How could I forget?
I remembered that today was the second time.
The first time was a while ago. Instead of spicy liquor, there were scentless flowers. The day was quiet and the sun was setting. I remember that I had a bandage wrapped around a wound I had received from an ice knife. I thought the peas would be soaked in the salt water I spilled, but I remember feeling aggrieved because none of them were soaked.
That day was the first time.
And today is the second time.
â Rattling.
Iâm talking about the day when my wounds were reopened as I had to teach a frustrated pea who didnât even know how to release the accumulated stuff to vomit.
What are peas?
Whether it was your first time crying or your second time today. Whether or not I revealed my true feelings for the first time today. Is there really a need to look at the numbers? Like finally blocking Kirieâs extended sword, what should have been done a long time ago has now been done, so why count the number and meaning of it as a great thing? People just grow up.
With that in mind, Bern said nothing more. He said he was good. He did well without any encouragement. Dadok didnât say anything more and just stayed where he was.
â Rattling.
â Grumble.
Thanks to that, voices donât come and go and just stay quiet.
Time passed slowly as one of them lowered his head and the other held up his drink with his open and healing arms.
How much did the moon move?
The wind blew a little more and left a little faster, leaving a strong scent of flowers behind. Regardless of the color of the flower, whether white or red, when the scent of roses passed by, I was worried that it might be the scent of Renier again, and the wind repeatedly blew for a moment.
A certain amount of time passed again like that.
A vague time passed in silence.
âBern.â
Until there are two empty bottles.
Until the tingling sensation in my arm subsided by about half.
Until I heard the low voice again.
âuh.â
Bern, who was refilling his glass with an unknown number of drinks, answered. He turned his head and without looking at the guy sitting next to him, he just looked down at the tip of the new bottle of liquor that was gushing out its pungent scent.
âwhy.â
Am I being blunt?
Maybe Iâm not used to seeing someone crying.
A dry voice, made for a reason that could have been both, came out of Bernâs mouth once more. Then Plantz, who had been silently listening to the answer given, opened his mouth.
âLoosen it.â
âTake off what. Take off the leash?â
âNot your bandage.â
The answer is really dry.
Bern grinned at this thought.
Even though it is the middle of the night, it is noticeable that the hands have turned blue as blood has not flowed properly for a long time. Because of the change in appearance, the bandages Yan gave her were tight.
âThatâs surprising. I thought you were going to tell me to leave you, who is foul-mouthed, and give my nice and pretty sister back.â
Although I was joking, it was true that Plantzâs words were surprising. I didnât know they were going to tell me to stay on until they took off the bandage that was tightening the wound.
âBark⦠Take off the bandage.â
Bern nodded his head without saying anything, put down his glass and unbuttoned his sleeves. Then, he pulled on the end of the bandage that he found under his roughly rolled up shirt sleeve and unwrapped it.
Since it was a bandage made without skill, I tried to leave it alone until the disguise was removed, but what could I do? It has healed a lot in the meantime, but more than that. The green-faced guy who would normally have cared about his wounds is showing unfamiliar stubbornness. I need to listen.
â Tuk.
Bern put down the roughly wrapped bandage on the floor and picked up his drink again.
Amidst the pungent smell of alcohol, there is a faint smell of blood.
Plantz asked after seeing the blood on the bandage that came out last.
âAre you hurt a lot?â
It looks awkward because youâre crying.
I saw you talking about something meaningless.
âItâs okay. This much.â
Bern glanced at his arm, which had been slightly cut by Demireaâs suddenly extended aura, and turned his head. And then I furrowed my eyebrows thanks to the peaâs face that I finally saw.
okay. I knew it would be like that. As expected, he has a pale face that doesnât show any signs of luck.
Bern smiled as if he was tired and opened his mouth.
âDid you all cry?â
âI didnât cry.â
âEveryone cried.â
âI didnât cry.â
âAre you going to cry more?â
This time, the corners of Planzâs eyes furrow.
If it had been my obedient younger brother, he would have already said âyesâ, but he keeps asking questions. How can something change just by changing oneâs appearance?
Plantz, looking at the man who was so needlessly meticulous and put all his effort and effort into inviting a friend other than his younger brother, let out a low voice.
