I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 77

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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 77

So, just a few minutes before Ponia pounced on Sionel.

They were engaged in quite an intense battle of nerves.

“What do you mean?”

Sionel looked at Ponia with a cold expression. Similarly cold, Ponia let out a sigh.

‘I knew this would happen.’

Jerome and the repairman left the forest before sunset, and once again only the two of them remained in the cabin.

‘I’ll draft a new contract and return in three days. Please think it over carefully.’

Jerome had left those words before departing, and Sionel demanded an explanation. So she explained honestly, and now this was his reaction.

“It’s nothing major.”

“You continuing to stay in this forest isn’t a big deal?”

“I haven’t even decided yet, you know?”

But Sionel didn’t even pretend to listen to her words. He approached her closely.

“Just the fact that you’re considering it already sounds like you’ve reached a conclusion, to me.”

Sionel suppressed his voice to hold back his anger, but his sarcastic tone and attitude came through anyway.

It was a side of him that hadn’t shown since they’d grown much closer.

“Strangely, this suits you better…”

Ponia muttered.

“What?”

“Ahem! Anyway, I haven’t reached any particular conclusion. I’m just thinking about it. More importantly, shouldn’t we talk about Chad?”

“…”

“Did you know Chad’s true identity?”

“I was certain from the beginning that Chad Moreau wasn’t a repairman. That feeling hasn’t changed even now.”

Ponia narrowed her eyes, and Sionel tilted his head.

“Why?”

Then he asked bluntly. His firm intention not to cooperate easily with Ponia was clearly visible.

Sionel’s words were true. Ponia had also heard those words directly herself.

However, from that honest answer, Ponia realized there had been some incident between the two that she didn’t know about.

“What I meant was whether you knew what kind of work Chad does, not that he’s not a repairman.”

“You won’t even answer my questions properly, but you want me to give you proper answers?”

Ponia closed her mouth.

Sionel was right. Ponia had intentionally avoided answering.

‘How can I say it honestly?’

That her family were troublemakers who would likely face bankruptcy again soon, so it seemed better to continue this work.

Even though she and Sionel had become lovers, she didn’t want to make things awkward by mentioning such circumstances. She didn’t want to burden him either.

‘I have my pride too!’

They had only just started dating. She didn’t know how things would turn out later either.

In the long silence, Sionel let out a long breath.

“It was when the Imperial Court came to the forest.”

“…”

“Uncle was certain I was here, and he tried to confirm my corpse. Chad Moreau was the one who helped me then. Thanks to him, I was able to deceive Uncle.”

Gideon wasn’t someone who could be easily deceived. He was meticulous and quick-witted enough to have deceived Sionel for a long time.

To deceive such a person, they would need to use a method that made him let his guard down.

And that method was.

Sionel read Ponia’s expression and nodded.

“That’s right, Chad Moreau is originally an assassin hired by Uncle.”

As soon as she heard those words, Chad’s smiling face flashed through her mind.

Gathering information about targets and disposing of them according to the employer’s choice.

In that sense, the roles of informant and assassin weren’t much different.

Apart from the shock that Chad was the Duke of Devonham’s assassin, Ponia felt relieved.

‘Chad ultimately chose to side with Sionel after all.’

She had decided not to obsess over the novel’s plot anymore, but she had hoped that Chad, at least, would side with Sionel this time too.

The Chad she had seen up close was a much better person than the one in the novel.

At the same time, Chad’s decision seemed to prove that the connections Ponia had made by becoming the forest keeper weren’t wrong.

Sionel, who had been observing Ponia’s reaction, made a sullen face.

“Honestly, I didn’t really want to say this.”

“Hm? Why?”

“Because then you’ll think well of Chad Moreau.”

“He does look completely good, doesn’t he?”

“….”

‘Did I say something wrong?’

Sionel didn’t soften his hardened expression. Only then did Ponia realize that what he had just said was sincere.

Ponia asked cautiously.

“It’s not… jealousy, is it?”

“It probably is jealousy.”

“Do you think Chad helped you because of me?”

“What other reason could there be?”

“Didn’t you two become close while spending time together?”

Sionel looked disgusted.

“There’s no way I’d become close with such a scheming bastard.”

‘So they weren’t?’

“I thought maybe since you said you didn’t know Chad in front of Jerome earlier and covered for him.”

“…I owed him a life debt, so I just repaid it.”

“Right, you grew fond of him.”

“No.”

Giving a half-hearted response to Sionel who denied it to the end, Ponia headed toward the bed. She had to sleep first before Sionel brought up another topic.

However, Sionel blocked her path in front of the bed.

“We’re not done talking yet.”

‘Ugh.’

