Chapter 26: Heilon (1)
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
Sigren then entered the room with a firm expression on his face. I thought he wanted to talk by the door, but it seemed he changed his mind. I hesitated briefly and then took a few steps back. Sigren grabbed my shoulder and spoke in a low voice. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“You’re going to leave?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Don’t answer me with ‘uh-huh.’ How can you decide so quickly without saying a word?”
“The Duke said I’m now an adult, so he told me to do what I want.”
Sigren muttered harsh words about Abel with his head bowed. If Abel heard him, he would probably bang Sigren’s head on the floor.
I lightly patted Sigren’s cheek.
“You need to use better words.”
“Is that all you have to say to me now?”
“What else is there?”
“Did you forget that we’ve been through life and death together for five years?” Sigren gritted his teeth.
“Oh, you’re sad.”
Well, it was understandable. I was the only one who could call Sigren a friend, so of course, he would be upset by my decision to leave. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
I smiled and gently stroked Sigren’s fine black hair.
“Okay, I’ll write you a letter.”
“That’s not the problem here.”
Sigren grabbed my shoulders and shook them slightly, as if trying to wake me up.
I felt like I might lose my mind.
“Then what’s the matter?”
“Everything, from one to ten.”
I looked at him and blinked gently. His intense reaction made me feel more at ease.
“Sigren, are you thinking we’d be together forever?”
“…”
When I asked, Sigren looked pained.
“We’re both adults. No matter how close we are as childhood friends, it’s natural that our paths will diverge at some point.”
When I went to college, I lost contact with my friends from elementary, middle, and high school. Although this world doesn’t have the concept of alumni, the point still stands.
Sigren laughed, as if in dismay. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“You’re too cold.”
“Could you describe me as rational instead?”
“Do you plan to stay in the capital forever?”
“I don’t know. For now, I just want to go somewhere warm.”
I hoped he wouldn’t make a sad face. He wasn’t a child anymore. Did he really believe he would be able to spend all his time with me?
I felt it was just his response because he couldn’t go to the capital. The capital was a place that threatened his life. It was his hometown, but also somewhere he had to avoid. However, if things went according to the original story, he would eventually be able to come to the capital. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
I reached out and cupped Sigren’s cheeks.
“Don’t be sad, Sigren. Wherever I am, I will always be on your side.”
Sigren looked at me with gloomy, sunken eyes. I made eye contact with him and spoke in a calm tone.
“If you ever need help, just tell me, and I will come to you.”
“What if I ask you to stay here with me?”
That wasn’t possible. If he was stuck in Heilon, the story couldn’t progress at all.
“Anything but that.” I smiled brightly.
“You’re… so contradictory.”
“Wherever you go, except for that. Isn’t it good to have a friend you can rely on in times of crisis?”
Sigren sighed lightly.
“Fiona…”
“Hm?”
“What do you think of me?”
“I regard you as the most precious thing in the world.”
“Then what would you do if I left for somewhere?”
“Of course, I’ll see you off and hope for your safety. If you need help, I’ll come to you.”
“…”
Sigren looked at me with an expression that suggested he was slowly growing angry. As expected, he was becoming more and more like Abel as time went on. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Forget it. I’m a fool for asking you such a question.”
I let out a small sigh at his cold reaction.
“You’re sometimes too cold.”
“That’s what I was about to say.”
“Never mind. Let’s stop talking.”
He was a grown man now, but he still had a childlike side.
I looked at Sigren for a moment, then turned and slowly walked toward my bed, trying to find my blanket. My shoulders were shivering for some reason, so I wanted to wrap myself in the blanket. But I couldn’t remember where it was. I thought the maids had washed it and put it somewhere, but I didn’t know where. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Then, something fell lightly on my shoulder. I turned my head slightly and saw that it was the blanket I had been looking for. It must have been Sigren who found it in the room. I smiled inwardly. Even if we were upset with each other as childhood friends, we would still do anything for one another.
“Sigren, thank you for finding this…”
“Fiona…”
At that moment, a warmth wrapped around my back as my name was called. It wasn’t just the warmth of the blanket; there were also two strong arms reaching over the blanket and wrapping around my shoulders. A low voice sighed in my ear.
“If you’re going to leave this place, then just stay in the capital.”
“…”
Sigren had grown rapidly in recent years. He had become so much taller than me. He hugged me from behind, and I felt as if I was completely enveloped in his arms. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Why all of a sudden?”
Wasn’t he upset that I was going to the capital?
“Come to think of it, it’s nothing new. Isn’t it always like this? Wherever you go, I will definitely…”
Suddenly, I remembered the young Sigren, who blushed and promised he would definitely come to meet me, and his current words seemed to overlap with that image.
“—follow you.”
After saying that, Sigren’s hands slowly fell away. Even though I was covered with a blanket, my shoulders trembled slightly as his warmth receded. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Finally, Sigren whispered as if making a vow, “So, wait for me in the capital.”
BANG.
The door was closed.
I took a deep breath and stared at the door that Sigren had just closed. It was a warning sign when the protagonist did something out of character. I trembled with a sense of unknown anxiety. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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