Lian finally decided that it was time to stop messing around and get up — they needed to find somewhere to stay for the night. Still reluctant to let go, he leaned in close to Hailla’s neck and inhaled her scent. It was sweet. He ran his hand through her soft hair.
“Ugh… o-okay… that’s enough…”
Then, much to his surprise, Hailla actually managed to lift him off the ground. Since the day he had learned to walk, no one had ever lifted him like that before. Caught off guard, Lian’s lips parted in disbelief. He meant to tell her that it was OK and that she could put him down.
“Ahhh!”
“Ugh.”
But Hailla couldn’t hold on for more than ten seconds before toppling forward. In hindsight, it was inevitable. Startled, Lian fell with her, still draped over her back.
“Ugh… h-hng… sorry…”
Her voice trembled with the hint of tears. Lian forced himself to regain his composure. He had wasted time playing around like a child, which didn’t suit him. He tried to think rationally. But seeing her like this was just too adorable, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Pfft…”
Hailla pouted, then crawled over to him and checked his arm. Thankfully, the wound didn’t seem serious; the bleeding had mostly stopped. She pulled a familiar handkerchief from her belongings and gently wrapped it around his arm.
“You had another one of these.”
“Oh yeah. I always carry them.”
It was the same kind of handkerchief that Lian had soaked with his s*men not long ago. With a subtle glint in his eyes, he asked.
“Can I keep this one?”
“It’s nothing special.”
Not having the slightest clue what he intended to use it for, Hailla nodded casually.
—
“How do you even know about a place like this?”
Lian moved with practised ease along the dark mountain trail, leading them to a rundown hut. Leaning slightly on Hailla due to his swollen ankle, he looked the picture of a model patient. Hailla, never suspecting that he was exaggerating, stayed close and urged him to lean on her for support. Lian found this situation thoroughly satisfying.
“I saw it while I was working.”
“What kind of job is that, anyway?”
Her grumbling voice held a note of genuine curiosity. Lian had never told her what he did for a living.
“Let’s stay here for the night and head down when the sun comes up.”
At night, the mountain was home to wild beasts. Hailla nodded in agreement, then sighed as she thought of Rethe, who would be alone at home. Although she had prepared everything — food, water, and a waste pouch — just in case, she was still worried that her sister might get anxious if she came back without saying anything.
Just then, Lian suddenly shot up. His movements were quick but stiff and unnatural. He was staring intensely at one spot, his brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong?”
Hailla tensed and followed his gaze. At first, there was nothing visible. But then, something darted quickly across the corner of the room.
“Oh, just a bug.”
She slowly approached and picked it up — no bigger than half her small palm. Lian turned his head away in horror.
“You hate these, don’t you?”
Her face lit up with mischief. Hailla remembered how, not long after they had started living together, Lian had frozen like a statue when he saw a bug crawling under the table. The same Lian who looked like he could punch a bear had flinched at the tiniest insect and been unable to go near it.
“Yeah.”
Hailla took a step towards him, but when she saw him backing away in fear, she stopped. She didn’t want to tease someone who was already hurting because of her. Instead, she tossed the insect out of the window and wiped her hand on the hem of her shirt. Lian watched the spot carefully; his expression clearly showed that he wouldn’t let that fabric touch him. Hailla let out a small laugh and sat down beside him.
“Hey, if you’re scared of bugs like that, how are you going to survive on your own?”
Her tone was calm, almost casual. Hailla once again pictured the inevitable day when she and Lian would part ways. It was only natural. Lian had stayed longer than expected, but Hailla knew they couldn’t stay together forever. No matter how she felt, Hailla had no intention of holding Lian back.
She had someone she needed to take care of: her sister. She wouldn’t let Lian carry that burden too.
“You should probably stop couch-surfing soon.”
“Are you saying you want me to leave?”
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
“Sure doesn’t sound like it.”
“I like being with you.”
Even at her impulsive confession, Lian didn’t look surprised. He simply smiled calmly as he looked at her. It was Hailla who couldn’t meet his gaze. Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she stared stubbornly straight ahead.
“Then just stay with me.”
His tone was as composed as ever. He twirled a lock of his curly blonde hair around his finger and stroked it absentmindedly as he always did.
“You know why that’s not possible.”
“Because of Rethe?”
“…”
“You still won’t tell me the truth, will you?”
Lian had always been curious about the sisters’ strange relationship. It was clear to everyone that something was amiss. Their one-sided devotion and exploitation bore more resemblance to a master–servant relationship than to that of family members.
“I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it.”
