39. sequelae (2)

“What is happening to Maxim right now?”

Christine met Theodora’s eyes as she looked up at her.

“Are you asking this out of concern for the members as the leader?”

Christine’s voice was cold. Theodora bit her lip, aware of the chill in her voice.

If it’s the captain’s order, will you answer? No, no. Theodora did not want to aggravate the situation with her now unfunny position. Theodora simply answered her words, whatever came to mind.

“…Nope.”

Theodora says in a choked voice.

“I’m just, I’m just worried. A man named Maxim, a man named Maxim Appart.”

Christine looked at Theodora.

It was a mess. Sitting there was a woman with her right leg broken, bandages all over the place, and countless cuts and lacerations. Christine sighed inwardly.

“Let’s go to the captain’s room first.”

“…the vice-captain,”

“I’ll go to the hospital and talk.”

Christine then picked up the sprawling crutch and placed it in Theodora’s hand.

“In this state, I don’t think the captain will ever go back to his room.”

At Christine’s words, Theodora stood up on her crutches. Limping, Theodora slipped into the darkness of the corridor and disappeared. Christine stared at the hallway where Theodora had disappeared for a long time, then followed her.

When Christine arrived at Theodora’s hospital room, Theodora was perched on her bed, looking down at her hands. It was very different from his usual confident and cold appearance.

Christine watched Theodora, who looked much smaller than usual. In a room where the hallway was the only light source, Theodora looked shabby and lonely.

“I thought the vice-captain would understand. What is happening to Maxim.”

Theodora raised her head and said. Her voice was hoarse and hoarse. Christine lit the lantern and listened to Theodora. A brass fire illuminated the room.

“Because I’ve been with Maxim for a long time…”

Christine narrowed her eyes and looked at Theodora.

“It’s as if I know what kind of relationship the captain and the seniors were in, Captain.”

Theodora smiled helplessly and nodded.

“Maxim probably said it. I’m not the type to hide something from people close to me.”

Christine sighed.

“Yeah. I know. That’s why I’m more questioning the captain’s attitude now. Since we’ve already broken up, is there any reason to be so curious?”

Theodora bit her lower lip. It was as if he was protesting not to say such things when he knew nothing about his relationship with Maxim. But Christine didn’t change her attitude. Theodora hesitated to speak so many times before clearing her throat and speaking as if asking Christine.

“…I want to know.”

Theodora took a deep breath.

“Nevertheless, I want to know. I, I… yet…”

Christine stopped Theodora. Christine sat still and couldn’t listen to Theodora’s words any longer.

“It’s not like I know the whole story.”

“…Yeah.”

Theodora nods.

“I’ll tell you what I know.”

A corner of my heart throbbed. Perhaps, everything that is happening now stems from her original sin. Christine chose the words in her head. Maxim’s request lingered in my mind.

“Currently, senpai is not in a state where he can use an aura.”

Theodora’s eyes twinkled.

“Using the aura…”

“I am not feeling well.”

Theodora looked at Christine as if asking for further explanation.

“You mean you can’t use Aura simply because you’re not feeling well?”

Christine shook her head.

“…there are circumstances.”

“Didn’t Maxim tell you not to reveal it?”

Christine didn’t answer. I couldn’t answer. Simply explaining everything wasn’t going to solve the problem. No, is it something that can be solved in the first place? Christine meets Theodora’s gaze. The eyes of the two crossed each other, holding different lights.

I remembered the face of Maxim, who had asked me not to reveal it.

Christine did not know if she was in the right position to represent Maxim as if she was proud of herself. At times like this, I’d rather it all had nothing to do with her. Christine sees Theodora’s sullen face.

Thousands of words swirled in my mind. But there was only one thing Christine could barely utter. This is the limit. Christine declared that to herself.

“curse.”

Christine opened her mouth. Theodora’s gray eyes swirl.

“Curse, vice-captain…”

“It is literally, Captain. curse. An aura…no, a curse that threatens your life if you use mana.”

