Crown of Thorns

Translator : Cuties ––– Editor : WilsonWilson

Evan, who had held me ever so tightly for a while, slowly rose up and separated himself from me. Instead of taking off his arm that he had wrapped over my shoulder, he lightly grabbed it with his hand and faced me head-on. Evan was so close. When I tried to twist my body, he held my shoulder tightly and blocked me from moving. I had no choice but to look away with my head slightly lowered.

As if he didn’t like my actions, he tilted his head and tried to lift me up to his eye level. His face, which I was forced to look at, was a little bright, contrary to my expectations. No, it was brighter than usual. The corners of his mouth went up slightly, creating a sense of mischievousness.

I couldn’t take my eyes off his face. I wondered if I had misread his feelings because of his smile. Even though it seemed to me that he was in no situation to laugh, his smile deepened a little as if he were greatly satisfied with something. At the same time, his eyebrows slightly frowned in a familiar way.

I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know what to say, so I just kept my mouth shut and focused on avoiding eye contact. I couldn’t even speak and had so much to hide that I couldn’t open my mouth. Evan didn’t know I was trailing him, and he shouldn’t find out about it. I had to make the usual face of the witch who has been trapped in a tower all this time.

On the other hand, it was very difficult to prevent my anxiety from being revealed at the thought that he might have discovered everything.

Evan looked at my face as if he were staring at my deepest secrets. Afterward, after letting go of his arms, he fell apart from me. I was fortunate to get out of his persistent gaze, but it was too early to be relieved. All because he had laid down on my lap.

As if he was going to look me up from the bottom with my head down, he made eye contact while lying down. As I tried to raise my head after figuring out the situation, he put his hands around my cheeks again. I was caught in a tight squeeze.

My dark hair hung over Evan’s head like a curtain. As a result, since it felt more intimate with only two people inside, I was under the illusion that the tower had gotten narrower.

The feeling was so strange to me. And so.. so nerve-wracking. His lips, which had been sealed up to this point, opened as I tried to get out of his hand by forcefully shaking my face.

“Nyx, do you know what I’ve been through?”

My heart sank. Time seemed to drag on. When I froze to the ground, he lowered his hands, which had been holding my cheeks. As they went down, I felt chills because of his fingers sweeping down my cheeks. However, I looked at him on my own accord, growing more concerned about what the hell he was trying to say or what he was thinking. Evan was still smiling, but his red eyes were a little subdued.

He continued his words as if he had not expected an answer from me.

“I could have been in trouble. I had a hard time. So don’t keep avoiding me. Don’t avoid me. Comfort me.”

His voice was so low and heavy, but he deliberately exaggerated and put on a wretched tone and expression, making the whole thing seem like humorous and childish whining.

I wondered, is it safe to assume that nothing had been revealed because Evan is so indifferent and unhesitant about leaning on me? No, is it so unimportant that he was attacked by the Darkness? There’s a rumor that the witch had appeared, and that she’s after the warrior, and if he’s really attacked, wouldn’t it be normal for him to doubt me?

“Don’t you wonder what’s going on? Aren’t you worried about me?”

Because of Evan’s question, I was able to get out of the swamp that was sucking me infinitely. If he had said this much, then I should be worried for him, just as he said. And so I hesitated for a while, and then, I opened my mouth.

“Did anything… Happen?”

“It’s not just anything.”

He sighed so loudly that I felt that he had deliberately exaggerated again. His broad chest swelled and then sank dramatically. As if just thinking about it was horrible and painful to him.

“I could have never been able to you again. I was attacked by someone who sneaked in at night while I was sleeping.”

“…so?”

“What are you asking? So what did I do? Or, so what happened?”

What else would I have wondered about if I had known nothing? This short thought crossed my mind, but I had nothing to think back in answer.

“I’m asking what happened. You’re not hurt, are you?”

Evan looked at me blankly instead of answering. Blinking his eyes a couple of times, looking up like that for some reason, he replied with a smile.

“It’s all right. Fortunately, I did not encounter the uninvited guest.”

Even so, I was curious. I certainly came back to the tower after seeing Evan enter the room with the servant, so why was no one there? But I couldn’t ask, so I kept my mouth shut, and he added as if he had read my mind.

“It was a good thing. I couldn’t sleep that day, so I went for a walk. Maybe they came in then. When I entered the palace after a walk, I ran into the uninvited guest just in time. They just wielded their sword. That’s why I attacked.”

“Good thing.”

Was he on a walk? I breathed a sigh of relief. If Evan had been in a deep slumber, something terrible would have happened, just as he said.

Why did Luella make such a mistake? He would have checked not only Evan’s residence but also the whole radius of action. He didn’t expect him to go for a walk that day, but he was too careless. The original plan was for him to keep watch because he should be prepared for what might happen. Of course, it was lucky that he was careless.

