episode_0075

Dazzling sunlight streamed in through the window.

I barely opened my eyes and stumbled out of bed.

Rustle.

As the blanket fell away, I felt a slight chill.

I rubbed my eyes and inadvertently looked down.

“…Ah.”

What came into view was my stark white skin.

I was completely naked, not even wearing anything.

I snapped awake immediately.

Me, me… what? Why did I sleep naked?

The moment I hurriedly pulled the blanket back up to cover my chest.

“Rumble-snore!!”

A loud snore came from right behind me.

No way.

I slowly turned my trembling head.

He was really there.

Spread-eagled on the bed, wearing only his underwear, with his thick chest and stomach hair completely exposed, was Fosao Ajeossi.

“Snore— *gasp*!”

My face instantly flushed.

Ajeossi was on the bed. And I was on the bed… meaning…

Di-did we sleep together?

Today, it was warm for some reason, so I hadn’t curled up like a shrimp.

It was because I was next to Ajeossi all night.

No. No, no. That’s not the problem.

Why is Ajeossi brazenly on the bed?! That’s what’s wrong first!

I inadvertently went to wake him up to protest, but stopped my hand.

“…”

If Ajeossi wakes up in this situation, it’ll be a bigger problem.

First, let’s get dressed while Ajeossi is asleep.

Softly.

I slipped out of the blanket, got off the bed, and tiptoed towards my bag.

Creak…

The holey floorboards creaked.

I took a shallow breath and looked back at Ajeossi.

I didn’t hear him snoring, but he was still fast asleep.

My ears were hot, and my heart was pounding.

If Ajeossi wakes up now… I’ll be completely exposed, naked…

I moved my feet very slowly, heading towards the corner of the room.

“Haaah—.”

I safely reached my bag.

I squatted down, untied the bag straps, and pulled out clothes to wear.

The moment I pulled out a pair of pants and put my leg into them.

“Gasp. *Ahem*. Ti-Tia?”

“Kyaah…!”

My legs gave out, and I collapsed right there.

Fosao Ajeossi sprang up from the bed in surprise.

“Tia? Wh-what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Don’t come closer!!”

“Ngaaah-?”

Seeing my body, which I had hurriedly covered with my bag, Ajeossi frantically turned his head away.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“…Ugh—. Just look away. I’m going to change clothes…”

“Mhm.”

In the end, we greeted the morning of our last day a bit awkwardly.

After finishing breakfast, we arrived at Deseo Port.

Seagulls squawked loudly.

The workers’ energetic humming could be heard.

The sea breeze blew through my loose-fitting shirt.

My pants felt light, and the new belt fit perfectly around my waist.

I proudly strapped on my Rose Saber and lifted my head.

I was dressed as I had been when I first departed from my hometown.

Now, it was time to return to my hometown.

A large ship was visible.

People were boarding the sailing ship with blue sails, one by one.

That must be the ship that will take me to Taildon.

I looked back.

Fosao Ajeossi was following behind.

From the moment I entered this city until I left it.

Ajeossi was always with me.

“Ajeossi. I’m leaving now.”

“Be-be careful! Tia…”

“Yes!”

With Ajeossi waving goodbye, I picked up my bag.

After walking a few steps, I suddenly remembered something I’d forgotten.

“Oh, right!”

I quickly reached into my belt pouch.

It’s a good thing I remembered now.

“I completely forgot to give this back to you. Hehe-.”

I handed him the sapphire brooch.

But Ajeossi just quietly watched it.

“Ajeossi?”

“…You can keep it.”

“What?”

“It’s my gift to Ti-Tia…”

Then he gave a foolish smile.

I couldn’t believe it.

Such a large gem was embedded in it.

It was a treasure that would fetch a decent amount of money if sold.

To just give it as a ‘gift’…

Ajeossi scratched his head.

“Ra-rather than me having it, it suits you better, Ti-Tia.”

“…”

“If you don’t like it… you c-can sell it. Do as you please…”

“Sell it?! I’ll never sell it!”

As if to show off, I pulled out my ruby necklace.

And I attached the large sapphire brooch onto the necklace.

It became a bit clunky-looking, but.

This way, it almost looked like a ‘sapphire necklace’ instead of a ruby one.

“How is it? Does it suit me?”

“Mhm! Ye-yes, it suits you…! Heheeh…”

“Hehe-.”

I gripped the sapphire tightly.

As if to convey this grateful feeling to Ajeossi, I closed my eyes.

I opened my eyes again and said goodbye.

“Ajeossi! See you in Brisdon!”

“Mhm…”

“Definitely!”

“Mhm!”

I turned my back.

I stepped onto the gangplank.

Once on the ship, the vast blue sea spread out before me.

Like the sapphire resting on my chest now.

It was beautiful, vast, free, and comforting.

Whoosh—!

The sea wind fiercely whipped my hair around.

If I turned my head along its flow.

I could see Ajeossi still standing on the dock.

The ship’s horn blew, and the ship began to depart.

I watched Fosao Ajeossi as he grew further and further away.

And until we could no longer see each other.

I waved my hand.

***

Clink!

The sapphire brooch fell to the floor.

“Gasp…!”

My mind snapped back.

What did I just see?

I lost my balance and collapsed onto the floorboards.

My head was too dizzy and nauseous to bear.

The scenes I had just witnessed were a complete shock.

I gritted my teeth.

