Don't Be Holy! - Chapter 32
Rubel moved his feet off the bed and leaned toward Eir.
“My identity. You know who I am, don’t you?”
Eir rolled her eyes with a vacant expression before answering.
“Ah, I know. You’re Ru…… you know, how could I not know after living together for days?”
Ha ha. Her forced laughter couldn’t have been more awkward.
Rubel poked her forehead.
“Don’t try to think too hard.”
“What……?”
“Consider yourself fortunate that I’m trying to have a conversation with you, and speak as honestly as possible.”
His tone already treated her like a criminal. Eir was so flustered she worried she might hyperventilate. No. It was coming. That was certain. As she could only swallow nervously, Rubel pressed on.
“You’re aware that you’re very suspicious, aren’t you? This house too.”
I-I don’t really know what you mean?
Using excessive ignorance as a shield, typical of criminals, Eir gradually realized she was digging herself deeper. But what could she do? Panic makes people foolish.
Not because she was actually foolish like the man suggested!
“Just hearing the prayer makes me have a seizure.”
The man leaned closer to her. Eir retreated hesitantly, but it was nearly impossible to evade him in his room surrounded by bottles.
“Every time you hear prayers, you hide your palms. You have divine emblems hanging upside down in your room, and everyone tells different stories about you.”
“T-the same goes for you!”
She tried to protest, but it didn’t seem to work. She was increasingly cornered against the wall, losing space to escape. Not just psychologically, but physically.
Eir lifted her chin, feeling suffocated. She raised her head to avoid the chest before her that felt like a solid wall, but doing so brought her face to face with him. Their breaths close enough to mingle, Eir’s mind grew more confused.
The man’s hand traced down her shoulder line to grab her elbow. Then he pulled out the hand she had been hiding.
Rubel traced her injured index finger, raising only his eyes to look at Eir.
“How did you get this injury?”
“This…… earlier, while sewing in my room, the scissors…….”
She felt like she would suffocate to death. Eir thought Rubel Shinote knew all her secrets and was about to reveal them.
‘Do you enjoy living like this after abandoning God?’
She expected him to say something like that. But he suddenly said something completely unexpected.
“You know this, don’t you? About how witches draw blood when casting spells.”
“What?”
What was this sudden topic?
As Eir blinked blankly, Rubel stared at her with an unwavering expression as if he would devour her.
“You…….”
She felt like prey. Contempt flashed in his eyes, and Eir thought he might strangle her to death right there.
But at that moment.
Puu.
Suddenly, a horn sounded from the village. News that monsters had invaded. They wouldn’t sound the horn unless it was serious, the situation must have already gotten out of control.
Rubel Shinote clicked his tongue briefly.
“Already here?”
Already? Could it be that he knew in advance that monsters would come?
Eir suddenly recalled a rumor about Rubel. The one saying he could instinctively smell monsters coming like an animal.
That’s why his warnings were always accurate, they said. But Rubel Shinote had answered that this was the result of training, not instinct. Wouldn’t that mean it was an area inaccessible to someone who had lost their memories?
Could it be that he never lost his memories to begin with?
The thought suddenly struck her. At that moment, he mumbled something quietly and grabbed her shoulders.
“Keep your mouth shut if you don’t want to bite your tongue.”
As she tried to think about whether there had been any suspicious points or mistakes she’d made with him, her consciousness cut off sharply. It was because he had suddenly pushed her shoulders, making her head hit the wall.
“Ugh”
Eir swallowed a low groan and squeezed her eyes shut.
A cold pain reverberated through the back of her head. Rubel didn’t miss the opportunity as Eir’s strength gave out, knocking her to the floor and subduing her.
