I Can’t Run Away From the Girl Who Saved Me

9 – red eyes (3)

＊

Sylvia remembered the day Ash first appeared in her little cabin.

Ruins in the woods untouched by humans.

Even on that day, in the middle of the night, he suddenly appeared with a rough knock on the wooden door of the cabin.

At first I tried to ignore it.

I don’t know what happened that made me so desperately ask for help, but it was because I thought that anything would be better than falling victim to this curse.

However, at the moment when the force of knocking on the door and his desperate voice gradually diminished, Sylvia could smell the fishy smell of blood.

Seeing that he was asking for help, he must have been seriously injured.

If she didn’t open the door like this, that man would die coldly in front of the door of this little hut, the last resting place left for her.

Sylvia, who was slowly approaching the door, pondered until the very end.

Just like the day he first came to this town, he never wanted to go through that horrible experience of killing someone caught up in his curse with his own hands.

Because there was no longer a need to add one more soul to resent and point fingers at oneself in nightmares.

“Please… save me…”

There was the sound of something sweeping the door.

It was evident that his body was falling apart in front of my door.

Is it okay to let that person die like this?

How about me waiting slowly behind the door for him to die?

Am I just being proud that I didn’t move the curse?

Can you be sure that this moment will not become your new nightmare?

The man’s voice had shrunk to an inaudible level.

Even without seeing it directly, I could clearly feel that his life was fading away.

The moment she tried to avert her eyes, something passed under her bed.

A sword wrapped in cloth.

It was the sword that became Sylvia’s strong arm during those days when she was adventuring as a warrior.

After much thought, Sylvia picked up the blanket on the bed.

Then, like his own sword, he wrapped around his face and opened the door.

Even though it has become like this, no one will admit it now,

she was a warrior

I still wanted to be a warrior.

If he ignored even the earnest voices asking for help, it seemed that the only thing left for him would be a curse.

thud,

As soon as the door was pulled open, the man’s body fell into the house with a thump.

At first glance, his condition was very serious.

Every second is a critical situation.

Indeed, after a long time, she expressed weak divine power.

I’ve done it now.

I couldn’t turn back now.

“Ha… I just shouldn’t have opened it.”

She swallowed a brief regret and lifted him up.

＊

The man who revealed his name Ash had a cuter side than I thought.

It wasn’t just because of his looks, which looked a little younger than her.

It was very cute to see the dignity of persevering through tragic events, and the meticulousness of not forgetting to be considerate of me even in the midst of it.

When I made a joke, I was taken aback and tried to fight back somehow, even though I was embarrassed.

When he went to his sister’s grave with a leg that hadn’t healed yet and saw her lying face down, not caring about his own body being damaged, it was so sad that he just wanted to hug her.

Even though I usually try not to look depressed or sad,

She was able to deeply sympathize with the way she shed tears while desperately looking for her sister and parents in her sleep every night.

Sylvia would look at Ash secretly talking in his sleep and toss his sweaty hair.

The action was intended to comfort Ash, but she herself received greater comfort.

How long have you been living alone in these ruins?

Living alone in the woods, the exact date was unknown.

In terms of experience, it seemed like 10 or 20 years had easily passed, but that couldn’t be the case.

The point was, she had been alone for a very long time.

Ash was the first person Sylvia had a proper conversation with and spent time with since she had locked herself in this place.

It was to the point that during the first 10 days he was unconscious, I had to practice talking to people while watching him lying down.

Was it like that?

I tried not to, but I was very careful,

Sylvia gradually felt that the time spent with him was fun and happy.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop the feeling.

I know I shouldn’t be like this, but I didn’t want him to leave.

By the time Ash had recovered enough to walk normally and started making tombstones, I hoped that he would stay at least a little longer.

A few days ago, he even threatened him and pushed the time limit of 3 days, so he couldn’t bear to say that he would stay longer.

Now that the curse had not spread, it was safe to let him go as quickly as possible, so even telling him to stay was odd.

The last day we promised

After completing the tombstone, seeing Ash’s face as he took the glass she had given him, Sylvia thought a little naughty.

Why did he lose his brother here? Why did you have to be here?

Ask her to bury her sister here and visit her from time to time? In this hard-to-find forest?

Maybe that means living here?

i am a warrior

Although he didn’t expect anything in return, he sacrificed everything and endured for the sake of humanity.

He even defeated the Demon King.

I gave up all relationships and happiness as my human being.

Shouldn’t there be some compensation for me like that?

I was able to accept the mission to bear the curse and die alone here, but

He hadn’t gotten used to this agonizingly intense loneliness that sometimes burrowed into his bones and ripped open his entrails.

To be honest, on days when I had nightmares, it was too much for me.

Perhaps, Ash is a small consolation and reward given by the goddess to me for all my hard work.

Sylvia thought so as she saw Ash’s face turning red every time she drank two drinks.

Ash suddenly looked at my face hidden by a cloth and mask and smiled.

The cloth and pieces of wood covering his face were cramped.

Take off these things right now, make eye contact with him…

“Yes,”

Sylvia bit her tongue without Ash knowing.

My mouth was covered with blood, and it soon filled up.

Wake.

I am a warrior with a mission and a curse, and he is a boy with misfortune.

Thinking of adding to the weight of his misfortune by lightly moving the curse just because my mission requires entertainment?

Maybe I went crazy because I lived alone for a long time.

Sylvia blamed herself for her thoughts and ended the day’s drinking party.

