Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 2.2

2

“I do not, know much about, Lord Cyclaeus. We always discussed business, with a servant.”

We had finished business for the day, and were currently on our way back to the forest’s edge. Shumiral was riding in the swaying wagon along with the women, explaining as we went.

“I met Lord Cyclaeus, just twice. We did not, talk much. But I thought, he was not, the sort of man, to let your guard, down around... And then, he broke, our agreement.”

“I see. Then he went and pulled the underhanded move of saying he’d take your pass away if you complained.”

“Yes. And so, I do not, think it a shame, to no longer, do business, with him. It was, a poor bond, that I am glad, to sever.”

Well, if their bonds were broken, then that sounded like a good thing to me.

However, the people of the forest’s edge couldn’t exactly cut off relations with Cyclaeus because they didn’t like him. In fact, the meeting with the folks from the castle was tomorrow.

Kamyua Yoshu and Melfried were apparently working on some sort of plot to expose the man’s past crimes, but they still had yet to find decisive evidence to act upon, and it wasn’t like our goals were the same to begin with. If it became clear that Cyclaeus was an enemy of the forest’s edge, then everyone could work together, but right now we were in a grey area where it was just a possibility that he had used the Suun clan for his own purposes.

And even putting all that aside, Cyclaeus was still the representative for the elites of Genos, and had demanded that we hand over the 39 members of the Suun. His assertion was that not just Zuuro Suun and the members of the main house, but also people from the branch houses like Toor Deen and her father should all be judged as criminals.

Well, I guess I’ve just got to wait to hear the results of tomorrow’s discussion at this point. Still, of all things, to have someone with ties to Cyclaeus show up at the stalls...

The girl Diel had introduced herself as the daughter of an iron merchant. And apparently, she was currently learning the trade from her father, the head of the merchant group. That dad of hers had already been quite well off, having made deals in Genos’s castle town for years now, and supposedly the last time he visited was when he entered into an agreement with the influential noble Cyclaeus.

They had arrived here in Genos at night two days back, bringing with them the cooking knives Cyclaeus had ordered from them after abruptly breaking off his contract with Shumiral. And the following morning, Diel had some free time, so she slipped out to head into the post town accompanied by Labis, which is when she came by my stall.

There wasn’t anything particularly fishy about that story she had told me. Our stalls were to the far north of the post town, and since the castle town was that way too, it made sense for her eyes to naturally fall upon them.

Still, whether our meeting was pure coincidence or not, I ultimately had no choice but to remain polite and keep an appropriate distance. The real issue was if I could maintain that calm and composed nature when facing Diel.

Despite the fact that I had to focus on steering, I still couldn’t help but sigh.

“Asuta, you seem down. I am, worried. Is there, some issue, with Lord Cyclaeus?”

“Yeah, well, sorta... The people of the forest’s edge definitely have some ties to him, too.”

“Ties? Between a noble, of the castle, and the people, of the forest’s edge?”

All I could say in response to that was, “Yeah.” If I let my emotions show too much, I could end up getting Shumiral wrapped up in this whole mess, which I definitely wanted to avoid.

After a few moments of silence, Shumiral quietly replied, “I see,” then held his tongue from that point on.

And as we rode on without saying a word, the Ruu settlement soon came into view.

I parked the wagon by the entrance to the plaza and got down from the driver’s seat, then everybody else started getting out of the back. Li Sudra still had shopping to do in the post town so we separated from her there, meaning the only ones in the wagon had been Shumiral, then Reina, Lala, and Sheera Ruu.

There were quite a few women and youths out working away at tasks like drying herbs, tanning pelts, and chopping firewood. And fortunately, everyone had been informed in advance that Shumiral would be visiting, so there wasn’t all that much of a commotion.

However, it wasn’t as if the gazes falling upon my friend now were all warm and friendly. Not that they felt especially chilly or full of animosity, either, but they all seemed to be questioning what an easterner was doing here at the forest’s edge, and didn’t care to hide it. That even went for the youngsters, who would normally be cheering at the arrival of the totos-drawn wagon.

Curiosity, and even stronger suspicion... Those were eyes full of distrust toward a man who was neither an enemy nor an ally. It was the sort of look I had gotten until Ai Fa had given me attire from the forest’s edge to wear.

