Chapter 66
He did not know why he was on the receiving end of nothing but such empty, hollow words.
No, since he was merely a half-witted sinner with nothing to show for himself, was it only natural? He felt quite a wave of self-loathing.
Regardless, he must not let his guard down. She was a woman who might test the waters at any moment to decide whether to kill him or not.
‘Right now, it’s just because the one next to her happens to be me, and it would have been the same for anyone else. Was I even the first one to take on this role in the first place?’
It was a chilling and unpleasant assumption. Even if this assumption was wrong, the fact that she had killed countless people was explicit. Her very aura was far too characteristic of a killer.
Ah, my head hurts.
He grumbled as if chewing on the words.
‘She really is devilish. Whispering the very words one wants to hear the most.’
If her intention had been to torment or tease him, it was highly successful. Though he was trying to put forward reason as if he were cold-headed, honestly, the sight of Irene would not leave his head. That uniquely pretty voice was still vivid.
Was it truly certain that she had never sung a siren’s song behind his back? He was right on the verge of mental delirium.
‘Haah. Siren or whatever, get a grip on yourself, you idiot. You are a Holy Knight, a Holy Knight.’
Placing a pot over the fire, he let out another deep sigh. He felt as though the events of the early morning had shortened his lifespan by twenty years.
Being attacked all at once in areas where he possessed zero immunity left his mind dazed. He was terrified that he might dream of a reconstructed image of Irene whispering from inside the lake that he was the most special.
“Let us stop. I should make breakfast.”
‘Let’s not think useless thoughts and just do work.’ Today, there was truly a mountain of things to do.
Idris poured water into the pot and sliced mushrooms with the knife. He intended to make the mushroom soup he had prepared several times before.
Having observed Irene closely all this time, it was clear she preferred stew or soup that could be eaten in a single spoonful without needing side dishes, or otherwise meat, so he mostly made simple dishes as well.
She was a typical type who disliked eating and found it troublesome. Seeing how she picked at her food and ate only two meals, that said it all. She was not short either, so it was amazing that she moved around eating only that amount.
‘Come to think of it, were we supposed to build the fence today too? I need to check the seeds once more as well…….’
Having thrown in all the ingredients, Idris stirred the still watery soup with a wooden spatula. In the middle of seasoning it with overflowing salt and pepper, Irene’s bright voice came from behind.
“Mr. Idris, good morning! I woke up far too late today, didn’t I?”
“Good morning, Miss Irene.”
As if when had she ever been uncharacteristically gloomy, she looked as bright and lively as usual. Having put on clothes in the meantime, today she was finely dressed in a pure white blouse and a light brown checkered skirt. At the center of the ribbon tied in the middle of her blouse, a large jewel sparkled.
“Wow, is it soup? It looks delicious.”
“……Yes. Since it is morning, it is better to eat lightly.”
Irene approached him without hesitation and stood beside him. Idris, who had momentarily stiffened and grown rigid, barely managed to answer calmly. Because of the shock from last night, standing close to her was agonizingly awkward and difficult. Dammit, how was he supposed to overcome this?
This was all because Irene treated him far too mildly. If she had beaten him like a dog and starved him like someone else, he would not have been making himself restless over her treating him a little well.
By the time he came to his senses while agonized, the two of them were already sitting across from each other at the dining table.
“I will enjoy the food.”
Today, Irene’s meal greeting sounded exceptionally cheerful.
He wished she would not react like that to a low-effort soup. Irene was far too generous with praise. Laughing for him was even more so.
His head kept throbbing continuously.
For some reason, it was difficult to take his eyes off her innocently smiling face.
Idris forced his eyes down, half troubled, half fluttering.
Was it truly possible to reincarnate without falling into hell? He felt as though he were committing an indelible sin while going mad at every single moment. He could feel emotions that wanted to leap out beyond the line he had painstakingly drawn.
‘It’s because I’ve been trapped for a long time. Is it easy to maintain one’s sanity in a place like this? O Mater. And please, other gods. Please grant mitigating circumstances…….’
All of this felt like a bad nightmare that was difficult to escape. A bad nightmare woven so exquisitely that it made him want to forget reality.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.