Elven Bride-to-Be's Secret Night (1)
With a soft, satisfied smile, Cloud gently stroked his chin. He had figured it out on the way here. Two days to Isirita, two days back, two days chopping wood—six days left, easy. All he needed to do was make a few calls to the elves. “Contact those elves right now!” He clapped his hands and stood up from his seat, already ready to head out. Suddenly, the sound of a window creaking open echoed through the room. Cloud turned to the window, and there stood Elena. She was gazing out the window, whispering softly in elvish. A moment later, something flapped its wings and soared into the night sky with a whooshing sound. “I sent a message asking for the condor. What do you think? Did I do well?” She turned to Cloud with a cute little smile. A moment ago she had been pouting, but now, after shaking off her sadness and stepping up to help, she looked beautiful. Cloud grinned and rushed over, pulling her into a tight hug. “Of course we’re soulmates! How well you read my mind!” A warm smile bloomed in Elena’s arms. Then she said, “But there’s one thing you need to know.” “What?” “I’m Cloud’s wife. I can’t marry my mom.” “Of course! I’ll only look at you!” A few moments later, a raven arrived from the elven side of the village with a reply. It was a cheerful agreement that he could borrow the condor anytime, and they would send it right away. “Yes!” Cloud clenched his fists, his face lighting up with a triumphant smile. “Just wait, Torres! In exactly six days, I’m dying to see that ugly mug of yours!” A short while later, Cloud and Elena flew through the night sky on the condor. *** Cloud and Torres’s Match Day Two “What? Cloud didn’t show up for work?” Torres received a report from one of his ten-man scouts he had sent out early that morning and threw a huge tantrum in his office. “AHAHA! That’s why! He knew he couldn’t win, so he tucked his tail and ran away!” He strode to the window and glared at the training ground. The vast training field had been split in half. On the right, Torres’s wood was stacked high. On the left, Cloud’s wood was completely empty. Torres sneered. “Idiot! He should have challenged me head-on! A worthless guy like him dares to pick a fight with his old commander? I’ll teach him a lesson! AHAHAHAHA!” At the same moment, in Sylvia’s room at Valua Castle. Sylvia was receiving an urgent report from Felipe. “Cloud didn’t show up for work or go anywhere?” “Yes, my lady. We searched for him at the Tyronde Inn since dawn, but no one was there.” Sylvia’s face grew troubled. “Did you check the ten-man building too?” “We did, but the office looked exactly as it did when he left yesterday.” “Not just the office—did you search everywhere?” “Yes. And…” Felipe hesitated, then spoke carefully. “Among Torres’s subordinates, they’re already saying that Cloud may have deserted…” “No way! Absolutely not!” Sylvia shouted. “That guy wouldn’t do something like that! I know him better than anyone! He’s definitely preparing something clever somewhere! Cloud always does that! He would never run away!” “Please calm down, my lady. I believe that too.” Felipe’s voice trembled with worry, and Sylvia let out a deep sigh, composed herself, and looked at her reflection in the mirror on the dressing table. “Let’s just wait. There’s still plenty of time. He’s probably busy gathering wood everywhere.” At the same time, inside the ten-man building. Lucy was also getting dressed for her wood-gathering trip outside, waiting in Cloud’s office. But when the clock passed ten o’clock and he still hadn’t shown up, she was restless, remembering her angry words from last night. Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, and the door burst open. “Deputy! Big trouble! Big trouble!” It was Thomas. The usual cute, grinning guy was now wildly excited. “What? What happened?” “The commander! Everyone’s saying he ran away!” “Run? What are you talking about? Calm down and speak properly!” “See? The other soldiers say Cloud was so embarrassed he couldn’t face Torres, so he fled! That’s why he hasn’t come to work today!” Lucy’s face went blank for a second, then she exploded. “You idiots!” She bolted out of the office and ran straight to the command headquarters to ask the duty soldier about Cloud’s attendance. “From the lack of him at the officers’ meeting this morning chaired by Vuirmir, he didn’t come in. He’s your direct supervisor—do you know why?” “I-I don’t know!” Lucy was rattled, as if her deepest secret had been exposed, and she rushed out of the command headquarters in a panic. In her heart, last night’s words still rang loud. ‘Lose to Torres.’ ‘You’re completely finished, just like that.’ “Cloud……” Regret washed over her for the cruel words she had thrown at him. At the same time, the pathetic sight of him struggling to gather wood, shoulders slumped, broke her heart. “Why did I say something so stupid? He was already miserable from not getting wood, and I made it worse!” Tears started to well up. “I was too harsh… That’s why he ran away. Everything is my fault!” In her head, the words she had shouted kept repeating: You’re completely finished! You’re completely finished! You’re completely finished! “I’m sorry!” She finally couldn’t hold it in and burst into tears. Looking at the sky, she cried out, “Cloud… come back! Please come back!” *** The next day. Cloud and Torres’s Match Day Three. “Is Cloud here today?” Vuirmir, attending the morning officers’ meeting, scanned the room the moment he sat down. Cloud never missed the morning meeting, no matter how busy he was gathering wood. “Hmm. Absent for two days in a row… I guess I have to report to the lord.” “He’s scared and ran away, haha.” Torres chuckled. *** “Cloud’s nowhere to be seen?” Lord Aaron stood with his hands behind his back, watching the training ground where Torres’s wood was stacked higher than yesterday and Cloud’s side remained completely empty. “No contact for two days.” Vuirmir’s words made Aaron click his tongue in disappointment. “Cloud’s potential really wasn’t enough for this task…” “Shall we call off the match? After all, all the centurions Cloud recommended…” “No.” Aaron cut him off. “Keep the match going. We set a one-week deadline. Until then, we wait in silence. It’s not over yet.” “Understood.” *** Sylvia secretly changed her clothes and searched for the Tyronde Inn, but Sophia, the innkeeper, only gave her the same answer. “He vanished without a single message. His luggage is still there… Where could he have gone?” Her worried expression suggested she truly didn’t know. Sylvia had no choice but to turn her heavy steps back toward the castle. Cloud’s silence for two days was slowly driving her insane. ‘What are you doing, Cloud? If gathering wood is too much, why didn’t you ask me for help…!’ At the ten-man building, Cloud’s office. Even though it was daytime, Lucy had drawn the curtains and was curled up in the dark corner, staring blankly at the uniform hanging on the wall, waiting for him. She desperately wanted him to come back. Footsteps approached from the corridor, and the door opened. Thomas entered with a tray full of food. “Deputy, eat your meal.” “I don’t feel like it. Take it away.” “You can’t do that, Deputy. If you don’t eat, you’ll have no strength. You need to eat and get strong to help us look for Cloud.” Thomas set the tray on the desk and went to the window, pulling the curtains wide open and throwing the windows wide. Bright light flooded the room, making Lucy squint. “Do it normally.” “No. The commander told me to keep the place ventilated. The smell of food will make you sick.” “He’s already gone anyway. No point listening to that.” “I believe he’ll come back.” Thomas walked over to Lucy, grabbed her arm, and pulled her up. “Get up and eat. You have to eat.” Lucy sighed and stood up reluctantly. Thomas pushed her weak back and forced her to sit at the desk. He even handed her knife and fork himself and smiled cheerfully. “Eat a lot. Eating more will make you grow taller.” “That applies to you, not me. My growth plate is already closed.” Lucy speared a potato fry with her fork and put it in her mouth, chewing weakly. Her gaze then drifted to the photo frame on the desk. Inside the frame was a group portrait of the ten-man members. In the center stood Cloud, grinning brightly. She suddenly felt a surge of emotion and burst into tears. “Ugh…!” “D-Deputy?” Lucy wiped her eyes with her sleeve and muttered. “I won’t say anything like that again. Just give me one more chance…” At the training ground piled with wood. Vivian carried a neatly washed teacup basket across the field. She suddenly stopped and looked at the empty space where Cloud was supposed to stack his wood. It was just as empty today. She picked up a pebble and threw it into the space. “Hmph! Look at you. Always bragging about your shoulders and look at you now!” She tried to walk away, but immediately regretted it. How could she have thrown a stone at someone who was suffering? She felt sorry for him. And she remembered what he had said after they slept together. ‘The only mistake in your life of walking the path of worshiping the gods is meeting me by chance. Your firm faith hasn’t changed. I was just the devil who tempted you. If you want to blame someone, blame me instead of your faith.’ “Ah… that line was so cool…” Vivian covered her flushed cheek with her hand and looked up at the sky. She suddenly missed him. “Coward. Where are you, coward. I won’t scold you, so come back.”