༺ Warm Southern Territory (5) ༻
I think I can understand why a being that left a terrible curse after dying was called a God in the past. A Sea God? Nonsense. Just like what the Captain said, it was more like the God of Disaster.
“Waah…! Waah…!”
Irina, who couldn’t hold back her tears anymore, started to cry out loud. I’m glad I sent the Head Magician back first.
In the midst of this, I discovered how people cried when they were in a truly miserable state. Soft noises like sobbing were possible only when you still had some sense left.
Of course, it wasn’t information I particularly wanted to know, nor was it information that I should know.
‘Should I have left, too?’
Seeing Irina cry so sorrowfully made me wonder if I should leave as well. However, leaving a child crying among the dead body of a Kraken didn’t feel right… Especially with someone who was crying from below, too.
I accidentally looked down but quickly looked up again. If Irina realized I’d seen that, she might walk into the sea and never return.
‘What should I do?’
What should I say to calm her down?
I don’t care, so don’t worry? I was basically the enemy of her family, so there was no way she wouldn’t worry before me.
I haven’t seen anything? There’s no way she’d believe something like that. Me saying that contains a strong implication that I’d seen something.
What should I say to comfort a 17-year-old high school girl who was emotionally stricken? It was a difficult problem.
“Irina, wait.”
“Sob?”
I carefully lifted Irina, who seemed to have exhausted her voice with her crying. I felt sorry for touching a child who was afraid to be near me, but there was no choice. She might collapse from dehydration at this rate.
Ignoring Irina’s teary eyes, I waded into the sea with her.
“There was a bit of the monster’s body fluid on you. If we wash like this, nothing should happen.”
In reality, nothing much would have happened even if she didn’t wash it off. Krakens are troublesome when they’re alive, not when they’re dead.
However, I couldn’t leave Irina in such an uncomfortable state, and I thought that it would be less embarrassing if we both got wet. I know it might not make sense, but this was the best solution I could come up with.
That damned Kraken. If it was going to die, it should have done so gracefully.
“Let’s go back. You must be shocked, so you should take some rest.”
“Yes…”
Her short response indicated that she was somewhat calmer. It was a relief that her tears had stopped a bit even though she might be bewildered by being taken into the sea without permission. Emotional turbulence often breaks when something unexpected happens.
‘How am I going to face her from now on?’
But we’d just overcome this moment. It wasn’t that what had happened today disappeared. I won’t be able to see Irina from now on. If I were her, I’d do my best to avoid me.
Returning so fast after announcing my departure will probably raise some questions, especially if I returned dripping wet with someone unrelated.
“Oppa? Irina?”
As if proving my point, we met with Louise, who came down the stairs. She looked at both Irina and me, a puzzled expression on her face.
“I’m back. Things ended sooner than I thought.”
“That’s good to hear. It would be sad if you just worked during the trip.”
I was also worried about that, but thankfully, it ended in just a day.
The price was a bit cruel, though.
Louise quickly walked toward us and looked at me up and down.
“But why are you so wet?”
“The waves were a bit strong. I was hit by one while passing by.”
“You should’ve been careful…”
Unlike Irina, who was wearing a swimsuit, I had gone into the sea while wearing my everyday clothes. But thanks to that sacrifice, her tears had stopped, so it was worthwhile.
“Irina? When did you go out? Are you feeling better?”
“Y-yes. I’m feeling better now.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I was really worried.”
Irina’s gaze dropped to the floor as she saw Louise, who was happily holding her hand. So she was faking illness. She probably doesn’t feel good after seeing Louise’s reaction.
“We met on the way back. She looked tired, so let her rest.”
“Ah, yes!”
It would be better to leave her to Louise instead of me staying by her. Since I asked Louise to let her rest, she will probably take good care of her.
“Ah, O-oppa.”
As I was about to walk past Louise, I heard Irina’s voice coming from behind. It was a word she used once when she still didn’t know that I was the Prosecutor’s Office’s Executive Manager.
As I turned around, I saw Irina lowering her head. No, you didn’t need to go that far.
“T-thank you…”
“It was nothing.”
I felt embarrassed to hear words of gratitude from someone from the Yorun family.
* * *
I felt like the sky was falling. I had shown a side of myself that I couldn’t even show to my family or closest friends.
It’s over. My life’s over… As a woman, as a person. My life’s over… I should’ve just let the squid eat me.
