The Only One For Each Other (2)
"······You're awake."
Irene was lying close, her body pressed against mine.
It was as if she had been holding me from above.
Confirming that I had regained consciousness, she lifted herself from the bed where she had been sprawled.
A faint smile remained behind her sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. You wouldn't wake up, I was getting worried."
The fox whispered softly.
Her usual demeanor had changed.
Her characteristic prickliness was nowhere to be seen.
As I stared blankly, a question mark floating above my head, the girl who had turned her back offered me something.
It was a glass cup radiating warmth.
"It's snowdrop tea. They say it's good for restoring energy, so drink it."
"······."
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
Bewildered, I accepted the teacup offered to me.
A lukewarm warmth seeped into my fingertips.
While I quietly sipped the tea, the fox watched from beside me.
Her black eyes blinked softly.
"······."
Her gaze felt strangely burdensome.
Trying to shake off the awkwardness, I emptied the cup in one go.
The drowsiness from sleep seemed to fade a little.
As my consciousness sharpened, I turned to Irene and asked a question.
It was a question to grasp the whole situation.
"······So, how much time has passed since I lost consciousness?"
"Two full days."
"Longer than I thought. Did anything happen while I was out?"
"Nothing special. We just continued sailing."
The fox recounted the events in detail.
From the moment she pulled me out of the sea, to the encounter with the mysterious figure who left without hesitation, to carrying my unconscious body to the cabin.
Nothing deviated much from what I had anticipated.
'That's a relief.'
I smiled with belated reassurance.
As I tidied my messy hair, the girl sitting beside me suddenly asked a question.
She seemed puzzled.
"That man, the one you called 'Obscurity'. Why did he leave us alone?"
Considering their sharp confrontation, it felt like things ended rather vaguely.
It was only natural for Irene to be curious.
Instead of answering, I simply offered an ambiguous smile.
"Well~ I'm not sure myself."
"Obscurity said to ask you. He said there's a reason why he can't just kill you."
"Hmm."
It seemed Obscurity had left some unnecessary remarks.
I briefly rested my chin on my hand, reminiscing.
It was a story from the days when I was busy turning the underworld upside down.
Since it was a story entangled with the dirty underbelly of society, it wasn't something I particularly wanted to share.
I brushed it off as I always did.
"It's a secret."
"······I figured as much."
Irene nodded.
Her reaction was odd.
Normally, she wouldn't have shown much interest and would have moved on, but today, her eyes were particularly melancholic.
As if she was hurt.
"If you say so, then it must be so. I'm sure you have your reasons for keeping it a secret."
Contrary to her words of understanding, her expression was strangely dejected.
Had the existence of Obscurity left such a deep impression on her?
I hadn't expected her to be this interested.
Feeling awkward, I smiled and smoothly changed the subject.
"By the way... Irene?"
"Yes?"
"Earlier in bed, we woke up tangled together. I was wondering how that happened."
"Ah... about that."
The girl hesitated for a moment before explaining in a calm voice.
Her tail wagged slightly.
"I was watching over you by the bed. I didn't know when you would wake up. I tried to stay awake until dawn, but I guess I ended up falling asleep."
"You mean you nursed me for two whole days?"
"Nursed? ...It wasn't anything that grand. I was just staying up all night beside you."
"That's enough. It's more than enough to make me grateful."
I unconsciously reached out and stroked the fox's head.
Her crimson hair ruffled.
Her warm body heat seeped into my palm.
Savoring the soft texture, I expressed my gratitude.
"Thank you."
"I'm happy··· to have been of help."
The fox faintly smiled.
Seeing her ears perk up, it seemed her true emotions were showing.
I couldn't help but tilt my head.
'What is this?'
She had been oddly amiable.
Should I say compliant?
It felt unfamiliar.
Even her characteristic cold demeanor had softened.
I pondered curiously, but soon brushed it off.
'I don't know what change of heart she's had.'
Seeing her smile like this was nice.
I had always worried about her stoic face, but perhaps now she was finally starting to relax.
Such positive changes were always welcome.
Swish, swish-.
I quietly patted the fox.
As I spent a moment like that, one thought suddenly came to mind.
