Chapter 476: Man and Woman (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 476: Man and Woman (3)
A baron of Rafdonia. A hero among adventurers. The new chieftain of the barbarians. The captain of the Anabada Clan.
All those titles belonged to one man: the great Bjorn Yandel.
"He... He was actually alive..." Missha Karlstein clenched her fists. She came to the city early in the morning to conduct her own investigation, but everything Baekho Lee had said was true. "All this time... What the hell have I been doing...?"
Countless emotions filled her mind. She was happy and sad, excited and overwhelmed, and, of course, angry. Why had Bjorn Yandel tricked her? Why had he faked his death and left her in the dark for so long? If he hadn't, she wouldn't have been forced to spend all those years with those criminals.
"No, that's not right." She shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts plaguing her. No matter what, he surely had his reasons. That was the kind of man Bjorn Yandel was.
In the end, she decided to set aside any doubts until she was able to hear his explanation in person. "Yeah, that's what I need to do..."
She headed to Bjorn's home, determined to hear the truth from him. She'd figured out where he was living through word of mouth, but when she arrived, the house was empty. "Did he move...?" Why now, of all times?
Thanks to that, she had to spend the night at a nearby inn. The next morning, she asked around again and finally made her way to Bjorn's new residence.
"Kommelby..." A feeling she couldn't quite identify shifted beneath the waters of her mind. He had once told her that if he made a lot of money, he was going to move to a place like this someday.
So this is Bjorn's house...
Even after arriving, she couldn't bring herself to knock on the front door. The moment she got there, all sorts of thoughts raced through her. How would Bjorn react when he saw her? What if he wasn't happy? She had even heard that he was living with that elf and a woman named Emily Raines...
Emily Raines... She's probably the same woman I met on Farune Island.
What was their relationship? How did the two of them become comrades? The rumors about them having a secret relationship... they had to be false, right? She couldn't stop the anxious thoughts from snowballing.
Because of that, Missha Karlstein simply returned to her inn after spending an entire day wandering outside his house and sometimes peeking inside.
At least I got to see him for a bit...
She managed to get a glimpse of Bjorn when he returned home that night, but she couldn't bring herself to talk to him, not when he looked so exhausted.
Yeah, that's why. There's definitely no other reason I didn't talk to him...
She planned to go back tomorrow and see him for real. However, the next day, the same thing happened yet again. Bjorn left early in the morning and only returned late at night, once again exhausted. She could have walked over and talked to him at any time, but her feet wouldn't budge.
"Hehe, come back safe, Mister!"
"...It would be nice if we could all have dinner together."
Every morning, two women with sleepy eyes accompanied him to the door, and Bjorn scolded them for waking up so early in the morning to send him off. The sight was all the confirmation Missha needed.
Bjorn... He's doing fine.
Even without her, his life hadn't changed much.
One day, two days, three days, four days...
The days flew by, but she could only ever bring herself to hover around the house's perimeter, occasionally even using her special abilities to take a peek at the residents within. The two women were extremely vigilant with finely-tuned senses, so she had nearly gotten caught several times, but since she never went onto the property, they never bothered to chase her down.
However, she got a little bolder with each passing day.
Soon, she didn't just watch them from afar but from underneath the window. When glancing through the window wasn't enough, she started hiding in a space behind the fence, and it was on one of those days that it finally happened.
Shaaaaaa!
A magic circle burst into being, bringing Bjorn with it. The two women quickly ran toward him to welcome him home. He looked confused, asking what happened to the yard.
"Oh, this? Don't worry about it. It might look a bit odd, but... there was no other option."
"Since it would be unfair for one person to have it all to themselves, we decided to split it in two."
Was this really about the yard, or something else? The thought popped into Missha's mind, but she decided not to dwell on it. They then went to the kitchen and had a meal cooked by a mysterious stranger she didn't recognize.
"What do you think? Is it to your taste?"
"It's perfect. It tastes great, and there's a lot of side dishes with meat too."
But he always said my cooking was bland...
"Since we never know when you will get back, the mistresses always make me prepare plenty to eat."
Missha's body immediately turned to stone.
...Mistresses?
Were those rumors really true? She hadn't thought so, but Bjorn didn't deny it.
Ba-dum.
Her heart felt like it was plummeting. When she lived with Bjorn, people always used to ask about their relationship, but Bjorn had made a point of denying it every time.
