautiously asked:
“So, are you going to talk to me again now?”
“I’m not.”
The answer came without the slightest hesitation, and Abel nodded.
“I suppose not. You didn’t accept my apology gift, after all. Then, should I cut off some of my hair?”
He had left his fingernail because it held holy power better than hair, but if Felix didn’t want that, then Abel had no choice but to settle for the next best option.
“Now that I think about it, a fingernail might be a little creepy. I thought it’d be convenient since it’s small enough to carry around, but I guess hair would look better.”
Whether it was a fingernail or his hair, he had taken equally good care of both. Running his fingers through his long white hair, Abel recalled something from the past.
After the first prayer assembly, he had cut off some of his hair and sent it as gifts to the rulers of various nations. The response had been overwhelmingly positive. Part of the appeal had been its rarity. Once those strands were gone, there would never be any more. And, after all, it was a part of the Herald of God’s body.
Apparently, the effects had been excellent as well. After that, nearly every kingdom became friendly toward the Temple.
“I could braid it into some kind of ornament—”
“Please. Don’t give me anything. Anything at all.”
Abel frowned. Why did Felix reject everything? It wasn’t as though he could possibly be unaware of how valuable these things were.
Other people would have been desperate to receive them.
“But I have to apologize.”
Wasn’t it customary to accompany an apology with a nice gift? Abel looked at Felix in genuine confusion.
Grinding his teeth, Felix answered:
“I’m telling you not to apologize.”
“I was taught that if you’ve done something wrong, you should apologize.”
Hadn’t Felix taught that to Abel himself? Abel brought up the lesson Felix had taught him in the past.
“You told me that even if the other person doesn’t accept it, I should keep feeling sorry.”
Felix stared at him as though wondering, You actually remember something like that?
Then he let out a long sigh.
“I’ll accept your apology. So please, just never give me anything like that again.”
Stepping over to stand beside Felix, Abel asked:
“Really? You’ll accept my apology? Then will you talk to me again too?”
Felix immediately took a step sideways. Judging by his expression, he looked like he wanted to take back his words right then and there.
Instead of crowding him any further, Abel quickly straightened his posture and kept his mouth shut.
A moment later, wearing a look that said he truly hated this, Felix spoke.
“If I don’t feel like answering, I won’t. I’ll only speak when I want to.”
“Okay.”
Abel nodded at once.
He had just realized how important apologies were. They could even change the mind of someone who seemed as though they would never forgive you.
‘If I ever do something wrong again, I’ll give him one of those.’
Completely erasing Felix’s plea to never give him anything like that again from his mind, Abel hurried to explain how much he had reflected before Felix could change his mind.
“From now on, if it’s anything related to you, I’ll ask you first.”
Abel promised.
“I’ve reflected a lot.”
He really has.
At Abel’s added insistence, Felix let out a long sigh and rubbed a hand down his face.
“Understood.”
Once again, Abel’s gaze fell upon Felix’s battered hands, covered in countless small cuts. And it wasn’t just his hands. His entire appearance was a mess.
His blond hair was disheveled, his clothes were worn and stained with dirt, and even his shoes were coated in a layer of white dust.
Anyone could tell that he had been in the middle of training when he discovered the fingernail, then rushed straight here without a second thought.
The moment he arrived, he had immediately grabbed Abel’s hands to inspect them.
Only then did Abel finally understand the meaning behind Felix’s actions.
“…You were worried?”
A faint crease formed between Felix’s brows as he answered:
“I was startled.”
“Hm. If that’s not it, then sorry.”
He rushed all the way here because of a single fingernail?
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