Surviving as the Villainess’s Servant in a Martial Arts Novel - Chapter 45
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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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Episode 45
I reached out my hand.
The sword cut through A-so’s body.
Droplets of blood scattered in all directions.
In the crimson world of blood, only A-so stood still.
Suddenly, my eyes met A-so’s.
When I thought I saw A-so smile faintly.
Thud.
“Ah, ah…”
A-so collapsed.
While blocking me, while taking the sword in my place.
Bleeding…
“No, no, no, no, A-so, no.”
I collapsed right there. Then I frantically approached the fallen A-so. My hands trembled violently as I embraced A-so.
Is this a dream?
“This isn’t right, this really isn’t right. Why did you come out from there, why did you step forward from there? You hate being hurt. You’re so scared. But why…!”
I couldn’t continue speaking. A long shadow fell over me.
When I looked up blankly, I saw the Masked Man in black. He was raising his sword. The sword that cut A-so, this time to cut me.
Right, if it’s going to be like this, I’d rather…
“Hey, you bastard!”
Clang!
Sparks flew as the Masked Man’s sword was pushed back.
I blinked. Before I knew it, Brother Im was blocking in front of me.
“Get a grip! Do you really want to die?!”
“…”
“Do you think the dead will come back if you act like this here? The living have to live! I’ll block this place, so you move.”
“…”
“Hurry up and go!”
Then, before I could even answer, he led the Masked Man away and disappeared somewhere.
That sound again.
They keep telling me to go.
Go? Where? Where am I supposed to go? A-so is already dead, where am I supposed to go alone? A-so is already dead…
“Cough…”
“…!”
My eyes widened. When I hurriedly looked down, I saw A-so gasping for breath.
I asked while panting.
“A-so, are you, are you okay? No, don’t talk. There’s blood, too much blood coming out. I need to bring a physician, I need to quickly bring a physician…”
“It’s… fine.”
A-so opened her mouth with difficulty.
“I’m… I’m, fine… Just a little… sleepy. I keep… getting drowsy…”
“No, you can’t.”
I held A-so’s body properly in my arms.
“You can’t sleep, okay? A-so, just hold on a little longer. Then you’ll be fine. You can live. I promised you, didn’t I? That I’d buy you gifts when I go to Hefei. No, wait. I won’t go. I’ll stay by your side. I won’t go anywhere…”
“No…”
“Hm?”
A-so murmured blankly.
“I told you, didn’t I? To eat… delicious food… and wear… lots of pretty clothes. Later when you… wear a skirt… we’ll buy… ornaments together too…”
“Yes, yes. I understand. I’ll do everything you said. I’ll eat lots of delicious food, wear pretty clothes, and skirts…”
Suddenly I hesitated.
‘Skirt?’
As if noticing my reaction, A-so smiled faintly.
“…You knew?”
“…”
“Since when did you know?”
“When you… got hurt…”
When I got hurt – that was probably after I injured my head and stayed in the Guest Hall. A-so had taken care of me when I couldn’t move properly.
Right, it was strange. That no one suspected anything when my clothes had been changed. That I hadn’t been caught despite dangerous situations, and that I could cleverly slip away from everything.
It was all thanks to you.
“You thought… I wouldn’t know?”
“…”
“Do you know… how much… trouble I went through? You’re surprisingly… careless… If it wasn’t for me… you would’ve been caught… *cough, cough*…”
Seeing A-so’s face turn rapidly pale, I finally came to my senses.
“Right, that’s right. It was thanks to you. Thank you, I didn’t even know… When you get better, I’ll repay you. Okay? I have to repay favors. So don’t sleep. Okay?”
“…”
“Just hold on a little longer, just a little more. I’ll figure something out. I’ll do whatever it takes to save you. I absolutely won’t let you die like this…”
“…You know what.”
A-so spoke calmly.
“I… was happy to meet you.”
“A-so, stop talking. Your wounds…”
“Actually, I also… live with just my father. But my father… is really pathetic, you know? He’s not sick like your mother, he just drinks alcohol every day and gambles…”
“A-so…”
“So at first I couldn’t understand you… How you could go that far for family, how you could sacrifice yourself for others…”
“…”
“But… watching you, I came to understand.”
