Chapter 501: Cotton Candy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 501: Cotton Candy
[ The Kind-Hearted Orc ]
“Ah… it’s a story about Green Skins.”
“…”
“It seems ‘The Kind-Hearted Orc’ is the only play showing at this time. Oh? I think there’s one about you too, Chieftain. Is this your first time here?”
“I didn’t know they were performing this kind of play… I’d heard rumors, but this is a little…”
“…”
A slightly dumbfounded expression flickered across the Chieftain’s face. I suspected it wasn’t because of the play currently showing, ‘The Kind-Hearted Orc.’
As he stared at a poster for a play about the romance between the Great Tribe Leader of the Green Skins and the Queen of Garia, I was certain that was the cause of his bewildered look.
[ A Love Story That Swept the Continent - The Demon and the Queen ]
[ Now Showing to Rave Reviews ]
“Tsk.”
I never imagined it was a play being shown across the entire continent. Judging by his expression, the Chieftain hadn’t imagined it either; he looked completely blindsided. For some reason, I had a feeling Jang Ye Ri was the one who had created this play.
“W-Would you like to see ‘The Demon and the Queen’?”
“No. ‘The Kind-Hearted Orc’ seems like the better option… Huu… So this is why it’s popular with the Green Skins.”
“The East and the Green Skins are on pretty good terms, after all.”
“A play like this is probably having a positive effect. It’s a very Jang Ye Ri-like idea… but I never imagined they could actually turn that story into a play… let alone actually perform it…”
To be honest, I wanted to see it. I had only heard their story through tales passed from one person to another, and I was curious what it would be like as a play. It was a curiosity about how he and the Queen of the East got together. After all, the Queen of the East and the Blood Dagger of the Brother’s Land were like symbols of the East.
But his firm expression showed he wanted to see ‘The Kind-Hearted Orc,’ so it was hard to ask if we could change our minds.
I feel like I’d regret it if I watched it…
I had a feeling I’d get too invested. It might even make me a little sad. Considering that, ‘The Kind-Hearted Orc’ wasn’t a bad choice.
After a while, people began to take their seats one by one, waiting for the play to begin. It seemed the claim that it was popular among Green Skins was no lie; most of the audience appeared to be Green Skins. I looked around in wonder, even spotting special seats set aside for Ogres and Minotaurs.
“Rooooaaar!”
“It’s ‘The Kind-Hearted Orc’!”
“It’s about to start! Be quiet!”
“Rooooaaar!”
“Quiet! It’s important not to be loud when watching a play!”
“Ogre, quiet your breathing!”
“S-Sorry! I can’t help it!”
I worried the boisterous atmosphere would disturb the other humans, but as soon as the curtain rose, a lie-like silence fell over the theater. I could still hear the heavy breathing of a Minotaur, but he seemed to be trying his best to hold it back, and my discomfort slowly faded.
It was, of course, my first time seeing a play. It felt like it would be more fun than I expected. What I found interesting was that real Orcs were on stage with humans. The story, too, was a little different from what I had imagined.
“Krrrrk… The slaves…”
“…”
“…”
This is…
It wasn’t depicting anyone specific. Still, I swallowed nervously at the familiar story. Humans and young Green Skins trapped in a slave city, and the struggle of a single Orc fighting to save them. It was a story I knew.
“Waaaaah!”
When the Orc was in danger, my heart pounded in my chest. When he overcame a trial, I let out a small cheer along with the other audience members. Though many things had been changed, this was undoubtedly the Chieftain’s story.
“I will accept you into the tribe.”
“…”
“!!”
“Ooooh…”
“Hmm… The Kind-Hearted Orc is truly kind-hearted.”
The sight of him taking even the human children with him to the tribe was the highlight of the play. It gave me a strange feeling in my chest, because even though the situation was very different, I saw myself in the child that the Kind-Hearted Orc was taking with him.
That happened to me, too.
It definitely happened. I remember being so worried back then that the Orcs might eat us. But then I realized that the Green Skins who saved us weren’t bad people, and that I had to stay here to survive. I tried my best to win their favor, and in the end, I and many of my human friends were allowed to remain with the Blood Dagger Clan.
I can’t describe how happy I was to hear those words: “I will accept you into the tribe.”
I had a place to stay.
I had a place to return to, a home. Instead of the human adults who always hit and tormented me, I had mother goblins who told me to think of them as my mothers. The memories of that dark basement quickly faded. I remember crying, tangled up with my friends who are now awaiting their own coming-of-age ceremonies, all of us vowing to repay the kindness we had received.
Even Nicole, who I’m so close with now, used to hate me at first.
There were times like that.
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I thought about how, this time, I hoped he would accept me not as a child, but as a woman. A small laugh escaped my lips as I realized the situations were similar.
Back then, I was able to show my good side and catch his eye.
I can do it.
I had a good feeling about this.
Unlike at official functions, I had often felt he was considerate of me in private, but I’d never felt as cared for as I did today. It felt like he wasn’t thinking about the eyes of those around us.
It’s all thanks to Shakara.
I was sure of it. I looked different than usual, and I was even a little taller. I was definitely taller than Mev or Baek Ahyeon. I wore the human clothes he liked and even put on makeup, which I rarely did. I felt like my chest was bigger than Mev’s, too. I even spritzed on some fruit-scented perfume. The results were clearly showing.
“That was really fun. Thank you, Chieftain.”
“It was a little embarrassing for me to watch, but I’m glad you enjoyed it. I didn’t think it would be about something like that…”
“I can see why the Green Skins would like it. It… it brought back some old memories for me, too.”
