GDTEA Chapter 75

A Kiss

Her heart pounded wildly.

Having faithfully played her role like Ren, Sharti had uttered embarrassing lines, but now she couldn’t raise her face due to the delayed wave of shyness washing over her.

‘Was that too much?’

Regret flooded in as soon as she finished those awkward lines.

Unable to face the consequences of her over-immersion—though different from Ren’s—Sharti kept her head down while hugging Ren’s neck more tightly.

Thanks to this, only the corners of Ren’s lips trembled slightly.

‘But isn’t it too quiet?’

As her mind gradually cleared, Sharti became alarmed by the silence surrounding them.

‘Did I really go too far?’

She had been asked to play the princess, but abruptly changed roles to an animal that wasn’t even human, which probably shocked the children.

Even thinking simply, the setting of an abandoned, hated deer might be too dark for children to accept.

‘And instead of choosing the prince, I chose the Demon King—how surprised they must be.’

It was an ending that didn’t match children’s preferences for cool, shining protagonists like heroes or princes.

They might feel betrayed, claiming this wasn’t a proper fairy tale, and burst into louder tears.

‘I should apologize.’

As Sharti slowly relaxed her body, fighting through her embarrassment, she thought it would be better to communicate through Ashu so as not to startle the children further.

Just as she awkwardly withdrew her arms and gestured to Ren to put her down.

“…So the deer’s prince is the Demon King…”

“Ah! That’s why he did the princess carry!”

The children, their tears suddenly stopped, rushed toward Ren and began chattering like baby birds.

“They say you can only do a princess carry if you really like someone!”

“I think to the Demon King, the deer is the princess!”

The children’s eyes sparkled brightly as they looked at Ren.

“Demon King mister is so cool…!”

The children were completely captivated by this fairy tale that, although darker than stories with princes on white horses, was deeply moving.

The girls, especially, had a strong reaction.

“So that’s why the deer is covering its face with such a long hood!”

“Oh! The blindfold and the deer’s clothes are similar colors! The Demon King must have dressed her!”

The children were too young to understand the deep emotions between men and women. They were at an age where they simply pointed out what they saw and let their imaginations run wild.

Above all, the size difference between Ren’s large frame and Sharti’s slender body appeared more realistic to the children than illustrations in a fairy tale book.

The children’s soft cheeks turned rosy as they looked at Ren and Sharti, like ripening persimmons.

“Then did the Demon King take the deer away because we hated it?”

“Yes! Because it’s a poor deer hated by people!”

“Waah, did we bully the Demon King without knowing that?”

Unexpectedly, the children began to seriously immerse themselves in the setting Sharti had created.

Gone was the look in their eyes that saw him as a villain to be defeated. All that remained were the innocent round eyes of pure children, sniffling with regret as they looked at Ren.

That’s when the youngest girl opened her mouth wide and grabbed Ren’s pants.

“Then is Demon King mister the deer princess’s prince?”

While Sharti blushed at the innocent, wide-eyed question, Ren extended the arm supporting Sharti’s knees and gently patted the child’s head.

Joy was evident in the corners of his mouth, his tone, and his touch.

The child beamed with a wide smile at the gentle patting from his large, kind hand.

“Then Demon King mister has to do a kissy!”

“What’s that?”

When Ren asked, not understanding the child’s expression, the surrounding children puckered their lips together.

“A kiss!”

“…!”

Ren and Sharti froze, unable to even react.

The children clapped their hands and agreed enthusiastically, facing the two motionless adults.

“Fairy tales always end like that!”

“You have to say, ‘And they lived happily ever after,’ too!”

The illustration of protagonists reaching their happy ending was always a kiss. Somehow, the kiss illustration had become the perfect fairy tale ending.

‘T-t-that’s going too far…!’

Sharti closed her eyes tightly at the children’s expectant gazes and quickly escaped from Ren’s arms.

The cold breeze that seeped into his now-empty embrace brought Ren back to his senses.

“Right.”

“…!”

Sharti was startled by Ren’s affirmative answer and looked back at him hesitantly.

However, Ren didn’t look at Sharti but lowered his body to meet the children’s eye level.

“But I can’t do it now.”

“Why not?”

Facing the children’s innocent curiosity, Ren closed his mouth momentarily.

Before those clear, transparent eyes, Ren was uncharacteristically tense. He desperately pondered an answer that would best preserve their innocence.

Then he opened his mouth solemnly.

“…If I kiss her, the princess will turn back into a deer.”

“Gasp!”

As the hidden setting was revealed, a great realization crossed the children’s faces.

The youngest girl among the serious children tilted her head.

“Does Demon King mister not like the deer?”

Ren laughed softly and poked the girl’s cheek with his index finger.

“There are many people here. I must protect the deer princess.”

“Wow! Demon King mister is so cool!”

The girl stamped her feet excitedly, completely captivated by his perfect response.

Boys who had dreamed of becoming heroes and girls who had waited for princes all gazed at Ren with admiring eyes.

Seeing the children’s explosive reaction, Ren thought for a moment. A good opportunity had presented itself.

“Is there anyone who will help make sure no one hates the deer?”

“Me!”

“M-me too!”

“Me tooo!”

The children raised their hands high.

“How brave.”

The children nodded with eager faces at Ren’s acknowledgment.

They looked just like little knights who had been given a mission.

“Then from now on, tell everyone that the deer is very kind, diligent, cool, pretty, and— mmph!”

