CH 24

This man, what is his identity? How the hell did he get on the running carriage! Pablo glanced out of the fast scenery by the window. His eyes spun around as he saw the scenery swishing by. However, this man opened the carriage door and came in here regardless of the speed.

I can’t touch this crazy guy. Let’s gently coax him out, give him what he needs, and he can get out quickly.

He had to live first. The afterthought was whether to get revenge on this guy or send him to a place where he could never be seen forever. Killing him is also an option.

At that time, Astein, who had his legs crossed leisurely, tapped his toes and said, “Trash is after all trash.”

“…yes?”

For some reason, his head, which usually worked well, didn’t work at that moment. Pablo tried to interpret what the madman was talking about and what he saw for him saying trash.

“You said you’re a merchant, but how could you manage your facial expression that way? You wasted my time for no reason.”

At that time, Pablo’s body, which understood Astein’s meaning, trembled like an aspen tree. N-No! He’s trying to kill me! The fear of death rose to the tip of his chin. He couldn’t even exhale the breath he took in. It was just in case the madman would bite his neck.

I just need to survive somehow. As long as I’m alive, this disgrace will surely be repaid. Pablo’s trembling eyes calmed down as he lowered his head. But it was only for a while.

“I can’t stand it any longer. To think of revenge without even knowing how precious your life was.”

“…?”

At that moment, Pablo felt that something had gone badly wrong. His eyes, which raised his head, shook wildly as if they were caught in a turbulent wave. Those eerie eyes were right in front of his nose.

“Goodbye, trash.”

Fwoosh. In an instant, a blue flame soared. Pablo raised his eyes and screamed in flames, but that was it. From the outside, the carriage was quiet as a barrier was placed. After a while, a faint smile spread around Astein’s mouth, who was left alone in the empty carriage.

“Now, it becomes… a little tidy.”

Astein, who jumped out of the carriage that stopped before he knew it, expanded his consciousness. After confirming that no one was there, he drew a large circle toward the carriage.

“A foreign country that is not far away would be suitable.”

It might get a little noisy, but they won’t be able to connect it with Angel’s house. Even though it was annoying, it was good that there was no trouble.

The roughly drawn magic circle shone blue as if he had done more than once or twice.

Uuung— Uuung— Fragments of light floated up and covered the surface of the carriage.

“Move,” as Astein recited a short starting spell, the shape of the carriage soon disappeared.

“Then, now— Hmm.”

Astein’s eyes, who was talking, turned to the top of Windy Hill.  

“Are you… already there?”

There was a deep obsession in the red eyes of Astein, who said that.

* * *

“Lady Elusiana, have you seen Astein? He went out after saying he wanted to say something to the Viscount, but I can’t find him no matter how much I look for him.”

As soon as Elusiana heard Angela’s words, she thought about Windy Hill. After she told Angela not to worry, she headed straight to Windy Hill.

Windy Hill was a low hill behind Angel’s house, which was called that because the wind blows all year around. Elusiana, who had reached the top, looked around her surroundings.

“Where the hell is he?”

He always sat there when she came here. But she couldn’t find him no matter how much she looked for him today.

“Didn’t he come here?”

Astein’s range of life wasn’t wide. Except for the roads and places he went with her, he didn’t even care about where he was. She had been suspicious of him when he had gone out alone these days.

This is the only place he goes to. Elusiana looked around again with a worried face. It was then that her scarlet eyes widened.

“Huh?!”

Elusiana, who involuntarily made a bewildered noise, paused in amazement. Until a little while ago, there was obviously nothing. She checked it several times, so there was no way she was mistaken.

However—

How did he suddenly appear there? Even when she looked again, the man lying happily under a large tree was Astein she was looking for.

I’m not possessed by a ghost…  Elusiana rubbed her eyes and quickly moved to Astain’s place, wondering if she needed to worry about it alone.

* * *

Rustle— Rustle—

The wind blew. Warm sunlight permeated through the green leaves that fluttered shyly.

