<CHAPTER 65>
Ehilie Held Hands with the Hero
‘As expected, Gabriel hasn’t given up on Rek yet. Thanks to that, he no longer obsesses over me—should I consider this fortunate?’
Ehilie looked at him with guarded eyes and spoke firmly.
“Yes. It doesn’t matter.”
That was truly how she felt.
Since meeting Rek, various changes had occurred.
Incidents kept happening. From trivial misunderstandings with villagers to encounters with the original story’s male leads.
And now, even the threat of the fake Saintess.
There was never a peaceful day.
‘Is it because of the original story’s compulsory force?’
Until now, nothing had happened because she lived alone, but after meeting Rek, many things had occurred. Perhaps the original story’s compulsory force was activating because she had someone by her side who wasn’t fated to be there.
All sorts of incidents were happening to somehow bring the female protagonist to the male leads’ sides.
If she stayed with Rek, she might have to endure such trials and hardships in the future as well.
‘Perhaps for a lifetime…’
Ehilie had chosen to avoid rather than confront fate. That was why she had been hiding, avoiding contact with original story characters.
Therefore, this tumultuous reality was different from the life Ehilie wanted.
But it didn’t matter.
“If it’s to draw a happy future with the person I love, I can endure any amount of misfortune.”
Ehilie didn’t know.
That she would come to love someone this much.
In her previous life, while reading romance novels, she would occasionally think, ‘What is love that they would go to such lengths?’
Now she understood.
‘It’s possible because it’s love.’
Because love is engraving the other person at the center of the happiness you envision.
Now Rek had firmly taken a large place in Ehilie‘s happiness. Therefore, even while going through such hardships, she wanted to protect their future.
Gabriel smiled bitterly.
“I spoke out of turn. I’m envious.”
“I hope that envy doesn’t turn you into a jealousy-blinded demon, Gabriel.”
At Ehilie‘s warning, Gabriel flinched and looked surprised.
Soon he asked in a trembling voice.
“…Do you know my feelings?”
“Of course. How could I not know? You made it so obvious.”
“What? When did I… just how! Was it that obvious?”
“Yes.”
“No, ha…”
Gabriel sighed and buried his reddened face in his hands.
‘At least he seems to know it’s shameful to harbor feelings for someone who’s taken.’
Ehilie spoke to him, who was at a loss with embarrassment.
“I think you’re quite a decent person, Gabriel. So I want to maintain a good relationship with you going forward. As long as you don’t cross the line.”
She meant it.
Since he wasn’t crazed with love, he was a suitable companion to be friends with.
As long as he didn’t try to take Rek from her.
“…I understand.”
Gabriel raised his head and sent a determined gaze.
“I swear upon my name. I will never betray Ehilie‘s trust.”
He extended his hand. A gesture requesting a handshake.
Ehilie gladly took his hand.
“Caw!”
Then Herond, who had been watching seriously from the side, flapped his wings and flew over.
“Herond, do you want to hold hands too?”
“Caw, caw!”
“Hmm. Since Herond doesn’t have hands, shall we hold your wing instead?”
“”
Eventually, one of Herond‘s wings was sandwiched between the two people’s hands.
Herond was burning with anxiety inside.
Somehow the atmosphere was getting stranger and stranger.
‘For Ehilie to become so close to the hero!’
If Redemberg found out, it would be a catastrophe.
Herond, unable to sit still, saw a crow peering outside the cave enter his field of vision.
Herond had a flash of inspiration.
‘That’s right! I’m a bird!’
That’s right.
Herond was a bird.
And this forest was a place where creatures of Herond‘s kind swarmed,
‘Why didn’t I think of this before?’
Herond quickly flew toward the nearest crow.
“Herond, where are you going! It’s dangerous to go outside!”
The danger wasn’t outside—it was this heartwarming atmosphere.
‘At this rate, Ehilie might completely fall for the hero!’
The hero, and even Herond, would surely die by Redemberg‘s hand. And that wasn’t all.
The enraged one might destroy this country immediately.
Of course, Redemberg was different from the previous Demon King in that he wasn’t a battle fanatic, but one never knew. When his eyes turned, he was the demon itself.
Herond desperately conveyed for his own life and world peace.
“Caw! Caw! Caw! (Hey, you! Go to Elrce immediately and find the Demon King. He’s probably in a small hut near the village, close to the mountain. Go and deliver my message!)”
“Caw, caw? (What are you suddenly saying?)”
“Caw! Caw! (This is no time to be dazed! If things go wrong, the world might be destroyed!)”
“Caw caw, book? (Ugh, fine. What should I say?)”
Fortunately, the other crow was quite communicative.
But the opponent was bird-brained.
If the message was too long, he would surely forget it on the way.
