Words of Thanks
Kirki tilted his head at Ruman’s question.
“Hmm.”
He dragged out his words as if pondering. Both Coco and Ren tensed up.
Why is Ruman asking something so unnecessary!
Wait! That person was boasting about being a skilled priest. Could he have noticed my illness…? What if he tells everyone, what if he reveals it to everyone?
His heart seemed to plummet.
“What’s wrong? Why are you like that?”
Even Kirki, who had been about to speak, widened his eyes in surprise.
Startled, Coco approached Ren closely. Ruman tried to force himself up as well, but Kirki grabbed his arm to stop him.
“You can’t! Your wounds will tear open, Hero-nim!”
Coco gripped Ren’s arm tightly. Purple eyes met green eyes.
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
“Ren. Where aren’t you feeling well?”
Temarr asked Ren, who had barely managed to answer. His heavy, low-pitched voice sounded almost interrogating. Ren shook his head frantically.
“It’s nothing. I’m healthy. This person healed me completely.”
“……”
Healed completely—didn’t that sound rather wishful?
Coco couldn’t bring herself to agree. She could only barely smooth out her face that threatened to contort.
“Hehehehe! Finally, someone who recognizes the true value of this Kirki has appeared! That’s right! I treated your external wounds perfectly clean.”
Kirki shrugged his shoulders and stuck out his flat stomach. His gaze swept over Ren’s clean fingertips.
“Ah! More than that, yo—…”
Just as Kirki was about to point at Ren and say something, Coco swiftly interjected.
“Kirki. There are so many patients, how much longer are you going to chatter?”
“What? No, that person is…”
“You’re so noisy I could die! Kirki! Your voice is echoing in my ears so much I won’t be able to sleep at night. Instead of chattering, how about Ren goes to bed and rests too? He couldn’t even rest because of all the noise. It’s already the middle of the night!”
At Coco’s scolding, Kirki pouted his lips but then closed them. Coco’s irritated eyes looked to Kirki exactly like a glare telling him to shut up. Ruman frowned, but since there was nothing wrong with what Princess Coco said, he lay back down.
Morning will come soon, and there’ll be plenty of time to talk. He must be tired from just waking up.
Ruman felt somewhat sorry, wondering if he had teased Ren unnecessarily.
But seeing Ren shed tears of worry for him made his heart feel… satisfied.
How petty.
Ruman gave a self-deprecating smile.
“Let’s disperse now.”
Coco firmly grabbed Kirki’s mouth. Kirki made muffled sounds while flailing his arms and legs wildly.
Ren’s gaze lingered long on Coco. The boy blinked slowly. Now that he felt relieved, sleepiness seemed to be coming over him.
“Are you tired?”
Temarr tried to relax the strength in the arms holding Ren.
He had stroked Ren quite often in the village, but somehow it felt awkward now. Temarr’s thick hand gripping Ren’s shoulder kept twitching.
“No. It’s not that, but I’m sleepy.”
Ren’s answer came out stuttered.
It wasn’t an excuse—his body truly felt languid. Just like every morning after a seizure. At those times, he would feel as if he might float away, as if he possessed a clean body. Even the melancholic feeling was exactly the same. That “normal state” that would have been better not to know sometimes made Ren’s heart ache unbearably. Ren’s body was so clumsy and frail, as if something torn to shreds had been haphazardly patched together. At such times, Ren would recall his hyung Temarr who had been on the battlefield. Just because. Because it felt like everything would be okay if he thought of his hyung. But it only made his chest ache more with piercing longing.
“Ren.”
“……”
He seemed to have dozed off.
His eyelids were heavy and his mind was hazy. Temarr carefully shook his shoulder. He could feel the thick, warm touch, but couldn’t move at all. There wasn’t even time to resist the sudden onslaught of drowsiness. Just… the days he had been alone in the village came to mind… and as if he didn’t want to recall them, his consciousness drifted and he seemed to fall asleep.
That priest might have figured something out. He might say something… but.
I have to stop him.
But he couldn’t even continue that thought. Ren quietly fell asleep. Dozing, Ren wandered through light.
“…Is he really asleep?”
Temarr brought his finger to Ren’s nose. He felt even breathing. Even that breath felt heartbreaking. For a moment, Temarr felt a pain as if his chest had been pierced. Though his body was sturdy as if newly constructed, and his severed limbs had properly reattached. Though he was the same battlefield Hero Temarr with rock-like muscles and strong blood vessels pumping red blood vigorously through them. What on earth was this tingling pain in his chest?
Temarr froze, bewildered by the unfamiliar sensation.
“Kirki.”
“Yes! Princess-nim! What is it?”
Kirki, who had been grumbling about his lips being chapped, answered playfully before seeing Princess Coco’s face and wiping away his smile.
“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?! This Kirki will treat you.”
Though his tone was light, Kirki’s expression was serious. At his words, Seton’s face hardened.
“Princess-nim. Let’s go to your room.”
Coco shook her head while awkwardly smoothing out her stiff face.
“No. It’s not that, he’s really asleep, right?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I mean Ren. He’s really asleep, right?”
Coco hoped her question wouldn’t sound strange.
