When My Enemies Began to Regret Chapter 177 - Side Story (9)

Carl was aware that Fanora’s heavy makeup and tied-up hair were merely disguises to change her appearance, but he couldn’t help stealing glances at her, liking even the altered atmosphere around her.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“That… your lips painted red. I really like it…”

 

“Do you want to try it on too?”

 

“Ah, that’s not what I meant.”

 

It was a somewhat sunny day. Fanora had her hair tied up and wore a wide-brimmed cream hat to cover her face, while Carl wore a simple robe as before. Fanora’s wig made from her hair would get damaged from the salty sweat in such weather, so until they bought a new one, there was no other choice.

 

“You look good in it, Lady Fanora.”

 

“You might suit red even better, don’t you think? It’s practically your signature color.”

 

“I don’t like anything sticky, so I wouldn’t want to put it on. You left the cream in the room anyway.”

 

“Then, I can share what’s on my lips.”

 

“Gasp!”

 

“Haha, just kidding.”

 

As they slowly walked towards the lake under the warm sunlight, they whispered jokes to each other, resembling any other couple you might see anywhere.

 

“How can you still blush so red from a single joke?”

 

The woman, amused by her companion’s flushed ears, smiled brightly under the shade of her hat.

 

“It’s ridiculous at this point.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“No, it’s just funny how someone so innocent can get addicted to bad habits, bothering me every single night without fail.”

 

“That… did I bother you?”

 

“Don’t pretend to ask like you didn’t know. You should be able to tell whether I’m joking or serious by looking into my eyes that know the truth.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“Well, thanks to that, at least the number you need to fight decreased…”

 

Fanora moved slowly with a smile as clear as a summer sky. Today, the weather was good, and her mood was too.

 

“Is that the lake?”

 

Soon, they arrived at the village lake. However, it seemed others had the same idea, as all the boats were already taken.

 

“There are a lot of people.”

 

“W-what should we do? All the boats are rented out.”

 

It seemed as if all the couples in the village had gathered here. The lakeside was crowded. Fanora wasn’t too surprised, considering it was a beautiful place, but Carl was anxious about not being able to go boating as planned.

 

Then Fanora suggested, “How about we take a walk until a boat becomes available?”

 

Carl nodded at her suggestion.

 

There was a small forest of deciduous trees around the lake. They began a short walk along this forest path. The scenery wasn’t bad, with the greenery of the trees and the clear water of the lake blending together.

 

Even a small lake is this beautiful, so how splendid must the sea at the edge of the south be?

 

Fanora, who had never seen the sea from the inland, dreamed of the famous Seom coastal line with a vague longing. However, her thoughts on the sea were soon interrupted by a more interesting scene.

 

“Lady Fanora, what’s wrong?”

 

“…”

 

“Do you know them?”

 

As Fanora stared out towards the forest edge, Carl followed her gaze and quietly asked who they were looking at. But Fanora soon shook her head and replied.

 

“Carl, what do you think their relationship is?”

 

“Perhaps father and child? Or close relatives?”

 

“That must be it. You wouldn’t carry a stranger on your shoulders like that.”

 

Far away, a small child rode on the shoulders of a mustached man, straddling his neck like a horse.

 

Fanora watched quietly before speaking, “I wonder what it feels like to ride on someone’s shoulders. Count Celsius, the countess, even the nanny hired for a short time when I was a child, none of them ever did that for me.”

 

“Do you envy them?”

 

“Just a bit…”

 

It was more of a regretful feeling.

 

As she trailed off, Carl asked, “Should I do it for you?”

 

“You? Ride on your shoulders?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“It’s okay. I’m not a child. And how are you going to carry a grown woman like me? You might break your neck if you’re not careful.”

 

Fanora lightly laughed off Carl’s offer, and then her laughter turned into a short scream.

 

“Since wearing a skirt makes it hard to ride in the middle…”

 

“Kyaa!”

 

“How about riding like this?”

 

Fanora screamed unexpectedly because Carl suddenly bent down and lifted her up from nearby.

 

“No, you!”

 

“Would you like to put your hands on my other shoulder, or would you rather hold onto my head?”

 

“Wait a minute!”

 

Normally, one side of a person’s shoulder is too narrow a space for an adult to sit. She thought it would be shaky and risky, but to her surprise, it felt unexpectedly stable, thanks to Carl wrapping his arms around Fanora’s thighs and knees.

 

“You’re too high up!”

