70 – Returned Memories

The time when warm light emerges to dispel the cool darkness. The last moment of the journey has arrived.

The man came with a luxurious and elegant box.

“It is nothing compared to what the benefactor brought, but it is our treasure.”

The man said that and opened the box. The box opened, and the soft scent of the forest spread out, revealing the luscious red berries.

“It’s more normal than I thought.”

“It may seem that way, but the efficacy is certain.”

To Rachel’s question, the man answered and held the fruit at me. I accepted the fruit and opened my mouth just in case.

“Can I just eat it?”

Hearing the man’s nod, he took a deep breath and asked for the fruit.

The scent of the forest from the fruit intensified, and a soft taste that seemed to melt into my mouth flowed into my mouth. With the taste, the fruit melted into my mouth as if it were melting.

When the fruit permeates me completely, memories come flooding in from the other side of the depths.

Memories and emotions after the 17th spring flood in and permeate me.

The faded time spent in the family.

A mother’s death and a broken heart.

The first meeting with Iris and the excitement of first love.

My life and frustration to reach her.

The warmth that seemed to explode with the children who came to me like that.

Cursed children and the pain of being torn apart.

A painful journey with no end in sight.

A lonely death that seeps into every bone.

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Life given again and pus bursting out.

She is a little different from me who denies my life.

A clue to solving the suspicious Rachel and the curse she’s been looking for so long.

I met her again and it rained on the snowy field.

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Looking at it, I realize love again.

A warm time with her.

She collapsed, splattered with blood, and her heart slashed.

The promise I made when I saw her like that.

The journey and trials to break her curse.

And my wish came true.

It is terribly painful, and the memories of living holding on to the warmth permeate and add to me.

The added memories acquire color and paint over the journey so far. The painted journey makes us understand the things we didn’t understand, and the deep sadness she showed.

Understanding that, I reached out my hand to her cheek.

I feel warmth in my hands. The warmth I so longed for.

“Alric.”

I hear her slightly wet voice.

“Iris.”

I called the name of the woman I loved.

I just called the name of the woman I love, but for some reason, I feel like my heart is about to explode.

“You’re back.”

“I’m back.”

Her hand covers the back of my hand. Warmth permeates.

“Alric. I have something to tell you.”

her voice trembles

“I’m sorry I drove a nail through your heart. I’m sorry I gave you an irreparable wound.”

her eyes are red

“I hurt you and later regretted it. It was only after you died that I realized my mistake and regretted it.”

Pain forms in her eyes.

“You know I’m stupid. I know that I have committed an indelible sin. I know you well, but I love you. I can’t live in a world without you.”

The lingering pain flows down and wets my hand.

“Wouldn’t you give this shameless me a chance to atone for the rest of my life by your side and live for your happiness?”

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Late spring comes and makes a sad voice. The mournful voice caressed her wet cheek, sad yet happy.

“Iris. My answer has always been fixed.”

He opened his mouth remembering his past lives.

“In my first life, I loved you until I died. So I was sick to death. It hurt so much, but I loved you even in my new life. And I loved you even in my memoryless life. I have always loved you.”

There was a moment when I briefly pushed her away, but I loved her even in that moment.

“So, please don’t say that you are atone.”

Her cold tears began to embrace warmth.

“However, please keep the word that you will be by my side for the rest of my life.”

“Sure. I will live by your side until the moment I die.”

“That is enough.”

her tears thicken

“Why do you forgive so easily? Your life must have been difficult and painful, so why do you forgive so easily that you feel like a fool?”

“As you said, it was difficult and painful. However, I lived like that because I liked it. So there is nothing to apologize for.”

She came into my arms and wet me.

“You fool. You are really stupid.”

He embraced her, buried in deep emotion.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re stupid. I’ve been waiting for this moment, and today it has come true. It doesn’t matter.”

Now that the longed-for spring has arrived, there is nothing more to wish for. So whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.

“You are so upright. You are so straight that it hurts you.”

“It’s okay to get hurt. Just erase them with happy memories.”

Having wet my chest, she raises her face and looks at me.

“Isn’t it still painful?”

“It hurts. I was sick to death. But, it’s okay because someone who will make me happy enough to forget about that has come to me.”

Her frozen tears flowed again.

“I will make it like that. I will make you happy enough to forget all the pain.”

“That is enough.”

He wiped away her warm tears.

The warm rain stops, and red eyes look at me.

“Alric. You said you always loved me.”

“That’s right.”

“Me too. I liked you from the first meeting with you. I liked your straight eyes. It was good that you didn’t give up. I liked your hands and swordsmanship, where you can feel the constant effort.”

The words she wanted to hear so much flowed out of her mouth.

“I liked the story you told me. It was nice to have tea with you. It was good to share the sword with you. It was good to spend time with you.”

Her warmth deepens.

“I loved you in my first life, and I loved you in this life when I couldn’t remember the past life. Even now, remembering my past life, I still love you.”