"Mister, you don't have any other plans today, right?"
After the meal, they came out to the garden to have some tea. In the vacant lot, now half-garden and half-training grounds, sat a round table with three chairs.
...I'm too close.
Worried that she might get caught if she stayed here any longer, she carefully tried to slink away from the fence without making a sound. Her first step was quiet, and so was the second. As she gingerly moved away from them, listening in on their laughter, a sudden thought struck her.
What if... What if she had never fallen for Baekho Lee's offer that day? What if she had just stayed at home, waiting for the day he returned to her? Would she be sitting there next to him with a smile on her face too?
She didn't know. However, one thing was clear.
"It's just... I was wondering if this might be what it feels like to have a family."
There was no room for her in this house.
Rustle.
It was time to head back to the inn for the day.
Dash!
Suddenly, the two women who had been sipping away at their tea sprang at her, closing in on both sides. She was too distracted by the chaotic whirlwind of her own thoughts to register what was happening right away, and when she finally did, it was too late to fend them off.
The days flew by, but she could only ever bring herself to hover around the house's perimeter, occasionally even using her special abilities to take a peek at the residents within. The two women were extremely vigilant with finely-tuned senses, so she had nearly gotten caught several times, but since she never went onto the property, they never bothered to chase her down.
However, she got a little bolder with each passing day.
Soon, she didn't just watch them from afar but from underneath the window. When glancing through the window wasn't enough, she started hiding in a space behind the fence, and it was on one of those days that it finally happened.
Shaaaaaa!
A magic circle burst into being, bringing Bjorn with it. The two women quickly ran toward him to welcome him home. He looked confused, asking what happened to the yard.
"Oh, this? Don't worry about it. It might look a bit odd, but... there was no other option."
"Since it would be unfair for one person to have it all to themselves, we decided to split it in two."
Was this really about the yard, or something else? The thought popped into Missha's mind, but she decided not to dwell on it. They then went to the kitchen and had a meal cooked by a mysterious stranger she didn't recognize.
"What do you think? Is it to your taste?"
"It's perfect. It tastes great, and there's a lot of side dishes with meat too."
But he always said my cooking was bland...
"Since we never know when you will get back, the mistresses always make me prepare plenty to eat."
Missha's body immediately turned to stone.
...Mistresses?
Were those rumors really true? She hadn't thought so, but Bjorn didn't deny it.
Ba-dum.
Her heart felt like it was plummeting. When she lived with Bjorn, people always used to ask about their relationship, but Bjorn had made a point of denying it every time.
"Mister, you don't have any other plans today, right?"
After the meal, they came out to the garden to have some tea. In the vacant lot, now half-garden and half-training grounds, sat a round table with three chairs.
...I'm too close.
Worried that she might get caught if she stayed here any longer, she carefully tried to slink away from the fence without making a sound. Her first step was quiet, and so was the second. As she gingerly moved away from them, listening in on their laughter, a sudden thought struck her.
What if... What if she had never fallen for Baekho Lee's offer that day? What if she had just stayed at home, waiting for the day he returned to her? Would she be sitting there next to him with a smile on her face too?
She didn't know. However, one thing was clear.
"It's just... I was wondering if this might be what it feels like to have a family."
There was no room for her in this house.
Rustle.
It was time to head back to the inn for the day.
Dash!
Suddenly, the two women who had been sipping away at their tea sprang at her, closing in on both sides. She was too distracted by the chaotic whirlwind of her own thoughts to register what was happening right away, and when she finally did, it was too late to fend them off.
"...Ehhh?!"
By the time she came to her senses, she was already kneeling in the garden with her arms pinned behind her. She knew exactly what kind of picture she must have made. An ex-teammate... No, an ex-lover who had suddenly been caught sneaking around his house...
What sort of excuse could she possibly give?
"Ahaha..."
At a loss for what else to do, she plastered on an awkward smile and decided to start with a simple hello.
"I-It's been a while... Bjorn—Ack!"
It was a horrific reunion.
***
In a room bare of furniture, a woman stood by her second-floor window overlooking the yard and bit her nails nervously. "Why is she here? She abandoned him when he disappeared and now... she's b-back and... she's taking him away from me again..."
Her dark muttering spoke to just how unstable her state of mind was. Amelia lingered in the doorway behind her, keeping an eye on her to make sure nothing happened.
