I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 25

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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 25

Ponia looked at him, unable to find words to say.

“Hmm?”

He urged for an answer with interested eyes, and somehow even felt annoying to her. Ponia replied sullenly.

“No.”

“As expected.”

“He’s dead.”

Inside me.

“I can’t meet him anymore.”

‘He doesn’t even remember the confession, doesn’t know he was my first love, so I can be a little spiteful, right?’

Sionel stared at her for a moment before speaking.

“Seeing how you’re still thinking about a promise you can’t keep, you must have really wanted to fulfill it.”

“It wasn’t that much.”

‘After that, my family kept causing trouble non-stop, so promises and such became secondary.’

Occasionally when she thought of that day’s confession, she would laugh for no reason and sometimes imagine confessing to him again…

As Ponia continued her thoughts, one question came to mind.

Was it really not that much?

During the three years when she had no contact with him, she collected all articles related to Sionel, and whenever she saw job postings for rescuing people in the capital where he might be, she always looked at them at least once more.

Were all those just casual actions?

Ponia looked directly at Sionel.

Sionel Devonham before her eyes. Her first love, alive and moving.

As his image filled her vision completely, she realized that one emotion that had been inside her for three years had disappeared.

Longing.

Ponia had missed Sionel for the past three years, and from the moment she met him again, that empty feeling in her heart was filled.

“I guess it was.”

Conviction gradually filled her fresh green eyes.

Having gained an unexpected realization, Ponia suddenly approached him.

In the sudden situation, Sionel couldn’t even think of moving away and looked at the woman before him in bewilderment.

Ponia didn’t care about his reaction and was absorbed in her own emotions.

“I guess I wanted to meet you again more than I thought.”

“…”

“So I guess I was really happy.”

The moment I met you again.

Ponia confessed her true feelings with sparkling eyes.

Sionel unconsciously placed his hand near his heart. Even though he wasn’t the person in question, his heart somehow felt fluttery.

Finding it strange that Sionel oddly wasn’t looking into her eyes, Ponia naturally stepped back.

“Did you have a first love?”

In the original story, Sionel ended up with Lana, but that was after he became a duke.

She couldn’t know what kind of feelings he had before becoming a duke.

‘Wouldn’t Sionel have had a first love too?’

When Ponia looked at him with curious eyes, Sionel said dryly.

“No.”

Of course.

Ponia shook her head.

“At that age and never having had a first love, that’s why your personality is so…”

“Do you have confidence to handle the consequences even after saying it all?”

“Are you going to strangle me or something?”

Sionel’s face soured in real time.

She had thrown it out as a joke of sorts.

“I don’t have a first love, but there is someone impressive.”

In the awkward atmosphere, Sionel answered dutifully. Ponia’s eyes widened.

“Who is it?”

Sionel didn’t answer immediately. He was deep in thought about something and frowned.

“I can’t remember.”

“You said he was memorable.”

“I really can’t remember well. I usually have a good memory though.”

“….”

“Maybe it’s because so many things happened after that.”

For the first time in a while, he recalled a memory that wasn’t related to his uncle or Aren, but now it felt like something from too long ago.

What he managed to remember after persistent thinking was.

‘I like you!’

Just a single fragmentary phrase.

She had shouted cheerfully at him with a voice full of trembling. No, was it a slightly calmer voice?

Whether that child’s expression looking at him was shy, confident, or if she had even looked at him in the first place.

The more he tried to recall, the more vague the memory became.

Still, there was one thing he could say for certain.

“She seemed to really like me a lot.”

“What, you’re just bragging.”

Ponia looked outside, having lost all interest. Sionel impulsively opened his mouth.

“Stop thinking about your first love now.”

“Why? Thoughts are free.”

She acted even more prickly than before. He had no idea why.

Sionel thought for a moment, then added.

“You never know. You might make an unforgettable connection in this forest. But would that work if you’re only thinking about your first love?”

‘You never know? You might make an unforgettable connection in this forest? And take home unforgettable memories.’

He was throwing her own words right back at her. Ponia clenched her fists tightly.

“I’m devoted to one person.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Shall we test if that’s really true?”

