Farewell to the hero! chapter 19

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“…….”

At my question, Kaindel’s lips tightened slightly.

He glanced at his hands, unsure of what to do with them, and let out a small sigh.

“Is the reason important?”

“Yes, it’s important to me.”

“That’s tough.”

Kaindel murmured, rubbing his chin.

His green eyes, which had seemed to want to consume me earlier, deepened.

Maybe it was because the sky had darkened, but the shadow on his face gradually grew.

I quietly waited for Kaindel, who hesitated to answer.

I wiped away the raindrops that had gathered on his lashes.

On any other day, I might have stepped back.

But today, I was determined to see into Kaindel’s heart—perhaps because this might be my last chance.

Heat belatedly crept up to my earlobes.

I pretended not to notice, knowing they had probably turned red.

For some reason, I was suddenly grateful for the rain today.

The downpour, which seemed capable of washing everything away, would hide even the darkest parts of the world.

Come to think of it, I had never once imagined kissing Kaindel.

Or rather, I hadn’t dared to.

After all, he liked women.

So, as my feelings for him became clearer each day, I couldn’t reveal them.

The best I could do was suppress the overflowing emotions, though the accumulation of those feelings quickly turned into love.

But it was Kaindel who had kissed me first just a moment ago—a deep, consuming kiss.

Without a doubt, what we just did was something no ordinary friends would even consider.

Yet, after pulling away, Kaindel tenderly stroked me as if it hadn’t been a mistake.

Because of that strange atmosphere, I didn’t want to be misled, but Kaindel’s true feelings confused me.

At the same time, a possibility I had never dared to consider took shape.

Could it be that Kaindel also…?

Just as my doubt was about to bloom, Kaindel, having finished his thoughts, spoke with a brighter expression.

“Let’s just say it was necessary for now.”

“…….”

The growing sense of hope was quickly shattered, and I was yanked back into reality.

It felt like I had been swimming through a multicolored dream only to be thrown out abruptly.

I barely managed to hold back the pained expression that threatened to twist my face.

My heart, which had been pounding, settled down quickly.

My ears, clogged by the sound of the rain, began to ring.

Kaindel doesn’t love me.

Anyone who wasn’t a fool would have to realize that after hearing what he just said.

He made no attempt to hide the raw desire flickering in his eyes.

A gaze driven purely by profit and loss.

The sensitivity heightened by the scorching kiss now stabbed at me like a needle.

It was embarrassing, even if only for a moment, that I had thrilled at the idea that Kaindel might love me.

If there were a hole to crawl into, I would’ve gladly hidden there.

Why did he have to be so kind if this was how it was going to be?

The bitterness that had swelled up to my throat dissolved and disappeared.

I hated him, but he was still so lovable.

Sighing deeply, I repeated my breaths until the chaos in my mind slowly began to settle.

If I were to blame someone, it would have to be me, for nurturing these feelings.

It was my responsibility to bear this, as I had acknowledged my heart even knowing Kaindel didn’t like me.

Still, when I thought about it, there wasn’t no hope at all.

Today, while kissing him, I had clearly felt that it wasn’t one-sided.

And since Kaindel had said “for now,” there was a chance that his reasons could change in the future.

Hope piled up.

So, if I keep trying like this, maybe one day I’ll be rewarded for these feelings.

And when that time comes, I can pour out all the sorrow I feel today.

That’s how it should be.

“I need you.”

Breaking the silence, Kaindel whispered as he brushed back my now rain-heavy gray hair.

As the hair stuck to my forehead was tidied, my view expanded.

The village hall, the wildflowers growing along the wall, the puddles on the road, the umbrella Sehir had given me—my gaze shifted between them until it finally landed on him.

“You’ll come with me, right?”

“……Yes.”

In the face of the growing hope, the only option left for me was to close my eyes.

Even though I knew it was foolish, I couldn’t help but throw myself into the light like a moth to a flame.

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Luther Village was a small, quiet place, where big commotions were rare.

Though the villagers got along well, they preferred to gather in small groups rather than as a whole.

