As everything has cause and effect, retribution is bound to follow every cause. That is the way of the world.
Those who deceive and toy with the hearts of others will eventually pay for their misdeeds.
Hilde was no exception.
She claimed she couldn’t accept Friede’s feelings because she liked Friet.
This was nothing but a deceitful excuse without a shred of sincerity. It was nothing more than a forced lie to get out of the situation.
If she has distorted others’ feelings with her false act, naturally, the price must come due.
Unbeknownst to Hilde, the consequences of her lies were already crushing her fate.
No, it was dragging her in.
A future she could not escape, one she had walked into willingly. Toward the life of a nest moaning under the weight of a crow.
It was a fatal mistake.
To refuse Friede’s confession by bringing up her love for Friet.
Of course, this was a matter Hilde would have to take responsibility for in the future.
When that time comes, she might regret today’s events, but at least for now, it was an effective excuse to escape this situation.
Why, you ask?
“Um, Hilde, I, uh… ah, ahh.”
Of course, right now, Friede was in no position to reveal she was actually Friet.
Delighted by Hilde’s confession that she liked Friet, Friede had tried to reveal her true identity.
“What’s wrong? Why did you stop…?”
“Uh, nothing, um….”
However, just as Friede was about to reveal her identity, a realization flashed through her mind like a lightning bolt, sealing her lips shut.
“Wait, I can’t say this…!”
Friede suddenly understood what it would mean to reveal that she was actually Friet at this point.
“I’ve been acting like I didn’t know her and throwing all kinds of charming antics, and now I’m supposed to admit I’m Friet? Am I insane? What did I expect? Logically, this can’t go well…!”
Confessing now would indeed be suicidal.
Didn’t she just say that those who deceive others will pay their dues? Friede couldn’t escape that truth either.
What had she done all this time?
Chasing after Brunhilde, who had left with harsh words, that could be forgiven… well, maybe not.
While it could be seen as a creepy obsession, if they truly liked each other, it might be excusable as a heavier form of love.
However, using the fact that she had unwittingly returned to her original body and name to sneak into the party acting like a stranger was pure deceit.
Even more so, she had hidden her true self while playing the shy yet cute same-age girl, cherishing the shady motive of wanting to get closer to Brunhilde.
While her gloomy, reclusive behavior up until now wasn’t entirely acting, it was roughly a 60:40 mix of her true self and her act.
What difference did it make to argue about where her nature ended and where her acting began?
What mattered now was that she had pretended to be a small, innocent adventurer girl to gain Brunhilde’s favor.
Thanks to that, getting knee pillows and head pats had become normal, only because Brunhilde had seen her as a younger girl lying about her age.
But if she were to discover that the cute Friede was the very same person known as Friet just months ago, what would Brunhilde think?
“She wouldn’t be happy… would she? No, she would be angry.”
After dozens of days of deceit and acting, disappointment and anger would outweigh the joy of reunion. That’s how people are.
That’s why Friede couldn’t summon the courage to confess her identity to Brunhilde.
Enduring the unprecedented humiliation was secondary; if Brunhilde’s affection turned to rage and contempt towards her, it would be disastrous.
If an enraged Brunhilde were to accuse her of deceit, what could Friede possibly say to defend herself?
With ten mouths, she wouldn’t have the words, let alone with just two.
The only option left would be to kneel and beg for forgiveness.
Even then, the possibility of a smooth resolution was slim, and it would more likely lead to a total split from Brunhilde.
“…Goodnight.”
Ultimately, Friede could only take a step back with a slightly downcast face.
Someday, she would have to reveal her true identity, but now was the worst time for it, so even if she wanted to, she had to hold back.
“Initially, revealing my identity now could make her leave again.”
The reason for closing her mouth was more than just that.
It wasn’t only about her own retribution but also the situation they were both in that made it impossible for Friede to reveal her identity.
“I had to say I had no choice but to leave Friet’s side.”
Didn’t Brunhilde confess that herself?
While she indeed had feelings for Friet, she had to bury those feelings and leave due to some practical issues.
And for Friede, there was only one reason why Brunhilde had to do so, in her opinion.
“There was no choice. It was probably because I wasn’t strong enough to be called a hero.”
At that time, Friet had been weak enough to be openly despised as the “incompetent hero.” What else could it be?
At that time, Friet’s abilities were only on par with the bottom-tier adventurers, despite carrying the grand title of “hero,” due to the mismatch between his body and senses.
Friede knew.
The reason Brunhilde had been part of the hero party was that there was a goal she could only achieve that way.
Hadn’t she told him that herself?
She had been sure she couldn’t achieve her goal while being by Friet’s side.
Seeing Brunhilde now living as an adventurer in hiding in the north even after leaving Gunther’s party made it seem like she had given up on that goal altogether.
“…But who knows? Brunhilde had never fully revealed her true feelings.”
There was no certainty in that.
She didn’t even know what Brunhilde’s wishes were, so how could she be sure if she had given up on them or merely postponed them?
All Friede could deduce was this.
If Brunhilde hadn’t given up on her wishes, there might come a time when she would suddenly leave again once a way to achieve them appeared.
“So, not yet.”
Not yet could she reveal her true nature.
