I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 68

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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 68

“Chad!”

As soon as dawn broke, Ponia stepped into the warehouse.

Sionel seemed extremely bothered by the fact that Ponia was heading toward Chad instead of staying with him, but he didn’t stop her.

It seemed he thought she needed time to think.

It was an accurate judgment. If Sionel had pushed any further, Ponia would have fled, abandoning her duties as a forest keeper and everything else.

“Chad! I’m going to stay here for a while!”

However, the warehouse was empty.

“He must have gone to get wood.”

Chad always started his day quite early, so it was possible. His bag and belongings were still in their usual places.

But unlike usual, the warehouse was unusually clean, which bothered her. It felt like the home of someone who would be away for a long time.

As Ponia looked around inside, she discovered a small note left on the desk.

Something came up, so I’m going to the village for a bit.

It won’t take long.

See you later.

Don’t get too close with each other. I’ll get jealous.

Reading the note that contained only the main points written briefly, Ponia frowned.

“What business could he have that he’d leave without saying anything?”

* * *

Gordon Rambo, who had left the forest and returned to the village, looked nothing like a noble—rather, he appeared to be a poor commoner who hadn’t been able to wash for a long time. He had also shaved off the beard he had carefully maintained for over two years.

“Dad! That person must be a clown. He’s so funny!”

“You shouldn’t say things like that!”

Gordon glared at the man who was giggling while scolding his child, but without his fancy clothes or the imposing beard that gave him gravitas, his true face held no threat whatsoever.

As soon as he arrived in the village, there was no trace of the arrogant noble who used to swagger in front of people.

He had to endure the complete mockery of people walking the streets.

“I only lost my money because of those vermin.”

Even now, thinking about them and that brat made his blood boil. He had already parted ways with the mercenaries. And without getting back a single coin of their employment fee.

Since they hadn’t completed the job, his demand for a refund was completely ignored. In this countryside where locals exchanged bribes among themselves, verbal contracts were useless.

Gordon had come here planning to use those loose laws to commit fraud himself, so he had nothing to say.

Not a single thing had gone right since coming to this place.

The 20,000 gold he had taken from the Harbel Estate remained untouched in his safe. Lately, just looking at the safe made him happy, but now it seemed he would have to give it back.

“That woman ruined everything.”

Three years ago, she had started interfering in conversations between him and her father, overturning everything, and finally drove him into a corner.

She found other people’s tears as annoying as scratches, yet treated her own tears as if they were deadly painful—that was who she was.

He wanted revenge on Ponia Harbel. But there was no other way to get revenge. Ponia was the one holding his weakness.

So he wandered the streets endlessly like a madman, when people began gathering in the town square.

“He went missing this time?”

“You know the Devonham Duchy? It’s their eldest son.”

“I don’t know about other things, but he’s really handsome.”

“I wonder if our village has anyone like that. Is it because he’s a noble?”

“Can’t you tell by looking at that gentleman walking over there? That gentleman is also a noble. It’s just natural talent.”

How dare someone insult him!

“Who is it! Who said such nonsense!”

He approached the people intending to find the culprit, but the villagers showed good unity by keeping their mouths firmly shut.

He felt like a fool.

With his face flushed, he huffed angrily and then stopped abruptly.

“Move aside! Everyone move!”

Then he pushed through the crowd and approached the bulletin board. Despite people clamoring and openly showing their annoyance, Gordon stared at the bulletin board with bloodshot eyes.

It was the flyer that people had been paying attention to.

There were many missing person flyers, but this one was looking for a high-ranking noble. Gordon’s eyes widened instantly.

“This man.”

Dark blue hair, blue eyes, and most importantly, the drawing depicting the facial features of the missing noble on the flyer.

As people said, he was a beautiful man.

One you could never forget once you saw him.

Though he was dressed as a commoner, his authoritative attitude and the dignity felt in his tone. Most importantly, when he briefly collapsed, the word that Ponia Harbel uttered to the man in her hazy consciousness.

‘Sionel.’

Sionel Devonham.

“Hehe…”

Gordon, who was cackling while placing his hand on the name on the flyer, looked like a complete madman. People backed away from him.

“So he was the eldest son of the ducal house?”

When Gordon raised his head again, his eyes had completely changed.

His face, which had been filled with despair and anger, was now intoxicated with ecstasy and triumph.

“Haha!”

