episode_0035

Ray, who had been groping around after waking up, went to the window and pulled back the curtains, and in the few seconds that passed, Mila shook off Memer’s hand that was taking off her shirt and quickly adjusted her clothes.

The moonlight pouring in from outside the window was enough to distinguish the outlines of people and objects in the room, and Ray met eyes with Memer, who was tilting his head and looking at him while naked right next to where he had been lying until just now.

“⋯It’s been a while, you too.”

Memer greets with a calm voice. Ray rubs his eyes, wondering if the scene before his eyes is a dream due to his indifferent attitude.

“What are you doing here⋯?”

“This guy, he just dragged me here without permission. I really didn’t mean to do that.”

Mila added urgently. Then she hastily pulled up her slightly lowered pants and fastened her loose belt again.

“I have something to talk about with the adults. I’m sorry to disturb you while you’re sleeping. Could you wait outside for a moment?”

Ray frowns at Memer’s answer.

“I said I have nothing to say! Hey, get away from me!”

Mila looks at Ray in horror.

“What on earth are you talking about when you brought me to bed? Milla. You said you were going out to eat with a friend. Are you really going to do that?”

How could she be so arrogant after only a short while of dating? And to top it all off, she caught me rolling around right next to her while she was sleeping. I couldn’t help but sigh in disbelief.

“Oh, no⋯ Seriously, she brought it here. I didn’t mean to do that⋯⋯.”

“Wait, wait, wait. What the hell is going on here?”

Memer, who was listening to their conversation, frowned and waved his hand to join in the conversation.

“Can’t you tell when you see it? I got caught cheating.”

Ray grits his teeth and answers.

“Cheating! I said it was just an accident⋯. Trust me.”

Mila, almost in tears, jumps up and down in protest.

“You keep quiet! Other than that, I mean, more fundamentally.⋯Are you guys talking about the fact that you two ended up dating right now?”

Memer yells at Mila and then asks Ray with a frown on his face as if he can’t believe it.

“That’s literally it.”

“This is so annoying⋯⋯!”

As Ray nods, Memer slaps Mila’s arm.

“⋯⋯!Why are you hitting me again?”

Ray rushes in and blocks the way between them, then grabs Memer’s arm.

“Let go. You’re going to lay a hand on Ray, who’s like my sister? It was my fault for trusting such a beastly woman. I shouldn’t have left the two of you hanging out alone⋯!”

“You say she’s like a little sister, but you’re touching your lover? Don’t hit her!”

Ray somehow manages to stop Memer from running towards Mila by pulling him closer.

“What did I do to deserve this⋯⋯!”

Mila was fidgeting with a look of resentment on her face, feeling that the tiring day would not end easily.

“No way. Ray? Come outside. I have a lot to talk about. ”

“⋯Me too?”

If it was a fight, I would accept it at any time, Ray thought. Of course, his arms were thin, but he was confident that he wouldn’t lose to a weak man like Memer in a fight. Even in a different world, in a different culture, isn’t morality important? If he touched another man’s lover, it could be seen as a serious challenge or insult to himself.

The door to the room where Mila had been left alone slid shut, and Memer suddenly stopped and turned to Ray. Ray swallowed hard and clenched his fists, ready to attack at any moment.

“I’m sorry. I never dreamed that she would date you.”

“Yes⋯?”

Ray’s fist loses its strength as he is hit by Memer’s apple.

“Ah, of course, compared to most women, it was relatively easy for her to get over it, but it’s true that I was the one who seduced her from the beginning. And meeting her today was also half by chance.”

“Half, you say?”

“I called you here.”

“Ahhh⋯⋯.”

“By the way, you haven’t forgotten what I told you, right? That all women are beasts.”

“But that’s not really the case with Milla. They’re just dating because they’re compatible.”

“It’s much more unfortunate for you. There’s a limit to not knowing anything.”

“That⋯ Even Mr. Memer said something like that and tried to sleep with Ms. Mila.”

“Ah, that? That’s because women only have that in their heads. Once you do it often, they become gentle. It becomes very easy to handle.”