Just like how the people of the forest’s edge were met with suspicion in the post town, the same was true of someone from town coming here. Still, things felt a bit more peaceful in this case, perhaps thanks to the advanced notice. Whereas Kamyua Yoshu, for example, had unfortunately run into annoyed men heading off to hunt, which had led to them suddenly drawing their blades.

The path to mutual understanding between the people of the forest’s edge and the townsfolk was going to be a long one... That much was an unshakeable fact.

“Huh? Darmu?” Lala Ruu suddenly questioned.

Sure enough, the young man in question had exited the main Ruu house and was steadily approaching. He was dressed for the hunt, clad in a fur cloak with blades dangling from his hip.

The festival of the hunt had come to a close, and so the people of the Ruu settlement were currently in a period of rest. For half a month they would take a break from hunting in order to give their exhausted bodies time to recover. But in spite of that, Darmu Ruu had on his hunting attire. That may well have been why everyone was shooting him such dubious looks.

“What’s going on? Where exactly are you heading with your blades?” Lala Ruu pressed him.

Once he was within three meters of us, Darmu Ruu came to a sudden stop.

His always-glaring eyes glanced over his family and us visitors in turn.

“To the Zaza settlement... The Ruu and Sauti are lending them help to keep watch over Zuuro Suun and the rest for the next several days.”

“Huh?! And you got recruited again, Darmu? But you only just got back from the Suun settlement! Couldn’t someone from the branch families or the Rutim or Lea or whoever go instead?!”

“The Rutim and Lea are also offering up one man each. It was decided that I would be the member of the Ruu to go.”

“But why you?! Dad’s pushing way too many of these rough jobs on you, isn’t he?!”

Lala Ruu looked really displeased, while Reina Ruu appeared seriously concerned. And Sheera Ruu seemed more upset than anyone.

Darmu Ruu tilted his head a bit, then stepped closer without making any noise, showing off his skills as a hunter. This time he just looked at his family before saying, “Our old man has nothing to do with it. I volunteered, so stop making such a fuss.”

“You did? But why?! It hasn’t even been three days since you came back for the first time in half a month! And you weren’t home for my birthday celebration, either...”

It seemed Lala Ruu was even more fond of this curt brother of hers than I had thought.

Darmu Ruu was furrowing his brow and looking annoyed, but even so, he gave his little sister a pat on the head.

“It won’t be such a long job this time around. That is, as long as that discussion or whatever goes well tomorrow. At any rate, I’ve got business with the Zaza clan anyway...”

“With the Zaza? But why? You shouldn’t know anyone who lives that far north, right?!”

“You sure do make a fuss about every little thing. It’s just... I want to meet with those blockheaded sons of the main Suun house,” Darmu Ruu stated, and then he glanced over at Sheera Ruu. However, he soon looked away and said, “See you around,” before starting to walk off.

Something about that was bugging me, though, so I shouted out, “Hold on! What sort of business do you have with Diga and Doddo, exactly?”

I was worried in a completely different way than his family.

Diga and Doddo had become prisoners again for the crime of running from the Dom clan. So what exactly did Darmu Ruu stand to gain by meeting with them? I just couldn’t read what he was thinking at all, and that left me feeling seriously uneasy.

“That’s got nothing to do with you, Asuta of the Fa clan,” Darmu Ruu retorted, without even turning around.

That only made me feel more uneasy, and so I was prepared to hand Gilulu’s reins over to someone else and chase after him, only for Sheera Ruu to grab my arm before I could. Then, she came in close to my ear and whispered, “Please, let him go. I’m sure this is something he needs to do.”

“Sheera Ruu, do you know why he’s doing this?” I whispered back, feeling concerned about everyone else’s gazes all the while.

However, Sheera Ruu just gave a sad shake of her head.

“I know nothing of Darmu Ruu’s suffering. But back on the night of that banquet he said that he was weak... And not just his body, but also his heart. That perhaps it was the same weakness as the men of the Suun, who clung to their clan’s size and grew corrupt...”

So, he wanted to meet Diga and Doddo in order to reexamine his own weakness?

I really did find his way of thinking hard to understand.

Though with that said, it wasn’t like I had any way of stopping Darmu Ruu from heading to the Zaza clan to carry out the mission he had been charged with. And so, we ended up continuing onwards, feeling somehow unsatisfied with the way that things had played out.

I stopped the wagon in front of the main house and unhooked Gilulu, then tied him to a tree off to the side of the building. Then Reina Ruu opened the door to the main house, only for someone unexpected to come out from inside.

