Chapter 83 – Later Story – Luca (1)

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Knock!

“Oh.”

The tree, which spat out the bark roughly every time it was struck with the axe, eventually swallowed the ax blade and refused to let go, as if it had grown angry. I didn’t panic because it didn’t happen once or twice, but it was true that this kind of situation was a little boring. I struggled for a while and eventually grabbed hold of the trunk of the tree.

“Sigh…”

Support

When the stump was twisted around the cut side, the tree was easily broken, and the snow piled on the branches fell in torrents. I put the cut down tree on the floor while I kek kek kek kek kek kek kek kek kek kek kek. I thought I had been as careful as possible, but when the tree fell, the snow piled up on the floor lifted up a white mist and scattered in all directions.

Thud…

“Whoa…”

I brushed the snow off my hands and sighed lightly. It was still very awkward to use an ax as a tool rather than a weapon. At first, there were several trees that were literally smashed because the feeling was not accustomed to.

What did he explain to Ellie at that time? They said it was done by some crazy bear. It didn’t look like he believed it, but it was fortunate that he let it go.

I don’t know how long I can pass everything like that.

I slowly raised my head. Because of the snow that had fallen all night, the whole world was colored white. The sky, the trees, and even my hair were buried in pure white powder and slowly melting.

For the past few months, I haven’t had time to enjoy the scenery like this. Marriage, moving, wintering, etc. Numerous problems fell with the snow, and it took quite a while to get out of them. But when I got through all of that and raised my head, a changed world greeted me. A country of peaceful whiteness. If you were in it, it seemed that all of your problems in reality would be scattered with the wind.

As I found more room in my life and more time to stop, the worries I had been putting off inevitably came to me. I’m sure I’ll have to face it someday, but those worries I wanted to put off as later as possible. It was a daily routine these days to stop still, hug those things, and then repeat the work of letting them go again.

But the conclusion was always the same. You don’t need to worry about it right now. Okay. I’m sure it is.

Because right now, just feeling happiness is overwhelming.

Bassrock. Bassrock.

“Ha ha… Whoa…”

Along with the sound of the piled up snow crunching, someone’s painful sigh was heard. The identity of the person was clear, so I purposely did not turn my head.

Instead, he smiled as he imagined the scene he would see in a moment. For now, both cheeks must be blushing from the cold. Do you think there is a lot of snow in your hair? Maybe I’ll be buried in the snow up to my knees, wearing my only snowskin.

“Luca…!”

Soon, a gasping voice was heard along with the sound of labored breathing. I turned my head away from my guard and burst into laughter when I saw Ellie, who had embodied the scene in my imagination.

“Ahahaha…Hi, Ellie.”

“Whoa…Ha… Why did you come so deep…!”

As soon as Ellie saw me, she stopped to catch her breath. She must have been tired of constantly shuffling her feet. I shook my head and walked toward it.

“Did you come all the way here?”

“Haa…Haa…That’s why I said to buy another one. Why are you needlessly stubborn?”

“No, because you can make something yourself. It’s a waste of money.”

“It’s not that I don’t have enough money, so why the hell are you doing that? And if you’re going to do that, make it quickly, you fool…”

Ellie pursed her lips and ran her hands over her blushing cheeks. Ellie, tucked wide between her new fur coat and her eyes, looked even smaller than usual. She felt that it was only cute that she was complaining with a voice, so she kept laughing.

She said, “She’ll be leaving soon, so why don’t you stay home. Did you miss me in a minute?”

“Of course. This time, I was curious about what he was doing with the tree.”

“Why are you jealous?”

“Yeah. I’m afraid I’ll freeze my cock while doing strange things with trees… Echwi!”

Ellie sneezed at her as she stopped talking, then sniffed at her and smashed her nose with her arm. Because of that, her nose was red, and something dirty was smeared on her cheeks.

She was always asking that and that. Witnessing Earthy Ellie’s secret in real time, I shook her head and held out her hand.

“Ehh. Come here.”

“Oh, it’s cold.”

Perhaps because her hands had cooled off in the winter wind, Ellie’s cheeks were soft yet warm. It would be painful to touch it, but I couldn’t stand the hot feeling that flowed along the skin texture, so I held my cheek and rubbed it for a while.

“Ah… Hey…”

“Why are you cold?”

“No… It stings.”

In the end, Ellie couldn’t stand it and grabbed my hand and pulled it off. She then said, squeezing my slightly warmed hands.

“Looks like your hands are rough. I have gloves, but why the hell are you not wearing them?”

“I don’t think it’s that cold. And wearing gloves gets in the way when I’m working.”

“Then what if the thorn gets stuck?”

“It’s okay. That’s not going to happen.”

“There’s no one in this world who can’t do that, Luca.”

Ellie’s voice, a bit heavy, seemed to contain more than just worry. But I tried to cover it up with a smile and nodded her head.

“Okay. I’ll be careful.”

“Would you like me to take mine off too?”

“No. You use it. It’s okay.”

“Then half-and-half?”

“It’s okay, Ellie.”

“Ehh. Yes.”

