Ch-57: Mars (3)

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After reaching a compromise, Cloud and Mars went down to the village to find a paper.

But Neria couldn't find her footing, she leaned her back against a tree to find strength.

That was the only thing she could do.

Because her mind was a complicated mess right now.

'He knew..?'

Somehow, she overheard their conversation. She learnt that Mars had experienced a broken love, and Cloud was comforting him.

Just when Neria felt pleased with his mature nature to console others.

– Just say it out loud. Your hyung's amazing, his childhood sweetheart is sucking another guy's cock but he accepted the fact straightforwardly.

She heard quite shocking words.

What Cloud said—

—it must be referring to what had happened between her and Gis.

'How..?'

She was thoroughly secretive so that Cloud would not find out. But he knew, and she had taken him for granted. Now he talked about it with a smile as if it was nothing.

'Then what Cloud told Mars about me…'

Was that it..?

No, more than that…

He saw.

He has seen it.

Cloud saw it.

The fact was enough to quake Neria's mind.

She felt her chest tighten.

It felt heavy.

As if she couldn't breathe properly.

For a moment, she felt that disgusting touch on her lips.

"Ahhh…"

She has to wash.

She has to cleanse this dirty mouth of hers. She has to wash it and make it clean.

Neria frantically turned her head around her to take in her surroundings. But what she desired wasn't around her, neither a well nor a river—where she could wash her mouth.

Instead, there was a bottle of wine that she had brought to drink with Cloud.

Neria hastily opened the cork of the bottle. She immediately took a mouthful in her mouth and rinsed her mouth. Then she desperately poured wine on her quivering fingers and repeatedly wiped her lips.

It being a very strong wine made the potent smell of alcohol sting the tip of her nose, but it didn't matter.

The thing most important to her right now was to cleanse her mouth!

However, putting hard work didn't mean success, the feeling still lingered.

"Oh my god..!"

While rinsing her mouth, the strong liquor touched her delicate uvula making her cough violently. She fell right down. She spit out the alcohol she had been holding and vomited in vain.

By the time the nausea was over, tears were dripping from her eyes.

"Cloud… Cloud…"

He knew, but he still accepted her as a teammate again?

Why?

Because they had been close friends before?

Or did he find out she was being abused by Gis?

– Besides, the genuine childhood sweethearts don't go well together. It is an immutable law that I came across while traveling the continent.

"Sorry, sorry…"

I'm so sorry, Cloud.

I'm sorry for hurting you so much.

I didn't want to… no. No. I'm not worthy to make excuses. Sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Please don't talk like that.

"You are the only one I have…"

I don't know what you think of me.

Even if you think of me as a dirty woman with no sense of integrity.

You mean everything to me…

Neria spent the night in tears.

She stayed up all night thinking about how she could be forgiven by Cloud, and then she decided to tell him the truth.

It was all because of Gis' intimidation that she did it, that she was compelled to follow him.

It's the truth she hid because she didn't want those secrets to be found out… but if Cloud already knows, she doesn't have to hide it.

'If I tell the truth… Cloud will forgive me.'

Rather, he might comfort her with why did she keep all this pressure inside of her. With that as an opportunity, they might be able to strengthen their relationship with a common enemy called Gis.

Neria walked down the mountain with deep uneasiness and a small bit of anticipation.

Just when she took in a deep breath in front of the inn, having made up her mind.

"Cloud, you pooch, come out!"

A girl with pink hair smashed through the inn door.

* * *

"Ugh…"

Isabella woke up from her sleep, with a yawn she stretched out her arms. Even so, she felt the stiffness her body passed onto her. It was because she slept late and woke up early.

'Oh, really. Why was that person again so persistent yesterday?'

How many times did she give hints on the way back, but he just refused to notice, or he did but pretended not to? Thanks to which, she came back later than the scheduled time.

She felt like sleeping more.

But she felt that her routine would be messed up if she did, so she persevered and went out of her room.

"Good morning~"

Her mother greeted her morning while stirring the soup in her pot with a ladle.

Isabella replied while yawning.

"Mmh. I am very sleepy."

"Oh, did you meet the baron's son yesterday as well? What did he say?"

"It's always the same. He just kept bragging how good he was. I'm sick and tired of it."

Her father, who was sitting on a chair, interjected to Isabella's grumbles.

"It's because he has the right. After all, he is a noble, isn't he? Why don't you try to change your mind? Opportunities like this don't come often…"

"Dad, I previously asked you to stop mentioning this, didn't I?"

"Ah, I mean… If you think about your future, you will find that the Baron's son is way better than that Mars guy…"

"Dad."

"Alright..! I got it. I'll stop."

Her father, unable to ignore his daughter's stern gaze, coughed and looked away.

Isabella sighed deeply.

"Really, dad is sometimes too harsh on Mars."

