I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 30

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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 30

 

“That’s not true.”

 

“I know too. That I’m a weirdo. I get interested in and like things that others avoid. I’ve been told many times that people find it uncomfortable when I observe them because I’m so interested in people.”

He knows himself better than I thought.

“Besides, Nia saw it too. Me killing the monster. An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to do that.”

 

“….”

 

“The village people have been avoiding me since I was young because of this.”

Though his eyes were hidden behind his glasses, Chad’s atmosphere was darker than usual. Chad continued somewhat dejectedly.

“So I can fully understand why Nia feels uncomfortable around me and avoids me.”

 

“I didn’t avoid you.”

Though I did think you were bothersome.

“All this time, I was only thinking about hiding Sio, so I could only think about getting Chad to leave quickly.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“Chad is just a repairman who came to fix the cabin, so why would I avoid you?”

Ponia lifted their clasped hands to show him.

“Just now too, you noticed I was anxious and played around to comfort me. If Chad hadn’t paid attention, I wouldn’t have gotten better.”

 

“….”

 

“I don’t avoid you.”

Ponia naturally looked away.

‘Though I don’t plan on becoming close either.’

 

“Should we try going that way for now?”

Ponia started walking ahead first, but Chad, holding her hand, didn’t budge from his spot.

“Chad?”

 

“Haven’t you ever thought about it, Nia?”

It was strange that Chad was asking questions at a moment like this when they needed to get through the fog, but his feet wouldn’t move.

“Sio has been extremely wary of me all this time.”

 

“That’s because he’s naturally quite suspicious.”

 

“Haven’t you ever thought about it?”

Chad, who had looked gloomy, smiled. For a moment, it felt like the hair on her body stood on end.

Chad approached her.

“That I’ve been waiting only for this moment?”

 

“….”

 

“That I waited for the moment when I’d be separated from the wary Sio, and had a plan to do something to Nia?”

 

“….”

 

“The thought that maybe Sio’s thinking might be right. Haven’t you had it?”

She could sense the intention to frighten her from Chad as he slowly approached.

Chad arrived right in front of Ponia.

He had spoken poorly of himself to make the forest keeper feel pity for him.

Since entering the forest, the Nia he had observed showed herself to be particularly weak to pity while still being wary of him.

‘I don’t avoid you.’

However, he suddenly became curious about Ponia, who declared this so strangely definitively.

“Honestly, I said I was a repairman, but that’s just my claim, isn’t it?”

 

‘How far will this forest keeper allow me?’

She kept her distance as if she didn’t quite trust him, but unlike Sio who didn’t trust him at all, she acted without hesitation even when left alone with him.

“There’s no one who can prove my words, right?”

Chad readjusted his grip on the axe. The blade of the axe was pointed toward Ponia.

Even so, Ponia’s eyes remained calm. Chad asked a question.

“Aren’t you scared?”

 

“I’m not scared.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I don’t think you would.”

Right, why wouldn’t she be scared?

Ponia also couldn’t find any other reason.

She just had that feeling. A baseless belief that this person wouldn’t harm her.

Because he was a good person?

‘No.’

Ponia hadn’t observed Chad long enough to judge him.

Even in the original work, it didn’t reveal exactly what kind of thoughts he had.

But.

“Just stay still for a moment.”

 

Ponia slowly reached her hand toward him. There was enough time for him to avoid it, but Chad didn’t.

 

Swoosh.

 

Suddenly, he felt a sense of openness on his face, and cool air touched his eyes.

 

His round glasses were held in her hand.

 

“I’ve been thinking for a while, but you don’t seem to be good at lying.”

 

“…”

 

“That’s probably why I wasn’t scared.”

 

“…Why do you think that?”

 

“It seems like you hide your expressions with glasses.”

 

“…”

 

“Sometimes I got the feeling that you weren’t making eye contact.”

 

Through his long bangs that fell down, his clear orange eyes were revealed.

 

With those ridiculous glasses removed, his expression was clearly visible.

 

“When you’re making this kind of expression, how could I be scared of you?”

 

The person who had seemed mysterious in every way now had all his emotions exposed just from missing one pair of glasses. Ponia couldn’t hold back her laughter.

 

“Do you know your expression looks really funny right now?”

 

“What kind of expression am I making?”

 

“You look embarrassed…”

 

As if she had hit the mark, his ears turned red.

 

“Please give me back my glasses.”

 

His pleading attitude was like a child being bullied, which made her feel mischievous, but Ponia obediently handed over the glasses.

 

Chad cleared his throat unnecessarily and hurriedly put on his glasses.

 

However, Ponia’s gaze didn’t change, so he had the illusion that she was still looking at his bare face through the glasses.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“Because your eyes are pretty.”