"Ah, by the way, what happened to the others?"
"The others?"
"The ones who were captured as illegal slaves. I remember they were all trapped in the lowest level."
"If you're talking about those people, they've been released. They should all be staying in the second-floor rooms."
"I see."
It seemed everything was well taken care of.
I stood up from my seat.
I intended to check on them personally.
I had glanced around earlier, but it was essential to confirm the numbers for easier handling later on.
There might be new injuries or illnesses among them.
"I'll take a quick look around."
"I'll go with you."
Irene followed me.
We lightly put on our outerwear and stepped out of the room.
***
We thoroughly explored the interior.
The size was several times that of a regular passenger ship. As a result, it took quite a bit of time to check everything.
It felt more like a fortress than a ship.
If you looked across the entire continent, there would be only a handful of people capable of such extravagant spending.
I could truly feel the business acumen of the person behind this.
'What a nice gift I've received.'
This ship was now mine.
That meant I could do whatever I wanted with it.
Given its overwhelming base performance, I felt that even a slight modification would make it quite usable.
I reset my destination.
It was a port under Astro's jurisdiction.
'I should contact them in advance.'
I needed someone to safely move the ship for us.
After all, we still had a school trip schedule to follow.
Having already been away for two days, I planned to return to our accommodation by tomorrow.
Flap-!
I sent out a crow made of shadows.
Its wings flapped blackly.
It was a brief telegram.
If it flew straight, it should arrive at headquarters by tomorrow morning.
Once Lena confirmed the contents and opened a portal, we would switch roles and return to our travel destination.
With Lena's help, I could move in an instant when going back.
'Perfect.'
The plan for returning was flawless.
Some students might find it strange if we disappeared for three days and then suddenly reappeared, but as the chief assistant, I could silence any concerns.
After all, that was the power I had obtained for situations like this.
Coincidentally, the professor supervising the school trip was also Selene.
Our mentor would surely side with her students, so a little noise wouldn't be a problem at all.
"Hehe."
I smiled contentedly.
Shaking off my stray thoughts, I began to walk again.
The interior of the ship was maintaining a pleasant state.
“Not bad.”
It was the work of an unknown individual.
The troops that had remained on the ship had been dealt with without leaving a single drop of blood behind.
It seemed the soldiers’ bodies had been thrown into the sea.
As expected of the monarch’s right-hand man, the cleanup was immaculate.
“I guess his skills have improved.”
As I was pondering this monologue, the fox walking beside me spoke.
It was a question about the unknown individual.
“The Obscurity… that person seemed to be afraid of you.”
“Well, I guess so.”
“It was the same even after you lost consciousness. He was sweating and couldn't bring himself to come near you.”
“That’s a shame. I should have seen that stiff expression crumble.”
“Why is he so afraid of you?”
“Well…”
It couldn't be helped.
Two years ago.
The war that took place in the underworld.
If they had encountered me back then, they couldn’t help but harbor a similar fear.
It was especially true because it was a time when my personality was quite a mess.
“…Let’s just say there were some things that happened.”
Another vague answer.
Irene must have anticipated this response, as she simply nodded silently.
We walked in silence for a while.
***
It wasn't until half a day later that we were able to look around the entire ship.
As expected, there were no problems.
All functions were operating normally.
-Thank you for saving us…!
The freed slaves also seemed to be doing well.
The people who had been exhausted from the harsh cage life gave a warm cheer at the appearance of their saviors.
They all expressed their gratitude with tears in their eyes.
-Sob, sob… I thought I would never be able to go home again.
-If it weren't for the two of you, what would have become of us…?
-It’s like a dream! I thought we were going to be sold to another country!
-Brother! Sister! Thank you so much!
I don't know how many times I received thanks.
Being thanked for giving was definitely a good thing, but too much attention was burdensome.
I slipped away.
After such a hectic day.
“…”
We were only able to return to our cabin after nightfall.
The clock hands were already pointing to dawn.
“It's later than I thought.”
“There was a lot to see. And we were held up by people in the middle.”
“We should get ready for bed. We have a schedule again tomorrow, so it’s best to get some sleep early.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Since it was late, I quickly showered and changed.
