Chapter 17: The Two Of Us In The Village
by fnovelpia
When I returned to the cabin,
The sun had already set, and the interior was shrouded in darkness.
“It’s dark.”
“…….”
Still, the faint warmth from the fireplace could still be felt.
I turned on the lights,
Sat the child in front of the fireplace,
And added new dry logs.
As the flames reignited,
The sound of the crackling fire filled the room, and the warmth gradually spread throughout.
“It will get warm soon.”
“…….”
The child’s gaze shifted toward the light.
Following the rising flames,
A small ripple of orange light shimmered in the child’s eyes.
I sat next to the child, watching the fire together.
“Do you like the fire too?”
“……!”
The child nodded.
I brought a few books and sat next to the child.
“I like it too.”
“…….”
“It’s warm, steady, and unchanging. If you watch it long enough, your heart feels at ease.”
The child gently tugged at the hem of my clothes.
The gaze that had been fixed on the fire now cautiously turned toward me.
I paused in the middle of flipping through the pages of the book.
“Why?”
“…….”
“Do you want me to hold you?”
“……!”
I carefully pulled the child into my arms.
The small body fit snugly into my embrace.
The child, rubbing her cheek against my chest, let out a soft laugh as if satisfied.
“Do you like it?”
“!”
“Yeah. I’ll hold you often from now on.”
The child smiled and nodded.
It was a bit uncomfortable to hold such a thick book in this position,
But since the child seemed to enjoy it so much, it was something I could bear.
“It will be easier to get used to.”
“?”
“Never mind.”
With one arm wrapped around the child,
I awkwardly shifted my body to adjust the position so the book was visible.
‘This is better.’
The book I was reading was about herbs.
As for books on parenting,
There were so many unfamiliar things that everything seemed strange to me.
So, to clear my mind, I momentarily turned my gaze to a book on herbalism, as if to escape.
‘This… is still used today.’
Indeed, I knew a lot about this field. And that gave me some relief.
Old knowledge, things that haven’t changed.
No matter how much the world changes and becomes unfamiliar, the leaves and roots in this book still felt familiar to me.
‘This is a new effect that wasn’t there before… Did it just appear, or is it something we didn’t know about before?’
Of course, some things had changed.
Even things I thought wouldn’t change, gradually change over time.
Even solid rocks, their edges gradually wear away from rain and wind.
Everything, in the end, will eventually be weathered and worn down.
In this world, the only thing that remains eternal is me.
I looked over the book I was reading.
I had been holding it for quite a while, but hadn’t read much of it.
As I thought about the past memories, my reading pace had slowed down.
‘I need to… organize my memories…’
But—
My memories were tangled up and deeply submerged.
I didn’t even know where to begin, or if I could even bring them out.
Just recalling them made my thoughts blur, as she was old and complex.
“Is it even possible to organize them?”
“….”
“…Hmm?”
When I glanced down, I saw small eyes half-closed.
“…Are you sleepy?”
“….”
The child shook her head softly, clutching the hem of my clothes loosely.
As if saying, “Just let me stay like this a little longer.”
“If you’re sleepy, you can sleep.”
“…..”
“Hmm…”
For some reason, the child, even though drowsy, stubbornly kept her eyes open.
I didn’t mind holding them, but I thought it might be uncomfortable for the child if she fell asleep like this.
‘I guess there’s no helping it.’
I spread the robe that was hanging on the wall onto the floor.
The robe was thick and soft, enough to serve as a blanket.
“Still, I can’t keep putting you to sleep like this forever.”
“……”
“I need to buy a blanket. And a pillow.”
I carefully laid the child on top of the robe.
The child’s hand still clung to the hem of my clothes and wouldn’t let go.
“Are you not going to let go?”
“……”
The child’s hand tightened slightly.
I chuckled lightly and lay down beside the child.
“Alright. Let’s sleep together.”
“……!”
The child made a high-pitched, nasal sound and snuggled into my arms.
I gently stroked the child’s pink hair.
“…Ah, right.”
“?”
“I should’ve fed you the horn.”
“……”
The child clung even closer to my chest.
Then, with its face buried, the child whimpered, as if not wanting to eat.
I carefully pulled the child away from my arms.
“Sorry, but you have to.”
“……”
“Even if you don’t want to eat it, this is something your body really needs.”
The child’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
It didn’t seem like the child was about to cry, but it was clear that it was on the verge of pouting.
With a small sigh, I took out the horn and claws.
Scratch scratch—
I ground the horn with the claws while pondering what reward to give the child.
“Just a little bit, okay? But, hmm… what should I give you…”
“……”
“Holding you like this while you sleep… Is that a bit much…?”
“!!!!!!”
The child’s half-closed eyes suddenly snapped open.
The child’s lips pouted,
Its eyebrows shot up,
And it stared at me intensely.
It was clear.
A silent protest of ‘Why is that bad?’
“…Oh, is that enough?”
“……!”
The child looked up at me with sparkling eyes, then tugged at my hand, which was holding the powder, with its small hands.
It was ready to shove it into its mouth at any moment.
“…Alright. I’ll hold you while you sleep the whole time. I promise.”
“!”
The child’s face lit up noticeably.
Slowly,
I carefully let the powder fall into the child’s mouth.
“……!”
The child stuck out her tongue and scrunched her face.