“Ooh, you’re finally back! I was seriously getting sick of waiting!”

“D-Dan Rutim?! What in the world are you doing here?”

The Rutim clan head was standing there with a grin, blocking the entrance to the house. “I heard there was going to be a real unusual guest stopping by today, so I came on over to see! Plus I had to meet up to talk about tomorrow’s discussion, anyway!”

“W-Wasn’t that task supposed to go to Gazraan Rutim? And the custom is for either the clan head or heir to remain home at times like this, isn’t it?”

“I’ll be back home by the time that night rolls around, so that’s no problem at all! And I don’t have any hunting work either, so I’ve been bored!”

Dan Rutim really was like an incarnation of the word “laid-back,” as he paid no heed to my concerns and just kept heartily laughing away.

Then, as he stroked his shiny bald head, he went, “Hmm...” and stared at Shumiral. “So you’re that easterner, eh?! Yup, I haven’t met someone from Sym in some time, but you all are just as dark skinned as always, I see! And your hair’s all white like an old man’s!”

Now he was feeling more audacious and insolent than laid-back.

I could feel a headache coming on, but Shumiral didn’t seem bothered in the least.

“I am an easterner, and the leader of, the Silver Vase, Shumiral Zi Sadumtino. Thank you, for allowing my, visit for today.”

“I’m Dan Rutim, head of the Rutim clan, one of several under the Ruu! That means I’m just a guest here too, so you don’t have to act so stiff and formal around me!”

If he saw himself that way, then didn’t that mean he should be exercising at least a bit of restraint? Well, it didn’t exactly seem like there was much chance of that...

At any rate, Dan Rutim loudly proclaimed, “Come on in!” and with that, we finally made it inside. And we found the clan head Donda Ruu, his wife Mia Lea Ruu, and both Jiza Ruu and Gazraan Rutim waiting for us there.

“Clan Head Donda, I’ve brought along our visitor from the eastern kingdom, Shurimal,” Reina Ruu quietly stated, speaking for the group. Then, she held out her hands. “Visitor Shumiral, as we discussed on our way here, will you entrust us with your steel?”

“Yes.” Shumiral started by grabbing onto the leather cloak draped over his tall body. Underneath that, he had on cloth attire with a swirling pattern that reminded me of the clothing here at the forest’s edge.

There were plenty of accessories made with metal and stones adorning his neck and arms, and at his hip there was a curved blade with a shape that reminded me of a crescent moon. Shumiral handed that blade to Reina Ruu along with some metal darts and a thin knife or something that looked like a pencil, as well as his cloak, then he bowed to everyone in the room.

He was even taller than Dan Rutim, but he had the sort of slender build often seen among folks from the east. Still, perhaps thanks to the firm musculature on his long limbs and his good posture, he didn’t look weak in the least. As the leader of his merchant group, Shumiral seemed like he had both the strength and stamina needed to endure a long, dangerous journey. In fact, despite the fact that he was faced with the hunters of the Ruu and Rutim, especially strong even among the people of the forest’s edge, he didn’t look even the least bit daunted.

“Come on in, visitor from the east. Please, start by forming bonds with those of us here,” Mia Lea Ruu beckoned with a smile.

With that, both Shumiral and I removed our footwear and stepped into the room, while the women took the blades they had been handed and left them next to the clan head before leaving to go gather firewood.

“I am an easterner, and the leader of, the Silver Vase, Shumiral Zi Sadumtino. Thank you, for allowing my, visit for today,” Shumiral stated while taking a knee, repeating what he had said before.

“The man sitting next to me with that arrogant look on his face is the Ruu clan head, Donda Ruu. On the other side is our eldest son, Jiza Ruu. Then there’s the Rutim clan head who greeted you, Dan Rutim, and his eldest son, Gazraan Rutim. Ah, and I’m the clan head’s wife, Mia Lea Ruu. Thank you for coming all this way for our daughter, Vina Ruu, visitor from the east, Shumiral. And you too, Asuta.”

Both Shumiral and I silently bowed back upon hearing those words.

Mia Lea Ruu was smiling, while Donda Ruu had the same frightening look in his eyes as always, and I couldn’t sense what Jiza Ruu was thinking at all. Considering the circumstances, it was incredibly reassuring to have Dan Rutim giving a plump and cheerful grin like the god Ebisu, and Gazraan Rutim with his usual calm, gentle expression.

