Chapter 93 — Shelter from the Rain
Chapter 93 — Shelter from the Rain
Translation: Godtl
But with his upper body bare, his large frame and solid, thick muscles were striking.
His wet, bare skin made the muscles stand out even more.
Lelia exhaled slowly to hide her tension.
'Surely he doesn't expect me to undress and dry off too?'
Shaking her head at the useless thought, she was about to secretly take out an alchemy item to start a fire.
*Whoosh.*
Suddenly, flames ignited in the fireplace before her eyes.
Moreover, it was not mere sparks but a fire that blazed vigorously at once.
When Lelia turned in surprise, Oscar was approaching.
She wanted to tell him to put on clothes, but it was strange to tell him to put back on wet clothes without drying them.
Oscar came to her side and sat down with a thud.
Then, looking at Lelia who resembled a soaked mouse, he furrowed his brow.
"...I prefer to dry off as I am."
At her preemptive words, Oscar made no response.
Lelia glanced unnecessarily at the broken mirror beside the fireplace.
'Huh?'
Then she froze, her gaze fixed on the mirror.
'My hair color...!'
At some point, the alchemy potion's effect had ended, and her hair color had returned to normal.
When she stayed in the Imperial City, she had checked the mirror every time to confirm her dyed hair and eye color changed by alchemy.
Just before leaving the castle, her hair and eye colors were still as dyed.
But after fleeing the capital, she hadn't been able to look in a mirror at all, and apparently the potion's effect had worn off, returning her natural color.
'Why hasn't he said anything?'
Yet Oscar asked nothing about it.
Lelia considered asking but closed her mouth. There was no need to unnecessarily stir up trouble.
"The fire is excellent...."
Lelia murmured quietly to dispel the awkwardness, then moved her hands back and forth before the hearth as if warming them.
As she fiddled with her warmed hands, fear crept up on her anew.
To kindle such flames in an instant.
Oscar's power was somewhat different from divine power or magic, or similar forces.
The power he wielded was that used by the ancient demon clan.
The Temple called it 'Power of Ruin,' or sometimes' Power of Darkness.'
"...If the Temple learns of that power, it will become dangerous."
She spoke from vague worry, but Oscar did not so much as acknowledge it.
The Temple probably could not even imagine it.
After all, Oscar had not used that power at all in the battle with the wyvern.
From the start, his demon sword could sense divine power.
If the priests had hidden their divine power, perhaps, but on the battlefield that was unlikely.
With priests possessing strong divine power overflowing nearby, the demon sword had hidden its power on its own.
Yet he still displayed outstanding skill in the war, meaning Oscar was an excellent swordsman even without that power.
For someone like that to gain the power to manipulate darkness, fear and worry were natural.
Then, a low voice spoke.
"Are you worried about me?"
His words trembled slightly at the end. Lelia looked at his eyes, which gazed at her coldly, then lowered her head.
"Of course I am."
"If you were truly worried about me, you wouldn't have done such a thing."
"...."
At his resentful tone, Lelia had nothing to say.
Silence flowed for a while.
Lelia turned her head to look out the window. The rain was still fierce.
"...."
Lost in thought for a moment, she glanced at Oscar.
In her memory, Oscar had feared rainy days, especially thunder.
Was that still the case? Or had he overcome that trauma from back then?
As she thought this, Oscar answered as if reading her mind.
"As you know better than anyone... I hate the rain."
"...I heard from Lord Leo."
Looking at Lelia answering brazenly, Oscar let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.
Then he spoke again.
"When it rains, terrible memories resurface."
Not anymore, though.
Oscar swallowed the rest of the words inside.
Lelia gazed at him with worried eyes.
Oscar blinked slowly, enjoying her gaze.
Suddenly, that 'terrible memory' from childhood came to mind.
His biological father was a mad emperor who ruled with tyranny. He would kill people before Oscar's eyes at the slightest provocation. Claiming it was education to become a splendid emperor.
The day his mother died, it rained.
The emperor waved a sword stained with his wife's blood, mocking young Oscar who trembled with fear.
As a child, he had sobbed in agony, having episodes every rainy day because of that memory.
But after meeting Leo, that changed.
From some point on, rainy days were no longer painful.
Leo's kind voice, his warm touch.
Those were days when comfort he had never received before came to mind.
But after hearing the news that Leo had died, rainy days became terrible again.
Truly a cunning heart. Now, this sound of rain only sounded pleasant.
"Do you have no memories that surface when it rains?"
"Pardon?"
"A person who comes to mind when it rains. I'm asking if there isn't one."
