🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 10
“What are you?”
The man brushed back his wet blond hair, which hung like strands of seaweed.
Watching steam rise from his broad, muscular upper body, Iena thought that if those arms hit her, there wouldn’t even be bones left to recover.
So she decided to deny everything first.
“I’m not a thief.”
“What?”
“I’m just a poor traveler who got lost.”
“…Then what do you think you’re holding in your hand?”
“A fish. A very delicious-looking grilled fish.”
“And who do you think caught it? Who grilled it?”
“Uh… well… unless the fish jumped into the campfire by themselves… I guess you caught them?”
“And yet you’re saying you’re not a thief?”
Damn, he’s annoyingly logical.
Iena quietly lowered the fish she’d been holding.
“I wandered around after getting lost… and I got so hungry that…”
“…”
“I was starving out of my mind… I’m really not normally like this…”
When all else failed, it was time for the pity strategy.
She put on the most pitiful expression she could manage.
“Then go back to wandering around. Stop eyeing other people’s food.”
You bastard.
The curse rose to her throat, but she swallowed it back.
“Um… could you show a little kindness?”
“Why should I?”
“If you do good deeds, you’ll be blessed… and maybe even get into heaven someday…?”
“If you want fish that badly, catch one yourself. I’ll even lend you the fire.”
“I can’t swim.”
“Not my problem.”
“Couldn’t you make it your problem… just a little?”
“No.”
Forget calling him a dog.
He was worse than one.
“Trying to get a free meal? You’ve got some nerve.”
He’d grilled five fish already.
Would giving her just one really kill him?
Normally she’d have spat on the ground and said, Who wants your stupid fish anyway?
…Normally.
The problem was…
She was absolutely starving.
And unfortunately, Iena had never been the type who could endure hunger.
Even before she ended up inside this novel, she’d been the sort of person who claimed her blood sugar was dropping and ate snacks every hour.
“Then… how about I pay you later?”
“So you’re not just a thief. You’re a scammer too.”
“No, really! I may look like a beggar right now, but I’m actually rich.”
She still had all the jewels she’d removed from the bedframe.
She could always sell those.
“If you tell me your name, I’ll send someone to repay you if I have to… Just one fish.”
“I don’t do credit.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?!”
She snapped before immediately realizing her mistake.
“…I-I mean… what should I do? Is there anything I can do for you? Just say the word!”
Her attitude changed in an instant.
“…Anything?”
The man paused before speaking.
“No matter what I ask?”
“As long as you don’t ask for one of my organs.”
“You’re awfully naïve.”
“Huh?”
He slowly walked toward her.
His crimson eyes stared directly into hers.
Since this was a fantasy novel, everyone seemed to have unusual eye colors.
“What makes you think you can say something like that without knowing what I might ask?”
His red eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
“I figured… you’d decide that yourself…”
Then she tilted her head.
“But…”
“But?”
“You kind of look like a rabbit.”
“…What?”
“I mean exactly that. You look like a rabbit.”
“Why would I look like a rabbit? Did you check?”
He suddenly sounded offended.
“Huh? Well… anyone with functioning eyes can obviously see…”
“Oh? Can you see through people now? Some kind of wizard?”
“I only meant your eyes are red…”
“…”
“If I accidentally touched on a sore subject… I’m sorry…”
“It’s not a sore subject! They’re just incredibly healthy, that’s all!”
“Oh… congratulations.”
His eyesight must be amazing.
No wonder he caught so many fish.
She nodded in understanding.
“Anyway, since you’re so healthy, you can always catch more fish. Could you please give me just one? If you do, I won’t tell anyone I saw you here today.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re a bandit, aren’t you? If you get caught, they’ll arrest you.”
“…Ha.”
“Even if you do get arrested, maybe I can pull some strings and—”
“Just eat this and shut up already.”
He answered irritably.
“Thank you.”
She immediately grabbed the fish again.
Freshly grilled fish…
Eaten beside a campfire in the middle of snowy mountains…
It tasted unbelievably delicious.
The problem was…
It was so good that one fish wasn’t nearly enough.
“Um… I’m really sorry, but could I have just one more? I don’t usually eat this much, but your cooking is so amazing that I just can’t stop—”
“Eat them all if you want. Just be quiet.”
“Okay.”
In the end…
Iena devoured three of the five fish.
The man simply watched in disbelief as she destroyed his dinner.
She did feel a little guilty…
But hunger left no room for manners.
“Whew…”
Now that she was finally full, she stretched her hands toward the campfire.
Or rather…
She was about to.
The man suddenly tossed his filthy shirt at her.
“Wash it.”
“Me?”
“Who else is here?”
“Ah… but I’m not very good at laundry.”