“Yes! He’s sleeping very soundly, isn’t he? This Kirki’s divine power is that outstanding! Even someone whose blood was gushing from their chest—mmph!!”
Coco’s eyes flashed as she clamped Kirki’s mouth shut. At the hand that struck to cover his mouth with a thwack, tears welled up in Kirki’s eyes. She had definitely gone easy on him earlier.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
Kirki shook his head frantically. Because his hair was slapping Coco’s hand repeatedly, Coco, with a pale face, removed her hand.
“Are you clueless? Did you have to bring that up?”
“Kirki-nim. Please don’t anger the Princess-nim.”
“Uuugh. Isn’t this really too much, Seton-nim?! Do you know how many people I saved today?! Though, of course it’s my job…”
Kirki, who had bristled up and shouted, met eyes with Seton and his voice grew small.
“He’s really sleeping like the dead.”
Coco felt a gaze touching her cheek.
It was Ruman.
Coco deliberately scrunched up her face. Her purple eyes took on a fierce light. She let out a deep sigh.
“I really don’t like it. If he had just slept quietly in the carriage, he wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.”
“Princess-nim should rest as well.”
“I should.”
“Ah! Coco-nim! You need to hear more about my achievements!”
“Be quiet.”
Your hand is injured too! At the perceptive Kirki’s cry, the princess had to receive treatment again for the hand the physician had already tended to. The scratch on her cheek as well. As Kirki’s holy power spread, Coco’s wounds healed completely. Watching the wounds disappear, Coco felt hope blooming in her chest. Perhaps Ren’s illness had been treated before there was even a chance to notice it? Right! It wasn’t an incurable disease in the first place, was it? It’s just that cowardly Ren is hiding it!
“How about putting Ren down to rest? How long are you going to hold him?”
“…I should.”
Temarr, who had frozen like a statue in shock at the unfamiliar sensation piercing his chest, finally moved.
It seemed he should rest now.
Though his regenerated body was vigorous, accumulated fatigue was washing over him.
Coco stopped just as she was about to leave the room. There was something she had forgotten. Coco turned around and stared at Temarr and Ruman.
“…Thank you for saving me. I’ll make sure the reward won’t disappoint you.”
Princess Coco bowed sincerely toward the two Heroes who had saved her life. Coco lowered her head deeply. Her shimmering purple hair hung down long, almost touching the floor. Watching her, Seton’s pupils dilated. He too bowed his head toward the benefactors who had saved his master’s life and her younger brother’s life, following the proper etiquette of one who serves. The maids and servants who had remained to clean up also set down everything they were holding and bent at the waist. Kirki wore a playful smile before hopping behind Coco and bowing his head with a bob.
The solemn atmosphere seemed to reinforce how they had barely saved lives that had been hanging by a thread. It seemed they could faintly hear someone swallowing their tears.
Faced with this unexpected scene, Ruman scratched the back of his neck, looking embarrassed.
He hadn’t expected to receive such thanks.
The sound of hair brushing against clothes. The sound of fingertips grazing collars and skirt hems. The sound of swallowing breath. The sound of the princess’s escort knights, who seemed like they would never budge, bowing their heads. The sound of scabbards and armor clanking filled the room.
This… if they don’t respond saying they understand, they look ready to keep their heads bowed all day.
Both Ruman and Temarr.
Because such heartfelt gratitude was a first for them. Because the sensation of having “saved” someone was truly after such a long time, they were momentarily at a loss for words. Ruman, who at least had better way with words, shook off the unfamiliar feeling and opened his mouth.
“Of course we’re well aware of that. We trust that you’ll prepare a very generous reward.”
Ahem. Ruman swallowed an awkward cough internally. Though he tried to hide it, his voice was trembling minutely.
Temarr looked at Ruman with somewhat pitiful eyes. His expression said, ‘Is that all you have to say?’
Ruman felt wronged. He at least wasn’t deserving of such looks from Temarr!
Let’s see, Temarr. How wonderful will your words be?
Ruman’s eyes narrowed. Temarr’s deep brown eyes wavered briefly, then his thick lips parted. Those who had raised their heads at Ruman’s response all focused their attention on Temarr. Kirki clasped both hands tightly to his chest and sparkled his eyes brightly, as if expecting to hear what wonderful words the Hero would say.
The words that came from the mouth of the great Hero who had saved many were!
“Yes.”
“…?”
“Ha.”
“……”
Just one word.
It was Ruman who let out an empty laugh. The dozen or so maids and servants who had been bowing in a row behind Coco sneakily raised their heads to look at each other’s faces. ‘Right?! I didn’t hear wrong—he just said, “Yes!” that one word and nothing more…?’ Coco even looked angry.
Kirki too looked at Temarr with an extremely disappointed, disrespectful expression.
Coco’s lips twitched before she left, leaving only the command, “Treat the benefactors with utmost care!” Her fluttering skirt hem seemed to express her anger.
Temarr looked back down at Ren with a brick-like face.
“Pfft…”
Who’s calling who pathetic!
Ruman held back his laughter before sighing. Now he couldn’t just laugh freely. He felt pity for Ren, who was the younger brother of this person who couldn’t communicate and had no way with words, Ren who doted on his hyung.