At Oscar's probing words, Lelia gulped.
"...There is, of course."
"...."
At her answer, Oscar smiled faintly. Seeing his eyes look somewhat at ease, Lelia felt relieved.
It didn't seem like the rain would stop anytime soon.
In the end, the two decided to stay here for the night. It was fortunate that there was a roof to shelter them from the rain.
Lelia laid a clean cloth over the old bed and lay down.
It was a much more comfortable sleeping arrangement than when they had been camping for several days. Thanks to this, her body wasn't uncomfortable, but Oscar's presence made her mind uneasy.
Oscar similarly laid a clean cloth over the sofa beside the bed and lay down at length.
Lelia subtly raised her head to look at him.
From this side, only his legs were visible.
He was lying with his legs crossed, protruding from the sofa.
Lelia suppressed her discomfort and forced herself to try to sleep.
And late at night.
Crash!
She snapped her eyes open at the sound of thunder that seemed to split the sky apart.
Lelia immediately sat up and checked the sofa where Oscar was lying.
Fortunately, he hadn't woken up; he was sleeping without even a stir.
'Thank goodness...'
It was thunder loud enough to startle even her, so if Oscar had been awake, he would have been startled too.
'I wonder if he's still afraid of thunder.'
Lelia very quietly slipped out of bed and walked toward the sofa.
Oscar's face, illuminated by the moonlight coming through the window, looked peaceful.
Seeing him quietly with his eyes closed, his face looked a lot like when he was young.
A small smile spread across Lelia's lips.
That was when she was about to head back to bed.
"……!!"
Lelia froze in place. It felt as if her heart was plummeting beneath her feet.
Oscar had grabbed her wrist.
He pulled her arm with force. Startled, Lelia was pulled along and ended up falling onto Oscar's body.
She tried to get up immediately, but the hand that had released her wrist was now at her waist.
His arm wrapped around her waist like a coiled snake.
Lelia's mind went blank. As she struggled to break free from him, a weak voice reached her ear.
"I'm scared."
"……."
"It's raining, Leo."
"L-Lord Oscar...!"
"The thunder... it's going to devour me."
Lelia turned her head to look at his face.
It felt like the sound of her heart pounding was being transmitted outward.
His red pupils were hazy, but his breathing suggested he wasn't having a seizure.
Lelia gazed at his moistened eyes and realized he was trembling.
Oscar was afraid.
In an instant, Lelia's nose stung with emotion.
Just then, Oscar's arm wrapped around her waist fell away limply.
Lelia slowly rose and stood before him. Not knowing what to do, she could only look at him.
Oscar raised his upper body, lowered his head, and buried his face in his palms.
"……."
Lelia carefully placed her fingertips on his tormented shoulder.
She wanted to hug him like when he was young, but she couldn't.
Just then, light flashed outside the window again.
Before the thunder arrived belatedly, he reached out to Lelia again.
Oscar pulled Lelia's hand that was on his shoulder and brought it to his cheek.
"...I won't call you Leo."
"……."
Rumble.
The belated thunder crashed as if it would split the earth. Without even flinching, Oscar asked her.
"Instead, would you hold me?"
"……."
"As I said earlier, I hate the rain and the thunder. No, actually, I find them horrifying and terrifying."
"Lord Oscar..."
"I can't breathe, I'm scared... like I'm going to die."
His low voice pleaded. Lelia could no longer refuse his trembling touch and voice.
So she slowly reached out and pulled his head into an embrace.
Oscar willingly embraced her approaching body and rested his face against her waist.
And as if struggling, he repeatedly took deep breaths and exhaled.
With a heavy heart, Lelia stroked the back of his head. For a moment, her hand almost went down to his back, but unable to touch his bare skin, she brought it back to his head.
Soft silver hair wrapped around her fingertips.
Lelia closed her eyes, calming Oscar down, and recalled the past.
With her eyes closed, Lelia became the 'Leo' of her childhood.
Holding the young Oscar who was crying in fear, soothing and comforting him, Lelia also found comfort herself.
Every time she held and healed him, Lelia too received comfort and healing for her heart.
However, unlike Lelia who had returned to childhood memories, Oscar's sharp eyes gleamed as he pulled Lelia's waist even tighter.
In the dark cabin, his red eyes flashed with a subtle madness.
The corners of his lips were slightly raised.
Nevertheless, he mimicked the weak breathing of a tender beast, trembling the arm that held her waist like a young lamb.
Unaware that the snake of his wicked intentions was coiling to swallow her, Lelia endlessly stroked him as if comforting a pitiful wild animal.