Chapter 50 – Ursphere (4)

“I have no idea how to cheer Noah up…” Rubia sighed, kicking at the ground as she walked with Hephaestus.

“Did something happen between you and Noah?” Hephaestus asked, concern in her voice.

“Well…” Rubia began, explaining the incident from earlier as they strolled through the dimming streets.

“She was fidgeting, trying to hide while washing up, and I found it so cute… I couldn’t help myself,” Rubia admitted. Of course, there was more to it. She was also a little annoyed at how Noah kept thinking about that so-called master who didn’t even seem human.

Hephaestus pondered this for a moment. “Hmm… Noah doesn’t get angry easily, so you probably acted naturally without realizing it, right?”

“Yes, I suppose so. But I think I went overboard…”

“I can understand what Noah felt. Well, from Noah’s perspective, at least,” Hephaestus said, surprising Rubia.

“Huh? How?” Rubia asked, confused.

Hephaestus’s expression turned thoughtful. “I think the reason Noah hasn’t gotten angry until now is because she’s scared… scared that you’ll abandon her.”

“Noah… afraid that I’ll abandon her?” Rubia echoed, incredulous.

“I felt the same way once,” Hephaestus admitted with a faint, melancholic smile. “This is just my personal experience, so I’m not saying Noah is exactly the same, but I think there are similarities.”

Taking a deep breath, Hephaestus gazed at the sunset before continuing. “I’m happy now, so I’m not saying this because I feel miserable or want sympathy. I just… I want things to go well between you and Noah.”

She then shared her painful past – being abandoned by her parents, sold into slavery, and constantly abused. “I grew to hate the world… and people,” she explained.

“Then Yuria came and found me. She said, ‘You’ll do nicely,’ and bought me,” Hephaestus recalled. “I still don’t know why she chose me. There were so many other slaves, stronger ones, prettier ones, healthier ones… I was probably the most useless of the lot.”

Hephaestus went on to describe how she initially distrusted Yuria, fearing she’d be discarded if she became useless. She recounted a pivotal moment when she broke Yuria’s cherished flower pot and, in despair, attempted to take her own life.

“I cut my own throat with the shards from the broken pot,” she said, revealing a jagged scar running over her carotid artery.

To Hephaestus’s surprise, Yuria had somehow known and rushed back, furious but desperate to save her. “She yelled at me, called me all sorts of names. Even though I was on the verge of death, she cursed me out like crazy,” Hephaestus recalled with a hint of amusement.

After saving Hephaestus’s life with a magical potion, Yuria had berated her: “A slave trying to die without the master’s permission? I just made you useful, and now you’re scared over one stupid pot and ready to die? If you’re so eager for punishment, you’ll spend the rest of your life in my house, working off your debt.”

Hephaestus explained how this incident changed everything. “After that, I realized I didn’t have to worry about being abandoned anymore. So, I started expressing my emotions more freely. I’d get mad at her, pout, even run away from home…”

She concluded, “When you don’t trust someone, you hide everything because you’re afraid they’ll hate or abandon you. But once you feel safe, you start wanting more. You want them to know your true feelings, to understand and love you for who you really are.”

Rubia was left speechless, watching Hephaestus’s radiant smile. She felt a strange mix of emotions – sympathy, admiration, and a touch of inadequacy. I should be the more mature one, Rubia thought. So why does it feel like… she’s more grown-up than I am right now?

Pushing these thoughts aside, Rubia focused on the task at hand. “So, Hephaestus… how about we take some food back? I think barbecue would be best. Noah… loves barbecue.”

Hephaestus flashed a mischievous smile. “How about some sweet drinks and jelly too? I bet Noah’s already finished the jelly she had.”

“…No way,” Rubia said, skeptical.

“Hehe… I’m sure of it,” Hephaestus insisted, pointing to a distant window. Through the slightly parted curtains, they could make out Noah’s shadow, seemingly eating something.

Rubia sighed, “Fine, let’s get a bunch of food, including jelly. If she’s going to eat herself to death with jelly, she might as well have plenty.”

As they walked to get the food, Hephaestus suddenly asked, “What do you think of Noah?”

Caught off guard, Rubia replied, “What do you mean? I think of her as a friend. A friend I have to take care of… like a little sister.”

“Hmm… that’s… vague,” Hephaestus mused. “Well, sometimes it seems like… you’re in love with her.”

“W-What…?” Rubia sputtered, shocked by the suggestion.

Hephaestus grinned, “But then other times, it doesn’t seem that way. Hmm… what could it be?”

Before Rubia could formulate a response, Hephaestus changed the subject, suggesting they speak more informally to each other. Rubia agreed, though she felt a bit unsettled by the previous conversation.

***

When they returned to the inn, they found Noah with her mouth stuffed full of jelly, just as Hephaestus had predicted.

“Wow… she really did finish all that jelly,” Rubia said, amazed.

Noah, embarrassed, tried to speak to Hephaestus, ignoring Rubia. “Y-You’re back already…?”

“Yeah! Rubia said we should eat here at the inn! She even picked the menu,” Hephaestus explained cheerfully.

“B-Barbecue…?” Noah asked, recognizing the smell.

As they settled in to eat, Rubia tried to speak with Noah. “Noah… I was hoping we could talk before bed—”

“Ah, well… I’m going to sleep in Hephaestus’s room tonight. Y-You can sleep alone, Rubia—” Noah started to say, but was interrupted by a sudden thud.

Rubia had slumped into her chair, staring blankly ahead with a stunned expression. “You’re… going to sleep… with Hephaestus? Alone… at night?” she repeated, her voice trembling.

Noah looked at Rubia, confused. Had I said something that bad…? she wondered, not fully understanding Rubia’s reaction.