"It's all because your dad cares for you, you know. Ah right, there's a letter for you."

Isabella's eyes twitched at the word 'letter'. Her mother smiled knowingly and added.

"It's a letter from Mars, not the baron's son."

"Mars?"

Isabella's expression changed dramatically as if the previous one was a facade.

"Where is it?"

"On the table."

Isabella turned her gaze to the table. Placed on the table was a letter, as her mother said.

Not a fancy letter with a seal stamped on the envelope, but a normal double-folded paper.

But Isabella liked this letter more than the fancy ones.

Because the word 'Mars' was written on the edge of the neatly folded paper. Isabella, who promptly picked up the letter, narrowed her eyes for a moment and looked at her father.

"I'm asking just in case… Did you read my letter secretly?"

"…come on, I would never do such a thing."

"That's a relief."

Isabella hummed merrily and entered her room. As she sat on the bed, she looked at the letter with a gleeful smirk.

'Mars wrote this for me, right?'

She couldn't stop giggling.

In fact, it was not limited to today—this wasn't the first time she couldn't stop her laughs.

She has been full of giggles these days.

To the extent that she worried that wrinkles might appear on her face because of this.

'I was skeptical of what Narah said…'

At that time, she was worried because Mars no longer cared about her and was wholly engrossed with his stupid sword.

Narah advised her that she just had to play hard to get, she said that it was the solution to all her problems.

An advice from Narah who herself didn't have any dating experience.

Isabella didn't believe her in spirit, but since there was no other way, she followed in skepticism.

But, unexpectedly, the effect of the advice was enormous.

Less than two weeks after she started playing hard to get, Mars came and apologized to her.

Isabella was surprised, but she did not immediately accept his apology, as Narah had instructed.

Then Mars kept apologizing to her even more sincerely. Daily visits became basic, and he even bought and gifted her her favorite things from the city.

Mars, who had been ignoring her, only knowing to swing his sword all day long, was so focused on her that she even wondered where the previous him had gone to.

Isabella was delighted with that.

It felt so giddy to see Mars turn happy and sad with her every minute action. Now being able to put her loved one, who she was slowly losing, in her own hands and control him gave her a great sense of relief.

'Narah was after all right. I just had to grab the leash.'

How good would have it been if she had known to play hard to get from a young age. Isabella reassured herself that she wasn't too late.

""

Her attention was again directed to Mars' letter.

'He even wrote a letter… Should I forgive him now?'

To be honest, it was hard for her, she hadn't had a proper conversation with Mars for two weeks straight.

She has already grabbed the leash, so there should be no problem in loosening it a bit.

She smiled and unfolded the folds, and read the letter.

Though, as she read the letter, her expression hardened bit by bit.

===========================

To Isabella.

Hi, this is Mars.

You may have been a little confounded because of my unexpected letter, right? But, I thought this would be a better option. Also, it's my first time writing a letter, so yeah, it's a bit awkward for me. So forgive me if I ramble a bit.

First of all, I would like to apologize for neglecting you while I was wholly immersed in swordsmanship for all this while. I never did it on purpose! You are my friend, our friendship is much more precious to me than swordsmanship.

The reason I made that mistake was just because every time my swordsmanship improved, I felt like I was becoming a person more deserving of you. You are a very precious friend to me, but sometimes too bright to look at, yeah.

I know that saying this sounds like an excuse. I know how angry you are with me. I apologize again. I'm sorry.

And now to the main point, I decided to go on a journey. I haven't made any concrete plans yet, but I'm thinking of visiting the entire continent for now, that's the current plan at least.

Before leaving for the journey, I wanted to say goodbye to you, but I couldn't come up with the courage, so I chose to write this letter.

And you don't have to worry about me, Cloud hyung gave me some good equipment and took care of my travel expenses.

This journey will take a long time. Because the continent is so wide. By the time I come back, I'll be a lot more mature than I used to be. I'll try to be a better person of what I was.

So Isabella.

If I come back safely from my journey and see you again.

Then please forgive me.

And be my friend again.

–Mars.

===========================

Isabella read the letter again.

The content did not change.

""

Still, Isabella read the letter again.

The content still did not change.

But, Isabella read the letter yet again.

However, the content refused to change.

No matter how many times she re-read it, the content did not budge.

She pinched her own cheek firmly. It hurt.

It wasn't a dream.

Isabella then faced reality.

"No, no, no. No!"

She opened her door brashly, the letter clutched in her grasp.

"Agh! You surprised me! Isabelle, what happened all of a sudden…"

Ignoring her mother's words, she ran out of the house. Without even putting on her shoes, she ran towards the hill where Mars' house was located.

Isabella didn't stop, though blood trickled out of her feet as the rough ground lacerated them, but she ran—out of breath as she ran up the hill.

That's how urgent it was.

Running without any happenstance, she climbed to the top of the hill. A little further, and she will soon see Mars' cabin.