âI didnât cry.â
âItâs okay. People have to cry to survive.â
â Grumble.
ââ¦â¦ okay.â
âDid you all cry?â
âEveryone cried.â
âThatâs it.â
â Slurp!
âyou.â
âWhat about me? I have no reason to cry.â
âDid I live because I cried?â
Plantz asked, filling the now empty glass with alcohol. Bern, who was looking back on his memories for a moment while putting the tip of his glass to his mouth, chuckled.
ââ¦â¦ I am.â
The starlight that had been stagnant for a while flutters for a while.
Bern, who brushed his long, visible hair, continued speaking.
âI couldnât live because I couldnât cry.â
âHe cries a lot. My little brother.â
âYou couldnât live without it, but you learned later. Thatâs why your little brother cries a lot now.â
âDid your brother teach you?â
âNo. Kiriega.â
âhow.â
I have a lot of questions.
There are unusually many.
I think I finally understand why I was stubborn. I think I understand why I was told to stay longer, even if it meant opening up my wounds.
ââ¦â¦ this.â
Bern said with a smile.
âWhat can I do? I have no intention of being comforted. Plants.â
âI donât plan on comforting you.â
Then Plantz responded right away. He made a very annoyed face, as if he had been greatly misunderstood.
Bern asked back, looking slightly surprised when he told me that his thoughts were wrong.
âI will not?â
âIâm not foolish enough to comfort you. Lennon wouldnât even think of such a thing.â
Even stupid Lennon wouldnât have thought that he would need comfort in his life. Even Whitlin, who is so arrogant, would not have the belief that he could bring comfort to any part of his life.
âI am like this. âItâs okay to drink good wine with a friend who is like an enemy in a wide wheat field.â
Who else but Calian would dare offer comfort to a man who already knows full well that he lived each day and died as best he could?
âIâm glad you didnât.â
âokay.â
âBut why do you keep asking about me?â
âTo listen.â
âwhat.â
âAbout you.â
âWhy? Because itâs fun?â
âNot really. Itâs not fun.â
âThen why?â
Nevertheless, the reason for asking.
âcurious.â
To find out.
Bern, who couldnât console anyone, somehow consoled Plantz. Plantz, who was comforted, tries to understand Bern, who has nothing to console.
âcurious?â
âcurious.â
âAre you going to listen to me? Planz.â
âI will listen. Everything.â
Bern must be heartbroken as he now realizes that Devlanâs shadow was longer and darker. Bern, which has already disappeared, where I have finally discovered the footprints of a ghost that has already disappeared. Iâm trying to get some recognition on behalf of the alcohol I canât get drunk on.
âWhat are you going to do after listening to me?â
âI wonât forget it.â
âWhat are you going to do if you donât forget?â
âIâll tell you later when I find my memories.â
âWhat are you talking about and to whom?â
âTo you. You endured well and lived well.â
âAre you going to praise the guy who died because of you for living a good life?â
âokay.â
âThen Iâll just have to give you one beating.â
âSure.â
âCrazy guy.â
âYou crazy bastard.â
Bern laughed as if the words were coming back without hesitation.
âWhen did Kirie⦠teach me how to cryâ¦â
And hold still.
She searched her memory for the first time she cried.
Not her own memory, of crying when she remembered that Chaseâs hair was naturally short, the night she had an unexpected dream on the third floor of Chermill Palace. On the day she set foot in the lake of Chermil Palace, she was surprised by a grass bug that landed on the back of her hand, and cried into the arms of Orte, her superior servant, wiping out her tears and snot. Not the memory of.
She brought up a memory of herself that was a little louder and more tingling than that.
âI hit you.â
âYou. Kiriega.â
âYes. Kirie is me.â
âWas that right?â
âThatâs right. I got hit on that again.â
Bern clenched her right fist and pointed to it as she spoke.
âDid you see Kirieâs fist? Itâs so big. It hurts.â
âI was just looking at it.â
âYeah. Heâs good at kicking too.â
â⦠Even the bones are misaligned.â
âthatâs right.â
Bern, grinning, nodded her head.
