There was no need to make excuses since there was no crime committed in the first place.
No, to be exact. I didn't feel the need to make excuses.
You know how annoying it is when you keep talking and nitpicking.
It would have been easier to just be locked up in prison.
Being locked up in prison was a daily routine for me, so running away was also a daily routine.
I could have been a better daughter if my mother hadn't used prison to keep me locked up.
I complained, but it didn't help.
I groaned.
"...I don't know."
I raised both hands.
I don't know.
That was the only answer I could give at the moment.
Already under suspicion.
I knew how scary it was to start doubting something once it started.
That's what colored glasses are.
It took a tremendous amount of time and a tremendous amount of effort to resolve this doubt.
There was a simple way to solve it.
Proving my identity.
But I knew from previous experience that even if I did that.. the situation wouldn't get any better.
'Why are you here in that position.'
Another doubt will follow.
'No, is that true?'
If that happened, it was obvious that the purpose of the trip would be questioned.
Rather, it would become a weakness.
Besides, if the family finds out, things will get a lot worse.
Even in the Northern Continent, my actions were always suspected.
No one in power believed that it was a pure journey and adventure.
The only people who really believed this were the Pen people of Siberia and those who lived isolated deep in the mountains.
That's why the first thing I thought about when I was locked up was escape.
As you know, the more you struggle to resolve this misunderstanding, the more tired and difficult it becomes.
"What should I do?"
It's just as difficult as being caught by your mom and getting scolded.
I then thought of Behidat, who was staring at me as if he was going to eat me.
It's weird.
Why does my body automatically tense up just by thinking about it?
I wasn't very happy with my condition.
Anyway, the important thing was that the man didn't seem like he would let me go easily.
Above all, I felt uneasy because the dog had grown so big during that time.
So who wants to irritate me!
He is the only one who can be more gentle than anyone in front of those in power, but he is a rotten person.
No matter how much I cursed, my mood didn't get any better. Anyway, the investigation will continue.
I didn't think that a few words would solve this incredibly complicated situation.
The conclusion is another escape.
Given the circumstances, I thought I should postpone running away, but no matter how much I thought about it, the only solution was escape.
If I had the money, I would try it right now.
Not more than a week.
That was the time that the magic bracelet had allowed.
The moment the magic on my bracelet broke, my identity would be instantly revealed.
It feels dizzying just to imagine it.
Oh, that's really not possible. A trip is a trip, and family and clan are completely separate things.
I never wanted my family to suffer any harm because of my travels.
My parents probably didn't care about that kind of thing, but they hated it.
Should I just give up on the plan and go back?
A weak heart raised its head.
Then, surprisingly, this situation becomes easier.
However, I could not easily give up on my plan to get rich.
Yeah, I'm an idiot.
I, who had been sighing, turned my head to the gaze staring at me.
Nur was looking at me, wondering when I would arrive.
"Nur, why?"
Nur replied, looking worriedly at me, who was sitting on the bed without eating and lost in thought.
"Tamura, who will escort Lady Ashina, has arrived."
Tamura?
My eyebrows furrowed.
That was clearly a reference to Ra Kun's warriors.
My expression changed strangely. That was it.
A tall man entered my residence without even being told to come in.
The man's expression was stiff from the moment he entered.
I was very aware of those eyes that were blatantly looking down on her.
Borderline and discontent.
It was a gaze that did not hide its feelings at all as to why I was here.
Ha, I want to know that too. The harsh words lingered in my mouth, but I did not let out any nonsense.
Rather, I took great pains not to provoke this openly hostile warrior.
It's not that I wasn't surprised by the hostility.
However, as a human who always travels to unfamiliar places, I was accustomed to this sense of vigilance that was almost instinctive. Surprisingly, there weren't many villages that welcomed foreigners.
I shouldn't be friendly here.
I is picky, but I decided to be polite.
"I'm sorry I didn't show you my face, but it was nice to meet you."