A somewhat bittersweet answer came out. Ellie turned her eyes away and I pondered over my unknown worries, then suddenly stretched out both of her arms. And she stared at me without saying a word. After a while, I understood the meaning and opened my mouth.

“Do you want a hug?”

“Then what did you think?”

“Okay.”

I smiled and hugged Ellie, and Ellie smiled bashfully and rested her head on her shoulder. And then whispered softly.

“You worked hard today too, Luca.”

“I’m impressed. I thought you’d tell me when.”

“Thank you for coming out in the cold. Let’s come together next time.”

“There’s no need to do that. I’m not the only one suffering.”

“But if I don’t come…”

Ellie slowly moved away from my arms and she looked at the fallen tree. Then she smirked as she ran her hand lightly across her rough surface.

“I’m not going to work like this again.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t take all of them. I’ll just cut a little bit and go.”

“In fact, winter firewood is rather overflowing level.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having a lot.”

“If you don’t suffer that much, you’re right.”

Ellie winked lightly and patted my cheek lightly. Although I couldn’t feel the touch of her hands because of her gloves, I could definitely feel her body temperature.

“Now then, let’s do it quickly and go. You won’t be tired, right?”

“Well… That’s right.”

“Okay. Then cut it. I’ll move it to the cart.”

“Wow…You don’t have to.”

How small do you want to cut it? I burst out laughing at her slender arms, and Ellie stood upright beside her cart, stretching her vigorously, knowing my heart. Her figure of Ellie looking at me with her eyes piled high on her head was too small and delicate to be her will.

“No. I was bored alone at home. Wouldn’t it be over quickly if you help me?”

“I’m more comfortable working alone.”

“Then you shouldn’t have left me alone. Think of it as punishment. Needless to say boring things next to you, lamenting your situation…”

…

…I’ve prepared all of your curse words, so take it sweetly.

“Uh…”

Suddenly, an unpleasant feeling of déjà vu spread through her body. Cold. Snow field. Ellie. The three elements were mixed out of nowhere and made her heart beat. Then, taking advantage of that opportunity, the memories that only I knew crawled into her head, tossing over her body in her slumbering consciousness.

Handsome brother What are you doing here alone?

Luca. Are you listening

… It feels like there’s a hole in her chest.

…

The past that I wanted to forget continued to flow. Even though she clearly knew it wasn’t real, her head tried to go back in time and feel how it felt then.

No. Stop. No matter what, it’s not good I tried to calm my anxious mind by admonishing myself. Calm down. To calm down Forget everything. Now this is just…

It’s just a nightmare.

I thought so and stepped back into reality. I tried to dissipate the vague memories and put my eyes on the present Ellie again. Unlike that time, Ellie, who had a lively smile, looked at me and pointed somewhere.

“Luca. Look. What kind of rabbit is there…”

Rustle

“…!!!”

At that moment, my body moved faster than my consciousness. I kicked my eyes out and ran, hurriedly grabbed Ellie in my arms, tore off the tough bark at once and threw it as hard as I could in the direction of the sound. The bark of the tree flew so fast that it was more appropriate to say that it was shot rather than thrown, and the snow and blood splattered in the air as the bark was smashed in an instant, and I pulled it out like tearing an ax stuck in the middle of the tree before the sight was scattered beyond my sight. With a clang, the tree split in two, and the ax rose high into the sky.

“I’m sorry…!”

“Stay still, Ellie!”

I held Ellie as strong as I could and checked her condition several times. Are there any injuries or punctures? Can you feel the magical influence? All the nerves in my body were on edge, so much so that I could hear breathing, heartbeat, and even the sound of skin brushing against each other. With Ellie’s situation filled in my head, I was vigilant again.

“Haha…!”

“Sss… Uh…”

Ellie struggled in my arms as if she was choking. But the more I did, the stronger I embraced him. Suddenly, a flash of light flashed in front of my eyes, and the sound of clashing weapons echoed around me. The fishy smell of iron, the smell of blood, the familiar heat and nightmarish tremors came with a shiver.

Shit. It would have been better if it had been a sword rather than an axe. Things are bad. It is surrounded by trees on all sides, so the visibility is poor, and night is approaching. Should I get out of the forest and go to the nearby village? Even if it didn’t help the power, joining the guards might have been a good option tactically. At least I’ll be able to get some decent weapons. If you don’t have time…!

“Luka.”

“Haha…”

“Luca. Calm down.”

“Ha…”

“Calm down and look at me Luca.”

“Under…”

“Look at me, huh?”

Suddenly, with the sound of her gloves coming off, Ellie’s hot hand climbed up her neck. I finally lowered my gaze and met Ellie’s eyes. Ellie looked me straight in the eyes as she stroked my cheek with surprising calm.

“Right. Good job. Now breathe. OK? One. Two. One. Two.”

One…Two…One…Two…

In line with that signal, my heart rose and fell repeatedly. Then, very slowly, as the breath returned, Ellie grabbed my chin and moved her gaze straight ahead.

It was only then that the hare’s corpse, harpooned by a piece of wood, came into view.

It was just a rabbit A rabbit that somehow came out of its den in winter to breathe the outside air. It was a really ordinary rabbit whose delicate flesh was torn apart by an ignorant force and died as it was.

