episode_0327

The wind blows. The wind pushes against the thin sail. The ship with the snow-white sail sets off somewhere, carried by the wind. Little by little, very little by little.

Beyond the vast ocean lies land yet untrodden, a world yet unseen. Even a lifetime wouldn’t be enough to fully experience this world.

So we walk. We move forward. We live until the moment of death. Like a gamer who must illuminate a dark map, like an adventurer who must race through a dark forest to quell their frustration.

Nari and Eve ran hand-in-hand. The royal capital was crowded with people, horses, and carriages, so their path was above the rooftops.

They ran, stepping on small clouds. Their footsteps were so light. Even if they released their strength and let go into the void, they kept soaring upwards.

They possessed only one eye and one wing each. Existences incomplete on their own, imperfect birds unable to fly.

Therefore, they hold hands. They become each other’s wings. Nari and Eve, standing side-by-side, shoulder to shoulder, soared into the sky.

Their procession encountered a small stall selling snacks. It was an unremarkable shop; they would have passed it by, but it held cherished memories.

Nari’s eyes, too, looked at the shop. Their gazes met, and they nodded lightly.

Like April cherry blossoms, they descended slowly, stepping down from the sky, one step at a time. Softly, softly, fluttering, fluttering, two colors of petals intertwined, falling on one side of the royal capital.

To avoid any interruption, they cast an invisibility spell. Nari pulled Eve along, and they joined the end of the line.

A customer, just finishing their payment, walked out from the front. In their hands were fruit skewers coated in sugar syrup.

“Amazing that these are still popular.”

“What do you mean… they’ve only been around for about six months.”

“It feels like ages ago to me.”

“I suppose…”

Recalling an event from roughly 100,000 years ago, their conversation continued until it was their turn quickly approaching. Eve stood before the display counter, her heart pounding.

Strawberries? Apples? Should she choose something tart or sweet? Choosing a menu is always difficult yet exciting.

But as if to casually dismiss such worries, Nari picked up all kinds of sugar skewers, smiling brightly.

“Which one do you want to eat first?”

“Nari… the point is to enjoy the pleasure of choosing, you know.”

Eve narrowed her eyes, glaring at Nari. Nari, extending a hand, smiled again.

“You can enjoy it now.”

“I… guess so…?”

“Yes. Which one do you want to eat first?”

“I… I… strawberries.”

Eve awkwardly took the strawberry skewer. Conscious of Nari’s encouraging gaze, she quickly put it in her mouth and bit into it.

Crunch-

The sweet juice of the fruit and the sugary sweetness spread to her whole body. She slightly closed her eyes, savoring the tingling sensation.

“Delicious?”

“Yes… delicious.”

“Then… I’ll have a bite.”

Nari suddenly leaned in. She bit into the strawberry at the end of the skewer, chewing with relish.

Eve’s gaze lingered momentarily on the damp wooden skewer before rising to Nari’s lips. Her pink tongue traced the sugar crystals clinging to her lips.

Those glossy pink lips captivated Eve.

‘You already kissed, right? Do that all over your body. It’s not really difficult.’

Suddenly, Yuri’s words from last night came to mind. While Eve knew how children are made, Yuri’s overly forward lesson was far too early for her naive nature.

The more she looked at Nari enjoying the tang hu lu, the more Yuri’s late-night sex ed session reverberated in her mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh… nothing.”

“Eve wanted the grapes too, huh? You should have said so earlier.”

Nari offered the grape skewer she had just been eating. Shiny. That’s normal. Naturally, it was coated with sugar syrup.

However, in Eve’s eyes, she could see an additional layer of moisture, far beyond what was necessary. Suppressing her racing heart, she took a grape.

Beyond the sweet juice, the memories of that moment kept resurfacing. Sweet… sweet… […omission]

Eve felt her forbearance had grown stronger with merely the act of eating the sugar skewers.

The two continued their walk through the royal capital. They watched a minstrel’s performance, ate delicious food, and simply enjoyed their time.

They were simply making the most of their time. But why was it so incredibly happy? The answer was already within Eve.

This wasn’t their first time together. They had attended classes together, drunk together, and even slept in the same bed.

But now, one more fact had been added. The person beside her was the savior Eve had always sought, a being who loved her.

That alone filled her heart with overwhelming joy.

It wasn’t just about using your time effectively; it’s not like happiness only came from efficient use of time. When they ran out of things to talk about, they looked at flowers blooming by the roadside, sometimes getting swept up in the crowd, and sometimes it was enough to just sit holding hands.