“Tia…”

My most beloved, my dearest lover.

Tia.

We had always been together since birth.

We had lived for fifteen years, never separated.

Just by looking at each other’s expressions, we knew what the other was thinking.

I could swear there was no one closer than us in this world.

We exchanged vows at the Lake of Promises.

That we would spend our entire lives together.

We firmly promised.

But then.

But why…?

Why would you allow that kind of man, so much older, who stutters, is fat, and lazy.

Even that trashy man who did terrible things to you when you were young…

Why did you allow him to touch your body?

“Why—!!!!”

I threw the brooch onto the floor with all my might.

Clang!

That repulsive object bounced far away and disappeared somewhere.

“Gasp… gasp…”

I feel like I’m going crazy.

My chest aches so much I feel like I’ll lose my mind.

My anger won’t subside.

I feel like I need to smash something right now.

No matter how I looked around, there was nothing to smash.

Everything… belonged to Tia, whom I loved so much.

The things she cherished and treasured.

And they were all steeped in memories with me.

I simply couldn’t do it.

“Uwaaah—!!!!”

I clutched my head and screamed.

Tia’s breasts were defiled by Fosao’s lecherous hands.

The image of Tia groaning in that repulsive man’s embrace kept surfacing in my mind.

I want to gouge out my eyes.

I want to undo it, even now.

But no matter how much I struggled.

I realized ‘that fact’ wouldn’t be erased.

The fact that Tia’s pure body… had already been defiled by that pig.

“Fosao…!”

I clenched my fists tightly.

It’s disgusting.

Repulsive and nauseating.

Naive Tia believed Fosao was a good man.

But I realized from his lecherous eyes and his grinning lips.

That he was clearly sexually harassing Tia.

If that man had truly been good. If he had even a shred of decency.

He shouldn’t have even asked to touch her breasts.

A drop of sweat trickled down my forehead.

“…”

What happened after that?

Tia safely arrived in Taildon by ship, and must have given me the Dienbus.

And not long after, Fosao must have returned too.

Because I saw the two of them together at the general store.

So what conversations did they have then?

What happened while I was gone?

I clutched my head and tried to recall my hazy memories.

The ‘strange actions’ Tia had shown after I woke up.

I need to figure those out.

Slide.

I slid my hand into my pocket.

It was still there.

‘Pocket knife’.

Tia, at most, used this to peel Goldenburg apples.

But its sharpness was enough to easily slit a person’s throat.

With this, Fosao…

The moment I clutched the pocket knife’s handle tightly with that thought.

Whoosh—!

Memory visions began to flash before my eyes.

This time, it wasn’t a gray city, but a familiar village landscape.

I realized instinctively.

This memory… was about Tia right after she arrived in Taildon.

***

“Haaah—.”

The gentle scent of grass welcomed me from beyond the sea.

The evening sun shone brightly, and the air was clean, neither damp nor dry.

I’ve finally arrived in Taildon.

“Thank you for your hard work, Captain-nim!”

“Alright, young lady, you go carefully too!”

I jumped off the gangplank and stepped onto land.

After being on the sea for four days, my body felt queasy.

“Ugh. This is strange.”

It was a huge relief I didn’t get seasick; otherwise, I would have had a truly horrible time.

Amidst the sailors diligently moving goods.

I, alone, shouldered my bag and entered the village.

Taildon had changed a lot again in the meantime.

Due to winter approaching, people seemed to be working even more energetically.

I wanted to cut straight through Taildon and return directly to Brisdon.

Anyway, there’s a contact office on the way, should I send a brief greeting to my Master-nim?

It was while I was walking, pondering such thoughts.

“…Huh?!”

A child standing on the street yelled when he saw me.

It was Vincent.

The boy spoke with a face as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Tia… Noona?”

“Vincent!”

It was truly a welcome sight.

He seemed to have grown a lot since I last saw him.

I waved my hand and ran towards him, but strangely, Vincent trembled and backed away.

“Vincent?”

“G-go away! Evil spirit!”

The boy frantically swung a tree branch with a terrified voice.

“What’s wrong? It’s me!”

“That can’t be! You’re… an evil spirit! You’re trying to trick me by taking on Tia Noona’s appearance, right? I know everything!”

“…”

What strange game is he playing now?

I don’t know what it is, but I guess I’ll just play along.

I cleared my throat, lowered my voice slightly, and chuckled as if to scare a child.

“Yes. You’re quite clever to recognize me! Vincent! I’m the evil spirit who came to eat you!”

“Aargh! You… you bad guy!”

Vincent sobbed and screamed.

“I thought dead Tia Noona had come back…! You bad guy!”

“…Huh?”

I was about to start a full role-play, but Vincent’s words sounded strange.

He seemed genuinely on the verge of tears, so it didn’t seem like he was joking.

“Dead? Me…?”

“Tia Noona… died…. *sniffle*—.”

“What are you talking about! I’m alive! I’m right here!”

Treating a perfectly living person as if they’re dead! That’s incredibly rude!

“Lies… I won’t be fooled!”

“If you keep that up, I’ll force you to eat ginger biscuits.”

“Aargh! It’s the Ginger Witch!”

Vincent was startled and ran far away, but then he collected himself and hurriedly ran back to me.

“A-are you really Tia Noona?”

“Of course!”

The boy raised his head slightly and hesitantly asked.

“…But why is everyone saying you died?”