It’s Not Night - Chapter 114

“No, let’s go together.”

Andra replied as she quickly grabbed Dustin. He was already taking off his jacket and draping it over her. Two Awakened going together was safer than just one of them going. Dustin was a bit displeased with her determined attitude, but when Andra didn’t back down easily either, he only grudgingly nodded.

“Then, don’t fall behind and stick close to me.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t move recklessly. If you notice anything, tell me right away.”

“I get it.”

“…….”

Andra’s answer still didn’t put him at ease, Dustin reached out and checked her condition on his own. N-No, you don’t have to do that… Despite Andra’s weak rejection, Dustin took a half-step back before tying the jacket he had given her a few times to keep it from slipping off. Then he held out his hand to her. Andra looked blankly at him.

“Hold my hand.”

“Hand?”

Andra frowned in bewilderment. Hold hands with an Airak? There were a few times when she was helped by him or when she unknowingly held his hand while doing the deed with him, but it was the first time like this. To hold hands… Wasn’t this what lovers or people in intimate relationships did?

“…Hold it in even if you don’t like it. It’s to prepare, just in case.”

On the other hand, Dustin misunderstood the reaction that Andra didn’t want to hold his hand. It was Andra anyway. It would be natural that she hates him.

Seeing Dustin’s face harden, Andra hastily straightened her expression.

“No, no. That’s fine. I’ll hold it.”

Andra hurriedly grabbed his hand before Dustin could withdraw it. She could feel the texture of the rough, hard palms. The very hot body temperature. Before long, the man’s large hand covered her hand carefully. The touch was very delicate, as though he was holding a fragile artifact.

However, it wasn’t long before she felt something strange as she was holding his hand.

‘It’s weird.’

Her heart was beating fast. She was so nervous that she felt like her palms were getting clammy. Would Dustin feel this change? She just hoped he didn’t notice. Looking at Dustin’s broad back, Andra started walking ahead. Dustin’s face that was occasionally shining under the moonlight seems a little unfamiliar today.

After passing through a dark forest, the two reached a large tree. At that place, the thumping sound was definitely louder than before. However, the sound resonated in all directions making it difficult to pinpoint the source..

“The sound… Doesn’t it seem like it’s coming from inside the tree?”

Following the sound, Andra unknowingly approached the tree. She touched the wood grain and thought. Among the old trees, there were often cases where the inside was actually hollow. Could this be the same as that? Bang! It came again. Hearing the sound, Andra began to feel confident about the location of the sound.

“As expected, the inside of the tree is empty so it might be coming from inside…”

She looked through the tree to see if she could look inside, but there was a hole the size of a child’s face right next to it. It seemed like a good place to look inside. For the light. She can make it with magic.

She let go of Dustin’s hand and leaned forward to peer inside it. But suddenly Dustin, who was next to her, got startled and hurriedly pulled her away from the tree. He pulled her so hard that despite not getting her shoulder dislocated, it still tingled from the grip.

“Why would you suddenly pull that hard…”

As Andra was grabbed, she narrowed her eyebrows, trying to argue with Dustin, but then she checked Dustin’s hardened face and closed her mouth again.

“Is it because you want to see people go crazy?”

“…Huh?”

“You don’t know what’s inside and you just put your face in it!”

Andra then realized that she had tried to shove her face into the hole… It was clear that she was dazed with something. No wonder Dustin was upset. He spoke in a heavily sunken voice.

“If that was a monster species that lures prey with sound, you’d already be dead.”

It was a chilling warning. Maybe what would have really happened. Andra had nothing to say. She’s sorry, she has to say she’s caught off guard, but she couldn’t open her mouth easily.

“I told you not to move recklessly and tell me if there is anything. Do you really have to behave like this to feel comfortable? I knew this was going to happen, that’s why I said I would look into it myself. Every time you…”

As Andra continued to be silent, Dustin’s anger calmed down a little in the meantime. He sighed deeply and began to examine Andra. Let me look at your shoulders. Andra obediently pulled down her clothes at his urging and showed her shoulder. A red mark bloomed on her shoulder from the strength of his grip.

“…Does it hurt when pressed?”

Dustin asked, carefully pressing her shoulder a little. Andra nodded and flinched whenever he pressed on the shoulder.

“Here?”

“It’s oka… ah!”

When he pressed hard on one spot, Andra let out a short groan and frowned. Dustin’s face, who was previously angry, was nowhere to be found. He was restless like a guilty prisoner now after seeing her in pain.

“I’m sorry, I should have controlled my strength…”

“N, no, it’s okay. I messed up too…”

“It’s my fault. I should have paid more attention.”

As he double-checked the condition of Andra’s shoulders, Dustin had a conflicted look. Since he became an Awakened, he has been controlling his strength every time, but in such a momentary situation, he couldn’t control it.

It was his fault that Andra injured her shoulder. They would have to ride a horse tomorrow morning, but would she be okay? Dustin pulled Andra’s clothes up and held her.

“Let’s go back. We can’t find out anything more just by being here like this. Same with your shoulder.”

“But the sound…!”

“The sound has long since disappeared.”

Andra looked around her. She couldn’t hear the sound that had been ringing at regular intervals. Was it because of her?

She even suffered an injury to her shoulder, let alone determine the source of the sound, so she did nothing. She feels like she really screwed up. Andra bowed her head in a devastated face.

More than anything, she has to go back and say something about this shoulder injury. Her shoulder got dislocated because she slept in the wrong posture? That’s nonsense. Andra let out a small sigh in bewilderment. She realized that she still hadn’t apologized to Dustin who was moving while holding her.

But what should she say? She can’t just say she’s sorry, can’t she?

“Um… Dustin.”

“I’ll drop you off when we get near the camp, so don’t worry about people staring at you. Worry about your shoulder Get a doctor—”

“It’s, not that…”

“What is it?”

As Andra hesitated, Dustin slowed his steps for a moment before looking down at her. Andra flapped her lips for a long time, then managed to utter a word in a small voice.

“…Thank you.”

But it was difficult to start, Andra mustered up the courage and began to say other things.

“If it wasn’t for you, I might have died, as you said. And I’m sorry. I guess… I was ignorant. It’s my fault that this happened.”

Through this incident, Andra realized that she was quite ignorant of her environment.

Come to think of it, on this journey Andra was the only one as close to a normal person. Members of the imperial family, Viola and Jonathan, had studied monarchy and military science, and most of the others were drafted from the military.

On the other hand, Andra had mostly studied indoors, and she was far from the military. Even if she knew how to wield magic, it’s only been less than half a year since she came to use her magic as an Awakened.

Andra, who doesn’t know about this, should have completely followed Dustin’s words. He was an Airak knight. She didn’t listen to what Dustin said and acted on her own, so it was her fault.

“I’m sorry again. I should have listened to you… Also in the dungeon at that time…”

“Andra, wait.”

The light in front of her was getting closer. It seemed that someone was coming this way. Just as Dustin put Andra down, a person appeared in front of them.

“Anna? And… Lord Airak?”

“Prince?”

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Why are you two…?”

Jonathan looked back and forth between Andra and Dustin. It looked like he had no idea why the two of them were together in the middle of the night. Andra smiled naturally as she approached Jonathan.

“I was patrolling nearby with Lord Airak. I thought I heard a strange noise just now. Why is Your Highness here at this hour?”

“I was looking for you, Anna. I went to see you and you weren’t there… What do you mean by strange noise? What is that?”

Jonathan questioned Andra, but was wary of Dustin. It was strange that Avellin and Airak were together in the middle of the night no matter what. Noticing Jonathan’s vigilance, Andra quickly explained.

“I thought I was the only one hearing it, so I went looking for it and ran into the Lord. It must have been something that only Awakened people could hear.”

“So the cause of the sound…”

“Unfortunately, Lady Avellin got injured. So let’s not do this here. Unless you’re going to leave the patient unattended.”

Then Dustin interrupted Jonathan in a cold, hard tone. Jonathan looked at Andra in surprise. Are you hurt? His gaze looked like he wanted a proper explanation, Andra smiled awkwardly.

“I want to find out the cause… I got careless. It’s okay. I wasn’t hurt too badly.”

“Lady, if you build up your pride like that, tomorrow morning you won’t be able to even pick up a pen, let alone mount a horse. It’s my fault too, so hurry up and go get treatment.”

This time it was Dustin who intercepted Jonathan’s words before he could even speak.