Existing together. Two distinct souls, touching, aging together… was this how fulfilling it could be?

She closed her eyes. She leaned comfortably back on a cafe terrace chair, basking in the warm afternoon sun.

As Eve fidgeted with her fingers on Nari’s palm, Nari immediately clasped her hand more tightly, as if saying, ‘Don’t run away’.

Eve chuckled and snuggled close to Nari’s shoulder. She could hear Nari’s laughter.

The cacophony of the street somehow created a comforting atmosphere. Her eyes felt at ease, her ears relaxed, her skin calm.

And gradually, the excitement she felt towards Nari began to subside.

Contradictory feelings arose simultaneously. She was excited to be with Nari, yet a calming tranquility washed over her.

Why? Eve was still unfamiliar with her feelings. Feelings are the resonance between people’s souls in human relationships. Having always avoided interacting with people, this was perhaps natural.

That’s why these emotions were difficult to explain. She wanted to be honest, but she couldn’t even name her feelings making it impossible to articulate them.

That was when it happened. A commotion arose somewhere. What began as ordinary conversation gradually became sharper, the voices rising. Eve’s eyes naturally opened.

It was just an ordinary quarrel, something that happened dozens of times a day in the capital. Merchants bickering, a small squabble escalating into a physical fight.

Eve, who had never cared about others in her life, initially regarded it as mere noise. What did she have to gain from others fighting?

But gradually, she felt a growing unease. A knot in her chest began to tighten, hardening into a distinct feeling, so definite that even she, who was so out of practice, could understand it entirely.

“We have to go quickly! There are children starving at the orphanage right now!”

“Can’t you hear me? The bridge over the river in front of the Karmoer Frontier Count’s territory is broken!”

“Somehow… somehow we’ll cross it! Do you think I can’t…?”

“This guy is serious…”

Each voice resonated clearly in her ears. It wasn’t a trivial dispute. Both men were trying to help, to save people.

Why did that bridge collapse? Eve remembered. She mustn’t forget. The Karmoer frontier, guarding the kingdom’s southern borders, had been ravaged by the imperial army.

By the time she regained her senses, she was already standing. Her hands trembled uncontrollably. Nari was holding those trembling hands.

She gently narrowed her eyes.

“We’re on a date… is this okay?”

“…I’m sorry. If we stay here, you, I, and those people will all be uncomfortable.”

“Right. I was getting bored… shall we get some exercise?”

Nari, rolling up her sleeves, is more reassuring than a million imperial soldiers. Eve pulled her into the street.

The men were grabbing each other by the throat.

“Which… which way did the bridge collapse?”

“What are these two women…”

“Don’t butt into grown-up’s business—”

Whoosh—!

A gentle yet powerful wind blew between the two men, causing their arms to become slack, parting them naturally.

“Show us the way.”

“Uh… yes, I will.”

One of the merchants headed towards his cart with an embarrassed expression. Eve followed behind him and Nari smiled contentedly.

“What… is it…?”

“No, it’s just… the method is the same, but the feelings it comes from are different. Has she finally returned?”

“Don’t tease me…!”

A light blush stained Eve’s cheeks. She had never learned how to peacefully resolve a fight.

But Nari took Eve’s hand once again. They nearly looked like mother and daughter at this point.

“That’s why I like you. This Eve.”

“…Ugh.”

Eve quickly turned her head. But she didn’t realize that her side profile made her blushed cheeks even more visible.

Their footsteps fell in synchrony. Their destination was the Karmoer Frontier Count’s territory. Their goal, to repair the damage inflicted by the imperial army.

How responsible was Eve? In Nari’s eyes, not at all.

She had once given up resisting the demon, who freely used her body. He had ordered the imperial soldiers to slaughter and destroy.

What if she had continued to resist? She might not have been able to control the demon, and her suffering would only have increased. Her body, consumed by demonic energy, could not disobey its master’s commands.

Yet, the hand that reached out towards the kingdom was Eve’s. Eve believed that. The memory remained, without her even needing to try.

In some ways, this could be seen as a hypocritical act to alleviate her guilt.

However, should anyone speak those words aloud, Nari’s sword would immediately sever their head and torso.

Nari had absorbed Eve’s karma, if responsibility lay anywhere, Nari would have taken it.

For one wingless shoulder leaned heavily on the other.