Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: ???
Chapter Title: To Approach My Gentle Dragon
Her two legs, which had refused to listen no matter how long she tried, finally began to move as she willed them, little by little.
At first, even standing up was impossible,
but by bracing against the wall or holding onto someone, she could manage it,
and before long, she could even take a staggering step forward on her own.
Because she wanted to see Row's smile.
Because she wanted to get closer to him.
Thanks to clinging to that single desire,
she could slowly, but surely, move forward.
Until the endlessly falling white snow
had all melted away, turning into pale pink flower petals—.
Merthesia practiced moving forward without rest, not even for a single day.
Some days alone.
Some days gripping the wall.
Some days holding Row's hand.
She turned every one of those days into preparation to reach that one being.
There were hard times, too.
She fell over constantly,
and there were days when the pain made her want to cry.
But—.
"You're doing well. Almost there."
"!"
Those words alone made everything feel fine.
Short words.
A plain tone.
But the warmth hidden within them erased all the pain Merthesia had felt in an instant.
Strength gathered in her toes.
She gripped the hand holding hers tighter.
Holding Row's hand, she moved forward slowly once more.
Someday—.
Without anyone's help,
she wanted to reach Row's side on her own two feet.
But her legs didn't obey her will so easily.
They trembled violently,
and she collapsed right there on the spot.
Overwhelmed by regret, she looked down at her legs.
It hurt,
and tears welled up.
Every time that happened, Row's warm hand always reached her first, before any words.
"You did plenty well enough."
"……!"
"You'll be walking fine without help soon."
It was truly amazing.
One word from Row made her fragile heart strong again.
And it gave her the courage to head toward the future he spoke of, that "soon."
Merthesia smiled brightly.
Because if she kept trying every day, someday she could get to Row's side.
But... .
Row's gaze turned elsewhere.
He sat Merthesia down on a wide rock.
She sensed it instinctively.
That Row was going to leave her and go somewhere.
It happened often.
When he went to chop firewood.
When he went to gather herbs.
When he went down to the basement alone.
Row would often leave Merthesia behind for a bit.
She knew he would come back.
Row always said "I'm back" with a gentle smile.
Even so,
even for a moment without holding Row's hand,
a corner of her heart still felt empty and anxious.
Because sometimes Row felt like he was very far away, even when he was right there.
"I'll be right back."
"……!"
"No. It's dangerous. Wait here."
Row headed straight into the forest.
Merthesia stared at his back for a long time.
She was dissatisfied.
She wanted to be by his side, to go together.
And yet she still had to wait for Row.
Despite all her efforts, she still couldn't reach him.
'...I hate this.'
The small body sitting on the rock wobbled as it stood up.
Merthesia's feet touched the ground.
Cautiously putting strength into her knees, she reached out and gripped the rock.
Now she could stand and even walk.
So,
she wanted to show Row that she could go to him on her own.
One step.
Another step.
She shook but didn't stop.
Following the back of Row heading into the forest,
Merthesia pressed her lips tight and moved forward.
'I want to be together.'
'I want to be by your side.'
'Don't leave me alone.'
The image of Row's back disappearing beyond the forest rose in her mind.
A quiet, distant world no one else could reach.
Merthesia wanted to approach on her own and stand before him.
But—.
The forest was darker and scarier than she thought.
Even a single rustling sound made her shoulders shrink.
She understood why Row had told her to wait.
Still, she didn't want to go back.
Because she wanted to get even one step closer to Row.
"……!"
At that moment, her body tilted.
The instant her unbalanced body plummeted downward—.
Merthesia squeezed her eyes shut.
"...Found you."
The voice sounded like an illusion ringing in her ears.
That voice she had longed for so much.
The warm embrace she wanted to reach
wrapped around Merthesia softly.
Surprise, fear, and relief washed over her like waves.
"It's okay."
"……."
"Let's go back."
But—.
Merthesia couldn't be happy.
Because Row, always so calm, looked pale as death.
Only then did Merthesia realize.
She truly felt the danger she hadn't even sensed while slipping off the cliff.
How reckless she had been.
She had just wanted to see Row smile,
but she hadn't known it would turn into something this bad.
Grief burst out as tears.
"...You did well."
"……."
"Let's go home first."
Merthesia nodded faintly, trembling.
Her lips were pressed tight, and tears flowed quietly down her cheeks.
Row's embrace was still warm,
but being held in it now hurt the most.