“So, what we’d like to start by making clear is, why do you care so much about how Vina is doing, visitor Shumiral? I believe you’ve already heard as much from Reina, but Vina’s injuries are nothing serious. If things go well, she should even be able to return to town by the day after tomorrow.”

“But from what, I was told, that is not, guaranteed. And in the morning, three days from now, I will be, leaving Genos. I will not, return for, another half, of a year. So if I do not, meet with her, the day after tomorrow, then I will not, see her again, for that long.”

“And how would that inconvenience you, exactly? You don’t have an especially strong relationship, do you?”

“It would not, be inconvenient. I simply, wish to see her...” Shumiral replied, seated with his knees together and staring straight at Mia Lea Ruu.

And then, while looking like he was really enjoying himself, Dan Rutim let out a hearty chuckle.

“I never thought I’d see somebody from town fall for a woman of the forest’s edge! So, you want to take Vina Ruu as your wife then, visitor from the east?”

That was so blunt that I could even feel myself breaking out in a cold sweat in response.

Shumiral narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, as if trying to sort out his own feelings.

“A wife... That would be, difficult. Vina Ruu, and I, have different gods. I am a child, of Sym, while Vina Ruu, is a daughter, of Selva.”

“Uh-huh. Then if you worshiped the same god, you’d ask to marry her without any hesitation.”

“There is no point, to such, hypotheticals. Vina Ruu is, a mysterious woman. There is no one, like her, in Sym. Her charm is, surely because, she is a woman, of the forest’s edge.”

“Hmm... Well, it’s rare to find that much of a looker even here at the forest’s edge! It’s no surprise that even a foreigner like you would be charmed!”

“A looker...?” Shumiral question, tilting his head. “Her charm, is not, from her appearance. I’m sure it comes, from Vina Ruu’s heart.”

“Oh? I haven’t talked all that much with the girl, so I can’t say I know about that! Still, that doesn’t change the fact that she’s pretty, does it?”

“Pretty...? Vina Ruu, is beautiful?”

I sat there in complete and utter shock, but Shumiral had a completely serious look in his eyes.

“For the people, of Sym, beauty comes, from slenderness. And Vina Ruu, is not, thin. People of Sym, would not see her, as beautiful.”

“What?! Well, it’s true that it’d be hard to call her overly slim with that physique, but she’s got pretty much the ideal proportions for a woman, doesn’t she?! It’s rare to find a woman that sexy, y’know!”

“Hey, stop that, Dan Rutim. You’re old friends with the clan head and I, but just how exactly do you expect us to react to you saying such things?” Mia Lea Ruu interrupted.

“Don’t you worry! My feelings are all still for my dear, departed wife! I’ve got no intention of going off and getting married again!” Dan Rutim proclaimed with a roaring laugh.

Mia Lea Ruu sighed. “That wasn’t really the issue, though...”

It was then that Jiza Ruu joined the conversation.

“Visitor from the east, why are you so fixated on my younger sister, Vina Ruu? Your ties to her are weak, and you say you aren’t charmed by her enough to ask to have her as your wife, so I can’t see any reason for such attachment.”

“But I am, charmed by her. Vina Ruu is, a mysterious woman. I do not find, her appearance beautiful, and yet, I find her, lovely,” Shumiral explained, still not showing even a shred of emotion. “No, perhaps I am also, charmed by, her appearance. Vina Ruu’s eyes, are stunning. Her smile, is beautiful. And her voice, is lovely. But to marry, would prove difficult... Still, I am certainly, charmed by Vina Ruu.”

“Even if you are charmed by her, there still isn’t any point to men and women forming a bond with no intention of getting married. I don’t know how it is in town, but that is a fact here at the forest’s edge.”

“For once we’re in agreement, Jiza Ruu! I feel exactly the same! Well, maybe friendship between a man and a woman can exist even if it’s rare, but just what is it that you’re seeking from Vina Ruu, visitor?” Dan Rutim questioned, leaning forwards while stroking his beard. “If you don’t want to take her as a bride or marry into the forest’s edge, then is there really any point to deepening the bond you two share? Do you want to be Vina Ruu’s friend? Or are you just trying to satisfy yourself with a single night of passion?”

