Chapter 57: Mars (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 57: Mars (3)
Having reached a compromise, Cloud and Mars went down to the village to find some stationery.
But Neria, leaning against a tree, remained seated, unable to stand.
It was only natural. Her mind was in utter turmoil.
He knew...?
She had accidentally overheard their conversation. From what she could gather, Mars had suffered a heartbreak, and Cloud was consoling him.
Neria had been feeling a sense of warmth at his mature words of comfort, when she heard it.
—Just say it outright. That it’s amazing you can still function after seeing your childhood friend sucking another guy's dick.
She had heard something utterly shocking.
Cloud’s words.
They had to be referring to what happened between her and Gis.
How...?
She had hidden it so thoroughly to keep Cloud from finding out. Yet he knew, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He even spoke of it with a laugh, as if it were nothing now.
Then the story Cloud told Mars about me...
Was that it...?
No, more importantly...
He saw.
He saw it.
Cloud saw it.
That fact alone was enough to shatter Neria’s mind.
Her chest felt like it was being squeezed tight.
It was suffocating.
She couldn't breathe properly.
Suddenly, she felt that disgusting sensation on her lips again.
“Ah... Aah...”
I have to wash it.
I have to wash this filthy mouth. Wash it and make it clean.
Neria frantically whipped her head around, scanning her surroundings. But there was no well or river nearby, nowhere she could wash her mouth.
Instead, there was the bottle of liquor she had brought to drink with Cloud.
Neria uncorked the bottle. She immediately took a swig and rinsed her mouth, then poured some on her hand and scrubbed her lips.
It was a very strong liquor, and the potent smell of alcohol stung her nose, but she didn't care.
Right now, the most important thing was to wash her mouth.
But no matter what, strong liquor was strong liquor.
“Gahck...!”
As she was rinsing, the alcohol hit the back of her throat. She collapsed, spitting out the liquor and gagging.
When the retching subsided, tears began to stream from her eyes.
“Cloud... Cloud...”
You knew, and you still accepted me as a companion?
Why?
Because we’ve been close since we were kids?
Or did you realize Gis was abusing me?
—Childhood friends rarely end up together. It's an immutable law I learned while traveling the continent.
“I’m sorry... I’m sorry...”
I’m so sorry, Cloud.
I’m sorry for hurting you so much.
I didn’t want to... No. No. I won’t make excuses. I’m sorry.
I’m sorry.
So please, don’t say things like that.
“You’re all I have...”
I don’t know what you think of me.
You might think I’m a filthy woman with no sense of chastity.
But to me, you’re everything...
Neria spent that night in tears.
As she stayed up all night, agonizing over how she could earn Cloud’s forgiveness, she finally decided to tell him the whole truth.
That she had done those things only because Gis had blackmailed her, that she had no choice but to obey.
It was a truth she had hidden because she didn't want him to find out, but... if Cloud already knew, there was no longer any need to hide it.
If I tell him the truth... Cloud will forgive me.
He might even comfort me, asking why I didn't tell him sooner. It could even be a chance for us to grow closer, united against a common enemy in Gis.
Filled with a mix of anxiety and a small flicker of hope, Neria descended the mountain.
She was standing in front of the inn, taking a deep breath to steady herself, when it happened.
“Cloud, you son of a bitch, get out here!”
A pink-haired girl kicked the inn door open and stormed inside.
*
“Ughhh—”
Waking up, Isabelle immediately stretched. Even so, her body still felt stiff. A consequence of going to bed late and waking up early.
Ugh, seriously. Why was that guy so persistent yesterday?
She had dropped hints several times that she wanted to go home, but either he didn't get it or he pretended not to. Thanks to him, she had returned much later than planned.
If she could, she would have slept in.
But she was worried it would mess up her sleep schedule, so she forced herself out of her room.
“Did you sleep well?”
Her mother greeted her, stirring a pot of soup with a ladle.
Isabelle answered with a yawn.
“No. I’m really sleepy.”
“Oh my, you met with the baron’s son again yesterday, didn’t you? What did he have to say?”
“The usual. Bragging about how great he is. I’m so sick of it.”
As Isabelle grumbled, her father, who was sitting in a chair, chimed in.
“Well, he has a right to be proud. He’s a nobleman, isn’t he? You should reconsider. Opportunities like this don’t come often...”
“Dad, I told you to drop it, didn’t I?”
“Ah, no... I just mean, thinking about your future, the baron’s son is a better choice than that Mars fellow...”
“Dad?”
“Ahem...! Alright. I’ll stop.”
Unable to withstand his daughter’s glare, her father cleared his throat and looked away.
Isabelle let out a deep sigh.
“Honestly, Dad, you’re too hard on Mars.”
