Chapter 175
“Si-woo, you should head back and rest for today.”
“Huh? But there’s still so much to deal with…”
After confirming that all the demonic beasts had been defeated in the city, Yoon Si-woo was taken aback by Eve’s suggestion to return and rest.
Just a glance around showed chaos due to the rampaging demonic beasts everywhere. It was crucial to finish the cleanup and restoration as soon as possible, yet here she was saying he should go back and rest.
“Why would you say that?” he asked, confused, and Eve smirked.
“But Si-woo, even if you pretend to be fine, you look quite worn out, don’t you?”
“…How did you know?”
“Even if I seem this way, I’m still a teacher, you know.”
“……”
Her words hit the target perfectly, leaving him unable to counter. He really was quite exhausted.
The regenerative abilities of the unyielding holy sword and the significant energy drain from Lucy’s powers during the emergency took quite a toll on him.
But that didn’t mean he would comfortably accept going to rest. Just because he was tired didn’t change the fact that he bore the blessing of the holy sword.
His recovery speed was far superior to that of ordinary people, so he was sure that a little time would be enough to bounce back.
“It’s not like I need to rest. There shouldn’t be any more battles, so I can at least help with the cleanup.”
Not buying that, Eve responded firmly.
“It’s fine. Even if you don’t help, others can handle the cleanup just fine.”
“But…”
“Si-woo.”
Suddenly, Eve turned to face him as she called his name. Yoon Si-woo saw her looking at him with pity and a hint of regret in her eyes.
“Before long, you’ll have a lot of things you need to do. By then, I won’t be able to help you.”
“……”
“So today, just go and rest, okay?”
Feeling the weight of responsibility she had placed upon him acutely, Yoon Si-woo nodded silently. He hoped that by doing so, her sense of guilt towards him would lessen even a little.
*
Returning home for the first time in a while, he noticed a pair of unfamiliar shoes at the entrance. Scarlet, who had fallen asleep earlier, must have come to her senses, he thought.
…With all that blood she lost, I hope she’s feeling better now.
Knock, knock.
“…Scarlet, are you in there?”
He gently knocked on the door to check her condition, but there was no response.
Logically speaking, she was probably just worn out and sleeping.
But just as he turned to leave, he paused and turned back towards the door again. What if she was feeling too unwell to respond?
Once that thought crossed his mind, his anxiety spiked.
After all, had her injuries been as serious as she appeared, it felt too risky to just walk away without checking.
However, barging into a sleeping woman’s room without permission felt… awkward.
Inside Si-woo’s mind, worry about Scarlet clashed with ethical concerns.
He didn’t need to deliberate for long to know which was going to weigh more heavily on his mind.
“…I’ll just take a peek.”
…Just checking on her condition, nothing else.
Muttering this to himself, he cautiously opened the door to Scarlet’s room.
As soon as he entered, he saw her collapsed on the bed, seemingly unconscious.
…It really was a bad situation. He was about to step out when suddenly—
“Ugh…”
A moan escaped from Scarlet.
Clearly, she was in pain.
“…! She’s burning up…”
Looking at her sprawled body, soaked in cold sweat, he could see that she didn’t seem well at all.
When he touched her forehead, he could feel the heat radiating.
To anyone, it was obvious she was far from fine.
Realizing that, he intended to carry her to the hospital, but before he even exited the room, he was struck with the thought that he shouldn’t show others her current state.
If any odd suspicions arose, it could lead to a problematic situation.
So first, he placed a cold towel on her forehead to try and bring the fever down.
That was all he could do.
“But she’s suffering… what else can I really do?”
“…Damn it.”
He cursed without meaning to.
His hands trembled with anxiety.
The thought that something could go wrong with her wouldn’t leave him, and it kept nagging at him.
Realizing he needed to do something more, he looked back at her: she was drenched in cold sweat.
Maybe wiping her down would be a good idea.
Thinking that, he reached for a dry towel to wipe the sweat from her face, only to notice her clothes, drenched in sweat.
He thought it would be better to wipe her body down too.
With basic decency in mind, he decided to slide the towel beneath her clothes to wipe her sweat away, keeping his eyes closed.
But it turned out to be a far more challenging task than he anticipated.
Thanks to the blessing of the holy sword, Yoon Si-woo’s senses were much sharper than those of ordinary people.
Maybe that was why…
The sensation of her skin through the towel…
The sound of her ragged breath…
The scent of her sweat-soaked body…
All of it made his head spin, and thoughts that had no place in an emergency began to creep into his mind.
Fueled by a surge of self-loathing, he had to stop and put down the towel.
What am I even doing?
He berated himself and was about to get up to change out the now-warm towel on her forehead.
As he stood, heading toward the kitchen where the refrigerator was, he suddenly felt a weak grip on his clothing.
Turning around, he saw a girl gripping his shirt.
“…Please, don’t leave me alone.”
The trembling girl, on the verge of tears, appeared to be just a child.
Seeing her like that made Si-woo sigh inwardly.
Despite always looking strong on the outside, inside, the girl hid such a fragile self.
And he already knew that.
He remembered the day she had tried to take her own life and the look she had shown him back then.
That’s why he vowed to protect her.
Even as she trembled in loneliness, harboring the deepest fears, she still pushed forward without giving up.
