Chapter 195: Remaining Tasks (4)

As the evening sun began to set, casting a red hue across the sky, Ner started preparing to return home after finishing all her tasks.

First, she thought about finding out where and what Berg was up to.

Berg, after briefly embracing Sien, had left with a hardened expression, and Ner couldn’t stop worrying about him since.

But before that, Ner decided to find Sien.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

Ner entered the room and saw Sien staring out the window. A sorrowful atmosphere seemed to hang around her.

It was a mood she hadn’t sensed when Sien was with Berg.

“...Cough, cough...!”

Ner wasn’t entirely sure why she had sought out Sien. There was definitely something she wanted to talk about, but she herself didn’t know what that conversation would be.

She couldn’t even pinpoint her own feelings at that moment. The unexpected situation left her feeling confused as well.

“...Have you taken your medicine?” Ner asked. Perhaps, deep down, she was looking for something to talk about, maybe even a topic she could later bring up with Berg.

Sien nodded in response.

Turning her head to look at Ner, Sien gave a faint smile as she answered, “...Thank you.”

Ner swallowed hard and, out of politeness, offered some words of concern.

“...Make sure to sleep warmly tonight, even if you sweat. And if your throat becomes unbearably itchy, chew on the herbs next to you.”

“Yes.”

“...”

Having run out of things to say, Ner eventually turned to leave. The awkwardness was too much to bear.

“...I’m worried.”

Just then, Sien whispered to her as she was about to leave.

Ner turned back to look at her.

There was a fear on Sien’s face that Ner hadn’t noticed earlier.

“...”

Once again, Ner put her own emotions aside and responded with polite reassurance.

“...You’ll get better.”

But Sien shook her head.

“...I’m not worried about myself... I’m worried about Berg.”

“...”

“...He may not show it, but Berg is struggling too.”

Sien took a slow breath.

“Cough, cough...!”

Then, almost immediately, she was wracked with coughs. It seemed she couldn’t even sigh properly without triggering the coughing fits.

Once she’d calmed herself down, Sien looked at Ner and said, “...Please, support Berg just a little longer.”

“...What?”

“In a difficult situation like this... if even I am like this...”

Ner’s heart pounded at her words. She lightly bit her lip, feeling it moisten as her thoughts spun.

But instead of offering agreement, she questioned Sien’s request.

“...Didn’t you ask me not to approach Berg?”

Ner couldn’t forget how, just a few days ago, she had been caught lying on Berg’s bed, thinking about him.

The shame of that moment still weighed heavily on her, making it difficult to look up properly.

At Ner’s words, Sien chuckled softly.

“You’re going to approach him anyway, aren’t you?”

“...”

“I’ve been in your shoes before, so I understand.”

In fact, Sien herself had once been rejected by Berg. The situation had simply reversed now.

In that sense, Sien might be the person who understood Ner’s feelings better than anyone else.

As Ner struggled to find the words to counter her, Sien continued speaking. The mood grew heavier.

“...I don’t like it either.”

Sien lowered her head, hiding her expression.

“But... given the situation... I can’t afford to be selfish.”

“...”

“All I want is for Berg to be happy.”

Ner could now grasp just how deep Sien’s feelings for Berg were. Through this, she could also sense the strong bond between Sien and Berg.

The more she realized this, the more suffocated she felt.

It hurt this much every time she became aware that there was no room for her to intervene.

“Cough, cough...!”

Ner snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Sien’s coughing. It felt like she shouldn’t stay here any longer.

Glancing back at Sien over her shoulder, Ner said, “...Sleep warmly. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, see you tomorrow.”

.

.

.

.

Upon hearing that Berg had left the village for a short while, Ner decided to head outside.

There was only one place where Berg could be resting outside the village.

It was a place Ner herself visited frequently.

Sure enough, there he was—sitting on a small hill overlooking the wide plains, watching the setting sun.

“...”

Berg rarely showed signs of struggle, but just by observing him like this, Ner could sense all the weight he was carrying.

Old memories resurfaced once again.

“...Berg.”

Then, an inappropriate thought crossed her mind.

With her emotions stirred up, it became hard to control herself.

After all, the worst outcome here would simply be rejection.

She wanted to try, just once.

“...Can I kiss you?”

She asked.

Berg, bathed in the colors of the sunset, looked breathtaking.

In this secluded moment, it felt harder not to ask him.

Moreover, she felt that remnants of her presence still lingered inside him.

His quiet whisper of “you” while recounting his painful farewells was still imprinted in her mind.

This was her way of offering comfort, in her own way.

She wanted him to know he wasn’t alone.

“...I won’t tell Sien.”

“...Ner.”

“I still care about you... I still treasure you... Berg...”

“...”

Berg didn’t immediately reject her words. Ner knew him well.

Berg wasn’t the type to easily forget someone he had shared deep affection with.

That’s why, even after seven years, Berg found his way back to Sien, and why he still couldn’t let go of Captain Adam.

“...”

Ner slowly wrapped her arms around Berg’s neck.

“I’ll keep it a secret. I won’t tell anyone.”

“...Ner.”

“...”

Being this close, she could see all of Berg’s emotions more clearly.

His slightly furrowed brows. The subtle trembling in his eyes. His silent refusal.

“...”

Seeing that, Ner slowly loosened her arms.

It was the hardest thing she had ever done.

His familiar scent was drifting away.

As she stepped back, she softly said to him, “...I’m sorry.”

Berg didn’t respond with words; he simply looked at her.

Then he stood up, turned, and began to walk away.

Ner, overwhelmed by regret, could only sit there, frozen.

But Berg needed to understand, too.

Suppressing emotions wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Of all people, Berg knew that better than anyone.

“What are you doing?”

Suddenly, Berg spoke to her.

Ner, startled, looked up at him as he walked away.

“...What?”

“...Get up. Let’s go.”

Berg was waiting for her, expecting her to follow.

Maybe it was because of the bandits causing trouble in the area.

But to Ner, the reason didn’t matter.

All that mattered was that he was showing concern for her.

“...Yeah...!”

With a bright smile, she stood up.

It had been so long since she’d felt happiness, she couldn’t even remember the last time.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

[TL: ???? Mass Release ????

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