 

It wasn’t like she was on a high cliff, just a bit higher up than usual because of sitting on someone’s shoulder. Yet, to Fanora, being on his shoulder felt perilously high and scary, as if riding a wooden horse for the first time was giving her a dizzying yet awkward sensation.

 

“It’s too high…”

 

But soon, a smile appeared on her face. Fanora laughed without realizing it. It felt like making up for what she should have experienced in her childhood, laughing freely like a child.

 

“Now I understand why children want to climb onto their father’s shoulders.”

 

Her first horseback ride was quite enjoyable. Soon, with a satisfied expression, Fanora descended to the ground.

 

“Carl, you’re really strong. Doesn’t your shoulder hurt?”

 

“Not at all!”

 

It was good there were no people around, or else they might have attracted attention. Knowing this, Fanora continued to smile softly. Carl was such a person who brought back the forgotten laughter in her life, making him a perfect companion to spend life with.

 

“So, how was it? Did you enjoy it?”

 

“Carl, you must have experienced this when you were young. Just think of it as feeling the same.”

 

However, a moment later, Fanora stopped smiling at Carl’s next response.

 

“You? I’ve never done this before.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You know what my family was like. There wasn’t exactly a close relationship between parents and children, and I never thought of wanting to ride in someone’s arms or anything like that…”

 

He explained that he vaguely remembered the eldest son of Andras trying to give something similar when he was young, but as a child, he wasn’t interested and dismissively refused.

 

“So you’ve never ridden someone’s arms before?”

 

Then… After a brief moment of contemplation, her eyes sparkled.

 

“Why don’t you try it now? It’s really fun.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I’ll repay the favor. I can lift you up with Io.”

 

Fanora rolled up her sleeves as if she was about to lift him right then. But Carl frantically waved his hands in panic.

 

“No! No, thank you! How can I waste even a second of Lady Fanora’s lifespan for something like this!”

 

Carl said it was unthinkable to waste even a second of Fanora’s lifespan for such a trivial reason. Hearing this, the owner of Io shook her head and countered.

 

“My lifespan increased because of you, so what’s wrong with spending a few seconds for you?”

 

“Increased because of me…?”

 

“Carl, do you know?” She continued with a more serene face. “Since meeting you, I’ve changed a lot.”

 

Above them was the soft sound of wind blowing through the leaves.

 

“When I first returned, all I thought about was dying. I wanted to kill all those who seemed like enemies, and when I saw the pathetic me, I wanted to die right away.”

 

“…”

 

“But the one who breathed life into me, more than anyone else, was you.”

 

“…”

 

“You told me not to think about dying but to live happily.”

 

Fanora no longer showed the same fury filled with malice in her eyes as before. She was no longer bound by death. She seldom thought of the death of her enemies and even less of her own death. One reason for her change was undoubtedly the revenge she had carried out. Satisfactory revenge tends to dilute painful memories of the past. Hence, she no longer felt the urge to die. Even now, Fanora does not regret the revenge she has taken.

 

Although I once sneered, saying that there would be nothing left in me after getting revenge, now I think that easing my heart was the biggest gain.

 

But the reason for her change wasn’t just that. If she continued to treat life lightly, she would no longer be able to enjoy the company of a kind person named Carl. In fact, she had to change many aspects of her life to be with Carl.

 

“Carl, thanks to you, I’m living a bit more. Thank you.”

 

“Lady Fanora…”

 

“So, don’t dismiss it as nothing… Come here. I need to spend a few seconds of the lifespan you’ve extended right now.”

 

Perhaps it wasn’t that she had changed, but rather, she had finally returned to the perfect state she was when she was first born.

 

Returning from her thoughts, Fanora stretched her arms wide towards her partner. Carl reluctantly complied, and soon, hidden behind a large tree and away from people’s gazes, he experienced his first arm’s ride.

 

“Wow!”

 

“How is it? Much higher than you thought, right?”

 

Unexpectedly, viewing the world from someone’s shoulder, even as a grown adult, turned out to be quite fun.

 

“Since we’re worried about the cost of the holy relic, let’s keep it short.”

 

As they chatted and spent time together, the crowd near the lake gradually started to decrease. Everyone was leaving the lake, likely to prepare for dinner.

 

“It looks like a boat is available now, Lady Fanora!”

 

“Seems so.”

 

They went to the lake’s edge to find a boatman. The boatman took Fanora’s boat fare and asked a simple question.

 

“What’s the name of the person renting the boat?”

 

“Why do you need the name?”

 

“Well, it’s to record who took the boat and when they started renting it.”

 

“Rose.”

