The Duke Stole Everything - Chapter 60

Sharti headed towards the temporary lodging provided by the village.

Walking alone through the village late at night, she felt rather at ease.

The depressed mood had somehow washed away, becoming gentle waves.

‘I should apologize later.’

As she gathered her emotions, allowing for rational thinking, Sharti let out a deep sigh.

Thinking of Ashu, who must be flustered being left alone, she felt guilty.

‘I was too rude.’

She had impulsively confessed her ugly inner thoughts, poured out raw emotions she couldn’t handle herself, and then ran away. She also felt sorry for abruptly ending the walk he had suggested.

However, Sharti didn’t particularly regret it. In a way, it was Sharti’s method of drawing a line and maintaining distance. She had just been a bit too harsh and resolute with Ashu in that moment.

‘Why do I seem to be acting so impulsively lately?’

Sharti paused her steps for a moment to look up at the night sky.

The night sky was exceptionally beautiful in Ashu’s village. The stars densely embedded in the night sky twinkled as if ground magic stones had been sprinkled across the sky.

Under the countless twinkling stars, Sharti pressed her chest firmly.

‘I should be holding back, but I feel like I’m unconsciously loosening up.’

Sharti frowned.

She quietly scolded herself for letting her mental state become lax.

‘I need to be careful.’

However, the moment she opened the door to her temporary lodging, Sharti realized the cause.

“I was about to go look for you since you were taking so long.”

Ren, who had just been putting on his shoes, quickly approached.

With his keen eye, Ren noticed that Sharti’s body had grown cold and wrapped her in the blanket he had been holding at his side.

“I’ve kept the room warm. Let’s go inside, my lady.”

Sharti hesitantly stepped inside.

She could feel Ren’s breath, exhaled in relief, trembling slightly. He must have been waiting, worried about her the whole time.

Sharti rubbed her nose for no particular reason. It was confirmed without room for excuse that she was dependent on Ren’s presence.

‘I shouldn’t get used to this.’

She had already gotten used to it.

The image of Ren worrying about her came to mind naturally, and she could read the emotions in Ren’s impassive face as if it were obvious.

Even her muscles, stiff with tension, slowly relaxed like melting ice when she stood before Ren.

“…”

Meanwhile, Ren kept a sharp eye on the surroundings while holding the doorknob.

Just because they had become cooperative didn’t mean the watchful eyes had completely disappeared.

Ren clicked his tongue towards the outside with a crooked posture.

“How inconsiderate. To keep my master out until this late hour without a break after working all day, and then send her back alone.”

His voice was a bit loud for a mutter to himself.

Bang. After adequately pointing out Ashu’s lack of sensitivity, Ren immediately closed the door.

“Ren?”

As Sharti stood blankly in the middle of the room and called out, Ren strode back to her.

“Sit here.”

“First, my hands…”

“Never mind that.”

With a stubborn attitude, Ren sat Sharti on the bed and covered her with a blanket. Suddenly buried in a thick blanket, Sharti glanced at Ren’s expression.

Ren brought over a large basin he had prepared at some point. It was filled with water at a comfortably warm temperature.

Watching with disbelieving eyes, Sharti quickly shook her head.

“I’ll do it myself!”

As Ren naturally knelt down at the foot of the bed, rolling up his sleeves, Sharti was taken aback.

However, Ren paid no mind and soaked a towel in the washing water.

Holding the tightly wrung towel with both hands, Ren looked up at her blankly.

“If it gets any colder here, I’ll go warm it up again.”

Not only his attitude but also his expression was stubborn.

After hesitating, Sharti stopped arguing and held out her hands.

Fortunately, the water didn’t need to be reheated. Ren tilted his head slightly and wrapped her hands with the towel.

“The walk must have been enjoyable. Your hands are like ice, yet you came back so late.”

“…”

His tone clearly showed his displeasure.

“Umm, did Ren get some rest?”

“What else could I have done when my lady didn’t take me along or even look for me?”

