Chapter 195: Remaining Tasks (4)

As the evening sun began to set, casting a red hue across the sky, Ner started preparing to return home after finishing all her tasks.

First, she thought about finding out where and what Berg was up to.

Berg, after briefly embracing Sien, had left with a hardened expression, and Ner couldn’t stop worrying about him since.

But before that, Ner decided to find Sien.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

Ner entered the room and saw Sien staring out the window. A sorrowful atmosphere seemed to hang around her.

It was a mood she hadn’t sensed when Sien was with Berg.

“...Cough, cough...!”

Ner wasn’t entirely sure why she had sought out Sien. There was definitely something she wanted to talk about, but she herself didn’t know what that conversation would be.

She couldn’t even pinpoint her own feelings at that moment. The unexpected situation left her feeling confused as well.

“...Have you taken your medicine?” Ner asked. Perhaps, deep down, she was looking for something to talk about, maybe even a topic she could later bring up with Berg.

Sien nodded in response.

Turning her head to look at Ner, Sien gave a faint smile as she answered, “...Thank you.”

Ner swallowed hard and, out of politeness, offered some words of concern.

“...Make sure to sleep warmly tonight, even if you sweat. And if your throat becomes unbearably itchy, chew on the herbs next to you.”

“Yes.”

“...”

Having run out of things to say, Ner eventually turned to leave. The awkwardness was too much to bear.

“...I’m worried.”

Just then, Sien whispered to her as she was about to leave.

Ner turned back to look at her.

There was a fear on Sien’s face that Ner hadn’t noticed earlier.

“...”

Once again, Ner put her own emotions aside and responded with polite reassurance.

“...You’ll get better.”

But Sien shook her head.

“...I’m not worried about myself... I’m worried about Berg.”

“...”

“...He may not show it, but Berg is struggling too.”

Sien took a slow breath.

“Cough, cough...!”

Then, almost immediately, she was wracked with coughs. It seemed she couldn’t even sigh properly without triggering the coughing fits.

Once she’d calmed herself down, Sien looked at Ner and said, “...Please, support Berg just a little longer.”

“...What?”

“In a difficult situation like this... if even I am like this...”

Ner’s heart pounded at her words. She lightly bit her lip, feeling it moisten as her thoughts spun.

But instead of offering agreement, she questioned Sien’s request.

“...Didn’t you ask me not to approach Berg?”

Ner couldn’t forget how, just a few days ago, she had been caught lying on Berg’s bed, thinking about him.

The shame of that moment still weighed heavily on her, making it difficult to look up properly.

At Ner’s words, Sien chuckled softly.

“You’re going to approach him anyway, aren’t you?”

“...”

“I’ve been in your shoes before, so I understand.”

In fact, Sien herself had once been rejected by Berg. The situation had simply reversed now.

In that sense, Sien might be the person who understood Ner’s feelings better than anyone else.

As Ner struggled to find the words to counter her, Sien continued speaking. The mood grew heavier.

“...I don’t like it either.”

Sien lowered her head, hiding her expression.

“But... given the situation... I can’t afford to be selfish.”

“...”

“All I want is for Berg to be happy.”

Ner could now grasp just how deep Sien’s feelings for Berg were. Through this, she could also sense the strong bond between Sien and Berg.

The more she realized this, the more suffocated she felt.

It hurt this much every time she became aware that there was no room for her to intervene.

“Cough, cough...!”

Ner snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Sien’s coughing. It felt like she shouldn’t stay here any longer.

Glancing back at Sien over her shoulder, Ner said, “...Sleep warmly. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, see you tomorrow.”

.

.

.

.

Upon hearing that Berg had left the village for a short while, Ner decided to head outside.

There was only one place where Berg could be resting outside the village.

It was a place Ner herself visited frequently.

Sure enough, there he was—sitting on a small hill overlooking the wide plains, watching the setting sun.

“...”

Berg rarely showed signs of struggle, but just by observing him like this, Ner could sense all the weight he was carrying.

It was clear that he was going through something incredibly difficult.

Without saying a word, Ner approached him.

How happy would she be if she could just hold him in her arms right now?

How wonderful would it be to be in a position where she could comfort him?

But all she could do was sit quietly next to him.

“...”

Berg didn’t say anything either, acknowledging her presence with silence.

Ner was lost in thought, continuously wondering what words she could offer him.

“...Berg,” she whispered, gazing at him as he stared at the sunset.

“...She will get better.”

“...”

“...Don’t struggle too much.”

But even as she spoke, Ner could hear the whispers of a demon inside her.

What if something happened to Sien?

What if things were headed toward an inevitable, unhappy ending?

Their relationship—Berg and Sien—felt impenetrable.

But if something were to happen to Sien... would a crack finally appear?

“...”

Hearing that wicked whisper, Ner realized just how much she was falling apart.

She had never imagined she would entertain such thoughts.

She violently shook her head, trying to cast out those thoughts.

The desire to be loved by the person who had saved her was shaking her to her core.

Now was not the time for Ner to express her own feelings.

It was a moment where she needed to support Berg, who was struggling.

Taking a deep breath, Ner spoke.

“…She looked healthy.”

“…?”

Berg’s attention shifted to her, and he turned his head to meet her eyes.

