Chapter 13: Chapter 12

‘What should I do?’

It was complicated . I just found out why Agrita kept on dying, but that didn’t make me feel any better, instead, it made me feel worse .

‘If my speculations are correct, there are no other solutions . ’

The only way to solve this problem is to get Shin Ari, who’s currently residing in Agrita’s body, safely back to her own world .

But how?

‘Wait . If Ari returns to her world, will the original Agrita come back?’

I understand the current situation, however, I don’t know the answer . The thought made me furrow my eyebrows .

Even after knowing what was going on, it felt more like I was trapped in a labyrinth .

‘No, this is much better than when I didn’t know anything……”

Just then, Agrita was waving her before my eyes .

“Sis . ”

“……?

“Is there a pond here? This is a garden after all . ”

Agrita asked as she slightly lifted her dress revealing her feet .

“The moment I found out you were Korean, although it’s your previous life, I got a little too excited that I forgot to wear my shoes……”

Agrita’s feet were covered with mud and grass . Come to think of it, the shoes she took off earlier were still lying on the grass .

“I should put my shoes back on, but not when my feet are like this . I should wash them . So where’s the pond?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It’s probably in there……”

It hasn’t been long since the new pond was built .

So, I reflexively pointed at the direction where the pond is . And then when I realized it, I hurriedly tried to stop her .

“Wait!” I called out in panic, but Agrita was too fast . I was so surprised by how far she was that I started running after her .

“Wait a minute, Ari!”

“Huh?”

I dropped all the formalities and at this point, I didn’t really care .

I could hear her answering me from afar .

I mean, just when did she get there? Is she faster because she’s barefooted?

“Come back! It’s dangerous!” I shouted while I chased after her .

“What? Is the pond dangerous?”

“To you, it is!”

Is there anything that doesn’t pose a threat to Agrita’s life right now?

What if she was suddenly bitten by an ant while walking barefooted? Some ants contained venoms .

Ah, I must be out of my mind for telling her where the pond is .

“Oh, I’m just going to wash my feet . ” Agrita replied with a calm and peaceful voice .

“I’ll fetch you some water to wash your feet with, so just come back……”

“And I know how to swi…… Kyaa!”

SPLASH!

‘Shoot!’

I wanted to swear . I ran as fast as I could, but I was too late .

I couldn’t catch the falling Agrita in the nick of time and ended up grabbing the air .

The pond isn’t really that deep, but it was deeper than a person’s average height .

Agrita began to splash around the pond .

And as I’ve said earlier, everything was considered dangerous to the current Agrita .

I clenched my teeth, took off my shoes, and jumped into the pond .

Since I also knew how to swim, I jumped in without any second thoughts, thinking that I’ll be able to save Agrita .

However, I think I made a little mistake .

“Pfft, pffpft!”

“Agrita, guah, stay sti…”

“Mpfpft!”

I should’ve saved her from drowning . However, Agrita, who said she could swim, was flailing around struggling to float .

Far from getting her out of the water, I was about to drown with her .

“Agri, pfpft!”

Water flooded into my mouth as I called out to Agrita .

My vision was turning blurry due to the water .

Ah, this is insane . This is crazy .

It was at this moment that I remembered someone saying . ‘When you want to save a drowning person, wait ‘til their exhausted before jumping in . ’

‘Damn it…’

Gradually, my body started losing strength .

My initial confidence to save Agrita began to fade away .

I should’ve waited before jumping in . No, I should’ve used the marble instead of jumping in .

Regrets and numerous curses whirled around in my head .

It was then that I felt a strong hand grasping onto my arm and pulling me up instantly .

“……!”

I was fished out of the water and landed on the grass .

I violently coughed my lungs out and the water that I swallowed was coughed out as well .

My chest heaved so much as I tried to catch my breath .

I barely managed to see the person with my hazy vision .

‘Ash?’

I could glimpse the bright shade of yellow in his eyes .

Am I just imagining things? The familiar face before my eyes has an expression full of rage .

Then I realized that I was the only one pulled out of the water .

I was still out of breath and my eyes were hazy, but I somehow managed to get the words out of my mouth .

“Agrita… Save……”

I raised my finger that felt like lead and pointed towards the pond .

Did he get what I’m trying to say? And while I wondered about it, Ash took out his sword without a word .

Sword?

Wait, what is he doing?

‘What are yo……’

The words I wanted to utter never came out .

Did I drink too much water? Or did I spend too much energy trying to stay alive?

I suddenly felt the world spin .

Ash, with a sword in hand, jumped into the pond . That was the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness .

***

“……!”

I quickly sprang up . Sitting, scanned my surroundings .

