BKSF 09

Chapter 09

“If you don’t have anywhere to go back to, then stay here! Rest and recover here!”
“……”
“I’ll help you!”

Thinking he might refuse right away, Ponia hurriedly added,

“But there’s a condition! You have to help me with my work!”
“……”
“As you know, this forest is dangerous. It’s safer to patrol together than alone. And most of all…”

Her family flashed through her mind.

“I have a reason I have to survive in this forest.”

In his injured state, he wouldn’t be much help on patrol, but Ponia didn’t trust one-sided kindness. She needed at least a condition like this.

She didn’t know what had happened to Shionel during this time.

Maybe he almost died again because of me.

Still, Shionel was here in the Mirvan Forest now, and it was only natural for the forest to have a forest keeper. It should be fine for him to stay as one.

But there was no answer from him. She felt the strength slowly draining from the hand she was holding.

Her heart grew impatient.

“Did I ask for something impossible? Did I tell you to trust me?!”
“……”
“If I’m using you, then you can use me too!”
“……”
“If I pull you up from here, that means you’re cooperating with me!”
“……”
“And from now on, you drink the water I give you, and you don’t put anything weird in the soup!”
“……”
“Answer me!”

She wasn’t sure if Shionel nodded, or if his head merely swayed from his weakening grip.

Either way, his head moved—and that was enough. Ponia gathered all her strength and hauled him up onto solid ground.

Out of breath, she grabbed Shionel’s face as he stared at her blankly and turned it side to side.

Dark blue hair. Sky-colored eyes. A sharp nose and a soft jawline.

It was the appearance of the male lead she knew.

And at the same time, she had no choice but to admit it.

The Shionel Devonham she knew was not here.

The man in front of her was not the gentle, upright protagonist from the novel. Not her innocent first love from three years ago.

So our relationship starts over from here.

“Let me check your wounds again. The bandages are bleeding through.”
“…….”

As she approached Shionel sitting on the bed, Ponia watched his expression carefully.

Is he going to choke me again for no reason?

But Shionel didn’t resist at all. He flinched now and then, but he let his body relax into her hands.

“Why did you save me?”

His clouded blue eyes looked up at her.

“Don’t tell me it was just because I was someone in trouble. No one jumps into danger knowing monsters will appear.”
“……”
“Even if it’s family.”

I—I’m sorry, brother. I just… wanted to live…

The voice of someone precious—someone she could never replace—kept echoing in his mind.

Though Ponia felt distant from a question that showed no trust in people at all, she still thought carefully before answering.

“Because I’m a forest keeper…?”
“……”
“Forest keepers are responsible for the safety of people who enter the forest. Otherwise… responsibility! I’d have to take responsibility!”

There was no such duty. No such responsibility.

No one ever made it out of this forest alive—how could such obligations exist?

“So as long as I’m the forest keeper, don’t even think about dying here. It’s a headache.”

She emphasized the last part, her face blank as she finished changing the bandages.

There was a time when just seeing his bare body made me blush.

Maybe it was because of the constant verbal abuse and murder attempts she’d endured every day, but now she felt absolutely nothing looking at him.

“We both look tired, so let’s talk about the details tomorrow.”
“……”
“Oh, and one more thing.”

Ponia turned back after heading toward the bathroom.

“The bed is originally mine, okay? Starting today, you sleep on the floor.”

She’d been taught that you had to establish these things early.

A pillow so soft it sank in, a worn blanket heavy with use, a bed with no resilience left.

Not ideal sleeping conditions—but humans adapt.

Warm sunlight touched his body. It was the first comfortable sleep he’d had in a long time.

If I could just stay like this forever, I’d have no regrets.

“Wake up.”

Who was interrupting his peaceful sleep?

“Warm…”
“Wake up.”

A low, steady voice—irritated.

“Comfy…”
“Get up.”
“……”
“Wake up!”

His eyes flew open at the loud shout drilling into his ears.

