<Episode 42>

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing, right?”

Eveline looked at Abellard, startled. He was looking at her like a puppy caught in the rain, asking her.

For some reason, Abellard’s pink hair seemed more vivid today.

“Because of the rain.”

“Yeah.”

“I tried to kiss him, but Elkais stopped me.”

“I see.”

Seeing his visible disappointment, Eveline didn’t know what to say.

“So you did try.”

“It wasn’t really a kiss.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a kiss. She had tried to approach him, but he avoided her. Their lips had touched, but it wasn’t a deep kiss.

“I see. That’s a relief.”

“Why is that a relief?”

“Just that it seems like nothing serious happened, so it’s a relief.”

She felt an itch on the back of her neck as Abellard brightened up again.

“Why is that important?”

Abellard took her hand holding the knife and lowered it, speaking.

“It’s important, Eve. I really care about you. I want you to survive no matter what.”

“What do you mean?”

Suddenly, she remembered the words of the red-haired man.

“Remember, only one person can survive on that island.”

“So you knew everything, brother.”

“Not everything.”

Eveline looked at him intently. His slightly brighter blue eyes were moist.

“Eve, you need to trust me. I’m really here for you.”

She closed her mouth, hearing his plea.

“You may not believe it now, but one day you will.”

“…Yes.”

Eveline answered and stayed silent for a moment. Then, regaining her senses with the blowing wind, she swung the knife at the bamboo.

Thwack! Thwack!

After a few strikes, water started flowing again.

“We can’t carry the water, so let’s just cut the bamboo.”

“Alright.”

Now that she thought about it, if they really needed water, they would have brought a container.

Since they had mixed Abellard’s blood into the lake water, there was plenty of drinking water.

Realizing that Elkais had just made an offhand comment, Eveline felt a strange sense of discomfort, thinking he too might be uneasy around her.

“I’ll do the cutting. You hold it, Eve.”

“Are your hands okay?”

“Yeah. It’s better if I’m hurt. If you’re hurt, it hurts me too.”

“You’re saying strange things again.”

“Hehe.”

Eveline chuckled at his odd words, gathering the cut bamboo. She watched as Abellard chopped it into appropriate sizes and laughed again.

“Brother, don’t use the sword.”

“Am I that bad?”

“Yes.”

Eveline took the sword again and struck the bamboo.

They cut several pieces of bamboo, selecting only the parts that could be used as makeshift pots.

While Eveline worked on the bamboo, Abellard used his divine power to help her, making him more exhausted than her.

“Let’s head back now.”

“Okay.”

Even though she told him not to, Abellard habitually used his divine power on her, so she thought it was better to go back when he seemed tired.

“Don’t you need to wash up, brother?”

“I’ll drop this off and then wash. Do I smell?”

“No. By the way, are you using Alpha pheromones too?”

“Yeah.”

Eveline was reminded again of Abellard’s scent, which was like cool water. The mix of forest and water scents suited him well, considering they ended up together in the original story. He would be flustered if he knew her thoughts.

“Let’s each carry half of the bamboo.”

“I can carry it all myself.”

“Then I won’t be able to hold your hand, Eve.”

“Who said you could hold my hand?”

“Oh, my legs hurt so much I can’t walk.”

Although it was clear he was pretending, he did look genuinely tired.

“I’ll carry everything, just keep an eye out and let me know if any animals show up.”

“Can’t we just hold hands and walk safely?”

“How is that safe? We’d both be easy prey for animals.”

Eveline was right.

In a place where they needed to be wary of wild animals, holding hands and carrying items was like asking to be attacked. It was safer for one to carry the items while the other kept watch.

“Then I’ll carry it. You keep watch, Eve.”

“But your legs hurt.”

“Oh, right. They just got better.”

“I didn’t see you use any divine power.”

Abellard glanced at her, then grinned.

“How about I carry it, and you keep watch?”