The two of us went straight to bed.
The prepared bed was only a double size, so we had no choice but to lie down side by side.
Of course, this could have been solved if one of us went to another room, but.
“Don’t go.”
“Huh?”
“It's okay… just stay with me.”
Irene grabbed my sleeve.
Her eyes looked up intently.
Perhaps because of what happened a few days ago, the girl seemed anxious about being left alone.
A faint tremor lingered on her fingertips.
“Alright.”
I nodded.
It was rare for Irene to ask for something like this.
It wasn’t particularly difficult, either.
‘It shouldn't matter.’
I thought it would be okay since we were staying in the same room anyway.
Irene didn't seem to mind that part either.
We covered ourselves with the blanket, keeping a reasonable distance.
As we quietly waited for sleep to come, the girl next to me suddenly spoke.
“…Are you awake?”
“For now.”
“Sorry if I woke you up. I just wanted to talk.”
“You can’t sleep, I see.”
“Well… that’s right.”
“Alright. Is there a topic you’d like to discuss?”
“Yes. There were some things I wanted to ask.”
We exchanged a few words.
We’d had quite a few conversations, but it was a rather new experience to talk like this while lying in the same bed.
Voices echoed in the narrow space between us.
“When you were dealing with the Hound, you imitated Master’s voice.”
“That’s right.”
"You already knew, didn't you? About my past."
"So, you found out."
"It was strange. Knowing stories I've never told anyone."
"I didn't intend to deceive from the start. It just seemed like you were troubled by those memories, so I didn't bring them up."
"Yeah... they were painful memories."
She murmured softly.
In the sentences that scattered into the darkness, unresolved questions lingered.
Her black eyes glanced sideways at me.
Did she become suspicious?
For someone who shouldn't even know of the master's existence to mimic his words and act, it must have been bewildering for her.
I held a troubled smile at the corner of my lips.
"I'm sorry. It must have been a wound you didn't want exposed."
"If it's you, it's okay."
"Thank you for saying that."
"If I ask how you knew about the master, will you say it's a secret again...?"
"I'd like to."
There was no other way to explain.
I couldn't bring up the original story.
Nor could I claim to have learned their personal conversations through mere investigation.
The most appropriate choice was to remain silent.
"......"
She wore a complicated expression.
She seemed to be thinking about something.
After biting her lip for a moment, she muttered after a short while.
The atmosphere was strangely subdued.
"You seem to have too many secrets."
"That's a harsh thing to say. I consider myself quite transparent..."
"Liar."
A denial heard right next to me.
Turning my head in response, I saw her face had crossed the appropriate distance long ago.
Warm breath brushed against my cheek.
We were close enough for our noses to almost touch.
"Irene?"
I questioned the narrowed distance.
Meanwhile.
The girl raised her upper body from where she lay.
Her slow movements intertwined with mine, and before I knew it, she was sitting on top of me.
She was perched above my waist.
"What's all of a sudden...?"
The sudden unexpected action caught me off guard.
The unique scent wafted gently.
Since we were both in light pajamas, the contours of each other's bodies were clearly felt through the thin fabric.
As I froze momentarily, her delicate fingers touched my chest.
"You..."
My heart was tinged with faint warmth.
Her fingers began to unbutton my shirt one by one.
This can't be.
"Irene."
I realized something was wrong.
I called her name belatedly, but by then, my shirt was completely undone.
Through the wide-open front, bare skin was revealed.
Irene stared blankly at it.
"What on earth are you..."
Her voice was tinged with confusion.
Desire, excitement, thirst.
It wasn't any of those.
The emotion reflected in her trembling eyes was none other than shock or perhaps pity.
She clenched her fist tightly and muttered.
"What on earth are you hiding?"
Transparent pupils.
Beyond them, a body covered in scars was visible.
From knife cuts to stab wounds, burn marks, and strange surgical scars.
It was a wreck, with hardly any intact skin visible.
"......"
I naturally closed my mouth.
In the cold, hardened expression, only a calmness devoid of any hint of laughter remained.
Chewing on the monologue where coldness lingers.
'Ah.'
As expected.
I've been found out.
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