Chapter 10 – 10. Loss
ㅡSleep.
I could hear the sound of the blanket moving in the dark room.
“Ugh…”
“. Uh…?”
Opening his eyes, Arthur touched his neck with his hand.
“… “
“Is it a dream…?”
Looking around, I saw furniture that looked familiar.
At that time, I heard someone approaching outside the door.
“Hi!”
Arthur, whose mind suddenly turned white, went under the blanket and curled up like a shrimp.
-Rattle!
ㅡJeobbuk Jeopuk.
“… “
ㅡSwift!
Someone approached and took off Arthur’s blanket, and Arthur closed his eyes tightly at the feeling of the blanket disappearing.
At that time, a woman’s voice came to Arthur’s ears. After hearing her voice, Arthur responded reflexively.
“I’m… Sorry… I won’t hide… Please don’t hit me… I won’t even lie… Please… Ugh…”
Arthur sheds tears as he continues to apologize to the woman in front of him.
Arthur, who had closed his eyes and apologized, opened her eyes when he suddenly felt a soft sensation. Looking in front of her, she saw someone hugging her. And then I heard a voice.
“Arthur… I’m so sorry… It’s my fault. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone bother you anymore.”
“Ah. Lis.?”
“Yes, it’s me, Arthur.”
“Ah, Aris… I was so tired… It hurt so much that I thought it would be better to die…”
ㅡKwaak.
Aris hugged Arthur stronger.
“Arthur, don’t say that. Now I will protect you.”
After hearing her words, Arthur began to cry tears of relief, and it was only after she had gathered herself in Aris’s arms for an hour that she was able to leave her room.
When she left the room, she saw some familiar furniture and realized that it was Hilda’s house. Although I had only been outside for a few days, the house felt awkward, as if it had been a long time.
Maybe it was because she thought she wouldn’t come back.
“… “Arthur, I have something for you.”
When Aris looked at her outstretched hand, she saw the subspace pouch that Hilda always carried with her.
“Is this a Hilia item?”
“… Hilia told me to tell you. “You are the master now, Arthur.”
“Do you want to open it?”
After hearing her words, Arthur opened her pocket.
In the pocket were several gold coins, a black key, a necklace with a red jewel, and a sword I had never seen before.
Aris came over and started putting her necklace around his neck. When she looked closely, she saw that her Aris hand was shaking slightly. Her expression wasn’t good, and she seemed like she was holding something in.
An unknown sense of anxiety enveloped Arthur, and only then did he begin to look around her house. Strange things can be found quickly.
The cold house had cooled down, and a coldness that could not be believed to be a bakery that was always warm was hovering around the dark house.
“Aris? Where did Hylia go?”
“Wait, did you at least go see the village chief? “I’m really sad, aren’t I, Aris?”
“Stop playing around with Hilia and come out. “I’m awake now!”
“…”
“Aris? Why are you silent? Why are you making that expression?”
“Answer me… Where is Hylia?”
“…”
Aris looked at Hylia’s door in silence.
-Rattle!
Arthur immediately opened the door and went in. Then she saw Hilda lying on the bed with her eyes closed.
“What. She was sleeping.”
“Hilia! “Let’s wake up…”
To wake Hilda, Arthur touched Hilda’s hand. At that moment she felt something was wrong. No, something is very, very wrong.
When she looked at her face again, she saw Hilda looking pale and sick. Her hands became stiff and unmoving, and she no longer felt the warmth that usually used to caress her.
“… That’s a lie, right?”
Arthur grabbed Hilda’s shoulders and started shaking her.
“Hilia!! Wake up quickly!!”
Arthur felt strange, Hilda’s body moving limply in her hands, but Arthur continued to shake.
ㅡTap!
When she looked at her hand, Aris came up behind her and was holding it.
“Aris.? What are you doing. “We need to wake up Hylia quickly.”
Aris turned Arthur’s body around and began to hold him in her arms again.
“Arthur… Hylia is dead.”
“W-what are you talking about…”
“Actually, you have been suffering from an illness for a long time.”
“It is a lie. Then how do I not know… He looked a bit unwell recently… But I didn’t see anything like him dying!!”
“Perhaps she did not want to worry you, so she pretended to be fine in front of you.”
“You said you were going to tell me about your illness…”
“Hylia was in this much pain.? I didn’t even know that, so I complained all the time and asked to go out and play together. Ugh. Ugh. Me!! I don’t even know that…”
“Why… Why now? Aris, please answer me. Why do I and the people around me always have to be so unhappy? “
“I… I didn’t do anything wrong, so why is this happening… Why did Hylia have to die…”
Aris knows? Although she didn’t have long left as Hilda, she probably had a few more years to live. But she died young while trying to save Arthur, because everything in the situation showed that it was true.
