Chapter 241: Chance Encounter

Chapter 241: Chance Encounter Chance Encounter

* * *

Several days had passed since Rana learned about the rumor of the cursed child.

That day, her husband Parirot came home after Ikeranjel had already fallen fast asleep.

It seemed that the repair of the magic lamps requested by the government office took longer than expected, and on top of that, he was caught by the young members of the Chamber of Commerce and couldn’t easily escape from their meeting.

Rana didn’t say anything to her husband about the rumor of the cursed child, even though his cheeks were slightly flushed and he smelled a little of alcohol.

As usual, she hugged him, expressed her joy at his return, scolded him with a wry smile for coming home late, talked about her son’s condition that day and the store’s sales, and then went to bed.

Parirot is a cheerful and carefree man, but he is kind.

He’s different from the scum who gets drunk and becomes violent.

If he heard the rumor, he would surely understand what Rana is afraid of, empathize with her heart, and comfort her.

However, Rana didn’t think that was good.

Because then, Parirot’s heart would also be hurt.

This is Rana’s sin.

Turning away from that sin, continuing to run away, and covering her consciousness.

However, the intense sense of guilt that still assails her from time to time.

Rana believed that she should bear all of that.

Parirot is just a trigger.

There’s no need for him to suffer.

* * *

On this day, Rana closed the Parirot Magic Lamp Store early and went shopping at the market in the town of Serelirin.

In the alleys sandwiched between dull, light yellow walls, wooden boxes are randomly lined up, and vegetables, meat, fish, etc. are sold.

Serelirin is a town with a relatively large population, and the products lined up in the market are also diverse.

The snow that fell the other day has not yet completely melted, and even in this market, small snow mountains can be seen here and there, but the shopkeepers are trying to attract customers without minding such cold weather.

The enthusiasm is so great that it makes one forget that it is winter now.

“Topopolock meat, salted sakke, winter-grown leafy greens, fist beans...”

While thinking about the menu for the next week, Rana puts the necessary ingredients into her shopping basket one after another.

“Hey! Rana-chan, you’re cute today too!”

“Oh my, you old man! ...Oh, what’s that?”

“This? This is dried vinegar zuta! It’s a new product that spreads a refreshing sourness when you put it in soup and stuff! Wanna buy it?”

“Yes, I’ll take one bundle.”

Several years have passed since Rana started living in this town of Serelirin, and she has become quite familiar with the people in this market.

Rana loves talking with these cheerful people.

It blows away the dark feelings and is a good change of pace.

Sometimes she ends up buying too much, but it’s a necessary expense because making these connections will lead to more requests for the magic lamp store.

“...Oh my, is it this late already?”

Rana, who had been completely absorbed in talking with the vegetable store owner’s wife of the same age, noticed that the sun was about to set beyond the townscape and put her hand to her mouth in surprise.

“Oops, sorry Rana-chan! I took up your time!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! I had fun today too! Thank you for chatting with me!”

“Ahaha, you’re welcome! Well then, our store is about to close too... Oh, here Rana-chan, this is a bonus! Gaguge potatoes! They’re sweet!”

“Wow, Ike will be so happy!”

Turning her back and waving to the vegetable store, Rana hurried home.

Her husband said he would be late again today.

Ikeranjel had probably already come home.

It would be pitiful to make him wait too long for dinner.T/his chapter is updat/ed by nov(ê(l)biin.c/o/m

“...I wonder if I should take a shortcut.”

So, instead of taking the main street she always uses, Rana changed her route to the narrow, winding alleys.

Using this path, she could reach home a little faster.

In other words, that was the one he said he had angered.

Rana forgot to breathe and stared at that being.

Now, all she could hear in her ears was the sound of her own heart beating, thump, thump.

Gradually, gradually, timidly, Rana moved her gaze from its feet to its head.

It was barefoot, but above that, it was wearing slightly frayed pants normally, and further above that... it seemed to be wearing something incomprehensible, like a pitch-black, spiky rock.

The spikes occasionally surfaced a rusty red color and then disappeared.

It was mysterious and gruesome.

Just looking at it made one feel anxious.

But more than that, more than anything.

The head that popped out from above that pitch-black, rock-like something.

Black hair, black eyes.

A cursed child.

It was a cursed child.

However, it wasn’t just an ordinary cursed child.

Those abnormally well-proportioned features that one could never forget once seen.

Rana recognized it.

Rana did!!

Remember!!

She always tried to forget, tried to forget!!

However, she couldn’t forget!!

There was a resemblance!!

Even as an infant, she was abnormally beautiful!!

There was absolutely no mistake!!

Even though Rana knew!!

Even though she knew that village was destroyed by monsters!!

Even though she thought that child had already died!!

Rana became convinced!!

Even though she wanted to believe that such a thing was impossible!!

That child was!!

That child was!!

...That child was!!

The daughter she had once abandoned...!!

“E...mi...”

That name unintentionally spilled from Rana’s mouth.

Hearing that, the cursed child... shifted her gaze, which had been directed at Ikeranjel whom she had been chasing, to Rana.

With those deep, deep black eyes, she stared intently at Rana.

Her expression was completely blank.

An inorganic gaze that couldn’t be read for any emotion.

How much time had passed?

After a while, the cursed child finally opened her mouth.

And then.

“So this is where you were.”

She muttered softly.

Not to Ikeranjel, whom she had been chasing.

While clearly looking into Rana’s eyes.

The cursed child’s shadow, stretched long and far by the setting sun, merged with Rana and the others’ shadows and became one.