Chapter 23

“Cersinia!”

Cersinia’s eyelids twitched at the high voice that dug into her ears.

“Did you not sleep on the bed again?”

Cersinia’s eyes open. In her hazy mind, she felt a hard and cold floor rather than the sensation of a soft mat. She had been asleep for quite some time, and her back felt sore. Cersinia, who had been dreaming, frowned. This happened again. She was in another room than her own… Her head hurt. And with a small sigh, she brushed her frizzy hair with her hands and headed to her room. The footsteps that followed her were familiar.

“Aren’t you going to eat”?

“I’m not going to eat.”

She lay on her bed with May behind her, who was chasing after her. Now, a soft and cozy feeling wrapped her body. She pressed her temple hard with her hands because of the headache. Even with the acupressure, the pain didn’t go away.

“Again, that dream,” a weak voice came out of Cersinia’s red lips.

She had the same dream again. Of the day when she was left alone three years ago. She was standing alone in front of the front door. On the days she had that dream, she had to deal with a headache all day. Cersinia sighed in frustration. She’d probably have a headache the whole time, so she knew her day was ruined.

“Do you have a headache again?”

May approached with a worried face and asked. Cersinia glanced up at May, who was standing there. May, who just turned 20, looks like a mature lady, unlike in the past. Her body, which had only bones and was full of wounds, was plump with flesh and  became clean. Her frizzy hair, which was not taken care of, had already changed to soft, wavy hair. And her dull eyes that looked like dead fish now became alive. Her change sometimes seemed to overlap with someone.

“When are you going to go?”

May shuddered at the question. But after that, she always smiled.

“Where else would I go if I weren’t here~”

“I said I would give you the money.”

“No, I don’t want to! I’ll stay with you, Cersinia!”

May could have been hurt by Cersinia, who refused her every time, but May persevered to the end. Cersinia turned her gaze away from May and pressed her temple again, which hurt more.

Two years ago, she couldn’t help but bring May, who was almost beaten to death on the street. She couldn’t turn a blind eye to the situation. Since that day, May has been stuck in her house. Cersinia would give her funds to become independent, but even when Cersinia told her to leave every day, she perseveres and stays by her side.

Cersinia didn’t want anyone to be by her side. It was her who didn’t want someone to leave, but she was left alone in the end. So she pushed May endlessly. She said harsh words without hesitation. However, as a result May stuck to her even more. May said she was worried about Cersinia being alone in this house.

“Ah, I heard that woodwork products have arrived from Mulain Village today! We have to buy a table, right?”

Cersinia’s eyebrows twitched at the familiar village name. The memories that she had forgotten came to her mind.

“I was so surprised when you broke the table in half.”

May giggled and laughed.

“Get out,” it was a cold, subdued voice from Cersinia.

“Ah, yes! Then rest, Cersinia.”

May left the room without further words. Because she knew Cersinia would be even angrier if she moved her mouth again.

“Huu.”

Cersinia raised one arm and covered her eyes.

Mulain Village. The village she and Ben had settled in two years ago. She spent a year in the village, precisely in the house, with the foolish thought that Ben might come back. But Ben disappeared without any words or news. She was worried for him for a few days. She was worried that something might have happened to him, so she wandered the village, looking for him. For several months she was furious.

‘If he was going to go, he should’ve said something rather than make other people worry about him.’

And all that was left was resignation.

‘Yes, if I want to live without doing anything, where could it be?’

She thought Ben was living well somewhere, so she decided not to care anymore. Cersinia left Mulain Village without any regrets. She waited for Ben for one year there, then started a new life.

Cersinia slowly blinked and escaped from her thoughts. It’s already been 3 years since Ben disappeared. Now the first page of the novel was about to begin. She got up and made her way to the door but head hurt so much that she felt like she had been walking for a while. She opened the door and saw May sitting blankly at the table. She couldn’t just pass by, so she said.

“Food.”

“Ah, let’s eat together!”

