episode_0107

“…. Ah, damn it.”

It’s this dream again. This nightmare of waking up in an unfamiliar bedroom, on an unfamiliar bed. Hah… Today, my legs will probably be tied, and Aria will do something to me… But… maybe it’s because I’m too exhausted lately, or because I’ve experienced it too many times, but I’ve given up resisting.

“I wish it would end quickly so I could wake up…? Oh, wait?”

Wishing to wake up quickly, I felt something strange and sat up. Huh…? My legs aren’t tied? And… this space… it’s not the bedroom from my usual nightmare? It feels like… a bedroom in an old castle… Where am I? Just as I was turning my head this way and that, trying to figure out where I was, someone slowly began to open the bedroom door.

“Hah… Well, the content seems similar… Aria, is it you again?”

“Have you woken up, Zeke-nim? I’ve brought some lemon tea; would you like some?”

“….?”

Something was strange. In my usual nightmares, Aria would enter with a gloomy, somewhat… sinister expression… But the Aria I saw in this dream was completely different. As Aria entered the room, vibrant and pure-faced, carrying lemon tea, I was dumbfounded by her appearance, so unlike the usual Aria.

“Aria?”

“Ah, Zeke-nim. You shouldn’t overexert yourself yet. So please rest well. This Aria will always watch over you from your side.”

…Ah, I see. This must definitely be a dream. The usual Aria wouldn’t have such a bright face… Realizing that, I lay back down and slept. Soon enough, when my eyes opened, I first saw… Aria staring intently at me right before my eyes.

“…?! *Gasp*… S-scared me!!”

Realizing Aria was staring at me from up close the moment I opened my eyes, I was startled and quickly got up. When I was startled, Aria became very flustered and asked if I was alright. I sighed deeply, turned my head to Aria, and said,

“Ugh… You startled me, Aria… Didn’t I tell you not to do that…?”

I was complaining to Aria, who was watching me sleep from up close as before, but when I saw Aria’s face, I was so perplexed I couldn’t speak. What is this…? I’m complaining… but Aria’s expression hasn’t changed? The Aria who would usually turn gloomy at even a single complaint… was now smiling faintly at me despite my complaints, which greatly disconcerted me. As I grew greatly perplexed, Aria tilted her head slightly and asked,

“Is something wrong, Zeke-nim? Is there something on my face?”

“….. You’re Aria, right? I’m not hallucinating because of Eli, am I?”

“Hmm? Yes, of course. I am Aria, who always loves Zeke-nim… Are you perhaps disoriented because you’re exhausted? I’ll bring some food right away.”

“…Uh… Ugh…”

When Aria said she would bring food, I vaguely replied, ‘Okay.’ Aria then stood up with a smile and went outside. What is this…? Was Aria’s expression ever that bright…? Her demeanor is clearly no different from how she treated me before… but somehow… her atmosphere feels a little changed… I couldn’t quite recover from the shock of Aria’s subtly altered aura.

‘…. Could something have happened while I was sleeping…? No, I don’t feel any strange sensations in my body…? What… what is it?’

I still couldn’t understand this situation. Normally, Aria would have burst into tears and snot, embracing me when I came to my senses… But now, it’s like… she genuinely wasn’t flustered and just kept watching me? Aria’s shocking behavior of not overreacting like before left me completely unable to escape my shock. At that moment, Aria knocked on the door, then opened it and entered.

“For breakfast today, I prepared Garuda steak, Zeke-nim. I thought it would be best for you to eat your favorite food after undergoing such a major event, so I prepared it.”

“Uh… Ugh… Thank you, Aria… But are you okay?”

“Huh? Okay? I’m happy as long as Zeke-nim is here…?”