âHeâs good at putting together even misaligned bones. Kirie is like that. Heâs good at a lot of things.â
âDid you cry because you got hit?â
âI cried because I got hit.â
âI was sick.â
âYes. Because it hurts.â
âGood job.â
âIâm good at it, of course.â
âNo. Kirie.â
Itâs also resolute.
âGood job, Kiriega.â
âokay.â
âThank you. To Kirie.â
âme too.â
âAre you thankful to Kirie too?â
âNot to you.â
âHave all the people you should be grateful to have died? Youâre looking for the wrong person.â
âThank you. To you.â
âItâs not good to hear a thank you from a friend who is like an enemy. I.â
âWhether you like it or not. Thank you.â
Bern, who only smiled like a sandy field in the middle of winter, tipped her drink. Plantz, who was staring blankly at the scene, asked another question.
âWhy are you drinking alcohol?â
âItâs delicious.â
âdoesnât exist.â
âItâs delicious.â
ânot really.â
âItâs spinning. Round and round. How delicious that is.â
Round and round.
Vern stretched out her finger and twirled it around.
âWhen I drink alcohol, everything spins around. So I drank it. Itâs no fun if Iâm the only one spinning. The world has to spin too. Then Iâm not the only one with money, so I find my place and walk straight. How great.â
Dan Bern drank another glass of wine after giving the reason he thought he would.
âSo you still drink it. Even now.â
The reason Kirie lived like that was the reason Gray Brisen extended his sword to the father of her siblings. If she had stayed alive, she would never have entered the royal palace, whether Silicae or Freya. The reason her queen Aisha died was why Randel had to grow up alone.
Freya enters the palace and Silike becomes her queen. As time passed, a car was handed to Kalian.
â¦â¦ Bern took its place.
It all started with Devlan. Devlan canât go to the abyss and complain. I feel like Iâm going back to what happened in the past.
I guess I brought alcohol because it was painful.
âNo. It tastes good, so drink it. For now.â
Bern shrugged his shoulders and answered.
âNo matter what my father did, I live my life, so what does that have to do with my father? Are you going to blame me?â
âno.â
âThen thatâs okay. Kirie, Hina, Randel, and you are all not the ones to blame me, so why am I tying myself up with my father again when I donât feel any resentment?â
âokay.â
âDonât even think about comforting me about my father. I hate that even more.â
âI wonât do it.â
âYour brother too. Thereâs no need to try to comfort him.â
ââ¦â¦ why.â
âYour brother just needs time.â
â Grumble.
âIf nothing happens and itâs a very ordinary 27th birthday. Youâve lived a really good life. Continue to live like that until you grow old and die. All you have to do is say something like that. Iâm living because I want to hear those words.â
âno.â
âWhat? Why again?â
âno.â
âSo. What.â
âIâm going to interfere and say other things. I donât plan on just watching quietly and saying a word.â
âWho told you to let go and watch? Thatâs not what Iâm saying.â
â Swish!
As if cutting off Vernâs words, Plantz took the bottle of alcohol in his hand and poured it into his own glass. drank. And then I poured it again and drank it again.
And then again and again.
I started pouring that strong drink into my empty stomach.
âPlanz.â
Like Kalyan, does he want to check for himself whether the blessing does not filter out alcohol? Itâs late, but are you trying to get on the path to becoming a fool now?
âPlanz. In moderation.â
When Bern, embarrassed by the sudden action, stretched out his hand to snatch the drink from the hand of the guy who seemed intent on becoming a pea soaked in alcohol.
ââ¦â¦You bastard.â
The low voice of the deadly pea stopped Bern.
Bernâs lavender eyes fluttered for a moment, unable to understand the situation. Then the pea curled up at one corner of his mouth spoke softly.
âWhat a piece of shit.â
no.
He swore.
âMe? Did you swear at me?â
Then, surprisingly, the pea made a pitiful face.
âNo, you crazy bastard. You bastard.â
â⦠Ah. Youâre talking about another kid.â
ah. Iâm glad.
âThat bastard who is pettier than Evan, dumber than Lennon, and more arrogant than Gray.â
âAre you talking about Serenti?â
âokay.â
âWhy are you saying such harsh things?â
No, oh my god.
There are things to say and things not to say.
