Chapter 9

　　Without answering, she pressed a firm kiss upon the crown of Otto’s head, just as she did to Inju. Gyeongju no longer bound her chest, as she had when living in Kintol. Her hair was no longer cropped short either. She still made no effort to appear beautiful, yet she had a beauty that could not be concealed.

　　Otto struggled desperately to extract her face from between Gyeongju’s breasts. Exposed between her golden hair, her two ears flushed bright red.

　　“Hey, Seo Gyeongju! I cannot breathe!”

　　“Stay still, you little brat.”

　　“Who are you calling a little brat? Gyeongju, you know nothing!”

　　“What do I not know?”

　　“Ah, forget it. Let go!”

　　In the end, Otto used her strength to separate herself from Gyeongju. Stamping her feet in frustration, she raked her hands through her hair. She spat out a command to follow along before vanishing ahead into the crowd.

　　“Otto!”

　　Without looking back, Otto sprinted toward the market. She was so fast that she had evaporated into thin air in the blink of an eye. Gyeongju smiled helplessly and began walking again. Honestly, she’s impossible. She was used to these unpredictable outbursts.

　　“Honestly, that troublemaker.”

　　She picked up Otto’s hat from the ground and dusted it off, choosing to believe the claim that she had not stolen it. Otto would rather be scolded than tell a lie. So she bent down to fold the hat neatly and tuck it inside her tunic pocket, before straightening her waist. But a dark shadow fell over her, blocking the hot sunlight.

　　“What…”

　　“Keep quiet and walk.”

　　It was an unfamiliar voice. Goosebumps erupted all over her body, her hair standing on end. Before Gyeongju could even turn her head, her legs were forced forward, as if she were being dragged. She felt something poking into her waist. A blade? No, it was duller than that, but something was undeniably being held against her side.

　　“Who are you people?”

　　Gyeongju’s eyes darted side to side. Front, back, left, and right; she was surrounded on all sides by figures in brown hoods. At a glance, they resembled monastery priests, but their threatening presence and foul odor told her otherwise. The person walking ahead of her rolled up their sleeve. A sharpened dagger flashed in the sunlight.

　　Damn it. Gyeongju clenched her jaw. Surrounded on all sides, she had no clear line of sight. The road was already noisy, and the crowd only grew denser closer to the market. Even if she wished to flee, there was nowhere to go.

　　“Is this the wench?”

　　“I confirmed her face. She is with the same brat that sticks to her every time she comes to the market. I watched her from the moment she alighted the carriage bearing the Clovis crest.”

　　“First, we should take her to the church and make sure.”

　　She heard them talk among themselves. Realizing they knew not only her but even Otto, her mouth went bone dry, and her heart pounded so violently that her stomach lurched. Ah! As if someone had set a fire inside her head, her mind was suddenly, brilliantly clear.

　　Gyeongju shoved her fingers directly into her mouth and poked her throat. As her chest churned, the food she had eaten before mounting the carriage spilled out with a rush of stomach acid. Retching onto the cobblestones, her body wracked with violent spasms.

　　What is wrong with her? Why is she like this? the brown-hooded figures shouted at one another in confusion. Clutching her stomach and screaming for help, Gyeongju collapsed onto the floor.

　　Passersby buzzed with commotion and gathered around. Child, are you all right? A few women set down their belongings to examine her. Taking advantage of the chaos, Gyeongju scanned her surroundings. Through the gaps between people’s legs, she spotted horses hauling cargo from gondolas.

　　Gyeongju bolted toward the echoing clatter of horse hooves.

　　“Hey!”

　　One of the hooded figures pointed a finger at Gyeongju and shouted. “What are you staring at? Catch her at once!” Cursing, they took off after her.

　　Gyeongju did not look back as she ran. Should they split up to surround her, there would be no way out, so she had no choice but to run for her life. As she threw her body between the legs of a horse, the cargo-hauling animals stamped the ground and reared their heads.

　　Barrels of wine tumbled to the floor, sending the horses into an even wilder frenzy. Grains and vegetables newly unloaded from gondolas were scattered and crushed upon the floor where wine had spilled.

　　Failing to spot Gyeongju between the horses’ legs, the market porters accosted the women who were chasing Gyeongju. A brawl erupted as the porters grabbed each other’s collars, desperate to determine who had ruined the goods.

　　Gasping for breath through her burning throat, Gyeongju watched the scene for a moment. She tried to make out the faces under the hoods, but could not tell at all who they were.

　　“Gyeongju, over here!”

　　It was Otto’s voice. Riding a small skiff, she was waving frantically at her.

　　“Otto!”

　　“Hurry, get over here!”

　　Gyeongju’s legs were drained of strength and refused to cooperate, so she scrambled toward the river on all fours. Unable to watch any longer, Otto vaulted off the boat, hoisted Gyeongju onto her back, and leaped back into the skiff. The little boat swayed for a moment before it steadied, then began shooting toward the center of the Pietro River.