When I asked if she was okay, Aria sat beside me, tilted her head, and didn’t seem to understand my question. Something is definitely strange… The usual Aria would become anxious, wondering if she was lacking something if I asked such a question… Could it be that what happened back then was an illusion, and this is also an illusion created by Eli…? Is that it? But then, only Aria knows I like Garuda steak…

“Zeke-nim~ You should eat the Garuda steak before it gets cold so you can enjoy it and regain your strength. Here, say ‘ah’~”

“Uh… Ugh…”

Seeing Aria, whose aura had completely changed from before, left me dumbfounded. What on earth is this? Was Aria always this relaxed? Amidst my continuing confusion, I couldn’t properly taste the meat, merely chewing and swallowing what Aria offered… Ah… Oh no! If I eat her meat with such a gloomy expression, Aria will…!!

“…? Zeke-nim, why are you suddenly so surprised? Is there something bothering you?”

…. If there’s something bothering me, there’s a lot… but it’s hard to say it, so I just felt frustrated and made a somewhat uncomfortable expression… But when Aria didn’t blame herself even when I made that expression, I was too surprised to close my mouth. Aria, seeing me like that, looked at me with a worried gaze and asked… Wait… worried?

‘…. This is the first time Aria has worried about me… like this…’

“Uh… Why is Zeke-nim like this? I clearly made it the way I usually do…? Hmm… There doesn’t seem to be a problem with the taste… Oh my…?”

As I, unable to hide my astonishment, remained speechless, Aria dipped her finger into the sauce drizzled on the Garuda steak, sucked it, and began frantically searching for what the problem might be. R-right. For now, I’ll ask later and just…

“Ah. It’s delicious, as always, Aria. Thank you for making it.”

“…! *Sigh*… My heart was pounding, wondering if there was a problem with the cooking again… Zeke-nim needs to regain his strength, so I can’t serve tasteless food, can I? Still… hehe… I am very happy that Zeke-nim has recovered like this.”

When I said the food was delicious, Aria sighed in relief. Right… I’ll slowly unravel my questions about Aria later… For now, I need to understand the situation, don’t I? Feeling the need to grasp the current circumstances, I cut and ate the Garuda steak with my fork and knife while asking Aria,

“Uh… How many days has it been since I collapsed?”

“Only one day has passed, Zeke-nim.”

“One day… And Eli and the fairy sisters?”

“Ah… Eli received the Siren’s counter-curse from me and fled this village. Perhaps because of that, all the curses Eli had placed on people were lifted. And… uh… as for the fairy sisters… W-would you like to finish your meal first…?”

When I asked about the Riera sisters, Aria’s expression suddenly darkened. What is it…? What’s wrong with the Riera sisters for Aria to make such an expression? I decided to finish eating the Garuda steak as Aria suggested. When I finished my meal, Aria stood up and offered me her hand, saying,

“Come on, let’s go. I’ll clean the dishes later. You’re worried about how the sisters are doing now, aren’t you?”

“Huh? Uh… Yeah, you’re right… No, okay, I understand for now.”

Deciding that it wasn’t the right moment to ask why her atmosphere seemed to have changed, I stopped myself and took Aria’s outstretched hand. Aria then helped me up from the bed and began to leave the room. By the way, is this… an inn?

“You brought me to an inn by yourself after I collapsed?”

“Yes. I couldn’t just leave Zeke-nim there. Anyway… this is the room the Riera sisters are using… Hmm…”

Aria knocked on the door of the room the Riera sisters were using, then grabbed the doorknob and suddenly began to hesitate. Only then did I understand the situation. No… I *should* have understood… I felt pathetic for realizing what was going on so late. Without hesitation, I grasped the doorknob with Aria and said,

“It’s okay. Maybe it’s because I’ve come to my senses a bit, but I’m starting to understand what’s going on.”

“Understood, Zeke-nim. Then…”

With a nervous heart, Aria and I turned the doorknob and opened the door. Inside the room, Riera and Tiara were huddled gloomily in a corner, and Melian was staring blankly into space from the bed.

“…. Riera….”

It was an understandable situation. Riera’s cherished sister had been manipulating her and the rest of their family, and Tiara must have been greatly shocked that her respected older sister had been secretly harboring such insane thoughts. So, I could understand why Riera and Tiara were so dejected.