 

Oops.

 

Ponia, who had revealed her true feelings while answering carelessly, showed an embarrassed expression.

 

Sure enough, Chad acted friendly with his characteristic sociability.

 

“Then, should I take them off?”

 

It was a strangely suggestive nuance.

 

Ponia grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

 

“No.”

 

“Why not? Don’t you want to see more?”

 

“Not at all. Let’s go now.”

 

Chad felt regretful seeing her turn her back on him and tried to continue the conversation.

 

“You’re keeping your distance again.”

 

“I think this is enough for the relationship between a forest keeper and a repairman.”

 

“Then what about Sio?”

 

“Sio is… family.”

 

‘Don’t ask any more. It’s hard to lie too.’

 

Chad smiled as he watched Ponia sharply distance herself again.

 

‘So this is why that prickly young master went around in circles.’

 

Even though she doesn’t trust him, she makes room for him like this, yet she’s infinitely generous to her own people, giving them everything.

 

“This might be a little enviable.”

 

Chad, who had been muttering words she couldn’t understand, remembered something.

 

“Think about making me one of Nia’s people.”

 

“…Suddenly?”

 

“Who knows? Maybe then I’ll change my mind after seeing Nia.”

 

“What mind are you talking about changing?”

 

“The mind to do bad things.”

 

However, their conversation didn’t continue.

 

Rustle.

 

Because a sound came from the surroundings that had been quiet all along.

 

“Sio?”

 

As soon as Ponia called out, a long figure jumped out and attacked them.

 

“Aaaaah! Run! We have to run!”

 

It wasn’t Sionel.

 

‘A person?’

 

“Wait! Calm down!”

 

“Get out of my way!”

 

Ponia tried to calm the person down, but it was useless.

 

The extremely agitated man split between them and ran to the opposite side. The aftermath caused Ponia and Chad’s clasped hands to separate.

 

Though surprised, Chad was right next to her, so it was fortunate. Ponia reached out her hand again.

 

“….”

 

However, the hand that had been right beside her couldn’t be grasped. In that brief moment, Chad had disappeared.

 

“Chad!”

 

Something was there.

 

She had thought it was strange since separating from Sionel, but now she was certain.

 

This fog was deliberately separating the three of them. And every time she was separated from others like this, always….

 

“The deer….”

 

Once again, the deer she had seen earlier appeared before Ponia.

 

However, there was something different from before.

 

Two more flower buds on the deer’s antlers had bloomed.

 

What exactly is that deer that it keeps appearing before me?

 

The deer watching Ponia moved slowly as if telling her to follow.

 

‘I shouldn’t follow it.’

 

That deer was a monster, and if she followed it, she would surely die. But.

 

‘I want to see those flowers up close.’

 

Before she could even realize it, her legs were already moving. Her wariness toward the deer also grew faint.

 

Eventually, Ponia also disappeared into the fog.

 

* * *

 

“Ponia!”

 

Sionel continued calling for Ponia as he advanced through the forest.

 

He had only chased after Ponia, but she had disappeared and he was left alone.

 

‘That makes me even more curious.’

 

Leaving Chad and Ponia alone together was too dangerous.

 

Sionel ran deeper into the forest. And.

 

“Oh, Sio. So you were here? I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

 

He spotted Chad coming from the opposite direction.

 

He immediately looked behind him, but Ponia was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Where is Nia?”

 

“Well.”

 

At the playful tone, Sionel instantly drew his dagger and pressed it to his throat.

 

“That’s really disappointing. Always threatening my life at the drop of a hat.”

 

“I told you I’d kill you if you did anything foolish.”

 

“And I told you that only makes me more curious, didn’t I?”

 

Chad’s voice was relaxed, but beads of sweat were also forming on his forehead.

 

“I just separated from Nia. Suddenly a man appeared from the thicket,”

 

“A man?”

 

“Someone I’d never seen before. Seeing how terrified he was and only running away, I think he might have been fleeing from a monster?”

 

“….”

 

“I know how you see me, but I don’t really want to just mess around with Nia anymore.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’ve started wanting to really become close to her.”

 

Sionel’s blue eyes widened.

 

When dealing with Sionel, Chad was always full of laughter and only said things that were unclear whether they were jokes or sincere.

 

But throughout this entire conversation with him, Chad hadn’t smiled even once.

 

“So if she comes to cherish me more than you, wouldn’t I change too? Like you?”

 

In that brief time he was absent, Chad’s attitude had changed.

 

“You….”

 

“Aaahhh!”

 

Sionel’s words couldn’t continue. A scream came from the opposite side of where they were.

 

It was Ponia’s.

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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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