GDTEA Chapter 100

Are You Lovers?

When Sharti and Ren gave different responses about their marital status, the soldier who had brought it up glanced around uneasily.

Belatedly noticing the silver rings on Sharti and Ren’s left ring fingers, the soldiers began to understand.

They exchanged glances among themselves, worried that Sharti might feel embarrassed.

“Even if not now, if there’s potential for development, you can write it down in advance!”

“If you register as married on your identification, you won’t need to prepare a marriage certificate separately.”

“N-no. It’s fine.”

“…….”

As eyes focused on her, Sharti’s face heated up.

‘We’re not even in a relationship yet.’

To think they already looked like that—or even more intimate.

Sharti rubbed the document paper firmly to suppress her flush.

The fact that she was being mistaken as Ren’s wife was embarrassing yet not unpleasant, making her feel strangely awkward.

“For now, I appreciate your kindness. I didn’t expect you to care this much about something I did naturally as a doctor. Rather, I’m sorry that my existence seems to have increased the lies you soldiers have to tell.”

“Not at all! Please don’t say such things, Doctor!”

“Yes! There’s nothing for you to be sorry about.”

When Sharti bowed her head deeply, the soldiers exchanged uncomfortable glances with each other.

Only Tristan sighed briefly as if he had expected Sharti’s reaction.

Just as they were about to give up, he noticed the slave struggling beside her.

Hmm. If they were close enough to share matching rings, surely they had developed some affection for each other.

“Doctor, I heard you took a runaway slave with you on this medical trip.”

To be precise, since Sharti had left for the medical trip and there was no one at home, they assumed she would have taken that seemingly devoted runaway slave with her.

“In fact, runaway slaves receive such harsh punishment that their leg bones are broken on the spot the moment they’re caught.”

“……What?”

As Sharti’s face turned pale, Ren immediately glared at Tristan. His eyes demanded to know why he was scaring Sharti with unnecessary words.

In any case, just like last time, that runaway slave certainly had no fear.

Tristan was incredulous but deliberately didn’t acknowledge Ren’s gaze.

“If a soldier like us had visited the village where you stayed for medical treatment to check the town’s security, your slave would have been caught on the spot. And if there was evidence that you had been harboring a runaway slave… I don’t need to spell it out for you.”

Sharti’s expression darkened as she slowly nodded.

Tristan had only stated facts. That made the current situation—where Tristan and the soldiers before them were letting her and Ren off—seem all the more unreal.

“-Sha.”

Ren tightly grasped Sharti’s anxious hand.

Below the two exchanging worried glances, Tein clenched his fist firmly and shouted.

“Ren is a good person!”

At the child’s pure and righteous courage insisting he shouldn’t be taken away, Tristan smiled.

“Isn’t who he is told by his status?”

To add to that, the same went for the status of the guardian harboring a runaway slave.

If Sharti was a doctor with an Academy certificate, the soldiers wouldn’t pry even if she was keeping a slave or two.

That was the perception within the Empire.

“…….”

Sharti couldn’t answer immediately.

She understood it intellectually, but accepting it wasn’t easy.

‘If we continue living in hiding and always running away, there’s no need to make a fake identification.’

But if asked whether she wanted to live like that now, Sharti still couldn’t answer.

She no longer had to use uncomfortable written communication to hide her terrible voice, and thanks to the magic device, she could remove the stuffy robe and show her face.

Now she wasn’t much different from other ordinary women.

‘Most importantly…….’

Sharti’s gaze traveled up along the large hand.

She was most tempted by the fact that ‘Ren’ would have an identity.

Wouldn’t that mean the existence named ‘Ren’ would be officially recognized?

Just as the scales in Sharti’s complicated heart began to tip to one side, Tristan stepped back.

“We plan to leave the village early tomorrow morning. You just need to give us your answer by then, so please think it over.”

“……Thank you.”

Fate was truly an unknowable thing.

To see how a brief encounter and parting could circle around and return to become deeply intertwined.

‘They are soldiers of the Neweiton Empire, and I am an illegitimate child of a ruined nation who should disappear.’

As long as she didn’t reveal her identity, she could become just another ordinary woman, recognized solely for her skills without prejudice.

A wave of sadness passed through her momentarily, but more than that, her heart pounded.

An ordinary woman. Her heart raced rapidly following that simple, unremarkable resonance.

“…….”

Sharti silently watched the soldiers descending the mountain.

‘If I have an identity, could I even board a ship?’

Could she board the ships from Tein’s storybook and arrive at some beach, seeing the sea from the street children’s songs in Krianet?

Of course, since her fake identity could be exposed at any time, she would have to remain vigilant and careful of her surroundings, but at least she could dream.

“Sha, if you’re worried because of me…….”

Ren, who had been watching the contemplative Sharti, fidgeted with their clasped hands with a troubled expression.

Sharti belatedly looked back at Ren and shook her head.

“Let’s go inside first. Ren’s luggage is heavy, yet I kept you standing.”

“Ren is very strong!”

Entering the small log cabin after so long, Sharti chuckled softly.

“Tein, did Virena come here to clean while we were gone?”

“Yes! I helped sister too!”