“What⋯What did you say?”

What on earth are you talking about?

“Why would I sleep with a woman like that? If you want to do what you want, you have to know how to use a man’s weapon. If you do it often once, even if you treat her a little harshly in the future, she’ll just let it go if you act childish once in a while. You’re still young, but it’s not bad to know if you want to live your life from now on.”

Memer or Memel. A historical figure whose name was written in many documents and passed down through the ages, even hundreds of years later, when a highly developed country that could be called modern civilization was established on this land. Many cosmetic brands borrowed his name, and he was also noted for a long time as a symbol of seduction and an independent male image.

But this is only true by the standards of this world, and in Ray’s eyes, it just looked like trash.

“So you’re saying that you touched another man’s girlfriend to take advantage of her?”

Ray’s fist tightens again.

“That’s only half right. How could I have known that she had a lover? It’s not like I’m particularly interested in that kind of thing, I just didn’t calculate it well. Besides, how do you seduce a woman who has her eyes set on you? If you knew from the beginning, you would have used a different method.⋯What did you put on your cheek?”

Memer rubs Ray’s face with his fingers for no reason.

“Huh…youth.”

Ray, whose cheek was scratched by his fingernails, flinches and steps back. Ray looks at Memer, who is looking at him with a look of admiration and envy for some reason.

“No, no, more than that. You called us here? What are you doing?”

“That’s because we’re working together. I didn’t expect you to come along. Oh, right! It might be a hot topic. After all, a pretty girl is always welcomed. ”

”

”

When I open the door again and go into the room, leaving Memer behind as he disappears down the hallway, Mila, who had been sitting on the bed somewhat tensely, suddenly gets up and approaches Ray.

“That guy didn’t say anything weird or anything? I swear to God I wasn’t trying to cheat on him⋯⋯.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll sleep better.”

“⋯Are you mad? If I offended you, I apologize. Okay? ”

Mila followed behind him and comforted him until Ray covered himself with the blanket and lay down. Ray listened to Mila’s incessant chattering for a while in silence before sticking his head out.

“What⋯⋯.”

“Huh?”

Ray swallowed his words as he tried to say, “What did I do wrong?” A repertoire he had seen many times, a conversation pattern that was suspiciously familiar. He had personally experienced the viciousness of the phrases, such as “Aren’t you angry?” or “Why are you sorry?”, and he probably never thought he would use them.

Instead of throwing the fuse and grabbing the mount, which was of little use in this late-night conversation, Ray stared at Mila, whose face was the epitome of pathetic.

Well, she’s beautiful.

The first impression that came to mind when looking at her face was this. Ray couldn’t help but wonder, what on earth is the standard for beauty? Could it really be that this face was so ugly that it didn’t suit him, even to the people around him?

“Hey⋯ Say something⋯⋯.”

“Okay, Ms. Mila. I told you I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Huh? Yeah⋯ Really?⋯⋯Is this really it?”

“⋯⋯⋯.”

“⋯⋯Are you okay? Huh?”

“Oh my god!”

Mila persistently asked Ray if he was feeling better, and only when Ray groaned did she lie down next to him and cover her stomach with the blanket.

Ray thought that it didn’t matter how he looked to others, as long as he was pretty in his own eyes. He was also apologizing by lying down flat on his stomach, since his self-esteem was probably low at the time. It was a bit annoying that she, who was unpopular and in her first relationship at the age of twenty-two, was getting a little cocky.

***

The next morning, Mila and Ray were surrounded by people in the alley right in front of the dormitory building. Ailee was kneeling in front of Mila, holding up a flagpole with a vigilante flag on one end with both hands.

“Tooth⋯.”

Mila looks around, but this time, she can’t escape like yesterday, because the members and onlookers are surrounding her tightly. And on top of that, the eyes of the residents are filled with anticipation. She sees Memer standing in the front row, smiling brightly, and Sarah, who is looking at her with a proud face and grinning.

“Lead us!”

Ailee bowed her head and shouted loudly again.

