Chapter 5: Breaking the Rumours

“Hey, Thea.”

In the end, the hospital director had no choice but to accept the resignation letters.

Her quiet anger.

Like the silent moment just before a fireball explodes.

As if the fiercely burning magical runes suddenly vanished…

I felt that chilling sensation, like the air being fiercely sucked in.

I don’t know how he felt facing it head-on, but I read fear in his trembling lips.

Holding my hand, she pushed through the crowd.

Silently brushing off those who reached out to speak to her.

Even roughly shoving past her white-robed kin, she headed for the hospital’s main entrance.

I couldn’t stop her.

Even as whispers followed us from behind.

Even as our names popped up in their murmurs…

Her firm grip on my hand had no intention of letting go.

We must have walked for a while.

Her face drew the gazes of others.

And then, their eyes fixed on me, held by her.

The hospital briefly erupted in commotion.

The sounds of senior priests, officers, and knights trying to restore order echoed behind us.

Yet she didn’t stop.

I wanted to see her face, but in that moment, I could only follow her.

I could feel how intense her emotions were from her tight grip.

The endless silent march stopped at her house.

With a clatter, the door opened, and I was pushed inside.

She hurriedly locked the door and pulled me along.

“…I’m angry.”

Sighing once, she sat me on the sofa and leaned into me with all her strength.

“If only my face were a bit more ordinary, I wonder how things would’ve been—”

“Or if I weren’t an elf, I imagine…”

“You heard them, didn’t you? On the way here.”

“All those people whispering about you and me.”

Before I could gather my thoughts, she poured out her words, burying her face in my chest, mumbling and gently bumping her head against me.

I stroked her, starting to piece together what had just happened in my mind.

So many people looked at her with sparkling eyes the moment she appeared.

Each with their own emotions.

Some were falling for her like I did.

Others didn’t seem to look so kindly.

“And yet, you act as if you’re hearing it for the first time…”

“Some people spread absolutely vile stories about me.”

“They say things so awful I can’t even repeat them.”

“I’ve heard so many, so many of those things.”

Saying this, she leaned even closer, looking at me with slightly bloodshot eyes.

“Have you heard them? The malicious stories about you and me?”

“Those stories… they’re not true, right? Right?”

Her trembling body.

Gently holding her hand as she struggled to raise it, I asked her in return.

I had to.

It felt like the reason for her resignation, and the gap between us, held countless other reasons I couldn’t fathom.

The agreement between elves and humans the director hinted at.

The strange looks people gave her.

And above all, how she’d grown so reliant on me despite only a year together.

I had to know when her lighthearted “teasing” had started tormenting her so much.

“Thea, since when did it get like this?”

“When did the patients, the staff—people—start pressuring you like this?”

“What are they saying to blame you so much… Is it all because of me?”

Strangely, my question seemed to surprise her.

“You… never heard those rumors?”

Pulling back slightly, she hesitated with a serious expression before asking again.

“Then why did you say you’d quit the priesthood…”

The conversation wasn’t flowing right.

It felt like something I didn’t know was missing in the middle.

She seemed to be suffering under a greater burden and pain than I’d thought.

And because of that, she took my actions more seriously.

“I don’t know much, Thea.”

“For one, we’ve been working in different wards for a while now.”

“And my colleagues are too busy making and mixing medicines, meticulously recording amounts to prevent tampering, to spread rumors.”

“Of course, I’ve felt… jealous glances whenever I go to you, but I haven’t heard anything directly.”

“And lately… not to blame you, but I’ve been so busy running to you every day that I haven’t had time to talk with my colleagues.”

“Really, you didn’t know?”

“Even without knowing, you said you’d quit for me…”

Holding my hand tightly, I hugged her as she teared up.

Of course, the main reason for quitting the priesthood was that I was neglecting my duties, not wanting to be disrespectful any longer.

But that wasn’t what mattered now.

Until now, I thought she was just tired of the advances from people and her kin.

Even so, I made time to visit her, answered her calls, went to her again and again… deliberately holding her arm in front of others.

So why was she suffering so much?

Feeding her warm honey milk, I held her and kept stroking her.

Thankfully, she was slowly calming down, smiling as she nestled into me.

“Was it all a misunderstanding?”

“I didn’t need to trust anyone but you.”

“Thinking of you, who can’t take your eyes off me for a moment, there’s no need for that.”

“Can you… tell me now?”

Exuding a sweet scent, she came closer, caressing my cheek.

Looking over my face, breathing in my scent from my chest.

