The Peaceful Life Of A Maid Who Hides Her Power And Enjoys It - Chapter 72

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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 72

The trace of the first oath.

Where and with whom had that trace been carved?

The moment I had that question, the past that had been trapped in the deep, dark depths accumulated layer by layer over 14 years rose to the surface.

* * *

Southern Imperial Archipelago.

A small island located at the southernmost tip of that archipelago, Queen.

That day too, I was swimming at the seaside.

“Puha!”

Damn. Another fruitless day.

After roughly wringing out my soaked clothes, I crossed the beach and climbed up onto the rocks. I opened the bag I had thrown down and unfolded the map of Quin Island that had been folded inside.

‘Beach, left rock crevice, below that…’

After thoroughly checking if there were any places I had missed, I picked up a pen. Then I marked a large X on this place where I was standing, Rand Beach.

‘Five places have been fruitless so far, so about seven places remain.’

When I raised my head to look at the sky, it was already half reddened.

Night comes quickly on the island. It seemed I should return home before it got any later.

After gathering my bag and dusting myself off as I moved, I briefly stopped walking when I spotted the back of a head dimly visible through the coniferous trees.

‘There he is again, that man.’

This was already the third time I’d encountered this face today.

The first time was at West Beach, the second time at Northwest Beach, and now at North-Northwest Beach, Rand Beach.

Unless he was an idiot, this was a connection too difficult to dismiss as pure coincidence.

‘He doesn’t seem to be a Quin Island resident.’

His clothes also looked somewhat strange. Why does he keep following me around?

‘Is he just some crazy guy who drifted in from the sea?’

The world is going mad, so people might as well go crazy too.

Somehow I felt a little sorry for the man.

The next day I swam in the sea again.

“Puha!”

Pitter-patter.

However, unfortunately, thin raindrops began to fall while the sun was still high in the sky.

Judging by the cloud conditions and air flow, these raindrops would soon grow thicker.

‘Of all times, at such an early hour.’

Should I go back?

The newly discovered beach was twice as wide as the western beaches, so checking this entire area would take at least 2-3 days.

But if I wasted time like this, the search would be delayed, and if it kept getting delayed like that…

“Ah, no. No gloomy thoughts beyond this point.”

If I stubbornly continued exploring and had an accident, that would be even worse. I decided to take my bag and return home.

But I saw that man again.

That man with strange clothes and strange hair.

I could have ignored him and passed by as usual. Was it because I was going to waste half the day? My steps naturally headed toward the man.

Pitter-patter, I arrived on the rocks where small raindrops were spreading and plopped down next to the man, then asked.

“Mister. Who are you and why do you keep following me around?”

The man raised one eyebrow as if surprised that I had spoken to him, then wore a somewhat mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth.

“I got here first today though?”

“So you’re admitting you followed me around until yesterday?”

“…”

“I asked if you admit it.”

“…”

Look at him closing his mouth because it’s disadvantageous.

He looked at my face with narrowed eyes, then smiled more deeply.

“Because it’s fascinating.”

Fascinating?

“Is this your first time seeing a person?”

“It’s not my first time seeing a person, but… meeting the sole resident of this island is quite fascinating, isn’t it?”

Was it because of his extremely normal and logical way of speaking? The man seemed even stranger to my eyes.

Why would such a decent man come to an island that had been burned down?

What could his purpose be?

No, does he even have a purpose? He’s been watching only me all day.

‘Suspicious.’

I didn’t continue the conversation any further and returned home. During my walk, the raindrops grew thicker, making it difficult to distinguish what was in view.

And finally, when I arrived home and opened the front door.

“You walk far. You really did scurry around to all those distant beaches.”

What? When did you follow me?

I glared at the man standing close behind me with a shameless face.

“Do you have business here? If not, please leave.”

The man didn’t listen to my words at all and smoothly stepped his foot inside the house.

“How cold. You were the one who spoke to me first, miss. Doesn’t that mean you’re inviting me to dinner?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Then how about trying it now? I’m giving you the precious opportunity to invite me to dinner.”

“I don’t want…”

CRASH!

That’s when it happened.

Not far from the house, a tree struck by lightning fell with a thunderous roar. It was a fairly common sight on Quin Island.

If this unnecessarily tall man were to walk around and get struck by lightning…

That would probably cause quite a bit of guilt.

‘Would it be okay to let this man in?’

It might not be okay. But if I refused, this man would have no choice but to be completely soaked by the rain, and if he caught a terrible cold…

“…Come in.”

I pulled the man in and immediately closed the door.

Then I immediately lit the fireplace with wood I had stored in a scrap metal box. As the warm heat spread, the unpleasant dampness from the rainwater seemed to fade a little.

