Chapter 33: CH 30

Kid looked at me with a smile. “Well, maybe it’s not that you don’t want to report me but that you haven’t found solid evidence yet.”

I sighed at his overly good feeling and shook my head vigorously. “I-I never thought of that!”

Kid’s eyes narrowed like a snake, and he carefully scanned my expression. Soon, an airy laugh escaped from his lips. “Yeah, just keep doing it. After all, finding evidence and putting me in jail won’t do you any good.”

I nodded, and halfway down, I looked carefully into Kid’s eyes. Will he let the matter pass like this? I was about to breathe a sigh of relief.

Kid grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into his arms. My cheek distorted as I was pulled without defense. I was so surprised, but it didn’t stop me from feeling the pain in my cheek. Ugh, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say he hit me on the cheek with his chest.

As the tingling in my cheek subsided, the sensation that had been concentrated on it gradually dissipated. It was only then that I realized where I was rubbing my cheek. I stopped moving and didn’t even breathe.

Kid continued as if he had no interest in my condition. His voice did not travel through the air, but the vibration of the sound was transmitted directly from his chest. Every time he spoke, there was a hum in my ears.

“Oh, I’ve been wanting to tell you. There’s no use wearing something like this. But if uncomfortable is your preference, then I won’t stop you.”

My expression suddenly crumbled like sand, and tears welled up from the goosebumps. In a situation where I could no longer wear protective gear, I half-bit my lower lip and muttered, “… I see.”

Kid gave a small nod, apparently liking my answer.

I exhaled slowly and carefully since I couldn’t even move because of the hand on my shoulder. But suddenly, the pressure disappeared, and I involuntarily took a deep breath. I thought he would remove his hand, but suddenly I felt it heading to my back.

Pat Pat. He suddenly began to pat between the wings. As somewhere invisible to me was touched, my senses became sensitive, and my body trembled like prey facing a beast.

“Shh.”

He shushed me as if to calm me down and pulled me back into his arms. His hand came close to my trembling eyes, making me instinctively close my eyes.

The hand might have been intended to cover my eyes, and as soon as I closed my eyes, he started patting my back again.

“As a compliment, let’s not accept yesterday’s price.”

“… T-Thank you.”

“Sleep comfortably.”

How can I sleep comfortably here? Do you not know that getting me out of here is the most comfortable way for me to sleep? I wanted to argue, but unfortunately, I only had one life.

I couldn’t fall asleep, but I was exhausted and didn’t have the strength to resist any longer. I had used up half of my life just by talking to Kid earlier.

And ridiculously, Kid had a knack for patting. I mistook him for my mother for a reason. Having lost all strength, I leaned completely in his arms. I gave up my escape and fell asleep.

***

I woke up in surprise, as if I had dreamed of falling off a cliff. I screamed inwardly at the face right in front of me. As I shuddered and was surprised, the person before me also opened their eyes in surprise, and then we screamed together.

‘Ugh! What’s this?!’

After the shock, I remembered why Seniel was before me. Right. Yesterday, things ended up like this after the talk about the cost and all.

‘So are we going to sleep like this forever? What a lunatic.’

Seniel’s face turned pale. I felt him stiffen, like me yesterday, when I sat on Kid’s leg. Seeing Seniel unable to speak in shock made my head throb.

‘Still, I should say that I’m glad to see Seniel’s face again in the morning…’

I felt relieved seeing the sane Seniel but also felt a sense of resentment. His other personality was so different. Still, I greeted him weakly, arguing only inwardly.

“Good morning.”

I didn’t want to be angry with the poor Seniel. We still had to greet each other for more than a month.

“Did you sleep well?”

“…”

Seniel couldn’t answer, as if he was shocked. Yeah, even I would be dumbfounded if someone sat on my lap affectionately when I woke up in the morning.

Feeling sorry for the embarrassed man, I got up. I had slept curled up in a confined space, but my body wasn’t sluggish. I hated admitting it, but I thought it was because Kid had supported me stably.

