TYND 103
by Cherry– Ah, Rothy put it on me. He gets upset if I don’t wear it.
Future Theon raised his lips as if he had expected Theon’s reaction.
– I know. Right now everything will seem hateful and terrible due to disappointment and anger toward Seara. I was the same way.
‘You mean you don’t feel anger now?’
– Why I don’t feel anger now… you’ll know that reason soon. When you open your eyes.
When you open your eyes?
At that moment, Theon lifted his eyelids.
It was the Grand Duchess’s bedroom. Seeing sunlight streaming through the window and birds chirping, it was morning.
Theon, who had fallen asleep sitting up, wiped his face while organizing his confused emotions.
Chiii!
Chi-chi shook his collar. Only then could Theon understand why he had woken from the dream. Because Chi-chi had woken him, and the reason Chi-chi woke him was precisely…
“Mmm…”
Rothy’s eyelids fluttered. He was finally about to wake from his long sleep.
Rothy, who woke up after twelve days, was in perfectly fine condition regarding both magical power and divine power, except for his energy levels.
Theon personally fed Rothy soup with a spoon and briefly explained what had happened during that time.
He couldn’t bring himself to say that he was actually a Trimule. His lips simply wouldn’t part.
When night came, Rothy was in a slightly excited state.
Ultje, Chungnip, Jay, Seon, and Erhen, who had rushed from the academy, and even members of the Black Lion Knights. Many people had come to visit him throughout the day. On top of that, consolation gifts sent by people who heard the Grand Duchess had collapsed, the emperor, nobles, scholars, merchants, and so on, had arrived, filling the Grand Duchess’s bedroom.
“Theon, look at this. I received so many flowers. Many people will send more flowers tomorrow too, right? We’ll run short of vases… If you give me the vases from your room, I’ll arrange flowers in them. Both your bedroom and my bedroom will become fragrant and beautiful with flowers.”
Seeing Rothy’s joy made it even harder for Theon to reveal the truth.
But this was a matter that couldn’t be postponed forever. He had to tell him someday, and if he had to say it anyway, the sooner the better.
There were servants in the room organizing gifts. Theon gestured to Ultje to leave.
“Lord Rothy, since you should sleep now, we’ll take our leave.”
“Ah… okay.”
Rothy, who had been sitting on the floor excitedly digging through gifts, looked up.
“Sorry for causing trouble… Everyone rest well and sleep tight.”
“No one had any trouble. Lord Rothy, please sleep well too.”
Ultje took the servants and left the room.
But Rothy had no intention of stopping organizing and sat back down on the floor.
“Rothy.”
“Theon, go to sleep first. I slept too much during that time so I’m not sleepy. But look at this. It’s a red flower brooch.”
Rothy unwrapped a brooch from among the gifts and hurriedly got up to run to Theon. When he stumbled with a “kwing” sound and was about to fall, Theon quickly caught him.
“Rothy. You must always move slowly. Especially when getting up after lying down for a long time.”
“Okay. I’ll put this brooch on you. It’s the same color as your eyes. It’ll really suit you well.”
Theon was about to bend down for him, but certain that the brooch pin would definitely poke Rothy’s finger, he took it himself and roughly pinned it near his chest.
“Waaah,” Rothy’s eyes sparkled.
“Really pretty. It suits you so well. Ah, wait just a moment.”
When Rothy was about to hurriedly run off again, Theon quickly caught her waist.
“Where are you going?”
“There’s something else among the gifts that I think would suit Theon.”
“I understand.”
Theon carried Rothy toward the space where gifts were piled.
When he carefully set her down, Rothy rummaged around and soon pulled out a small box. Inside was, surprisingly… a hair ornament. A hairpin. A hairpin with a small round red gem attached.
Someone had crafted a hairpin for “Snow Fairy Lord Rothy” to wear, and he was holding it while looking up at him, saying he wanted to put it on Theon.
“Theon.”
“……”
Theon bent his head down. Rothy’s fingers brushed through his hair.
After Rothy pinned it to his side hair, he burst out in admiration.
“Really pretty! Theon looks good in all red things. I saw bracelets and rings earlier too.”
Rothy attached various accessories to Theon. Theon accepted them all until Rothy was satisfied.
Finally satisfied, Rothy smiled blissfully and hugged Theon. Theon carried Rothy and moved to the bed.
On the bed was a ferret lying sprawled with its belly showing.
Chi-chi had been sleeping continuously since Rothy woke up. It was a ferret sleeping very sprawled out while even snoring, making up for all the sleep it’d missed.
Theon picked up Chi-chi after seating Rothy on the bed. Chi-chi didn’t even wake up but stretched flexibly in his palm.