Elusiana smiled unconsciously as she looked down at Astein, who was asleep without knowing the world. Anyway, she felt glad to find the person she was looking for.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen his sleeping face. Elusiana, who naturally squatted next to Astein’s face, looked at him quietly.

His sleeping face was very pretty. Fair skin and high nose bridge.  Black eyelashes like a cold night sky and cool yet stubborn eyes. And… the thick lips that lie beneath it. There was nothing she hated, even if Astein became a woman.

Elusiana naturally fell in love and later came to her senses. She had never seen him so defenseless since the first day she met him when she found him unconscious and collapsed

—It’s not like that.

On rainy days, he would always come first and sleep with her. A little child who stood silent with his little red lips clenched. The shoulders of the child, who was overwhelmed by the damp energy, were trembling as thin as grass waving in the wind and rain. Unlike the usual child who pretended to be cold-hearted, he looked infinitely weak.

When he cried out for ‘Mother’ as if he was clinging to it, Elusiana was moved to tears. Her heart was about to burst at the longing he poured out desperately… At that time, Astein acted like a real child. That was why she hugged the trembling child’s shoulders and made a sincere promise.

“I will be by your side, As.”

She would protect him. She patted the child on the back, and the child fell asleep at some point. Then she fell asleep too. But the next day, the child had disappeared by dawn as if everything was only a dream.

Anyway, he came to me every rainy day.

Elusiana smiled and looked at Astein. But the place she looked at was— the immaculate, hard abs visible through the white shirt. Gulp. Elusiana looked at it as if she was possessed, forgetting that she had to look away. The small boy, who was so skinny and unsightly, had become a grown man in front of her.

Elusiana, who tapped her cheeks which became hot for no reason, turned her eyes away. She didn’t have any intentions. It was just because he was in front of her.  

Distinctly curved abs. The curves of the superior body were picturesque even though it was covered by a shirt. It was to the point she wanted to take off his ugly shirt and touch every inch of it. Elusiana smacked her lips without realizing it, imagining running her fingers down his curved abs.

It’s a bit disappointing. Elusiana looked up at the sky. For some reason, she felt a bit down. Why was she so anxious to peek at his body? Just from that way, it was obvious that she was single from birth.

That was then.

“…Lusi?”

Elusiana, who was surprised for a moment, turned her head stiffly. She saw Astein smiling with a strange expression, with his upper body slightly raised.

When did he wake up? No, w-what was he looking at?

Looking at that smile, she felt like he had seen something. Did he really see her before? Wait! That can’t be true!

Except for the brief moment of looking at the sky, she was sure he closed his eyes. She was sure of that as she couldn’t take her eyes off him and became disappointed in the end. As Elusiana reached that conclusion, she felt relieved. There was nothing more embarrassing than being caught peeking at his abs. 

So what was left was. Catch the wandering rabbit. Elusiana, crookedly crossing her arms and said, “As, don’t you have something to say to me?”

“Something to say?”

“Angela told you to wait, but why are you here? Do you know how worried I was?”

“Were you worried about me?”

“Isn’t that obvious? The kid who said he’d be in front of me disappeared. Then wouldn’t you be worried? And you said you can’t sleep anywhere, right?”

Astein, who was listening to her words pouring out like a rapid-fire cannon, replied strangely. “I wasn’t sleeping…”

“Yes. Don’t do it again if you kn— What?”

“I wasn’t sleeping.”

“…you weren’t sleeping?”

“Yes.”

Elusiana, who swallowed her saliva without realizing it, stammered and said, unable to hide her embarrassment.

“You must be lying.”

“Why would I lie like that? And I told Jessica when you were away that I would be here.”

“…you told Jessica…? A-Alright. Let’s just say that is the case. H-How long have you been awake?”

“Hmm. Well, maybe—”

Astein leaned his upper body against the tree and answered with a smirk, “From the beginning?”