🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter: 21
“Arban, why were you hiding alone?”
“I wasn’t hiding.”
“Then what were you doing?”
I followed behind Arban as he walked deeper into the garden.
Arban, who had seemed annoyed, occasionally looked back to see if I was following properly as we went further inside where the plants grew thick.
Even though he acted like he didn’t care, he still checked on me. My lips curled up without me noticing. So maybe he doesn’t hate Ailing. I thought he would hate me after that fight.
“Hey! There’s a rock there.”
“Yeah. Ailing avoided it!”
“What’s so funny?”
When I giggled, Arban flinched and quickly turned his head away. Then he began clearing away branches and vines to make the path easier to walk.
It was called a greenhouse garden, but the deeper parts seemed to be somewhat managed since living creatures were inside.
It was a bit hard to walk, but thanks to Arban paying attention each time, I could follow without difficulty.
I once again ran along the path Arban made for me.
“I like Arban!”
“What, what are you talking about!”
Arban’s face turned bright red as he hurried ahead. His ears, visible through his curly black hair, were dyed red.
“Then do you hate Ailing?”
“Of course I do! You idiot.”
Hmph. Does he really hate me?
I drooped my shoulders sadly.
As I trudged along behind Arban with my chubby little feet, water splashed in my sandals.
“Huh?”
I quickly called out to Arban.
“Arban!”
“What.”
“This, this!”
I was about to show him something really amazing! If he doesn’t look, he’ll regret it forever!
As I made a fuss, Arban reluctantly turned back and looked.
“What is it?”
“Watch Ailing do this!”
I pointed at a puddle formed from watering the garden. Then I jumped over it.
Arban, who watched the whole thing from start to finish, looked completely dumbfounded.
He seemed unsure where or how he was supposed to react.
“Ailing can cross puddles now. Cool, right?”
After proudly jumping over the puddle, my mood lifted again. My uncontrollable lips curled up. I held my cheeks and enjoyed my happiness, when Arban scoffed.
“It’s just a puddle. What’s so cool about that?”
“Ailing is amazing!”
“You can just walk around it, idiot.”
“…Ailing is not an idiot. Arban knows nothing.”
You’re not a bird, so you know nothing!
Feeling upset that he didn’t understand me, my lips stuck out.
Now I didn’t have to be afraid of falling into puddles, and I could easily avoid stones blocking my path.
I also didn’t have to worry anymore about getting lost in fields like before.
All of that became possible after I turned human.
When I pressed my lips together, Arban panicked.
“Hey, why are you like that?”
“I’m done. Ailing is mad!”
Ppook! Ppook!
I stomped my feet loudly and passed Arban. I could feel him following me after a moment.
Pretending not to notice, I kept walking forward when I saw a long red flower swaying on one side.
“Huh?”
It was the same unnamed flower I had seen with Rosaria before. It had looked like it was reaching up to the sky, but now it was shorter than me.
I happily patted the flower, and Arban, who had been watching me closely, spoke hesitantly.
“It’s smaller than you.”
“Yeah. Smaller than Ailing!”
“Hey, this one’s smaller than you too.”
“Really smaller than Ailing?”
My lips slowly curled upward again. If I got any happier, I might even grow a tail.
“Arban oppa.”
“W-what?”
Arban flinched and stepped back. When I looked at him curiously, he cleared his throat and straightened himself.
Then he asked again.
“What did you call me?”
“Arban oppa.”
Is he maybe uncomfortable being called oppa?
I lowered my voice slightly, and Arban’s lips twitched as if he was holding back a smile.
With a haughty attitude, Arban crossed his arms and lifted his chin.
“Hmph. If you really want to call me oppa, I’ll allow it.”
“Does Ailing… not dislike you?”
“That depends on how you behave.”
Arban looked up at the sky covered by glass. The sun was already setting. It felt like we had come out in the morning, but time had passed so quickly.
“Let’s go back.”
“Where?”
“Where else? Class is over, so we should go back. If you’re late returning, Rosaria will scold you.”
Arban skipped class? Earlier he said he wasn’t hiding, but it seemed he had actually been avoiding the teacher.
When I blinked at him, Arban ruffled his hair.
“Anyway, do whatever you want. I’m leaving!”
“Let’s go together!”
We must have gone deep into the garden because everything around us felt unfamiliar.
When did we come this far?
I hadn’t noticed because I had only been following Arban’s back. Afraid of losing him as he walked quickly, I called out in a hurry.
“Arban oppa!”
He stopped.
“Oppa!”
“Why do you keep calling me?”
“Ailing wants to go too… I’m scared…”
The garden was getting darker like outside now. If I got lost here, I wouldn’t be able to move until morning.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
“Hold my hand.”
“Why would I!”
“Hmph.”
My calves stung. I had walked too long. I looked teary as I worried he might just leave me behind. The fear of him getting annoyed and leaving made my eyes burn.
“W-what are you suddenly doing?”
“Ailing is tired. Carry me.”
“You’re tired just from walking a bit?!”
Arban grumbled but turned around and bent down.
I stood there blankly, not understanding what he wanted, and he urged me.
“Get on.”
“…But Ailing is big and heavy now.”
“You’re not heavy at all. Hurry up.”
I hesitantly climbed onto his back. As I wrapped my arms around his neck carefully, my view suddenly rose very easily.
“Wow. Arban is amazing.”
“Hmph. This is nothing.”
“So cool!”
“…Cool?”
“Yeah! Arban is the coolest in the world!”
“Do you think I’ll feel good just because someone like you says that?”
Arban cleared his throat and started walking back the way we came.
I puffed up my cheeks.
“I’m being serious.”
“…Am I really cool?”
“Yeah! Like a prince riding a dragon!”
Huh? Arban’s ears turned red again!
So he wasn’t actually annoyed. He doesn’t hate me.
I happily swung my legs. When we go back, I’ll brag to Rosaria that Arban carried me today.
Southern border region where the Astrophel family holds authority.
At the top of the fortress known as the “Black Wall,” a man with deep navy hair stared blankly outside.
The border had been unusually quiet lately.
With the banquet approaching soon, the clans bordering each other were being extremely cautious, afraid of provoking one another.
“Boring.”
This kind of thing is troublesome. I wish someone would just start a fight.
The man muttered a wish that would never come true.
He felt like he would do anything if it meant escaping this boring routine.
Of course, if he could avoid facing the owner of the presence below, he would rather stay locked in his room quietly.
His face twisted in irritation.
“A guy who doesn’t even know manners.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the door burst open.
“Karma!”
“What is it?”
The man called Karma asked casually.
Living at the border, having his personal space invaded had already become normal.
As Karma showed his annoyance at having his solitude interrupted, the intruder grinned.
Black Mamba families usually valued personal territory, but this one was clearly a mutation.
Though he shot an irritated glance, the unwelcome guest, Paymon, ignored it as always.
“A command has come from the family.”
“…A command?”
“To return in time for the banquet.”
Return.
It was a unilateral order from the head of the family.
The seal belonged to Baon, the second-in-command, but he always followed the head’s will anyway.
“Did something happen to the family? I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”
It made no sense why Kaid, who usually deployed maximum manpower to the border, was suddenly ordering a return.
The Gatekeepers, including Karma, were a separate unit from the clan members stationed at the border, and they had never once been ordered to move so abruptly without notice.
“No, nothing happened. Or… maybe something did?”
Paymon handed over the letter he was holding.
“It’s an order to escort the young lady.”
“The young lady?”
“You didn’t know? There’s a youngest daughter in the family.”
What is he talking about? Since when?
For the first time hearing this, Karma’s brows furrowed.