“If you carry it, it might not be usable. And I’m healthy. You look like you’re about to collapse.”

“Are you taking care of me?”

“Yes. So, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Feeling cheered by her words, he led the way, clearing the path for her.

He felt elated, thinking she trusted him enough to follow him.

About halfway back, Abellard spoke first.

“Eve, you know…”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t we leave together?”

Eveline stopped at his words.

“What are you talking about?”

“I watch you all the time, so I can sometimes feel what you’re thinking.”

At that moment, she felt uneasy, thinking he had read her mind.

She wanted to be alone, away from them. She thought she had become an Omega, and they were Alphas who could imprint with her anytime.

Moreover, Grand Duke Rubellite Croppers wanted to kill her because of them.

But she needed to know something to escape the island.

Most importantly, she couldn’t control the pheromones she emitted, which revealed her position to the Alphas and made it impossible to run away.

“You always look far away and seem cautious, Eve.”

“Brother.”

“Do you want to run away with me?”

She hesitated at his words. But it was clear that Abellard was an easier target than Elkais.

“What about my pheromones?”

“There’s actually another island on the opposite side.”

“Elkais told me about it. He said the island is strange, that it’s not visible from the beach but can be seen from a certain spot.”

“Yes.”

It seemed like Abellard knew something about that island. After all, he had been on this island for a year.

Couldn’t he speak because of a spell?

If so, wouldn’t Abellard know a way to leave the island?

Wouldn’t he know a way for all of them to leave together, not just himself?

Eveline didn’t want to survive alone, as the red-haired man had suggested. She didn’t want to live at the expense of others.

“I don’t want to survive alone, brother,” she said softly.

Abellard looked at her with understanding, his eyes softening. “I know, Eve. That’s why we have to find a way together.”

Eveline nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope despite the complicated situation.

“I’ve actually been to that island.”

“What do you mean?”

“That island has the same terrain as here. But if we go there, it will be difficult to track us by pheromones.”

Abellard was lying. It wasn’t impossible to track by pheromones on that island.

However, he believed that if he and Eveline went to that island, he could handle Elkais in the meantime.

“How did you manage to go there?”

Eveline looked him straight in the eye. She felt as if the bamboo she was holding was growing colder.

“Well… uh…”

“Is it that you can’t talk about it again?”

He nodded, and Eveline felt frustrated. The information she wanted to hear was something he couldn’t say.

If the wizards were truly involved in this…

“Is it magic that’s preventing you from speaking?”

He looked at Eveline intently.

“So, you can’t even answer that?”

“Yeah.”

She sighed and started walking again. Abellard quickly followed, sticking close to her side.

“I don’t want to imprint with just anyone.”

“If you don’t want me, I won’t imprint with you.”

“Why? You weren’t like this before, brother.”

Eveline knew well what kind of person Abellard was before coming here.

In the original story, he might have seemed like a foolishly kind brother who fell victim to the villainess repeatedly. However, the Abellard she experienced was not so easily manipulated.

Moreover, like a fox, he orchestrated everything and quietly slipped away, leaving her to bear the blame.

Because of this, Eveline found it hard to trust Abellard.

“Eve, I…”

Rumble.

“Let’s go back.”

“Yeah.”

Eveline interrupted him at the sound of thunder.

It could start raining at any moment. After what had happened earlier, she didn’t want to repeat the same mistake.

She started walking quickly, glancing back.

And then…

“Why are you crying?”

“I didn’t think you’d look back.”

“Are you crying because of what I said?”

“Yes. I hate myself for the wrongs I’ve done. But I know you don’t hate me, which makes it hurt and makes me sad.”

She sighed and handed him some of the bamboo she was carrying.

“I don’t hate you, brother. And let’s forget about the past. It wasn’t a good memory for either of us. I’ll forget it, so you should too.”

“…Okay.”

He took her hand. Eveline thought about shaking it off but decided it was better to hold hands and move quickly. They hurried back to the cabin, practically running.