Chapter 56

‘D*mn it!’

Originally, Lyle had been able to see monsters because he was an imperial descendant. But that ability had long since passed to Gin, so he could no longer see monsters. He had thought he would not regret lacking the ability to drive off monsters, but at a time like this, he did regret it. He hated the reality of having to ask an evil god to kill the water demon ghost.

Ten minutes later, Lyle returned to the jelly goose carrying the limp, unconscious Ethea.

Once he laid her on the soft back of the jelly goose, she looked cold. He needed to cover her with something. He did not want to use the shawl from inside the cave, as it had gotten dirty. As for taking off the vest he was wearing and covering her with it, it was so thin and small in area that it would make little difference.

In haste, Lyle looked around. Not too far from the jelly goose, a suitable plant was growing.

It had a thick stem, and atop it bloomed a flower as large as a person’s face, but perhaps because it was night, all its petals were folded inward. The unusual thing about this plant was its leaves-each leaf was as broad as an adult man’s back, and its surface was covered in fine soft fuzz, making it look as though high-quality velvet had been made into a plant.

Lyle immediately jumped down to the ground and tore off as many of those leaves as he could. Then he covered Ethea’s whole body with them, leaving only her face exposed. This should make her less cold. Reassured a little about the chill, he looked at her.

Oblivious to the mood, Sadea intruded again.

【Such devotion. Wouldn’t it be better to just go straight back and lay her on a soft bed, hm? Why? Are you trying to stay here alone with her under the pretext of taking care of her, and then do something improper? Heh heh…….】

‘Be quiet.’

Though he fiercely snapped that inwardly, Lyle knew better than anyone that he could not control Sadea as he pleased.

It was not that Lyle had never thought of returning to the lodging. He wanted to wake Ethea and go back immediately, but her consciousness would not return no matter what he did. Calling her name and shaking her had done no good.

That was why the sleep cast by the water demon ghost was so frightening. No one else could ever wake a victim from it; only the sleeping person could awaken by their own will.

If Gin were to find out about this sleep-like state, so much like a fainting spell? Lyle did not want the child to worry.

Besides, he was not even certain that Ethea would wake safely. For now he had to stay here watching over her, while separately summoning Seisil with a summoning scroll to take some sort of measure. Having decided that, Lyle reached to take out the summoning card.

It was just then.

“Hngh……”

A faint sobbing sound was heard. Thinking Ethea might be waking, Lyle gently took her hand.

Tears were flowing from the corners of her eyes. Seeing her brows drawn together and her trembling lips, it seemed she had fallen into a nightmare.

“Mother……”

That was the one word that came from her lips.

Sadea intruded again.

【It seems she’s dreaming. Then be at ease. If the water demon ghost had eaten her soul, she wouldn’t be able to dream like that.】

Lyle silently looked at Ethea.

As far as he knew, Ethea’s mother had not only abandoned her daughter and left, but had never once come looking for her. And yet Ethea still longed for such a heartless person as family. He dared not peer too deeply into her heart, but hearing this sobbing and this cry, it seemed Ethea had lately been sunk in a terrible loneliness caused by her mother.

Lyle could not understand it. Why should she be lonely? Why should she yearn for someone who would not return, and call out so desperately?

“I’m here. I…… am here.”

Without realizing it, the words slipped from Lyle’s lips.

Ethea, crying out for her mother, looked younger than the Ethea of sixteen. In the dream, perhaps she was clinging to her departing mother. The way she kept pulling at his hand toward herself, and the way she shook her head, both seemed desperate.

‘I could not become her mother, but……. like a mother-no, even more gently than a mother-I could hold her. And her tears, too, as much as she wanted……’

Lyle drew Ethea’s body into his arms. He wanted to wipe away the tears streaming hot from the corners of her eyes with his lips. With the excuse that he had no handkerchief, and with the excuse that lips were warmer than hands.

At first he did not know. Whether it was his lips that were hot, or this feeling that was hot. But then he realized that it was her body that was burning feverishly.

Had she caught a cold? He could cast recovery magic immediately, but he was worried beyond measure. She must not be in pain for even a single moment.

He wanted to warm her. With that feeling, he pressed kisses to her eyes and forehead.

As if it had expected this all along, Sadea whispered darkly.

【See? I told you you’d end up doing something improper after all.】

Ignoring Sadea’s words, Lyle held her even tighter. The broad leaves covering her were soft and warm, but it did not seem they could truly warm her trembling body.

‘Ethea, don’t shiver. I’ll hold you warm, so don’t cry either. After everything you’ve suffered until now, I can’t bear to see you sad even for a single moment.’

Lyle repeated that to himself over and over.

Then, a very small sound was heard.

“L……yle?”

Ethea had opened her eyes and was looking at him.

＊  ＊  ＊

That white mist which had tried to put Ethea to sleep. No, that mist-man. Maliciously, it had taken her back to that day when she parted from her mother, Luire.

Her mother had left her daughter behind and gone far away, and the daughter, resentful of such a mother, had tried to follow after her. But no matter how much she ran and ran, her mother only grew farther away.

From that receding mother, a faint voice could be heard.

That she could not go with her, that she could never take her in, so she must somehow live bravely on her own, that life was originally like that. So she had to become strong.

The daughter could not understand her mother. It did not feel as though her mother was leaving because she hated her daughter. Rather, she looked as though she were leaving while cheering her on to grow stronger.

So the daughter shouted. Was the reason she was leaving to make her stronger, and if that was truly so, then it would be better if she left without saying anything at all, that she had not wanted some grand love or happiness, that she had only wanted to stay by her mother’s side, that because her mother had always seemed to suffer because of her father, she had wanted to help her if she could, so was even that not allowed? She shouted and then burst into sobs.

She cried like that for a long time, and then from somewhere, the scent of lavender came. The rich fragrance wrapped around her body together with warmth and brushed at her eyes and forehead.

Wait. Could a scent brush against a person’s body? Strangely, it felt as though that scent was sweeping all her tears away.

Come to think of it, this scent was…….

“L……yle?”

Ethea opened her eyes. Lyle was holding her body in his arms and kissing her forehead.

‘How was I supposed to take this? That mist-man had tormented me and made me faint, then in my dream I had cried out for my mother, and when I woke, this man was kissing me sleeping forehead?’

And the thing he said was outrageous.

“Ah, um. You were looking for your mother, and I’m sorry I wasn’t her.”

That left her speechless. And why was heat running through her whole body like this? Had his rude behavior really made her heart race? Ethea was angry. Angry at him, yes, but even more angry at herself.

Ethea shouted at him.

“Y-you…… pervert!”

“I told you I was sorry.”

“Hah! You call that an apology? After kissing a sleeping person whenever you pleased? Somehow it was suspicious from the moment you suggested going to a cave at a time like this.”

“Think whatever you want, but it’s not that kind of indecent thing you’re imagining.”

“As if it isn’t. Anyway, whether then or now, you’re someone I can’t trust.”

“Well, if one thinks about it, I suppose that’s true.”

“You……!”

Ethea lost the will to continue the conversation and wrapped the shawl around herself. And why had the shawl gotten so dirty too? Turning away from him in discomfort, she chewed on her lips and said,

“I’m just going back. Cave water or whatever-that was all just an excuse!”

“Ah. I already got the cave water.”

Shamelessly, Lyle came up beside her and held out a water bottle. Beneath the moonlight, the clear bottle gleamed.