Shattered Memories - CHapter 28

Erhart leaned against the wall of the cave, crossed his arms, and stared, with a crooked gaze, at the sea where the white foam broke through. There was sharpness and nervousness in his eyes.

Twice, huh. Twice. Far from meeting Rayan on the accorded day, he was faced with a stone tablet which said he would not be able to come that day written down in cursive handwriting that would take him a long time to interpret. He had been worried that something had happened to Rayan since he had disappeared without a trace, but he became sensitive when he realized Rayan was avoiding meeting him.

Did he do something wrong?

Even when he thought about it, nothing came to mind. From Erhart’s point of view, he was glad he wouldn’t have to see that obstructive existence for a long time, but since Rayan was so gloomy, he did not show it and comforted him well.

Come to think of it, Rayan’s reaction that day was also very strange. Suddenly, he didn’t even try to make eye contact with him, flustered and bemused. He had never reacted like that before, even after he got caught the first time they met.

“I have to say it clearly this time.”

Erhart looked at the moon rising outside the cave, and suddenly moved his eyes towards the doll he had kept because Rayan couldn’t carry it with him, muttering grimly.

Today was not the day they were supposed to meet. He had nevertheless come and kept watch Not just today. Yesterday and the day before then. He continued to come and wait for the one whose news could not be heard of.

Besides, if he had to postpone the meeting, he would have to stop by at least once and leave something behind, so he planned to catch him in the act.

Thanks to that, there was no progress in his social activities these days. Everyone took notice of Erhart as he stood up. Except for Niels Canavan, who was not very timid by nature either.

‘By the way, Your Highness, who was the lady who accompanied you that day?’

Niels, who hadn’t gotten to see properly because Erhart had immediately covered the person up, decided he was a lady based on the long hair, body shape and appearance, which made it difficult to discern his gender at first glance. The fact that he had grabbed the person’s hand and pulled them behind him must have contributed to that illusion.

‘If Reina finds out, she’ll wet her pillowcase again.’

Niels Canavan was referring to his sister, who had fallen in love with Erhart at first sight and had apparently not given up on him yet.

‘Why? Are you afraid your sister will shed tears because of me?’

‘That can’t be. Your Highness’ will is of utmost importance at all times. She’s the kind of person who thinks she can have everything she wants, but she should know there are things she can’t have.’

There was not a trace of him telling trivial lies in order to earn the prince’s favor within the somewhat heartless words, even when referring to his younger sister.

Reina Niels Canavan.

It also was a good idea to exchange marriage vows with Count Canavan’s beloved daughter in order to keep the Margrave as his devoted friendly faction. He had it in mind, but since his engagement still was a politically valid deal that could make the mouths of nobles who wanted to have a relationship with the imperial family drool over, there was still a lot of use for it, so no concrete words had been exchanged about it yet. However, within the next year, it would be decided in one way or another.

He felt strange thinking that someone, be it Reina or any other young lady, would be standing next to him with a veil on. His marriage should be used in the most calculatingly way, and he planned to do so, but even so-

“…”

Erhart, who was being seized by a strange feeling, stopped all his thoughts at the sound of water splashing.

Erhart held his breath and watched carefully. There was a way to get right up to him and catch him, however, if he were to run away again, there would be no way to follow him. It would be useless for him to flounder around pretending to be drowning this time.

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“What else are you going to leave behind?”

He threw out his words sharply in the dark, and Rayan suddenly jumped up. Seeing that, Erhart took a step towards the place where the moonlight shined.

“… Erich. Today is not the day we promised to meet.”

“But you came too.”

“Uh, uh, I was going to write that I’m coming on the day I promised.”

As soon as Rayan heard the sharp voice, he instinctively wanted to run away, but he fought back that impulse. He had barely made up his mind to come, but, of course he hadn’t considered that they would meet today, thus, he hadn’t prepared his mind at all, but he couldn’t escape anyway. It would be difficult if Erich got angry and decided not to meet him.

“Um, hello.”

“…‘Hello’?”

It had been a while, so he was happy to say hello even amidst an unexpected situation, but it was clear that it had made Erich even more upset. Erich’s eyebrows lifted upwards.

“You’ve been avoiding meeting so far, but the “hello” sure comes out smoothly.”

His one-sided avoidance was Rayan’s fault, so he laughed out embarrassedly. As he smiled, Erich pursed her lips, then sighed. He came over to Rayan and lowered himself down with one knee on the ground.

