episode_0087

Just as everything has a cause, every cause brings about its effects. That’s the nature of the world.

Those who deceive others’ hearts will inevitably receive retribution at some point; it’s the law.

Hilde was no exception.

Her excuse that she couldn’t reciprocate Freide’s feelings because she liked “Freet” was nothing but a complete fabrication devoid of any sincerity. It was merely a forced lie concocted to evade the situation.

As she distorted and deceived others’ hearts with false pretenses, it was only natural that retribution would follow.

Though Hilde herself hadn’t realized it yet, the consequences of her lies were already gripping and suppressing her fate.

It was an inevitable future, one she had unwittingly walked into. A life beneath the crow’s beak, groaning under the weight of a nest.

The mistake of blurting out “I love Freet” to reject Freide’s confession was fatally consequential.

Of course, this was a matter for the future Hilde to take responsibility for.

When the time comes, she might regret today’s actions, but at least for now, it was a somewhat effective excuse for evading the current situation.

Why, you ask?

“Well, Hilde, I… um, actually, I… Oh, never mind.”

Naturally, Freide couldn’t reveal herself as Freet at this moment.

In truth, Hilde’s confession of liking Freet brought joy to Freide, who was about to reveal her true identity as Freet.

“Why are you acting like this? Why can’t you just…?”

“Oh, um, it’s nothing.”

However, just as Freide was about to reveal her true identity, a sudden realization firmly sealed her lips.

“No, wait. I can’t say this…!”

Freide suddenly understood the significance of revealing herself as Freet at this moment.

Confessing the truth at this point was nothing short of suicidal. Didn’t I say before? Those who deceive others with lies are bound to pay the price. Freide couldn’t escape that truth either.

What had she been up to all this time?

From spewing harsh words and relentlessly pursuing Brunhilde, even finding her despite everything… Let’s just say that. Even though it could be wrapped in the guise of slightly heavy love if they both liked each other, using her return as an opportunity, approaching under the pretense of being strangers, and rekindling the relationship was undeniably pure deception.

Furthermore, harboring a secret desire to get closer to Brunhilde, she had been playing the role of a demure and cute girl of the same age, thoroughly concealing her true nature.

If you were to ask whether everything she had shown so far, the reserved and demure appearance, was all acting, well, not entirely. It would be more like a 60:40 mix of nature and acting.

Well, what’s the point of distinguishing between nature and acting anyway?

The important thing now wasn’t the ratio of nature to acting, but the fact that she had portrayed herself as a small, innocent adventurer girl and gained Brunhilde’s favor.

Thanks to that, things had gotten so close that patting the head or using the knee as a pillow had become commonplace… But that was probably because she saw Freide as a younger girl, not as someone of the same age.

But now, if Brunhilde were to find out that the adorable Freide was the same person who had been called Freit just a few months ago, what would she think?

“She… probably won’t be happy, will she? …No, she might even be angry.”

The deception and acting that had continued for dozens of days. The disappointment and anger would be greater than the joy of reunion. That’s just how people are supposed to feel.

For that reason, Freide couldn’t muster the courage to confess her true identity to Brunhilde.

Aside from suffering an unprecedented level of humiliation in history, there was also the possibility that Brunhilde’s favor could turn into anger and contempt towards someone who had deceived and misled her for so long.

If an enraged Brunhilde were to fiercely question whether she had been deceived and misled all this time, what excuse could Freide possibly offer? It was a speechless act, and even her mouth, far from having ten words, had only two.

The only possible thing was to kneel down, beg for forgiveness, and nothing else.

Even then, the likelihood of the matter being resolved amicably was not very high, and instead, there was a high probability of completely parting ways with Brunhilde.

“…Goodnight.”

In the end, Freide could do nothing but retreat slightly with a dejected expression.

She knew that someday she would have to reveal her true identity, but right now, it was the worst situation to do so, and she had to endure it.

‘In the first place, if I reveal my identity now, I might just leave again.’

And the reason to keep her mouth shut was not just that. It was one of the reasons why Freide couldn’t reveal her true identity, not just her own pride, but also the situation both of them were in.

“I had to leave… I said I had to leave your side,” didn’t Brunhilde confess herself?

She actually harbored feelings bordering on affection for Freidt, but due to various practical issues, she had to suppress those feelings and leave.

And as far as Freide thought, there was only one reason why Brunhilde had to do that.

“She had no choice. That’s… probably because I was too weak to be called a hero.”

At that time, Freidt was so weak that he was openly scorned as an “inept hero.” What else could there be besides that?

Freide knew.

Brunhilde was part of the hero party for a reason, as there was a separate goal that could only be achieved that way.

Didn’t Brunhilde say so herself from the start?

The reason she wanted to transfer to Gunther’s party was because she was convinced she couldn’t achieve her goal by staying with Fritz.

Seeing that she even left Gunther’s party and is living as an adventurer in the north, it seemed like she had already given up on that goal, but…

“…I don’t know. Brunhilde has never completely revealed her true feelings.”

It couldn’t be certain.

At the moment, no one knew what Brunhilde’s true intentions were, so how could anyone know if she had given them up or just postponed them?

There was only one thing Fritz could know.

If Brunhilde hadn’t given up on her wish yet, the moment a way to achieve it appeared, she might just leave again.

“So, not yet.”

It couldn’t be revealed yet.

Fritz judged so. She judged and intuited.