Karim frowned for a moment, wondering if he had misheard. The woman in front of him was sitting very straight and looking up at Karim.
There was no sign of displeasure. Rather, it was clear eyes.
Looking straight into those flawless brown eyes, Karim realized the moment he had made a mistake. When he realized it was too late.
The fact that he had vented his hidden hostility on a young girl weighed heavily on him.
"I apologize."
Ashina smiled happily at Karim's one word.
"No. Actually, I don't know much about Shizen's laws."
I don't even want to know.
I wanted to study, but I didn't want to be dominated.
I focused my attention on the man while lost in thought.
Surprisingly, the reaction was docile compared to the momentum.
I was amazed that the man dared to admit his mistake and back off.
He probably knows that I'm not the real Aira.
The attitude and demeanor when he first came in were clearly that of someone who knew why I was there.
But then he backed off as if he was really dealing with his master's woman.
I found that fact extremely puzzling.
"What?"
"No, Aira is right. You shouldn't show your bare face to a stranger."
He forgot that the other person was a foreigner.
Karim looked down at the woman who was staring at him with her brows furrowed slightly.
She's small.
Besides, she was younger than he thought.
When he first heard it, he thought she would be a bit shaky, but she wasn't.
For someone who travels a lot, Ashina's body is thin.
Karim, who was so young, was curious as to how she had gotten from the northern continent to here.
It won't be an easy road. Even her impression was gentle.
The idea that a woman like this could be a spy was beyond his comprehension.
Karim looked down at the woman who looked so delicate that he couldn't help but frown.
You escaped from prison?
How?
She's so innocent that he'd probably cry and hide if he just pulled out a knife...
"This is Karim."
"I know you."
I smiled broadly and responded to the words that came after a brief silence.
Even in this situation, I was excited to meet Tamura, the rare Ra Kun.
It's Tamura.
Tamura was right in front of me.
It wasn't that I really wanted to see him so badly, but I couldn't help but feel excited when Tamura, who I had only heard about every day, was right in front of me.
I looked up at Karim with a slightly excited look.
The desert warriors were strong. They too must have had no choice but to survive in this barren land.
Among those strong desert warriors, Tamura was the strongest. Raccoon's bodyguard.
If Cromwell has the Knights, Pesian has Tamura.
A black turban flowed from his head, and slightly disheveled black hair swayed near his forehead.
The straight eyes no longer showed any hostility.
Slightly tanned skin and black hair.
A complete Persian.
But for some reason, this strange warrior seemed familiar to me at all.
"If possible, I would like you to call me by my name rather than the embarrassing title, 'Aira'. I have no special intention. It's not real anyway."
"If that's convenient for you, then let's do that."
Karim's eyebrows quirked for a moment, but he didn't show much resistance.
I was a bit worried because he was a warrior, but he was a much cleaner ending than the pressure I felt the moment I met him.
I felt something strange. I've felt this way, this way, somewhere before.
Where on earth have I felt that before?
The man who had been swept away by emotions and showed hostility instantly became a docile lamb after just a few words from me.
I found that a bit funny.
Oh, I've seen this kind of thing a lot somewhere.
When I remained silent, Karim spoke first, perhaps feeling uncomfortable in the atmosphere.
"I will basically be outside the harem. If you need anything, please call me."
"I will do that."
Although I gave my consent coolly, my heart was seething. It's not escort, it's surveillance.
Damn, not one, but two!
As I looked back at Nur, I let out a light sigh.
I had planned to behave from the beginning, but I was still a little annoyed.
I'm not even a magnet, so why do I keep attracting people like this?
Of course, I don't think I have contributed to this situation.
But I couldn't help but feel annoyed. Ah!
I didn't commit any crime, but somehow I ended up being treated like a sinner.
Is this what my mother calls karma?
Is this the punishment I get for making my mother so upset?
I shook my head as I recalled my mother's habitual saying.
"If you keep on annoying me like this, you'll get punished someday."
