Chapter 57.1 Mars (3)
Proofreader: DreaMing
After reaching a compromise, Cloud and Mars went down to the village to find a paper.
But Neria couldn't find her footing, she leaned her back against a tree to find strength.
That was the only thing she could do.
Because her mind was a complicated mess right now.
‘He knew..?’
Somehow, she overheard their conversation. She learnt that Mars had experienced a broken love, and Cloud was comforting him.
Just when Neria felt pleased with his mature nature to console others.
– Just say it out loud. Your hyung's amazing, his childhood sweetheart is sucking another guy's cock but he accepted the fact straightforwardly.
She heard quite shocking words.
What Cloud said—
—it must be referring to what had happened between her and Gis.
‘How..?'
She was thoroughly secretive so that Cloud would not find out. But he knew, and she had taken him for granted. Now he talked about it with a smile as if it was nothing.
‘Then what Cloud told Mars about me…’
Was that it..?
No, more than that…
He saw.
He has seen it.
Cloud saw it.
The fact was enough to quake Neria's mind.
She felt her chest tighten.
It felt heavy.
As if she couldn't breathe properly.
For a moment, she felt that disgusting touch on her lips.
"Ahhh…"
She has to wash.
She has to cleanse this dirty mouth of hers. She has to wash it and make it clean.
Neria frantically turned her head around her to take in her surroundings. But what she desired wasn't around her, neither a well nor a river—where she could wash her mouth.
Instead, there was a bottle of wine that she had brought to drink with Cloud.
Neria hastily opened the cork of the bottle. She immediately took a mouthful in her mouth and rinsed her mouth. Then she desperately poured wine on her quivering fingers and repeatedly wiped her lips.
It being a very strong wine made the potent smell of alcohol sting the tip of her nose, but it didn't matter.
The thing most important to her right now was to cleanse her mouth!
However, putting hard work didn't mean success, the feeling still lingered.
“Oh my god..!”
While rinsing her mouth, the strong liquor touched her delicate uvula making her cough violently. She fell right down. She spit out the alcohol she had been holding and vomited in vain.
By the time the nausea was over, tears were dripping from her eyes.
“Cloud… Cloud…”
He knew, but he still accepted her as a teammate again?
Why?
Because they had been close friends before?
Or did he find out she was being abused by Gis?
– Besides, the genuine childhood sweethearts don't go well together. It is an immutable law that I came across while traveling the continent.
"Sorry, sorry…"
I'm so sorry, Cloud.
I'm sorry for hurting you so much.
I didn't want to… no. No. I'm not worthy to make excuses. Sorry.
I'm so sorry.
Please don't talk like that.
“You are the only one I have…”
I don't know what you think of me.
Even if you think of me as a dirty woman with no sense of integrity.
You mean everything to me…
Neria spent the night in tears.
She stayed up all night thinking about how she could be forgiven by Cloud, and then she decided to tell him the truth.
It was all because of Gis' intimidation that she did it, that she was compelled to follow him.
It's the truth she hid because she didn't want those secrets to be found out… but if Cloud already knows, she doesn't have to hide it.
‘If I tell the truth… Cloud will forgive me.’
Rather, he might comfort her with why did she keep all this pressure inside of her. With that as an opportunity, they might be able to strengthen their relationship with a common enemy called Gis.
Neria walked down the mountain with deep uneasiness and a small bit of anticipation.
Just when she took in a deep breath in front of the inn, having made up her mind.
“Cloud, you pooch, come out!”
A girl with pink hair smashed through the inn door.
* * *
“Ugh…”
Isabella woke up from her sleep, with a yawn she stretched out her arms. Even so, she felt the stiffness her body passed onto her. It was because she slept late and woke up early.
‘Oh, really. Why was that person again so persistent yesterday?’
How many times did she give hints on the way back, but he just refused to notice, or he did but pretended not to? Thanks to which, she came back later than the scheduled time.
She felt like sleeping more.
But she felt that her routine would be messed up if she did, so she persevered and went out of her room.
"Good morning~"
Her mother greeted her morning while stirring the soup in her pot with a ladle.
Isabella replied while yawning.
"Mmh. I am very sleepy.”
“Oh, did you meet the baron’s son yesterday as well? What did he say?”
“It’s always the same. He just kept bragging how good he was. I'm sick and tired of it."
Her father, who was sitting on a chair, interjected to Isabella's grumbles.
“It's because he has the right. After all, he is a noble, isn't he? Why don't you try to change your mind? Opportunities like this don't come often…”
“Dad, I previously asked you to stop mentioning this, didn't I?”
“Ah, I mean… If you think about your future, you will find that the Baron’s son is way better than that Mars guy…”
"Dad."
“Alright..! I got it. I'll stop.”
Her father, unable to ignore his daughter's stern gaze, coughed and looked away.
Isabella sighed deeply.
“Really, dad is sometimes too harsh on Mars.”
“It’s all because your dad cares for you, you know. Ah right, there's a letter for you.”
Isabella's eyes twitched at the word ‘letter'. Her mother smiled knowingly and added.
“It’s a letter from Mars, not the baron’s son.”
“Mars?”
Isabella's expression changed dramatically as if the previous one was a facade.
"Where is it?"
“On the table.”
Isabella turned her gaze to the table. Placed on the table was a letter, as her mother said.
Not a fancy letter with a seal stamped on the envelope, but a normal double-folded paper.
But Isabella liked this letter more than the fancy ones.
Because the word ‘Mars’ was written on the edge of the neatly folded paper. Isabella, who promptly picked up the letter, narrowed her eyes for a moment and looked at her father.
"I'm asking just in case… Did you read my letter secretly?"
“…come on, I would never do such a thing.”
“That's a relief.”
Isabella hummed merrily and entered her room. As she sat on the bed, she looked at the letter with a gleeful smirk.
‘Mars wrote this for me, right?’
She couldn't stop giggling.
In fact, it was not limited to today—this wasn't the first time she couldn't stop her laughs.
She has been full of giggles these days.
To the extent that she worried that wrinkles might appear on her face because of this.
‘I was skeptical of what Narah said…’
At that time, she was worried because Mars no longer cared about her and was wholly engrossed with his stupid sword.
Narah advised her that she just had to play hard to get, she said that it was the solution to all her problems.
An advice from Narah who herself didn't have any dating experience.
Isabella didn't believe her in spirit, but since there was no other way, she followed in skepticism.
But, unexpectedly, the effect of the advice was enormous.
Less than two weeks after she started playing hard to get, Mars came and apologized to her.
Isabella was surprised, but she did not immediately accept his apology, as Narah had instructed.
Then Mars kept apologizing to her even more sincerely. Daily visits became basic, and he even bought and gifted her her favorite things from the city.
Mars, who had been ignoring her, only knowing to swing his sword all day long, was so focused on her that she even wondered where the previous him had gone to.
Isabella was delighted with that.
It felt so giddy to see Mars turn happy and sad with her every minute action. Now being able to put her loved one, who she was slowly losing, in her own hands and control him gave her a great sense of relief.
‘Narah was after all right. I just had to grab the leash.'
How good would have it been if she had known to play hard to get from a young age. Isabella reassured herself that she wasn't too late.
Her attention was again directed to Mars' letter.