“Oh, that’s surprising… I didn’t hear you.”

Ray, who woke up to Ailee’s screaming voice outside the window and followed her out, was just standing next to Mila with a bewildered expression.

“Look, is the nobleman next to me the one who is rumored to be⋯.”

“It looks just like a statue!”

“You said you were impressed by Arsul’s ambition?”

“I left my hometown and followed a great cause!”

“Otherwise⋯After all, he is of the royal blood⋯⋯.”

People started talking on their own. Ray tilted his head, wondering if they were talking about him, and when Mila, who had been listening silently, looked at Memer, he just smiled as expected.

“You’ve been spreading weird rumors all this time⋯⋯.”

Mila muttered and took a step closer to Ailee. At the same time, the cheers of “Oh!” were getting louder, and she reached out to the flagpole, wondering if this guy was also playing around with Memer’s skirt.

“Who the hell is giving up their seat?”

The one who pushed the onlookers left and right and intervened was none other than Remili Kindle. She had one sleeve rolled up and was glaring at Mila.

“Remili, please don’t be rude.”

Ailee raised her head and said.

“Don’t teach me manners. You were born a commoner. In the first place, if something like this happened, shouldn’t you have asked my opinion?”

And Remili glances at Mila.

“Where did you get such a brat from⋯⋯.”

“Remili! I told you to watch what you say!”

“What is this? It seems like you guys haven’t reached an agreement yet, so I guess I should go now⋯.”

“This person is a descendant of the Arsul royal family!”

Ailee cuts off Mila’s words with her characteristically loud voice and points at her. The onlookers cheer, while the person concerned shakes his head and sighs.

“What⋯⋯. Really?”

Remili looks slightly surprised, but still looks at Mila with a suspicious expression.

“It must be someone who looks like you.”

Mumbling Mila.

“Look at the hair color!”

Ailee screams.

“It looks like a fruit wine barrel, but isn’t it missing?”

Again, Remili is nitpicking.

“Ooh, that sounds like a possibility.”

Mila, who is playing the janggu.

“That can’t be true!”

Ailee shouted again.

“This is a sacred ritual, Remili. I’ve already talked to Memer about it.”

“Ugh⋯⋯.”

As expected, Remili hesitated as soon as Memer’s name was mentioned. Mila was observing her closely.

“⋯Hey! Someone, bring me an extension cord!”

Remili shouts at the group of vigilantes. Soon, one of them runs towards her with two wooden swords.

Remili takes one and then throws the other one in front of Mila.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Just to see what you can do. You’re the great Arsul.”

Remili is stretching by waving her arms, and Ailee is looking back at Memer with worried eyes. Memer thinks deeply for a moment, then nods slightly.

“I think someone with such passion should lead the vigilante group⋯.”

Mila, with a worried expression, muttered and picked up the wooden sword.

“Ohhh… I guess Arsul will accept the challenge!”

“Good job, Arsul!”

“Excuse me…Can you move your seat a little?”

Mila said, noticing the eyes of the onlookers who had begun to chatter one after another.

“Huh, are you afraid that your poor skills will be revealed?”

Remili grumbled. Memer approached Ailee and whispered something close to her ear.

“⋯No, it’s for the safety of the onlookers. It’s a narrow alley, you know. It would be better to move a little.”

“Huh⋯? Oh, no⋯⋯.”

Mila thought it would be nice to somehow shut up Ailee’s mouth from talking nonsense.

So they and the other onlookers started to line up and head towards a small square with a fountain not far away. Memer took the flag that Ailee was holding and walked at the back with his arms linked.

“Milla… Are you okay? Why are these people acting like this all of a sudden?”

Ray came up to Mila with a worried look on his face and asked.

“Okay. Haa⋯. What should I do with this?”

“What if you get hurt? Yes?”

Remili stopped abruptly as she reached the square. With a face even more filled with anger than before, she turned around and raised her wooden sword at Mila.

“Damn it…. This b*tch or that b*tch, they’re all going to have one on each side. Hurry up and get at me!”

“⋯⋯?”

“⋯?”

