Chapter 15 Part2 (1/2)
[PART 1]
Villagers
It felt like it eltering It felt overbearing
If you had to describe the feeling, it would be unpleasant
Still half asleep, Aleen shook it off She roughly pushed it away and thought she heard a small, ”Umph—”
”…Mmh”
She opened her eyes a crack and saw the bare wooden bea
Slowly, she sat up in bed
She mumbled to herself and drowsily looked around the room
”…Oh, you're up now”
Her eyes reen door—Danny
Shocked, her drowsiness completely disappeared
Why is he here?
Some man she didn't knoas in the bedroom with her Even if it was the home's owner, it stillshe shoved ahen she woke up A chill ran down her spine
Aileen wrapped the sheets around her as if to protect herself, silently staring at him with narrowed eyes The color in her face drained even more and Danny said, ”Wai-, breakfast is ready,” and quickly left the room
The door closed behind him
After asure nothing rong
—She was fine There wasn't anything particularly wrong
”What's with that guy?” She got goosebu came instinctively She wrapped her arms around herself
Unable to calm herself down she looked around uneasily and happened to look outside
The green forest gave her a so meet up with Kei
She got out of bed and put on the wooden shoes she'd been lent The simple shoes didn't match her size, so her feet slid around in them However, the as smoothed out, so they didn't feel bad
Aileen didn't want to run into that greasyrooht outside
Her shoes clacked against the dirt path as she walked in the soft sunlight
I feel light now… she realized that she clearly felt much better than yesterday
She should have realized when she clith in her legs
A sled to herself as she lightened her step Hht, he was at the village leader's second son's place Cronin, or Cronen, or so
She reh, she had no idea where that was
”…Umm” She wondered what to do and paced back and forth when she saw a group of wo fro loudly
The one at the front of the group took notice and called out to her It was Cynthia with her gentle s you here?”
The others noticed her too, and stopped their chatter, quickly putting on polite expressions
”I was on my way to see Kei, but… I don't knohere he is,” flustered, she avoided looking them in the eye
Aileen felt a little embarrassed when she answered them honestly
The women teased her innocence, ”Oh, are you now~?”
Aileen felt even ht red
”Ah, if it's Kei-dono then he's at etically
”What's your name?”
”I'm Tina, Cronen's wife!” While she held a jar of water, the freckled woht Aileen with her to her ho the way The house was disappointingly close by ”It's small, but please,” she invited Aileen in ”Kei-dono left early in the , but it's the ine he'll be back soon”
”Oh, alright” Aileen sat at the table in the living room and casually looked around Like Tina said, it was se leader's house However, it was so clean that there wasn't even a speck of dust
It'd even be fine to go barefoot she thought, as she clacked her wooden shoes together under the table to kill ti the water fro a fire underneath it
”—I' some water for tea, if you'd like some” Tina smiled and held some dried herbs in her hand
”Sure Thank you” Aileen realized Tina was going through the trouble for her and slightly nodded, grateful
They were quiet for a while The fire crackled and popped
Aileen spaced out with her head propped up by her hand, and of course, that came to mind
That greasy man's face crossed her ly
”…Why did Cynthia-san get married?” She muttered to herself
Cynthia and Danny At least fro couple Danny didn't seeenuinely curious as to why Cynthia chose to marry Danny of all people
”Ah~… My sister-in-law is a bit unfortunate, isn't she?” Tina answered, looking triumphant
”Unfortunate?”
”She wanted to marry someone else It's like she sold herself”
”…What do you htly in interest
Tina lowered her voice, indicating that the conversation doesn't leave the rooo My sister-in-law's younger sister came doith a fever The town had the medicine we needed, but it was much too expensive… Her family was poor and didn't knohat to do That's when that man,” she spoke those last words with spite, ”—said, 'If ere related I could save her…' as he showed his money He even knew that she had a lover!”
”W-, that's…”
In other words, she threay her lover to be at Danny's side if it meant her sister would be saved
Aileen groaned and furrowed her broith an expression that said she regretted asking ”So… Did he save her sister?”
”…Yes That ti bitter ”Not even a roup of wild animals and died”
”My God”
”And then he said, 'What a waste of -faced bastard”
”P-pig…”
She put it frankly, and she wasn't wrong Aileen's face twitched, even though she was asleep she'd felt the same
Since Tina called Cynthia her sister-in-law, that would make Danny her brother-in-law Even so, she clearly hated him
”You don't like him, do you?”
