Chapter 67 – Thank You

Thank You

“Sniff… Pfel. You won’t leave me again, will you…?”
“I’m sorry, Saya.”
As I entered the house after finishing my business, I saw Saya sobbing, Pfel comforting her, and Cherni clinging tightly to Pfel.

“Hic. I missed you too!”
“…Me too, Cherni.”
It was a scene that brought a smile to my face. But a shadow hung over one corner of Pfel’s expression.

‘After what happened.’
Even if she wasn’t much of a parent, she was still a parent.
I couldn’t imagine that Pfel would be unaffected after being betrayed twice by such a person.

“You won’t leave without saying anything again, will you…? If you do, I’ll really ask Ariel-nim to kidnap you!”
“That’s right! Don’t leave us behind!”
“Hehe. I understand.”
I don’t think it was just my imagination that Pfel’s smile seemed a bit sad as she stroked Saya and Cherni’s heads.

————-

And as time passed, on a night when moonlight gently settled…
“…Mmm.”
I woke up from my sleep to the sound of someone tossing and turning.

Usually, waking up isn’t that special, but this time was a little different.
‘Pfel…? Where is she going?’
A small but distinct rustling sound.

When I opened my eyes to check the source of the sound, I caught sight of Pfel quietly sneaking out of the room.
Normally, I would have thought she was just going to the bathroom or to get a drink of water, but given what happened today, I couldn’t help but be concerned… so I followed Pfel out of the room.

‘Surely, she’s not thinking of doing something bad…?’
Even as I thought “there’s no way,” an uneasiness spread through my heart like a drop of ink in water.
“…”

Pfel didn’t go to the bathroom or the kitchen.
The place she headed was towards the front door. Then, Pfel carefully opened the door and went outside.

‘…Where is she going?’
After leaving the house, Pfel moved down the mountain.
The place where her footsteps stopped was by a stream located halfway up the mountain.
…It was a place Pfel usually liked.

‘Looks like she was going for a night walk.’
At that place where the stream flowed quietly, Pfel chose a suitable rock and sat down.
And she began to stare blankly at the clear stream of water.

“…”
Then, as if she had made some decision, Pfel got up from her seat and slowly approached the stream.
Her footsteps didn’t stop even as the cold water of the stream wet her ankles.

…At that point, I couldn’t just keep watching her anymore.
“Pfel! Don’t!”
“Unni?! How did you…”

Surprise flashed across Pfel’s face upon hearing my voice. An expression that seemed to ask why I was here.
Regardless, I approached right in front of Pfel, grabbed her, and lifted her up as if carrying a princess.
With the sole intention of getting Pfel away from this place immediately.

“U-Unni?!”
Even after coming out of the water, Pfel still had an expression that showed she didn’t understand what was going on.
Bad girl. Making my heart drop like that and then making such an expression.

“What are you doing so dangerously, Pfel…”
I hugged Pfel tightly. So that she would never do such a thing again.
“Don’t die…”

Pfel, who was visibly flustered by my embrace, seemed to realize something upon hearing my murmur and smiled gently.
“I’m sorry, unni. For making you worry.”
“Huweeng…”

Pfel’s hand gently stroking my back.
The fact that I might never have felt this touch again overwhelmed my emotions… and I ended up bursting into tears.

‘How embarrassing…’
After crying for a while and finally calming down, I buried my face in my knees due to the oncoming embarrassment.

Since becoming this body, I’ve become a bit more emotional… Anyway. It’s all this body’s fault for bursting into tears so pathetically in front of Pfel.
“…”
Pfel is looking at the stream again. The difference from before is that she seems to be in a bit better mood.

Pfel soon explained to me the reason why she had walked into the water.
“Um, unni. I just went into the water because my chest felt a bit tight. I wasn’t trying to die.”
“…Really?”

“Of course. Where would I go leaving you behind, unni?”
Pfel says while stroking my head. Somehow it feels strange, as if the roles of older and younger sister have been reversed.
I clearly remember the image of Pfel snuggling in my arms asking to be stroked just a few years ago. Ah, was that Saya?