Thea’s faintly trembling body gently swayed me.

“…I check on you like this every day, and yet I doubted you—I’m the fool.”

“There was no need to worry.”

“No need to ask; it was obvious.”

Pausing briefly, she looked at me softly and began to speak.

“Short-lived folk… I often hear they’re not true to love.”

“It’s probably the ‘advice’ from my colleagues, laced with sarcasm.”

“At first, it was just teasing about my strange taste.”

“But then it got more serious.”

“Do you know how much short-lived folk cheat?”

“How many fleeting romances they have in their short lives, switching partners?”

“They take one woman, then another.”

“They lean on one man, then gossip about him to another—that’s what short-lived folk do.”

“They said you were obviously drawn to me just for my looks.”

“I was told not to trust you, over and over, at every chance.”

“I told them to stop, to leave me alone, but my kin kept interfering.”

“They even looked at me strangely.”

“Some tried to ‘enlighten’ or ‘comfort’ me with flowers and cheesy words, but I avoided those trashy guys.”

“Then other humans started… you know this story.”

“I’ve told you every day.”

“But when I kept rejecting them using your name, those stories started spreading.”

“That you’re threatening me, exploiting my weaknesses…”

Sighing deeply, she gripped my hand tightly, pressing closer and bringing her face near.

“So I decided to leave my kin and this wretched place.”

“Rather than endure insulting words and blatant stares, I’d rather leave.”

“I used to dream of being a liaison or priest among my kin.”

“But that seems utterly useless now.”

“Instead of being among those who badmouth and belittle you because they can’t handle me, I’d rather be with someone who genuinely cares for me.”

But this time, I had to push her back slightly, sit her properly on the sofa, and firmly hold her arms.

Gripping her tightly, I looked straight into her eyes and spoke firmly.

“What are you saying, Thea? Leaving your kin, giving up your dreams?”

“There must have been a reason you came this far, right?”

“Think of the times you stayed here, unable to eat your beloved peaches freely.”

“Treating fracture patients, sewing wounds, purifying slimes and wriggling flesh directly.”

“Was the one year with me really enough to outweigh all that hardship?”

I felt my brows furrow.

My mind was becoming a mess.

Reflecting on how we met, her actions seemed utterly extreme.

The reason she endured horrible sights and did things she disliked was likely to prepare for the roles she mentioned.

Yet she was saying she’d give it all up for me, just for me.

That felt too heavy for me.

But seeing me like that, she gave a dazzling smile.

With an ecstatic face, devoid of the sadness she’d shown before, she grabbed my arms and pushed me back onto the sofa.

“Pfft, that foolish face again.”

“Do you know how thrilling it is when you say things that shake my heart with that face?”

“Just one year, and you already remember what I like and dislike.”

“Always running to me whenever I call.”

“Even though you must be exhausted from work…”

The sweet scent of her drink settled gently on my nose.

Licking the white milk mustache on her lips, she stopped leaning closer.

“So, do you dislike this me?”

“The me who’s willing to give up my dreams for you… do you dislike that?”

Slowly erasing her smile, she narrowed her eyes slightly, glaring at me.

That chilling sensation made me tremble, but my answer was clear.

All I had to do was reveal the wrong feelings I’d been harboring.

The thoughts of someone no longer devout enough to be called a priest, unable to guide others to the right path.

“…If I say I like it, does that make me a bad person?”

Her answer must have pleased her greatly.

She laughed loudly and hugged me tightly.

“Not at all.”

“Not at all.”

“Ugh, you’re so adorable I could die… Evan.”

“Why are you so cute, huh?”

Shaking me in her embrace, making exaggerated whining sounds, she whispered softly in my ear.

“I haven’t heard your answer yet.”

“As you said, if giving up your dreams is such a serious matter…”

“If you’re not quitting the priesthood to prove yourself against the rumors…”

“Why, Evan?”

“I’m really curious.”

Her whispering tickled my ear.

Waiting for my reply, rubbing her nose against me, I could only mumble softly.

“…The time you want with me is long, but my duties as a priest are too great.”

“It’s partly to avoid tarnishing the duties of other priests…”

“But also, Thea, to honor God by fulfilling my duty as the one who loves you… or something like that.”

Her face froze at my words, making me worry I’d said something wrong.

But the sensation that came next washed away that worry completely.

My lips were roughly pressed, my mouth forced open by her hand.

The softness of milk filled it.

And despite not adding much honey…

A dizzying sweetness overwhelmed me.

Those things were surely filling the gap between us.