(EP-265.2) Song #2

265 – Cicada’s Song #2

“It’s romantic. Do all adventurers have such charming meals?”

Her question made me think about adventurers. I hadn’t had many interactions with them myself, but recalling the adventurers from the original novel, Villain Hunter, I could answer.

“Probably, their meals are a bit more modest than this. We might be the only adventurers enjoying tea time.”

Mirna chuckled softly at my response.

“Then we must be the first. The first high-ranking noble adventurers to enjoy tea time in a dungeon.”

“… That… might be.”

“Well, perhaps not the first. My father said that he explored countless dungeons like this in his youth.”

Mirna’s expression brightened a little as she said that. She must be happy reminiscing about her father. Then she shivered slightly.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not.”

Mirna glared at me coldly.

Then she said, “I need to adjust my clothes for a moment, so look the other way,” and picked up the handkerchief. I turned my head as Mirna instructed.

Soon, I heard the sound of her unbuckling her belt and removing her clothes, followed by the sound of something being wiped with the handkerchief. Somehow, it all seemed quite suggestive.

“It’s okay now.”

When I turned back, Mirna was stoking the campfire with a casual expression as if nothing had happened. However, there was an awkward tension between us.

“I…, I’m sorry.”

Feeling a bit tingly all over, I apologized to Mirna. She merely snorted, “Hmph.” But then, as if embarrassed, she added in a small voice.

“… Still. You did better this time. You didn’t fall asleep right away…”

Her voice was as small as a whisper from an ant.

If not for my sensitive fairy ears, I wouldn’t have heard her. It seemed she hadn’t intended for me to hear it.

So, I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard anything.

“What did you just say?”

“Hmph, it’s nothing you need to know!”

Mirna looked so cute saying that. I wanted to wrap my arms around her waist and give her a kiss on the cheek, but she might really get angry if I did.

“Anyway, once dawn breaks in the dungeon, we’ll fetch some spring water and leave this place quickly. So you should get some sleep Sir Theo.”

“Alrght.”

Seureuk, seureuk-.

Mirna slid into a cheap sleeping bag used by adventurers. There was something graceful about it, like a butterfly returning to its cocoon.

━Kyuiing.

She used the Cloudling Yingying as a pillow. Mirna already had her eyes closed, though she slowly opened them again and asked.

“So, are you really not going to tell me what your trouble is?”

“It’s my issue to resolve. However, I truly appreciate that you want to help, Lady Mirna.”

Really.

I sincerely expressed my gratitude to her. Who knew better than me how reassuring it was to have an ally?

But Mirna clicked her tongue softly.

“… That’s cheap, Lady Lioness. Hogging your worries all to yourself… You don’t know how to share….”

Mirna’s tiny voice soon turned into steady, even breathing. Despite acting tough, she must have been quite tired from all the unfamiliar experiences.

* * *

The pond reflected the high moon.

“Ah-choo!”

As I rubbed my nose after a sudden big sneeze, the butler who handed me a handkerchief asked.

“Young Lady, did you catch a cold? Could it be that you’ve been exposed to that disease they say leaked from the Bellhawk Laboratory? The nymph flu called Coronoi…”

The old family butler was overly cautious.

Elga wiped her nose and mouth with the handkerchief and shook her head.

“It’s nothing like that, so don’t worry. Do you have something to say? What is it? You know I’m a busy person.”

Indeed, Elga had been incredibly busy lately. The elves had caused the trouble, yet somehow, she found herself dealing with the aftermath.

However, the butler’s next words were enough to catch the busy Elga’s attention.

“It’s about the sample you sent me. The hair you said you got from Bellhawk’s laboratory. I have something to tell you about it—”

The sample. The hair obtained from the laboratory.

Elga knew exactly what he was talking about. A single strand of fiery red hair. She had claimed it was from the Bellhawk family.

“Shh. There are too many people here.”

Elga led the old butler into her office, where no one would enter. The room was soundproof, making it safe to discuss anything without being overheard.

Seuk-.

Sitting in her office chair, Elga spoke up.

“The hair, what about it?”

“About that sample. You told me to keep it a secret, but…”

“But what?”

“Well, the truth is, the Lord—”

“Father?”

“That… I’m sorry.”

Elga felt dizzy from the hesitant apology. She wasn’t so foolish as to not understand what that meant.

“When exactly?”

“That was… during lunch today…”

“Fųck!!! Why the hell are you only telling me this now!!!”

“…….”

Normally, the butler would have scolded her for using such crude language, but this time he remained silent.

She understood.

It was because Elga’s schedule had been too busy, and they had only just managed to meet now.

But before she could even consider such things, someone knocked on the door.

━Elganes. Are you inside?

It was the voice of her father, Reinhardt.

━I need to speak with you. Come to my study.

With that, the sound of footsteps faded away. Elga felt a slight sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.

Because that gave herself a few seconds of time.

“Old man! I said to keep it a secret!”

Elga growled.

The old butler merely bowed his head. Consumed by rage, Elga grabbed the old butler by the collar and lifted him up. But soon, her grip loosened.

This was her fault.

She should have ‘dealt’ with everyone involved. Normally, she would have done just that. But this time, she hadn’t. She didn’t want to see blood.

Perhaps it was because she had changed.

‘I was too complacent…’

She knew well why she had grown soft.

Seuk-.

Elga bit her lip as she gently touched her stomach.

Edited by: faker