Of course, I would never have to tell Arthur this in my life. She had already kissed the village chief and the villagers. Hilda died while she was saving herself? That’s not something Arthur can handle. Good Arthur was sure that she would think that Hilda was dead because of him.
Arthur’s eyes lost focus, and he got out of Aris’ arms, covered Hilda with the blanket again, and left the room.
…
Time passed, and Hilda’s funeral was held.
The village people, Aris’ family, and the village chief came and comforted Arthur, but no words were heard in Arthur’s ears.
…
As time passed, the funeral ended.
Arthur looked at Hilda’s tombstone, and she was standing in front of him.
“Hilia, do you know what? I always thought of Hilia as her mom. Mr. Milia and Mr. Jade raised me without discrimination, but I saw the good in their eyes.”
“There is a line that only family members can enter. I was jealous of that.”
“But Hylia became my family… She said that once upon a time, when she was almost killed by a monster, she actually saw everything. “She couldn’t say it at the time because she was embarrassed, but she wants to say it now.”
Arthur knelt in front of the tombstone.
“Thank you for being my family. Thanks to you, I was able to survive. So… Would it be okay if you called me your son just once…?”
In the end, Arthur started to cry in front of the tombstone. Because it’s all over now. Because her own words could not reach her Hilda, and her own wishes could no longer be fulfilled.
It started to rain from a cloudy sky. It felt as if Hilda, who was by the goddess’ side, was crying.
ㅡShoo…
Rain falling more and more.
Arthur did not move in front of the tombstone. My body was getting colder from the rain.
At that time, I felt a warm feeling in her chest. Looking down, she saw Hilda’s necklace.
A necklace that emits warmth with a soft glow.
I felt the warmth as if Hilda was hugging me. It was as if the warmth was telling me not to cry.
ㅡRubber.
Arthur turned around at the sound he heard.
Behind her, she saw Aris, just as soaked in the rain as she was.
“Arthur… Let’s go back…”
“… “
…
Several months have passed since Hilda died.
-Rattle!
The sound of dishes being washed was heard from Hilda’s house.
The owner of the sound was Aris, who was doing her housework on behalf of Arthur, who was in poor condition.
After finishing washing her dishes, Aris went into the room where Arthur was.
The room where Hilda originally lived, Arthur was sitting on the bed.
She was cooling down by herself as she didn’t even touch her dead body next to the bed.
Arthur didn’t pay attention to Aris who came into her room, and she just stared blankly at the wall.
“Arthur. Try some oatmeal.”
Aris saw the wounds on Arthur’s body in her eyes. After the funeral, Arthur initially seemed to be adjusting well. Arthur used to cry all the time, but she hasn’t cried since that day. Of course, she didn’t smile either.
But no. Arthur was laughing through tears. By cutting herself with a blade in her room. Two months ago, she was trying to commit suicide with a rope when Aris found her and stopped her.
Therefore, in this place that had now become Arthur’s house, there were no blades or anything that could strangle her. Everything had been eliminated by Aris.
After that, Arthur didn’t come out of her room and she really didn’t do anything. She just stares at the wall when she sleeps or wakes up. She didn’t eat, so Aris had to force her to eat.
Aris lifted the spoon to feed Arthur her oatmeal.
At that time, Arthur began to speak.
Aris thought positively. For her, Arthur’s ‘nothing’ included words.
Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Arthur’s voice for the first time in a long time.
“Aris… Why am I… Alive?”
“I don’t want to live anymore… Can you kill me?”
The first thing she said in a long time was asking me to kill her.
After hearing her words, Aris looked like she was about to cry.
“Please… Arthur… Don’t say that…”
Aris hugged Arthur.
“Arthur… Please… Please… It’s okay if I just stay alive… It’s okay if you don’t do anything… I’ll do everything…”
“Hilia doesn’t want you to die either. So… Can’t you at least live for her sake…?”
“If it’s hard, I’ll be your reason. I will live my whole life for you, Arthur. So, won’t you live for me too.? Because I really love you…”
Arthur felt Aris’s hand shaking as she held his back.
‘I still have a reason to live…’
ㅡRurg…
Tears flowed from Arthur’s eyes.
The bright moonlight coming through the curtains illuminated Aris’ white hair holding Arthur even brighter.
Her status window appeared next to Aris, who was closing her eyes.
ㅡㅡㅡㅡ
[Soul Bond (S+)]
Designated Target: Arthur
ㅡㅡㅡㅡ