“I just saw Sien before coming here. She looked healthy.”

“…”

“I’ll do my best to help her recover. I’ll make sure to take extra care. Please… trust me.”

Ner knew she wasn’t in a position to ask for trust. Everything had fallen apart because that trust had been broken.

Perhaps that’s why she wanted to restore it so desperately.

“…”

Berg let out a long sigh.

It had been a long time since he had shown such vulnerability in front of her.

The realization made Ner’s heart pound harder.

The urge to be there for him, to help him, was almost unbearable.

“…Why is it that the people I care about always slip away from me?”

Berg muttered to himself, as if the emotions he had been holding back were finally breaking through.

“…I don’t know who my parents are. I have no siblings. My friends from the slums all went their separate ways. The comrades from the mercenary corps… even Adam Hyung… and you…”

After saying “you,” Berg closed his mouth, cutting off his next thought.

Ner felt an overwhelming pressure on her chest, her emotions tightening inside her, and her feelings for Berg only deepened.

She realized that her tail had unintentionally brushed against Berg.

Berg sighed again and continued.

“…And now, even Sien. Another crisis is looming. I don’t even know what will happen to my child…”

“Berg.”

“Why do I always have to be alone? Just having the people I care about by my side would be enough.”

Smack!

In the end, Ner knelt in front of Berg, cupping his face in her hands.

“…You’re not alone, Berg.”

Ner spoke firmly.

This was something he needed to understand clearly.

“…I’m on your side until the day I die. No matter what happens… no matter what you become, no matter what situation you find yourself in, I’ll always be on your side.”

For a moment, Berg’s weary eyes seemed to regain a flicker of life from her words.

There had been a time in the past when such closeness between them felt natural.

Whether she hugged him, touched him, or held him, none of it had felt out of place.

Berg stared at Ner for a moment before pushing her arms away gently.

“…Let go, Ner.”

“…”

Ner reluctantly released him, her hands falling away as she returned to her seat, only able to gaze at him.

Berg, unlike before, wasn’t forcefully pushing her away.

Ner understood that she was slipping through the cracks in his weakened state.

Still, she wanted to be near him, even if just like this. She wanted to return to the time when they were husband and wife.

These hopeless dreams kept surfacing in her mind.

Berg sighed once more and spoke to Ner.

“…Thank you.”

It was unclear what exactly he was grateful for.

Was it her care for Sien? Or was it for her recent comfort?

Whatever it was, Ner was moved by his gentle words.

Old memories resurfaced once again.

“…Berg.”

Then, an inappropriate thought crossed her mind.

With her emotions stirred up, it became hard to control herself.

After all, the worst outcome here would simply be rejection.

She wanted to try, just once.

“…Can I kiss you?”

She asked.

Berg, bathed in the colors of the sunset, looked breathtaking.

In this secluded moment, it felt harder not to ask him.

Moreover, she felt that remnants of her presence still lingered inside him.

His quiet whisper of “you” while recounting his painful farewells was still imprinted in her mind.

This was her way of offering comfort, in her own way.

She wanted him to know he wasn’t alone.

“…I won’t tell Sien.”

“…Ner.”

“I still care about you… I still treasure you… Berg…”

“…”

Berg didn’t immediately reject her words. Ner knew him well.

Berg wasn’t the type to easily forget someone he had shared deep affection with.

That’s why, even after seven years, Berg found his way back to Sien, and why he still couldn’t let go of Captain Adam.

“...”

Ner slowly wrapped her arms around Berg’s neck.

“I’ll keep it a secret. I won’t tell anyone.”

“...Ner.”

“...”

Being this close, she could see all of Berg’s emotions more clearly.

His slightly furrowed brows. The subtle trembling in his eyes. His silent refusal.

“...”

Seeing that, Ner slowly loosened her arms.

It was the hardest thing she had ever done.

His familiar scent was drifting away.

As she stepped back, she softly said to him, “...I’m sorry.”

Berg didn’t respond with words; he simply looked at her.

Then he stood up, turned, and began to walk away.

Ner, overwhelmed by regret, could only sit there, frozen.

But Berg needed to understand, too.

Suppressing emotions wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Of all people, Berg knew that better than anyone.

“What are you doing?”

Suddenly, Berg spoke to her.

Ner, startled, looked up at him as he walked away.

“...What?”

“...Get up. Let’s go.”

Berg was waiting for her, expecting her to follow.

Maybe it was because of the bandits causing trouble in the area.

But to Ner, the reason didn’t matter.

All that mattered was that he was showing concern for her.

“...Yeah...!”

With a bright smile, she stood up.

It had been so long since she’d felt happiness, she couldn’t even remember the last time.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

[TL: 🚨 Mass Release 🚨

Hey everyone! 🎉

We just released 18 chapters for our new novel ⁠A Knight Who Protects His Enemies! Dive in now and enjoy the latest updates.

✨ Novel Title: A Knight Who Protects His Enemies

🌟 Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shounen, Slice of Life

📖 Synopsis:

I had always believed I would never sincerely protect anyone.

But when I met you—someone who should’ve been my enemy.

When I saw you, broken and weeping after losing everything to my family.

And despite all that, when I saw you struggle and fight for years just to survive...

...I could hear the sound of my resolve crumbling."

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