I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 61

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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 61

 

The day after he resolved to become the person she wanted him to be.

 

Unable to turn away from someone who openly showed their vulnerable side, Ponia held Sionel’s hand and spent the night with him.

 

And Sionel acted steadily, following his heart’s desires.

 

“Get up now, Ponia.”

 

Though he had said these words dozens of times, there was no irritation in his voice.

 

When Ponia frowned at the sunlight, he covered her face with his hand. After tossing and turning a little, Ponia’s face soon became peaceful.

 

A gentle smile also appeared on Sionel’s face.

 

“Ponia.”

 

“…Just a little more…”

 

“Then, want to sleep a little more?”

 

Instead of waking her up further since she was such a heavy sleeper, he would go on patrol and come back.

 

“Did you sleep well? Your hair’s all messy.”

 

He even spoke kindly to Ponia, who had barely gotten up only after he and Chad returned from patrol.

 

Seeing Ponia still dazed from not being fully awake yet, Sionel offered his morning greeting.

 

“I like you.”

 

Her face, which had been expressionlessly drowsy, cracked and was colored with shock.

 

“Wh-what…”

 

“I like you, Ponia.”

 

It wasn’t difficult to reveal his heart that had become clear, with nothing left to hide or hesitate about.

 

“…”

 

This was the difficult part.

 

Sionel unconsciously tried to remove a strand of hair stuck to Ponia’s cheek but stopped his hand. Ponia had stiffened her body upon seeing his hand approaching her.

 

Ever since Sionel expressed his feelings, Ponia had been wary of him. When he took one step closer, she would retreat five steps.

 

He withdrew his hand.

 

“There’s hair stuck to your cheek.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Sionel didn’t get greedy and stepped back.

 

A thin line had formed between them where there had been no boundaries before. Sionel found this fact welcome.

 

Because it was proof that she, who had approached him so casually and shaken him up all this time, hadn’t been completely unconscious of him.

 

He would continue to stay at this distance. He wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want, so she could feel at ease.

 

So she wouldn’t be more afraid, and could like him again.

 

* * *

 

It was scary.

 

Recently, Ponia would tremble with fear whenever she saw Sionel. For her, it was because of his unpredictable behavior.

 

The time when she doubted whether this person was really Sionel was two mornings ago.

 

That day, the sunlight streaming through the window felt particularly warm, and her body felt more refreshed than it could ever compare to usual.

 

Maybe it was because they had redecorated the cabin and the bed was fluffier, so all her fatigue was gone… Like hell!

 

The sun had been up for quite a while, and there was no one inside the cabin.

 

When she saw the blanket neatly folded and arranged, Ponia felt the same terror as when she first encountered a monster.

 

‘I overslept.’

 

But the more terrifying thing was when Sionel returned.

 

He casually greeted her and even smiled brightly. He didn’t say anything about oversleeping at all, and all he said was that he liked her.

 

‘He must be thoroughly angry.’

 

For two days, she was anxious about when he would stop holding back his anger and explode.

 

His strange behavior didn’t end there.

 

‘Are you hurt anywhere?’

 

When Ponia almost hit her head on the door because she wasn’t looking ahead, Sionel pulled her back and covered her head, asking tenderly, and she ended up gaping with her mouth wide open.

 

At times like this, Sionel would usually throw criticism like ‘Where do you leave your mind when you walk around?’ or be sarcastic saying ‘You’re really trying to get hurt.’

 

But words filled with pure concern? And from this personality-defective person’s mouth!

 

It was from then that Ponia began avoiding Sionel.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“About what?”

 

Chad asked Ponia, who was standing blankly while watching the repair work on Chad’s warehouse.

 

“Sio has been acting strange lately.”

 

“….”

 

“It’s like he’s become a completely different person.”

 

Chad stopped sawing and turned to look at her.

 

“Especially, the way he treats Nia has completely changed.”

 

“…I’m not sure.”

 

“I can really feel it. For treating a cousin, Sio is way too conscious of me. Like he’s treating me as a rival. Do cousins usually act like that?”

 

“…If he’s worried, he might.”

 

“Nia also seems to be unusually conscious of Sio. Strangely so.”

 

A pang.

 

Chad narrowed his eyes, and Ponia avoided his gaze.

 

Chad let out a hollow laugh at Ponia’s reaction, which was obvious even without reading her expression, and brushed off the sawdust clinging to his body.

 

Then he wiped his glasses and approached her.

 

“I can’t do anything about Nia’s feelings, but please look at me a little too.”

 

“….”

 

“It’s a bit disappointing that you seem to think of me as a refuge.”

 

Standing before her and looking down, he appeared so forlorn that she wanted to comfort him immediately.

 

Ponia stared intently at his honey-colored eyes and beauty mark.

 

“If you were disappointed, I’ll apologize. But.”

 

Ponia pointed at him and herself.

 

“Why do you keep getting closer?”

