episode_0139

Grainstone Village.

After driving north for two hours from the Blackwood Territory, I arrived at my destination and turned to Ethan sitting in the back seat, saying, “We’ve arrived… Ethan, sir…”

“…Yes.”

Our eyes met briefly, and Ethan blushed slightly before turning his head away.

Considering the incidents that occurred while riding here, I could understand his reaction perfectly.

Throughout the journey from the Blackwood Territory to here, Ethan’s hand kept brushing against or gripping my chest while riding the horse, causing the atmosphere to become awkward more than once.

Well, it was an inevitable occurrence due to the situation where I was driving and Ethan was hanging onto the back.

Since riding a horse involves moving one’s body along with the horse’s movements, Ethan seemed unfamiliar with adjusting his movements to match the horse’s, unlike me.

It was inevitable that his hand would slip up towards my waist as his body jolted and his hand slid during the process.

Moreover, perhaps due to the vigorous movement, my chest shook slightly excessively, and I even felt a strange sensation around my chest area.

‘I should have wrapped it with a pressure bandage or something.’

When I learned horseback riding from Dietmayer last year, I didn’t feel this way because I was wearing riding attire and didn’t mount the horse in a maid’s outfit like a fool.

I didn’t know it would hurt this much.

‘…Should I ask Ethan to hold onto me with his hands when we return to the Blackwood Territory?’

We unintentionally touched each other several times during the journey here.

If the atmosphere would become awkward like this while touching each other, wouldn’t it be better to ask Ethan to hold onto me from the beginning?

Since I don’t shake up and down as much while riding, I would relatively feel less pain, and Ethan would stabilize his body much more by holding onto my waist…

‘No, no. What crazy thought am I having?’

I shook my head and quickly dismissed the insane idea that popped into my head.

Even if it hurts a lot due to shaking, how could I possibly ask Ethan to hold onto me while riding?

Lately, for some reason, I felt like my senses were dulling whenever it involved Ethan. I need to snap out of it.

Even if I touched Ethan’s chest more than ten times, asking him to touch me first was a whole different issue.

Would I be crazy to suggest that first? If I did, Ethan might really think I have some unsatisfied desires towards men.

As I got off the horse, I hugged my throbbing chest for a moment and pondered over unnecessary worries, so Ethan cautiously spoke up, observing my expression.

“…Lilith?”

“Yes, Ethan, sir.”

“…Are you mad at me?”

“Huh?”

“Because, I kept touching your chest during horseback riding, did that make you mad…?”

He’s still being cautious about this.

It was a conversation we had when we departed, but there was no reason for Ethan to be mad at this level of contact.

From the moment I suggested riding together, we should have understood each other about touching each other’s chests during horseback riding.

Of course, I didn’t anticipate being touched this frequently.

…I don’t really think I pushed the horse too hard.

“No, as I mentioned when we left Blackwood Manor, it’s really nothing, Lord Ethan.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. And you didn’t intentionally touch me, did you? It was an unavoidable accident that happened while horseback riding.”

“I, I mean…”

“Of course, if by any chance Lord Ethan had taken advantage of my vulnerable state to satisfy his lustful desires, I would have naturally despised him. But I know that Lord Ethan is not that kind of person, so I believe that it was an accident and nothing more.”

“….”

“So, where is the blacksmith in Grainstone Village that you mentioned, Lord Ethan? I remember you visited with Harold last year, but it’s my first time… ”

“Oh, um… follow me this way…”

…?

Ethan, who had become strangely gloomy, walked in front of me and guided me through the streets of Grainstone Village.

‘I’m trash… taking advantage of Lillis’s weakness to satisfy my own desires…’

I followed Ethan, who was muttering incomprehensible self-deprecating words, into the village.

…Why is Ethan’s mood suddenly changing like this today?

***

The atmosphere in Grainstone Village that came in with Ethan was subtly strange.

I don’t know why, but there seems to be a subtle gloominess that pervades the entire village.

Not many people are out and about outside their homes, even though it’s still midday. And those who are visible seem to be subtly worn out, with a sense of fatigue evident on their faces.

Even the livestock, not just the people, seemed lacking in vitality, with even the neighborhood dogs looking tired.

‘Hehe…’

“…Jeran?”

For some reason, Jeran, who was being led by the reins, also suddenly started to slow down shortly after entering the village.

There seems to be some problem with the village itself, affecting both outsiders like Ethan and Jeran.

Walking through the damp atmosphere that feels like a graduate student’s village, Ethan’s steps crossed the village.

I quietly called Ethan’s name from behind as he walked in front of me, feeling something suspicious.

“Ethan, Lord.”

‘I just wanted Lillis to see me as a man… why did I do such a despicable thing…’

“Ethan, Lord!”

“Ah, huh?! L-Lillis?!”

“I have something to tell you, could you lend me your ear for a moment?”

“S-Something to tell me?! N-Now?!”

“…? Yes.”

Was my intention to speak really that surprising?

Although for a moment I was puzzled by Ethan’s sudden fear of my words.

But I couldn’t just ignore this strange atmosphere in the village, so I told him what I had noticed.

“Sorry, Lillis…! Actually, earlier I was just…”

“This village. Isn’t there something strange about it, Lord Ethan?”

“…Huh?”

“Yes?”

Wait, did Ethan just say something that seemed concerning?

“Oh, um, the, the village? The village is strange?”

“Lord Ethan, could you please explain the meaning of your apology…”

‘…Yeah, it’s definitely strange. For some reason, everyone in the village seems lifeless. Not just the people, but the animals too.’

‘…Yes, that’s right.’

As Edan’s personal maid, she couldn’t bring herself to interrupt his conversation twice by steering it in another direction.

She neatly pushed aside the questions that came to mind and continued their quiet conversation with Edan in close proximity.

“By any chance, was the atmosphere like this when you visited with Lord Harold last year?”

“…No. It wasn’t like this back then. It was more lively, with people full of energy.”

“If that’s the case, then this atmosphere…”

“After listening to Lillis’s words and observing, it does seem like a bit of a strange atmosphere. I don’t know the cause, but…”

Well, generally speaking, the people in small villages like this one, which don’t belong to any particular territory, tended to be cheerful and warm-hearted.

Unlike in cities where you could get everything you needed without knowing who your neighbors were, in small villages like this, you had to know and get along with everyone in order to obtain the necessary resources.

In that sense, the current atmosphere in Greystone Village was undeniably too alien, no matter how you looked at it.

With lingering questions in both her and Edan’s minds, they eventually made their way to the blacksmith operated by a half-dwarf.

“Let’s start with the blacksmith, Lillis. The purpose of coming here today is to adjust your dagger.”

“Understood.”

“If any problems arise in the village, let’s first make Lillis’s dagger at the blacksmith before investigating.”

“Yes, Master Edan.”

Well, to be honest, as long as I adjusted my dagger in the village atmosphere, it didn’t really matter much to me.

Why couldn’t the residents and animals in this village shake off the strange fatigue on their faces?

And why were Edan and Jeran, who came from outside, affected by it?

Most importantly, why was I, like Edan and Jeran, not losing energy and staying healthy, despite being in such a mysterious and questioning village?

Although it was a village full of mysteries in many ways, my personal equipment upgrade for my moonlighting was more important, and solving such mysterious problems was a task for a hero.

I, just a maid, shouldn’t be interested in or involved in such matters.

…That was my mindset until just recently, right before hearing that I couldn’t have my sword forged at the half-dwarf’s blacksmith with Edan.