Friede concluded that she had to establish trust with Brunhilde first before revealing she was the “hero” known as Friet.
To prove that unlike the incompetent hero she couldn’t depend on back then, she now had the strength and potential to help her achieve her goals.
There was still a long way to go.
Though Friede had experienced a dramatic rise in strength by returning to her original body, without the power of the Holy Sword, she was still just a high-tier silver adventurer.
Still at the level of a newcomer knight.
It was an unavoidable situation.
To grow stronger, she needed opportunities to battle formidable foes, yet up until now, there had scarcely been any such chances.
Hence, she couldn’t confess her true identity now.
To ensure Brunhilde wouldn’t leave her again, she needed to at least be competent enough not to fall behind other heroes.
Knowing this, Friede chose to simply bid her goodnight instead of climbing onto Hilde.
Suppressing her rising disappointment and impulses with hopes for the future.
◆◆
Is there a peculiar fortune for those marked by heroes?
The blessing called luck that had never smiled on Hilde offered Friede warmth not once, but twice.
What does that mean, you ask?
Simply put, her luck had been exceedingly good.
Going with a slightly sulky face, Friede bid her goodnight.
Unbeknownst to her, that decision was almost a divine stroke of genius.
If she had revealed herself as the hero Friet, Hilde would have immediately panicked, recalling Kim Seung-woo, the original protagonist.
It would have been a disaster considering that she was trying to assault Hilde while now inhabiting the body of a girl.
For Friede, it was infuriating… though that was indeed her objective, it led to a false accusation of unfairness in Hilde’s perspective.
After all, since coming to this world months ago, Hilde had firmly believed she had fallen into a novel where Kim Seung-woo was the protagonist.
Thus, if Friede confessed her true identity, it would naturally lead to shock and horror, causing her to run amok.
From Hilde’s perspective, it would be as if her whole essence, from her virginity to her heart, was at risk of being toyed with by the Korean soda pass.
However, instead of confessing, Friede kept her lips sealed with a bitter expression, which stirred a slight feeling of sympathy in Hilde instead of fear.
“Oh… um… did I go too far? I didn’t know she’d feel so down….”
Though Friede herself didn’t realize it, Hilde felt her expression looked so pitiful that she couldn’t help but think.
“Aren’t you going to leave the party? That’d be troublesome… I should comfort her a bit, right?”
That was Friede’s second stroke of fortune.
“Yeah, let’s do that. That’s acceptable…”
Seeing Friede’s back as she turned toward the bed, Hilde found herself rising from the couch without realizing it and approaching her.
“…Wait, Friede.”
And then—
Thud.
Hilde lightly grabbed Friede’s wrist as she was about to turn and pulled her in for a gentle embrace, throwing them both onto the bed.
“Whoa…?!”
The blanket and bedding swayed gently with their weight. Friede’s shocked gasp tickled Hilde’s collarbone as she softly embraced her.
“Hiee, Hi-Hilde? What’s with this sudden…?!”
Friede was taken aback, suddenly thrown onto the bed with her face buried in something soft.
The rich scent of lemon permeated her senses, penetrating her mind, as their skin touched, feeling scorching hot. She couldn’t find her bearings.
Seeing the stark change in Friede’s face, Hilde couldn’t help but laugh, moving slightly to lie in a position that brought them closer together.
“Should we sleep like this, just for today? Just today, after all.”
Breathlessly whispering the reason for her sudden embrace into Friede’s ear.
“Ah, whaaat?!”
Just for today, it was okay to sleep this close together.
For Hilde, it was quite an impulsive decision.
Had she not drunk, or even if she had but maintained her usual composure, it would have been a decision she wouldn’t have acted upon.
However, perhaps due to Friede’s unexpected confession of affection, the alcohol-induced courage surged within her, coloring her mind with impulsiveness.
“This much should be fine, right? I’m not trying anything weird, just a bit of comfort while we sleep. Right. It’s okay.”
By now, she had entrusted herself to her impulsive compassion rather than her rational judgment.
So.
“This will be tonight’s comfort… I can’t accept your love, but it’s okay if we just sleep close like this.”
With a flushed face from the alcohol, Hilde looked at Friede and chuckled, then gently spread the blanket over them both.
This was purely a one-night comfort, not of that “kind of comfort,” so she whispered not to misunderstand.
“So don’t make that face. I might get gloomy too, you know?”
“Whaaa….”
Friede couldn’t respond. It would be accurate to say she didn’t have the mental capacity to answer.
Between the two flimsy sheets, the soft yet elastic skin pressed against her, enveloping her whole being.
The mingling scents, the clinging sensations. The warmth of their bodies tinged by the drink. For a country girl with no past experiences in romance, it was far too stimulating.
How could she even sleep? What if her face exploded from embarrassment?
Trying to calm her racing heart that felt like it could explode, Friede squinted her eyes shut, taking deep breaths.
But every time she did, the thick lemon scent invaded her senses, making calming down all the more difficult.
“Uuuh….”
In truth, Hilde, unable to overcome her fatigue and the effects of the alcohol, readily fell asleep the moment she wrapped Friede in her embrace like a pillow.
Leaving behind only the completely awake Friede, who was wide-eyed, facing the dawn.
