“It seems like... you can put me down now.”
I managed to force the words out, my voice awkward and unsteady. Above me, I heard Ethan sigh heavily.
“Honestly, if we’re talking purely about strength, it should be me being carried by you, Cherry. But as a gentleman, how could I even think of doing such a thing?”
No, really, how could he say something like that without the slightest hint of shame?
“That’s not what I mean. We can just walk, both of us.”
“You can’t see anything in this darkness. It’s better to keep going like this.”
“Can’t we just hold hands and walk together?”
“I’m worried you might trip, Cherry. I’m worried, that’s all.”
“What? Why are you worrying about me?”
“Well, should I pray that you fall instead?”
At his retort, I clamped my mouth shut. Fine. If being carried by Ethan meant we could travel more comfortably, why should I refuse?
We continued like that for a while, making our way through the underground passage. As we approached a corner, a blocked path came to mind. I spoke up to Ethan, who was about to turn the corner.
“There’s that dirt-blocked path. Do you think we can clear it?”
“I was thinking the same thing. If we dig out the entrance with a shovel, it should be doable.”
His response reminded me of something he had said earlier about staying a little longer.
“Why don’t we just stay here?”
Aurora would be safe regardless, after all.
Ethan froze, as if startled. I couldn’t make out his expression in the darkness, but he didn’t reply.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.
“Until the day you don’t need me anymore, Cherry...”
His words trailed off abruptly, and he suddenly pressed his lips shut, refusing to say anything further.
What the hell? Why would he stop mid-sentence like that?
There are two surefire ways to piss someone off: one, stopping in the middle of a sentence, and two...
Anyway, what did he mean by ‘until the day you don’t need me’? That felt a bit vague. I always need Ethan.
He’s a crucial character in Love in a Ruined World, after all. I wanted to send him off because he’s important, but having him by my side is undeniably a good thing—he’s the strongest fighter around.
“Well, whenever that day comes, help me plan a strategy to drive out those Kint survivors before you go.”
“Of course, that was my intention all along. And we need to act quickly, before they completely take over the town.”
“I agree.”
I nodded at his words, relieved that Ethan would stick around until we dealt with the Kint survivors.
Still, the way things were unfolding was far from my original plan to quietly survive in Happy House. It was disheartening, to say the least.
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