I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 24

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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 24

Sionel couldn’t move from his spot for a long while.

If normal thinking had been possible, he would have taken a defensive stance, wary of the monster that had attacked her and might still remain in the cave.

Instead of standing here blankly staring at Ponia like this.

Sionel stood in place, unable to approach her or move away.

The woman before his eyes lay motionless as if she had already breathed her last.

He had seen countless deaths.

The wet nurse who drank poison in his place, the servants who were killed protecting him.

Yet, the death of a forest keeper he had known for less than a month couldn’t possibly hold great meaning for him.

She was just a passing connection, just a forest keeper to use until his body fully recovered, just someone to stay with for mutual benefit.

That was all. So why was he so shocked by the death before his eyes?

In the overwhelming loneliness that rushed over him, he realized.

In truth, he had never wanted to be alone, not for a single moment.

Just before coming to this forest, not a single person remained by his side.

Even when he tried to hire personal servants, they all either resigned first or begged tearfully to be spared.

Because they knew well that being by his side meant walking toward death.

From a year ago, even receiving proper service became difficult.

His younger brother Aren, who had followed him well, also seemed to distance himself, but he thought it was rather fortunate.

At least no one by his side would die anymore.

Even after seeing enough people die, and thus becoming more accustomed to being alone as those close to him distanced themselves, he couldn’t abandon one selfish desire.

Someone’s warmth.

It was Ponia who had given him what he desperately longed for.

And so, without realizing it, he had come to depend on the concern and kindness Ponia showed.

‘Why bother looking for reasons? There’s no fault of yours in those reasons. That was… something that happened by those people’s choice.’

Because he wanted to hear those words.

‘Still, good memories remain.’

‘You don’t need to forget even those memories. You’re alive right now.’

Because it seemed like she was telling him that the life he had lived still had meaning.

‘Who knows? You might meet an unforgettable connection in this forest? You might leave with unforgettable memories.’

Because he felt he would never forget you, who said those words.

Sionel parted his parched lips.

“Without you, I might never be able to…”

Get up again.

This forest keeper might be the last warmth given to him. He might never feel such warmth again.

Sionel bit down hard on his teeth.

He slowly approached her and lowered his body. Then, carefully, he grasped her shoulder. Bright red blood came away on his hand.

When he carefully turned her shoulder, her body followed easily.

Ponia had her eyes closed as if peacefully asleep.

He placed his hand beneath her nose. This entire process felt unbearably long.

Just as he was trying to check her breathing.

“Sionel?”

Fresh green eyes blinked and held him in their gaze.

“What are you doing?”

“…”

“How did you get here at this hour? No, why did you come?”

He couldn’t speak for a while before finally managing to open his mouth.

“Can I hit you once?”

“No?”

“Then pinching?”

“None of that’s allowed?”

“But why didn’t you get up right away?”

“Because it was hard? More importantly, why aren’t you answering my questions… Gueek!”

Suddenly Sionel collapsed onto her. His body crushed down on Ponia.

“G-get off me!”

‘Heavy! It’s heavy!’

Sionel, who seemed like he would never listen to her words, surprisingly got up quickly.

He belatedly answered her question.

“My housemate hasn’t come back.”

“I was trying to go back, but I encountered a monster.”

Sionel extended his hand. Ponia took his hand and awkwardly stood up, then gestured toward the inside of the cave.

A large monster that looked like a bat was crouched with its wings folded, its head buried.

Sionel frowned.

“You defeated that thing?”

Ponia nodded with a bright smile like a child receiving an award.

“I was lucky. I stabbed the monster’s eye with a stone, and it immediately became like that. It must have fought with another monster before.”

The monster was so wounded that even one hit would be fatal.

Ponia looked at the stone that had fallen on the ground and fell into thought.

‘In an emergency, stab the opponent’s eyes. You should be able to escape most of the time.’

Looking at the monster’s long, sharp claws, she recalled the wound on Chad’s cheek.

‘A wood chip must have hit his face while chopping.’

‘It was quite a resistant tree. But I almost finished it.’

‘What if what Chad was talking about wasn’t a tree but a monster.’