“That’s just because your father cares about you. Try to understand. Anyway, a letter came for you.”
At the word “letter,” Isabelle’s brow furrowed. Her mother added with a small smile:
“It’s not from the baron’s son. It’s from Mars.”
“From Mars?”
Isabelle’s expression changed completely.
“Where is it?”
“On the table over there.”
Isabelle glanced at the table. Just as her mother had said, a letter was lying there.
It wasn't a fancy letter in a wax-sealed envelope, but simply a piece of paper folded twice.
But Isabelle liked this letter more than any fancy one.
Because in the corner of the folded paper, the name ‘Mars’ was written. As she picked it up, Isabelle narrowed her eyes and glared at her father.
“Just in case... you didn’t secretly read my letter, did you?”
“...I wouldn’t do something like that.”
“Good.”
Humming a tune, Isabelle went into her room. She sat on her bed, grinning foolishly as she looked at the letter.
So Mars wrote this, huh?
She couldn’t stop smiling.
In fact, her inability to stop smiling wasn’t just limited to today.
For a while now, she had been overflowing with laughter.
So much so that she worried she might get wrinkles.
I was a bit skeptical since it was Nara’s idea...
She had been worrying about Mars being so absorbed in his sword that he was neglecting her.
As a solution to her problem, Nara had told her about the push and pull of relationships.
Advice from Nara, who had zero dating experience.
Isabelle hadn't been confident, but with no other options, she had followed it with a mix of doubt and hope.
But contrary to her expectations, the effect of this “push and pull” was enormous.
Less than two weeks after she started, Mars came to her and apologized.
Though surprised, Isabelle followed Nara’s advice and didn’t accept his apology right away.
In response, Mars tried even harder to apologize. He visited her every day and even bought her gifts from the city that he thought she would like.
It was as if the Mars who had neglected her while swinging his sword all day had vanished, and now his every thought was directed at her.
Isabelle was simply delighted by it.
She loved that Mars’s mood rose and fell with her every action. Being able to control the person she liked in the palm of her hand gave her a great sense of security.
In the end, Nara was right. I just had to get him on a leash.
If only I’d known about this push and pull when I was younger. Isabelle felt a twinge of regret, but also relief that she knew now.
Her attention returned to Mars’s letter.
He even wrote a letter... should I forgive him soon?
To be honest, not having a proper conversation with Mars for two weeks had been hard on her, too.
The leash is already on; I just need to handle it well from now on.
She smiled giddily as she unfolded the paper and began to read.
As she read on, her expression slowly hardened.
=========================
To Isabelle,
Hi, it’s me, Mars.
You’re probably a little surprised to get a sudden letter, right? This is my first time writing one, so it feels awkward. Please forgive me if it’s a bit disorganized.
First, I want to apologize for neglecting you while I was so focused on my sword practice. I never meant to do it! You’re my friend, and you’re far more precious to me than something like swordsmanship.
The reason I made that mistake was that every time my sword skills improved, I felt like I was becoming a person more suited for you. You’re a really precious friend to me, but sometimes you shine so brightly that I feel like it’s hard to even look at you.
I know this just sounds like an excuse. I also know how angry you are with me. I apologize again. I’m sorry.
And now for the main point. I’ve decided to go on a journey. I haven’t made any specific plans yet, but I’m thinking of traveling the entire continent.
I wanted to say goodbye to you before I left, but I couldn’t work up the courage, so I’m leaving this letter instead.
You don’t have to worry about me. Cloud gave me some good equipment and plenty of money for my travels.
The journey will take a long time. The continent is vast, after all. By the time I return, I’ll be much more mature than I was before. I’m going to work hard to become that person.
So, Isabelle.
If we meet again when I return from my journey.
Please forgive me then.
And be my friend again.
Mars.
========================
Isabelle read the letter again.
The words didn’t change.
Isabelle read the letter one more time.
The words didn’t change.
Isabelle read the letter yet again.
The words didn’t change.
No matter how many times she read it, the content remained the same.
She pinched her cheek, hard. It hurt.
It wasn’t a dream.
Only then did Isabelle face reality.
“No... No. No!”
Clutching the letter tightly, she threw her door open.
“Ah! You scared me! Isabelle, what’s wrong all of a sudden...”
Ignoring her mother’s words, she bolted out of the house. Without even putting on shoes, she ran blindly toward the hill where Mars’s house stood.
Even as the rough ground scraped her bare feet, drawing blood, even as her lungs burned from running up the hill, Isabelle didn’t stop.
She was that desperate.
Running without pause, she nearly reached the top of the hill. Just a little further and Mars’s hut would be in sight.
“Please, Mars...”
Be there.