“Thank you, Tein. I should go thank Virena too.”

Tein’s small head bobbed excitedly this way and that.

Sharti left Tein with Ren and went to wash up first.

Splash-.

To commemorate returning home, she inserted a mana stone into the bathtub to warm the water and soaked her body.

‘Ah, I feel alive…….’

The scent of winter wind, grass smell, and mountain air all washed away in the warm water.

Sharti moved her sufficiently relaxed body this way and that in the bathtub.

“…….”

As she pressed firmly around the hideous scars on her legs and arms, it was noisy outside the bathroom.

It seemed Tein and Ren had started the conversation they hadn’t been able to have.

‘Tein follows Ren quite well.’

Ren too. Perhaps both of them lacked same-sex friends to talk with.

Sharti chuckled as she finished washing.

Meanwhile, in the small living room, Tein was somewhat shocked.

“Can’t see Doctor and Ren…… again……?”

Hearing the news that Sharti and Ren would be leaving on another trip combining medical treatment, Tein pouted with a sullen expression.

But Ren let out a deep sigh with a not-so-hopeful face.

“I was going to, but well. Suddenly everything feels like my greed.”

As Ren fidgeted with the silver ring, Tein squatted down in front of him.

Though disappointed that he couldn’t play with Doctor or Ren starting tomorrow, Tein tried to comfort the large bear.

****

After finishing her bath and changing into clean clothes, Sharti came out of her room wearing a robe as usual.

“I want to talk more with Ren!”

“Go meet your friend. I’ll stay here.”

“Mmm……. Okay.”

After entrusting the dejected-looking Ren to the reliable Tein, Sharti left the log cabin.

As soon as Sharti left the house, Tein took Ren into the bathroom. Then with capable hands, he rolled up pants and sleeves and filled the bathtub with water for Ren to wash.

Still gloomy, Ren obediently undressed as Tein instructed and entered the bathtub.

“Ren can be greedy.”

Tein, who had lathered soap on his hands as Virena and Sharti had taught him, scrubbed Ren’s large forearms.

“Earlier, Ren only looked at Teacher. Even when Teacher wasn’t looking, you only looked at Teacher. That’s because Ren likes Teacher.”

“How did you know that?”

Ren gave a weak laugh as he faced the little counselor.

Tein, with foam on the bridge of his nose, nodded seriously and patted Ren’s forearm.

“Ren is simple because there’s nothing in your head. If you don’t know, you’re a fool.”

“…….”

He was still no ordinary kid.

As Ren closed his mouth as if hit right on the mark, Tein grinned.

“Ren has the same ring as Teacher. Sister said identical rings are promise rings that adults exchange.”

“…….”

“The round circle where you put the ring on is the feeling of liking. So when you put your finger in here, it means entering the feeling of liking.”

“What does entering the heart and promise rings mean?”

Ren listened with an interested expression.

Tein scooped water in a basin and thoroughly washed the face of Ren, who had nothing in his head.

“Rings are a promise to like only each other.”

“…….”

The moment he saw Tein’s expression asking if he understood now, Ren burst into laughter and vigorously rubbed Tein’s small head with his large hand.

“Right. You really are my smart doctor.”

“……!”

At the highest praise, Tein smiled brightly while soaking wet.

“Sister said. When you wear promise rings, you’re lovers.”

“…….”

“Oh, lovers are adults who date. Dating is eating cotton candy, a re~ally sweet fluffy cloud.”

Tein grabbed Ren’s large palm with both hands and brought it down.

“Are Teacher and Ren lovers too?”

“…….”

Silence grew longer.

It continued to grow.

The perceptive little doctor looked at Ren and blinked.

“No, I……!”

Just as Ren, suddenly choked up by Tein’s gaze, was about to object, a memory surfaced.

[Then let’s make it servant instead of slave.]

[Won’t that be difficult?]

[Better than being a patient who can’t do anything and only receives care.]

Ren’s mouth snapped shut.

[……I think you’ll regret it later.]

Ren held his head.

What good was hiding that they were a pair and sharing rings with Sharti?

It had become a master-servant ring, not a promise ring.

“Wait, then I was the one who defined the relationship first…….”

What if that was why Sharti had said nothing all this time……?

Ren came out of the bathtub and hung his head while squatting in front of the child drying him off.

Tein tried to comfort the very distressed-looking Ren by vigorously wrapping his head with a towel.

At the same time, Tein, who had a much better head than Ren, suddenly thought of a flash of wit.

“I’m borrowing this!”

Tein took the silver ring from the dazed Ren and clutched it tightly in his hand.

Quickly changing into the spare clothes he had left at Sharti’s house, Tein gave Ren a brief greeting and ran out of the house.

“Adventure!”

Smart Tein’s chest began to pound with excitement.

At the same time, Sharti was able to meet Virena quickly.

“Sha!! I was running to see you when I heard you arrived!”

As soon as she saw Sharti safe, Virena rushed at her in tears.

“I missed you too, Virena.”

“……!”

Surprised with the same expression as Tein, Virena hugged Sharti while crying even harder.

In the end, Sharti burst into laughter and entered the village holding Virena’s hand, just as she had held Tein’s hand heading home.