It’s Sunny But I’m Depressed Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Rain, Tears, and the Desert (2)

 

“W-What? Together? With me?”

 

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

 

At Ilena’s question, Regolus’s face turned as red as if it might burst.

 

“Of course, there’s no problem. I have no prejudice against such things! It’s just…”

 

Ilena blinked, watching him.

 

‘What’s going on here?’

 

Why the sudden mention of prejudice over a simple dinner invitation? Was he implying he had no bias against northerners? Ilena, puzzled, stared at him silently for a moment. His handsome face turned even redder under her gaze.

 

The Black King, who had been watching them with a displeased expression, finally spoke.

 

“Regolus. You don’t look well. You should leave for today.”

 

At the Black King’s cold dismissal, Regolus, who had been staring at Ilena with a flushed face, hurriedly left.

 

‘Men from Lihu… they’re impossible to understand…’

 

Ilena shook her head as she watched him go.

 

***

 

‘Men from Lihu… they’re truly impossible to understand…’

 

Ilena thought the same thing again while having dinner. The main dish was a fish dish. Being an island nation, the Black King explained calmly that seafood cuisine was well-developed. Well, he could explain that much. It was understandable up to that point.

 

“…You’re surprisingly kind, Your Highness.”

 

Ilena casually remarked. She wasn’t particularly hungry, and she had no desire to pick out fish bones. As she toyed with the fish, he quietly took her plate.

 

‘Is he telling me not to eat if I’m going to eat like this? Stingy for a rich man.’

 

Surprisingly, the Black King meticulously deboned the fish on his own plate. His knife work was impressively delicate.

 

“You’re surprisingly meticulous.”

 

Ilena added with an indifferent gaze. At her words, the Black King’s face turned pale for a moment.

 

‘Huh?’

 

Ilena looked away from the expertly dissected fish to the Black King. But upon closer inspection, his face was as cold and stern as ever.

 

‘Did I see wrong?’

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

The Black King spoke with a commanding presence, as if he could cut anyone’s throat with the table knife.

 

“…Just what I said.”

 

“This is a tradition in Lihu. It’s customary to debone the fish for guests.”

 

He said coldly, holding the dining knife.

 

“Lihu certainly has unique traditions.”

 

Ilena turned her attention back to the fish, speaking in a detached tone. After a brief hesitation, the Black King quickly finished deboning the fish and handed the plate back to her.

 

‘Delicious.’

 

As she took a bite of the tender fish with her fork, the sweet sauce melted in her mouth. And throughout the meal, the Black King remained unusually silent.

 

***

 

“I’ll escort you to the separate palace.”

 

‘Why? It’s awkward…’

 

Ilena didn’t say it outright, but her expression clearly showed her reluctance. After deboning the fish, the Black King clammed up like an oyster. The silence during dinner was so awkward she felt like she might choke.

 

‘Why invite me to dinner if he wasn’t going to talk? Was this some new form of torment?’

 

He should know by now that this wouldn’t make her cry. Ilena frowned. Iago pretended not to notice, feigning ignorance.

 

‘Not today, I guess.’

 

The real reason he visited Ilena today was because of Otter. He came to check if anything had happened. Just in case Otter had done something extreme. Yesterday, Otter had been so agitated that Iago thought he had already started the “Make the Priestess Cry” operation, but it seemed not.

 

‘Looks like I’ll have to check on the priestess again tomorrow.’

 

Thinking that made him oddly happy.

 

‘Huh? Happy? Why?’

 

He should feel guilt for deceiving Otter, and frustration for not fulfilling his duties as a king.

 

‘Well, this is helping an innocent person avoid suffering. It’s a good deed, isn’t it?’

 

Iago comforted himself with that thought.

 

‘Doing good makes anyone feel good. Yes, that must be it.’

 

He glanced at the priestess’s profile, thinking. She was expressionless as usual, her eyes lowered. Her long eyelashes, half-covering her lemon-honey eyes, looked like delicate lace curtains.

 

‘Her eyelashes are really long… What is she thinking? Is she thinking about me at all?’

 

A cool breeze blew, chilling the air that had been so hot, causing her sky-blue hair to flutter near her cheek. Iago found himself strangely envious, watching the hair sway. He felt an inexplicable urge to touch that soft-looking cheek.

