# Chapter 9
Due to his rough resistance, Ion was severely beaten and locked in a smelly cage with his mother, where he cried uncontrollably. Although his mother said it was okay, it had happened because he carelessly helped others. He had become proud of healing people and receiving their reverence, without thinking about what might happen.
Yet his mother didn’t blame him. She kept telling him everything was fine, and eventually succeeded in finding an opportunity to help her son escape, but ended up cruelly slashed by the slave traders and drew her last breath.
Recalling the final image of his mother collapsing covered in blood, Ion couldn’t hold back his tears.
While fleeing, he hadn’t had time to miss his mother or mourn her. His mind was filled only with the thought that he must survive since his mother had sacrificed her life to help him escape.
He needed to become cold-hearted. That was the only way to survive.
Though he could have panicked after losing his mother before his eyes at such a young age, Ion desperately fled while pulling himself together mentally. Even then, he was eventually caught and almost dragged back.
‘Without Levi, I would have died from the guilt I felt towards my mother.’
If he had been dragged back after she sacrificed her life to help him escape, her sacrifice would have been meaningless. Thinking that he had to prevent that at all costs, perhaps he would have…
As these harsh thoughts ran through his mind, Ion closed his eyes tightly and cried silently.
Was it because he believed he was in a safe place?
It felt as if all the sorrow he had been holding back was rushing in at once. Tears flowed from his eyes without cease.
At that moment, Ion suddenly opened his eyes as he felt a hand wiping his tears. Levi, who had been focusing on roasting potatoes just a moment ago, was now right in front of him.
After silently staring at Ion, Levi suddenly lay down beside him. Since the empty space in the tent was only enough for Levi to lie down alone, the two naturally had to be close together. Not stopping there, Levi pulled Ion’s waist and held him tightly in his arms.
“What, what are you doing?”
As Ion rolled his eyes in embarrassment, he felt Levi’s hand patting his back.
“I heard this is what you should do for someone who’s crying.”
Ion felt strangely hurt in his pride and embarrassed as Levi, who was only big in size but seemed much more childlike than himself, treated him like a child.
“I’m not crying!”
As he shouted tearfully, Levi looked down at his face and continued to pat his back rhythmically.
“You are crying. Just stay still.”
“No, I’m not…”
Although Ion struggled to get away, he had no choice but to remain in Levi’s arms due to his unexpectedly strong grip. No, in fact, that was just an excuse.
From the moment Ion was held in Levi’s embrace, which had a coolness seeping through it, he felt emotions surging almost beyond what he could handle, and tears fell drop by drop.
‘Even though he doesn’t know why I’m crying…’
Levi calmly offered his chest without minding that it was getting wet.
Despite being excessively curious by nature, Levi didn’t ask why Ion was crying, as if he could read the atmosphere.
That night, Levi continued to pat Ion’s back until he fell asleep, composing his emotions.
By the time Ion opened his eyes again, morning had already arrived. Considering that he had fallen asleep in the evening, he had slept much longer than usual.
‘My body feels refreshed too.’
He never knew the effect of sleeping deeply in a relaxed state could feel this good.
As Ion smiled naturally, he soon realized that the refreshing morning wasn’t the issue.
‘I fell asleep like this.’
Ion glanced up slightly as he looked at the chest right in front of him. Just above was Levi’s face, sound asleep. If it weren’t for his own bangs slightly fluttering from Levi’s breath, he might have suspected Levi was dead.
Unconsciously staring blankly at Levi’s white face, Ion realized his mistake and tried to move away from him. His face flushed with heat at the thought of having slept embracing each other all night.
“…!”
Despite his careful movements to slip away without waking Levi, emotionless black eyes were wide open right in front of him.
“Are you awake?”
Both crying in Levi’s arms last night and sleeping embraced until now were incredibly embarrassing. Ion hastily pushed Levi away without even being able to meet his eyes.