“Riera-nim. Zeke-nim has woken up.”

“…. Ah… Zeke-nim. Ah… I’m sorry for letting you see me like this…?”

At the news of my arrival, Riera slowly raised her head and forced a smile at me. My suppressed emotions must have burst forth, as I instinctively strode towards Riera and embraced both Riera and Tiara. When I suddenly hugged them, Riera and Tiara stared at me with blank eyes. I closed my eyes tightly and said to them,

“…. It’s okay to cry… I know you two are suffering terribly right now… It’s okay to weep sadly in front of me…”

“…. Ah… Ahh… *Sniff*… *Wail*… Aaaah….”

Riera and Tiara, who had been flustered by my sudden embrace, finally burst into tears at my words that it was okay to cry, their suppressed grief erupting. Then, with trembling hands, they hugged me, and Riera asked me in a trembling voice,

“*Wail*… Ah… Z-Zeke-nim… Did… *sniff*… did I raise my sister wrong…? *Sob*…”

“…. You did your best, Riera. You cherished and loved your family more than anyone. Eli just kept hiding her true feelings… So there’s no need to feel guilty.”

“Oppa… Was older sister a bad fairy…? Older sister… *sob*…”

“…. Eli will have gained some insight from this incident too. So she won’t remain a bad fairy forever. So you two shouldn’t do that… Understand?”

“*Wail*… *Sob*…”

What these two, abandoned by their parents and betrayed by their family, needed was attention. For Riera, whose sense of responsibility to care for her family had crumbled in an instant, and for Tiara, who couldn’t escape the shock of even her own sister betraying her, I sincerely embraced them both. Hoping they wouldn’t collapse any further. And then, Melian, who had been quietly watching, asked Aria beside her,

“Are you… not… jealous?”

“….. Not at all. Because that’s exactly how Zeke-nim is. Anyway… Thank you, Melian. Thanks to you, I was able to protect Zeke-nim.”

“…. I’m… happy… that I could… help…”

Melian, receiving Aria’s thanks, looked at me as I comforted Riera and Tiara, and faintly smiled. Seeing this, Aria was startled, then quickly brought a mirror, held it up to Melian, and exclaimed,

“Y-you’re smiling right now! Do you see it?!”

“….. Huh…? I… smiled…?”

Melian herself seemed greatly flustered and surprised that she had faintly smiled. At the commotion, Riera, Tiara, and I were also surprised to see Melian make an expression. Thus, momentarily forgetting our sorrow, we began to rejoice that Melian had shown an expression. Having received my comfort, and perhaps fortunately finding some relief from her suppressed sadness, Tiara shook Melian and said,

“Really?! Melian, you’re flustered right now, aren’t you?!”

“*Hic*… It’s… hard… O-older sister…”

“Older sister! It looks like Melian is starting to feel emotions! She’s making a flustered expression!”

“Haha… Y-yeah, she is… But won’t Melian get tired if you keep shaking her…?”

As Tiara continued to shake Melian happily, Riera, seeing this, spoke in a flustered voice, telling Tiara to stop shaking Melian, as she might get tired. Then, she let out a chuckle, turned her head to me, and bowed to express her gratitude.

“…. Zeke-nim. We have truly… received so much favor from you… How can we possibly repay all of this… Truly…”

“…. But what are you going to do about Eli? As her family, you have the right to decide what happens to her…”

“…The Saintess-nim told us about Eli’s current condition. Melodian fairies all use their abilities through their voices. That’s why their voice is as vital as their life to Melodian fairies. So… Eli will lose her fairy life and have to adapt to a new one… That’s enough… We… even if we are family… we don’t have the face to bring Eli back, it seems…”

“Then what are you two going to do? How will you live from now on?”

After Riera finished answering my question about what they would do with Eli, I then asked the sisters how they would live from now on. Riera smiled faintly, looked out the window, and said,

“Since we have committed sins, we can’t return to Melodian. We plan to wander aimlessly. We’ll continue our work as wandering bards. It might be dangerous… but now, we have no other choice.”

