Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? Chapter 79

It wasn’t warm, but inside his large hand, my hand looked unbelievably small.

He also brought over my other hand, the one wrapped in cloth, holding both of them in front of him. With a serious expression that gave no hint of what he was thinking, he examined them.

“You’re not trembling anymore.”

“Yes. I’ll be fine soon.”

“Is that so.”

“Then let’s go now. We should sleep early and work hard again tomorrow.”

“For the next few days, I’ll be going back to the capital.”

“Really?”

Ehit being away was actually pretty common. Since he held an important position, he often had to travel to other cities.

Up until now, I’d always welcomed his absence.

It was much freer and easier for me to save up my breakup money when Ehit wasn’t around.

That hadn’t changed even now.

‘Then why do I feel strangely empty at the same time?’

Ehit let go of my hands. Then he stood up first and lightly helped me to my feet.

“Let’s go.”

“What are you going to the capital for?”

“Various things. I also have to go meet the new admiral who’ll be coming to Bellachen.”

Ehit said it casually as he stepped out of the cave first.

The sound of my footsteps on rain-soaked soil swallowed my breathing.

‘So Ridel is already coming.’

Admiral Ridel Trustia—the person who, in the original story, became the overall commander of this place.

She was coming to this city of the sea. The one who would stay closer to Ehit than anyone else, and eventually grow closest to him.

From what I remembered, when Ridel appeared in the original story, Ehit had already broken off his engagement with me. Meaning, if I hadn’t stopped some of my brothers’ actions, Aileta might have already been destroyed.

Even so, it still felt like she appeared earlier than expected.

“The admiral’s changing quickly.”

“The previous overall commander only stayed for three months, so it’s not that strange.”

“Only three months? Why?”

Ehit walked ahead toward the forest entrance, and I hurried after him.

When he stopped briefly on the slippery path, he held my hand to help me across and answered,

“He was demoted.”

“What?”

“That’s why the new admiral is being appointed to the overall commander position unusually fast. Come to think of it, you deserve some credit too.”

Me? What did I do?

“It’s because you caught Pedian Hessle back then. That’s how we found all the clues.”

Pedian—the scholar who worked with Elzers, the thief and con artist who stole Elzers’s watch and belt.

“After what happened in Regen, we discovered a fairly organized distribution network behind Pedian Hessle. And it turns out the former overall commander was involved in mediating that network.”

So because I tried to clear Elzers’s name, Ridel’s appointment was moved up.

“Dapflen.”

Ehit tugged me lightly as I’d fallen deep into thought.

After leaving the forest and walking along the dry path, I couldn’t easily push thoughts of Ridel out of my mind as I walked beside him.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

I met Ridel again—no, for the first time—three days later.

‘Ehit said he’d be back today.’

It was afternoon, with the sun beginning to tilt past the window.

As autumn deepened, the air had grown quite cold, but under the clear sky, the sunlight felt purer than ever.

The wooden door of the treatment room, warmed by autumn sunlight, opened. The moment I saw who entered, I nearly went blind.

It was Ridel.

Her abundant blonde hair shone brilliantly in the low sunlight, and her eyes and dignified smile sparkled as if they held the sky itself.

I’d seen her once from afar at the naval base, but seeing her up close was several times more dazzling.

‘So bright…….’

And it wasn’t just her looks.

Her outstanding abilities.
The position she had built with those abilities.

All of it combined to make Ridel shine.

With confident, steady steps, Ridel walked up and suddenly held out her arm.

“Here. I got scratched a bit.”

“……It looks like a light bruise—”

The moment I removed the temporary tourniquet she’d put on, my eyes widened threefold.

Blood poured out the instant it came off.

“……?”

It was clearly a wound from being viciously bitten by some kind of monster or beast.

“This isn’t just a scratch.”

“It does hurt a little.”

“A little? Not a lot? Very? Extremely?”

With completely calm eyes, Ridel laughed boldly.

Having just been appointed to this new port city today, she looked like everything was enjoyable to her. Even a wound like this.

“I’m telling you, this really isn’t a normal injury.”

You really can’t trust how calm a main character looks.

While I panicked on her behalf, I hurriedly started treatment.

