Ch.114Going Back (1)

Sylvia’s breathing grew increasingly rough.

Having some experience, I could easily predict where this atmosphere was heading.

As Sylvia’s hips bounced more forcefully back and forth, I shook my head, unable to hide my flustered expression.

“…No, we can’t.”

I was so startled that I immediately reverted to formal speech, which I had previously dropped.

Sylvia bit her lip and asked, “Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? We’re not alone. Alice is waiting outside.”

“Why is she waiting?”

“…Because we still have things to discuss.”

“Don’t go.”

Sylvia’s demand completely disregarded basic social manners.

Perhaps it was because she had spent too long in this forest without meeting other people.

“You said you liked me, not Alice…”

“Listen, Sylvia. Don’t you remember you need to apologize to Alice?”

“…”

“Hah… First, calm down.”

I tried to slowly raise my upper body, but Sylvia pressed down on my chest, forcing me back down.

Though slightly taken aback by her action, I spoke in the gentlest tone possible.

“Sylvia… we shouldn’t do this.”

“…”

“…Not now.”

I knew how strong she was.

I knew how much she loved me.

And now I also knew what she was capable of if things went slightly wrong.

I carefully chose my words to ensure Sylvia wouldn’t feel rejected.

“Sylvia, when I said you should apologize to Alice, I didn’t mean just going through the motions.”

“…”

“You can’t manufacture sincerity that isn’t there, but you should at least show some effort.”

“…”

Though she gave no response, her hand pressing on my chest began to weigh down on me more heavily.

It was almost painful, but I looked at her calmly, steadying my breath.

It felt like taming a fierce predator.

I gently stroked her arm that was pressing down on my chest and said, “Sylvia. You know how much I like this body, right?”

“…Yes.”

“And you know that I love you?”

“I know…”

“Right? You know it too. That’s why you’re not saying anything.”

“…”

I slowly grabbed Sylvia’s wrist and gently removed it.

Her arm was much stronger and more robust than my slender wrist, but she couldn’t resist my touch.

She might not feel guilty about what she did to Alice, but she at least felt remorse for hurting me.

Her blind love, which I had only truly understood today, was honestly overwhelming and heavy.

But I couldn’t help it.

I had come to like her, and those feelings hadn’t changed even after seeing what happened to Alice.

“If Alice doesn’t forgive you, I’ll beg alongside you. If that doesn’t work, I’ll share your punishment.”

“Ash.”

“So, not now.”

“…”

Sylvia slowly lifted one leg and moved away from my body.

Her strong arm that had been pressing on my chest naturally fell away.

She lay down beside me and embraced me.

I hugged her back and lightly kissed her cheek.

*

I went outside to find Alice.

I had asked Sylvia to come with me, but she declined, saying she wanted to be alone for a while to prepare herself for a sincere apology.

I knew that the rift between them couldn’t be mended with just one apology, but I couldn’t fault Sylvia for trying, so I agreed.

Though it was the middle of the night and visibility was poor around the vast lakeside, fortunately, I was able to find Alice quickly.

It was thanks to the constant light emanating from her chest.

Alice was sitting on a tree branch near the lakeside, swinging her legs.

“You’re late.”

Alice spoke to me without turning her face.

Her profile, gazing at the calm lake surface, looked somewhat lonely, but I thought it might be due to the cold weather and replied.

“Why are you up in a tree again?”

As I approached, Alice smiled faintly and said, “…Ash, do you remember?”

“What, when we climbed trees as kids and got scolded by the Countess?”

“Haha, you know without me even saying it.”

“I just remembered when I saw you up in the tree.”

Alice giggled softly.

If my memory serves me right, Maria climbed the tree first, and Alice, seeing this, insisted she could do it too and climbed up huffing and puffing.

Then, the Countess, who witnessed the scene during her walk, scolded them severely for being frivolous, and I got hit by Alice for laughing while watching them being reprimanded.

Of course, afterward, I also learned to climb trees, and all three of us got scolded together.

“Come up. You haven’t forgotten how to climb trees, have you?”

At Alice’s light provocation, I easily climbed the tree.

The branch Alice was sitting on looked quite thick and sturdy, so I sat down close beside her and said, “Why a tree, suddenly? Do you still think I’m a child?”

“You say that, but you climbed up very skillfully.”

“Have you ever been chased by a monster bear?”

I recalled the memory of that day when I was chased by a huge bear.

It happened when I had just entered this forest not long ago.

Although it hadn’t even been a year, it somehow felt like ancient history already.

“You climbed a tree because you were chased by a bear?”

“I didn’t think I could do it, but my body remembered.”

“Wait, bears are good climbers. Are you stupid?”

“I thought it wouldn’t be agile because it was so huge… Actually, it’s more accurate to say I ran without thinking.”

“…Heh, must have been tough.”

Alice let out a hollow laugh.

I followed with a faint smile.

When the laughter stopped, a sudden silence fell.

Both of us sat on the tree for a while, wordlessly gazing at the gentle ripples of the lake.