Sharti quickly ambushed Ren from behind, covering his mouth with both hands.

“Ren, really…!”

Sharti’s face was so flushed red that one might worry she would fall ill with fever. However, from the children’s eye level, it looked like Sharti was riding on Ren’s back.

Even the reddish cheeks slightly visible beneath her hood looked like shyly blooming flower petals.

The children solemnly looked at each other.

“Let’s hurry and tell everyone!”

“We shouldn’t hate the deer!”

“Let’s help the Demon King mister!”

“…?”

Before Sharti could react, the children had already run off in all directions.

Could such short legs move so quickly?

Sharti gaped blankly at the backs of the children running with their sense of mission.

In the end, unable to do anything, Sharti withdrew her hands and quietly buried her face in them.

‘How did things escalate this far…?’

Sharti had merely played along with the role-play, but the children had taken it to heart.

This was the result of underestimating the pure innocence of children.

“Hmm.”

Ren stood up, anticipating the enthusiastic little knights’ activities. With a satisfied smile, he turned to look at Sharti.

“Now no one will mind your voice, Sha.”

Sharti’s eyes widened.

“Because those little ones won’t forgive anyone who hates the deer.”

“……”

The ones who feared and avoided Sharti’s terrible frog-like voice the most were the children.

If such children showed that they followed and cared for Sharti, other people’s perceptions would change too.

It was a perfect ending that both protected the children’s innocence and considered Sharti’s feelings.

“……”

Sharti, who had been blinking blankly, burst into laughter.

Whether it was a fairy tale or not, regardless of roles or situational acting, Ren was just Ren.

That one newly realized fact made her laugh.

“…Um, Doctor.”

Ashu, whose presence had disappeared as soon as the children became interested in the Demon King rather than the prince, carefully walked between Sharti and Ren.

Ren inwardly clicked his tongue as Ashu interrupted the rare moment when Sharti was smiling. Ignoring him had been pointless.

‘He must have seen everything!’

Recalling how she had become the “deer princess” and even put on an awkward performance, Sharti desperately searched for a mouse hole to hide in again.

As Sharti mumbled and couldn’t raise her face, Ashu approached her first with a gentle smile.

“Thank you for playing with the children, Doctor. I think this will remain a good memory for them.”

As Ashu gently embraced her embarrassment, Sharti also felt more relaxed.

Habitually looking for her notepad, Sharti opened her mouth after a moment of hesitation.

“I hope so.”

“Of course. They learned a new fairy tale.”

Even after hearing Sharti’s voice, Ashu smiled as composedly as possible.

Ashu slightly pushed up his glasses and looked at Ren.

“It’s thanks to you playing along, assistant. You seem to have a talent for acting? I was surprised. How could you improvise so…”

“Acting?”

Ren tilted his head slightly with his arms crossed. Even without seeing, he could sense what kind of look Ashu was giving him.

After choosing his words for a moment, Ren chuckled.

“I was completely sincere, though.”

“……”

From the moment he sensed Ashu’s presence, from when Ashu was called to play the prince role, from when he tried to take Sharti away with clumsy acting—Ren had never been anything but sincere.

Ashu silently faced Ren.

Though Ashu had grown up hearing he was dull and awkward, he gained certainty from Ren’s attitude now.

“…Assistant, you never answered my request from last time.”

“That’s right.”

I thought you couldn’t answer because you were embarrassed…

Swallowing the rest of his words, Ashu clenched his fist and gathered courage.

“I was sincere too, which is probably why your acting felt so real.”

Ashu didn’t back down as usual. He didn’t avoid being overwhelmed by Ren’s presence.

He didn’t think his feelings were any less than Ren’s.

Sharti had previously visited the village alone. That meant that he, Ashu, had met Sharti first.

There was no reason to back down. Rather, Ashu learned from watching Ren. It became an opportunity to commit to expressing his feelings more actively.

“…Ha.”

He was so honest. The meaning of his words and the look in his eyes, though unseen, were blatant.

Ren wanted to remove his blindfold right then and cover Ashu’s eyes that were looking at Sharti, but he had to hold back.

It was in front of Sharti, and Ren still had no right to comment on Ashu’s feelings.

“We were perfectly matched for our roles, weren’t we?”

As Ren glared at Ashu through his blindfold, and Ashu maintained his smile while swallowing nervously, Sharti had quietly left the scene.

‘It’s better not to get involved.’

Sharti let out a long sigh.

Right now, she needed some time to herself, even if just for a moment.

‘I saw some unfamiliar herbs blooming in the village. I should go check them out.’

While observing and gathering herbs, she wouldn’t be swept away by complicated thoughts.

Sharti slowly began walking.

“Mom! Do you know the deer princess fairy tale?”

“What’s that?”

Sharti tightly wrapped her face with her hood, kept her head down, and ran quickly.

She needed to get to a place with few people.

After avoiding the children by passing through a secluded village alley, Sharti found the herb she wanted.

‘This really has a strange shape.’

It was an unusual herb with several purple bud-shaped leaves.

Sharti crouched down in front of the herb blooming in the narrow alley and took out her notebook.

‘The scent is like a typical poisonous herb.’

It was strange that such a vividly colored and showy herb wasn’t well-known.

Sharti drew the shape of the herb in her notebook.

‘Seeing it growing throughout the village, maybe it’s not that poisonous?’

Although not commonly seen in Ashu’s village, considering it was poisonous, there were quite a few.

‘I’ll dig it up for now.’

Sharti took out her shovel.