“Didn’t you hear?⋯Hey, you two, get off me first!”

Remili, who already feels defeated before even starting to fight, starts jumping around and screaming. Only then does Ray start to back away little by little.

Mila sighs as the space becomes wider and there are more onlookers. She manages to hold the wooden sword, but cold sweat runs down her back.

“You said we should work together. What is this? Why are you fighting all of a sudden?”

Amidst the cheers of the onlookers who were starting to grow louder here and there, Ray walked towards Memer and shouted. However, as it was an unexpected situation, he too only showed an embarrassed expression.

“Make him stop now! Hurry up!”

“No⋯. That’s hard. It’s not like there’s anything you can do about it just by watching.”

“Then what are you going to do⋯.”

Memer and Ray turn their heads toward the two women at the same time at the sudden loud cheers of the onlookers. Remili’s wooden sword cuts through the air, barely grazing Mila. Mila desperately steps back to block it.

“What’s wrong? Is this really all? Huh?”

Remili, who was pushing Mila forward while swinging her wooden sword in a downward motion, shouted with confidence.

“You’re so disheartening! Are you just going to keep running away? Where did you come from out of nowhere!”

Mila, who barely managed to block Remili’s attack aimed at her neck with a wooden sword while being pushed back, clenched her teeth at the shock that was sent up her arm.

A rolling stone. Mila was quite accustomed to such treatment. Stones can’t have legs, so they just rolled in without any intention. People tried to get her out of their sight, saying that she was an obstacle to their own wishes.

All her sisters wanted was a crown, and she didn’t care about a crown. If it weren’t for the damn redhead superstition.

Things could have been different, but Mila decided to put everything down and get out of her sisters’ way.

In this woman’s case, she probably wants to be the leader of the vigilante group. All she has to do is put down what she has and get out of her way, just like she has done so far. No one welcomes a stone that rolls back.

“Oh, you won’t get a posture? You gave up? Why don’t you confess that you’re a fraud?”

Remili is spinning her wooden sword around, laughing at the disheveled Mila.

“Did you think the vigilantes were a joke? Not only the people here, but even those further south, all live only for us. Did you just sit there and wear a hat and try to live comfortably? That kind of twisted symbol would be more suitable as a thief.”

Remili strides towards Mila, who has lost her will to fight.

“I don’t know if the bandits will accept you. But before you leave here, you’ll be lucky if you don’t get beaten to death by the people who came to see you. Oh, and leave the pretty young master alone. I don’t get along with a woman who pretends to be royalty.”

“⋯⋯⋯What?”

“Ha, what changes when you open your eyes?”

Mila, who had clenched her teeth so hard that she could hear a crunching sound, adjusted her grip on the wooden sword and took a step back with her right foot.

“That’s⋯.”

Ailee, who was watching the two, muttered.

It took only 0.5 seconds for him to dodge Remili’s powerfully swung wooden sword and at the same time take a step forward to dig deep and touch her neck with the tip of the sword.

After a brief moment of silence, the cheers of the onlookers erupted so loud that it hurt his ears. Ray, who had been watching with bated breath, felt his heart sink.

“Classic swordsmanship. Something you’d only come from a boring royal family.”

Memer also felt relieved and whispered to Ailee.

“Your eyes are accurate again. More so than I thought.”

“Haha, that’s right. I was surprised this time too.”

Remili’s expression distorted and began to turn a darker shade of red. Then, she dropped the wooden sword she was holding onto the ground, took a few steps back, turned around, and started walking off somewhere, grumbling.

Ray ran towards Mila, who was standing there blankly.

“Milla! Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Huh⋯? Yeah, I think it’s okay.”

“Your hand is scratched. Why are you doing that? ”

“⋯⋯There are things I don’t want to put down.”

“Huh? Just stay still. I’ll at least shake off the dirt first. Phew! ”

Mila stared blankly at the small Ray, then patted his head with her other hand. The cheering continued without stopping. It was unclear whether the onlookers standing around him in the distance or the vigilantes among them were waving a large vigilante flag.