“It’s quiet.”

“Hm?”

“This forest, Ash.”

“…Forests are usually quiet.”

“It’s strange that there are no insect sounds or bird calls, Ash.”

“…Ah, you’re right.”

Indeed, when I first entered this forest, the nights were so noisy with insect sounds that it felt overwhelming, but now I could feel the presence of an immense silence just by closing my mouth.

I nodded and said, “Is it because of the magical energy?”

“Yes.”

“…”

I nodded.

The Green Lady had spoken of the Demon King’s continued existence.

Having gone to the riverside myself a few hours ago, I could definitely feel it.

The magical energy was growing denser.

It meant the Demon King was gradually recovering.

I looked at Alice and said, “Sylvia… is going to apologize to you.”

“…”

“Can you forgive her?”

Alice sighed and answered, “Hah… She’s going to apologize?”

“I persuaded her.”

“Ha, how did you convince her? That woman actually listening to someone else…”

“She lost all her comrades to the Demon King and has been living alone in the forest since then. She’s a bit strange, but she’s not a bad person.”

“She wasn’t particularly friendly even before.”

“Oh… really?”

I was honestly a bit surprised.

Of course, I couldn’t know what kind of personality Sylvia had before, but judging by her attitude toward me, I had assumed she was playful and easygoing.

But according to Alice, Sylvia had been cold-natured even before.

Or perhaps she showed a completely different side to her comrades than to others.

“Ash.”

“Yes?”

“What would you do?”

“…”

“What would you do if someone who tortured you came with your fiancé by their side and said, ‘Sorry, forgive me’?”

“Alice…”

“Aren’t you… speaking too lightly about this?”

“That’s…”

I swallowed the excuse that was about to escape my lips.

She was right.

Alice was suppressing her anger toward Sylvia solely because of my request.

And now, asking her to forgive Sylvia as well was, even in my own estimation, truly shameless.

I acknowledged with a dejected voice, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“…”

“If I were in your position… I might have forgiven eventually, but I certainly wouldn’t have forgiven someone who tortured me on the same day. And if someone had asked me to, I would have been even more furious.”

“…You speak sensibly.”

“Maybe I took it too lightly because you recovered so well. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt… I was thoughtless. I’m truly sorry.”

I bowed my head with words of apology.

Alice turned her head toward me and stared intently.

After silently looking at me for a moment, she slowly rested her head on my shoulder and said, “…If you apologize so honestly, I can’t even argue.”

“That’s because you’re kind.”

“…Ha.”

“Why are you laughing?”

Alice chuckled softly and said, “I don’t think I’ve been called kind in years.”

“…Isn’t it stranger if an Inquisitor directly under the Pope of the Goddess Church isn’t a good person?”

“That’s because you haven’t heard of my notoriety.”

“Notoriety?”

At the mention of notoriety, I lowered my gaze to look at her chest.

The bright light that still seeped through despite the multiple layers of clothing.

If I listened carefully, I could hear the small sound of the machine attached to Alice’s chest working.

That horrific scene I had witnessed earlier naturally came to mind.

Skin that continuously melted and healed without rest.

That hideous machine was certainly still there under those worn clothes.

Though I didn’t ask explicitly, it was clear that Alice’s remarkable recovery ability and holy power originated from that machine.

“I can’t control my anger.”

“Hm?”

Perhaps sensing my gaze, she tapped her chest with her index finger and said, “Since I got this machine, I can’t contain my anger when it comes.”

“That…”

“When I get angry, the machine works harder, then my chest gets hot, my head gets hot, and I get even angrier. And because I get angrier, the machine works even harder, gets even hotter… It’s a complete vicious cycle.”

“…”

“Ha, I guess I should call it a virtuous cycle since it’s a machine that emits holy power.”

Alice slowly lifted her head from my shoulder and let out a long sigh.

“An enraged Inquisitor. You don’t know how terrifying that is.”

“…Did you perform executions or something?”

“Many.”

At Alice’s brief answer, I pressed my lips together.

Like me, Alice had also changed a lot.

I silently looked down at her face with closed eyes.

The traces of childhood that remained on our faces seemed to cruelly announce once again that we could never return to those peaceful times.

At that moment, Alice slowly opened her eyes and said, “But strangely enough, I’m okay now.”

“…Huh?”

“Ash. When I see you, all my anger just dissolves.”

“Alice…”

“Thank you for being alive… I’m so grateful that… I should be angry, but I just can’t be.”

Her golden eyes, shimmering gently, slowly turned toward me.

I looked into her eyes with my cursed red ones.

What was Alice’s original eye color?

Just as my eyes weren’t originally red, her eyes weren’t originally this golden color.

But no matter how hard I tried to remember, I couldn’t recall.

I could tell from Alice’s wavering gaze as she stared into my eyes.

She too couldn’t remember my original eye color.

A large teardrop formed in Alice’s eyes and slowly rolled down her cheek.

“…Ash.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s… go back…”

“…”

“Let’s go back… like before… we…”