"...I can't hear anything because of that magic item. I-Is there a way to listen in?"
"I won't deny it."
"Th-then tell me right now—!"
"But Bjorn would probably hate it if you did that, right?"
Erwen's jaw snapped shut. She returned to nibbling on her nails and staring out the window.
Amelia couldn't stand the sight any longer, so she casually asked, "If that's how you're going to act, shouldn't you have made a move on him sooner?" The elf turned her head and pinned her with a glare so cold that it would give anyone chills. Amelia shrugged, uncaring, and met those icy eyes head-on. "What? I'm not wrong, am I?"
It was obvious. No matter how out of control Erwen might seem right now, she'd never do anything that might make Bjorn hate her. Deep down, Erwen was a soft, innocent girl, but because of her essences, she was covered in prickly thorns that clouded her judgment.
Erwen knew that as well, which is why she was keeping her mouth shut.
I'm not a fan of sticking my nose in other people's business, but...
Amelia couldn't bear to leave things like this.
She walked over to the window where Erwen stood and grabbed a seat. "Tersia, what type of relationship do you want with Yandel?" Again, Erwen didn't answer. Normally Amelia would have ended the conversation there, but this time, she kept pressing. "Missha Karlstein coming back won't change your relationship. Or is it that you're looking for something more? Do you want Yandel to see you in a romantic light?"
Finally, she answered. "That's... There'd be nothing wrong with that..." Her response was meek. Spoken like a true coward.
"I never said there was."
"...What is it that you're trying to say, then?" Erwen demanded, apparently unable to stand being cornered any longer.
Amelia took a step forward, unwilling to back down. "I was just curious. If that's how you feel, then why haven't you told him? You've realized it too, haven't you? Yandel is quick on the uptake, but since he has so much on his plate, he'll never make the first move."
No response. Amelia pushed on anyway.
"So tell me: do you want me to help you?"
Erwen scoffed in outright disbelief. "Help me? Why don't you tell me what type of... relationship you want with him?"
"...Ehhh?!"
By the time she came to her senses, she was already kneeling in the garden with her arms pinned behind her. She knew exactly what kind of picture she must have made. An ex-teammate... No, an ex-lover who had suddenly been caught sneaking around his house...
What sort of excuse could she possibly give?
"Ahaha..."
At a loss for what else to do, she plastered on an awkward smile and decided to start with a simple hello.
"I-It's been a while... Bjorn—Ack!"
It was a horrific reunion.
***
In a room bare of furniture, a woman stood by her second-floor window overlooking the yard and bit her nails nervously. "Why is she here? She abandoned him when he disappeared and now... she's b-back and... she's taking him away from me again..."
Her dark muttering spoke to just how unstable her state of mind was. Amelia lingered in the doorway behind her, keeping an eye on her to make sure nothing happened.
"...I can't hear anything because of that magic item. I-Is there a way to listen in?"
"I won't deny it."
"Th-then tell me right now—!"
"But Bjorn would probably hate it if you did that, right?"
Erwen's jaw snapped shut. She returned to nibbling on her nails and staring out the window.
Amelia couldn't stand the sight any longer, so she casually asked, "If that's how you're going to act, shouldn't you have made a move on him sooner?" The elf turned her head and pinned her with a glare so cold that it would give anyone chills. Amelia shrugged, uncaring, and met those icy eyes head-on. "What? I'm not wrong, am I?"
It was obvious. No matter how out of control Erwen might seem right now, she'd never do anything that might make Bjorn hate her. Deep down, Erwen was a soft, innocent girl, but because of her essences, she was covered in prickly thorns that clouded her judgment.
Erwen knew that as well, which is why she was keeping her mouth shut.
I'm not a fan of sticking my nose in other people's business, but...
Amelia couldn't bear to leave things like this.
She walked over to the window where Erwen stood and grabbed a seat. "Tersia, what type of relationship do you want with Yandel?" Again, Erwen didn't answer. Normally Amelia would have ended the conversation there, but this time, she kept pressing. "Missha Karlstein coming back won't change your relationship. Or is it that you're looking for something more? Do you want Yandel to see you in a romantic light?"
Finally, she answered. "That's... There'd be nothing wrong with that..." Her response was meek. Spoken like a true coward.
"I never said there was."
"...What is it that you're trying to say, then?" Erwen demanded, apparently unable to stand being cornered any longer.
Amelia took a step forward, unwilling to back down. "I was just curious. If that's how you feel, then why haven't you told him? You've realized it too, haven't you? Yandel is quick on the uptake, but since he has so much on his plate, he'll never make the first move."
No response. Amelia pushed on anyway.
"So tell me: do you want me to help you?"
Erwen scoffed in outright disbelief. "Help me? Why don't you tell me what type of... relationship you want with him?"
Even though this was an embarrassing conversation to be having, Amelia didn't shy away from answering honestly. "Well, this is enough for me. I'm happy with the way things are." She didn't hate bickering with Erwen on the daily or experiencing all sorts of wild adventures at Yandel's side. The reason for that was simple. "As Yandel said, I think this must be what it feels like to have a family."
Erwen couldn't say anything in response to that. The anger and paranoia filling her eyes had disappeared, and in their place, all that was left was a myriad of complicated, embarrassing emotions.
There was a long moment of silence, eventually broken by Erwen's hesitant voice. "...Tell me. What do I need to do?"
She was finally opening up. Amelia smiled a gentle, big-sister-like smile at Erwen and said, "Wait for the right moment."
"...Wait?"
"If you go for it now, Bjorn will only run away." Any good hunter knew that the first rule of hunting was to make it impossible for their prey to escape. Amelia calmly explained this logic. "Knowing Bjorn Yandel, he's probably thinking something along the lines of 'she isn't in the right state of mind to be making choices like that.' He wouldn't take your feelings seriously and would only think of them as fleeting or temporary."
And on top of that...
"He's also probably concerned about ruining your current relationship."
This elf and that barbarian weren't all that different. Although they both seemed confident on the outside, deep down, they were full of all sorts of fears and anxieties.
"That's why you have to wait for now. If you approach him now, it won't do you any good. He's just going to dismiss your feelings."
"Then how long should I wait...?"
"Until you can erase some of your essences. Then he'll have to accept that you've returned to normal." If she told him how she really felt then, even Yandel wouldn't be able to dismiss her feelings out of hand. "I'm not saying you should sit around and do nothing in the meantime, of course. You need to start conveying those feelings."
"...How?"
"How about you ask me nicely?"
"...Could you please give me an example?"
Amelia went on to give Erwen some pointers about romantic relationships. Erwen listened with perked ears. These tips were incredible, especially since each one seemed reasonable.
"I can't believe you had the idea to approach him while he was getting dressed and put his tie on for him..." Once Amelia had finished imparting her wisdom, Erwen stared at her in astonishment. "Have you... ever dated a guy before?"
"...No."
Erwen frowned like her answer discredited all the good advice she gave. "Then how do you know all of this?"
Amelia laughed sheepishly and fell back on that man's favorite excuse. "...I read it in a book."
Well, it wasn't an excuse if it was true.
***
A little over ten days had passed since my last encounter with Baekho Lee, and finally, the time for my long-awaited reunion had come.
I never imagined this was how it would play out, though.
Amelia and Erwen were sent inside while Missha and I talked. I also used a magic item to prevent any sound from carrying. I figured our conversation would only set Erwen off in her fragile state.
The two of us stared at each other, not saying a word. The ease we used to share was gone now. Even though I wasn't in battle, I could feel my muscles tensing and my neck growing stiff.
...Why is this so awkward? I feel like I'm going to die.
I finally bit the bullet and broke the silence. "Your hair... It's long now."
"Oh... This... Yeah..."
That didn't give me much to work with.
Before things could get awkward again, I said, "I don't think I've ever seen you tie your hair back like that before."
"Really? But whenever I was cooking forrr you... Oh, I mean... for you..."
Now she was acting like her old self. I couldn't help but laugh as the tension broke. "Relax. You don't have to worry about the way you talk. It's not like I ever cared much about things like that."
"But... I really did fix it... while you were gone..."
"...You fixed it?"
"Yeah, but sometimes... when I get nervous, it comes back. But I'm telling you I rrreally... really fixed it..."
So she was nervous too? I guess it wasn't just me.
"A-Anyway, since I said hi, I should get going since I have a lot to—"
What was she going on about? Did she not understand what was happening here?
"Where are you going?" I took a step forward and grabbed her wrist.
...Why is she so skinny?
Anyway, she wouldn't be able to run away now unless she had Blink.