As I worked, I kept sneaking glances at Ridel.

‘It’s really Ridel.’

Ridel was right here.
I was treating Ridel.

It had been some time since I’d thought about my past life, but during that time, I’d imagined Ridel more than once.

Maybe that was why it felt different from when I first met Ehit. It felt nice, and strange, too.

Ridel was almost exactly how I remembered her from the original story—but also a little different.

Not in a bad way. Unlike how perfectly unreal she felt in the book, the Ridel sitting in front of me now felt a bit more human.

In other words, she was a bit more talkative.

Ridel seemed like someone who didn’t care at all about her surroundings. Throughout the treatment, whenever something crossed her mind, she asked me right away.

“Your eyes are really beautiful. Haven’t you been told that before, Healer?”

Even things like that.

Hearing the female lead say that to me was honestly overwhelming.

I forced myself to suppress the smile threatening to form and answered,

“It’s the most common color in the empire.”

That wasn’t just something I said—green eyes really were as common as the emerald-colored seawater surrounding Bellachen.

There were subtle differences, of course, but it wasn’t a rare color.

‘Of course, when it’s on that face, it’s a different story…….’

The same color became special on Ridel’s face.

‘Because Ridel herself is special…….’

Just as I was getting lost in thought again, another question from Ridel came flying in.

“How long have you worked in Bellachen, Healer?”

“A little over two years.”

One good thing was that I actually enjoyed talking with Ridel. Her solid, sun-like energy kept the conversation from becoming tiring.

“How long do you think I’ve been here?”

“One day?”

“That’s correct. How did you know?”

“I heard the admiral was coming to Bellachen. People here really care about rumors.”

“It seems there’s much to learn about Bellachen’s culture. You’ve been here a long time, so you must know Bellachen well?”

“I’d like to say that, but I’m always at the infirmary, so I only know part of it.”

“That seems like such a waste of time in Bellachen.”

“I think so too.”

“Bellachen really is a beautiful city.”

“Cities surrounded by such beautiful seas aren’t common.”

As I responded enthusiastically even while treating her, Ridel smiled softly, clearly pleased.

“I don’t know how you’ll feel since this is our first meeting, but I think we get along quite well, Healer.”

“I’m honored to hear that. Now, please hold your arm like this for a moment.”

Even while I stood up briefly to grab my tools, Ridel didn’t stop talking.

“If I get the chance, I’d love to travel every corner of Bellachen. If I have time, of course.”

“I hope you do get the time.”

“I like traveling alone. I hear most people enjoy going around with someone they like. Are you the same, Healer?”

Her tone made romance sound like someone else’s problem. It really was fitting for a romance novel’s protagonist.

After all, the classic trope is a main character who isn’t interested in love until she meets the male lead.

But then—

“Are you engaged or married, Healer?”

The moment she asked that with innocent curiosity, even I—who hadn’t hesitated once during the conversation—froze.

I blinked.

‘She doesn’t know.’

Who I was.
Who my fiancé was.

Could I…… tell her?

I hesitated for the time it took to blink three times. But in that moment, Ridel seemed to decide her question had been rude.

“You don’t have to answer! That’s my first slip-up in Bellachen…….”

For the first time, a flustered look crossed Ridel’s otherwise carefree face. Even though I said it was fine, she firmly prevented me from answering and changed the subject.

In the meantime, the treatment finished. Seeing how much better the wound looked than when she arrived, Ridel’s eyes sparkled.

“As expected, wounds from the sea should be treated by the sea. Your skills are impressive.”

“You flatter me. There are so many excellent healers.”

“You’re the best healer I’ve seen.”

“Try seeing another healer next time. You might change your mind.”

Ridel laughed brightly and added,

“Whenever I see people with holy power, I always think of my younger sibling. Their holy power was so strong—once in a hundred years—that our parents deliberately sealed it.”

“They sealed it? That must’ve been an amazing sibling!”

I responded with wide eyes.

Wait—did Ridel even have a sibling? I didn’t remember one appearing in the original story……

“Yes. But they went to the sky when they were young.”

……So that’s why they never appeared.

When I couldn’t find the right words and trailed off awkwardly, Ridel quickly waved her hand.