 

Fanora uttered a common pseudonym she used and headed to the boat where Carl was waiting.

 

Carl, who had already seated himself in the boat, greeted her with a bright smile. “A boat this size can be easily rowed by me alone. Please, take a seat!”

 

Fanora carefully gathered her skirt and stepped onto the boat. As Carl began to row, Fanora took in the slowly changing landscape of the lake.

 

Ah, water striders.

 

Though it was her first time boating, it wasn’t a bad experience. The blue lake was dotted with lotus flowers and large leaves floating leisurely, with creatures swimming between them, offering a sense of peace to the observer.

 

I wonder how they manage to float so well on water. How cute.

 

But then, while Fanora was distracted by the water’s surface, there was someone who kept staring at her side face.

 

“…”

 

Carl stopped rowing and seemed nervous, fumbling with his lips. He had something to say to Fanora but waited until boating was over and the sun was setting to speak up.

 

“Lady Fanora, I have something to tell you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“That… well…”

 

Only the two of them were left on the lake. Carl stopped the boat in the middle of the lake, facing the woman across from him, and cautiously began to speak.

 

“Lady Fanora, you might not be interested in this kind of thing, and the situation isn’t great right now… But the war will end someday, and we’ll continue to live together. So, there’s something I need to agree on with Lady Fanora…” He struggled to express his inner thoughts, circling around the main point.

 

“What’s the main point of what you want to say?” Fanora, unable to wait any longer, pressed him for his intentions.

 

Then, Carl closed his eyes tightly, took out something from within his robe, and said, “Will you marry me?”

 

“…”

 

“I wanted to make sure to propose, no matter when it might be.”

 

However, the object Carl handed her was not the typical token of engagement. In Kasius and its surrounding kingdoms, it’s common to offer a ring for a proposal, but Carl presented a dagger instead.

 

“…Is this a replacement for a ring?” Fanora examined the ornately sheathed dagger embellished with jewels.

 

Carl, unsure of himself, lowered his head and explained, “Ah, that! Actually, I’ve been thinking about proposing for a few days now. But you don’t wear jewelry because it feels awkward, right? So…”

 

“So?”

 

“I was wondering what would make you happy as a proposal gift…”

 

A dagger can be carried around for self-defense, he reasoned sheepishly, adding that this blade was bought by selling the family sword he cherished during their fugitive life, so it was quite valuable.

 

“Family sword? You didn’t sell the sword you were carrying, did you?”

 

“I exchanged it for a cheaper weapon. A-any weapon can kill a person anyway…” Carl stuttered, lacking confidence in his gift choice. “Did I make a mistake? Maybe a plain ring would have been better?”

 

Not flowers, not a ring. Perhaps Carl Andras was the only person in all of Kasius who would use a dagger for a proposal. But Fanora, holding the dagger he gave her, slowly softened her expression.

 

“You’ve always been like that.”

 

“Yes?”

 

She saw a fox overlaid on the dagger in her hand. One autumn day, years ago, during a fox hunt in Kasius, he brought her a black fox. He always considered what the recipient would truly enjoy rather than the value of the gift when giving presents. Fanora liked his kindness more than a hundred foxes or an expensive diamond ring.

 

“… I’m happy.”

 

“!”

 

“I was planning on proposing in a conventional way by giving a ring, but I can’t believe you made such a wonderful proposal first.”

 

She reflected the dagger’s blade on the water’s surface, then gave him the answer he most wanted to hear. “Yes, Carl. Be my husband.”

 

At that moment, Fanora thought. Just as he considered their deal the greatest fortune of his life, she was fortunate to have him as her accomplice.

 

Carl covered his face, flushed red with joy at Fanora’s acceptance. Thus, they completed their private wedding promise on the lake at sunset.

 

* * *

The end of a day that could be considered romantic, now that they had also promised marriage.

 

“Shall we head back?”

 

After boating, the two, holding hands warmly, walked through the darkened streets back to the inn.

 

The first thing Fanora did upon returning to their room was to write in her diary. As she had planned before arriving in this region, she discarded the old diary and began filling a newly bought notebook.

 

I didn’t expect to start the diary with such good news on the first page. She first wrote in a style very different from the format she used to write the midnight novel before. But even so, Fanora secretly hoped the end of this diary would be like the conclusion of a cliché novel.  If her life were a novel, now would be a good time to end it with such words.

 

I hope tomorrow brings something good too.

 

And they lived happily ever after.

 

Fanora smiled at the typical line from romance novels as she wrote.

 

The end of the side story.