Though the child’s expression was all scrunched up, the way she flinched and held her mouth tight showed quite a bit of maturity.
“You did well. You ate it all.”
“….”
I hugged the child and gently patted her back.
The child’s eyes slowly closed again.
her small body leaned against me, gradually releasing its tension.
“Tomorrow, I’ll get you something tasty.”
“….”
“I don’t know what will be tasty… but…”
The child’s breathing began to slow, becoming long and deep.
Silence settled in the cabin.
The sound of the campfire crackling was the only noise, flowing like a small melody in the heart of the night.
Slowly, I closed my eyes.
***
It was morning.
I washed the child’s face and placed the remaining clover in the corner of the hut.
The rabbit, stretching its body like it was yawning, slowly took a bite of the clover.
I gently picked up the child, who was petting the rabbit.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“…….”
The child waved her hand to the rabbit.
After a final glance at the rabbit, I slowly turned my body.
I closed the door and stepped outside.
The dirt path was slightly damp from the dew that had fallen overnight, and the dew-soaked leaves glistened softly in the sunlight.
I lightly spread the robe to wrap the child in it.
“Today, we must buy a proper coat.”
“…….”
“We’ll go to the bookstore first, right?”
The child nodded.
Although she didn’t understand what I said, the way she nodded was quite cute.
Soon, a rumbling sound was heard.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sound.
On the other hand, the child blushed, embarrassed, and hurriedly covered her stomach.
“Let’s stop by the food stall first.”
“…….”
“Is the fruit okay today? You ate well yesterday.”
“……!”
The child quickly nodded.
Though still embarrassed, her face was flushed, but there was definitely an expectation in her eyes.
“We need to hurry.”
“…….”
“It’s still noisy.”
At my words, the child pouted and turned her head away.
But through the gap in the robe, the corner of her mouth was slightly raised.
Sunlight seeped through the trees at an angle.
Today, the air was colder than yesterday.
I quickened my pace.
As we neared the village after leaving the forest, the lively sounds of people could be heard.
The child tightly gripped my robe, rigid with tension.
“…Hmm?”
“…….”
There was a lot of tension in the child’s hand.
Her slender body seemed to shrink further.
Was she startled by a strange presence?
Or perhaps…
‘Is it because of what I said?’
I stopped walking and pulled the child deeper into my embrace.
“It’s okay.”
“…….”
“If you want to stay with me, it’s fine. I won’t let anyone take you.”
“…….”
The child slowly raised her head and looked up at me.
Her eyes, still filled with anxiety.
Beyond the fear, there was a faint glimmer of hope.
I gently patted the child’s back.
“I’m always slow… but…”
“…?”
“I might be faster than anyone when it counts. If it comes to it, we can just run away.”
“…!”
The child’s eyes widened for a moment.
Then, with a faint smile, she buried her face in my chest.
Her hunched body seemed to find its place again.
It looked like the anxiety and tension had loosened a bit.
“Now, let’s buy some food first. Got it?”
“……”
I took a step forward again.
As we entered the village, the atmosphere around us subtly shifted.
Quietly.
But definitely.
Strange gazes quickly passed over us.
‘…I guess she recognized us after all.’
The child’s face darkened.
I wrapped them more tightly in the robe and whispered softly.
“Don’t mind it.”
“……”
“We’re just here to buy food.”
I kept walking, focused on the path ahead.
Some people continued with her tasks, paying no mind to us.
But a few stopped what she was doing and watched us pass by.
Guarded.
Uncomfortable.
And, hostile.
The gazes were so blatant that even I could feel them.
I tightened my grip around the anxious child and hurried my steps toward the food stand.
I made eye contact with the merchant.
“Welcome, sir… Ah, it’s you from yesterday—!”
“…Oh, you remember me.”
“Haha, of course. You’re such a unique customer.”
I blinked for a moment at the unexpected reaction.
‘Am I really that unique?’
As I was pondering, the merchant came closer.
“Are you here to buy something for the child again today?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, is this the child? I didn’t realize this was a baby…”
The merchant paused as he looked at the child.
I could tell.
The hostility in his eyes.
Pretending not to notice, I casually spoke.
“I want to buy something the child can eat.”
“There’s nothing.”
The merchant’s response was firm.
There was clear rejection in his tone.
“Why?”
“I’m sorry, but everything the child can eat is sold out today.”
“What about that one?”
The merchant flinched slightly.
My gaze was fixed on a basket inside the stall, still full of red fruits.
“That one is reserved, so I can’t sell it.”
“I’ll pay ten times the price.”
“I still won’t sell it.”
His polite tone.
But there was a clear intention.
This meant that I didn’t want to sell.
To be more precise,
I didn’t want to give this child away.
I lowered my gaze.
In my arms,
The small child, curled up, was listening to everything.
The fragile shoulders were trembling slightly.
The child silently gazed at the merchant.
The merchant seemed like he wanted to say something but closed his mouth.
“…It’s fine.”
“…Yes. Goodbye.”
We started walking again.
The child’s hand tightly gripped my robe.
The small eyes were filled with anxiety and guilt.
“It’s okay.”
“……”
“It’s not your fault.”
The child’s pupils trembled.
The child, who had been biting her lip, buried themselves deeply into my arms.
“Let’s stop by the bookstore first.”
“……”
The child slowly nodded.
Though some anxiety still lingered, the shoulders had relaxed a little.
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