My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s - Chapter 153~“Higanbana”~ Ria Lagoon POV

Right, left, right, right….

It was so confusing that my brain wasn’t working anymore, and after following after Kurou-sama, we arrived at a place that was a distance away from the main street.

In the beginning, I was thinking of making a guess on where our destination was, but after going through streets that I’ve never been to before, I gave up.

The city was complicated even when under normal circumstances, so even if I lived here, aside from the main street, it was difficult in knowing all of the side streets.

The street that we were on right now did not have a lot of people and was dark, and I didn’t know where we were in the city either.

I walked too much and my legs were becoming sore.

「Kurou-sama, how much longer until we arrive?」

I asked that for the Nth time.

We were walking at a steady pace, and I knew that we weren’t lost, but I couldn’t help feeling anxious since I didn’t know where we were going.

「Another few more minutes and we’ll be there. …what, you’ve gotten used to living like a princess and already tired?」

Even though I knew he was provoking me, I pouted when I heard the ridicule in his tone.

「I’m not tired! You didn’t say anything about our destination, anybody would become anxious.」

「Hou, so you’re uneasy because you’re on a street that you don’t know, huh. Back then, you followed me around even if you didn’t know where you were.」

Just when was this.

At the very least, I had no such memory of it.

No, maybe there was.

「What, you forgot, huh. It was when we went to the neighboring town on an errand for your mother. On the way, I had wandered off the road and didn’t even notice that we took the long way around.」

Come to think of it, such a thing did happen.

It was also around this time that Kurou-sama started playing tricks on me every now and then.

At that time, I would foolishly believe Kurou-sama’s words, and for many decades, I took the long way around to go to the neighboring town.

Because of that, I’ve gotten good exercise, so I don’t really feel that I’ve been cheated, but my own naivety made me despair.

If I think about it, if I’m going to the neighboring town, there’s no need to pass through two mountains, right.

We weren’t that backward.

「That is different from now!」

「I would be worried if that wasn’t the case.」

To be bluntly told that, I was a little angry.

Why couldn’t this person communicate with others.

「Kurou-sama didn’t change at all! You’re still treating me like a child, and you’re bad at communicating with others!」

Truly, nothing had changed.

If I was told that Kurou-sama from that time had been standing there the entire time, I would believe it.

Even if a beastman’s face and body didn’t show their old age, was it the same for humans.

「I’m not treating you like a child, you are still a child. Besides, I’m not planning on changing. Communicating with others, I’ve never felt that it was necessary, back then or even now.」

「Really! I’m a woman! Kurou-sama still remaining a bachelor no matter how much time passes is because of that! Even though you have a good-looking face, what a waste.」

Why did this person choose to be alone.

Wasn’t it lonely, bitter, and extremely painful to be alone.

If you didn’t have anything from the beginning, perhaps you wouldn’t feel lonely, sorrow, nor pain.

However, I understood it when I was surrounded by others.

Even though this should’ve been the case for Kurou-sama as well.

Everyone in the village died, Kurou-sama was not there either, and at that time, I felt like a hole had suddenly opened up in my chest.

That was what it was like when you were by yourself.

That was what it was like when you lose people who were important to you.

That hole that suddenly opened up would throb with pain.

It was unbearably painful.

I didn’t feel lonely, especially now, and I meet many people in the royal castle, but it’s different for Kurou-sama.

To me, it didn’t seem as though Kurou-sama wished to be by himself.

Even so, this person was all alone, even now.

When I asked that, the corner of Kurou-sama’s lip curled up as if in self-deprecation.

「I’m fine being unmarried. …since I have already given up on finding happiness.」

「―――――eh」

My eyes widened when I heard the words that he muttered.

「When I was planning my sister’s revenge, I did not take into consideration my own happiness. When I foisted it onto the young man, I would inevitably fall into hell.」

I was somewhat aware of his “sister’s revenge”.

I heard Kurou-sama talk about it, when I was in the village.

About his precious imouto-san and how she was killed by a fellow beastman when “Adorea’s Nightmare” was rampaging.

Obviously, he didn’t tell me who the beastman who killed her was, but when he was telling me this, there was great sadness within Kurou-sama’s eyes, yet they were also tempestuously burning.

I had forgotten almost everything, but that was the only thing that left an impression on me.

However, I wonder what he meant when he said that he foisted it onto the young man.

Was someone else helping him get revenge?

But, I don’t think that that would cleanse his heart.

And, that young man, just who was he.

…it’s no good.

It was impossible for my brain to comprehend.

It’ll probably be faster to just directly ask him.

「Um, Kurou-sama….」

「What, we’ve arrived.」

Looking towards me, he looked the same as usual, not a trace of that terribly pained look on his face from just now remained.

Disappointed, I ended up swallowing down the words that I was going to ask and looked at what was in front of me.

「Whaa!!」

I unconsciously raised my voice when I saw the carpet of red that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

There were many red flowers that I’ve never seen before growing here.

Although the flowers in full bloom were a somewhat dark red color, they were beautiful.

「They are also growing along the way here. I didn’t know about this flower, but Akira told me. It seems that it’s called the ‘Higanbana’.」

Blooming everywhere, the stamens of the flowers grew towards the sky from their center.

I extended my hand, wanting to touch them, but Kurou-sama grabbed my hand.

「It seems that they’re poisonous, so you should stop. It would be good if we knew where the poison is, but it seems Akira forgot. Maa, that man knowing the name of the flower is a miracle in itself, so there’s no helping it.」

「Even though they’re this pretty, the poison….」

However, rather than picking this flower, it might be better to come and look at them like this.

It was more beautiful to see it growing here than using it as a decoration.

「The ‘Higan’ from ‘Higanbana’ refers to the world of the dead, in other words, the world we go to after death. That is to say, this flower, is a flower of hell. Maa, it seems that Akira doesn’t know its true origins either.」

TN: Higanbana is the Japanese name for the red spider lily. As “Higan” refers to the world of the dead, this flower is generally used for funerals and is never given to someone.

「‘Higan’…. Why do they have such a name even though they’re this beautiful….」

Perhaps there was no better name.

Both the poison and the name, it was a flower that was somewhat cruel.

I looked at the flowers that were swaying in the wind, and slightly frowned.

「Even so, they’re beautiful, aren’t they.」

「Yes. …but, why are they here?」

Kurou-sama was fixedly staring at those flowers.

Like this, Kurou-sama gave a slight frown as if troubled and tilted his head to the side.

「Why…. Yesterday, I was walking around the city and I happened to come across this, and I wanted to show it to someone. …that’s it. I didn’t mean anything else by it」

I didn’t think that he was a person who wanted to show this to someone just because he happened to discover it.

However, Kurou-sama had always loved beautiful flowers such as this one.

Light pink flowers floating on the lake, and purple flowers falling from the sky like rain.

He’s always only told me about such places.

Bringing me here was probably an extension of that.

However, I will never forget this place as long as I live.

After entering the castle, I had forgotten that flowers were this beautiful.

「Such a far out place, it’s impossible for you to remember, and you’ll get lost, so don’t ever come here by yourself.」

He said something or another and he finished with some words of concern, like he usually did.

「Then, I will not come here unless I’m with Kurou-sama. The secrets between the both of us had increased again.」

「What, you remembered that, huh.」

I said that and smiled, and Kurou-sama had a faint smile on his face, one that was so faint that it would’ve been overlooked if you didn’t look carefully, as he faced the “Higanbana”.