Chapter 166: Hidden Truths (2)

 

Sien embraced Berg, a whirlwind of intense emotions enveloping her.

 

A touch with another person after 7 years. The warmth of a human after 7 years. The first time in 7 years she touched...the man she loved.

 

She now remembered how overwhelming it felt to touch Berg.

 

For this warmth, she had endured the past 7 years.

 

Even when she collapsed alone, she got back up, and moved even when hurt.

 

The sensation on her fingertips.

 

The weight on her arms.

 

Berg’s face resting on her shoulder.

 

All of it was so heartbreakingly warm.

 

Of course, Sien knew she was being insincere.

 

She knew she approached Berg because he had weakened.

 

Normally, Berg would have pushed her away.

 

But this time, he couldn’t.

 

Berg, who seemed on the verge of collapsing, leaned on her.

 

Something was definitely wrong...and paradoxically, it turned out to be in Sien’s favor.

 

At the same time, there was a pain in her chest.

 

Seeing the man she loved in pain was always excruciating.

 

Especially since Berg’s tears held so much meaning.

 

Sien was always brought to her knees by his tears.

 

For the past 7 years, the image of him begging her not to leave, with tears streaming down his face, had tormented her like a brand.

 

But for now, Sien had no intention of digging into Berg’s pain.

 

She vaguely guessed it might be related to his wives...but she didn’t think deeply about it.

 

She would naturally come to know what had happened to him.

 

For now, she wanted to focus on the fact that he was leaning on her.

 

Sien wanted to show Berg the significant change that had happened to her.

 

It was a recent event.

 

“…Bell.”

 

Sien, with a trembling voice, lifted Berg’s head from her shoulder.

 

She met his struggling eyes.

 

With difficulty, she managed a smile and showed him the back of her hand.

 

“...See...?”

 

“...”

 

A hand covered in scars.

 

But that wasn’t what she wanted to show him.

 

Berg stopped when he saw the back of her hand.

 

“...Hea’s mark...is gone.”

 

Was it because they killed the Demon King?

 

She was finally freed from the long-standing shackle.

 

The wish she had prayed for over seven years had finally come true.

 

She was free.

 

No longer...bound to the Hea Church.

 

Perhaps Hea already knew.

 

That there was no way to hold her back anymore.

 

With or without the mark, she would have come to Berg.

 

But the liberation felt immensely joyful now that the mark was gone.

 

“…It took...so long...didn’t it?”

 

Sien spoke to Berg, tears streaming down her face.

 

Berg, who had been with her since childhood.

 

The memories with him still gave her strength.

 

Berg had saved her when she was young and had supported her ever since.

 

Not for a single moment had she stopped thinking about him.

 

So she apologized again for their past separation.

 

“The things I said when we parted... they were all lies.”

 

“...”

 

“The words that I could live without you...sniff...were all forced out...”

 

Another tear fell from Berg’s eyes.

 

“The words that we should give up on our dreams...that our memories would just become the past...all of it...all of it...”

 

Sien looked straight into Berg’s eyes and spoke firmly.

 

“I was wrong. I won’t push you away...ever again...”

 

Berg exhaled as if everything was happening too quickly.

 

Sien knew it was strange to push her feelings on him without knowing what he had been through.

 

But it had to be now.

 

Hea’s mark had disappeared.

 

Berg was struggling.

 

Sien wanted to be his strength.

 

“...Will you forgive me...?”

 

There was not a trace of the old anger on Berg’s face.

 

For a long time, he was just trying to collect his emotions.

 

Berg stayed frozen for quite a while...then he spoke to Sien.

 

“…Let’s go back.”

 

That was all.

 

Even though he didn’t give any specific answer... Sien knew that those words meant he accepted her.

 

Not words telling her to leave, but words asking her to come back with him.

 

It wasn’t about getting married as they once dreamed or continuing their old promises.

 

Still, Sien realized that the relationship that had been frozen with Berg was now beginning to move again.

 

That was enough for her.

 

So she nodded.

 

With the brightest smile she had shown in seven years, mixed with tears.

 

“...Yes.”

 

****

 

Ner had to crawl around the floor of the dormitory for a long time to find the Berg’s ring that had rolled away.

 

Her mind was too stunned by the farewell words to think straight, but her body moved instinctively to find Berg’s ring.

 

Under the wardrobe. Under the bed. Under the desk... She searched every corner for Berg’s ring.

 

Tears fell from her eyes, wetting the floor with each step she took.

 

After rolling around in the dust for a long time, she finally found Berg’s ring.

 

Ner’s white hair and tail had become dirty and turned gray.

 

She had found the color of the Blackwood family she had once wanted so badly.

 

But now, Ner hated that color.

 

Berg had told her he liked her white tail.

 

He had said he preferred it over the gray.

 

So even though Ner knew she needed to wash, she couldn’t overcome her instincts this time either.

 

Ner, crying, went outside.

 

She hadn’t been able to follow Berg because she was searching for the ring.

 

This couldn’t be a real farewell.

 

As his wife, she had to be by his side.

 

She couldn’t believe this reality.

 

Was she really supposed to live her entire life without Berg?

 

Did it mean she could no longer feel his warmth?

 

On cold nights, when she reached out beside her, he wouldn’t be there?

 

Did it mean she couldn’t stay by the side of the smiling Berg?

 

“..Ah...uh...ugh...”

 

It was the worst nightmare.

 

Berg was supposed to be the one who would spend his life with her.

 

He was her beloved husband.

