Episode 134 – Damn Elf.

*

As a dull pain throbbed in her skull, Lara clutched her head and stared at Ed with wide eyes and a dumbfounded expression.

Lara knew full well that she couldn’t go against Ed anyway.

Lara was the one clinging in their relationship, so she knew she would always be in a subservient position.

Therefore, she also knew that this conflict would eventually come to an end.

Along with the desire to unleash her burning rage of revenge and hatred towards Mella,

It was also true that Lara had a small, contradictory wish in her heart that Ed would stop her from her outrageous behavior, which she thought was too much even by her own standards, but she couldn’t stop herself.

But she hadn’t expected this kind of scene at all.

,Fucking hell.”

Ed playfully hit Lara’s head once more.

Lara was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t even get angry.

Everything that had happened to Lara today had been unexpected.

Ed kissing Mella,

Her failing the assassination, even though she was interrupted,

The person who interrupted her being her own daughter, Lily,

And… Ed, who she thought would try to persuade her, suddenly hitting her on the head.

Lara, unable to grasp how to react to the capricious situation that surpassed her emotional ups and downs, just stared blankly into Ed’s eyes.

She had planned to unleash her resentment and disappointment towards him, finally shedding tears, and with sobs, making one last, desperate attempt to convey her true feelings to him.

She had thought that Ed would either accept her, apologize to her, or completely end their relationship, something along those lines.

Finally, Lara, having sorted out her thoughts, shouted.

,Ed! I’m not kidding right now,”

,If you’re not kidding, then what? That you’re seriously trying to kill Mella? Am I supposed to take that seriously?”

Ed interrupted Lara and looked at her with a scowling face.

,You said you were taking it easy, and you were so smugly telling me that when my mental state was completely fucked. Where did all that余裕 go?”

,…”

,Can’t even retort? Your eloquence has gotten worse than before.”

Lara found Ed’s sarcastic tone somewhat familiar.

It wasn’t just familiar, but she even missed these rough expressions, as if she felt a sense of nostalgia.

Lara quickly realized the reason.

The attitude Ed was showing Lara now was the same attitude he had 20 years ago, when he didn’t know about Lara’s crush on him.

The attitude of friends who casually said whatever they wanted, laughed, and chuckled without distinguishing between what they should and shouldn’t say.

It felt as if everything that had happened was just a bad dream, and she had woken up to find herself back in the days of the hero party embarking on adventures together.

,Damn elf.”

,… Ed, you…”

Lara was still bewildered and couldn’t finish her sentence.

Ed looked at Lara and sighed deeply before continuing.

,Let’s clear up the misunderstandings first.”

,… Misunderstandings?”

,Well, there are a lot of things, but the biggest ones are two things.”

Ed stretched out his index and middle fingers and held them in front of Lara’s nose.

Lara just stared blankly at Ed.

Ed folded his middle finger and continued.

,First of all. I don’t hate you.”

,Ha, is that what this is about again? As a friend?”

,Hate?”

Lara lowered her head at Ed’s question.

To be honest, she did hate it.

She hated it very much.

Until now, she had just been afraid of losing even their current relationship if she openly said she hated it, so she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

But even if she didn’t say it, nothing would change.

No matter what Lara did, Ed was just drifting further and further away from her, like a boat left on the beach being swept away by the outgoing tide.

Lara steeled herself.

And then she said in a slow, trembling voice.

,…I hate it.”

,…”

Lara bit her lip.

She could feel the faint, bitter taste of blood seeping out from between her lips, as if the blood that had flowed from her cheek had entered her mouth.

Lara trembled her moist lips and said.

,Ed, you’re too harsh… and cruel…”

,…Am I?”

,Friend, yeah, I was so happy and glad to be your friend. But, do you even know that eventually, that friendship feels like a chain that binds me?”

,…”

,Ed, answer me, don’t give me that bullshit about being friends or whatever,”

,…What.”

,…Do I really have no value to you as a woman? Have you never once felt anything for me as a woman?”

Ed looked at Lara with a serious expression.

Lara also cautiously raised her head and carefully examined Ed’s expression.

