Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 78

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 78

“How could I get angry on behalf of Anelli-nim?”

When I glanced at Jeon, he opened his eyes wide and looked back at me.

“I was expressing my own anger.”

He shrugged his shoulders and muttered in a calm voice.

“So Anelli-nim should get angry too.”

Jeon picked up a pebble rolling around and threw it toward the middle of the stream. Small droplets splashed up over the water surface where the pebble had fallen with a plop.

“I know resignation is an easy and comfortable method, but I think it’s better to get angry when you should be angry and to be sad when you should be sad.”

This time Jeon picked up a slightly larger stone and threw it at the same spot. Bigger droplets splashed up than before, but they quickly disappeared into the flowing current.

“You are strange.”

“That’s a compliment, right?”

He paused as he was about to throw another stone and asked. Without answering, I bent down and picked up a pebble at my feet. I felt its rough texture at my fingertips.

Stones washed by water become smooth. Would emotions be any different?

“I got angry.”

If you keep colliding endlessly, emotions are bound to wear down too.

“I was sad too.”

No matter how sharp an emotion might be, it gets worn down and crumbles.

“I tried everything.”

Then eventually you come to realize it. The meaninglessness.

“No matter how rough a stone is, if it’s washed by water for a long time, it becomes smooth. It loses its original form.”

I muttered listlessly and threw the stone in my hand. With a splash, the pebble sank to the bottom of the riverbank.

“Just because it becomes round doesn’t mean it stops being a stone.”

Jeon pursed his lips.

“If the same situation comes up, I think I’ll get angry again.”

Perhaps recalling the earlier situation, Jeon’s expression crumpled. He clicked his tongue softly and muttered some subjectless complaints, then asked casually.

“What about Anelli-nim? Would you smile and have a conversation?”

“…Well.”

Seeing me not readily answering, he suddenly tapped the spot next to him.

“Try sitting down.”

“No. It’s wet.”

“Ha.”

He let out a hollow laugh and took off the cloak he was wearing, spreading it over the wet grass. His effort seemed admirable, so I decided to specially accept his invitation.

“You said you like flowers, didn’t you?”

“Me?”

“Yes. Before, on the way to Owen’s Flower Farm. Don’t you remember?”

I remember answering that I didn’t dislike them. That’s somewhat different from saying I like them though.

When I stared at Jeon wondering why he was bringing up that conversation again, he suddenly dipped his fingertips lightly into the stream.

After a moment, bubbles began rising from the water surface, and gradually two thin streams of water rose up, intertwining like vines.

The ends of the water streams that had been spinning and twisting began to form round shapes. When the translucent sky-blue droplets swelled to a certain size, the surface began to split into layers.

“This is…”

The delicately splitting water currents created abundant petals. The water droplet maintained the form of a rose flower, shimmering as if it might break at any moment yet without losing its shape.

Jeon picked up the stem of the water droplet rose he had bloomed on the water surface and held it out to me.

“Please take it.”

As if enchanted, I reached out toward the water stream. A cool sensation was transmitted to my fingertips.

I thought it might collapse immediately, but when I actually held it in my hand, it maintained its form surprisingly firmly.

Every time I moved my hand, the water droplet petals fluttered and swayed slightly. Each time, sparkling light scattered like powder.

“It’s modest, but please understand. With just a handful of mana, I can only bloom one rose. Even so, I made it by shaking out all my remaining mana.”

I had been unable to take my eyes off the rose, but was drawn to look up by his voice.

Jeon, sitting relatively close beside me, had an embarrassed expression on his face.

He had been looking at the rose in my hand, but felt my gaze and raised his head. I was completely reflected in his golden eyes.

“Thank you.”

When I offered quiet thanks, Jeon’s eyes widened. I stared at him intently and continued speaking.

“You said you like small expressions of gratitude.”

He had been staring at me blankly, then slowly smiled.

“That’s right. I do like them.”

He readily agreed and looked down at the rose with smiling eyes. I also shifted my gaze back to the rose.

It was definitely water yet maintained the shape of a rose, which was fascinating, so I was turning it this way and that when suddenly its form collapsed. My hand holding the water stream became completely soaked.

Looking at my now empty hand, I felt strangely hollow. It was natural for a flower made of water to disappear like this.

“It broke.”

When I muttered gloomily, Jeon answered with a smile.

“That’s because the mana was completely exhausted. I’ll make another one for you next time.”

Jeon, who had spoken in a light tone, rummaged around and pulled out a handkerchief to place in my hand.

I received the handkerchief and looked down at my wet hand for a moment. I thought it would be a bit of a waste to wipe it off like this.