“Hahaha. For me as well. You were so small back then, and now you’ve already grown so much.”
The feel of his large hand gently stroking my head was still wonderful.
Sweet.
It was so incredibly sweet.
“To be honest, I never thought you would adapt so well and grow up to be so upright…”
“Hehe…”
I never imagined I could be this happy. I never imagined that just being with him could change everything so much.
We walked the streets together.
We watched the play together.
We ate together.
We talked, face to face.
We stopped by various shops, looking at human goods together, and even tried a sour-tasting drink.
We watched something called a balloon float into the air and observed a parade that happened to be starting in the small city.
I found myself talking more and more. I wanted to share my opinion on every little thing, to keep the conversation going even if it was about something pointless.
My entire being seemed to be focused on our shoulders, which began to brush against each other, and our arms, which started to touch.
I wanted to look pretty for him, and I wanted him to see me as pretty.
Though no trace of its past remained, the city of Lionel was just as happy as it used to be.
I wish time would stop.
I would have no regrets if time stopped right here.
Once it started to grow, my heart became uncontrollable.
I want to be with you.
I want to be with you forever.
I want you to hold me.
I want to hold his large hand, I want to be in his arms, and I want to do lewd things with him.
I had to laugh at myself for discreetly glancing at the inns while we were talking, contemplating the possibility of not returning to the tribe tonight.
It was because I remembered myself doing shameless things while thinking of the Chieftain when he was with Choi Seulgi.
I was grateful for the setting sun. My face must have been completely flushed.
“I hope you had a fun day.”
“Yes… It was really, really fun. M-Maybe… n-n-next time, too!”
“Of course. Whenever you want. We can…”
“Ah! Th-Thank you!”
Once again, his large hand came to stroke my head.
Watching the sky slowly change color as the sun went down looked new, just because I was with him. It was the same sky I looked up at every day, but today it seemed so different. As I stared blankly up at Blood Dagger, a smile bloomed on my face without me even realizing it.
My hair, fluttering in the wind, seemed a little longer than before. His appearance had changed a lot since we first met, but the eyes that looked at me were the same as ever.
Seeing me smile, he broke into a smile as well, and his face looked so much like someone else’s.
Who was it?
It was an expression that had faded from my memory. I couldn’t really remember it well, but it was a face I had always missed.
“Ah…”
To be precise, it was the expression. The hand stroking my head, the eyes filled with affection—they were different from how one would look at a lover.
It felt like I’d been struck in the back of the head with a hammer.
Why?
Why hadn’t I noticed?
“Ah… ugh…”
How could I have not known all this time?
You’re going to get hurt.
Why, all this time…
Why…
It was the way he looked at Laveua, Lapura, and Ratga.
It was the same look her own father, now a faint memory, used to give her.
“Ah… ah…”
I was the only one who saw him as a man. Something rose to the tip of my tongue, but of course, I couldn’t let the words escape. My legs were trembling and it was hard to breathe, but thankfully, I managed to look at him with a calm expression.
Of course, it was an honor for the Chieftain to see me as a daughter. It was more than I deserved, and it was a happy thing.
But my voice kept trembling.
“Let’s… let’s go back, Chieftain. It… it must be getting late.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Yes… yes…”
You’re going to get hurt.
The path we walked, the scenery around us, it was all still beautiful.
The bright sky gave way to the setting sun, its colors changing until darkness replaced the blue.
And to my utter dismay, the dark sky that followed was also beautiful.
I don’t remember how I got back inside.
I only remember that his hand and his embrace were incredibly warm until the very end.
“Ah… ugh…”
“Ugh, heuuu, heuk…”
After seeing the Chieftain off, I entered my tent alone. I had been happy—today had been an incredibly happy day—but for some reason, tears kept streaming down my face. In truth, it felt like the tears were about to burst forth even before I watched him walk away.
I was glad I hadn’t cried.
The empty tent filled my vision. Tears quickly welled up, and the large tent began to blur. The decorations and weapons hanging around were all gifts I had received.
“It hurts…”
Something hurt.
“It hurts… Uwaaaaah… It hurts…”
My chest ached relentlessly. I hadn’t been struck by a sword, nor was I injured anywhere. But the pain, like a spear was poking my heart over and over, made me collapse onto the floor. A feeling kept swelling inside my chest, and I clutched it with both hands, but the pain wouldn’t go away.
It never hurt this much when I fought enemies, or even when I was injured. It felt suffocating, like I couldn’t breathe. A lump in my throat made it hard to even open my mouth, but the feeling that my heart was about to explode forced me to sob like a small child.
“It hurts… it hurts… it hurts… Ugh, heuuu, heuk…”
The hand that stroked my head, the large hand that held my small one—none of it was for me as a woman.
Don’t get hurt.
I was the only one who didn’t know. Shakara probably knew. And Nicole might have known for a long time, too.
“Ugh, heuuu, heuk…”
I looked in the mirror. My face was a mess. The dress Shakara had lent me was ruined.
“Ugh, heuuu… ugh, heuuu, heuk… waaaaah…”
It was a sweet day.
A day so sweet it felt like it would melt in my mouth.
But…
The tears…
The tears just kept flowing.
“Yoora, today…?”
“Nicole…”
“Yoora! Yoora! What’s wrong…?”
“Hic… heuk…”
“Yoora… hic… heuk…”
“It was like cotton candy…”
“…”
“It was like cotton candy… Nicole… hic… ugh, heuuu, heuk…”
“Cotton candy…? What… what’s that…?”
“It was like cotton candy… hic… heuk… ugh, heuuu, heuk…”
“O-Okay…”
It truly was a sweet day.