Chapter 30 (1/2)
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Before you read, (D)=Desian, (K)=Kaligo, (A)=Ashia, (T)=Teros
Chapter 30 – Excuse-like Explanation
Desian grumbled again, “Oh, it’s really cold. How long do I have to be like this?”
“…”
(D) “Crazy, what woman in the world treats the Crown Prince like this… Huh? What is that?”
Kaligo followed his gaze.
(D) “You know that person?”
“…”
Kaligo’s eyes widened.
– Oh, he’s my brother.
– He’s not my blood related brother.
– He’s a good kid.
– A responsible and diligent child.
He wasn’t her real brother, but he was a kind, diligent Imperial Knight or Holy Knight whatever, a child that everyone would want to have. It was Teros.
Looking at Kaligo and Teros alternately, Desian grew even more frustrated.
(D) “Who is that?”
(K) “. . .”
Kaligo could no longer hear anything.
(D) “Kaligo?”
A red aura leaked from Kaligo as he stared intently at Ashia’s shop. It quickly spread throughout his body, and as it got hotter and hotter, all the roots binding him were burned.
(D) “Oh? Hey! You said you couldn’t!”
It took him quite some time, but he was able to break free from the bindings. Ashes floated down to the snow. Then Kaligo walked straight to the shop without looking back, ignoring Desian’s desperate call from behind. He went inside the store, brushing off all the ashes left on his body.
(K) “Ashia.”
Upon entering the shop, Teros and Ashia came into view. The man was bowing his head towards Ashia while she was carefully trimming his hair.
(K) “…”
Her gaze on Teros’ hair turned to Kaligo. “Oh? You broke free.”
(K) “…People can do anything when they are pushed to their limits.”
“Limits?” She tilted her head, not quite understanding what he was saying, then brushed Teros’ hair softly again.
(K) “What… are you doing now?”
(A) “Can’t you see? I am brushing his hair. Your hair is done. Is it okay? Of all things, the sandbag happened to burst here.”
Both of Asha’s eyebrows drooped down. It was sad and pitiful, that tender gaze…
(T) “It’s okay… Ah.”
(A) “Why? What’s the matter?”
(T) “In my right eye…”
(A) “Did it even get into your eyes?”
(T) “I think so. It hurts, noona.”
(A) “Let’s see, bow your head again.”
Teros leaned his face towards Ashia. He (Kaligo) roughly knew what was going on, but nevertheless, his heart swelled in anger. He wanted to separate that man and Ashia right now. But did he have the right to stop her? She had been his wife, but maybe he was afraid that she would say they were nothing in this world.
(A) “Is it okay now?”
“Yes, I think it is.”
The hand brushing off the sand was as soft as a feather. Teros smiled lightly at her touch. Then, there was a dimple on one side of his cheek following that smile.
(A) “Our Tero, you came to help but you just encountered a mishap.”
Ashia caressed Teros’ cheek. For each of her actions, one was tasting heaven while the other was experiencing hell. She, who had built a wall around herself, approached that man (Teros) without any hesitation. He (Kaligo) didn’t like it, and on the other hand, his mouth tasted bitter.
At one point in time, Renna was also mad at him. When he returned from the battlefield with wounds on his body, she would look at him with a broken expression as if the world had collapsed. It was Kaligo that pushed her away everytime. All of his actions pushing Ashia away had a reason, but for Renna who didn’t know anything, she was repeatedly hurt even before her wounds healed. So Kaligo had nothing more to say.
(T) “Can I come over for dinner?”
(A) “No.”
When a large hand grabbed Ashia’s arm and started whining, Kaligo’s jaw clenched painfully.
“Then deliver potions to him instead.”
“I’ll treat you to something delicious next time. I have a customer now.”
Standing behind Teros, Ashia looked at Kaligo with crossed arms.
Teros slightly tilted his head and said, “He doesn’t look like an important guest to me.”
“Tero.”
Teros asked with a sullen expression when she called her with a tone of reproach, “Then when? Please set the date and time now.”