I cried out loud for a long time, as much as my voice let me. Dignity? I’ve already thrown it into the sea. My life was already over. Even if the Prosecutor’s Executive Manager said, ‘Maybe it has the same color as your hair because it came out of you,’ I wouldn’t be able to say anything.
“Irina, wait.”
I wasn’t expecting him to pick me up and go into the sea. There was no way I could go into the sea in this state.
‘Is he planning to throw me in like this?’
As he went further into the sea, I started to think that maybe he was planning to send me off while saying, ‘I’ve thought about it a lot, but the Yorun family is indeed guilty!’ I wanted to do something, but my body wouldn’t move.
But he went only far enough for my body to get wet. Not only did he not let me go, but he held me tightly so I wouldn’t shake.
“There was a bit of the monster’s body fluid on you. If we wash like this, nothing should happen.”
I just stared blankly at him.
‘Why?’
It was then that I could finally see the Prosecutor’s Executive Manager’s expression. He was holding me while making an expression that was neither annoyed, contemptuous, nor mocking me. He wasn’t even emotionless.
He had an expression of awkwardness because of this situation, regret, and sorry.
‘Why…?’
Why are you making such an expression? Why? Aren’t you the enemy of my family? I’m scared of you and I’m doing my best to avoid you. So why do you care about me so much?
You should’ve just ignored me. Then, I could pass it off as bad luck. Why do you keep showing me weird sides of you and keep making weird, considerate acts?
Why are you making me feel strange?
‘Just why?’
I hate you. I really hate you.
“Let’s go back. You must be shocked, so you should take some rest.”
But what I hate even more than anyone else…
“Yes…”
Is me, because my heart keeps beating faster for someone like you.
I bit my lips and bowed my head. I didn’t say a word on the way back to the lodging. My feelings were too complicated right now, and I couldn’t even understand what kind of emotion this was.
So when Louise found out I had gone out, I couldn’t explain myself well. I felt sorry after seeing her concern. I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have lied if I knew things would turn out like this.
As I stared at the floor, I heard footsteps going up the stairs.
‘Ah.’
He was already going. He was leaving first, cowardly, after shaking up my heart.
“Ah, O-oppa.”
I called out in a hurry and then realized my mistake. Why call him oppa now? I’ve been doing my best to avoid him. What would he think if I tried to act friendly so suddenly…? No, the word oppa would be wasted on someone like him.
But he saved my life, so it isn’t strange for me to call him oppa… Right? I called him that the first time we met, anyway. Yes. That isn’t a problem. It isn’t strange.
“T-thank you…”
I’m just expressing my gratitude. Even if he’s my family’s enemy, and even if I hate him, thanking someone who saved you is just common decency.
“It was nothing.”
I closed my eyes at his indifferent reply.
He really is a coward. How could he shake up someone’s heart with such simple words?
* * *
The Capitan saw me defeat the Kraken, and the Head Magician confirmed the corpse. I’d sent him first, so the Gold Duke has probably heard about it already.
— Good job. I never imagined you’d finish it in less than a day.
But still, I didn’t expect to receive a message as soon as I returned to my room. Ah, that’s right. This resort belongs to the Gold Duke. I’m sure an employee must have informed him.
“I was lucky.”
— Don’t be too modest. What would that make of my people who struggled when you still haven’t arrived?
“I’m just good at it.”
— That’s right. It’s good to see you talk confidently.
I said that because I thought that was the reaction he wanted. But anyway, the Gold Duke’s reaction is so unpredictable. What is confidence good for? As expected, all Dukes were peculiar in some way.
— Ah, and about the reward. I think we need to adjust it a bit.
“Pardon?”
Don’t tell me he’s trying to cut the payment?
No, that can’t be. Even if it ended unexpectedly, there’s no way the Gold Duke would do something so petty.
— The creature’s range of activity has increased unlike the first time I asked you, right? That wasn’t discussed, so we should adjust it a bit.
“Ah, yes.”
— And you also prevented loss. We could have suffered a blow to the tourism industry, so that needs to be considered, too.
After saying that, the God Duke showed me five fingers.
— This should do it.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
It increased from 30% to 50%.
Yes, the Gold Duke has always been a just and fair person.
I knew I could trust the Gold Duke, the man of smooth and cool transactions.
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