'...I'm sorry.'
Those words she couldn't voice welled up to her throat, stinging her chest.
Row was silent for a long while.
All the way back to the cabin.
And even inside the cabin.
He just sat in the rocking chair with his eyes closed, wearing a pained expression.
Row wasn't talkative.
Silence was familiar.
But... .
This silence weighed heavily on Merthesia's heart.
"Merthesia."
"……."
Merthesia's shoulders jerked up.
Unknowingly, she clutched the hem of her clothes tightly and trembled.
Row was different from her aunt.
He never hit her,
never got angry.
Yet this moment felt unbearably painful.
Because for the first time, it felt like she had given Row great disappointment.
Even her parents, who loved Merthesia,
would turn cold if the child did something disappointing.
"Wait a moment."
"……!"
Merthesia bowed her head lower.
This way, at least her parents wouldn't get angrier.
She tried to make herself small, just like when her parents had scolded her in her memories.
She thought about how to avoid being hated less,
how to keep him from being disappointed.
Because she was so afraid Row might come to hate her.
The footsteps that had receded approached again.
Merthesia curled up even more.
She held her breath, trying not to let any out.
"Merthesia."
"……."
An indifferent but still warm voice.
Merthesia slowly, very slowly, lifted her head to look at Row.
And as always, a gentle touch brushed her eyes.
"Going into the forest alone today."
"……."
"That was incredibly dangerous."
Merthesia instinctively shrank her whole body.
As always, she waited for the punishment to come.
She just wanted to stay small and beg for forgiveness.
But—.
"Now that you can walk... you wanted to come to me, right?"
"……!"
Row knew.
Row understood.
Why Merthesia had done it.
Merthesia nodded very slowly.
Her eyes looking up at Row quickly filled with moisture and shook.
"Ummm... ."
"……?"
Row didn't get angry.
Instead, he pondered something so deeply his usual blank expression twisted.
A moment later—.
The words from Row's mouth were.
"Next time, if I'm going somewhere dangerous like today... ."
"Don't follow. Wait for me."
"Let's get stronger."
"So strong that no danger bothers us, no matter where we go."
Not deciding alone or leading unilaterally,
but a proposal to respect each other's will and move forward together.
And those words carried his genuine worry for Merthesia.
"I'm suggesting this rule because I'm worried you'll get hurt."
"You want to come to my side, right?"
"But not now. You can't navigate dangerous places yet."
Row didn't command like her parents.
He wasn't forcing her to obey.
"So let's get stronger. So next time, I can naturally take you along."
"...If you get that strong, then even if you follow me, I won't say anything."
He simply—.
Respected Merthesia as a person,
and cautiously showed her the right path to move forward together.
Merthesia nodded.
She resolved to become strong enough to go anywhere with him until Row acknowledged it.
A new determination was added to the child's routine.
She ate her disliked medicine diligently,
and ate a variety of foods as Hubert had taught her.
Above all—.
"How do I get stronger?"
"!"
"Like splitting firewood in one go... ."
"!!!"
"Or moving a whole stack at once... ."
She strove to follow Row's teachings without missing a day.
There were days when firewood slipped and bruised her foot, making her teary,
and days when she lost balance in front of a woodpile and fell—.
But Merthesia never gave up.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"……."
It stung, but she shook her head.
It was okay if it hurt.
It was okay if it was tough.
Because she wanted to reach Row's side even a day sooner.
"Still, it'll feel better if you ice it."
"……!"
Row offered his tail.
Merthesia beamed and grabbed Row's tail tightly.
In the face of this indifferent kindness,
a little melting pain meant nothing.
Just
a bit more.
Just a little more.
She wanted to get closer to this kindness.
Merthesia
didn't know what to call this feeling.
It was good,
and warm,
and she wanted to stay by his side forever.
She didn't want to let go,
and absolutely didn't want to be left behind.
'Greed... .'
In her hazy memories,
the word the adults used came to mind.
The greedy merchant's daughter,
the aunt's niece who deceived the village.
Seeing Merthesia trembling hidden behind a ruined pillar, they said:
"That child will turn greedy too."
"Blood can't lie, after all."
So Merthesia thought
she shouldn't want anything.
Because that would make her a bad child people hated.
But—.
'I don't want to let go... .'
Merthesia didn't want to be greedy.
Yet she absolutely didn't want to lose this kind dragon before her eyes.