“I wondered why Herond was acting like that—seems he’s excited to see a friend.”
“It appears so.”
Ehilie, unaware of Herond‘s desperate efforts, chatted idly with Gabriel.
Meanwhile.
Herond conveyed the situation in one sentence with his excellent mind.
“Caw! Caw! (You can remember this much, right?)”
“Caw! Caw caw! (Of course. Who do you think I am?)”
“Caw, caw. Caw. (What do you mean, what? You’re bird-brained.)”
“Caw, caw. (You’re bird-brained too, so what are you saying.)”
“Caw! Caw caw caw! Caw! (Don’t lump me with you! I am the great right hand of the Demon King, Herond!)”
“Caw. Caw. (Yeah. You’re so great. Good luck.)”
Herond clicked his tongue watching the flying crow.
‘I hope that guy delivers the message properly.’
He was unreliable, but what could be done now.
Herond returned to Ehilie‘s side.
***
‘Ugh. What a naggy old bird. Talks way too much.’
The crow who had received the world-saving message from Herond complained throughout his journey.
He didn’t seem like a particularly old crow either.
The sight of him awkwardly trying to act important as the Demon King’s subordinate was quite ridiculous.
‘He didn’t look particularly strong.’
As a fellow crow, he couldn’t understand at all why the Demon King would keep such a worthless crow as a subordinate.
‘Maybe the Demon King is actually a small fry too?’
Thinking about it, that seemed right.
Rumors said he was the strongest Demon King in history, but he had never actually shown his power.
‘I should go see how great he really is.’
The crow flew flapping away and quickly arrived at his destination.
The crow tapped on the study window with his beak.
Soon the Demon King, Redemberg, revealed himself beyond the window.
‘What? Is this really the Demon King?’
A Demon King should naturally possess enormous magical power. It would be natural to feel black demonic energy so overwhelming that one couldn’t breathe near him because he couldn’t control that power.
No demonic energy was felt from Redemberg. To be precise, it wasn’t just demonic energy—no life force that any living being should naturally possess could be sensed.
Even plants had their unique energy.
He was like an inanimate object.
The crow tilted his head.
‘At this level, I might be able to fight and win?’
If he pecked out the eyeballs and scratched wildly with his claws…
‘I’d become the boss of this area, no, the Demon King! Hehehe.’
Just as the crow was continuing his impudent imagination.
Redemberg‘s mouth opened.
“Did Herond send you?”
“Caw. Caw! (Yes! That’s correct!)”
At his coldly settled voice, the crow unknowingly gave a servile response.
‘What? Why did I answer so submissively?’
He didn’t know the reason, but his instinct was screaming that he shouldn’t act up in front of him.
“What did he say?”
The crow recited the message Herond had delivered without missing a single word.
“Caw, caw! (Ehilie held hands with the hero!)”
Redemberg‘s eyebrows twitched.
At the same time, black demonic energy flowed out around him.
It was very brief. Just a small amount of demonic energy like a single pollen grain, but the crow clearly sensed it.
An enormous and dense magical power that seemed to swallow all the light in the world.
‘Oh, crazy.’
The crow realized.
The reason no energy was felt from Redemberg was not because he was weak.
He was controlling an enormous power with perfect precision.
‘Okay, acknowledged, Demon King acknowledged!’
Redemberg came outside.
“Lead the way.”
“Caw! (Yes, understood!)”
The crow faithfully guided him.
***
The night had deepened.
At this point, wouldn’t the assailants have given up and gone back?
Just as a vague sense of relief was rising.
A faint murmuring echoed in Ehilie‘s ear.
“Gabriel, do you hear something?”
“Shh. Lower your voice. They seem to be nearby.”
Ehilie‘s face hardened stiffly.
‘They still haven’t given up?’
It was truly persistent.
“Get on my back. We must move immediately.”
Ehilie sighed and leaned her body against his back. Gabriel flinched for a moment.
“Ehilie? Your body is…”
“It’s fine. I just have a slight fever from being tense all the time.”
In truth, she was not fine at all.
Ehilie‘s body was burning like a fireball. Cold sweat flowed on her forehead and she felt chills.
Her hand still throbbed as if being pricked by needles, and her foot crushed in her shoe also stung.
There was no part of her that was unharmed.
Her eyes kept closing, but she desperately endured because she felt that if she fell asleep, she might never wake up.
“Hurry.”
“…Understood.”
Gabriel ran outside without asking further.
They had to escape before being surrounded.
But there was already no way out.
Whoosh~!
Flames were rising on all sides. The assailants had set fire.
“Found her!”
“There, there’s a woman!”
“Capture her immediately!”
The assailants who had found Ehilie surrounded them.