Ponia tried to pretend not to notice and lie down on the bed, and Sionel physically blocked such Ponia.

“Next time. I’m a bit sleepy right now.”

“You won’t talk next time either.”

“Then tomorrow. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“I won’t believe your words anymore. You were trying to hide your identity until the very end.”

“Who was the one secretly enjoying it while pretending not to know and teasing me?”

“That’s not true.”

“It is true.”

Getting heated at Sionel who wouldn’t budge, Ponia pushed him with all her strength.

She thought he wouldn’t be pushed at all, but Sionel easily fell backward.

“Ugh!”

Because of that, Ponia, who had been practically in Sionel’s embrace, also fell backward together with him.

Thud.

Ponia’s face hit against his chest area, but she wasn’t hurt. The soft bed frame safely supported them.

“Why did you suddenly fall over…”

Ponia slowly started to get up but then froze.

…The position, the position was strange.

Ponia was settled on his abdomen, looking down at him. Moreover, the place she had unconsciously placed her hand while getting up happened to be Sionel’s chest.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

That low, firm, yet strangely quickening rhythm could be felt in her palm.

Ponia momentarily moved her hand to feel more of that rhythm.

And then, their eyes met.

Sionel didn’t even think about getting up and just kept watching Ponia. His blue eyes had sunk deeply.

Ponia was startled and pulled her hand away, then brought her hands to her own chest.

A rhythm similar in speed to Sionel’s could be heard from her as well. She was about to take a deep breath when she heard a playful voice.

“Why, keep doing what you were doing.”

“…What did I even do.”

“You can do anything.”

It was a seductively sounding statement.

Ponia bit her lips tightly, then got off the bed.

Sionel extended his hand.

“Help me up.”

“…You can get up by yourself.”

“Still, help me up.”

‘Why is he being so brazen?’

Ponia looked at him in disbelief, but he brazenly made his demand. In the end, she took his hand.

At that moment, Sionel pulled her hand toward himself.

Ponia fell forward. This time she was facing him directly from right in front.

She tried to get up immediately, but Sionel didn’t give her any chance to escape and tightened his arms around her.

He asked with a calm face that even seemed somewhat indifferent.

“When I said I wanted to be your lover, I didn’t mean I just wanted to fool around. Did I not seem serious enough about our relationship?”

“…You sounded serious enough.”

“Then why? Do you not want to go with me?”

“We have been stuck together every day.”

“…”

“I’m joking.”

“I can’t do without you anymore.”

Sionel didn’t smile. Ponia realized that when it came to this matter, he would never let it slide.

Ponia hesitated before opening her lips with a determined look in her eyes.

“So, the reason I said I’d think about it…”

“…”

“So.”

“…”

Looking at Sionel’s obvious gaze, Ponia blurted out.

“I’ll let you know the day after tomorrow.”

After building up all that atmosphere, Sionel openly showed his bewilderment at Ponia running away again.

Ponia smoothed things over with an awkward laugh.

If she started talking, she would also have to tell him about her long family history. Her thoughts weren’t fully organized yet.

If she just had one more day, she felt like she could really tell him.

Before Sionel could say anything, she spoke first.

“Promise me!”

“…”

Ponia’s eyes sparkled. Her leaf-colored pupils reflected Sionel directly.

Sionel stared at such Ponia and gave his affirmative answer by embracing her.

The winner of this fight had been decided as Ponia from the very beginning.

They lay together on the bed for a long while.

And when Sionel tried to go down below, Ponia held him back.

“Let’s just sleep on the bed today. It’s comfortable.”

“…”

“Sionel?”

“…What exactly do you think I am…”

Looking at Ponia who was staring at him in bewilderment, Sionel suppressed himself.

He thought of Ponia who had snapped at him up in the tree.

‘At this point, pace and everything else doesn’t matter anymore.’

How did she know how he would take it, saying such things and then acting like this now.

The one who was speeding up and slowing down at will was this Unnamed Man. The one acting obliviously wasn’t him but this Unnamed Man.

He had done nothing wrong. So, couldn’t he do as he pleased right now.

Thinking that, Sionel reached out and cupped Ponia’s cheek. A gentle warmth circulated in his palm.

“Mm?”

The innocent eyes looking at him touched his conscience. The more he tried to stare back to overcome that gaze, the harder it became to look at those eyes.

In the end, he lowered his hand and laughed helplessly.

“How could I ever win against you.”

Sionel flopped down on the bed and closed his eyes. He kept as much distance from Ponia as possible.

That night, Sionel spent a torturous night beside the soundly sleeping Ponia.

* * *

The day after tomorrow, the day they had promised, arrived.

And Ponia was unable to keep her promise with Sionel.

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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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