He tore off the flyer attached to the bulletin board and ran out immediately.

He caught a carriage passing through the street and hurriedly climbed aboard.

Though no reward was specifically written, the ducal house wouldn’t play games with their eldest son’s life.

Did Ponia Harbel know that the person beside her wasn’t just a member of the ducal family, but a blank check? Even if she knew, it was already too late. As long as she was in the forest, she couldn’t be faster than him.

“Where’s your destination?”

“Take me to the capital! Quickly!”

Those were the money-hungry eyes that Ponia so despised.

* * *

‘I didn’t know I was so bad at waiting, but I’ll wait anyway.’

After saying those words, Sionel left the cabin, saying he would go on patrol alone.

Ponia suddenly found herself with a whole day to rest and think.

Excuses made for rejection, like saying he wasn’t her ideal type, wouldn’t work. Blindly pushing him away would only hurt him without convincing him.

Most importantly… Ponia herself didn’t want to.

For almost the first time since entering the forest, Ponia seriously pondered her feelings about Sionel.

How do I think of Sionel?

Three years ago, she was naturally filled with thoughts of liking him. But three years was enough time to change emotions.

Sionel Devonham, who wasn’t affectionate, was stubborn, fell into despair and gave up, thus abandoning his upright beliefs.

There wasn’t a single reason for her to like him.

Of course, she still wished for him to live through countless hardships, and more than anyone else, even more than herself, she wanted him to be happy.

Within her, he had already become someone who couldn’t be judged simply by whether she liked him or not.

“Alright.”

She had finished organizing her thoughts. Facing the sunset that colored the forest, Ponia entered the cabin.

Sionel had already returned after finishing his patrol.

“You’re back?”

Though she felt frustrated by his nonchalant attitude after dropping such a bombshell, Ponia also accepted it calmly.

“I’ve thought about it.”

As expected, she couldn’t accept Sionel’s confession.

She had liked Sionel. There were times when her heart fluttered while being with him. Even when she tried to treat him professionally, she couldn’t help but smile.

The reason she could enjoy forest life so much was thanks to him and Chad.

But that was as far as it went.

Love was something that Ponia Harbel had done three years ago when she was determined to win him over.

The emotion she felt for him now was perhaps that of a precious family member or friend?

Even with friends, you wish for their happiness, enjoy their company, and well, sometimes your heart might flutter. You might even blush.

Rather than the satisfaction she would gain from becoming his lover, watching him achieve happiness seemed infinitely more satisfying to her no matter how she thought about it.

She wouldn’t feel disappointed watching that from one step away.

If she had to choose between a guaranteed happy ending and an uncertain future that might become a bad ending, she would definitely choose the former, right?

“So, I don’t…”

She should say ‘I don’t like you.’

Her mouth wouldn’t open. She could see Sionel getting hurt.

‘It’s okay, the hurt will only be temporary.’

When he left the forest and returned to his position, ascending to the ducal title, he would become busier, and the connections made in the forest would soon be forgotten.

Just like how he had forgotten Ponia three years ago.

And when the original story begins, he’ll save the heroine in crisis in the forest for an unforgettable first meeting, get to know each other while laughing and chatting happily as their love grows, and use the map to defeat all the monsters.

Using that map she had painstakingly filled in.

“How annoying….”

“…Ponia?”

That’s the proper flow of the original story, so why does it annoy me so much?

It feels like I’ve been robbed of a right I naturally had.

‘That’s right, if you think about it, he’s building the bond from the original story with me now. Those memories should naturally be mine alone….’

Ponia was startled by her own sudden thought.

‘Since when have I been thinking like this?’

“…Have you ever felt your heart flutter for a friend? For someone of the opposite sex.”

“…No?”

“Have you ever blushed?”

“I haven’t.”

“Then… have you ever wanted to monopolize someone?”

While rationalizing that a friend could feel this disappointed, she looked at him with anxious eyes.

After briefly considering the intent behind her questions, Sionel soon spoke up.

“No. You’re the only one who’s made me feel that way.”

This can’t be happening.

If this continues, then Ponia, who felt the same way about him, also….

Ponia covered her mouth.

“…I’m screwed.”

“Ponia?”

He never yields on anything, argues with everything I say to make me angry, and doesn’t have a single gentlemanly quality.

He’s really different from my ideal type.

This would be really unfair.

“I think I’ve fallen for him again.”

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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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