Lara tried to read Ed’s expression by glancing sideways, but it was difficult to see Ed’s detailed expression, perhaps because it was already a completely dark night.

Ed slowly raised his hand.

Lara judged that Ed was trying to smooth over the atmosphere by hitting her again.

Haha,

The bitter blood spread in her mouth, turning into a bitter taste.

In the end, I can’t develop beyond being just friends who joke around.

To Ed, I’m no different from a male friend.

As she came to that conclusion, she felt something heavy pressing down on Lara’s chest wriggling up inside her.

That murky, damp something was crawling through Lara’s body, leaving behind a sense of stuffiness and moisture wherever it passed.

When it passed through her throat and crawled up the inside of her face, finally reaching her eyes, tears welled up in Lara’s eyes.

And then they poured down in a torrent.

Lara’s tears soaked Ed’s statue’s shoulder.

,Ha… idiot.”

At that moment, Ed’s hand touched Lara’s head.

But the sensation was not a playful shock, but a soft warmth.

,…E, Ed?”

Ed was stroking Lara’s hair and caressing her head.

Lara shed even more tears as she felt Ed’s touch.

,It’s true that I like you as a friend, but I don’t particularly dislike you as a woman either. Don’t you know how pretty you are when you look in the mirror?”

,…Hng,”

Lara’s lips curled up slightly even as she shed tears.

How can Ed say such embarrassing things so lightly, and why do I feel so good hearing such childish compliments?

Lara chuckled in disbelief even by her own standards.

Ed slowly tried to take his hand off Lara’s head.

Lara quickly snatched his hand and pulled it back onto her head.

Ed didn’t scold Lara, but stroked her head and opened his mouth again.

,Second.”

,…”

,I don’t love Mella anymore.”

Lara almost lost her balance and fell off the statue.

*

Even though her eyes were slowly getting used to the darkness, Lara’s face was barely visible because there wasn’t a single light on the street and, to make matters worse, the moon was a crescent.

Nevertheless, I could tell that she was very surprised.

I could hear Lara’s rough breathing, and the subtle trembling movements were being transmitted to my hand stroking her head.

I gave her some time to calm down before continuing.

,You said you saw me kissing Mella.”

,…Yeah.”

,That’s right. I did. I probably shouldn’t have done it if I knew you were watching. But it was a necessary action.”

,Why? Why?”

,…To confirm.”

Lara didn’t bother to ask what I was trying to confirm.

It was clear that she knew without me having to say it.

Lara took a deep breath and slowly opened her mouth.

It was a calm voice that clearly showed that her emotions had subsided.

,How was it?”

I said in a bittersweet, yet somehow wistful tone.

,It didn’t feel like anything…”

,…”

,Still, I wanted to give my first time to Mella. Not for Mella’s sake. But for the sake of the me who loved her.”

,…Yeah, I understand.”

,…”

,But what good is it now.”

I slowly lowered my hand from Lara’s head, following the line of her hair.

Lara flinched greatly as my hand slowly brushed against her cheek.

The wound caused by the elasticity of the cut bowstring seemed to be stinging.

I infused a very small amount of divine power into her cheek.

Her face was revealed in the darkness as my hand, touching her cheek for a very brief moment, glowed with a golden light.

Lara’s large eyes were filled with jewel-like tears.

Thanks to using only a very small amount of divine power, the light quickly disappeared, and we were buried in darkness again.

Lara grabbed my hand that was touching her cheek and rubbed her cheek against it.

I hugged Lara with my other hand and said.

,I’m sorry.”

,…Ed,”

,You were right. I’ve been lying to you all this time. I didn’t mean to lie, but I thought I wouldn’t have any lingering feelings for Mella,”

,…”

,Now that I’ve completely shaken off my lingering feelings for Mella, I can see that back then, unlike what I said, I hadn’t forgotten Mella at all,”

,…Yo, you idiot,”

,Ha, that’s right… I just couldn’t admit that I hadn’t forgotten her at all. You, who have been watching me from the side, noticed it a long time ago.”

I put strength into the hand that was hugging Lara and said.

,It must have been hard.”

,Ugh… Neighbor,”

Lara finally burst into tears and hugged me with all her might.