For the first time in the conversation, Shumiral hesitated. But then, he replied, “I don’t know. But I do, wish to meet, with her. I believe it, would be painful, to leave Genos, without seeing her. That is all. I am embarrassed, for the shallowness, of my thinking...”

“Yeah, seems you didn’t really think it through, but you sure have some deep feelings there!” Dan Rutim answered with another hearty chuckle. “I’m surprised that someone from town would be moved enough to come here to the forest’s edge before even sorting out what he was feeling! It seems there really is no limit to your daughter’s charms, Donda Ruu!”

“Stop blathering on, already. You’re a guest here too, you know. Show that you know your place, at least a little,” Donda Ruu quipped back, speaking up for the first time. His burning blue eyes were glaring right at Shumiral, though. “Man of the east, there’s not been a single instance of someone from outside of our brethren forming bonds of blood with one of the people of the forest’s edge. That goes not only for easterners, but westerners as well.”

“Right.”

“And we don’t allow anything as foolish as a single night of passion to occur here at the forest’s edge. A man and a woman must become married.”

“Yes.”

“If you understand that much, then you can do as you please,” Donda Ruu stated, his large frame slowly rising. “You have my thanks as the Ruu clan head for coming all the way out here out of concern for my daughter. You came here to see Vina too, didn’t you, Fa clan chef...?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Hmph... Hey, show them to her room. I’m going to take a nap until the Sauti and Zaza show up,” he uttered, with that command being uttered towards Mia Lea Ruu.

While shooting her husband an incredibly annoyed look, she smiled and said, “Understood, clan head.”

“What, you’re napping? You sure do love to sleep, don’t you?! Who’s gonna keep us entertained in the meantime, though, Donda Ruu?”

“So annoying...” Donda Ruu grumbled back as he disappeared down the hallway off to the right of the room.

As she watched her husband leave, Mia Lea Ruu also rose to her feet.

“Shumiral, our guest, let me show you to our daughter’s room. Jiza, please entertain our guests from the Rutim clan in the meantime.”

With that, we headed in the opposite direction of where Donda Ruu had gone, down the left hallway. From what I could recall, Granny Jiba’s bedroom was also on the right, so this was my first time being down this way. But just like I remembered of that other hallway, this one also continued straight on for ten meters or so, with three doors evenly spaced along the inner wall. Mia Lea Ruu walked up to the nearest of those, then gave a knock on the door.

“Vina, the clan head gave his permission, so I brought our visitor, Shumiral. And Asuta is here, too. May I let them in?”

Silence.

After we stood there for ten seconds or so, Mia Lea Ruu lifted her hand to knock again, only for the door to energetically slide open.

“Hey there, Asuta! I’m glad you and that visitor didn’t get beat to a pulp by our old man!”

Instead of Vina Ruu, it was Ludo Ruu who greeted us. And for some reason, he was holding Jiza Ruu’s son Kota Ruu. The infant’s innocent little black eyes looked up at me and Shumiral, shooting us a confused look.

“Here, can I hand Kota over to you?”

“Of course. Come play with grandma, Kota,” Mia Lea Ruu said with a smile as she took young Kota Ruu into her arms. The infant gave a happy sounding, “Gah!” in response.

“Ah, I remember that white hair of yours that’s just like Granny Jiba’s. I’m the youngest son of the main Ruu house, Ludo Ruu. Pleased to see you again, visitor.”

“I am, Shumiral Zi Sadumtino. I remember you, as well.”

“Yeah, I was coming to the post town as a bodyguard for a good long while there. Anyway, apparently my old man trusted your words and decided to let you meet Vina. Just keep in mind that if you break that trust, I’ll have to take you down,” Ludo Ruu stated, patting his hip as he did so. Hanging there was the replacement knife he had bought after the incident with Tei Suun. “You seem pretty skilled too, but you’re no match for me. Still, I’ve heard rumors that you guys from Sym use poison. So if I see you acting suspiciously, I’ll cut you down without hesitation. Anyway, could you promise me you won’t get close enough to Vina to touch her?”

“Yes. I will keep, that promise.”

“Right, I’ll hold you to that. I don’t want to stink the house up with blood, after all. Oh, and the same goes if you try to do anything to Asuta, too.”

