Editors: sleepchaser, Katie_WanderingFujoshi, ASplashofMusic
After sending off Mister Elmer, I sat down in a chair by the bar counter.
Talking for such a long time was tiring, but… what really weighed heavily on my mind was Riley’s current persona based on what his traveling companion had told me.
The hero, who had previously sworn vengeance, did just that. He had obliterated the Demon King’s close aide. The demon that had burnt Tobol village to ashes. However… was there supposed to be a “happily ever after?”
Since there was no way both of us could survive, ensuring Riley’s survival had been my goal. Even if that meant I had to sacrifice my life for his.
It had been that simple to me, and yet…
Did my action cause this? Riley’s obsession in tormenting those demons?
I covered my face with my hands, trying to keep myself from drowning in my emotions. Unlike in my previous life, my hands were soft. No blisters or anything.
That was natural though. I never held a sword in this life.
The valiant Allen was no more.
Was I wrongly murdered? No, I had deliberately challenged a demon, dying as a result.
And I had been completely satisfied with this outcome.
I had felt content knowing that I had died protecting Riley.
And had hoped that with my sacrifice, he could live freely.
That he would push the memories of me into the secluded recesses of his mind. That he would find a lovely wife in a city somewhere, and lead a peaceful life.
Never had I wished for him to seek revenge.
As I was wrapped up in my own dark musing, someone gently removed my hands from my face. “Ilya.”
I looked up, meeting Riley’s scarlet gaze. A gaze that seemed to ignore everything else around us.
In the past, I could read his emotions with just a glance, as if it were completely natural. But now, he was an impenetrable fortress.
Yet, behind those calm eyes, I could still see a young version of Riley, grief-stricken with tears.
“Riley,” I said, as I reached out to him, tentatively touching his cheeks.
His cheeks were no longer as chubby as prior. In contrast, they seemed to be carved in perfection, with only a slight curve to them.
Even if Riley managed to tilt his lips upwards, in a certain sense, it would only be a semblance of a smile. He could no longer smile from the heart.
Confusion filled his eyes as he wondered what I was doing.
“Would you like to go to Tobol with me?”
At this, Riley widened his eyes in surprise. While merely a slight change in expression, this tiny accomplishment was enough to lift my spirits.
Following that, a myriad of confounding things happened. And it somehow resulted in me sharing a carriage with Mister Elmer.
If I had to put it in a nutshell, he stopped the gatekeeper from detaining me as a person of suspicion. The authority of a master swordsman was really impressive.
Though, never had I imagined Mister Kenneth to be such a big shot. In the past, he looked quite young. Pretty sociable too. And as an orphan without any living relatives, I found him to be the closest thing to an uncle.
I wanted to apologize to the gatekeeper. There was nothing more suspicious than knowing Mister Kenneth’s given name but not his last name or title. Sorry for confusing you…
“With such a docile face, I wouldn’t have pegged you for a reckless guy, Ilya,” said Mister Elmer.
A little sheepish, I said, “Ah, someone told me something similar when I said that I’m going to travel to Tobol on foot.”
He paused before questioning, “On foot?”
Mister Elmer gaped at me, chock full of disbelief.
This person’s face was highly expressive. To the point that I was beginning to wonder if he could perform a play solely by using his face as the cast.
Just imagining Mister Elmer, with his vivid expression, chattering away at Riley, this expressionless person, sparked an interest in my heart, a glimmer to my gaze.
“Then, based on what brash impulse did you intend to visit Sir Kenneth?”
“Hey now, don’t call me brash. I’m not particularly impulsive. It’s just that I’m heading off to Tobol with Riley, so I figured it’d be nice to meet Mister Kenneth before that.”
“…Wait. With the hero?” Mister Elmer probed in incredulity.
What’s with this strange exchange? This was the second time it happened. Hold on, did I tell him I was leaving on foot again? No, right? Well, whatever. Perhaps I should quit this line of thought.
Riley had his own horse already, and since we’re saving up on the escort fee, I could rent my own.