Ren grumbled under his breath.

Sharti bit her lip. She could see his lips slowly pouting.

“I’m sorry.”

“You must have had a reason to leave me behind. I understand.”

His sulky expression didn’t suit his intense features.

“…But did you really have to leave me behind?”

Seeing Ren trying not to show it with a clearly upset face, Sharti finally let out a small laugh.

As Sharti’s robe rustled with her laughter, Ren made a sour expression.

“You worked hard all day, Ren. I wanted to let you rest.”

“The same goes for my lady.”

Ren kneaded her hands diligently.

Sharti looked down at her hands held by Ren. She could feel Ren’s grip strength through the towel.

Sharti rolled her eyes slightly and glanced at Ren. She could only see the top of Ren’s head as he concentrated on the massage.

‘His hair seems longer than when we first met.’

Sharti’s gaze was drawn to the dark brown hair that swayed slightly. Then she suddenly felt a small impulse.

She wanted to touch his hair.

If she did, Ren would surely raise his head and their eyes would meet.

‘…I, I must be tired! What am I thinking!’

Sharti snapped back to her senses as she imagined Ren’s gaze.

Sharti shook her head vigorously, struggling inwardly.

‘I might fall asleep again like last time at this rate. Wake up!’

Sharti widened her eyes and straightened her back.

“…Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

“Ah, no!”

“That’s good.”

Ren chuckled and released Sharti’s hands.

Then in the blink of an eye, he cradled Sharti’s feet.

“R-Ren! I’ve had enough!”

“I haven’t had enough.”

Ren wrapped Sharti’s feet and legs with the towel in a familiar posture and began to massage them.

It was still a skillful massage that would involuntarily elicit groans.

Sharti, who had been squirming to pull her feet away, gave up and closed her eyes tightly. She could feel that Ren’s massage skills had improved in the meantime.

‘Is he researching massage techniques separately?’

Thanks to Ren’s massage, the symptoms of soreness and stiffness in her legs after long walks had significantly decreased.

The same went for her hands. Sharti clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly.

She was also becoming accustomed to the changes in her body after Ren’s massages.

Many things had changed due to Ren’s presence, and Sharti had already grown used to those changes.

“How was today?”

“What do you mean?”

Ren asked back while still focusing on the massage.

“You went out, didn’t you?”

“…”

Ren looked up.

“You should have had bandages, but you were able to move freely outside, and though it was a short time, you must have visited several villages, seen people, met them, and talked with them.”

“…”

“I’m curious how it was.”

Ren is an amnesiac patient. And someone who will leave someday.

Instead of the fake name ‘Ren’, he will reclaim his real name and return to his original life.

Although she had grown accustomed to him and was gradually changing due to his influence, in the end, she would be alone again someday.

Sharti reminded herself of reality once more and tried to gather her loosening heart.

“Did anything, you know, come back to you?”

“Well…”

Ren resumed focusing on the massage with an impassive face.

This time, Sharti avoided Ren’s touch.

“Ren? Look at me.”

For a moment, Ren’s voice had sounded incredibly cynical, so Sharti looked at him with a worried expression.

As expected, Ren’s expression wasn’t good when he reluctantly raised his head.

“Did something happen?”

Ren let out a long, silent sigh.

Seeing his face that somehow looked dark, Sharti half-raised her body.

Sharti reached out and pulled Ren’s arm.

There was no need to use force. Ren obediently raised his body and sat next to her on the bed as she led.

“Why, did someone treat you rudely? Or did you really remember something…?”

“Sha-.”

“Yes.”

Ren couldn’t easily open his mouth. Sharti felt her lips dry up with anxiety.

Because of this, Sharti didn’t notice Ren slightly leaning his body closer.

“It was peaceful. The village, the people, the atmosphere, everything.”

Ren murmured bitterly, lowering his gaze.

“A sense of belonging, a sense of community. I’ve never had them, never felt them before, but today I saw them with my own eyes for the first time.”