 

Her one and only love.

 

“Have you seen Berg?”

 

So she went around asking anyone she could see.

 

Nobles, servants, knights, soldiers... it didn’t matter.

 

She kept asking the same question over and over.

 

“Have... have you seen my husband?”

 

People were startled to see her tear-streaked face, but Ner had no time to care.

 

She had to find her mate.

 

“Haven’t you seen Berg...? My... my husband... he’s human... kind... sniffs... he loves me very much...”

 

As she wandered around, the whispers grew louder.

 

In the past, those whispers would have made her shrink back.

 

‘...Ner...’

 

‘...Ner Blackwood... the white tail...’

 

For the first time, Ner responded to the whispers.

 

“I’m not a Blackwood, I’m a Reiker...!!”

 

The servants who heard her shout scattered in surprise.

 

Reiker.

 

A surname still unfamiliar to her, but one she insisted on to others.

 

She had no other choice.

 

Her heart felt like it was being torn apart, unable to bear a single moment.

 

The fact that she was not with Berg was causing her pain.

 

Even the ring symbolized this.

 

It was the ring that connected her to him.

 

It was unbearably hard to bear that there was no trace of her with him.

 

So, clutching Berg’s ring tightly in both hands, she wandered around looking for him.

 

Soon, she spotted Shawn, a member of the Head Hunter Unit, who was also wandering around.

 

Ner called out to him urgently.

 

“Sha... Shawn!”

 

Shawn turned to look at her.

 

His stern expression broke for a moment.

 

Ner ran to him and asked, feeling a slight sense of relief.

 

“I’m... I’m looking for Berg. Can you help me find him?”

 

“.........”

 

But Shawn, looking bewildered, didn’t respond.

 

He seemed shocked by Ner’s state.

 

Seeing Shawn’s lack of response, Ner called his name again.

 

“...Shawn...?”

 

After a long moment, Shawn finally spoke, his voice trembling.

 

“...I... I heard you’re getting divorced...”

 

Ner froze on the spot.

 

She struggled for a long time to find words to refute.

 

With a touch of anger, she asked him.

 

“...Who said that?”

 

“........”

 

“...Who’s spreading...those lies...?”

 

But Shawn, unwavering, spoke to Ner.

 

“...I heard it directly from the captain.”

 

Ner’s heart sank at his words.

 

She shook her head, unable to accept it.

 

There was no way Berg had already sorted things out this quickly.

 

He wouldn’t prepare for separation so hastily.

 

“You... you’re mistaken. Please take me to Berg.”

 

“...”

 

Ner felt frustration at Shawn’s lack of response.

 

In the end, she even brought up the past.

 

“...Shawn, I saved your life once...”

 

“...”

 

“Please. Take me to Berg.”

 

Shawn hesitated for a moment, then firmly shook his head.

 

“...Captain Berg has saved my life many times as well. I will prioritize the captain’s orders.”

 

With that, Shawn walked away from Ner.

 

She watched the mercenary leave in a daze.

 

In an instant, the entire Red Flames Mercenary group turned their backs on her, just like Berg.

 

It was clear how much trust they had in Berg.

 

Ner was quickly isolated from Berg.

 

...But she couldn’t do anything about it.

 

Ner just stood there, clutching Berg’s ring tightly.

 

****

 

The next day, I received a summons from the king.

 

I could already guess what awaited me.

 

There was no need for embellishments.

 

It was the conclusion of things with my wives and me.

 

That was all.

 

I headed to the meeting hall with Baran, who had become the vice-captain of the Red Flames.

 

The officers, Theodore and Krian, followed behind me.

 

The whole way, I could feel how differently we were being treated.

 

It was the respect given to the war heroes, the Red Flames.

 

Even in such a moment, I imagined what it would have been like if Adam Hyung had been here.

 

In normal times... He would have been walking ahead of me.

 

What would Hyung have said to me?

 

In fact, because he was so close to me... I felt like I could almost hear his voice.

 

‘Berg. Should we build a hallway like this? It’s pretty cool.’

 

I smiled painfully and kept walking, knowing there was still pain I had to endure.

 

.

.

.

 

The meeting hall, into which I was led by the king’s aid, Gendry, was already filled with all the expected people.

 

The king.

 

The Blackwood family.

 

The Celebrian family.

 

...And Ner and Arwin.

 

Neither of them could even look at me.

 

They were already suffering deeply from the bitter pain.

 

Arwin was now wearing my World Tree necklace around her neck, and Ner was holding my ring tenderly, pressing her lips against it.

 

“...”

 

I gritted my teeth and turned my head away from them.

 

Even though I knew divorce was the right choice, it still hurt.

 

I understood it was a choice purely for my sake.

 

I now understood that their betrayal was a choice born out of insecurity.

 

Seeing them in tears, begging to be taken back, left me with no choice but to believe them.

 

But I had no more strength left.

 

I could no longer bear the pain.

 

I had done my best.

 

...So now, I thought maybe it was time to allow myself some selfishness.

 

Such selfish thoughts were driving me.

 

It was so hard.

 

Why did I feel guilty?

 

...I had shown nothing but sincerity.

 

As I entered the meeting hall, King Rex Draigo looked at me.

 

“Berg Reiker, Warrior of Lynn.”

 

“...”

 

When he called me, I knew it for sure.

 

The end was truly near.

 

The king spoke.

 

“I hear you’ve chosen who to divorce.”

 

I nodded.

 

...The separation from my wives awaited me.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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