The Place Where the Heart Lingers (4)
It was a total mess. The protagonist, who had stepped out with such confidence, didn't seem particularly used to dancing. I hadn't been someone with any connection to dance in my past life, either. And Ameryel, before even considering such things, was already swaying from the alcohol. Yet, she was surprisingly strong; whenever she stumbled, we, who were holding her hands on either side, were dragged along with her. She hadn't even drunk that much—how could she have such a low tolerance?
The solution the protagonist came up with, swaying like one of those inflatable tube men in front of a gas station, was simply to form a circle and spin around. Even a kindergarten recital wouldn't stoop to this level. It goes without saying that the surrounding area turned into a sea of laughter. It was a small comfort, at least, that a few people, caught up in the excitement, started spinning along with us as if they found it quite amusing.
Just as I was about to collapse onto the table, unable to handle the dizziness, the dancers began to take the stage. The atmosphere among the audience heated up accordingly. Some climbed onto tables to dance, while others mingled with different groups to share drinks. Maybe it's because they're people who use their bodies for a living, but they all played so aggressively.
“Hazel, someone is waving at you?”
While I was groaning, trying to soothe my nauseous stomach, Ameryel said that and grabbed my wrist, shaking it vigorously. I shifted my gaze in the direction she was looking. At the end of that line of sight was the stage. Just as Ameryel said, one of the dancers was waving at me. Deep wheat-colored hair, greenish eyes, pointed ears, and slightly drooping eyes. Yes. That was exactly what she looked like.
As our eyes met, the dancer gave a soft, smiling look. The corners of her downward-sloping eyes curved gently. She turned her body slightly, as if she had achieved her goal. The fabric draped behind her arms fluttered lightly. My mouth parted. If I let her go like this, I felt she would fade away into the back of my memory once again.
“My name! It’s Hazel!”
I shouted. It was the loudest sound I had made of my own volition since falling into this world. I squeezed my eyes shut. Had I ruined the mood? I felt as if everyone was staring at me.
“I’m Flora!”
When I carefully opened my eyes at the response, the half-elf was smiling.
“I’m Maria of the Flowing Jewels!”
“I’m Lillian, meet me at the Enchanted Moonlight!”
“Take care of the Guardian of the Night, too! I’m Tasha!”
The dancers on stage followed suit, shouting as if competing with one another. My own shout was swept away into the distance, buried by their passionate introductions. Only Flora’s gaze remained fixed straight on me. Was I drunk on the alcohol floating in the air? A hot heat flowed from the corners of my eyes. The warmth traveled down my cheeks, gathered at my chin, and fell in droplets.
The old cage where they kept the cheap goods, deep in the basement beneath the slave shop. The last lingering attachment I had left there melted away. I felt like I had finally, completely escaped from that cage.
Where there is a meeting, there is a parting. Reuniting with Flora was a joyful thing, but the day to part with Ameryel was also gradually approaching. The first thing executed in preparation for leaving was moving the place where I would stay. I thought I would put it off and off until the very last day, but perhaps she is a person who is surprisingly decisive.
I felt a strange sense of sadness. And so, I ended up living as a dependent in the protagonist’s inn room. In a way, this should have been the right picture from the start. I felt like I had taken a long, roundabout way to get here.
The inn room was, to put it nicely, clean; to put it bluntly, it was empty. Since it was a room with two beds, it was quite cheap, so I couldn't expect any other furniture. Still, it would have been nice to have at least one desk. It was a shame.
As a slave, I decided to take charge of all the housework. Even if I said it so boldly, the only thing to do was laundry. I heard that if you pay a little more, you can leave the laundry to the inn. The protagonist suggested we do that, but I refused. I’m the type of person who organizes their thoughts while doing chores, so I needed at least a little bit of work. Saving money and having some busywork to do—isn't that the best of both worlds? Thinking such things, I jumped onto the bed.
It was better than I thought, but compared to the bed at the temple, it felt a little lacking. I pressed down on the innocent pillow and thought. I thought it was a twin bed, but it was actually a double bed. Such an event didn't happen. Is it because I’m not the heroine? Or is it simply that the protagonist isn't that stupid? All sorts of thoughts ran through my head.