“…. Alright… I understand. *Phew*… Be careful, as strange priests and saintesses have been wandering around lately.”

“Thank you for your concern, Zeke-nim… And this…”

When I expressed my concern for her, Riera smiled faintly, pulled out a hair ornament from her pocket, and offered it to me. I took the music-note-shaped hair ornament Riera offered and asked her,

“This is…”

“Keep it, and if anything dangerous happens, we’ll come to your aid immediately. It’s our humble way of repaying you, Zeke-nim.”

“…. I’ll cherish it… Well then… I should probably get going… Stay healthy. See you next time, Riera. And… Tiara and Melian too.”

“Are you leaving already, Oppa? Hmm… I won’t stop you. Next time, will you listen to our song before you go?”

As I was about to leave, Tiara made me promise to listen to their song later. I nodded, then returned to the room with Aria to pack our bags, and we immediately left the inn. The rest is for them to figure out themselves… so I had no choice but to quickly leave… Huh?

“Aria, let’s stop here for a moment.”

“Yes? Z-Zeke-nim?”

Spotting something, I stopped at a shop with Aria. A few minutes later, Aria, now wearing a black cloak and a black outfit entirely different from her previous priestess robes, adorned with a blue brooch on her chest, asked me shyly,

“Um… Hmm… D-does it suit me?”

“Yes. Give me about two sets of these.”

“Okay~”

Discovering clothes that seemed to suit Aria in the clothing store, I immediately bought about two sets of the same outfit. Previously, I had gone through many hardships with just one set of priestess robes, so having a spare set now was a bit reassuring. As soon as we left the shop, Aria asked me,

“Zeke-nim… these clothes…?”

“Because strange saintesses and priests have been wandering around lately… I thought you might be misunderstood if you kept wearing your priestess robes. And… I also needed to repay you for the cloak.”

“…! For me… Hehe… I’ll cherish them, Zeke-nim…”

Realizing I had bought new clothes for her, Aria smiled brightly, hugged herself with both arms, and said she would cherish them. Watching Aria rejoice at my gesture, I chuckled, then headed out of the village into the forest with Aria. Then, I decided to ask the question I had been holding back.

“Aria… you know…”

“Yes?”

“You’re… different from before. More positive, perhaps? Or maybe more relaxed… and harmonious? Your aura seems softer than before… Did something happen?”

“…. Aha~ So that’s what was bothering you. It’s all thanks to Zeke-nim~”

“….? Thanks to me?”

When Aria said her change was all thanks to me, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment. Uh… What did I do? Besides encouraging Aria, I barely did anything, did I…? Just as I was feeling confused, Aria embraced me and said,

“You see… even when Zeke-nim kept encouraging me, I felt anxious. Even during the Esrad incident, the people who were initially kind to me eventually blamed me when things went wrong. But… when I realized that Zeke-nim’s affection for me hasn’t changed… all my anxiety completely vanished. It’s like I can truly trust Zeke-nim… and trust myself?”

“With just that encouragement yesterday?”

“Yes~ They were truly simple words… but for me, they resonated so deeply that my heart pounded. And… I realized. What I was actually doubting was… myself. Once I realized that… it feels like I’ve gained confidence.”

“Aria….”

“Zeke-nim… Thank you so much for always keeping me by your side without change. I’ll continue to love Zeke-nim forever!”

Aria’s words made me feel pathetic about myself again. I had told Eli that Aria would change, but here I was, thinking Aria hadn’t changed at all… What a pathetic, foolish guy I am… As I realized that, the doubts in my heart began to vanish as if by magic, and perhaps because of it, a smile naturally formed on my face. At that moment, Aria suddenly let go of me and said in a resolute voice,

“Oh, right! Even so, please don’t accept anyone else as a traveling companion besides me. I’m not particularly anxious anymore, but personally, I’ll get jealous if Zeke-nim has another companion by his side.”

“…. You can’t fix that?!”

Of course, even though Aria had regained her confidence, not everything was fixed.