　　Otto’s skiff cut across the tributaries that traced the Pietro River like lines on a palm. Gyeongju had not ridden a boat since coming to the Forza region, so the speed and unfamiliar scenery filled her with dread. Sitting on the boat’s edge, she clung to Otto from behind as her friend steered with one hand on the rudder.

　　“Gyeongju.”

　　“Yes…”

　　“You can stop crying now.”

　　Only then did Gyeongju realize the reason her eyes stung so badly. I am crying? Unable to believe that she had been weeping hysterically, Gyeongju tried to gather her breathing for a moment. But a wave of pent-up sorrow overcame her, and she began to sob silently.

　　“Otto, Otto…”

　　She wished to say how truly terrified she had been, but her throat was choked with tears, and no words would come out. All she could do was call Otto’s name and sob. Burying her face in the back of the child she used to call a little brat, Gyeongju was lost in her tears for a long while.

　　The tributary was narrowing, and the current quickened as it led into the main stream of the Pietro River. Though it appeared peaceful, the Pietro River possessed fierce currents and reverse tides that made it a treacherous place to steer a vessel. Catching a reverse tide incorrectly could cause a boat to spin in place, before flipping over completely.

　　Otto scanned up and down the river banks, ceaselessly searching for a spot to moor the skiff. She could think of nothing except getting Gyeongju safely to dry land, so soothing her tears would have to wait.

　　To cry so mournfully…

　　At the sight of her uncontrollable weeping, Otto couldn’t control her own pitiful expression. Since meeting Gyeongju, she had never once seen her show weakness or cry, so Otto wished for nothing more than to turn towards her. Yet she could not release the rudder in her hand.

　　“Gyeongju, pull yourself together. Are you listening?” Otto snapped at her.

　　Still clinging to her friend’s loose tunic, Gyeongju nodded meekly. Otto had still not found a spot to moor the boat, but the vast Pietro River was almost within arm’s reach. They had no choice but to alight before entering the main stream.

　　“We must get off this boat.”

　　“…How?”

　　“Hold me tight. We are going to jump.”

　　“I cannot swim!”

　　“I can, so do not lose your grip on me. Do you understand?” Otto shouted, “Answer me!”

　　Releasing the rudder, she turned around for the first time since mounting the boat, and pulled Gyeongju into a fierce embrace.

　　“We must go see Inju.”

　　Otto kissed away the tears in the corners of Gyeongju’s blue eyes, her lips surprisingly soft.

　　“I shall take you back to her.”

　　“Otto…”

　　“So stop crying now, and hold onto my back. You must never let go.”

　　Otto turned and offered her back. In an effort not to weigh them down in the water, Gyeongju stripped off the tunic she had layered over her dress, then clutched it in her hand as she reached up and clung tightly to Otto’s back. As two arms wrapped around her neck, Otto leaped into the river without hesitation.

　　Oh, heavens. The river was as cold as ice. The water’s surface had been warmed by the beaming sunlight, but as she descended deeper, Gyeongju felt as if ice picks were stabbing into her flesh. Otto held her friend’s arm tight around her neck and began swimming underwater, her whole body wriggling like a fish swimming upstream.

　　How far are we going? I am suffocating. I feel as though I am dying. Or am I already dead? Inju…

　　Gyeongju watched as the small bubbles passing before her eyes gradually blurred. Her mind became hazy, and the bone-deep chill started to dull. She felt her body sinking lower and lower beneath the surface. This is it. She parted her lips to convey the words to Otto.

　　As large air bubbles escaped Gyeongju’s lips, Otto dove deeper after her. Moments later, she surged back to the surface and climbed onto the riverbank path, holding Gyeongju’s unconscious body close to her chest. She gazed down at her pale, motionless face with a deep affection.

　　Otto’s gaze carried a weight that differed from how Gyeongju looked at her. With an indescribably intense light that no child could possibly harbor, it was directed toward one she loved beyond compare.

　　“Gyeongju, what would you do without me?”

　　She laid Gyeongju’s limp body on the ground and patted her back until she finally twitched and gagged, throwing up the river water she had swallowed. As she came to, Otto continued softly massaging warmth into her body with surprisingly deft hands.

　　“Otto, am I alive? Where is this? Are we all right?”

　　Without a word, Otto flipped Gyeongju’s body over and pounded her back once more, so she could vomit the remaining water. As her frozen body began to thaw, Gyeongju trembled like an aspen leaf.

　　“I am so sorry. I had no choice but to swim underwater to avoid drawing attention as much as possible.”

　　“It is fine. I would not have been able to swim whether you dived or swam, so it made no difference to me.”

　　“Are you any better now?”

　　“It is so cold.”

　　“Come here,” Otto opened her two arms, and Gyeongju willingly leaned into her embrace.

　　“This is the entrance to the Eulbul Forest.”

　　“Did we come that far?”

　　“Because we traveled upstream. It is faster to reach Clovis Manor from here than from the square.”