I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 34

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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 34

 

Heavy silence enveloped the cabin.

 

Ponia rolled her eyes to avoid his gaze.

 

If she kept looking, those piercing blue eyes would see right through her.

 

She had thought it strange that he’d been persistently questioning her, but she hadn’t expected him to harbor suspicions about her.

 

She had to act as naturally as possible. She sat on the bed.

 

“What are you talking about? We met in the forest.”

 

“Not here.”

 

At his firm words, Ponia clenched her hands under the blanket.

 

“Outside the forest.”

 

Doubt and suspicion gradually spread through his sky-blue eyes.

 

Her heart began pounding. She was careful even when swallowing, worried that Sionel might notice something.

 

‘Did he see something from the deer monster?’

 

But the monster showed the world where the target would be happiest and most fulfilled. There was no way Ponia would appear in such a world.

 

Calm down. He probably didn’t notice anything. If he really remembered, he wouldn’t be asking questions—he would have just told her.

 

“For instance, at a ball.”

 

Did he notice?

 

If he had guessed about the ball, it was practically the same as recalling all his memories.

 

‘Should I just pretend to sleep?’

 

“Don’t even think about pretending to sleep.”

 

Tch.

 

Ponia clicked her tongue lightly. It was too late to brush this off.

 

“You recognized me at first sight from the beginning.”

 

When Ponia said nothing, Sionel laid out his thoughts.

 

“At first I just thought you were an assassin, and later I thought you might know me since the Devonham Duchy is quite well-known, but that’s not it.”

 

“….”

 

“You said we met three years ago. You said that yourself.”

 

As if he wouldn’t let her find an escape route, Sionel tightened the net.

 

“Did I… I don’t really remember….”

 

At Ponia’s evasive attitude, Sionel narrowed his eyes and stood up.

 

“Words won’t work, I see.”

 

“Wh-what?”

 

She hurriedly backed away, but since she was on the bed, escape was meaningless.

 

As Ponia turned her head this way and that, trying to avoid his gaze, Sionel stretched out both arms and grabbed her cheeks.

 

Her restless figure was captured in his eyes.

 

“You said you confessed to me.”

 

‘I confessed to Yeongshik.’

 

‘Right, I said that too.’

 

Her past statements became evidence, trapping her one by one.

 

“Do you always have such a good memory?”

 

“I’m pretty good at it.”

 

Further excuses were meaningless.

 

Fine, she had made up her mind.

 

“You’re right. Three years ago, I met you at the Debutante Ball.”

 

“So the young lady who confessed back then was….”

 

“How touching! You even remember a passing palace maid!”

 

Ponia raised her voice excessively and spoke brazenly.

 

“What?”

 

“Before I became a forest keeper, I was a palace maid. I quit because my debts were too enormous.”

 

Saaaa.

 

The tightly stretched atmosphere relaxed in an instant.

 

As a sharp light began to rise in Sionel’s eyes, Ponia hurriedly continued.

 

“We only met at the palace ball? We passed by each other several times.”

 

“…So you just happened to meet by chance?”

 

“You were very gracious in receiving my greetings. You truly are the most gentlemanly in high society.”

 

“Then what about the confession you mentioned?”

 

“That’s because he thought he was going to die by your hands, so he lied. I thought saying that might calm your excitement, but it completely missed the mark.”

 

The hand that had been holding her cheek lost its strength and dropped down.

 

It was time to drive in the wedge.

 

“My heart only has room for my dead first love, you know?”

 

Whether bewildered or dejected, Sionel could only look at her with eyes filled with growing confusion.

 

“You want me to believe that?”

 

Ponia nodded lightly.

 

You can’t even remember, so what are you going to do about it.

 

As she had felt earlier, the truth still wouldn’t come out of her mouth.

 

Now that the opportunity to tell him the truth directly had come, she finally understood the reason.

 

She wanted to spend time with him as Ponia, the commoner forest keeper.

 

Though their first meeting was at the Imperial Palace banquet where she was a noble lady, she had begun building a bond with him as a commoner forest keeper.

 

Ponia Harbel was just one among the many noble ladies who had confessed to him.

 

‘What Sionel trusts isn’t the noble lady Ponia Harbel, but the forest keeper, Ponia.’

 

Moreover, when she had heard his inner thoughts on the rooftop.

 

‘But you’re not surprised. You must have understood what I just said.’