Evan, Lennon, and Gray. Even though itâs Serenti, itâs too harsh, right?
âWhat if Serenti wakes up and says she heard everything you said?â
âThat bastard will curse at me, get angry with me, and fight with me. Why do you say Iâll curse at you with my younger brother?â
âNo, neither did I. No, your brother didnât say such harsh things either.â
âSo what.â
â⦠No. Itâs just that.â
Suddenly, I didnât really wonder why Plants was doing that.
If you canât understand the situation while looking at that, youâre in trouble. Even if the pea has a face that hasnât changed at all, let alone the look in its eyes, if you donât know it even after hearing those words coming out of that mouth, itâs really Danu.
âPlanz. I think you are now.â
âyou.â
âhuh.â
âNot you.â
ââ¦â¦ yes.â
Calian, who calmly returned, gave his answer.
Plantz, who had been looking at her younger sister with eyes that had not changed in any way, let alone her complexion, opened her mouth.
Then.
âI know how to use a sword too.â
Suddenly, I started showing off my abilities.
It is certainly.
Now Plantz in one word.
âBrother. Are you drunk?â
The alcohol tolerance limit has been exceeded.
No, it didnât turn around. It means drunk.
âI know how to fight too.â
âYou know.â
âI know how to use a sword, fight, and get angry.â
âI guess so.â
Listen carefully to sleeping pills and listen to anesthetic drugs carefully.
Even though the alcohol is strong, it seems to work well with alcohol as well.
âI know, you crazy little brother.â
âYes. I know.â
âI know how to use a sword. I know how to use a bow.â
âYes. He knows how to use a sword. He also uses a bow. He knows how to fight well. Moreover, my smart brother is even good at using magic.â
âI canât use magic.â
In the meantime, I canât use magic again.
He doesnât mess up his pronunciation at all and is good at giving shots.
Calian lifted his scarred hand and covered his face.
âAh⦠what should I do?â
â¦â¦ Iâm going to be amazed.
Whether you heard it or not.
I kept hearing Peaâs words.
âI canât use magic.â
âYes. You canât use magic. It doesnât matter.â
âyou.â
âyes.â
ânot.â
ah.
Serenity.
âAnswer. Bern.â
What happened to the slip order?
Itâs been so long since Iâve used it that I donât remember.
Should I just let it sleep?
ââ¦â¦ why.â
Bern, who had tried to shake off these thoughts, answered.
âyou.â
âOkay. Why me again?â
ââ¦â¦ Do not come.â
Blink blink.
Bern closed his eyes a couple of times and the corners of his mouth moved slowly.
He drew a long arc.
* * *
What should I say?
I had the same thought for just a moment.
Thatâs why he couldnât ask back. I wonder if I heard correctly or if what was said to me was correct.
Planz, who was looking at Bern like that, opened his mouth again.
âNo. Thatâs not it.â
My mouth was dry from the alcohol, so I pressed down the words that I couldnât say out loud. He corrected his words clearly, as if he was pressing down on each letter.
âDonât come when youâre sick. Donât come when youâre sick.â
Slowly.
âCome when itâs okay.â
He said something like this.
So Bern looked into Plantzâs green eyes.
âWhat are you talking about.â
I pretended not to understand and asked back.
Jangle jangle.
Planz, who was looking down while twirling the last drink in his hand, spoke quietly.
âDonât come when youâre hurting because of me, but come when youâre in a good mood. Come when youâre feeling well, not when youâre in pain.â
âDid you look okay?â
âIt wasnât okay. I came when I played chess, I came when I drank, I came when I ate, I came when we sparred. Itâs all good. Donât come because of me and get hurt again, but come because of you. Come when youâre okay. Itâs okay to come when youâre suffocating and need to breathe. So, come to me and tell me to stop doing things that make me unable to breathe.â
A small sigh comes out from under the light purple eyes and between the bright red lips. At the end of that breath, a low voice is heard.
âThen what are you going to do if you canât see your friend forever?â
âno.â
âno?â
âIâm not telling you not to come, but to come when itâs okay. You frustrating bastard.â
âWhy do you keep swearing?â
âYou taught me.â
âWhen did I?â
âYou keep going.â
âI didnât teach you to swear.â
âThen why donât you teach me?â
âWhy are you teaching that? Why do we talk about it so much?â
âKeep coming and keep teaching me.â
The wind blew.