“…”

Rayan swallowed dryly saliva as he got closer. He kept staring at his lips only. Why do his lips look so pretty? Why is his lower lip so thick? As he stared at his lips, his eyes went to his appearance.

There were times when he spotted his golden hair and thought he resembled the sun. There were times when he thought he was beautiful, but it was a feeling akin to the awe of actually having come into contact with an existence that had only been conveyed to him in words before. He similarly had eyes, nose and mouth, so unlike him, he had never cared about appearance. It also was because there were few things that he could be compared with.

“Why have you avoided me all this time?”

“You…”

“Yes?”

“Why do you look so pretty?”

“What?”

Erich narrowed his eyes and questioned him. A sense of absurdity was evident in his gaze. But he was sincere, without any lies or exaggerations. His mouth hurts even to say that he was blonde, his eyebrows, a little darker than his hair, were straight, and his big eyes, unfurled chillingly as if embracing a deep blue sea, gleaming like stars.

His skin was white, and his jawline was smooth. He pondered about who in Atisa looked similar to Erich, but he barely folded three of his fingers counting.

“Right now, who is talking about whom?”

Erich still couldn’t hide his sense of absurdity and refuted.

“You’re the one who’s pretty… No, this is not it, Rayan. You’re not changing the topic right now because you don’t want to answer, right?”

He went as far as to be suspicious of him. Rayan felt wronged. He had just said so because he was beautiful to the extent of bewitching a mermaid, but in exchange, he received this kind of reaction.

“Don’t change the subject and tell me. Why didn’t you come?”

“It’s not that I didn’t come…”

A slight wrinkle formed between Erich’s forehead.

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

“That’s….”

Rayan couldn’t bear to finish his words.

“Rayan.”

As Rayan kept his mouth shut again, Erich called out his name as if sighing.

Rayan looked at him with glaring eyes. He didn’t have to kiss him as Yuri advised. Just by facing him, he caught hold of his confused heart.

He liked Erich. Just by looking at him, his heart skipped a beat and then jumped. Even the moment he blinked felt regretful. I want to touch him, I miss him even though I am looking at him. Even the barriers concerning him being a human and him being a mermaid felt insignificant.

“Where are you going?”

Rayan tried going down the surface for a moment to cool his burning cheeks, but Erich misunderstood that he was avoiding him again and grabbed his wrist. He widened the space so that the area in contact would be reduced as much as possible.

“Rayan. You have to speak so I can understand.”

Then, he quickly took his hand and soothed him.

“Hm?”

“…”

“Have I done something wrong to you?”

No way. Erich hadn’t done anything wrong to him in the two years they had known each other. On the contrary, recently, he had comforted Rayan by telling him the words he had wanted to hear the most. He was too kind.

“… Rayan?”

Thus, he was afraid his feelings would scare the friendly Erich away. He had just thought he would be deeply sad for a very long time, but he suddenly had a hunch that it wouldn’t be limited to that extent.

To like someone, wasn’t it to embrace such unknown fears and insecurities? If he had known it would be like this before, could Rayan not have liked Erich? No. It would not have been like that. Rayan would have come to like him eventually.

“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to talk.”

“Erich.”

Rayan reached out and grabbed his cheek pulling him closer. Erich obediently followed.

“Erich.”

Erich stared at Rayan instead of answering his call again. The golden eyelashes surrounding his blue eyes swayed swiftly, as if they were going to break through the moonlight.

“Say it. Anything is fine.”

The whispering breath grazed his cheek and embraced him. Rayan kissed him. Their previous act of kissing was to breathe in air, so Erich’s lips trembled even though that was not the case at all this time. But he didn’t push nor reject him.

“Erich, you know what?”

“Now what?”

Erich seemed a little embarrassed because he had just kissed him, but did not breathe in air.

“I didn’t know, but mermaids also kiss.”

“…”

“To the person they love.”

Rayan whispered, then lightly kissed his lips once again and let go of his cheek. Then he widened their distance. It was such a distance that he wouldn’t be caught by him unless he jumped into the water.

However, Erich did not show any reaction to the distance. He was dazed, unable to accept the sudden information.

“Erich. We, uh, will meet again in ten nights! Bye!”

Rayan looked at him in such a state and glided down the water after setting an appointment date.

“… Rayan!”

He didn’t mean to run away, but he wasn’t prepared to see Erich now. When he comes on the promised day, then he will not run away, but will fully and wholly accept whatever he said.