Hailla’s voice faltered as she lowered her gaze. The shimmering in her eyes was undoubtedly tears. Lian slowly reached out and took her hand to offer her comfort. Their fingers intertwined, as firmly and persistently as a tight coil of snakes.
—
Lian already knew the tragic truth behind the sisters’ relationship — perhaps even better than Hailla herself did. And yet, like a snake, he clung to her, desperate to hear her say it. Despite knowing what it would mean for her to speak those words aloud, he pressed on relentlessly.
To Hailla, Rethe was a shadow from her past that she could never escape — a connection that would likely last a lifetime. Lian recalled the history that one of his trusted men had once uncovered.
It was the kind of common, miserable story that people barely bothered to listen to: money-obsessed parents who raised two daughters only to sell them as concubines to an ageing nobleman for profit.
Hailla had been renowned for her exceptional beauty from a young age, and while her older sister Rethe wasn’t quite on the same level, she was still considered very attractive. Their parents must have had high hopes. After all, the only reason they hadn’t abandoned the girls in the first place was so that they could sell them later on.
However, as luck would have it, Hailla fell ill with a contagious disease. Their parents then calculated which daughter would be the most profitable. Ultimately, they chose Hailla. She was considered beautiful enough to justify the investment, and her docile nature made her much easier to control.
They paid for her treatment with the money they made from selling Rethe to a brothel. Two years later, Rethe returned home, ill and worn out. The parents had died during that time. Although her disappearance was ruled an accident, Lian was convinced it was murder, committed by one or both of the sisters.
This was why, when Lian was injured earlier that day, Hailla lost control so completely. She couldn’t bear to see others get hurt because of her.
“I’m okay.”
“…”
“But don’t tell me to leave when you won’t even let me in.”
“Lian…”
“I’m pretty useful, right?”
He spoke about his usefulness as if it were nothing. He was trying to make her feel guilty, but he wasn’t exactly wrong: Every month, he paid an absurd amount in rent. Thanks to him, Hailla had been able to quit her gruelling job in the kitchen and focus on caring for Rethe.
She remembered winters when her hands were sore from washing potatoes in cold water. She would spend days bent over, cleaning vegetables until her back ached and she cried silently. The day’s pay was barely enough to afford a single meal.
She would pocket half-rotten potatoes to take home, but she would be slapped or beaten with a stick if she was caught. The owners didn’t care about the rotten potatoes, yet they treated her like a punching bag.
Even on the day she met Lian in the mountains, she was limping from a beating.
But now things were different.
She had no choice but to admit it. Lian was the one who had helped her escape from a situation that she hadn’t even realised was hell.
He was, in fact, very useful.
Nevertheless, Hailla’s heart ached at his words. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want Lian to stay with her just because he felt he had a role to play. It hurt her to think he might be holding on out of obligation.
“Even if you were completely useless, I wouldn’t care.”
Lian looked genuinely surprised. It was the first time he had heard her speak so clearly and openly about her feelings.
“But I belong to my sister.”
For a moment, a chill passed between them. Lian fell silent. Feeling wretched, Hailla murmured softly.
“Everything I am belongs to her. That’s why…”
She said it all clearly, and then began to quietly cry. At first, she tried to hide it, brushing her fingertips beneath her eyes. But the tears soon came pouring down, unstoppable. Her quiet sobs echoed desolately through the empty cabin.
“Hailla.”
“Huh… hng… huh…”
“Shh, it’s okay.”
Lian pulled her into his arms and slowly stroked her trembling back. Gently brushing her slightly damp hair behind her ear, he whispered softly.
Hailla pressed closer to him and finally spoke again.
“You’ll hate me once you know everything.”
“…”
“I’m… I’m a terrible person…”
She truly believed it. Simply being alive and walking around made her a horrible person. She was a shameless parasite who had survived at the cost of her sister’s life.
“I don’t think so.”
“I do.”
“Even so, it doesn’t matter.”
Hailla drew a shallow breath. The way she sniffled made her look impossibly adorable. Lian tightened his embrace. He was the kind of man who knew exactly what to do in a moment like this.
“No matter what kind of person you are, it doesn’t matter. And no matter who you belong to, that doesn’t matter either.”
Every word he said was sweet. It felt as if the long years of hardship were melting away. Whenever she was with Lian, Hailla could forget all the painful things. Every moment with him was peaceful — not suffocating, but light and free.
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I really wish the author would give us more descriptions of Lian. We only know he has black hair. However, the mention that he’s a monster and the comment about things being thrown at his face make it sound like he looks grotesque.