When Theon handed over Chi-chi, Rothy naturally received it and held it preciously in his arms.
After removing all the accessories he’d been made to wear, Theon knelt on one knee in front of Rothy. Their eye levels roughly matched. He opened his mouth with a serious and earnest expression.
“Rothy, I have something to tell you.”
“……”
Rothy looked at Theon intently, then made a somewhat humble expression.
“I know. I’m ready to listen.”
He brought his legs together and placed both fists politely on his knees.
“You’ve been looking for timing to say something since earlier.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Yes. I’m ready. Whatever you say, I’ll accept it humbly…”
Then he bit his lower lip and stared at Theon. It was a submissive posture saying he would accept whatever he said. Theon read the fear and anxiety dwelling in his large eyes.
“You’re already scared, knowing what kind of story I’m going to tell.”
Even at his gentle and soft tone, Rothy flinched his shoulders. The child looked around nervously before speaking weakly.
“The worst-case scenario I’m thinking of is this.”
“……”
“Actually, it’s all a dream… I died when fighting the demon, or I committed suicide with my master much earlier, and in that fleeting moment I’m having this long, happy, joyful dream.”
For a moment, Theon couldn’t control his expression and looked utterly dumbfounded, but seeing his face, Rothy shook his head.
“No. It’s not such an absurd story, it actually makes perfect sense. Because you didn’t tell me how I killed the demon on the moving island. Demons can only be killed with divine magic… this is an error that occurs because it’s a dream. Dreams often gloss over things like this.”
“Rothy.”
“Everything has flowed in my favor. If I think about it…”
Rothy smiled faintly.
“Theon brought me here saying he’d protect me… Diam was all for it. Harrie eventually gave me up too… Ken ended up alive and exiled. The hunting competition was changed so wooden puppets can be used now, and I made friends like Erhen and Naran.”
“……”
“I chat with Chungnip, Jay, and Seon, and Ultje folds clothes for me. People like me. The Black Lion Knights, the estate people, the northerners… Look at those gifts. I received so many this time too.”
“……”
“Among them all, Theon seems to like me the most. Theon worries I might fall and ends up carrying me in his arms. I doze and read books in Theon’s embrace. Theon puts clothes on Chi-chi and sometimes even makes it dance. And we watch sunsets together. The sunset that colors the sky red is truly beautiful…”
“……”
“Things I couldn’t even dare imagine have unfolded. Is it really possible for all situations to flow so prettily, so beautifully and peacefully? I think all of this might be possible because it’s a dream.”
“……”
“What do you think…? It really makes sense, doesn’t it?”
At Rothy’s cautious question, Theon couldn’t answer.
The things Rothy had recounted were truly trivial matters. Making friends, receiving gifts, watching sunsets together.
These weren’t things grand enough to recite with such emotion.
Because of the terrible times when he couldn’t even dream of such trivial things.
Even after nearly two years, he still had to worry whether this might be a dream.
Theon’s eyes grew hot.
His throat felt parched.
His heart pounded as if it might burst.
His fingertips trembled.
“Rothy. All of this is real. You’re not dreaming. And…”
“Yes.”
“You are… a Trimule.”
“……”
“You were a Trimule sent down by Seara.”
The only biological Trimule capable of containing infinite magic stones.
A Trimule created for humanity.
Seara, who wanted humanity to win the Human-Demon War, sent you down.
That’s why the other ten-year-old children became corpses, and only you succeeded.
This is why you had to suffer for six years.
This is why you had to be lonely and struggle for six years.
This is why you had to watch us from afar for six years and eventually turn away.
God created you solely for humanity. You were born solely for humanity. The reality of having to confess such truth was powerless.
If Rothy wanted, he could abandon everything and oppose Seara.
Rothy probably wouldn’t want that.
But still, he would point his sword at Seara.
He would tell the grieving god,
Didn’t you expect this?
That someone who came to love Rothy would feel rage toward you?
A small hand covered his trembling hand, shaking with powerlessness and anger.
“Theon.”
Theon looked up.
Rothy was looking at him with wide, round eyes.
“I’m a Trimule?”
Theon nodded somewhat bewilderedly.
Because there was no trace of despair in his voice that sounded disbelieving.
Rather…
“Really? I’m really a Trimule?”
He sparkled as if he’d received a surprise gift.
The anxious, dark shadow that worried everything might be a dream lifted, and color returned to his face like a flower seeing sunlight.
“Not a person but a Trimule…?”
“……”
“A gift sent down by Seara for humanity…”
“……”
“Wooooah… I was a Trimule…!”
Rothy suddenly stood up and bounced excitedly.