 

‘…It’s too distant a story for a commoner.’

 

‘I suppose so.’

 

‘Is that why it’s more comfortable.’

 

From that single remark, she realized that Sionel had never let his guard down for even a moment as the heir to the Devonham Duchy.

 

If he had known she was a noble, would Sionel have been able to share his inner thoughts?

 

‘No.’

 

As soon as he learned she was a noble, he would have distanced himself, suspected she might be connected to his uncle, questioned her reasons for deceiving him all this time, and been disappointed.

 

He wouldn’t greet with joy just some noble lady who had once confessed to him.

 

Shouldn’t Sionel have at least one secret friend he could talk to freely?

 

But at the same time, Ponia discovered herself deep in her heart, mocking her own contradiction.

 

Is that really all there is to it? Are you hiding your identity with such pure intentions?

 

Ponia raised her head. Sionel was still unable to accept her words and was carefully retracing his memories.

 

Just as I regarded you as special, I hope you would regard the current me as somewhat special too.

 

It was just a small desire and an impudent feeling toward him.

 

“How about it? Do you remember a bit now?”

 

“…”

 

Since he wasn’t certain of his memories, Sionel couldn’t answer. Ponia looked at him and smiled mischievously.

 

“Well then, good night.”

 

Feeling satisfied, she tried to move away from him, but a hand wrapped around her neck.

 

After hesitating briefly at the coolness, the hand slowly moved down as if trying to confirm something, stopping at her shoulder line.

 

With the startled her right in front of him, Sionel drew a crooked smile.

 

“Your pulse is incredibly fast.”

 

Thump. Thump. Thump.

 

Through his hand, a clear pulse could be heard.

 

“Who do you think would believe those words.”

 

“…”

 

“Just wait and see. Next time I ask, I’ll make you tell me everything without hiding a single thing.”

 

* * *

 

Thud. Thud. Thud.

 

“…”

 

Creeeeak.

 

Thud. Thud. Thud.

 

“When is this going to end.”

 

“We just started? How could it end already.”

 

“Isn’t it that you lack skill?”

 

“If you were skilled, you’d know what good work looks like. Sio has never worked before, has he.”

 

“Can’t you both just stop?”

 

Unable to watch the two men exchange barbed words and subtle insults any longer, Ponia intervened.

 

Starting today, they had begun the cabin renovation work in earnest.

 

Considering the amount of wood Chad had cut so far, he should have started long ago, but he had avoided it with various excuses like not having proper materials or not being in good condition.

 

‘And then suddenly today?’

 

Thanks to that, Sionel watched Chad in an extremely irritated state.

 

“Finish quickly and get lost.”

 

The appetite-killing words were a bonus.

 

“You only say hurtful things.”

 

It would be worth having a fight at least once, but Chad just laughed and brushed it off lightly.

 

Looking up, unlike yesterday, a cloudless sky greeted her.

 

The cabin itself was old, so he was in the process of removing all the roof covering.

 

She couldn’t help but admire Chad’s skill as he cleanly removed each piece without breaking anything.

 

“You’re good at this?”

 

“Of course, I’m a repairman.”

 

“He wasn’t a fraud after all…”

 

“Pardon?”

 

She had only seen his skills as an informant or knight, but hadn’t trusted him at all as a repairman. She was seeing him in a new light.

 

‘I wonder if he could do renovation work for noble families too.’

 

Preferably at an acquaintance discount price.

 

If only he wasn’t hiding his identity, she would suggest it, but it was unfortunate.

 

As she continued watching Chad with regret, she heard a voice by her ear.

 

“Don’t look at him like that.”

 

“What did I do?”

 

“You look like a lingering ex-lover.”

 

Just what kind of look was I giving?

 

“Don’t tell me your first love was that guy…”

 

“No way. He’s dead, I told you.”

 

His obvious relief at her firm denial was showing.

 

That reaction was quite strange.

 

“But why does it matter?”

 

“What?”

 

“What’s wrong with looking at him like that?”

 

She knew he was suspicious of Chad and therefore didn’t want to get close to him. But what did it matter how she was looking at him?

 

‘Wait a minute.’

 

As questions led to more questions, one suspicion came to mind.

 

It was absurd, but just maybe.

 

“Don’t tell me you…”

 

“Like me?”

 

The end of the question came from above.

 

Looking at the roof, Chad had stopped working at some point and was watching them.

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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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