Come to think of it, whether it was Ameryel or Meredith, I didn't have any confirmation that they were heroines. I was just arbitrarily concluding, "Isn't this heroine-level?" but I hadn't heard a definitive answer from the protagonist's mouth. What if I asked the protagonist directly? Actually, I was an ordinary Korean in my past life, but when I came to my senses, I was in this body. So, could you summarize the plot for me? Hmm, no matter how I think about it, I don't know how to say it. Let’s keep that as a trump card. The protagonist seems to have a certain amount of guilt toward me, so even if I don't use that feeling, there’s no reason for him to throw me out on the street.
My heart ached, but I still lacked trust. Because trust was lacking, wasn't this still filled in? I gently rubbed the slave brand drawn on my chest. Of course, it didn't fade or anything. I couldn't feel any difference from my bare skin, either. By the way, at first, I thought it was inconvenient to have a body like this, but now I was very grateful for it. If I were a beauty with a more voluptuous figure, I wouldn't be able to stay this relaxed. I would probably be trembling right now, worrying about whether the protagonist would crawl into my bed tonight. I trust the protagonist, but you never know about relationships between men and women. Before that, I might have been sold to someone else entirely. I think this is the best-case scenario.
Time flowed indifferently, and the day Ameryel was to leave arrived. One paladin I had seen that day, and another nun, were said to be heading north with Ameryel. Beside them stood a magnificent carriage with the temple’s emblem engraved on it. It was a carriage pulled by two horses. Perhaps Ameryel was actually a person of quite high status.
“Hazel, I’ll write to you. Stop by the temple in the city center regularly to check.”
After saying that, she knelt down and hugged me tightly. “I’ll miss you.”
“Me too.”
She held me in her arms and rocked her body from side to side. Every time her body moved naturally, I wobbled along with her.
“If you ever want to write a letter, send it through the temple. The recipient is Ameryel, and the destination is Icepeak. Okay?”
“Yes. Through the temple, destination is Icepeak.”
“Good. Learn well from Mr. Jiun and become a good adventurer. It never hurts to have strength.”
“Hazel, may there be blessings on your path.”
After saying that, Ameryel let me go. Her eyes were red and swollen. She really was a person whose emotions were all revealed on her face.
“Do you want to go to a dungeon together on your day off? It’s refreshing to smash this and that.” After the carriage Ameryel was riding in left, the protagonist said, putting his hand on my shoulder.
“I’ll go.”
I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. It was a big problem that my tear ducts had become so weak since meeting Flora.
However, the really big hurdle was elsewhere.
“Master, I don’t think I can accept the offer you mentioned. I’m sorry, even though you went to the trouble of considering me.”
When we were tidying up after class, I aimed for the moment when Meredith was in the best mood. Meredith paused for a moment. *Tap, tap*, the sound of her tapping the desk echoed. Only after agonizing for a long time did she speak.
“I didn't hear that wrong, did I?”
“No.”
“Are you really determined? There’s still plenty of time to think about it.”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Hazel, really, this might be an opportunity that will never come again in your life.”
“I’m really okay.”
“No, ha.” Meredith ruffled my hair wildly. Her sky-blue hair, which had a water-like sheen, swayed here and there.
“Fine, if that’s what you want, then so be it. You’re sure, right? You really won’t regret it?”
“Of course.”
“Why won’t you go! You bad apprentice, come to the Imperial Capital with me.” This time, she lunged for my head. Meredith’s touch was rough but warm. My hair brushed against my rising ears, making a rustling sound.
“Just because you’re a little smart, you don’t listen to your master and just do whatever you want. You’re already like this, I don’t know how you’ll behave once you make it big.” She grumbled for a long time, then stopped messing up my hair and said quietly.
“If you change your mind, tell me anytime. I’ll only scold you a little bit.”
So she *was* going to scold me. It was a grateful sentiment, but that wouldn't happen. I want to stick by the protagonist’s side until I know for sure what kind of world this is. He’s a guarantee. Even if that weren't the case, there’s no need to leave the side of someone who seems to have both popularity and ability. Above all, I’m a slave. Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't. Thinking about those reasons, I laughed. Actually, there wasn't any such grand reason. It’s just that this place is my...
Where the Heart Resides END