You’ll Regret It - Chapter 26

She soon woke up. In front of her was a familiar bed and bedding. After she came to the Count’s, to be exact, Yuri would fall asleep like this since she ate poison. Neither priests nor doctor knew why, but she felt something.

 

‘It must have something to do with darkness.’

 

It was a more subtle sense than she had expected that her vitality was being depleted. This year was quiet. Yuri bit her lip. Please, please, she wanted to spend her whole life like this.

 

‘I wish I could just fall asleep a little bit better.’

 

Her face turned red. In this way, she was causing another inconvenience, and she was a little ashamed of herself.

 

“That thing…”

 

A soft voice was heard. A low, gentle voice, a voice full of anger for some reason. Yuri looked towards the sound source. Has Larkshid already returned? Perhaps she had been sleeping too long. Outside the door, a familiar figure stood. It was a familiar voice. Yuri immediately knew who he was.

 

“D*mn it.”

 

It was Larkshid. Yuri immediately looked towards him.

 

‘Is he suffering?’

 

He was holding his eyes, tormented in pain. From his eyes, there was black blood that was evidently traces of the curse.

 

“D*mn it. How is it getting… … How does it get more terrible?”

 

He spit out obscene words with a harsh face. It was awkward to see him like this.

 

‘The Erentail in the north was definitely a cursed family.’

 

Yuri recalled what she had read in a book. Erentail of the north were also those who were cursed by the devil. It was evident that Larkshid was suffering from the curse.

 

“…”

 

Larkshid was approaching slowly. Yuri turned her body, pretending to be sleeping. He glanced down at Yuri, and immediately went out of the room.

 

“Ha….”

 

A brief sigh followed.

 

‘I don’t want him to suffer.’

 

Yuri wanted to ease his pain. She didn’t want him to suffer any more. In fact, she was happy to have something to do for him. He always loved her. Yuri knew now. Now she couldn’t doubt him any more.

 

‘I…… Because I love him.’

 

It was love. Yuri was in love with Larkshid.

 

A bet could be won at any time. Yuri could not tell anyone any information about her bet. Every time she tried to speak, no voice came out, as if someone had shut her mouth.

 

‘Someday I’ll tell him…’

 

If Yuri asked him if he would love her forever, she was sure he would say yes. She wanted to be of help to him.

 

‘I don’t want to wait forever.’

 

Yuri smiled brightly and softly.

 

***

 

“Does Yuri like festivals?”

 

“If it’s a festival….”

 

“Eve is a festival only in the North, so I don’t think you’ve ever seen it before.”

 

It was an eve festival, a festival Yuri had never heard of. Come to think of it, she remembered reading it once in a book. Before the Goddess lowered the stars, it took a full day in her time, and it was said that it was a month by human standards.

 

“Then, is it a festival of the Goddess?”

 

“Yes It is said that the Goddess wiped the stars for a day before they fell.”

 

Since the Goddess’s day was a month for humans, it deserved to be called ‘Eve’. Yuri nodded.

 

“I’m not one to believe in that, but…… .”

 

For Yuri, who was born and raised in the temple, her free-spiritedness was sometimes surprising. She hardly believed in the Goddess who only gave her misfortune, but life at the temple was an indelible time for Yuri. To Yuri, she openly said that she did not believe in God.

 

“I like festivals.”

 

“Oh, like a child.”

 

“It’s the first I’ve ever heard from you.”

 

She was like a child who expected more of the gift to be received than the meaning of the holy festival. Yuri smiled like a child.

 

It was like a child who expected more of the gift he would receive

 

“Okay. Shall we go then?”

 

“Yes, good.”

 

What will the northern festival look like in three days until the Eve? When Yuri was in the East, she had seen the Holy One quite a few times. The sight of him floating into the river was Yuri’s favorite sight.

 

“I like the North. This is now… my favorite place in the world.”

 

“Really…?”

 

“Wow, I’m really looking forward to it.”

 

Yuri smiled. She couldn’t imagine what the northern festival would look like.

 

***

 

Perhaps because she was expecting too much, the three days passed too slowly. Every time Yuri was impatient, Larkshid would compare her to Edrato or Rabin, saying that the grown-up couldn’t wait for three days.

 

“That outfit suits you pretty well.”

 

“……Me, really?”

 

Eventually, time passed. Yuri wore a dress lighter than usual. She did not know much about clothes, but these clothes were not commoners’ clothes.

 

“Perhaps anyone knows who Yuri is.”