 

“I’m appealing. With my body.”

 

“Why are you suddenly taking off your glasses?”

 

“Is this a honey trap?”

 

‘No wonder he’s been taking off his glasses frequently lately.’

 

Chad’s confidence in his own face definitely had grounds. Even Sionel, who had recently seen Chad without glasses, couldn’t take his eyes off his face.

 

‘Did he always look like this?’

 

Along with that rude comment.

 

“How is it, is my appeal working?”

 

‘I don’t like people just based on their looks.’

 

But would there be anyone whose heart wouldn’t flutter at this face?

 

The longer the silence lasted, the deeper Chad’s smile became.

 

“I like you, Nia.”

 

“Nia, could you rewrap my bandages?”

 

Just then, Sionel’s voice was heard from upstairs.

 

‘I’m saved!’

 

“I’ll be right there!”

 

“See? Even now Sio is trying to separate you and me.”

 

“You’re mistaken.”

 

“I don’t think so?”

 

Leaving behind Chad, who narrowed his eyes thinly, Ponia quickly returned to the cabin.

 

Thud.

 

“Haah….”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“There’s nowhere I can rest comfortably.”

 

Of all places to escape to, it had to be in front of Sionel standing half-naked.

 

“…Sit on the bed.”

 

Trying her best not to make eye contact with him as he stared at her, Ponia silently changed his bandages.

 

“There’s no more blood seeping through now.”

 

“Thanks to you.”

 

“When are you planning to leave?”

 

She realized it sounded like she was telling him to leave immediately.

 

“You said at first that you’d only stay until your body fully healed.”

 

Three months of living with Sionel.

 

His wounds were healing well, and since Gideon, who had visited Mirban Forest, hadn’t found any other clues about Sionel, now was the perfect time for him to move secretly.

 

“It still hurts.”

 

“Huh? Where?”

 

“Everywhere. It hurts all over.”

 

Then, his face suddenly contorted, and he gently pushed away her hand that was placed on his abdomen. It was utterly despicable.

 

Hey, you don’t have time to be doing this here.

 

“…Shouldn’t you be returning to your family quickly?”

 

“I’ll handle that myself.”

 

That’s exactly why I’m saying this – because you won’t handle it yourself.

 

She looked at him with utterly untrustworthy eyes, when suddenly she had a premonition. She could guess what would come out of his mouth as his lips slowly parted.

 

“Don’t say i—”

 

“You just need to stay by my side.”

 

“…”

 

“I like you.”

 

“Ack!”

 

Wouldn’t this be what you’d call a confession attack?

 

Sionel frowned.

 

“Why are you reacting like that?”

 

“Don’t confess to me.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because it interferes with daily life!”

 

“If you think about it, this isn’t a confession. It’s just expressing myself.”

 

“Whether it’s a confession or expression, don’t do any of it.”

 

“Are you saying that because it’s uncomfortable to hear?”

 

Uncomfortable? Of course it’s uncomfortable. But the reason would be different from what he’s thinking.

 

What’s really uncomfortable isn’t Sionel or his words, but her.

 

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

 

My heart that started beating obliviously.

 

‘No. This isn’t my heart racing.’

 

It really isn’t!

 

* * *

 

‘I like you.’

 

‘I like you.’

 

Ponia escaped from the two men who kept attempting confession attacks at random times and hid alone in the forest.

 

She needed time to get away from those two people and be alone, even if just for a moment.

 

‘How did it come to this?’

 

Setting aside Chad, whose answer she had postponed, Ponia had clearly rejected Sionel, and he had accepted it.

 

Sionel maintained boundaries and never acted against her wishes. He just casually expressed his feelings.

 

Instead of the calm and quiet Sionel, she was the only one making a fuss.

 

It felt like she had fallen into her own trap.

 

‘Am I the type of person who falls for anyone who’s just kind to me?’

 

This spineless? Or maybe…

 

“It’s all just full of grass.”

 

“It probably wasn’t a lie.”

 

Just then, unfamiliar voices came from outside the thicket.

 

“You know what happens if you’re lying, right?”

 

“I, I really saw it!”

 

After the loud voices, more overlapping footsteps could be heard. They were definitely outsiders.

 

“…”

 

Perhaps because she had encountered Gideon when she least expected it, Ponia judged the situation relatively coolly.

 

Did they take the wrong path? Or were they criminals who needed to hide?

 

“Let’s not rush too much.”

 

Among them, she heard a familiar voice.

 

This voice that made her feel inexplicably emotional and gave her the urge to chase after it immediately – whose could it be?

 

The owner of the voice was soon revealed.

 

Those walking along the path came into her view. The group standing on the road also spotted Ponia.

 

And Ponia made eye contact with one of them.

 

“Ponia?”

 

Baron Gordon Rambo.

 

Her businessman father’s friend, and the con artist who had driven the Harbel Barony to the brink of bankruptcy.

—————
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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