Chapter 128

*Trigger for heavy scenes related to death.

heat. heat.

(TL:This is like a sfx for a sizzling sound on the air.)

The scorching sun and the sizzling earth.

The bodies and myself, scattered on the ground.

The bodies of my older sister and brother.

If you drag it, the flesh will fall. Still, I had to move it to the shade. When I grab the arms and legs, it squeaks, so I grab the hem of their robe and move it.

It wasn’t just the heat that was aiming for the tattered corpse of my older sister and brother.

It’s the bugs that come after smelling death.

Those that eat the corpse come first. Caterpillars like scarabs and flies trying to get to their destination.

Nina frantically chased the bugs away like crazy, but to no avail.

Above all, the heat.

The smell of hot weather.

The smell of death.

It smells of rot.

No, no, no, no, no, please, please.

“Ah.”

Nina opened her eyes.

“Damn it-.”

She covered her face with both hands, spitting out all kinds of swear words from her mouth.

It was the worst morning possible.

Her whole body was sticky with sweat, and her cheeks were full of heat. The rising anger and irritation lingered on the tip of her tongue, giving her a bitter taste.

The North Wind and the Frost. The day I signed a contract with the two.

The day she desperately froze her sister and brother and buried them in the ground.

Nina huddled herself on the bed.

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Jean, who came out of early morning practice, was puzzled that Nina’s seat was empty.

‘Should I go to wake you up?’

He narrowed his eyes. Even though it is early in the morning, the weather was already steaming.

“Is the weather crazy?”

I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like in the middle of the day.

‘Aren’t we going to die?’

“Sir Jean.”

At Adrian’s voice, Jean looked back at him.

“My Lord.”

As he bowed his head to say hello, Adrian asked.

“Nina?”

“She didn’t come out. I’m thinking about whether I should go wake up-.”

“I think it would be better not to go.”

“Well, the weather is quite crazy.”

“The North Wind disease came a while ago.”

“What? Huh? Ah. Ah-ah-.”

Jean wrinkled his eyes.

“All of a sudden? At this time? Oh, that’s why she didn’t come out. Her temper must be really-No,I mean, the Commander has a….very shy…personality at times like this.”

He murmured, then glanced at Adrian and said.

“Doesn’t she need to let it out?”

“Nina will regret it later.”

“Because she’s the type to regret after spitting it out.”

It usually doesn’t happen, but sometimes when it happens, she cries later. Adrian wants to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Jean crossed his arms and smiled.

“Then I am in charge of training today. Your Grace, please be careful too.”

“I’m fine.”

Adrian said and went up to Nina’s room.

“Nina.”

He knocked on her door, but there was no response.

“Nina, I`m going in.”

There was only silence.

When he opened the door, a sudden hot air hit him. All the windows in the room were closed and the curtains were lowered. Even the bed curtains were down. A suffocating heat lingered in the stagnant interior.

It was an unusual temperature, hotter than outside.

“Nina, open the window.”

Having said that, Adrian lifted the curtains and opened the window. A much cooler wind began to blow inside, compared to the air in the room.

The bed curtains trembled softly.

“Nina.”

When I called, a pillow flew out from inside, and Adrian picked up the pillow with his hand.

“Are you going to stay in bed?”

“Go away.”

It was a sharp voice. Adrian waited for a moment and spoke again.

“It’s hot.”

“Go.”

Adrian stared at the ceiling for a moment, then swung the curtains open. At that moment, Nina’s fist flew.

Adrian avoided it and pushed her arm slightly. No matter how much he was prepared, he had no thoughts to receive her power head-on.

The situation will only get worse if he is hurt by her.

It should not be blocked head-on, instead, the energy should be dispersed.

As he twisted her attack and dispersed her momentum, Nina crouched down and hit him like a cat leaping forward.

Her golden eyes flashed.

Adrian grabbed her arms that were digging into his shoulders and fell back. Nina, who sat on top of him, revealed her teeth. Her cheeks were flushed red, and her whole body was drenched in sweat. There were red spots like rashes on her forehead.

The spirit crest on her right wrist flickered as if out of control.

Adrian looked down at her hand. Nina’s arm holding him was unusually hot. Nina gasped for a short time like a goldfish on land. No matter how much he looked at it, the condition was not normal.

Adrian jerked at Nina. Uncharacteristically and outrageously losing her balance, Nina fell to her side, and in an instant, Adrian took a place over her.

Taking advantage of the recoil from her movements to push him away by force, he hugged Nina in a flash, and she trembled.

“No, don’t stick, it’s hot-.”

“Now my skin is colder than yours.”

Nina’s body was hot as if she had a high fever. Nevertheless, Nina’s condition of saying that she was hot and not cold, was not normal.

Adrian left Nina’s room and headed for the large communal bath. The public bath was filled with cool water.

splash splash.

He took off his shoes and went straight into the water.

At first, Nina was babbling like a cat saying she didn’t like it, but when she got inside the water, she calmed down.

After a long time, she opened her mouth. It was a long and acid retort.

“Why are you forcing me out when I don’t want to? Can’t you be alone without me? Can’t you just stay still? What are you going to use me for? Don’t you need me if I don’t work?”

Even though Nina knew that her words were crooked, she had no choice but to pour them out.

“Nina.”

Adrian called her.

“If you want to stay in bed, I’ll be happy if you did so. What do you mean that I don’t need you if you don’t work?”

Adrian laughed.

“Your existence is enough for me. I’m glad to just have you there.”

Nina then raised her head. Her flushed cheeks still hadn’t cooled.

“Then, why?”

“Nina doesn’t like it.”

At his words, Nina widened her eyes. Adrian swept her hot cheeks once with wet hands and said.

“When you hate yourself. You don’t like being like that.”

I know it’s like self-harm, so why would I leave you alone?

Nina’s golden eyes drooped, and her face contorted in an instant.

Her head was cooling down and her heart was spilling out.

The large communal bath with good soundproofing was quiet. The cold groundwater cooled her heated skin.

It was then that the scent of Nina’s favorite herb reached the tip of her nose.

Her sadness, which had been suppressed by her anger and irritation, finally came to the surface.

She hugged him tight as she put her wet arms around him.

“A-Adrian, I-I had a really bad dream, with my sister, with my brother, ungh-.”

They died leaving me alone. If I had signed a contract with the Spirit sooner, I might have been able to save both, but except for me, both of them died terribly.

There was no one to bury them. The smell of the villagers rotting, the sweltering heat, and the decomposing body of her older sister and older brother.

A swarm of insects, sweat flowing like rain, and a terrible smell.

Strong, dizzying, and smoldering heat.

Fear, dread, and despair.

Hearing Nina’s story, Adrian patted her on the back. Nina cried while hugging him. Tears streamed down her hot cheeks and fell. The tears were hot as if they were filled with heat.

Without shame, Nina wept as loudly as a child.

After she had vomited out everything inside her, she was now exhausted and limp.

Taking long breaths, she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

After she let it all out, her heart felt lighter. She leaned against Adrian in the cold water and closed her eyes. As her body cooled, her mind began to become clearer.

After a long time, she murmured.

“I want to remember only good things, why do I remember such things? But if I forget this, I think I will forget everything else.”

I wish I could choose my memories.

“I know.”

Adrian agreed and whispered.

“But I am always here.”

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