âCome when youâre okay. Not when youâre sick. When youâre okay.â
âWhy donât you come and teach me how to swear when itâs okay?â
âSo be it.â
The wind blew.
Bern laughed.
âokay.â
I gave the answer.
âIâll try that, Planz.â
âhuh.â
âhuh.â
Plantz nodded his head.
Okay, now go to sleep. Bern opened his mouth to say those words, but Plantzâs words were heard first.
âyou.â
I guess I still have something to say.
âwhy.â
ânot.â
âHa⦠yes.â
ah.
Sispanian.
Your descendant is drinking and intoxicating on the roof of his brotherâs territory, Yeongju Castle. What do you think of this situation?
âKalian you.â
âYes. Calian is here.â
A bony finger pointed at Calian. A dry voice that continued to fade away was addressed to Calian.
âIâm going to learn magic later. From you.â
âyes.â
âDonât die, donât get hurtâ¦.â
âyes.â
Blue, unclouded eyes looked at Calian.
âIf youâre having a hard time, talk to me, you crazy little brother.â
Calian looked at Plantz blankly.
âWho is going to say something now?â
âI know how to listen too. Please talk to me.â
âI havenât really hidden anything.â
âYou donât need to talk to calm him down, you frustrating bastard.â
ââ¦â¦ under.â
âMe too. Iâll comfort you.â
âSo I donât reallyâ
âAnswer. Kalian.â
ah.
Damn peas.
Kirieâs injection was quiet. My bullyâs injections were laughable.
[Slip]
I canât listen to you anymore. I brought out my friend and went back to being her sister, but I was so confused that I couldnât do it anymore.
â â¦â¦ Sreuk!
Plantzâs head dropped.
Calian, who sat like that, lowered his head and left the pea sleeping, moved his hand. Then, after emptying half of the peas, I brought back the remaining liquor bottle and poured it into my glass.
âahâ¦â¦.â
And eventually.
âIâm going to be amazedâ¦.â
In the end, I couldnât hold back and burst out laughing.
It wasnât the waves, the scent, the raindrops, or the cold frost, it was just laughter.
Look what happens when you cry and then fall asleep.
No matter how much of a big brother he is, he will still be a toad.
Thinking like this.
â Grumble.
-Tap!
He squatted down, buried his head, left the sleeping peas alone, laughed, and then brought the glass to his lips.
I laughed again.
While drinking again.
âyes.â
do.
âAll right.â
The answer was delivered much too late at the latest.
âWhat do you know?â
But there was an answer to those words.
Kalian turned his head. And then he laughed again.
âWhat? Did you drink again while I was having a hard time?â
Because I heard a voice like the ocean that I could encounter at any time. Thatâs because I could see the flapping gait of a small birdâs wings between the blue and silver feet that were shaking in the wind.
So I laughed.
âWelcome, Aila.â
âYes. I went.â
âokay.â
Aila, who walked silently, dexterously curled her body and smiled as she looked at Plantz who was sleeping. Then she covered the planz with her black robe, which she had taken off when entering the castle.
Thanks to that, she abandoned Planz, who looked more like a charred hazelnut than a pea, and Aila came in and sat down between Planz and Kalian. Then she picked up the remaining bottle of liquor, smelled her scent, and opened her mouth.
âSerenus.â
The alcohol that Calian has drunk so far. Itâs a slightly different color from Secretia, but the scent is the same. It was Serenus.
âDid the elves learn how to make alcohol in Secretia?â
âIs that possible?â
âThen where did you get Serenus?â
âLord Siren brought it to me separately. I asked him to steal anything from the lordâs castle, but he didnât steal it and he was very talented. How do you know?â
âItâs rewarding to discover the princeâs secret.â
âYou know, thereâs more than one reward for discovering a secret.â
Ayla, who always looked cheerful at the pleasant scent, held out her hand. Calian, who saw this, chuckled and drank the remaining alcohol in his glass and handed her his empty glass.
