To travel from Plezensia to Roentner, they had to go eastward for quite a while. Lee Hwan and Absalom left the inn. Passing through the city gates, they felt a bit tense, but the guards completed the inspection by verifying the date they left Sankonia City.
It was a smooth journey. The monsters, which had been a concern before their escape, didn’t even appear before them. Lee Hwan thought it was thanks to Absalom. It was a newfound usefulness. Lee Hwan felt relieved somehow.
On the fourth day, highwaymen attacked them. They resembled moths fluttering around a bonfire.
Lee Hwan easily subdued the bandits with a few blows. Still, he didn’t feel quite right. It was because the bandits ended up bloodied and battered.
Upon searching his belongings, a loaf of bread emerged. Lee Hwan offered it to the bandits. The bandits looked at the bread in disbelief.
“Take it.”
Tears welled up in the bandits’ eyes as they nodded in gratitude.
Lee Hwan watched the bandit run off with the bread until the very end. The bandit didn’t eat the bread, despite swallowing his saliva continuously. Lee Hwan speculated that the bandit must have a family to support.
As the thief’s figure became a dot in the distance, Lee Hwan turned around. At that moment, his eyes met Absalom’s. It seemed as though Absalom had been watching him the whole time, with an unwavering gaze. After a brief moment of eye contact, Lee Hwan walked towards Absalom. Soon, they both left the place.
It was that night when Lee Hwan understood the meaning behind Absalom’s gaze.
They entered a small village and rented an empty barn to stay for the night. As they swept the floor, a decent bedding arrangement was made.
It was already late autumn, and the breeze seeping in through the cracks and windows felt chilly. Lee Hwan and Absalom lay down with the borrowed stove placed in the middle. However, due to the size of the communal barn, the small stove was insufficient to warm the air adequately.
Lee Hwan wrapped himself tightly in a blanket, yet he couldn’t completely block the cold breeze around his neck and feet.
“Hey, Lee Hwan.”
Lee Hwan turned his head as he meticulously adjusted the blanket around his neck. Absalom was staring at him.
“About the bandit earlier. Why didn’t you kill him?”
it was a bloody question that did not fit everyday conversation. Lee Hwan asked back
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m just curious. If there’s a reason why you didn’t kill him, or if there’s something else behind it…”
Lee Hwan recalled the night he obtained the first relic, and the following night. At that time, Absalom casually mentioned the slaughter of monsters.
Whatever consciousness Absalom had about killing his own kind was irrelevant to Lee Hwan. However, now they were traveling together. Absalom’s peculiar behavior could have a negative impact on Lee Hwan as well.
“Do you think there needs to be a separate reason not to kill someone? If there isn’t, does that mean you should kill them?”
“He saw you. What if he spreads rumors about you?”
“Being a roadside bandit means he’s a criminal. Who could he possibly spread rumors to?”
“Well…”
Absalom’s words trailed off. Lee Hwan interjected.
“As you can see, I’m not keen on killing people. I’ve been taught that way all along. And I think most people feel the same.”
Still, Absalom’s face showed disbelief. Lee Hwan, feeling tired, pushed back.
“Or what? Do you think I should have killed that man? And then whether I suffer or not doesn’t matter?”
It was the kind of tone one would use with someone they either liked or pretended to like. And he got the response Lee Hwan expected.
“No, I don’t think so!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Then what’s the problem?”
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Tap.
Something touched his arm. Lee Hwan opened his eyes slightly. A few strands of silver hair fell onto his palm.
“I’m sorry. For what I said earlier…”
The words were unfamiliar. However, perhaps due to their recent conversation, Lee Hwan felt he knew what Absalom was apologizing for.
It felt like a long time ago, on a certain night in a cathedral, Absalom had praised Lee Hwan for killing an innocent boy. At that time, Lee Hwan couldn’t comprehend the anger he displayed.
To apologize now for what was said back then was absurd. But even more absurd was how the pain Lee Hwan felt back then slowly dissolved with just one apology.
Lee Hwan closed his eyes. The warmth seeping through the blanket felt comforting.
When Lee Hwan opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a dazzling glare. He instinctively grimaced, feeling discomfort. It was a moment of quiet discomfort. A warm hand gently patted his shoulder.
“Um… It’s okay, Lee Hwan. It’s okay…”
Lee Hwan blinked. Only then did he see the true form of the glare. It was none other than Absalom’s silver hair cascading over Lee Hwan’s shoulder, illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the window.