”Of course not! Not a single person in this village does!” She put her hands on her hips and puffed her cheeks out angrily ”He puts other people to work like he's in charge, and then he doesn't even do his oork! He'll just stay holed up in his home all day, and when he finally does coo have fun in another town Further to brothels Even after hehis wife… I do feel bad for h People say the reason she can't have children anyhed ”I feel depressed thinking that he e leader… They should just make my husband the leader”
After she finished her rant, Aileen's expression also turned bitter
Matriht by money Hated by everyone Frequented brothels
Aileen's impression of hiht of staying one e leader's house—made her feel uncomfortable
”Um, Tina-san”
”Yes?”
”The truth is, this is only between us,” Aileen lowered her voice and told Cynthia about that from earlier
”What!?” Her eyes widened and her face paled when she heard that Danny was there ”W-ere you okay!?”
”I think so… I don't think anything else happened to me”
”There wasn't anything sticky or slimy on you, was there?!”
”I-I don't think so…” She scowled and looked a little sick as she shook her head
Tina sighed in relief and pressed her fingers against her teo for visitors, too…” Her brilliant eyes slowly fell onto the butcher knife in the kitchen ”Rather… That's right If I do that, then Cronen will be the village leader…”
”N-No! I just wanted to ask if I could stay soing beginning to show in her eyes
Tina s!' Whether she was joking or serious, she see a bad decision
Then the door made a noise as it opened
”Heey, Tina! Are you—huh?” Cronen entered the house He iping his sweat on a towel in one hand and held a gardening sickle in the other His gaze stopped and he blinked a few ti room ”Oh, she's here…?”
”Perfect tileamed and she shook her head before she ran up to hi on its prey and explained the situation ”—That's what happened! This is your chance, dear!” Her breathing was rough, ”Let's spread what happened and end his shot at being the next village leader!”
Cronen re to weather a headache He gave a sardening sickle
”Wha-!?”
”…Sorry, miss Just wait here for a moment”
He grabbed Tina by the ar, and pulled her outside
”Ye-, sure…” Aileen was left alone and slightly dumbfounded
The sound of stea from the pot lid filled the room
”…Oh, the water is done”
†††
[PART 2]
”Hey, that hurts! What are you doing?”
”Quiet down, don't be so loud!”
It was outside Tina, with a red forehead, was raising her voice Cronen undauntedly scowled at her
”Please, just don't make a scene…!”
”Why not? This is a once in a lifetime chance!”
”Chance? It's a chance?!” Cronen sirl; that Kei is a monster! If we mess up who knohat he'd do to us!”
”We just put all the bla It wouldn't bother me if he was killed”
”You…!” His face twitched when she said that ”Be that as it may, he's still my brother!”
”I know! I love you, but I don't like him I hate him” Tina looked away
She still held a grudge from when Danny used tobecause she helped her parents raise their pigs as livestock Even though it was regular far, those insults were the reason she became such a clean freak
”I know that you hate him But these are different e leader?!”
”…You! Who else could there be!?” Tina said in disbelief, her voice cracking and her cheeks flushi+ng
In contrast, Cronen appeared slightly annoyed, but also disheartened
— It was impossible for him
He hated knowing that he couldn't do it
Cronen was self-conscious of it He could never replace Danny
Although, it was true that Danny had many flaws
To start off, the younger generation didn't like hi oreedy, and a cheapskate Truthfully, hty attitude
'Even I ht be fit to be the leader'
'In fact, everyone thinks that I would be better than Danny'
Cronen had thought about it before Maybe he got overconfident because his friends flattered him Maybe it was the dislike he held for Danny that pushed hiainst his father recorew up he decided to believe that he was best suited to be the village mediator
However, he realized it when he first dealt with e
There was Danny, who studied books and spoke with e since childhood
Then there was himself, who abandoned study to run around the hills and fields with his friends
His knowledge, his e
Of course, Cronen could still read, write, and perfor off, Bennett had still tied him to a chair and beat soe leader should be able to, such as calculate taxes or er
But in the end it was just the minimum There were e should be able to perforoods froe'sconnections with people to accomplish the trade
It all needed things that Cronen wasn't good at; knowledge, experience, and a quick wit And yet Danny could do such a complicated job as easily as if he were a shopkeeper
He saw it himself, his oorthlessness and the difference between his and his brother's abilities It crushed him
Further money either