Oh, maybe it’s because it’s unconventional to treat the hero as an escort. That’s why his curiosity had been sparked. A weak sigh left my lips. I was back to pondering that topic again.
Even I found it a tad excessive for someone like me to have the world’s strongest escort. However, Riley said that he had always wished to return to Tobol. It would be fine if I simply followed along to visit, right?
“I have a personal question. Are you and the hero in a romantic relationship now?” Mister Elmer wrecked my train of thought with that explosive question.
“No, I’m not against it. It’s taboo in this country, but there are quite a few countries where homosexuality is recognized. The Bible is pretty vague about it. I just assumed this since both of you are more mature than when you were twelve, so—”
“Wait, wait, romantic relationship?! Who?!”
“With the hero,” he replied nonchalantly, as if he weren’t shocking me with this question.
Riley and I in a romantic relationship?!
My thoughts, which had been in total disarray, completely halted. Then my brain began to rewind at breakneck speed.
What the heck did he mean by this?!
Both Riley and I were men! In the first place, we were reacquainted only recently, and Mister Elmer saw us together just the day before yesterday.
So how on earth could he misunderstand our relationship? Confused, I started replaying our reunion nine days ago.
We ended up hugging in public.
Riley currently lived at our inn.
And to be honest, we slept in the same bed too.
Oh, and we also shared a bath on a regular basis.
But it’s not like we caressed each other’s bodies or do stuff like that… Well now that I thought about it, we did touch each other quite a bit in the bath the other day… But there were no ulterior motives, ambiguous undertones or anything like that! It was all platonic. Platonic!
In the midst of my panic, I recalled the abnormal behaviour of the people around me these past few days.
My father had suddenly told me to follow my heart.
Ever since my elder brother had returned from buying newspapers, he stared at me with a warm gaze. I didn’t even have the ability to consider what was in the newspapers now.
Also, when I had told my mother that she didn’t need to change the sheets in Riley’s room, she flashed me a strange smile.
And for some inexplicable reason, my sister had started teaching me delicious recipes. She told me that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach, or something to that extent.
…Were they doing all this because of what I was thinking?
I had even announced my trip to Tobol Village so abruptly, yet none of them were opposed to it!
“Wait, wait! We’re still not like that!” I exclaimed after running everything through in my head.
“Hmm, still, eh?” Mister Elmer snickered.
“N-no!” Ahh damn it, my face was burning! Hot to my ears!
And could anyone explain why I suddenly pictured Riley in the bath just now?!
His slicked-back and damp hair. The trail of water trickling down his thick neck… Why did I even remember that?! I was really such an idiot!
…Hey, that swordsman right there! Wipe that grin off your face!
/miican’tstopgrinningtoo /brickedbyIlya
Support the author! Let’s give our thanks to Momose Wasabi-sensei for creating such a sweet heartbreaking story! Here’s the tutorial made by “Shido Within” on how to buy digital books at CMOA. The tutorial specifies on how to buy digital manga, but I think it should work for novels too. After registering, you can click here to go to Icy’s CMOA page. Apparently, you can also buy this book at Bookwalker Japan! You’ll need to create a Bookwalker Global account first, then connect to VPN before clicking here to go to Icy’s Bookwalker page (or you can go there from the RAW Page on Icy’s ToC!). Here’s the guide on how to purchase books on Bookwalker JP Store! After purchasing, you can turn of the VPN and download to read the book on any device! (Thank you Shadow-san for telling me about this! ˭̡̞(◞⁎˃ᆺ˂)◞*✰) The difference is that if you’re using CMOA, you need to pay using your credit card, but with Bookwalker, you can pay using PayPal! Very efficient!
Support the translator! I feel a bit shameful to keep plugging this at the end of the chapter, but how about buying this translator a cup of bubble tea to boost her motivation and power (to defeat the wall of text!)? As a small thank you, you can read one advanced draft chapter of Icy ahead from schedule! Next chapter is from Mister Kenneth’s POV… Let’s prepare for the tissue!!!
Next chapter will come out at Wednesday (I think)… We’ll do our best… /cry