“I’m going out, so you eat alone.”

“Where are you going?”

She stopped May with her hands because May stood up from her seat. Perhaps she wanted to follow.

“I’m going to take a walk alone.”

“Okay, see you later.”

May smiled at Cersinia. She liked Cersinia. Even if she was being blunt, she always took care of May. Two years ago, Cersinia led her through the endless darkness. Cersinia urges her to leave every day, but May knows she isn’t 100% serious.

After seeing Cersinia leave the house, May headed to the kitchen. She was going to make potato bread before Cersinia came back. Cersinia didn’t eat a lot of food, but she ate a lot if it was potato bread.

“I should hurry up and make it before she comes back.”

May quickly took out the flour. She was worried about Cersinia, who was getting thinner. Cersinia sometimes acted like a person who felt empty. Her appearance even looked precarious. Sometimes, she looked out the window, but her eyes were empty. So May swore in her heart to stay with Cersinia. She had nowhere to go and wanted to be by Cersinia’s side because she liked her.

“Huhuhum~”

As if it was fun to make bread, an exciting hum came out of May’s mouth.

* * *

Cersinia headed to a green forest located behind the house. The fresh scent of grass tickled the tip of her nose. The pleasant scent made her headache subside a little. As she walked through the lush trees, she heard the sound of crumbling leaves under her feet. Now, the trees with red leaves were signaling the widespread autumn.

The first start of the novel was around the end of autumn, so there is really not much time left. She never used her power after what happened in the cabin.

‘It will be fine. Nothing will happen.’

But it didn’t mean that she didn’t worry about it.

‘If I hadn’t met Ben, wouldn’t I have used my power?’

Cersinia smirked at the absurd thought. It has already happened, and she couldn’t change it.

Cersinia unwrapped her wrinkled expression and went down through the forest towards the village. Perhaps because she heard about Mulain Village this morning, she kept thinking about Ben. So, she needs a noisy environment to stop thinking about it.

When she left the house, she noticed that the hem of May’s skirt was worn out. Even when she offered to buy her new clothes, May said that she liked the clothes she gave her. May wore only one pair of clothes for day and night, so it eventually wore out. Cersinia entered the market to buy May some clothes and some meat.

“Long time no see.”

At that moment, Cersinia’s footsteps stopped forcibly. Her gaze slowly turned to her wrist. To be precise, to the hand that forcibly grabbed her wrist.

“Where are you going?”

Cersinia looked coldly at Charles who was smiling like a sly snake. Charles’s self-esteem was hurt by her reaction.

“You don’t need to know.”

She pulled out her hand, that had been caught, in disgust. Charles was wearing an eerie snake-shaped brooch today and shooting a serious look.

“This is real.”

Charles’s face turned red. He fell in love with her the moment he first met her and followed her since, but Cersinia never took it seriously. Not even once. Charles tried hard to hide the burning fire in his heart while following Cersinia, who was already walking far away.

Cersinia treated Charles, who persistently followed her, as if he was invisible. The same thing happened to the others who were interested in her. But Charles was persistent. His flirty behavior is now beyond its limits. Once, a person sneaked into her house at night. Surprised, May screamed and made that person run away. Of course, she can’t be sure it was Charles. Neither May nor herself saw the person’s face. But she was convinced it was him from his behavior. However, there was no physical evidence.

Cersinia tried to kill Charles that day but resisted when May stopped her. She’d probably have broken one of his legs if May hadn’t stopped her. Eventually, she couldn’t overcome her anger and broke a table.

There was one reason she remained silent even after what happened. It would be only her who suffered damage if she drove Charles without definite physical evidence. Charles was a pretty powerful man in the Rafles Village. His father was the village chief and the one who communicated directly with the lord.

‘It’s obvious why he came in the middle of the night thinking that I lived alone.’

“W-What’s going on?” Charles, embarrassed by her fierce glare, stuttered.

“Do you think I don’t know?”