Even baking pies from seasonal fruit with neighbors was considered a major event.

But Luther Village was unusually noisy today.

All fewer than a hundred residents had come out to the square.

Even passing travelers took notice of the crowd.

It was all to bid farewell to the group of heros setting off on a long journey.

“Be careful, alright?”

“Yes.”

I smiled faintly at Helen, who handed me a freshly baked, golden loaf of bread.

Helen, who lived next door, and I were quite close. We were like family, often sharing meals whenever we could.

That’s why it saddened me deeply to think that we wouldn’t see each other for a while.

“I’ll return safe and sound.”

“Good.”

Helen nodded, adjusting the ribbon on my robe. I savored her touch and glanced around.

Most of the people in the square were familiar faces.

Even people like Mr. John from the mill, with whom I wasn’t close, were here.

“…….”

But the one face I most wanted to see was nowhere in sight.

It seemed Alice wasn’t going to come after all.

“Haah.”

A bitter sigh escaped me.

I had known for a long time that, ever since Alice lost her husband, who had been an outsider, she had struggled to open up to others.

So, I wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t happy with my decision to leave the village with Kaindel, who was also an outsider.

Still, I had hoped she’d come to say goodbye, at least for the sake of the bond we had shared.

“Come back if it gets tough.”

Last night, as I was cleaning up the restaurant for the last time, I remembered what Alice had said to me.

Alice, who had said it with an expressionless face, left the restaurant and didn’t come back.

I didn’t understand the meaning of those words yesterday, but now that I think about it, it must have been a farewell.

“Hey, did you say your goodbyes?”

While I was reminiscing, Kaindel suddenly approached.

I was startled by the hand that wrapped around my waist and looked up.

“Yeah, I think I did.”

I said goodbye to everyone who came to see me off.

Although I didn’t get to meet everyone I wanted to.

With a brief nod, Kaindel’s arm came around my shoulder.

He gave a silent nod to the dazed Helen and started walking away.

I was pulled along by his pace, and instead of standing still, I had to quicken my step to keep up with him.

“Your things?”

“Here. I only packed some money and clothes.”

“Was it hard to clean up?”

“It wasn’t as much as I expected, so it was fine.”

“That’s good to hear.”

As I talked with Kaindel, I imprinted the autumn village scene into my mind.

The familiar landscape, which I might not see again, evoked unfamiliar feelings.

The breath that passed through my lips broke into tiny pieces.

My eyelids, drawn to the white, misty breath, slowly closed and then lifted.

“Was there someone in the village you liked?”

It was at that moment, when Kaindel’s gentle voice came from close to my ear.

“What are you talking about?”

“I was just wondering since you keep staring.”

“You know it’s not like that.”

My brow furrowed at his teasing question.

Kaindel’s satisfied, smiling face was almost mischievous.

Unable to resist that annoying smile, I pressed it with my finger, and he grasped my hand.

“Yeah, I know.”

See?

I glared at Kaindel’s eyes, which curved beautifully.

On the day I kissed Kaindel, it was clear that my unrequited feelings for him had been exposed.

It was so obvious that Kaindel, with his sharp intuition, must have noticed right away.

Yet, he continued to tease my feelings as if he didn’t know anything.

Even though he had seen through my locked-up heart, he seemed to enjoy exposing it.

It was truly a nasty hobby.

I stared blankly at our overlapping hands.

The warmth transferred through our touching palms made my stomach tingle.

I felt like thousands of soft fibers were fluttering and tangling in an uncontrolled manner, making me instinctively close my mouth.

Our party was waiting at the stable next to the plaza.

As soon as Sehir, who was preparing the horse feed, saw Kaindel and me arrive at the stable, he broke into a wide smile.

“You’ve come!”

“Hello, Sehir.”

I responded with a hand wave.

When I informed Sehir that I had decided to leave with them, he acted as if his companions had been a predetermined arrangement.

Thanks to that, it was revealed that Kaindel had already secured the group’s approval for taking me along much earlier.

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