A-so wore a faint smile.
“You were good to me. No matter how rudely I spoke, you kept approaching me, listened to my stories, said you’d help me… Until now, there was no one who tried to help me without expecting anything in return.”
“…”
“I thought I didn’t need things like friends… but that wasn’t true either. I was happy that you wanted to be close to me. The more time I spent with you… the better it got.”
“….”
“I also… wanted to do something for you…”
A-so paused for a moment and gasped. I held A-so tightly and spoke urgently.
“Me too, I feel the same way. I was also happy to become close with A-so. The time I spent with A-so was so enjoyable. I want to do anything for A-so.”
“Really? Even when I… grumbled and spoke harshly?”
“What’s harsh about that? It’s not harsh at all, no, even harsh words are fine. You can speak harshly to me all you want. Keep grumbling at me from now on too. Okay? I’m fine with anything.”
“What’s that supposed to mean…”
A-so smiled at my earnest words.
“Because you keep saying things like that, I end up acting spoiled.”
“You can act spoiled. Act spoiled all you want. All you want.”
“Really? Then I, actually…”
A-so’s eyes suddenly became clouded.
“…I’m scared of dying.”
“….”
“I’m still young, and there are so many things I want to do… I’m really scared I might die. I’m so scared that if I fall asleep like this, I might never wake up again…”
“N-no, A-so, you won’t die, no.”
“But something even scarier came up. Do you know what it is…?”
“No…”
“You… dying.”
I stopped breathing. At some point, A-so was looking at me with warm eyes.
“It’s strange. In the past, sacrificing for others looked really pathetic, and I thought I would never be able to do that… but now I’m doing exactly that.”
“….”
“But strangely, I don’t regret it? At the same time, I have this thought. That even if I went back to the past, I would probably make the same choice…”
“….”
“…Don’t be too sad.”
Suddenly A-so raised her hand. As her hand approached my cheek, I realized that I had been crying at some point.
I grabbed A-so’s hand first. The body temperature touching my hand was terrifyingly cold.
“Thank you for being close friends with me.”
“…A-so, don’t, don’t do that. You said you liked being with me? You said you didn’t want to part with me? We should stay together from now on too. Forever and ever…”
“I’m glad I met you.”
“Don’t say things like that. Don’t talk like that, don’t make it sound like it’s the end…”
“When I think about it, I…”
A-so spoke as if talking to herself.
“I think I loved seeing you smile… Seeing you smile brightly in any situation gave me comfort…”
“Please, A-so…”
“Smile for me.”
A-so said with a bright smile.
“I want to see your smiling face one last time.”
My vision was blurry. Tears fell onto A-so’s pale white face. But I forced the corners of my mouth upward. A-so smiled along with that ridiculous expression.
A-so’s eyes slowly closed. A small murmur could be heard.
“Dan… Dan-a.”
“Yes…”
“Take care…”
“…”
“…I’ll miss you.”
I answered with a trembling voice.
“Me too, me too…”
“…”
“Me too, I’ll miss you. A-so, really, I’ll miss you so very much. I won’t forget. A-so, I’ll never forget you…”
But there was no answer in return.
I loosened the strength in my hands. A-so’s hand fell limply. Instead, I held A-so tightly in my arms. No matter how much strength I put in, A-so didn’t even stir.
I lowered my head and pressed my forehead against A-so’s forehead. My whole body began to tremble violently.
A long wail spread out.
* * *
I held A-so in my arms for a long while longer.
I don’t know how much time passed.
It felt like a few minutes had passed, or perhaps a few hours.
All my senses were hazy, but I knew one thing for certain.
Now, A-so was no longer here.
I gazed down at A-so blankly. Her small face, stained with blood in places, was sleeping peacefully.
I held A-so and slowly stood up. Strangely, I couldn’t feel any weight in my arms. I walked over and laid A-so’s body down under a tree.
I actually wanted to bury her in a sunny place, but I didn’t have much time left. I could only wipe the blood from her face and straighten her disheveled clothes.
As I was looking at A-so for a moment and about to stand up, I suddenly sensed a presence behind me.
I turned around.
There stood a familiar person.
“…Young Miss.”
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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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