In order to reveal the fact that her true identity was the “hero” once known as Fritz, she first needed to instill trust in Brunhilde.

Unlike her previous days as an incompetent hero, now Fritz believed in her own strength and potential to fulfill her wish.

But she had a long way to go.

Originally, experiencing a drastic increase in power upon returning to her body, Fritz’s skills were still only at the level of a knight who had served in the kingdom for 3-4 years.

It was inevitable.

To become stronger, she needed to repeatedly battle strong opponents, constantly building her skills and abilities, but until now, she hadn’t had many opportunities to do so.

So, she couldn’t reveal her true identity at the moment.

In order to keep Brunhilde from leaving again, she needed to at least have enough strength to not fall behind the heroes of other countries.

That’s why Fritz simply bid Brunhilde a good night instead of joining her on the hill.

Suppressing the surging regret and impulse with hope for the future.

◆◆

Do those who have been granted the mark of a hero also tend to have extraordinary luck?

For Hilde, the blessing named “luck” that never once smiled upon her, bestowed warmth upon Freide, even offering her laughter twice.

What does that mean?

Well, it means she had exceptionally good luck.

Instead of revealing her true identity, Freide offered a polite farewell with a sullen face.

Freide may not have known, and it might have been an unknowable thing, but that judgment was truly akin to a move of the gods.

If she had revealed herself as the hero Fritz, Hilde would have immediately panicked, recalling the original protagonist Kim Seung-woo and floundering in a panic.

She said that Kim Seung-woo, whom she had tried so hard to avoid, was now trying to overpower her, even as she transformed into the girl’s body.

From Freide’s perspective, it was utterly unjust… In fact, the accusation seemed justified, but from Hilde’s point of view, there was no way she could think otherwise.

Since arriving in this world, Hilde had firmly believed that she had fallen into the world of the novel as the protagonist Kim Seung-woo.

So, if Freide were to reveal her true identity, it was only natural that Hilde would tremble in shock and fear, leaping like a madwoman.

From Hilde’s standpoint, everything from her virginity to her heart was in danger of being ravaged and taken by the Korean cider pass right before her eyes.

However, instead of confessing her true identity, Freide closed her mouth with a bitter expression, which evoked not fear but a hint of sympathy from Hilde.

“Uh… Did I go too far…? I didn’t expect her to be so dejected…”

Freide herself may not have realized, but her expression was so pitiful that even Hilde momentarily felt sympathy.

“Is she going to leave the party like that…? That’s awkward… It’s kind of pitiful. Should I try to comfort her a bit?”

That was Freide’s second stroke of luck.

“Yeah, let’s do that. That should be fine…”

Hilde, who was watching Friede’s back as she went to the bed, unknowingly got up from the sofa and approached Friede.

“…Wait, Friede.”

And.

– Thump.

She lightly grabbed Friede’s wrist as she turned around at her call, and then lifted it up and gently pulled her towards the bed, throwing herself onto the bed while still holding her.

“Huh…?!”

The light shaking of the blanket and mattress under their combined weight. Friede, taken aback, found herself buried in something soft in that moment on the bed.

A strong lemon scent penetrated her nostrils and seeped into her brain, and their touching skin felt hot as if it were on fire. She couldn’t regain her composure.

Seeing Friede’s face change drastically from just a moment ago, Hilde burst into laughter, shifted her body slightly to lie snugly next to her.

“Shall we… just for tonight, be like this?”

Whispering the reason for abruptly pulling her close and throwing themselves onto the bed into Friede’s now crimson ear.

“Uh, huh, h-huh, wha, what…!?”

Just for tonight, it’s okay to sleep so close together.

It was an impulsive decision by Hilde.

If she hadn’t been drinking. No, even if she had, if she had maintained her usual composure, she would never have acted on this decision.

But was it because of Friede’s unexpected confession of affection?

The alcohol that would usually have settled softly was now flooding her mind with confusion, rushing through her brain, intoxicating her with bewilderment.

‘It shouldn’t matter much, right…? I’m not trying to do anything weird, just comforting her and sleeping together for a day. Yeah. It should be fine.’

Before she knew it, she had entrusted her body to impulsive sympathy rather than rational judgment.

That’s why.

“Shall we call it a comfort for just tonight… I can’t accept your feelings, but still, it’s okay to sleep together like this.”

With a flushed face due to the alcohol, Hilde looked at Friede and smirked, then spread out the blanket that had been pushed aside, gently covering both her and Friede’s bodies.

This is nothing more than a one-night comfort, and it whispers not to mistake it for comfort in the sense of ‘that kind’, but just lying down together.

“So don’t make that expression. It might make me feel down for no reason.”

“Uh… uh…”

Frida couldn’t answer. It would be right to say she didn’t have the mind to answer.

Between two thin layers of fabric, the soft yet resilient texture enveloped her whole body, gently pressing against her.

Mixing scents. Clinging touch. Each other’s warmth rising with alcohol. For a country girl who had never experienced love, it was a very stimulating sensation.

Rather than falling asleep, wouldn’t her face burst like this?

Frida, trembling thinly at the unexpected reward, closed her eyes tightly to calm her pounding heart and struggled to continue deep breathing.

Every time, the strong scent of lemon seeped in, causing the opposite effect instead of calming her down.

“Um…”

Perhaps Hilde couldn’t overcome the fatigue and intoxication, as she fell asleep almost immediately after embracing Frida like a pillow.

Leaving only Frida, who stayed up all night with wide-open eyes.