"Oh, my body aches."
Finally, without thinking for a few more minutes, I got up from my seat.
I don't know.
Sitting and thinking really didn't suit my personality.
The worry of not getting something only ended up draining my energy.
It would be much more fun to just figure out how to get through the ruins without triggering that trap.
I decided to go for a walk.
As I was about to leave the room, Nur naturally followed me. Either way, I set out to begin this strange harem journey. But the trip ended before it even began. The moment I was about to leave the room, someone grabbed my arm...
I, surprised, reacted immediately.
But unfortunately, I couldn't get angry.
Because I know very well the man who holds my arm.
"Where are you going?"
Shit.
I barely managed to swallow the curses that were about to burst out and groaned quietly.
Red eyes look down at me.
Really, the man I most want to see at this moment.
I didn't even try to hide my disgruntled expression and just stared blankly at the man holding my arm.
The breathing sound subsides on its own. It was beautiful, just like when we first met in the desert.
I'm still not sure if it's okay to use this expression to refer to men.
I was fascinated by the intense desert experience that had now become faint as if I were insisting that it was not a dream, just as it had been that day, no, even more so.
Why is this guy so handsome?
I felt sorry for my dad. I never used the word beautiful even to him.
I always thought my dad was the most handsome guy in my life, but every time I met this guy, that truth was shaken.
It was surprising that someone else's face caught my eye even at that moment, but I decided not to care.
Naturally, I was more concerned about my own nervous state.
"..."
"..."
Silence filled the gap between us.
I knew I had to say something, but for some reason, I didn't want to open my mouth.
A strange light appeared in the man's red eyes as if he was curious.
I felt a little sore because my arms were stiff from the tension.
I knew he was big when I was far away from the audience room, but when I was this close, I realized just how much smaller I was than this man.
Was I this small?
I was used to looking up.
But no man would let me know so clearly that I was still weak and fragile.
Of course, the fact that no man had ever come this close to me also played a part in that.
I had never been particularly conscious of the fact that I was a woman, but strangely enough, whenever I stood in front of this man, that fact kept surfacing.
There is no way I can win with an all-out war.
That was all I could feel.
Before I could even sort out the confusion, another confusion came.
I felt dizzy.
This silence again.
Behidat also remained silent, staring at Ashina's stubbornly pursed lips. An uncomfortable and strange silence continued.
As you can see, it was Asina who couldn't stand it.
"Why did you come?"
He wasn't asking for advice.
The gentle tone spoke for itself.
Behidat simply looked down at Ashina's eyes, which were looking up at him uncomfortably as if that was surprising.
From the beginning, he had no intention of letting go of the arm he was holding.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Do I need a reason for me to come into my harem?"
Ashina just kept her mouth shut.
Behidat looked down at the woman close to him as if she was quietly being held in his arms.
When he first saw her in the desert, it was hard to tell what she was like because of her disheveled hair and sand all over her face.
Of course, he wasn't interested.
However, when he caught her, washed her, and greeted her in the audience room, Behidat could understand why this woman insisted so earnestly that she was a beautiful girl.
She was shaking even then.
A faint tremble is transmitted even when it is not felt.
Behidat looked down at the woman who had no intention of pulling her wrist free and smiled faintly.
Up until this point, the reaction was nothing special.
The problem comes next.
For some reason, these eyes are so crazy pretty.
There were usually only two emotions that came into the eyes of those who looked at him.
Worship and fear.
It was the first time he had met a human being without that emotion, whether it was faint or deep.
Of course, this woman was afraid of him.
But that was for another reason.
If that were the case, then his speaking habits wouldn't be so bad.
The eyes staring up at him were amazing.
Eyes that look at oneself as it is, reflected solely in those eyes.
It was like discovering a jewel.
People might laugh if they heard it, but if he had to compare it to something, it's like that feeling.
Behidat thought so, forgetting that he had no interest in jewels at all.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment