Weed ~The One’s Gardener~ - Chapter 110

However, she hadn’t intended to see him acting like a stranger right in front of her. She didn’t want to see the look of someone who was either cautious or completely indifferent.

She didn’t want to see that at all.

‘It can’t be helped.’

[ Alright. ]

In an instant, a shadow swept over them. Despite it being night, the darkness felt almost tangible, completely consuming any trace of light, as if a pure, absolute void had engulfed them. Yet, just as swiftly as it appeared, it vanished.

It lasted only a fleeting moment, like clouds drifting past the moon. The darkness dissolved as though it had never existed.

The change was sudden.

Weed, who had been rushing moments earlier, suddenly slowed and came to a halt. He stood still, staring blankly into the air, seemingly unaware of what had happened. Seizing the moment, Hana quickly slipped out of his arms and retreated a few steps, putting five paces of distance between them.

It seemed like Weed hadn’t noticed anything happening.

‘Is this for the best?’

[ He’ll come back to his senses soon. ]

Weed remained completely still.

Hana, trying to calm herself, took deep breaths. Whether it was from the tension or from struggling in Weed’s arms earlier, her breaths came out ragged. She glanced back at him in regret before shaking her head.

She had to get out of sight quickly.

He would soon come to his senses. He’d probably think nothing of this and return as if it was all trivial. She didn’t need to keep watching him, and honestly, she didn’t want to.

Wiping her face with the back of her hand and her arm, Hana quickly distanced herself from him.

‘The wand… what should I do…?’

Since Weed had broken the wand of light, she couldn’t move as quickly, but her destination wasn’t too far. She could still manage to walk there.

Void had been guiding her along the way.

However, not having the wand made everything seem uncertain. Just as she sighed and took another step…

Thud.

“Kyaak!”

Something grabbed her arm, and she gasped in alarm, stumbling backward. It had only brushed her arm briefly, but it felt oddly hot, and her skin tingled.

Turning around to see what had grabbed her arm, she froze.

“We—!”

She almost shouted his name in surprise. Quickly covering her mouth with both hands, she widened her eyes.

It was Weed.

‘What… How did Weed…?’

Why was he here, standing in front of her? Hana was completely flustered. But Weed, too, looked just as confused. His arm, clearly the one she had shaken off, was still hanging in the air as though it had been frozen mid-action.

“Human?”

Weed furrowed his brows slightly and spoke first. It was unclear whether he was displeased or not. Hana nodded absentmindedly to his question about her identity.

“Humans shouldn’t be here.”

Hana was startled by the condescending tone in Weed’s voice. It was the first time she had ever heard him speak that way. Though it was only a shift in tone, it made him seem like a completely different person.

From the way he treated Calden, it was obvious that Weed didn’t like humans. After all, Lar wasn’t a place where humans were meant to tread.

A human wandering through Lar—it was no wonder that Weed, as the owner of this place, would be displeased, especially with his memories erased. Both Weed and the priests had always dealt swiftly with intruders. So, Hana forced a harmless smile and spoke up.

“Ah… I… sorry. I’ll leave right away. I, got, got lost…”

Weed, receiving the smile, flinched.

He was clearly confused. His lips moved as if he was about to say something, but then he stopped, his brow furrowed deeply. It was likely the effect of the memory manipulation.

Or maybe the words she just spoke were quite embarrassing for him.

Hana regretted her words immediately after speaking. If she could, she would have hit herself on the head.

‘Got lost… What a terrible excuse.’

She tried to push her embarrassment down as much as possible and deliberately avoided making eye contact with him, bowing her head and walking away.

Her heart nearly dropped.

She thought she had failed in erasing his memories. Weed hadn’t called her by her name or even made eye contact to smile at her, so it seemed like she had succeeded.

A sigh escaped her.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t disappointed. But at least she had confirmed his face one last time. This was how Weed treated humans. It was a relief that she didn’t feel as much hostility from him as she had when he dealt with Calden.

While walking, Hana couldn’t help but glance back in a moment of inexplicable regret. She nearly jumped again when she saw him.

Weed was following her.

“Why, why are you following me?”

Hana asked, finally managing to calm her racing heart.

“You said you got lost?”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Then come with me. It’s dangerous for a human to be wandering around here alone.”

“What?”

Weed quickly walked up to her and extended his hand.

His large, beautiful hand, which had always been there to embrace her, reached out toward her in a tempting gesture. Hana didn’t even need to think about whether to take it or not. She deliberately turned away and averted her gaze.

“It’s fine. I can go back alone.”

“Ah.”

Weed let out a soft exclamation as if realizing something.

“I see. To come this far means you’re a skilled human, right?”

“Yes, yes… that’s right. So it’s fine.”

Hana lowered her head again, trying to distance herself from Weed. She thought that would be the end of it.