I stroked her head and apologized repeatedly.

,I’m really sorry. Lara.”

,Hng, hng, E, Ed…”

,I’m listening.”

Lara buried her face in my shoulder, shedding tears.

I could feel my shoulder getting wet.

She buried her face in my neck and said in a voice full of moisture.

,You know, I… really, really like Ed.”

,…Yeah, thank you,”

,Ed… Can’t you love me?”

I patted Lara’s back in silence for a long time.

I felt her warmth, waiting for the trembling of her body, which was moving up and down as she sobbed, to subside.

Finally, when her breathing calmed down and the trembling lessened.

I answered.

,I’m sorry.”

Lara shook her head while burying her face in my shoulder.

Lara’s silk-like hair brushed past my cheek.

,…I thought so.”

,You know it’s not because of Mella or Robin, right?”

,…Yeah,”

,Okay…”

,Ed, I’ll ask you just one thing.”

,Ask me.”

Lara slowly raised her head and looked at me.

She brought her face closer to mine, as if trying to see better since it was dark.

We were almost nose to nose.

Lara asked me at that distance where I could feel her breath.

,…Do you have someone you like?”

,…Wel, mph”

As I paused for a moment to think and was about to say something, Lara suddenly covered my lips.

I thought for a moment that she didn’t want to hear my answer and had covered my mouth with her hand.

But soon, that moist and soft something that forced its way open my lips and entered with a hot breath jolted me awake.

It was Lara’s lips.

And Lara’s soft tongue.

It was a deep kiss filled with affection and lust, the kind that adults share.

I tried to push Lara away for a moment, but I stopped.

It’s a thought that only a very arrogant and obnoxious guy would have, but if I could be forgiven for the pain I’ve caused Lara with my indifference until now with this kiss, I thought it wouldn’t be so bad.

Lara’s tongue entered me as boldly as she did, pressing down on every corner of my mouth as if leaving a handprint.

A plaintive breath flowed out from between her slightly parted lips, mixed together, and was shared back into each other’s mouths.

The bitter taste of blood felt achingly.

Who the hell was it,

The human who was talking about the first kiss being lemon-flavored or something,

When my cautiously moving tongue accidentally touched the inside of her front teeth, Lara grabbed my head tightly, licked my lower lip once, and then opened her mouth wide and completely covered my lips.

It was like she was welcoming my cautious visit with open arms.

However, unlike her overwhelming invitation, I very cautiously pushed her lips away with the tip of my tongue.

Lara also stopped her further rude invitation and slowly moved away from me.

Saliva stretched out long between our two lips before snapping.

I caught my breath and said to Lara.

,I’m pretty sure I rejected your confession.”

,…I needed it too. Ed,”

Lara said in a flushed voice.

Despite my blunt words, I didn’t want to press her any further.

I could have been angry because it was a sudden kiss, but for some reason, I wasn’t very angry today.

If it had been me a while ago, I would have pushed her away even if I had to use violence, but not today.

Was it because of guilt, or because I wanted to repay her sincerity even a little?

And honestly,

To be really honest, it wasn’t like I didn’t feel good either.

No, I felt a little good.

Unlike the kiss I shared with Mella, which evoked a somewhat fresh and wistful feeling, the deep kiss with Lara, which properly mixed our tongues and saliva, had the power to make my eyes sparkle and my head spin just by itself.

I thought I heard Ulgaros laughing at me in my head, but I was so distracted by the kiss that I didn’t care at all.

I pretended to be refined to hide the fact that I was completely immersed in the kiss with Lara and said.

,…Okay, are you satisfied now?”

,No, I want to do it more.”

Lara grabbed my arm and answered without taking a breath.

,Ahahahaha,”

I laughed.

Perhaps Lara was smiling too.

I slowly got up from my seat, stopped laughing, and said.

,Absolutely not.”

Lara let me go without any resistance.

Even after the kiss, unlike the violent pleasure, no special feelings for Lara welled up or anything.

Just like with Mella, it didn’t feel like anything.

Lara seemed to be feeling it too.

Perhaps, this would be our last skinship.

.