Be there in front of the hut, swinging your sword like always.
If she could just see that familiar sight, she felt that all the negative emotions tormenting her heart would be washed away.
Isabelle pushed off the ground hard.
Mars’s hut came into view, and...
Mars was not there, swinging his sword.
For a moment, Isabelle almost collapsed, but she barely held herself together.
“Honestly, Mars... why would you oversleep today of all days.”
Unlike her frantic ascent, she now walked slowly toward the hut. With every step, a drop of blood stained the ground.
“Mars~ I’m here~”
Isabelle called out loudly right in front of the shabby hut. There was no reply from inside. Isabelle let out a small, forced laugh.
“Just how deeply are you sleeping?”
I guess I have no choice. I’ll have to wake him up myself.
Isabelle entered the hut. The layout of Mars’s home was simple. A large, rectangular, single-room structure. With no separate rooms, you could see the bed as soon as you walked in.
And on that bed, the sleeping figure of Mars was nowhere to be seen.
“Oh, huh? He’s not here...? Ah, maybe he went to the village? We might have missed each other.”
She trudged inside and plopped down on the bed.
If she went back to the village now, they might miss each other again. Isabelle decided to wait for Mars to return.
She looked around the hut’s interior and smiled.
“Did he clean recently? Why is it so neat...”
Isabelle’s smile froze when she saw the empty space next to the large drawer.
A sword was supposed to be there.
The sword Mars had bought in the city with the money Cloud sent, the one he was always bragging about, was supposed to be there.
“No... no... it can’t be...”
Isabelle stood up and checked under the bed. As she feared, his sword wasn’t there either. Thump, thump. Her heart began to pound with anxiety.
“There’s no way Mars would leave me.”
Isabelle walked to the drawer and grabbed the handle.
“Right, Mars?”
She opened the drawer.
It was empty.
“...”
She closed it quietly, then opened the second and third drawers.
They were also empty.
Her heart sank with a thud.
The despair of reality began to close in on her.
But she pushed it away.
Instead, she began to search every inch of the hut.
Nothing.
There was nothing.
In the hut where Mars had lived, all traces of a person ever having lived there were gone.
“It’s a lie.”
Isabelle muttered with a dazed expression, then ran out of the hut.
There was still hope.
Behind the hut, ten paces from the second tree.
Buried under the ground there was the keepsake Mars’s mother had left him. A wedding ring she had passed down, telling him to give it to his bride when he got married.
If Mars had truly left, there was no way he would have left that behind.
So if it was still there, it would be proof that Mars hadn't abandoned her.
Isabelle began to dig at the ground.
She hadn’t brought a shovel, so she dug with her bare hands. Her skin tore and her nails broke, but she kept digging.
But despite her efforts...
“It’s gone...?”
There was nothing in the hole she had dug.
Mars had really left on a journey.
Leaving Isabelle behind.
“Why...? But why...?”
I don’t understand.
Why would you leave me?
You like me.
Even when you told me about the wedding ring from your mother, you kept giving me those subtle glances.
“Was it because I was so cold to you lately? Are you mad at me?”
If that’s it, I’m sorry.
I did it because I like you so much. Because I love you. I just wanted you to look only at me.
“But how could you just leave like that...?”
If you were going on a journey, you could have at least said goodbye. If you had, I would have realized something was wrong. We could have cleared up the misunderstanding...
But Isabelle knew why Mars had left a letter instead of saying goodbye.
And she knew that the reason was her.
That truth tore Isabelle’s heart to shreds.
“Mars, please... please come back... I’ll apologize...”
We were supposed to go to the festival in the city together.
I even begged and pleaded with my dad to buy a pretty dress for it.
I saved up my allowance, bit by bit.
What’s the point of any of that if you’re not here...
Huh?
“Maaars...!”
Isabelle clutched the letter to her chest and sobbed. She prayed that this was all a dream. Or, if not, that Mars would have a change of heart and come back.
But realistically, the chances of that happening were very low.
And so, Isabelle couldn’t stop crying for a long, long time.
She cried until she had no tears left, until she was completely drained, and only then did her sobs subside.
Her face still etched with sorrow, Isabelle unfolded the letter.
And within it, she found one name that grated on her nerves.
“Cloud...”
The man who had hated her from the moment they met, who had called her a Pink-haired Slut.
This man must have had the biggest influence on Mars’s decision to leave on a journey.
As that thought took hold, the sense of loss and despair that had been eating away at Isabelle vanished. In its place, rage and murderous intent bloomed.
She immediately ran down the hill and headed for the village.
She kicked open the door of the only inn in the village and shouted.
“Cloud, you son of a bitch, get out here!”
“Woof woof!”
Cloud, who was eating breakfast, barked.