“…”

“And at the same time, I realized. That I am a being who cannot belong to those things.”

His self-deprecating monologue was pitiful.

Sharti unconsciously reached out her hand. But her awkwardly extended hand stopped in mid-air.

‘What words would be comforting?’

After some consideration, Sharti gathered her courage and patted the back of Ren’s hand.

“It’s because you don’t have your memories. When you find them, it will be different.”

Sharti persistently patted his large hand, which could never be covered by her small one.

Ren shook his head.

“What if it’s not? What if I’m still empty even after finding my memories?”

Sharti was quite surprised inwardly.

It was an extremely negative and skeptical response.

“What if I’m an even more pathetic person than I am now after finding my memories? What if the memories I’ve been trying to find are actually my shameful past?”

Terrible loneliness. Vague fear. Evident resignation.

As close as they had become, Ren’s emotions were clearly readable.

“Do you know what I thought while wandering alone today?”

Ren spoke self-deprecatingly.

“Even as I met people and visited new places, I thought it was fortunate that no memories came back.”

“…!”

“I like who I am now. It’s not that my subconscious is rejecting it, but my current will is like that. I don’t want to find what I’ve lost.”

It was a statement coldly cutting off the past that had already gone by without looking back.

The chilling demeanor that seemed likely to linger in her mind for a long time caused Sharti a sharp pain.

At that moment, Ren turned his head towards Sharti.

He was smiling. It was a slightly sorrowful smile, as if reassuring her that it was okay.

“The little doctor said it, didn’t she? That I, ‘Ren’, am a ‘good person’. But… When I regain my memories, all the emotions I felt and realized while being with you, Sha, might fade away.”

Ren confessed that he was afraid of no longer appearing as a ‘good person’ in the eyes of the pure child.

He was worried that if he found his memories, the present and the past would mix and become turbid.

As Ren closed his eyes tightly, Sharti’s heart burned with worry.

‘It’s just speculation.’

But Sharti was at a loss for words and couldn’t offer any rebuttal.

There was no certainty with the variable of memories.

Lacking in eloquence, she couldn’t think of words to comfort Ren.

‘It’s Ren’s memories anyway. It’s not for a doctor, let alone an outsider, to interfere with the patient’s decision.’

Then what was that pain earlier?

It was unclear why she herself felt hurt by Ren’s cold words saying that a past he couldn’t remember was unnecessary.

‘…He promised.’

[The me who finds his memories can’t be ‘Ren’. That doesn’t mean the current me will disappear. At least, Sha, I won’t disappear without a word in front of you.]

Even recalling Ren’s promise didn’t quell the stirring in her heart.

As Ren stared at such a Sharti, he quietly flipped his hand over to grasp her palm.

“And there’s one more thing I felt.”

“…?”

Ren gently shook Sharti’s hand.

“That I’m glad to have a place to return to.”

“…”

“Because you, Sha, are there where I return.”

At that moment, Sharti’s gaze turned to her hand intertwined with Ren’s.

The trembling transmitted through the large palm tickled her.

Sharti slowly raised her gaze to look at Ren.

“So I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.”

“…”

As their relationship grew closer, Sharti came to know many things about Ren and could distinguish his emotions. As much as Sharti had changed, as much as she had made her change, Ren had also changed due to Sharti’s influence, but she couldn’t help but notice the difference in those changes as well.

Sharti was quick-witted.

Sharti didn’t bother to pull her hand away and felt the trembling transmitted from him for a long time.

It was a night of many thoughts.

[This is the timeline separator]

Three days later, the main gate of Ashu’s village opened wide.

Dozens of mercenaries with fierce expressions and exuding a ferocious aura had visited the hidden village.

The village chief’s mouth gradually opened at the enormous crowd.

“So, so many… Ahem, welcome.”

With tension evident on his face, the village chief formally greeted Bireta and the mercenary group.

And at the head of the mercenary group was someone Sharti knew well.

“I heard my child is here.”

It was Bireta.

She had come running, trusting only Sharti’s single note.