"Please, Mars…"

Please be there.

Just be there, swinging your wooden sword in front of your cabin as usual.

Just by looking at his familiar face, all the negative emotions that currently plagued her chest would be washed away.

Isabella hit the ground hard.

Mars' cabin entered her sight…

Though, there was neither Mars nor his sword.

For an instant, Isabella almost collapsed, but she managed to hold herself up, though barely stable.

"Mars… he may have overslept today, why not?"

She approached the cabin slowly, unlike how she climbed the hill. With every step she took, there was an imprint of blood left on the floor.

"Mars~ I'm here~"

Isabella said out aloud right in front of the shabby cabin. There was no response. Isabella chuckled.

"How deep are you sleeping?"

There's no other way. She has no choice but to take it on herself to wake him up.

Isabella entered the cabin. The structure of the cabin where Mars lived was extremely simple. A single room structure in shape of a long rectangle. There was no room per se, so she could see the bed right away.

There was no Mars sleeping on the bed.

"Uh, huh? Not here..? Oh, did he went down to the village? We sure are at odds recently."

She tumbled into the cabin and sat down with her buttocks on the bed.

She sure can go back down to the village but they may miss each other again. Isabella intended to wait for Mars to return.

She looked around the cabin and smiled.

"Did he clean up recently? He doesn't have the habit…"

Isabella's smile hardened when she saw the side of the large cupboard empty.

Originally, there was supposed to be a sword present.

He said that he bought it in the city with the money Cloud sent him; he often used to brag about it.

"No… no… no…"

Isabella got up from her seat and looked under the bed. Again, his sword wasn't there either. Thump, thump. Her nervous heart began to gallop.

"Mars can't leave me alone."

Isabella walked over to the drawer and grabbed the handle.

"Is that right, Mars?"

She opened the drawer.

The inside was empty.

"…"

After she closed it quietly, she opened the second and third.

They too, were empty inside.

Her heart sank with a thump.

The despair she didn't want to accept, the reality, began to approach her.

But she pushed it away.

Instead, she began to rummage through the cabin.

Nothing.

It was totally empty.

In the cabin Mars lived, all traces of his existence had disappeared.

"It's a lie."

Isabella murmured with an enraptured expression, and then she ran out of the cabin.

No, there was still hope.

Ten steps from the second tree behind the cabin.

Underneath the soil was the relic left by Mars' mother. The wedding ring to put on his bride's finger on his wedding.

Had Mars gone, there's no way he wouldn't have taken it with him.

So if it was still there, it was the proof that her Mars didn't leave her behind.

Isabella began digging.

She didn't bring a shovel, so she used her own hands. Her skin scrapped and her nails were broken, but she kept digging.

However, despite such efforts…

"Nothing..?"

She dug nothing.

Mars really had gone on a journey.

Leaving her, Isabella, behind.

"Why..? Why…?"

She couldn't understand.

Why did he leave her behind?

He liked her.

He gave her a short, shy glance when they talked about the wedding ring, which he inherited from his mother.

"Is it because I have been acting cold lately? Are you that mad at me?"

She wanted to dearly apologize, if that was the case.

She did it because she loved him so much. She only did it because she loves him. She just wanted him to look her way.

"But you left just like that?"

If you were going on a journey, you could have at least said a goodbye. If you had, I would have realized that something was wrong. I could have cleared up the misunderstanding…

But Isabella knew why Mars had left a letter instead of a direct goodbye.

That reason was also her.

That fact ripped Isabella's heart to pieces.

"Mars please… please come back… I'll apologize…"

They were supposed to go to a festival in the city this time around, together.

That's why she pestered and pleaded her dad to buy her a pretty dress.

She also saved up pocket money step by step for this occasion.

'What good is it without you…'

Why?

"Mars…!"

Isabella sobbed as she held the letter in her arms. Desperately wishing this all to be a dream. Or maybe, that Mars would change his mind and hopefully come back.

But in reality, the probability of that happening was low, very low.

Because of this, Isabella could not stop her tears, she couldn't find any consolation.

Tears dripped down out of her eyes, she only stopped crying when she had none to squeeze anymore.

Isabella opened the letter with a forlorn expression on her face.

She found a name that bothered her.

"Cloud…"

From the first time he saw her, he always called her a pink woman, he loathed her.

This man definitely had the greatest influence on Mars to leave her behind and leaving on a journey by himself.

As her thoughts reached that point, the sense of loss and despair that had gnawed at Isabella's inner self disappeared. Anger and bloodthirst took their place.

She went straight down the hill to her village.

She sprinted through the door of the only inn in village and shouted.

"Cloud, you pooch, come out!"

"Woh! Woh!"

Cloud, who was having his breakfast, barked.

You can read fully translated chapters, including the last chapter, for $20.

p(a)treon.com/Daoist02