As he turned his head slightly, Absalom’s face appeared before him. He was asleep, his cheek resting on Lee Hwan’s shoulder.
It seemed like the first time Lee Hwan had seen Absalom’s sleeping face up close. Lee Hwan scrutinized his features.
Was it because he seemed unrealistically beautiful? As Absalom slept, he resembled a finely crafted doll. Perhaps it was his marble-like skin or his crimson lips, resembling deliberately painted ones.
His eyelashes were silver, matching his eyes. Though motionless now, Lee Hwan knew how they trembled. And beneath them, he knew there were eyes of a slightly chilly hue.
Every time they met, the coldness radiated warmth or heat— Lee Hwan took a deep breath. As he did, Absalom patted his shoulder again. His recent unfamiliarity with the gesture made it seem simply kind.
“It’s okay, Lee Hwan. Everything will be fine…”
The murmured words offered reassurance. Both the words and the actions seemed familiar. Above all, Lee Hwan found himself accepting Absalom’s gestures of comfort.
Lee Hwan recalled a hand that had wiped away tears during slumber. Had it always been like this?
‘Is this acting?’
A whisper expressed his desire to trust Absalom. Lee Hwan shut his eyes tightly. His rough breaths escaped.
The sound seemed to awaken Absalom. The moment he sat up abruptly, Lee Hwan quickly pretended to be asleep. It was a reflexive action.
Absalom, who had let out a startled sigh, soon breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness.”
Muttering in relief, Absalom sat still for a moment. Lee Hwan felt an intense gaze, making him feel uneasy all over. But since there was no other option, he had to keep pretending to be asleep.
After a brief moment, Absalom moved away from Lee Hwan. Soon, the sound of the door opening and closing echoed. Lee Hwan carefully surveyed the barn before getting up.
“What’s going on?”
Despite the content of his words, confusion filled his voice. Lee Hwan ran his hands through his disheveled hair.
Once ready, Lee Hwan and Absalom went to see the innkeeper. It was to express their gratitude and to buy food. However, the innkeeper seemed hesitant at their request.
“We’re short on food ourselves…”
“We’ll pay whatever it takes.”
Absalom showed a handful of coins, but the innkeeper shook his head, unaffected by the shimmering silver.
“Such things might be useful in cities or big towns, but they’re of no use to folks like us.”
In the end, they had to leave the village empty-handed. Nevertheless, thanks to the jerky and dried fruits they bought from the previous town, they didn’t go hungry. Fortunately, they were able to find food for the next two days from a farm they reached.
With time uncertain, Lee Hwan and Absalom decided to push further after leaving the farm. By early afternoon, they found themselves in the woods. Eventually, they had to spend the night there as it was quite a vast forest.
While Absalom moved around, Lee Hwan sat by the warm campfire, watching him.
Milk simmered in a pot placed over the campfire.
“Here, Lee Hwan. Are you hungry? Have this first.”
Absalom poured milk into a wooden cup and handed it to Lee Hwan. Lee Hwan drank it slowly, feeling the warmth soothing his stomach. As Absalom added various ingredients to the remaining milk, the soup was quickly ready.
They ate soup, jerky, and bread for dinner. Despite being bought from what seemed to be a fairly affluent farm, the bread couldn’t compare to what they had eaten at the cathedral’s reception hall. Lee Hwan stared at the stale, crumbling bread.
“What are you thinking about?”
Absalom’s voice brought Lee Hwan back to attention. Lee Hwan looked at Absalom. He had heard a similar question before. Unlike the sharp tone from before, Absalom’s voice now sounded rather gentle.
“I think Plezensia seems too impoverished.”
“I knew you were kind-hearted, but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent…”
Absalom sighed after muttering incomprehensible words.
“Sankonia City and its surroundings prospered thanks to the cathedral, but Plezensia was never a wealthy country to begin with. Especially as the distance from the Empire increases, the number of poor people grows. Do you know why?”
“Well, maybe because trade with the Empire is difficult?”
Despite spending a long time in the Empire, Lee Hwan didn’t really know much about its affairs. Besides being busy fighting monsters, he had also deliberately avoided discussions about it.
Without knowing anything, there was no way he could answer properly. With a lowered head, Absalom answered with something Lee Hwan hadn’t expected.