Christine spat out the words with a feeling of chewing on the blade. When Theodora heard that, she stared blankly at Christine, then suddenly came to her senses and began questioning her. My voice trembled. Not only her voice, her entire body was wrapped in fearful tremors.

“Who…why…!”

“…More than that, I don’t know.”

Christine lied. She expected that Theodora would ask more questions, but Theodora soon lowered her head as if lost in some thought. The rest was up to her to take care of. Christine got up from her seat.

“…Why on earth… No, since when…”

Theodora was talking gibberish, clutching her head. There was nothing more Christine could say. Theodora caught Christine as she tried to turn away.

Several scenes passed through Theodora’s mind. When he met Maxim for the first time again, when he got a chance to cross swords again through a screening test, when he pushed Maxim away with an aura on a rainy day, forced him to use his aura, and coldly declared his deprivation of the vice-captain position.

When I couldn’t tolerate him in the no-man’s-land and drove him into the wild in a fit of rage. No, it might have been a rough terrain for her, but it could have been a place where life came and went for Maxim, who couldn’t use an aura. And, when I fell down the cliff at the end.

When he watched quietly under the protection of Maxim, saying that he would only interfere in the battle with Death Worm. When Maxim overdoes it and raises his aura and cuts off the Death Worm.

How many times has he put Maxim in danger?

How many times has he almost killed Maxim because of his emotions?

“Why… why did Maxim hide the fact that he was cursed from me…”

Christine saw Theodora crumbling. There was no life in Theodora’s eyes. Didn’t answer. Christine could never answer that question. I had no intention of saying more in the first place.

“Isn’t there a senior reason?”

Christine turned around. Theodora blankly followed Christine as she opened the door and left. The careless visit was closed, ignoring Theodora’s gaze. Theodora stretches her arms and chases the closed door, then falls forward.

Kudang.

The chair fell over with a loud noise. I couldn’t think normally. Theodora was overwhelmed with just sorting out the shocking facts she had heard one after another.

The cold wind brushed my hands with each exhalation. Theodora slumped on the floor like an animal with her hands and feet tied, repeating the same words over and over again.

“Why, why, why, why…”

But no one was there to answer her words.

—

It wasn’t too late, but it was dark outside. Maxim was lying on the bed in the hospital room in a state of being unable to move, chewing on the confusion.

Even at this moment, the curse endlessly burrows into my body, waiting for the day to eat me.

Maxim raised his hand to the place where his heart was beating. It was the usual regular pulsation, but below that, I felt a different, fine irregular pulsation more. Very slowly, the curse consumes Maxim.

What awaits at the end?

Maxim sighed with a grim expression.

Is it a painful death, or is it a life that becomes an asshole that is not worth dying?

In the end, you chose the stupid ending.

In Maxim’s head another mocked him. This time Maxim accepted the ridicule resolutely.

You are a hypocrite who has no choice but to live for self-satisfaction after all.

“I do not care.”

Maxim said so to himself.

Even though she’ll know everything eventually? It seems that you can achieve self-satisfaction only by inflicting unforgettable wounds on others.

“Still, I was able to keep it.”

Theodora was able to return safely. No matter what happens next, Maxim will not say that the choice he made that day was the wrong one.

“There is nothing more important than that.”

smart,

There was a knock on the hospital room door. The visitation time must have been almost over, but Maxim opened the door and greeted the incoming guest, puzzled.

“Hey, Maxim.”

“How is your body?”

Maxim opened the door and smiled heartily as he saw the two entering. Roberto and Paola came with things wrapped in their hands.

“At such a late hour, it is a nuisance.”

“Even if you don’t want to say it, don’t you honestly like it too?”

Paola chuckled and pulled a chair and sat next to Maxim.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Roberto asked and glanced up at Maxim’s jacket. Maxim, stunned, cut off Roberto’s hand.

“No, are you a pervert? All of a sudden, he’s holding human clothes.”