“I’ll, potatoes, I’ll go wash some potatoes.”
Despite the fact that there were still plenty of potatoes left that Levi had roasted yesterday, Ion hurriedly got up, making excuses. Meanwhile, his face quickly turned bright red.
Opening the closed tent flap wide, Ion rushed outside and was about to run towards the pond without even thinking to take the potatoes he had used as an excuse.
Clunk—
Suddenly, as he was grabbed by the nape of his neck, he almost lost his balance and fell. Thinking it would naturally be Levi, he turned around sulkily, but a completely different person was standing there.
It was a robust man dressed in a pure white robe, and just by looking at the muscles of the arm that had grabbed his neck, it was clear he was quite trained. Through the open robe, an expensive uniform that looked like it belonged to a nobleman was visible, and at his waist was an ornately decorated long sword. Although his face was barely visible because of the hood, just by the small part that showed, it was easy to guess he was someone who lived well.
The man, who clearly didn’t look like a commoner, flashed cold eyes from under his hood.
“Who are you?”
Even though he had merely asked who Ion was, there was tremendous pressure. Even the head knight Ion had seen at the village festival hadn’t shown such intimidation.
“Who are you to be with Levi?”
The man glared at the clothes Ion was wearing and growled savagely. Ion’s shoulders flinched at the feeling of sharp killing intent piercing throughout his body. Regardless of age, he had always spoken boldly and acted resolutely to everyone, but before this frightening man, his mouth wouldn’t open. There was nothing he could do except remain frozen, with his nape in the man’s grasp.
Levi’s voice abruptly interrupted between the frozen Ion and the man who looked like he might kill him at any moment.
“Don’t kill him.”
Coming out of the tent, Levi gently grasped the wrist of the man who was holding Ion’s neck.
“Who is this kid?”
“Someone who wants to live.”
“What?”
Giving a short scoff, the man glared at Ion and released his neck. Feeling as if his blocked airway had suddenly opened, Ion gave a brief cough and quickly hid behind Levi. Just by doing that, he felt as if the man’s piercing killing intent was blocked, allowing him to relax a bit.
“You only know how to kill, yet you’re doing strange things.”
Hearing the man’s words, Ion glared fiercely at him from behind Levi. The man snorted at Ion as if looking down on him and removed his stifling hood.
What was revealed was a young face that looked as if he had just become an adult. Perhaps because of his sharp eyes and firmly closed lips, Ion thought he seemed quite stubborn and willful. His hair was short and white, and indeed, perhaps because he was a nobleman, it sparkled as if each strand had light particles embedded in it.
The man’s cold blue eyes scrutinized Ion’s face thoroughly.
“The only inhabited place nearby is the village with the epidemic. Where did you pick him up from?”
Ion didn’t like this man who used the expression “picked up” right in front of the person in question. Just as he was about to ask who on earth this man was, Ion suddenly recalled what Levi had said.
“Someone I know. Someone I know who can be trusted.”
‘Could it be that person?’
While Ion was puzzled, Levi answered nonchalantly.
“Forest.”
“I told you to kill anyone who enters your territory without permission.”
“He wanted to live.”
The man’s face changed subtly. Interest briefly flashed in his blue eyes, but it was only momentary.
“I see. You need emergency food in case of contingencies. Since you never know when your ‘provisions’ might run out.”
Ion, who didn’t readily understand the man’s words, opened his eyes wide. He was talking as if Ion was Levi’s emergency food.
Levi doesn’t eat people, so what kind of joke is that?
Ion liked the man less and less.
After giving Ion a fishy smile, the man pointed to a black sack he had left outside the tent.
“I brought clothes, so throw away the old ones.”
“Okay.”
It seemed that indeed, the man was the “acquaintance” Levi had mentioned. Judging by the fact that he kept quiet about Levi’s ability and regularly brought him clothes, he might not be a completely bad person. Although his sarcastic tone and arrogant gaze were a bit irritating.