“Lee Hwan, it’s because of you.”
“Me?”
“The closer we are to the Empire, the less we’re affected by monster attacks. Because you’ve dealt with all the monsters, even those headed towards other places. Conversely, in places where we don’t receive such benefits, they don’t even know who Lee Hwan is. If they do, they either resent us for not helping or don’t even care who you are.”
Absalom spoke sarcastically. It was a different attitude from how he usually treated Lee Hwan. Lee Hwan quietly stared at him.
At that moment, Absalom’s words seemed like…
“It’s fortunate for us. Cloak, you seemed uncomfortable.”
“…Yeah.”
“If you’re done eating, pass me the dishes. I’ll do the dishes, so you don’t have to.”
Lee Hwan swallowed the words “I’ll do it” that had reached the tip of his tongue. As he gathered the dishes to hand them over, Absalom reached out his hand.
“Oh.”
Absalom let out a faint sound. Their fingers grazed each other slightly. Despite this happening several times before, he always reacted in a similar way.
A slightly reddened ear peeked through the silver hair. Absalom bowed his head as if to hide it.
“I’ll be back.”
Lee Hwan stared at the departing Absalom. Even from his back, Lee Hwan could clearly sense what he was feeling.
‘A dragon pretending to be cheerful while doing the dishes.’
Lee Hwan’s plan to tease and take revenge was facing considerable difficulties.
Absalom’s hand returning with the dishes was stiff. It was understandable since he had dipped his hand into icy water. Lee Hwan, despite watching the seemingly cheerful Absalom, grimaced.
“Put that down and come here.”
“Huh?”
Lee Hwan reached into his pocket. The item he had been contemplating returning was now in his hand. He grabbed it with one hand and firmly grasped Absalom’s hand with the other.
“Lee Hwan!”
Absalom let out a scream-like sound. Lee Hwan paid no heed and proceeded with his task. Absalom, who had been flustered for a moment, lowered his gaze.
“This is…”
The item Lee Hwan pulled out was the handkerchief Absalom had given him some time ago. Lee Hwan used it to absorb the moisture from Absalom’s hand.
“You had it. I thought you had thrown it away.”
“Why would you throw away someone else’s belongings?”
Lee Hwan’s voice was rough even to his own ears. Absalom laughed. The gentle sound echoed through the darkness of the night.
Lee Hwan tightly held Absalom’s hand. However, the warmth beyond the handkerchief did not rise. Lee Hwan brought Absalom’s hand to his lips and blew warmth onto it. It was a thoughtless action. However, a startled voice came from above.
“Wait… Lee Hwan…”
Lee Hwan lifted his head. Absalom was looking down at him. When their gazes met, Absalom’s deep blue pupils flickered intensely with fervent desire.
Absalom’s fingers slipped away from Lee Hwan’s grip. Slowly, they brushed against Lee Hwan’s cheek. Though still cool, Lee Hwan couldn’t show any reaction. It felt like any movement might swallow him whole.
A delicate, silvery veil, as if woven from spider silk, drew closer and caught Lee Hwan’s fingers, still suspended in the air. It was a palpable sensation, reminiscent of silk bedding in a royal chamber.
“Lee Hwan,” called Absalom, their red lips trembling. Overwhelmed by a sudden dizziness, Lee Hwan instinctively lowered his gaze.
Their warm breaths mingled as their lips touched.
Splash!
A heavy splash echoed. Lee Hwan snapped back to reality and pushed Absalom away. Absalom, bewildered, blushed crimson.
“I-I-I’m sorry! Lee Hwan, I just, uh, lost my, um, concentration! D-dishes! I haven’t finished them yet!”
Absalom hurriedly grabbed the already washed dishes and rushed to the water’s edge, leaving a few behind. But Lee Hwan couldn’t bring himself to point it out.
‘Are you insane? Are you finally losing it? You know exactly what that means!’
Lee Hwan bit his lip, blood staining his palm, but he persisted. Yet, the fleeting soft touch he had experienced wouldn’t fade away.
kuzuhaTL Notes: Chapter 2 done! (◍•ᴗ•◍)
Thank you for chapter 🙂
💖😄
Thanks very much for the chapter
Thanks for the chapter.
Welp now we are sure why the dragon wanted him and why the humans killed him… jealous assholes are always scheming when your use is done.