“You ate my food. Earn it.”
“I-I’ll try.”
Do you not have hands? Or feet?
She was annoyed.
But after eating his fish, she couldn’t exactly complain.
With a sigh, she crouched beside the hot spring.
“Whew…”
At least the water was warm.
Her hands wouldn’t freeze.
And dirt came out much easier in warm water.
But why is this shirt so filthy?
Did this guy crawl across the mountains on all fours or something…?
“…!”
Her hands suddenly froze.
Blood.
Bright red stains were splattered all across the clothing.
“…Eek…”
She’d assumed he was a bandit.
But assuming it…
And finding actual bloodstains…
Were two very different things.
A chill ran down her spine.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her.
“Are you washing clothes or playing in the water?”
“Eep!”
The man had silently walked up behind her.
“I-I was just soaking it first! There were a lot of stains…”
“…”
“Of course, I don’t mean you’re dirty…”
“Forget that. Wash these too.”
Whoosh.
This time…
He threw his pants at her.
Seriously?
“My back already hurts, and now this too?”
“What? Don’t want to?”
“N-No. Of course not.”
She hurriedly shoved the pants into the water.
…Wait.
If he gave me his pants…
Then what’s he wearing now?
Without thinking…
She turned around.
Squish.
Squish?
She blinked.
A second later…
Reality hit her.
Her face had just slammed directly into the complete stranger’s crotch.
“AAAAAH!”
“AAAGH!”
The first scream belonged to Iena.
The second came from the man after she shoved him away so hard that he tumbled backward.
“S-Sorry…”
“…”
“I-I was just startled… I’m really sorry…”
The sight of him rolling around in the snow wearing nothing but his underwear was almost comical.
If he killed her in anger…
She wouldn’t even have an excuse.
Trying her best to look apologetic, she offered him a hand.
He slapped it away.
“Do you have a death wish?”
“W-What? N-No…”
“…Ha.”
“I’ll hurry up and finish the laundry…”
She awkwardly crouched back down beside the spring.
The sooner she finished washing everything and left…
The better.
Her hands moved frantically.
The bloodstains covered the pants too.
She decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed.
Eventually she finished washing the shirt and laid it over a rock to dry.
Then she washed the pants.
Meanwhile, the man sat beside the campfire rubbing the back of his head, which he’d apparently hit during the fall, while eating the remaining fish.
Bandits sure have it easy…
Thinking that, she picked up the pants.
“Hm?”
Something round slipped out with a splash and sank beneath the water.
“What is this?”
She reached in and picked it up.
It was…
A necklace.
An intricately engraved necklace.
“Um…”
“What now?!”
He barked irritably.
Seriously. What a jerk.
She’d only been trying to return it.
“Oh… nothing. I was just saying the laundry’s almost done.”
I’ll just give it back with the clothes.
She slipped the necklace into her own pocket for the moment.
It took quite a while before she finished.
The blood hadn’t come out completely.
Still…
Without soap or detergent…
She figured she’d done a decent job.
After wringing out the clothes, she carried them back to the campfire.
“Here.”
The man had just finished eating.
He accepted his clothes.
“You actually washed these properly?”
“I did the best I could.”
“If there are still stains, you’ll have to spit back everything you—”
He suddenly shot to his feet.
Then stared toward the distance.
Iena followed his gaze.
Listening carefully…
She heard horses.
And voices.
The soldiers must have come looking for her.
The man’s expression turned serious.
Before things became even more troublesome…
She needed to leave.
“Anyway, thanks for the meal.”
“Hey!”
“I won’t tell anyone I saw you here, so don’t worry!”
She took off running.
Just as she’d expected—
Calyx’s soldiers were visible on the opposite path.
“…”
Stopping for a moment…
She looked back.
The man was watching her too.
Lowering her voice, she called out,
“And while you’re at it, you should really turn yourself in and start an honest life! My mom always said that if you keep picking other people’s pockets, you’ll end up ruining your own life!”
“W-What… picking pockets? Me?”
“Well then, goodbye!”
Having finished sticking her nose into someone else’s business…
Iena left without another glance.
The man, still wearing an expression of utter disbelief, quickly threw on his still-damp clothes.
He needed to leave immediately.
There was no reason to stay in a dangerous place any longer.
“…”
Just as he picked up his belongings…
He suddenly froze.
Then frantically searched his pockets.
He turned every pocket inside out.
Nothing.
…My necklace!
He bit down hard on his lip.
“Y-You…”
‘I’m not a thief.’
“That woman…”
‘I’m just a poor traveler who got lost.’
“She really was a thief!!”
Grinding his teeth, he looked around desperately.
But by then…
The “female thief” had already disappeared from sight.