There’s no way that’d ever happen, I thought to myself, but I figured it was still essential for him to say so. After all, if my judgment was completely off the mark and Shumiral meant the people of the Ruu clan harm, then that would mean Vina Ruu was being exposed to danger. Honestly, looking at it from the point of view of Donda Ruu and the rest of her family, they were actually putting a good bit of trust in Shumiral.

“Well then, come on in. But remember that this is Vina’s room, so it’s real girly. Just prepare yourselves, alright?”

With that, Ludo Ruu stepped aside, and we were finally allowed into the room.

I certainly wouldn’t call it girly. However, the room was overflowing with the smell of flowers.

Just like with Granny Jiba’s bedroom, it looked to be around nine square meters. There was no real furniture aside from a large shelf along one wall. Still, there was a strangely cheerful feel to the space that marked it as a girl’s room and made me feel a little uneasy being there.

Beautifully colored cloths hung from the walls of the room. And above them were all sorts of fresh flowers, which must have been creating the fragrant aroma.

Atop the shelf, there were a variety of girlish accessories. They must have been for use alongside her banquet attire. Even from a distance, I could spy sparkling metal and stones. And that iridescent bit of color over there had to be the veil and shawl she wore around her head and waist.

The cloth hanging on the walls wasn’t all decorative, as I could also spy swirling patterns, which were probably spare outfits to switch out while others were being washed.

Vina Ruu must have shared this room with her sisters, too. After all, that was quite a few outfits for her to wear all on her own. Even though those outfits were similar to underwear or swimsuits in form, they were the normal attire you saw all around the forest’s edge, so there was no reason for such things to make me feel embarrassed... But I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I had stepped into a forbidden flower garden.

As for the owner of that forbidden garden, she was lying elegantly at the far end of the room.

Vina Ruu’s sensual limbs were spread out atop a number of layered sheets meant to be slept upon.

Her right hand was supporting her head and she was facing our way, with a pose like that of the recumbent Buddha. That was a normal enough pose, but the way that the contours of her body were moving up and down even more than usual made it feel particularly seductive.

Her eyes looked as drowsy as always, and her mouth wasn’t showing any sort of particular expression. As for her injured right ankle, it had a greyish scrap of cloth wrapped around it. Perhaps she had some sort of poultice underneath that, as the flower aroma gave way to a powerful cool and refreshing smell as we approached.

“Sorry for my shabby appearance... I’ve been seated for so long that my butt has started to hurt...”

“Ah, don’t worry about that, Vina Ruu. Resting can be hard work,” I said while taking a seat in the middle of the room.

Shumiral sat down next to me, while Ludo Ruu plopped down closer to Vina Ruu so that he could keep an eye on us.

“Vina Ruu, my apologies, for the sudden visit,” Shumiral stated with a gentle bow of his head.

Vina Ruu didn’t say anything in response.

The look in her eyes seemed somehow annoyed, too. It seemed she really didn’t welcome Shumiral’s visit after all.

After that, the room remained silent for a while. Both Shumiral and Vina Ruu were staring at one another, but neither was saying a word.

Time crawled along as slow as a snail, until Ludo Ruu was unable to stand it any longer and finally spoke up.

“Hey, did you actually have any sort of business with Vina? The guys from the Zaza and Sauti are going to be coming eventually, so I can’t exactly keep hanging out here forever.”

“You do not, have time?”

“No, I should still be alright for a bit, but...”

“Thank you, for spending, your precious time, here.”

With that, the silence returned.

The next one to speak ended up being Vina Ruu.

“Um... If you don’t have any business here, then could I ask you to leave...?”

Sure enough, that was a pretty chilly tone for her.

Shumiral tilted his head in response, looking confused.

“I am carrying out, my business, at the moment.”

“What...? Your business is sitting there quietly and staring at me...?”

“Yes. In the morning, three days from now, I will be, leaving Genos. So before that, I wanted, to burn the sight, of you into, my eyes and mind.”

If he had been more fluent in the language, then that may have come across as him seriously putting on airs. But I knew Shumiral was earnest and reserved, so I could tell that he was trying his hardest to express his feelings.

And yet, Vina Ruu still looked displeased.

“Hmm... But Vina’s able to walk a lot more on her own now, so she should be able to make it back to town by the day after tomorrow. So I’d say you wasted your time coming out here today,” Ludo Ruu stated in place of his silent sister, only for Shumiral to narrow his eyes with a look of satisfaction.

“If I can, see you again, the day, after tomorrow, that would make me, glad. I hope, that your injury, heals soon.”