Ponia quickly erased the thought.

Even if her guess was right, she had no intention of telling Sionel. It would only increase his wariness toward Chad.

Ponia looked at the sky.

“It would be better to stay the night and leave.”

They sat side by side at the cave entrance. Ponia looked at Sionel strangely again.

“You really came all the way here because of me?”

“I realized I’m more cowardly than I thought.”

A cowardly person came all the way here in the middle of the night?

“Being alone in the cabin is that scary?”

Instead of explaining further to her, Sionel changed the subject.

“That guy came to the cabin.”

“Chad? Don’t tell me you encountered him?”

“No, he saw you weren’t at the cabin and went back. He was talking to himself a lot, unusually. Saying he was thinking of going to the cave to find you.”

Sionel’s eyes flashed.

“I didn’t see that man’s silhouette even once on my way here.”

Ponia gulped.

Chad’s behavior had long deviated from what a village repairman would do.

Ponia could no longer insist it was Sionel’s misunderstanding.

Rather, what if she said she had known Chad from before.

It wasn’t the truth, but it wasn’t a complete lie either.

She had already read about Chad from the original work.

‘Alright, round two.’

Ponia called him with eyes full of determination.

She had to win this time in the match she had left as a draw.

“Sionel.”

“Ponia.”

Their words overlapped. Ponia yielded the turn. Sionel watched her and asked.

“Do you trust that guy?”

“…It’s not a matter of trust or not. He came as a repairman to fix the cabin.”

“I don’t trust him.”

Ponia’s face visibly darkened. Sionel continued watching her as he spoke.

“Nevertheless, if you’re going to think of that guy as a repairman and let him stay here.”

“…”

“Fine, do that.”

Ponia couldn’t react to his cool words.

After a few seconds passed, Ponia spoke up.

“…Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“You won’t say something different later?”

“I won’t.”

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

Sionel, who had been answering steadily in a listless voice, thought for a moment then chuckled softly.

“I thought I wanted to make a good impression on you.”

“On me?”

“Isn’t it natural for a mere freeloader to want to make a good impression on the homeowner?”

Sionel emphasized the word ‘freeloader’ and raised the corners of his mouth. Ponia recalled the morning’s events.

‘And this is my house, you know? I’m the homeowner! You’re the freeloader!’

Ponia smiled awkwardly and turned her head away.

I thought he might say something nice, but in the end, this is all he says.

“You.”

Just then, unusually, Sionel spoke up first. After a moment’s hesitation, he continued.

“Is there something you want to do when you leave here?”

It was a question she never expected him to ask.

The Sionel she’d met here seemed like he didn’t think about the future.

Somehow the atmosphere around him seemed to have loosened.

All this time, he had maintained a detached attitude while always being tense.

But the current Sionel was too relaxed and unguarded. He even looked relieved.

“I’ll pay off my debts with the forest keeper’s wages.”

Drawn in by his atmosphere, Ponia revealed one of the few truths she could show him.

Sionel’s eyes widened.

“You have debts?”

Ponia tilted her head at his unexpectedly strong reaction.

“Is this really that surprising?”

“I was just shocked thinking, now she even has debts on top of everything else.”

“How hard do you think it is to live without debt in this harsh world?”

Sionel asked again as Ponia grumbled.

“Then what about after you pay off all your debts?”

“….”

“You must have something you want to do once you’ve paid off all your debts.”

She didn’t know why he was asking so persistently. But Ponia thought carefully about the question.

Even after paying off all her debts, she would live a life of paying something back.

Her irresponsible family members would inevitably cause trouble again.

‘But if everything turned out okay.’

“Maybe I’ll confess….”

“Confess?”

“I promised to confess if we met again. Though I probably won’t be able to keep that promise.”

‘Alright! I’ll confess again in 3 years!’

If she told her past self from 3 years ago that her future self had cursed at Sionel instead of confessing, would she believe it?

‘She definitely wouldn’t believe it.’

As Ponia let out a deep sigh, Sionel made an interested expression.

“First love?”

“…How did you know?”

“First loves never work out, you know.”

He stared intently at Ponia.

“So? Was the promise kept?”

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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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