Chapter 10
Ella let out a disbelieving laugh.
Her hostility had absolutely no effect on the man.
Realizing that left her feeling deflated.
“Why should I tell you?”
“Because I asked. Three times.”
The word ‘I’ as the man uttered it was incomparably firmer and weightier than when Ella said the same word.
What kind of world did this man live in that he behaved so much like a king?
Ella regretted stopping.
‘I should’ve just pretended I couldn’t hear him and walked past from the start.’
And yet somehow, she had a feeling that if she had done that, he would have followed her all the way.
It was not a great secret anyway. To begin with, Ella had nothing that could truly be called a secret.
“…They said my leg was already badly injured when I was first found.”
“And the priest?”
“The head priest healed it. That’s why it’s this good now.”
At that, the man gave a derisive chuckle.
“I suppose you’ve never seen real divine power.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Who knows. I don’t make a habit of giving away information for free.”
As if his business was finished, the man turned and began walking away, leaving Ella behind.
Ella grabbed his arm.
And was startled.
His body was hard.
Beneath the expensive fabric, it almost felt as though there were steel instead of the flesh that should make up a human body.
The amusement disappeared from the man’s face as well, as though he had encountered something unexpected.
“Did you just grab me?”
“…O, our head priest is a real priest. Don’t you dare insult him.”
“Well now… Ella.”
The man bent down.
His breath touched her ear. Ella froze, forgetting even how to breathe.
There was no way he had failed to notice how tense her body had become, and yet the man brought his lips even closer to Ella’s ear.
“It isn’t the first time what you trusted turned out to be a lie.”
“What in the world is that supposed to mean!”
Ella belatedly tried to push him away, but he was not someone she could overpower.
Instead, the man wrapped an arm around Ella’s waist and pulled her toward him.
“Mm! L, let go of me.”
“Shh.”
His silver lashes lowered quietly.
As he breathed in Ella’s scent, his unstable condition settled somewhat.
‘Still the same.’
Her scent was not the only thing he wanted to swallow, but he restrained himself when he felt his grip beginning to tighten.
Still, once his composure returned, he could not help becoming a little more generous.
“Fine. I’ll give you one example. The ointment in this village.”
“…The ointment from our church hospital?”
“How much do you think it sells for outside the village?”
Ella knew that they made more ointment than the village itself needed and sold the excess to merchants who came by regularly.
How much did the ointment sell for?
That was the head priest’s domain, not something Ella had any reason to concern herself with.
“The price of the ointment has nothing to do with me or you… Eek!”
Ella suddenly shoved the man away.
“Wh, wh, what are you doing…”
“Anyone watching would think you’d been molested.”
“Don’t!”
He had suddenly nibbled at the tip of her ear. If that was not molestation, then what was?
Ella covered one ear as she backed away in small steps. The man merely watched her in silence.
For some reason, she had a feeling he would not chase after her.
Ella began to run.
She had even forgotten that running would make her limp.
‘It has to be all lies! Anything a man like that says!’
Her ear burned.
No, every place that man’s breath had touched felt the same.
Her ear, the nape of her neck, even her hair seemed to have nerves of its own, spreading heat throughout her entire body.
‘This is strange.’
Confused by a sensation she had never experienced before, Ella still did not stop running.
She wanted to hurry home and hide.
Until this feeling subsided, she did not want to encounter anyone.
“My, Ella?”
At that moment, Missus Anani suddenly appeared.
“Why is your face so red? And why are you panting like that?”
“P, panting?”
It was true. Only then did Ella realize that her heart was pounding wildly.
“I, I ran for a bit. I wanted to hurry home…”
“You ran? With that leg?”
“…I, I was h, hungry.”
“Ah. I see.”
Missus Anani casually let Ella’s excuse pass.
To begin with, she had no interest in whether Ella ran or rolled around on the ground.
“Anyway, I’m glad I ran into you. I’m running low on ointment.”
Of all things, they had to be words that reminded Ella of that man.
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