That radiant will to continue shone far too brightly for him to ignore.
Embracing that light, he would do anything.
Again reminding himself of that promise, Yoon Si-woo leaned in and gently whispered to the trembling girl.
“…Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”
If it’s what you want, I’ll stay by your side for life.
As he made that vow and patted her head, the girl’s expression eased, reflecting a sense of relief.
He stayed beside her for hours after that.
Changing her damp towel, wiping the sweat from her body which had been bothering her until now.
And in those gentle touches, any previous temptations he had felt completely vanished.
He simply wished for her light to never fade, like a diligent night watchman keeping the flame alive.
Perhaps his sincere feelings had reached her; soon her fever lowered considerably, and she fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.
*
After leaving the orphanage and finding a home, he had lived his entire life with Lucy.
Since the essence of the sword had never eaten, it made sense that she’d never cooked for anyone.
So this porridge he was cooking for the sick Scarlet was the first meal he’d ever made for someone in his life.
As he cooked, Yoon Si-woo realized that cooking for someone, although trivial, required a consideration of that person.
Ever since Scarlet moved into this home, he’d been eating the meals she prepared for him as if it were the most normal thing.
But Scarlet never seemed to demand gratitude from him.
She only ever said it was what she ought to do.
Perhaps it was because she was a person for whom consideration came naturally.
While musing this as he cooked, Scarlet walked into the kitchen.
Fortunately, she appeared to be feeling a bit better. Yoon Si-woo served her the porridge he had prepared for the first time.
He felt incredibly anxious about whether she’d like it, but her smiling face as she said it was delicious and thanked him made him feel overjoyed, almost as if he could soar.
Was she as happy as he was whenever she got to hear him say he liked her food? He mused, trying to distract himself from her worried expression.
“Ah, by the way, this is still an unannounced piece of news, but it seems I’m going to be made a squad leader.”
“…Squad leader? Really?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty much confirmed.”
Given how overwhelming the news was, he couldn’t help but look forward to Scarlet’s reaction.
Would she be surprised? Happy?
While waiting for her response, he noticed her expression suddenly darkening.
Why was she making that face? A thought crossed his mind, prompting him to remember the promise he had made with her.
The promise to come to her aid whenever she was in danger.
Considering how she had trembled just earlier, perhaps the fear of him becoming a squad leader was stemming from the worry that it might hinder his ability to keep that promise.
Quickly, Yoon Si-woo opened his mouth to ease her concern.
“Ah… don’t worry! Even if I become a squad leader, if you’re in danger like today, I’ll—”
“Yoon Si-woo.”
Suddenly cutting him off, she called his name. Yoon Si-woo fell silent, sensing that something was off about her tone.
As her lips moved, she posed a question.
“If there were people you needed to save in front of you… and you found out I was in danger, what would you do?”
At her question, Yoon Si-woo stared at her intently. His response had already been decided.
He had promised, resolved to protect her.
Just as he was about to respond, she called him again.
“Yoon Si-woo.”
She looked at him as though she knew exactly what he was going to say.
And it felt as though she genuinely did, slowly shaking her head as she muttered.
“Then, you can’t.”
“……”
“Thank you for wanting to keep your promise to me, but you can’t do that anymore.”
Yoon Si-woo felt a pressure gripping his heart at her words. He desperately wanted to scream: Why?
Because he had seen her shaky self.
The way she had told him not to leave, to help her.
He remembered that weak figure asking silently for help and found it hard to bear the sight of her saying such things.
But before he could find the words to respond, she continued speaking.
“Yoon Si-woo, I’m always grateful to you. I’ve received so much help from you. You’re my hero. But more people will start looking at you as a hero from now on. Do you remember what I asked you for?”
“……”
He recalled the numerous requests she had made of him.
While most of them didn’t matter much, the one where she told him she trusted him stood out above all.
Though it was unspoken, it meant she had felt dread and fear too.
She was silently crying out for him to help her.
He had deemed that to be the most important request of all.
However, she said, “Be a hero for everyone. Not one who prioritizes someone over others, but a hero who prioritizes more people.”
Her request, which put everyone ahead of herself, stung deeply.
So, he asked her.
He knew how she felt.
“…You’re really okay with being alone like this, trembling with fear?”
The image of her shuddering in anxiety resurfaced.
“…The time you nearly died, you must have been terrified as well.”
The contrasting depth to her outward appearance haunted him.
“And yet, why…”
He had to ask, knowing full well she wouldn’t put herself first.
“Because more than anything, it’s far more terrifying and miserable to think that you might stay behind from saving someone because of me.”
A sigh escaped him.
If that’s what you want, I’ll prioritize only you.
But even so, do you really wish for that?
“…Is that really okay with you?”
When he asked that, she nodded without hesitation.
In that moment, Yoon Si-woo understood once more what kind of person she was.
As he searched for her gaze, urging her to give him an answer, he felt the intensity of that gaze hit him.
That gaze felt painfully right.
“…Yeah. You’re just that kind of person.”
Unable to resist the pain, he nodded.
And then, just as she always did, she said,
“…Thank you.”
Yoon Si-woo thought to himself.
She truly was a heroic person.
Much like the heroes in stories, she pursued the right path without reserve.
He admired that quality in her and cherished it.
But today, that very righteousness of hers felt acutely frustrating.
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