The man, who looked around the messy interior of the house, let out a brief exclamation.

“It’s a romantic house. I can feel nature’s breath.”

“Don’t worry. It won’t collapse in this level of rain and wind.”

“Really?”

The man bent down and picked up two buckets that had been catching rainwater at once, then poured them out the door. He’s strong.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Pouring rainwater, musty dust, wall holes where wind whistled through between the cloth coverings.

This house isn’t actually our house.

Our house had burned down completely, leaving only the foundation, so we were borrowing a building in the neighborhood that was in relatively decent condition for lodging and meals.

We scavenged through the fire-devastated neighborhood for usable cloth and household items, and always kept dry firewood ready for days like today.

Our staple food was seafood. It was still livable so far.

I poured drinking water into a blackened pot and asked.

“Mister, are you perhaps trapped on this island? Did the boat you came on break down?”

The man, who had been searching around the house with interested eyes, looked at me with a strange expression.

“Trapped? I do have something I’m looking for.”

“It’s not something like you’re looking for me or anything like that, is it?”

“Ah, girls of that age group do have particularly rich imaginations.”

“Then why did you follow me around?”

“Just because. Being alone is boring, you know.”

It was an absurd answer. It didn’t seem like something he was desperately searching for.

“In some ways, we’re the same. I’m also looking for something.”

“So that’s why you remain alone in these ruins, unable to leave this dying island?”

I didn’t want to answer, so I just shrugged my shoulders.

Today was a special meal.

A tomato can soup I found among the charred ashes. I heated the soup and poured it into a chipped cup before handing it over.

Even if he was an uninvited guest, a guest was still a guest.

“Please, have some.”

The man accepted the cup without declining. It seemed like the word ‘decline’ didn’t exist in his dictionary.

“Hmm. Excellent hospitality. Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.”

The man who drank the soup without hesitation became quiet for a while.

As if he had frozen. Just staring at the bottom of the cup.

“…Is it not good?”

Had it gone bad?

It had rolled around in the fire several times and been exposed to the blazing sun for a long time.

“Can I go empty my stomach for a bit?”

“Did it really go bad? Wait a moment, let me get a bucket for you to throw up in…”

“Just kidding.”

Then he emptied the cup in his second gulp. What an annoying guy.

I strung a long clothesline across the fireplace.

“Hang your clothes over here. If you keep wearing them, they won’t dry well, and in the worst case, you might catch a cold. There’s no medicine here, so you need to be careful.”

“You’re telling me to take off my clothes when we’re trapped alone together, a man and woman, in a room?”

“It’s fine. I’m going to take mine off too.”

“That’s sexual harassment.”

What was he saying? This guy who shamelessly barged in and even got a free meal.

But when he was going on about sexual harassment, I couldn’t force him to undress. I opened the second scrap metal box and threw him some generous indoor clothes that were charred black.

“Take them off or you’ll catch a cold. Take them off and put these on.”

“You’re being too aggressive for a first meeting, miss. Did you fall for me at first sight? Though that’s a common occurrence.”

“If you keep making me angry, I’ll kick you out. Got it?”

When I threatened him with the front door wide open, the man began unbuttoning his clothes one by one.

I went outside to wash the dishes in the rainwater, considering his convenience. I was tired.

When I returned to the room, the man had brazenly taken over my bed and was sitting there wrapped up in the blanket.

Ignoring him, I stood in front of the fireplace and pretended to undress, and the man turned toward the wall as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

“It’s small but fits well enough. Are these also clothes you picked up?”

“Those are my sibling’s clothes.”

“Your sibling must have been quite tall.”

“That’s right. The tallest on this island. When we were young, they used to tease me for being a shorty. Even though they’d cry when I beat them up.”

“Really? You siblings are quite spirited. Is that sibling also on this island?”

I didn’t answer and dried myself with a dry towel.

Ah, now that I’d changed into dry clothes, I felt like I could live.

The night was already as dark as dawn, and my body was drowsy as always.

I couldn’t muster the courage to sleep on the damp floor, so I pushed the man toward the wall and claimed half the bed to lie down.

The man muttered while hunching his large frame.

“Not only did you undress a man you just met, but now you’re making him sleep in the same bed? Your guest hospitality is really something.”

“Sorry, but I don’t have the energy to respond to jokes right now. I’m only letting you sleep here tonight, so keep that in mind.”

“How kind of you.”

Was it because I was feeling warmth after so long?

I felt strange.

When I dozed off to the sound of harsh rain, there was a small creaking noise as the bed shook.

The man must have gotten down, as the bed’s tilt became smaller. Feeling his presence move toward the old wooden chair, I fell into an even deeper sleep.

Hoping I could find my sibling tomorrow.

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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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