“I just don’t get you... If you were trying to marry me, then I could just turn you down and that’d be the end of it. But what should I do when you’re like this...?” Vina Ruu muttered, swiping up her chestnut-colored hair with her open left hand. “You don’t want to marry me, and you’re not asking for one night of pleasure... You aren’t even trying to forge bonds of friendship... So why did you come all the way out here...?”

Huh? I thought to myself, and could almost feel myself falling forward as I sat there.

However, there was no shift in Shumiral’s expression. Instead, he just kept his gaze fixed on Vina Ruu as he removed one of the accessories around his right wrist.

“Vina Ruu, would it trouble you, to accept, this gift?”

She didn’t say anything in response.

“These are, protective stones, to ward off, disaster. I pray, that you live, a healthy life, Vina Ruu.”

It was a silver chain with pink stones around the size of a pinky finger’s nail embedded here and there throughout. The weave of the chain reminded me a bit of the blue stone necklace I had given Ai Fa.

“What do you think, Vina...? If you’re accepting it, then I’ll take it from him first,” Ludo Ruu asked while glancing at his silent sister out of the corner of his eye.

With that, Vina Ruu slowly sat up, the same aura hanging about her as Donda Ruu had exuded earlier. Then, once she was seated with her legs out to one side, she quietly asked, “Why...? We’ve hardly had any interaction at all, so how does it make any sense for me to receive such a gift from you...?”

“Vina Ruu, I simply wish, for you to live, a healthy life. If you were, injured again, after I left, that would, make me sad.”

Once again, she went silent.

“I don’t need, anything in return. I simply pray, for your happiness.”

“Well, if he’s giving it then why not go ahead take it? Even if you decide you don’t need it, you can just throw it away later,” Ludo Ruu chimed in with a yawn, seemingly having grown quite bored with all this.

As she slumped back down a bit, Vina Ruu glared at Shumiral through her long bangs.

“Are you just teasing me...?”

Shumiral blinked a few times.

“Teasing? I do not, understand.”

“Why should you go wishing for my happiness...? I mean, you’re not interested in a fat woman like me, right...?”

I knew it! I thought to myself.

Ludo Ruu, meanwhile, ruffled his blond hair while muttering, “You’re just coming out and saying it...?”

It seemed these two siblings had been eavesdropping on the conversation in the main hall.

“I’m fat anyway, so I’ll just never get married and end up a buff old lady...”

“But you’re the one who’s always rejecting marriage offers, Vina...”

“That’s true... So just leave me alone already...” Vina Ruu grumbled, slumping up against the rear wall.

Seeing that, Ludo Ruu stroked his chin and said, “Hmm... Looks like she’s just about at her limit. Sorry, but how about we call it quits here?”

“Yes,” Shumiral replied while casting his gaze downwards and tightly gripping the gift he had been offering. Then, he rose to his feet, gave Vina Ruu a silent bow, and turned around.

“Sorry about that. She broke out in a bit of a fever yesterday, and even ignoring that, she’s been trapped in the house for two days now, so Vina’s not been in the best of spirits. Well, she’s kind of delicate to begin with, anyway...” Ludo Ruu stated after we exited the room and he had closed the door. “She’s especially bad with romantic stuff. Thanks to her looks, she’s had tons of men trying to court her since forever. And each time she turns one down she gets super mopey, thinking that the men won’t want anything to do with her anymore,” the boy said with a big grin despite the fact that he was revealing his sister’s unpleasant past. “Still, you’re the first man I’ve ever heard say she wasn’t pretty. Ever since she overheard that, she’s looked about ready to blow, whether from anger or sadness or whatever. So I really do think she’s at her limit for today.”

“Right...”

“You want me to hand that over to Vina?” Ludo Ruu asked, looking down at the accessory Shumiral was still gripping in his right hand.

However, the young man from the east replied, “No,” with a shake of his head. “I will hand it, to Vina Ruu, the day after tomorrow. If I do not, see her then, I will give up.”

“Gotcha. You sure are an interesting guy, Shumiral,” Ludo Ruu said, then gave the man a light jab in the chest. “It sure would be interesting having you marry into the forest’s edge, but I guess that’d be tricky to pull off... But still, if you really are seriously thinking about Vina’s happiness, then I certainly can’t hate you for that. Anyway, see you around.”