Anyway, I’m glad it was just my misunderstanding. Although that’s embarrassing in its own way.
“Shall we stay a bit longer, unni?”
“…As you like.”

Pfel and I found a suitable rock and sat down together.
There’s no point in going back home now as I probably won’t be able to sleep anyway, and we need to dry our wet clothes.
“Ariel unni.”

“Yes?”
“…Thank you. For becoming my family.”
On the way back home, Pfel said to me with a slightly reddened face.

Pfel’s face as she said this had an expression of relief, as if she had shed a burden she had been carrying.
It seems she’s finally sorted out her feelings.

“I’m thankful too.”
“For becoming family?”
“You ungrateful bitch… Someone like you shouldn’t have been born!”

Recalling the words of her mother who cursed Pfel, I answered.
“No, for being born.”
The moonlight gently enveloped us. It was a quiet night.

Inside the Green Guard’s building where Marian is.
“You know, Anri, doesn’t Marian-nim seem… how should I put it… a bit prettier these days?”

“…Are you saying that Marian-nim wasn’t beautiful before?”
“No, no! Don’t draw your sword! That’s not what I meant!”
Edreil, one of Marian’s three adjutants, spoke while sweating as he saw Anri preparing to draw her sword.

“You really get intense when it comes to Marian-nim. Anri.”
“Isn’t that natural as an adjutant? Edreil, I hope you too are aware of your position as Marian-nim’s adjutant.”
“Haha. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Anri, who looked only at Marian like a sunflower, had a strong stubborn side, often clashing with the free-spirited Edreil over every little thing.
Nevertheless, the reason their relationship is maintained is because both are sincere in their loyalty to Marian.

“Anyway, listen, Anri. You know, Marian-nim… is she dating these days?”
“Dating… you say?”
Anri let out a short sigh, thinking “Here he goes again with a troublesome topic.” But Edreil continued speaking regardless of Anri’s reaction.

“When I went into the office the other day… can you believe it, there was a book hidden called [How to Be Loved by Your Partner]!”
“…What?”
“Moreover, these days, how should I put it? She looks strangely happy, or should I say excited… It’s exactly the face of someone who’s just started dating!”

‘…Could it be?’
Hearing Edreil’s words, Anri recalled the day when Ariel visited the Guard building.
‘The night she came back late, her face was strangely flushed.’

In the eyes of Anri, who had served Marian since childhood, she could somewhat guess that Marian’s feelings for Ariel were something more than just affection.
…That’s why she sent Marian to Ariel even at such risk last time.

“So that’s how it is.”
Seeing Anri nod meaningfully, Edreil’s eyes sparkled as he asked her.
“Do you have someone in mind? Is it a man? Or could it be a woman?”

“…Well. Just do your work. Isn’t it almost time for patrol?”
“That’s not fair!”
While Anri and Edreil were chatting and bickering like this…

“Hmm. Couples should say ‘I love you’ often… I love you. I love you… Huaaah…”
…Marian was writhing in embarrassment, reading [How to Be Loved by Your Partner] with her office door locked.

‘No, is it even right that Ariel and I are dating in the first place? W-Well, she did nod at my confession, but…’
That day was literally a series of dreamlike events for Marian.
…She couldn’t praise herself enough for having the courage, even if Riste had encouraged her.

“Hu, huhu.”
Marian let out a slightly lewd laugh that would surprise anyone who knew her.
“…I should get to work.”

She closed the book with a deep sigh, looking at the mountain of reports piled on her desk.
And she began to check the thinnest report at the very top.
“The Truth Church?”

The report contained information about the Truth Church, which was said to be growing in influence centered around the slums of various cities.
‘There is truth in magic… huh.’

It’s not uncommon for pseudo-religions targeting the poor to flourish, but this Truth Church was a bit unusual.
They don’t worship a specific religious leader, but rather revere magic itself.

Moreover, unlike other pseudo-religions that deceive ordinary people for financial or other gains, they even distribute food and potions under the pretext of helping the poor.
They say their influence is growing because they give out food and expensive potions just for believing… but even just looking at the contents in the report, it was too suspicious.

‘…This needs investigation.’