There is a strong smell of blood coming from Ailaâs fingertips. Itâs not Eilaâs. So Calian, who thought for a moment about using magic to wash away the smell of blood, just picked up the bottle. Aela just followed Serenus, whom she liked so much, to her heartâs content.
A hot wind blows, the gently swaying sea in the distance is all light green, and the heads of the three princes sitting next to it are filled with starlight. The scent of Serenus in her hand was simply delightful.
âGood.â
said Ayla, after taking a long sip of her only favorite drink.
âAre you feeling better?â
And she asked.
âHow do you know I was in a bad mood?â
âIf you look like that and are secretly drinking with me, then you wonât notice.â
âItâs resolved. Itâs getting better.â
âAre you completely relieved?â
âhuh.â
âOh, you should have come a little sooner.â
âwhy.â
Slowly.
Ailaâs voice, which sings like a whisper, is sweet.
âThe prince would have felt better even if he had seen me.â
âIâm feeling better anyway, so will anything change?â
âIf that were the case, wouldnât there have been more drinks left?â
âDo you regret drinking?â
âItâs a shame then.â
âAh. I thought I was missing something again.â
âIf the prince says he feels sorry.â
âIâm excited again.â
âAh, thatâs a shame. I should have tried.â
âThatâs right. Itâs a shame.â
Calian let out a small laugh.
And then she growled again and poured the last remaining Serenus into Aelaâs empty glass.
Aila, who held it in her hand and stared at her in silence, opened her mouth.
âArenât you going to ask what I saw and what I got?â
âI guess I figured it out.â
Another fiefdom near the Whitlin fiefdom, the Barony of Dayrn.
Didnât Aela, who believed that Zeonâs soldiers came from there, go to investigate with some Balkan members?
He said that since he returned after completing the investigation, he would be curious about whether or not he had any income, but he would not ask.
Aila, who looked into sharp light purple eyes and guessed the reason, spoke.
âYouâre tired.â
âYeah. A little.â
âItâs okay. Itâs not news you should run out of immediately after hearing.â
âWhat?â
âThe baron was dead, the baronâs vassals were dead, and all the servants of the castle had run away. There was an explosion in the dungeon, and when I went into the diary, there were only three prisoners who were all dying.â
âso.â
âI found some hidden documents and brought them back. I brought in a dead harpy corpse in a secret passage and the prisoners.â
âWas there a suspicious prisoner?â
âYes. Two of them are people I know a little bit. One is someone the prince knows well.â
âwho.â
âThe one-armed swordsman I met at Latran Territory. He was dressed as a white eagle.â
âNorton Ramirez?â
âYes. That person and his wife.â
âIt was alive.â
âYes. Heâs alive.â
âWho is the other one?â
âIt was a grandfather named Ortier Rosnan.â
Calian frowned.
It wasnât a familiar name.
However, because the name was not entirely unfamiliar.
ââ¦â¦Maybe that person?â
âHe was Prince Calianâs servant.â
Chamberlain Orte.
The person who, for some reason, Iâve been thinking about so much lately, raised Kalian until Jan came. As he got older and developed a chronic illness, he left the palace.
âI first asked you if the prince was okay. Do you remember?â
âAh⦠yes. I remember.â
Kalian picked up the bandage on his arm that had been left undone for a moment.
His long hair became short enough not to cover his eyes, and instead of starlight, he captured the night sky. His height shrank and the scars on his hands disappeared one by one. Instead of the cloudy dawn-like light, my eyes caught the light of the sun shining on the sea.
âDo you want to meet me right away? Iâm not that kind of person. I said Iâm tired.â
A worried voice turned to Calian.
Calian was about to answer that he still had to meet him, but his red eyes fell on something black and round.
He looked down for a moment at the back of the pea, which was not dead, as he noticed it moving.
âIâm going to rest. Iâll see you tomorrow.â
He immediately said something he wouldnât have said until yesterday.
âOkay. Well thought out.â
âhuh.â
âRest. You worked hard.â
The last remaining half glass of Serenus, which Aela loved so much, was offered to Calian. Calian took it and smiled, putting the remaining drink in his mouth and swallowing it sweetly.
âYes. Ayla.â
There should be times when people take a break.
No problem.