“So, what happened to the man?”

For a moment, Evan’s face hardened.

The change came so much that he couldn’t hide his embarrassment that he asked with a slightly deeper look. His voice was also infinitely low and dry.

“When did I ever say he was a man?”

I realized my mistake and felt my mind go cold. And only after hesitating a little did I manage to answer in a voice that was barely quivering.

“I thought it would definitely be a man. It must have been my prejudice.”

“…Is that so?”

Evan looked into my eyes for a moment and soon continued, laughing again.

“Well, it’s true. I wouldn’t have attacked if he were a girl. This is probably what you thought. And as you expected, he’s a man.”

I breathed in heavily and then slowly exhaled, unable to sigh. He continued his words as if he had not noticed my reaction.

“That’s not the point, so to finish, I managed to catch him. He was pretty good at swordsmanship, but as you know, I can use magic, so he’s no match for me. And he was dragged into prison by a group of soldiers. He’s in prison now, inside the palace where the emperor is supposed to stay. Thanks to that, I’ve been to all the corners of the Heavenly Palace… Aah!”

“What is it?”

“Have I mentioned that I was staying at the Imperial Palace?”

Come to think of it, he never said anything about it. Of course, I knew, so I hurriedly tried to save the situation and asked, shaking my head quickly.

“No, you didn’t. Since when have you been staying there?”

“It’s been quite a while. Nyx must have been a little perplexed, too. Me speaking of the palace and the Royal Guard out of the blue, sorry, I was also taken by surprise.”

I was all the more flustered that he noticed that I wasn’t fazed by this. I hesitated for a moment in fear that he might have taken notice, and then changed the direction of our words.

“That’s fine, but can you come here like this when you’re staying at the palace?”

“It’s all right. You don’t have to worry.”

Fortunately, however, Evan answered with a nonchalant attitude, as if he hadn’t been suspicious of anything. I tried to hide my impatience and asked more questions.

“So, did you find anything out of the man?”

“Not at all. He didn’t say anything. Even though I’ve been harassing him for quite a long time.”

I feared that I was going to murmur something to myself that he shouldn’t hear. So I kept my mouth tightly shut. How much pain must have he endured? It agonized the witch all the more because she had gone through similar torment before, and so her heart ached, imagining how much pain he must have suffered through. So why did he do such a reckless thing in the first place…?

Still, it was a relief. If he didn’t say anything, doesn’t that mean that neither my presence nor the witch’s group had been revealed? Only then did I understand. That’s why Evan came to me so casually, telling me this story, and the Emperor didn’t move to catch the rest of the witches.

Even so, Evan might have suspected the witch at least once, but I was amazed, grateful, and sorry to hear that.

“I put him back in jail for now. I’ll wait a little while until he feels like talking and…”

“And?”

“If that doesn’t work, then I’ll just give him death.”

When the word death came out of his mouth, my body trembled. I was seized with a strange feeling. The thought came to me; Evan was no longer the infinitely weak and naïve child anymore, and he could now say that he was killing people in a carefree manner. During his time away from the witch, it occurred to me that, while the boy grew up and became a young man, his appearance was not the only thing that had changed.

In any case, it was a good thing that he hadn’t killed Luella yet. I’ll have to rescue him before he finally gives up his stubbornness and reveals everything he knows. I found out that he was in the Heavenly Palace, but the problem was that I couldn’t get in there.

The longer I dragged on, the more dangerous it became, so I had to find a way, and fast.

“It’s been a terrible day. I don’t want to ever go through it again. That’s what you think, too, right, Nyx?”

“…yes. You’ll have to be careful not to let this happen again.”

“Yes, I will. In the future, I don’t think I should let my guard down even when I sleep.”

“Do so.”

Unknowingly, I looked down at him with a slightly worried look. Perhaps having read my uneasy expression, he put on a seemingly bright smile and said.

“But still, it’s fine. I have a person who gets worried about me like this. From here on out, I’m afraid that I’ll have many things to complain about from time to time.”

I couldn’t bear to meet his red irises, which seemed genuinely pleased to believe in me. So I put my palm over his eyes. Evan called me in a mysterious voice, but I dodged the situation by lying again.

“You must be tired, so sleep a little. Because this place is safe.”

Evan, blindfolded by my palm, opened his mouth slightly. He soon replied, curling the corners of his mouth up.

“Nyx, are you willing to lend your knees for me?”

“…yes.”

“Then, I must not decline.”

He began closing his eyes, turning his head and shoulders toward my body. I stared at his face, which seemed a little happy. Eventually, Evan’s eyes shut tightly.

Is quitting everything I’m doing and simply existing as the nice and friendly witch he believes in the only way to keep Evan happy?

Do I have no choice but to give up death?

I can’t live my life while missing him with a body that never dies.

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