The words I’ve longed for my whole life permeate me, and the warmth is thickly attached to me. Warmth clung to me and touched my lips.

With her scent, soft warmth spreads over my lips and mouth.

I close my eyes, accept the soft warmth, and convey my warmth to her.

We share our warmth for a while, and the warmth goes away. It’s a shame.

The warmth that had fallen off held my hand with a blushing face and looked at me.

“Alric. marry me.”

“I will.”

In my previous life, hearing what I said to her gave me a strange feeling. A strange but very warm feeling saturates me.

Feeling the warmth soaking me, I coveted her lips again.

We, who would become each other’s, coveted each other’s warmth.

Starved for warmth, like a dead man, he coveted warmth and fell.

Even though I felt the warmth and coveted it for a long time, the deep regret and longing did not diminish.

When I was feeling such endless greed, I heard a voice that reminded me of reality.

“Brothers and sisters. Are you done now?”

Realizing the current situation at Rachel’s words, I felt ashamed.

“I-I’m sorry. Stop because your emotions are running high.”

“I understand everything. I’ve heard what the two of you went through and how you felt, of course I understand. By the way, do the rest later. I don’t mind, but there are other people here.”

She said, pointing at the man. It increased the size of the shame.

“Sure.”

Saying that, I slightly averted my eyes to look at Iris, and saw her very reddish figure. The look is lovely.

“Oh, I really want it because I’m shy.”

“Don’t do that too much. Young men and women of a long time may be like that. It was nice to see it because it reminded me of the old days.”

“It was definitely nice to see. Anyway, do the rest while there are only two of you. That’s manners.”

“Don’t mind.”

Hearing what she said to her, who acted like a child the most, made me feel strange and let out a laugh.

“I gave you serious advice, but why are you laughing!”

“sorry. I was just happy and the laughter leaked out.”

“Ehh, yes. It’s a happy time, so I’ll understand.”

Wearing a tired expression, she shook her head.

“Now that we have achieved our goal, we are going back. I can’t stay here any longer because of the rules.”

“Yeah, that’s how it should be.”

She finished her urging words and looked at the man.

“Mister, are you keeping the holy relics?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Please let us move. If you want to walk again, you have to walk for a long time. I am tired of walking now.”

“That much can help. wait and see.”

The man said so and left.

“Rachel, what did you mean to move?”

“One of the blessings of the relic is that you can teleport to any place where there are plants.”

“That’s a little intimidating.”

I nodded at Iris’ words. With that, you can easily infiltrate anywhere.

“It’s threatening, but if you don’t touch the elves first, there’s no need to worry. Elves are more lazy than I thought, so they don’t attack first.”

“It’s not lazy, it’s peace loving.”

The man who returned before he knew it said so and lightly punched Rachel in the head.

“sick!”

“I was beaten because it hurt. You’re talking nonsense to the benefactors, so I won’t.”

The man sighed as he said that, and placed a laurel crown on his head.

“Rachel, where should I go?”

“North!”

“What plant should I go to the North for?”

“Uh, that.”

Her eyes roll around.

“I don’t remember because I never cared about it.”

“Eh, no matter how dark elf you are, there will be no one as indifferent to plants as you.”

“lol.”

She laughed and scratched the back of her head. As Rachel smiled, Iris opened her mouth.

“Can you take me to Evening Primrose in the North? There is only one place in the North that has evening primroses.”

After she finished speaking, green light erupted from the laurel crown on the man’s head and enveloped us.

The green light completely enveloped us, and a sense of floating came. The sense of floating that came to me disappeared in an instant, and the brightly bloomed garden came into view. A garden that I loved and the children loved.

“Is this the right place?”

“Yes, that’s right. Thanks to you, I came here comfortably.”

“What are you saying? It’s a natural treat for benefactors.”

After saying that, the man looked at Rachel and pressed her head.

“Don’t get into trouble and get along well.”

“I’m not the kid you remembered anymore!”

“Then I’m glad.”

The man smiled once, looked at us, lowered his head once, and disappeared with the light. Rachel stretched as the man disappeared.

“finished!”

“Okay, it’s over.”

Rachel’s words were followed by Iris’ words, and I nodded.

The short and long journey has come to an end. And there is only time left to enjoy the coming spring.

“I’m going to rest now.”

Rachel said so and disappeared.

Only the two of us were left looking at each other. My eyes met hers, and her hands grabbed me. She pulled me and dragged me to her room.

Without saying a word, she dragged me and pushed me. I didn’t deny that power, and just fell onto the bed.

I felt a soft touch, and she climbed on top of me. She climbed up and coveted my warmth and kissed her.

Deep regret and longing reawakened and accepted it, coveting her warmth.

After long coveting her soft warmth, her mouth fell.

After a while, she started unbuttoning her shirt.

“Let me seep into your warmth.”