“I’m sorry for disparaging you earlier, saying you were doing such things with precious mana. This is magic with sufficient value.”

“I’m glad you acknowledge it. When my mana properly returns, I’ll make you a much more beautiful bouquet than this.”

“This rose was already the most beautiful flower I’ve ever received.”

Jeon paused.

“It’s true. As you said, it’s a beautiful flower that’s the only one of its kind in the world. Anyone would admire it.”

I don’t know who the gift was originally intended for, but they probably would have been very happy. Who wouldn’t be delighted? To have such beautiful magic performed just for them.

As I rubbed the remaining moisture between my index finger and thumb, Jeon suddenly spoke up.

“I never gave the gift.”

When I looked at him questioningly, he continued matter-of-factly.

“I couldn’t show this magic to the person I originally intended to show it to. Because they died.”

“Ah.”

Having nothing to say, I quietly closed my mouth. Jeon seemed to notice my awkward atmosphere and explained in a light voice.

“I was going to show it to my mother, but she passed away early from a chronic illness. Since then, honestly, it’s been magic I had no occasion to use. It feels rewarding and good that Anelli-nim admires it.”

“From now on, show it off often. You’ll become popular.”

In my confusion, random words just tumbled out. Even I thought it was ridiculous, so it must have sounded the same to Jeon.

Jeon, who had been looking at me with an expression full of bewilderment, let out a small laugh and muttered as if to himself.

“What’s the point of becoming popular? It’s enough to do this kind of thing for just one person.”

He moved as if to get up from his seat. However, he froze at my following question.

“Are you saying you’ll only do it for me?”

Jeon, who had stopped mid-rise in an awkward position, slowly blinked his eyes. Then he looked at me with a flustered expression.

Looking intently at his face with its faint blush, I spoke again.

“You said next time you’d make a much more beautiful bouquet. Was that empty words?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then you’re saying you’ll only do it for me?”

“…As a result, that’s how it turned out.”

Was it my imagination that he seemed strangely hesitant? My brow furrowed involuntarily.

“You don’t want to?”

“What about Anelli-nim? Are you okay with it?”

“Is there a reason I wouldn’t be okay with it?”

I asked back calmly and wiped the moisture with the handkerchief. In the meantime, my previously damp hand had dried somewhat, so there wasn’t much to wipe off.

“I like flowers.”

I concluded somewhat stubbornly and stood up. Jeon, who had been frozen in that awkward position until then, let out a deflated laugh.

He straightened his posture and picked up the cloak he had spread on the ground. Brushing off the leaves and dirt from the cloak, he nodded readily.

“Yes, understood. I’ll give them only to Anelli-nim. Beautiful flowers that are the only ones of their kind in the world.”

That was quite a satisfactory answer.

* * *

Although transformation had become possible and the magic tools were working normally again, since we had come this far anyway, we decided to stop by Febrin Monastery first.

Anyway, for now, because of my sister, it wouldn’t be safe to visit any city.

If what my sister said is true, then Maxel and Lilia would also know that I’m near Immon, so the Imperial Palace might dispatch search parties to station them in nearby cities.

The swarm of bees that Tristan had lured were excellent watchers. Thanks to the information the swarm shared with us, we were able to avoid encountering the people searching the mountain range entirely.

They seemed to be wandering around in the wrong places, following the false traces Samuel had created.

Meanwhile, under Samuel’s guidance, we entered a hidden path.

“The road is rough.”

When I muttered carelessly, Samuel answered calmly.

“No one knows there’s a monastery here. Since people don’t pass through, there was no way for anything that could be called a road to form.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded with a subtle expression and looked around.

It made sense that no one would know. The path to the monastery was through the bear’s habitat.

While I had received permission to pass through after having a heart-to-heart conversation with the bears, ordinary people wouldn’t have been able to easily cross through the bear’s habitat.

As I was glancing to confirm the bear that was watching our movements, Samuel called me.

“We can go this way.”

“But this place is blocked?”

As soon as Jeon finished speaking, Samuel cut down the grass with his sword.

“Oh…”

When he cut down the grass, a passage wide enough to pass through appeared. At Samuel’s action of showing rather than explaining at length, Jeon didn’t argue further and quietly followed along.

[Farewell, humans!]

After waving until the bear seeing us off was no longer visible, I let out a long sigh and turned my head. Samuel was leading the way on his horse without hesitation.

He even found a hidden passage that was covered by long vines. From the outside, it looked like a giant rocky mountain, so it was truly a path that only someone who knew about it could find.

At this point, I had to ask.

“How do you know all these paths?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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