He squinted briefly at the sudden brightness, and then heard the voice again.

“How long are you planning to sleep?”

As his eyes adjusted, he saw Shionel standing right in front of him, looking down.

A face full of irritation and displeasure.

A new nightmare?

“What are you staring at?”
“Eek!”
“Hey!”

Ponia slammed her head into him and, without even processing the pain, scrambled backward toward the head of the bed.

My forehead hurts! This isn’t a dream!

“What was that?! No—what are you doing?!”

Shionel had hit his head too and frowned deeply in pain.

“What are you doing? You knocked me out with your head last time too.”
“No, that time it was a rock—”
“So you’re determined to kill me.”
“You were trying to choke me to death!”
“That was self-defense.”
“That’s my line!”

Ponia stopped mid-retort and tilted her head.

Wait. Why is this conversation… normal?

Of course, it still wasn’t anything close to a healthy conversation, and anyone overhearing would’ve been horrified—but after a week of nonstop verbal abuse, Ponia didn’t even notice.

Come to think of it…

She stared at Shionel moving freely. He twitched his brow in irritation.

“What.”
“The chains are gone…”
“Why would I run?”

Why indeed? He was the one trying to escape this whole time.

“Enough sleeping. Get up.”

Ignoring her disbelief, Shionel continued calmly.

“The sun’s already high. As a fake forest keeper, aren’t you awfully lazy? Or is it just you?”

Why is he picking a fight?

“Don’t you have work?”

Under his persistent stare, Ponia reluctantly answered.

“I’ve got plenty. Daily patrols, gathering food—”
“Then do it now. Get ready and come out.”

Having said his piece, Shionel walked straight out of the cabin.

“…Is he actually trying to help? What’s with the sudden personality shift?”

A man who said he was going to die yesterday had changed too much overnight—she didn’t even know where to start criticizing.

Anyway, Ponia got out of bed, washed her face, scraped together the remaining soup, and ate.

She tied her messy long hair up high and grabbed her patrol gear.

“You wake up late and you’re slow too.”
“I was especially tired yesterday. But you look… oddly clean overall. Where’d you get those clothes?”

His neatly arranged hair gleamed, and though his clothes were worn, they were clean and practical.

“I wore what was in the cabin. And the only reason I’m clean is because the chains you tied me up with are gone, so I could wash. Got a problem?”

A problem? I have lots of problems. Like the fact you’re answering every question.

“Don’t you think your attitude changed too much in one day?”
“What, want me to go back to how I was?”

That rude tone meant the gentle male lead definitely hadn’t returned…

“Lead the way.”
“Huh?”
“You said patrol. Lead.”

Before she knew it, Ponia was being dragged along, then snapped back to her senses and pulled him back into the cabin.

Only after sharing the lavender scent monsters supposedly hated did they finally set out.

Kraaah! Kraaah!

As always, the cry of a bird-shaped monster echoed from the distant sky.

Shionel followed a step behind as Ponia unfolded her map. He leaned over her shoulder.

“This is the forest map?”

Feeling his breath brush against her ear, Ponia quickly stepped aside, covering it.

“Why?”
“…Nothing. The triangle is the cabin, and the circles mark safe zones.”
“What about the X marks?”
“Monster habitats.”
“That’s everything?”
“No. It’s unfinished. My job is to find monster habitats and mark them.”

Shionel stared at her for a moment.

That look again—the same one the employment office staff and Jerome had given her.

“…Were you forced into this?”
“No. I volunteered.”
“Oh. So you’re just an idiot.”

She wanted to argue, but knowing she’d been reckless, she had no comeback. Ponia cleared her throat and changed the subject.

“I couldn’t patrol while you were here, so I need to make up at least four days today.”
“So where to?”
“The east side.”
“You can read the terrain?”
“Don’t worry. I’m good with directions. Just trust me and follow.”

And then, shortly after—

Kraaah! Kraaah!

“……”

We got lost.