The room was dark . I stretched out my hands to feel my surroundings until I get used to the dark .

I could feel the soft mattress and blanket with my hands .

‘A bed . ’

I wasn’t wearing a soaked, filthy dress . Instead, I was wearing loose, comfortable pajamas .

Once I could grasp the situation, I asked myself .

‘What about Agrita?’

I felt uneasy at the thought of it .

The last scene I witnessed was absolutely outrageous . Ash unsheathed his sword and……

“Gasp . ”

I held my breath .

There was someone else besides me in the room .

My eyes have more or less adjusted to the dark . I looked around the room, only to spot a person sitting beside the bed .

I blinked my eyes once more . My vision, which hasn’t completely adjusted to the dark, was becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second .

At last, I could see the person sitting there .

“……Ash?”

I called out to him, but he didn’t reply back .

With his crystal-like eyes and sharp nose, there was no doubt in my mind that he was Ash .

Ash didn’t move a single inch and continued to sit still .

Then, he suddenly moved, raising his hand and placing it on my forehead . He pushed me back down the bed .

“……?”

As I laid down, I turned my head to face Ash .

I was about to ask what he was doing there, but once again, he pushed my forehead to the bed .

“Sleep more . ” Ash said .

His big and warm hand gently slid down to my eyes as if he was actually trying to put me back to sleep .

My vision, which has just gotten used to the dark, could only see nothing once again .

“Ash . ”

“……”

“……Where’s Agrita?” I asked without attempting to remove his hands that were covering my eyes .

I was curious about Agrita’s condition . Even more so after witnessing such a scene before I lost consciousness .

I heard Ash’s voice after a few seconds of silence .

“If it’s something you really want to do, I don’t care whatever it is . ”

“……?”

“You’re free to do anything if that’s what you wish for . ”

“……”

“However, this time……”

He hesitated a bit before continuing .

“It infuriates me . ” He said with a low and deep voice .

That’s when I suddenly thought that perhaps, the real reason he was covering my eyes was not to put me back to sleep, but to prevent me from seeing his face .

‘So I wasn’t really imagining things . ’

Ash really seemed angry when he saved me from the pond . It wasn’t just an illusion .

I wavered for a while before I tried to speak .

“Sorry . ”

I’m not stupid enough not to understand why Ash was furious .

I made him worried . I knew that .

It’s just that, I felt something weird in my chest .

I’m his sister, a person he gets angry with because he was worried……

‘But I am also not his biological sister— the one who is fated to die by her own brother’s hands . ’

My heart sank from the thought .

Ash stayed silent after hearing my apology . I also didn’t speak a single word after that .

I immediately knew that no answer would come from him if I asked about Agrita right now .

‘Yeah, let’s sleep . I’ll wake up then afterward… I’ll check on it in the morning . ’

And after a long time has passed…

Ash eventually removed his hand from my eyes and left the room .

I didn’t notice him doing those things as I was already asleep as it happened .

***

I automatically opened my eyes .

I turned my head to check the bedside . It was empty .

‘Was it a dream?’

I have a memory of talking to Ash .

But I don’t know whether it really happened or if it was just a dream .

Maybe I was just confused because of the darkness and wasn’t fully awake then .

I stopped thinking and sat up .

It was bright outside . I have no idea how long I’ve slept, but it was probably morning .

‘……Agrita . ‘

I remembered Agrita again . What happened?

I wanted to check on that first, so I kicked off the blanket .

And suddenly .

“Sis!”

The door flung open and a doll-like person came running in .

It was only then that I realized that the person was Agrita herself .

“Agrita……Ari?”

“Milady!”

“You’re awake . ”

More people popped in one after another . It was Bessie and the doctor .

“How are you feeling?” The doctor inquired, adjusting his glasses as he walked towards me .

I lent him my arm for him to examine my pulse .

“I’m fine……” I answered blankly .

“Sis, sniff, I was really scared . ”

Agrita muttered with her face buried in my chest . I looked at her hugging me and thought,

‘She’s alive . ’

Agrita was alive .

I could feel the warmth of a living person from this fragile, thin girl .

‘Did Ash save her?’

Then what was the sword for?

I don’t get it .

Agrita lifted her head from my chest while I rack my brains to looking for answers .

“Sis, that pond… Is it cursed?”

“Hmm?”

“I should’ve listened to you when you said it was dangerous . I wish I had known it was that kind of pond . ”

“She said that her legs had cramps as soon as she fell in the pond . That’s why she tried to float to the surface by flapping her arms, but there was something holding onto her ankle . It was just seaweed though . ”

“I really thought I was going to die . ”