 

A small print of Erentail was engraved on her shoulder. Larkshid didn’t forget to put a brooch on her that proved she was Erentail.

 

“You look good in plain clothes, too.”

 

The clothes were quite high-quality fabrics. Perhaps those who knew even a little about her clothes would have expected that Yuri’s background would be considerable. They would be afraid to mess with her.

 

“Really… ? Ha, thank you.”

 

No matter what happened, she thought she would get through most of it. Perhaps even if ten men rushed in, there would be no problem. Yuri was different.

 

‘Even if the neighborhood kids rush in, they won’t win.’

 

Nothing should happen. She hoped all the thugs looking at her would tremble in fear. Larkshid said she would not be in danger.

 

‘Is this simply to win her favor?’

 

Of course. Larkshid shook his head as he started asking himself clueless questions. This feeling was love.

 

Was it a pity? He looked at Yuri.

 

Yuri was looking in the mirror and checking her clothes. He was well aware that she had scars underneath the layers of clothing.

 

“Then, shall we leave now?”

 

“Yes!”

 

She was a sympathetic woman. This low beating heart of his must have been a pity for her, who was happy without knowing anything.

 

***

 

“Yuri. What do you think?”

 

“Ah, more than I thought, ah, very… … There’s a lot.”

 

Street just before sunset. When she came out on the street, she was worried that she would be swept away by the crowds. People were forming a crowd of people. Yuri gripped the hem of Larkshid’s robe tightly.

 

“Ah, I’m glad I didn’t bring the children.”

 

“I know. I thought it would be bothersome to have a group to follow me.”

 

By now, Rabin and Edrato must be reading books in the mansion. Perhaps they were talking about how mean Yuri and Larkshid were.

 

“If I had brought them here, I would have lost both of them.”

 

“Ha, it would be an accident.”

 

“I suppose so.”

 

Yuri shook her head, as if terrified of just imagining it. Why does she keep smiling when she is by his side?

 

“But I am happy now.”

 

“What?”

 

“Without everyone, coming out with you alone is like having a date.”

 

Yuri turned her eyes to the street.

 

Many people flocked to the streets. In the north, it was a bigger festival than the holy festival, so there were a lot of people who wanted to see it.

 

“Why, do you want something?”

 

“Oh, no. That, just…… It’s the first time I’ve seen something like that.”

 

It was full of things Yuri had never seen before. There were people who collected and sold the claws of monsters, and there were others who sold the teeth. Actually, it wasn’t something I really wanted.

 

“Catching monsters… … … All in all, I never even thought about it.”

 

“…Who do you think is the person next to you now?”

 

Larkshid grunted playfully. When Yuri tilted her head as if she didn’t understand, he looked at Yuri and said,

 

“Did you really not understand? I can catch a monster bigger than that.”

 

“That’s… … ”

 

The moment Yuri was about to speak, Larkshid gently pulled Yuri closer. Yuri was surprised for a moment that she was accidentally being hugged, but he wrapped his arms around her casually.

 

Leaning against him, a low heartbeat rang out. Yuri wiggled her hands a few times, not knowing where to put them. Behind her, people were buzzing about. Looking at their impressions, they didn’t seem like good people. Yuri looked up at Larkshid.

 

“A lot of bad guys go around the festival.”

 

“ah… ”

 

“How about me? Do I look different?”

 

Then Larkshid smiled proudly. His face shone brightly and his red hair was shining like a beautiful flower in the sunset light.

 

Without realizing it, Yuri soon had no choice but to nod her head.

 

“Do you know that your face is blushing?”

 

“…… I don’t know.”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

A mischievous smile appeared on his face. The corners of his eyes began to curve slowly. When Yuri looked at his playfully smiling face, she could feel that not only her face but also her ears were red.

 

“Yeah. If you’re like that, I’ll let it slide this time.”

 

A playful face. Strangely, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Come to think of it, it was her first time going to a festival with someone she liked.

 

This was the north, where no one knew her. There was no one whispering. No one looked at her with unfriendly eyes. Yuri liked it here.

 

She smiled.

 

“Yes, thank you.”

 

“Yes.”

 

‘Thank you for bringing me here.’

 

Yuri swallowed those words awkwardly. If he was kind, she was sure he’d reply to her with a smile. However, she didn’t want to bring this up to confirm his love. Her anxiety could not prove her love. Yuri believed him.

 

“Really……Thank you very much.”

 

A gust of wind tickled her spring-colored hair. A cool breeze felt through her hair.