There must have been no visible scars, but Maxim broke out in a cold sweat.

“I want to check the condition.”

“Because you’re fine, get away from me”

Maxim pushed Roberto away. Roberto giggled and moved away from Maxime, grabbing an empty chair next to Paola and sitting down.

“You are well, Maxim. You might not even need a vacation for this.”

“Since you say that, my condition is about to get worse again.”

Roberto shrugged and rummaged through the bag he was carrying. Maxim gave an absurd snort when he saw the object in his hand.

“Drinker? Even if I really went out of my mind, I went out properly, you bastard.”

“It was Uncle Paola who suggested bringing it. If you want to say something, curse at that old man.”

Maxim turned to Paola with a frown on his face. Paola caught Maxim’s gaze and scratched her beard with a wry smile.

“Heh heh, this is true. It was I who suggested it, but Roberto agreed. If not, could I have brought it like this?”

“Oh, okay, uncle. I don’t know, I want to drink. Maxim, you can have a drink too.”

And then, Roberto brought out the bottle. Maxim felt like he was losing his mind and accepted the bottle.

“It will all come later.”

“Are you going to get caught too?”

Roberto grinned, pulling out the cap with his teeth. Maxim shook his head as he watched Roberto calmly take a few sips.

“I can’t punish you.”

“I don’t know if Marquis Baek won’t be punished for being a patient.”

Maxim simply put the bottle down. Paola also opened the bottle and gulped down without hesitation.

“Hey, that’s good.”

“The hospital visit was just an excuse.”

Two people who get along very well. If it’s a talent, it must be a talent to organize Maxim’s complicated mind in an instant.

Read at noblemtl. com

No talk came and went. Paola was just curious about what had happened with the leader, I mean, Theodora, and Roberto didn’t ask any other questions.

“Come to think of it, Maxim.”

Paola pointed the spout of the bottle at Roberto.

“That bastard, you didn’t come to the search team when you went missing.”

“No, uncle. It’s not that I didn’t go because I didn’t want to go.”

Roberto shook the bottle in embarrassment. The dripping liquor dripped onto Maxim’s bedspread, splashing drop by drop.

“Hey, you bastard, all the alcohol is splashing.”

“Oops, excuse me.”

Maxim sighed.

“Well, since you came back safely, isn’t it okay? It’s his fault, though.”

“right. This will be a joke for a while, Roberto.”

Roberto excuses himself again, and Paola and Maxim make fun of him.

When the small talk was over, Paola swept the empty bottle into her bag and stood up. Inside the room, which smelled of alcohol, Maxim shook his head, wondering what excuse he should make to the medical officer tomorrow.

“It’s okay. You’d think it smelled like disinfectant.”

“Paola-senpai, are you really drunk?”

Paola chuckled and walked away. Roberto stretched and rose from his seat.

“That…whatever, Maxim. The fact that I didn’t apply for the search team…”

“It’s okay, ma’am. Get ready to come back tomorrow.”

Roberto scratched his neck with an awkward laugh.

“Then, take good care of yourself.”

Saying so, Roberto closed the door where Paola had left and left the hospital room.

—

Paola staggered into her room, drunk. Roberto took him into the room and wandered aimlessly down the street.

“Because you’re a tired old man.”

Roberto took a deep breath of the cold air and looked up at the sky. With that face, the man with the dumb attitude didn’t exist. There was only one knight with cold eyes and a grave.

Roberto reached into the bosom of his uniform and pulled out a notebook.

“As expected.”

Then he took out a pen and scribbled in the empty space of the notebook.

The Curse of Maxime Appart is proceeding as planned. The plan doesn’t seem to go awry.

Roberto put the notebook back into his arms. Behind him, he could see the ward where Maxim was lying.

“…Sorry, Maxim. There are so many things you don’t know yet.”

Roberto murmured, smiled, and walked through the no-man’s-land at night.

It was the night before the Jackdaw Knights returned.