...There's no way she learned that skill, right?
I couldn't be sure of anything, though. We'd been apart for a long time.
"Missha Karlstein." Still, I looked her in the eyes and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument. "You're not going anywhere."
Even though this was an embarrassing conversation to be having, Amelia didn't shy away from answering honestly. "Well, this is enough for me. I'm happy with the way things are." She didn't hate bickering with Erwen on the daily or experiencing all sorts of wild adventures at Yandel's side. The reason for that was simple. "As Yandel said, I think this must be what it feels like to have a family."
Erwen couldn't say anything in response to that. The anger and paranoia filling her eyes had disappeared, and in their place, all that was left was a myriad of complicated, embarrassing emotions.
There was a long moment of silence, eventually broken by Erwen's hesitant voice. "...Tell me. What do I need to do?"
She was finally opening up. Amelia smiled a gentle, big-sister-like smile at Erwen and said, "Wait for the right moment."
"...Wait?"
"If you go for it now, Bjorn will only run away." Any good hunter knew that the first rule of hunting was to make it impossible for their prey to escape. Amelia calmly explained this logic. "Knowing Bjorn Yandel, he's probably thinking something along the lines of 'she isn't in the right state of mind to be making choices like that.' He wouldn't take your feelings seriously and would only think of them as fleeting or temporary."
And on top of that...
"He's also probably concerned about ruining your current relationship."
This elf and that barbarian weren't all that different. Although they both seemed confident on the outside, deep down, they were full of all sorts of fears and anxieties.
"That's why you have to wait for now. If you approach him now, it won't do you any good. He's just going to dismiss your feelings."
"Then how long should I wait...?"
"Until you can erase some of your essences. Then he'll have to accept that you've returned to normal." If she told him how she really felt then, even Yandel wouldn't be able to dismiss her feelings out of hand. "I'm not saying you should sit around and do nothing in the meantime, of course. You need to start conveying those feelings."
"...How?"
"How about you ask me nicely?"
"...Could you please give me an example?"
Amelia went on to give Erwen some pointers about romantic relationships. Erwen listened with perked ears. These tips were incredible, especially since each one seemed reasonable.
"I can't believe you had the idea to approach him while he was getting dressed and put his tie on for him..." Once Amelia had finished imparting her wisdom, Erwen stared at her in astonishment. "Have you... ever dated a guy before?"
"...No."
Erwen frowned like her answer discredited all the good advice she gave. "Then how do you know all of this?"
Amelia laughed sheepishly and fell back on that man's favorite excuse. "...I read it in a book."
Well, it wasn't an excuse if it was true.
***
A little over ten days had passed since my last encounter with Baekho Lee, and finally, the time for my long-awaited reunion had come.
I never imagined this was how it would play out, though.
Amelia and Erwen were sent inside while Missha and I talked. I also used a magic item to prevent any sound from carrying. I figured our conversation would only set Erwen off in her fragile state.
The two of us stared at each other, not saying a word. The ease we used to share was gone now. Even though I wasn't in battle, I could feel my muscles tensing and my neck growing stiff.
...Why is this so awkward? I feel like I'm going to die.
I finally bit the bullet and broke the silence. "Your hair... It's long now."
"Oh... This... Yeah..."
That didn't give me much to work with.
Before things could get awkward again, I said, "I don't think I've ever seen you tie your hair back like that before."
"Really? But whenever I was cooking forrr you... Oh, I mean... for you..."
Now she was acting like her old self. I couldn't help but laugh as the tension broke. "Relax. You don't have to worry about the way you talk. It's not like I ever cared much about things like that."
"But... I really did fix it... while you were gone..."
"...You fixed it?"
"Yeah, but sometimes... when I get nervous, it comes back. But I'm telling you I rrreally... really fixed it..."
So she was nervous too? I guess it wasn't just me.
"A-Anyway, since I said hi, I should get going since I have a lot to—"
What was she going on about? Did she not understand what was happening here?
"Where are you going?" I took a step forward and grabbed her wrist.
...Why is she so skinny?
Anyway, she wouldn't be able to run away now unless she had Blink.
...There's no way she learned that skill, right?
I couldn't be sure of anything, though. We'd been apart for a long time.
"Missha Karlstein." Still, I looked her in the eyes and spoke in a tone that brooked no argument. "You're not going anywhere."