The question of what he meant was already too late. He had approached right in front of Ponia.

Ponia froze instantly and couldn’t say a word.

“What, did you think only you could get close?”

Sarcasm full of laughter pierced her ears.

“With that expression right now, your devotion doesn’t seem genuine at all?”

“…What kind of expression did I make.”

“Are you going to pretend you don’t know?”

Sionel, who had been slowly backing away while enjoying her reaction, suddenly looked outside the cave.

“Why are you suddenly like that?”

“…I heard someone.”

Even after answering her question, he continued looking outside for a while before turning away. There was nothing visible.

‘Was I mistaken.’

Beside him, Ponia flopped down.

“I’m tired. I’m going to sleep first.”

He looked at Ponia with her eyes closed, then lay down.

After some time had passed.

“…Thank you.”

Whether it was a dream or reality, a faint voice echoed in Ponia’s ears before fading away.

* * *

In a tree not far from the cave where they were.

There was a person on top of the lush tree.

“The noble young master has good instincts. Is it because he has a lot of experience?”

Chad, who had been watching the cave, confirmed that the two had fallen asleep and looked away. Then he stroked the hawk perched on his shoulder.

He had only adjusted his position slightly, but Sionel had reacted to the sound of rustling leaves.

“I thought he wouldn’t come out of the cabin.”

Sionel’s actions were unexpected, but Chad smiled with satisfaction.

His purpose for coming here was singular.

To kill Sionel Devonham.

That was the content of the commission he had received.

The client was Gideon Devonham. The temporary head of House Devonham, and Sionel Devonham’s uncle.

Since it was a request marked with Level 1 confidentiality, the most skilled assassin was assigned to the job.

Even for him, who had succeeded in every request so far, there were risks involved.

The content of the request was so shocking that it would cause major repercussions, so if Chad failed the mission, Gideon would surely kill him.

While searching for Sionel Devonham, he encountered two variables.

‘I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline.’

First, Jerome didn’t hire him as a repairman.

‘I’m thinking of trying another village, even if it takes some time.’

Since Jerome was urgently looking for a repairman, he thought he could easily enter Mirban Forest, but Jerome was actually wary of him instead.

So he stole Jerome’s bag to gather information and pretended to be a repairman. Mimicry was his specialty.

The second variable he met in Mirban Forest after entering this way was the forest keeper, Nia.

She was wary of him and hid Sionel who was supposed to be in the cabin.

This was really troublesome.

Harming someone who wasn’t the target of the request would cause problems later. Especially for him, who had to live hiding his identity as an assassin.

Though it wasn’t like he absolutely couldn’t do it.

There had been many opportunities to kill the forest keeper.

When they went on patrol together and when he lured her to the cave with the monster.

Chad had tried to drop the forest keeper to kill Sionel. But he changed his mind midway.

Chad tested Sionel by making conspicuous remarks to himself in front of the cabin.

The forest keeper was trying so hard to protect Sionel, but he was curious about what Sionel actually thought of her.

“I would have just killed him if he’d been in the cabin, but that’s unfortunate.”

Chad’s eyes showed not a trace of regret as he said those words.

Looking at the deeply sleeping forest keeper, Chad touched his wounded cheek.

If he had left it alone, she would have died, but he personally half-killed the monster and increased the forest keeper’s chances of survival.

Chad vaguely understood the reason for his impulsive actions.

‘Wow, look how it didn’t get cut even when I struck with all my strength.’

‘What are you doing?’

‘We should run. Your legs seem fine.’

Maybe it was because he met an interesting person after a long time.

“I want to watch a little longer.”

He lightly tossed and caught the axe. Gone was his daytime appearance of being unable to handle even a single axe properly.

The period set by the ducal house was indefinite. It would take at least two months for Jerome, who had gone to another village, to bring back a proper repairman.

That meant he could act as he pleased for at least two months.

The conclusion came easily.

Chad took out a small dark-colored note from his chest and wrote a brief phrase.

Searching for target

When he gave the well-folded note to the hawk’s talons, the clever bird left him and soared high into the sky.

In any case, there was plenty of time.

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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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