Or, it could be because Seniel used his holy power yesterday, so my body felt light.

“I know you’re embarrassed by this situation.”

His shoulders twitched when I spoke to him with a sense of resignation, light relief, and exhaustion.

“It would be too long to explain how this all happened, so if I had to shorten it… Umm, Kid put me to bed by hand.”

I wasn’t trying to make him understand, but was it too abbreviated? Seniel’s eyes fluttered violently with confusion.

‘To tell you everything, I should also tell you that Kid revealed his true identity to me.’

But that was not appropriate for the weak Seniel to hear. He’d apologize to me all day with tremors if I’d said it. I didn’t have the confidence to properly comfort him while watching it. Aside from Seniel’s sincere apologies, I didn’t want such a difficult situation.

“It’s fine if you don’t understand. I don’t understand, either. Your legs must be numb, so get up now.”

I held my hand to Seniel, but he didn’t readily hold my hand and just stared at me. Unable to wait, I grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Even though he was flustered, he was easily dragged up.

Seeing him panicked, I felt apologetic but also a little relieved. There was a strange feeling because it felt like I was proclaiming to Kid, who had swung me at will yesterday, that I could swing his body as much as I wanted, too.

Seniel, who was forced to stand up, seemed surprised but soon returned with a helpless expression. Pale face and blank focus turned to me. Seniel opened his mouth, but he took my hand first before he started speaking.

“Did Kid not make unreasonable demands?”

“Umm, no.”

Even if he’d made completely unreasonable demands, I was under no obligation to tell him honestly.

“Then, why, on that couch… Or, you’re, Kid’s…” Seniel’s words continued before it was cut off. I’m, Kid’s, what?

He bit his lip when I looked at him to tell him to continue.

“I’m, Kid’s, what? What were you trying to say after that?”

Don’t tell me that he believed I was Kid’s lover or other terrible misunderstandings like that.

I stubbornly waited for his mouth to open. Seniel hesitated, then reluctantly continued.

“Vivi… are you… Kid’s accomplice?” Seniel’s question made me feel strange. I thought this misunderstanding was better than the misunderstanding that I was a lover, but somehow, I was upset by this unwelcome misunderstanding.

“Do you think I will kill people…?”

Perhaps it was because I kept surviving by Kid’s side, and weird things happened every morning. I understood why he thought I was an accomplice.

“… No. I don’t think you could ever do that.”

With so much trust in my humanity, why did you ask such a question?

‘I’m sure he asked that question because he’s also frustrated.’

Poor Seniel. When would Seniel, who always had a confused face, be able to feel comfortable? It’d be over for me once I ran away, but he’d be like this for the rest of his life. Because I’d unintentionally gotten rid of the female protagonist, there may not be a happy future where he could coexist peacefully with Kid.

Feeling apologetic, I stroked the back of his hand as if comforting him. “It makes sense to think that way since I’ve survived strangely repeatedly. But like I said before. Don’t worry and trust me. Got it?”

“I believe in you.”

He had doubted me earlier, but now he answered as if he had never done so. The sight troubled me.

Seniel lowered his eyes and looked at my hand. He opened his mouth slowly with a sorrowful face. “… As much as I trust you, I want you to trust me. I want to be a useful person. However, I…” Seniel could hardly control his emotions. He covered his face with one hand and wept. “… I’m sorry for complaining. I just…”

He looked very frustrated in a situation where he couldn’t do anything. The hand holding me was strained. Yes, I understood. He woke up in an unfamiliar place instead of his room every morning, and his wife seemed fine, but she was secretly angry. There was no way that Seniel, who was wary of others, would not notice my psychology.

Above all, I could think of escape, but I couldn’t help but think that Seniel, unaware of my escape plan, would live like this for the rest of his life. It would be like living in endless pain.

In the past, I could pretend I didn’t know, but I couldn’t do that now. I couldn’t completely cover the guilt of stealing his future.

So I held Seniel’s hand tightly with both hands.