 

But she simply brushed her hair over her shoulder with an indifferent hand, as if it was a nuisance. That indifferent gesture made his heart ache, as if he’d been pushed away. They reached Ilena’s door, and Iago hesitated, feeling a vague sense of regret.

 

As usual, Ilena’s calm voice broke the silence.

 

“What is this?”

 

Iago snapped back to reality, realizing he’d been staring at her absentmindedly.

 

“What’s that?”

 

In front of her door was an unfamiliar envelope. It bore no seal or name.

 

‘Could it be…?’

 

A sense of foreboding washed over him. Before he could stop her, Ilena’s delicate hand opened the envelope. Inside, a cold metallic glint caught his eye.

 

“Watch out!!”

 

Iago shouted, lunging toward her. Thwack─! His hand struck Ilena’s, knocking the letter from her grasp. At the same time, a clatter of light metal hitting the floor echoed.

 

“Thumbtacks?”

 

Ilena exclaimed sharply. Inside the envelope were sharp, pointed thumbtacks.

 

“Who would leave something like this at my door…?”

 

She muttered, scanning the floor, when suddenly a drop of blood fell. Ilena quickly looked up. Blood was dripping from the Black King’s index finger.

 

“Oh no! Are you hurt?”

 

‘This was clearly meant for me. He got hurt because of me.’

 

Ilena hurriedly grabbed the Black King’s hand. Startled, he pulled back, exclaiming.

 

“H-Hey. You’re too close… This is nothing!”

 

“Oh, come on! Let me see it!”

 

Regardless of her own depression, she hated causing harm to others. Ilena leaned closer to examine the Black King’s retreating hand.

 

‘Who could it be…? Wait. He got hurt instead of me? If he planned this, he wouldn’t have been caught off guard. Is there someone else trying to make me cry?’

 

If someone targeted the priestess, they wouldn’t just leave thumbtacks. It was too childish. Her mind, accustomed to all sorts of dirty schemes, immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario.

 

‘What if there’s poison on the tacks?’

 

When she traveled from the north to the south, didn’t she sleep for days after consuming some sleeping concoction? She needed to check the wound even more urgently.

 

“I told you, it’s fine! Don’t come any closer!”

 

‘Why is he making such a fuss? Does he dislike me that much?’

 

Ilena inadvertently snapped.

 

“What’s so hard about showing me your finger? Just stay still.”

 

“Well, um…”

 

Iago, retreating, finally backed into a wall. Cornered, his large frame trembled slightly.

 

“Now you’ll stay put.”

 

Ilena murmured indifferently, reaching past the Black King’s face to slam her hand against the wall. This was to prevent him from dodging to the side. The Black King ended up enclosed in Ilena’s space. Normally, the height difference would make this impossible.

 

But he had bent his knees as if his legs had given out.

 

‘The Black King, weakened by mere thumbtacks? As expected.’

 

Ilena spoke seriously.

 

“There might be poison. We need to check immediately.”

 

“What? No, no! It couldn’t be that bad!”

 

“How would you know, Your Highness?”

 

“Well, I mean, who would do something so extreme…?”

 

The Black King mumbled, avoiding her gaze.

 

“Oh dear. You seem a bit out of it too.”

 

Ilena looked down at the Black King with a more serious expression. His face was red, and his breathing was labored. Gone was his usual cold, imposing demeanor; now he seemed like a completely different person, babbling incoherently.

 

Determined, she spoke with utmost seriousness.

 

“We need to suck out the poison before it spreads.”

 

“What? With your mouth? No…”

 

The Black King stammered, uncharacteristically. If he really hated it, pushing her away would be easy for him. Yet, he stayed put, arms folded, trembling like a rabbit. His eyes, slightly red, seemed on the verge of tears.

 

‘Damn it! Who could have… made him like this? It must be a poison that paralyzes the mind.’

 

The human brain is a sensitive organ. Once damaged, it might be irreparable with the medical technology here. She couldn’t let someone become a fool forever because of her.

 

“Don’t resist. I won’t hurt you.”

 

Ilena roughly grabbed the Black King’s hand and brought it to her mouth.

 

“N-No. Don’t… Ah!”

 

The Black King’s pitiful plea turned into a subtle moan.