I supported his staggering body and put him on the bed, then went back to his room and took off his clothes and mask.

After spitting out the blood in her mouth and changing into pajamas, she forced herself to lie down on the bed.

he’s leaving tomorrow

“…ash.”

It was four hours before Ash saw Sylvia’s face.

＊

“…”

“…”

Sylvia let go of her hand that was still holding my face and slowly turned away from me.

Both cheeks tingled, probably because they were held on so tightly.

Her solid body and this strong strength that I felt when I was carried by her.

I knew it wouldn’t be an ordinary person, but I couldn’t believe that the girl who saved me was a hero.

I was still in a daze as much as I was kicking my cheeks.

I rubbed my cheeks with both hands and looked at Sylvia.

“excuse me…”

“No, don’t tell me anything.”

“…”

Sylvia started stuttering like a child making excuses, in contrast to the rather forceful appearance she had shown until just now.

“My, I hope you do not think that I am forcibly keeping you bound only because of my base desires or my selfish desire to escape from terrible boredom, because this is for the sake of mankind.”

“…yes,”

“You know that too? You are now just a bunch of curses turning other people into mad monsters. Like me… So I can’t let you go. Ha, but I won’t apologize. I’ve done enough, really, I’ve been careful as much as I can. It’s troublesome even if you resent me You are wrong.”

“…Sylvia-san?”

Her condition was obviously strange.

It might sound a little funny to say that to someone you just met today, but I hadn’t seen her like this in the past few days.

She even had a slight shiver in her shoulders.

I slowly pushed the chair out of my chair and walked towards her with her back turned away from me.

Anyway, now the curse must have been moved.

Nothing would happen if I looked at her face, so I boldly examined her expression.

Her face was contorted as if she would burst into tears at any moment.

“It turned out like this, I’m really… sorry. I’m sorry… I didn’t want this to happen, no…”

“…line,”

“no. Actually, I wished for a little bit. I’m so lonely, I’m sick of talking to myself every day with no answer!”

“I did,”

“But, I mean, I tried. Really, I want to send you back, Ash…!”

Did she think I would criticize her?

She desperately blocked my words and poured out apologies, explanations, and confessions.

“okay! It was a pleasure being with you. really. I sympathize with all the misfortunes you’ve been through… So I hoped that it would be great if you stayed by my side for a while. But, never did I…”

“Miss Sylvia!”

I grabbed her by the shoulder.

She was taken aback and stiffened awkwardly.

It must have been a very long time since someone held him so tightly.

Her expression seemed frozen, not knowing how to react.

I looked into her expression.

Guilt, fear.

and faint joy.

Oh, I see…

How long had she been alone?

When I asked before, she said she didn’t know the exact date either.

Only the ambiguous answer came back, saying that if you count the passing seasons, it must have been a little over three years.

If you count that it was at least from the year my sister died, four years must have passed.

4 years.

In my senses living in the outside world, it seemed like a long time, but it didn’t feel like a very long time.

However, what if I lived alone in this forest with no one around?

The four years spent under the curse, knowing that I will never be able to meet anyone from now on,

Four years spent muttering to oneself with no one to answer next to the graveyard where the bodies of the villagers he killed were buried… How long and hopeless would that be?

If it were me, would I have been able to endure it without going crazy?

When I saw her expression, I could understand everything.

she was sorry for me

He was blaming himself for spreading the curse.

At the same time, I was slightly happy that I was left behind.

And, I was disgusted with myself who was happy.

“I do not resent you.”

“…”

“Like Sylvia-san said, it’s my fault.”

Silvia-san slowly raised her head and looked at me.

Her red eyes were watery, and the moonlight from the window shimmered like a swaying ruby.

She asked me with her eyes wide open as if she had heard an incredible story.

“…really?”

“yes,”

“Can’t I see anyone again now?”

“Um… anyway, my family is dead… and Ryla is here too.”

“Really, stay here…”

“Well, if the curse doesn’t lift, that’s what will happen…?”

To be honest, I was surprised by her story.

It was true that he was a little, no, very frightened at the word that the curse had been lifted.

However, it was not an unmanageable situation.

To put it bluntly, isn’t it okay if I don’t meet anyone?

Anyway, I didn’t have anyone left to meet in this world.

For me, who lost all my family and had nowhere to go, the current problem may not be such a hopeless situation.

Nowhere to go, nothing to do.

I can’t even afford to think of revenge because I’m incompetent and can’t even save my one and only sister.

So, living here tending Layla’s grave wouldn’t be such a bad option.

Besides, I had someone who would be my companion, so at least the conditions would be much better than the situation Sylvia-san had been through.

“So, I’m fine. Mr. Sylvia.”

“…”

From Sylvia’s eyes, which were wide open like a rabbit, the teardrops that looked like glass beads grew bigger and bigger, and soon they started rolling down again.

Her hair, which had been soaked in the river, gradually dried out and looked brighter than the first time I saw it.

Her platinum hair, as fine as her skin, seemed to glow, like an angel with a halo.

Her face, which I finally took a closer look at, was so beautiful that I couldn’t believe that she was a reversal warrior who had finally subdued even the demon king.

Her lips, which had been curled inward as if trying to hold back a cry, opened slowly.

A thin thread was drawn between her upper and lower lips and then disappeared.

“…Thanks, Ash.”

The sun was rising outside the window.

On this day, I became the hero’s housemate.

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