Facing reality, the flash and heat that had been radiating in my head disappeared without a trace. At that moment, my legs gave out without realizing it, and I collapsed into my seat.

“Ugh…”

“Luka.”

“Ah… Ha… Ah…”

Feelings of desolation and self-doubt rushed into the body where the tension disappeared. What is this doing And, another excuse.

“Oh my God. Luca.”

“I’m fine Ellie. I’m fine.”

At the surprised voice, I just repeated the word okay like a parrot. But Ellie shook her head and squatted down next to me.

“Do you know that you sweat a lot right now?”

“I…?”

It wasn’t until I realized that I could feel thick beads of sweat running down my hair. I hung my head and let the sweat droplets form on the tip of my chin. Ellie’s fingers gently wiped away the sweat.

“Didn’t you notice that your body was sweating in such cold weather?”

“…”

“Luka.”

“…”

“Luca. Look into my eyes.”

A soft but determined hand lifted my chin. Then Ellie’s brown eyes came face to face as if digging into my gaze.

“Is it true?”

“…Huh.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m really fine now, Ellie.”

I took Ellie’s hand and pulled her down slowly. And without realizing it, I looked away and opened my mouth.

“I was just… Surprised that a rabbit suddenly appeared.”

“…”

Ellie closed her mouth and lowered her hand. But his eyes were still on me. Ellie, who had been looking at me for so long, closed her eyes as if she had made up her mind and took a deep breath in her. And she opened her mouth in a serious voice.

“Really. Are you surprised by the rabbit, Luca?”

“Yeah. I didn’t expect that either. Maybe it’s because I’m a bit tired these days, so I’m startled by even the smallest things.”

“Okay?”

Ellie’s eyes narrowed slightly. And then a strange question popped up.

“Then shall I show you something really amazing?”

“Huh?”

When I asked dumbfounded, Ellie lifted her hand, removing her glove. Her white palms shimmered faintly in the white light for a very brief moment. I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but I felt like the space around me was slightly distorted.

And the next moment, as Ellie forcefully clenched her fist, a wave of her enormous power began to warp the space.

“…!!!”

When I raised my head in amazement, with a roar, all the trees that had grown high toward the sky were sucked into one place. It was like a giant hand grabbing the entire upper space and savagely mashing it.

But the by-products of the destruction never fell on their heads. That was natural. It’s not simply pulling the trees, it’s because the entire space is converging into one place. In front of the absolute power reminiscent of the power of God, the trees could not resist and were torn off so easily.

“Huh…”

“Ellie…”

When the space held by Ellie’s power gathered to the point where it became small like a dot, I cautiously opened my mouth. But Ellie didn’t even look at me and clenched her teeth again, tightly gripping her extended hand. Then, with a sound that should never come out of the space, everything above my head was shattered in an instant.

Clink!

“Ellie!”

Tree shards, snow piled up, and by-products of the space poured down overhead in an instant. I stunned and jumped to embrace Ellie, but Ellie jumped up from her seat, pushing me hard. Then he grabbed the sky with all his might and tore it apart.

“Heuuuuu…!”

“L…!”

I tried to jump into it once more, but fell to my knees, overwhelmed by the intimidation of the torn scar right above my head. Remnants of the shattered space were quickly sucked into it. Ellie looked at it with her teeth clenched, then pulled the torn space and sewed it together. Then, with the breath that dispersed, blue smoke soared up and at the same time, the hole in the sky disappeared in an instant.

…

“Ha…Heh…”

“Ah…”

As if the commotion from earlier had been a lie, the entire forest instantly fell silent. As the trees disappeared, the only thing floating in the air was Ellie’s heavy breathing. I opened my mouth in a worried voice as I watched Ellie rise from the blue smoke.

“Ellie. Are you okay?”

“Haa…Huh…”

Ellie, who continued to exhale, staggered and sat down on the spot. Then she looked at me with her weary eyes and spoke in a wonderfully clear voice.

“You don’t seem very surprised.”

“…”

“You went to the academy too, so you know what you just saw, but you don’t look too surprised. Even though you were so terrified of just one rabbit.”

“…”

“…Luka.”

The cold voice suddenly flowed softly, and a warm touch permeated my cheek. Ellie approached me, grabbed my cheek, and made direct eye contact with her.

“I love you so much. And I know you love me too. But I can’t live like this. Now we’re going to be together for the rest of our lives, and we shouldn’t be hiding something from each other, are we?”

“Huh.”

“That’s why I showed you. My secret that I’ve been hiding my whole life. When we were friends, I didn’t think it was necessary to reveal it, but now I think you should know too, so I let you know.”

“…Huh.”

“So tell me too, Luca. I know. It’s a secret that’s hard to tell. Seeing that you’re having a hard time and yet hiding it, I can tell that it’s a story you can’t easily tell. But now I have to listen.”

Brown eyes that were infinitely close to the color of chocolate were embedded between my eyes. Before I knew it, my hands were shaking slightly. Ellie looked at me like that and recited her Korean characters.

“What the hell happened, Luca?”