SWNOVELXO Chapter 101
Episode 3-b. The Dark Wizard Subjugation.
When was the happiest day of my life?
What kind of scenery did I think was like a dream?
Was it the time when Ain first gave me his old clothes?
Or was it when I was chased away by the children who bullied me?
Or perhaps it was when he stood in front of me to block the hero’s greatsword, or when he rescued me as I writhed in pain and gifted me a new home?
Or could it be something else entirely?
In truth, none of these beautiful and bittersweet memories can be called the happiest day of my life.
There was no need to ponder such worries.
Of course, every single scene is a precious memory vividly etched in my mind, but they all lacked the quality of being the happiest day.
After all, my happiest day has yet to be created.
I have always dreamed.
The day when I can be happiest is surely the day when I am no longer gray and can live happily with Ain.
It seems unlikely to ever come, yet still, it is all I have ever dreamed and hoped for.
To marry the person I love, to share affection with the one I admire, to hold a child in my arms, and finally to bear the fruits of those dreams and build a family.
To someone, it may just be an ordinary scene.
But for someone like me, who was abandoned by her mother at birth, the only great and fluffy dream was to build a home with Ain and live happily together.
I am certain it will be the happiest day.
And now, the scenery before my eyes is.
“Asha, hurry over and take a look at Eleanor.”
“….”
It has filled my heart with so many dream-like moments.
“Asha, is something wrong? Why is your expression suddenly like that?”
“…, it’s nothing.”
I quickly realized that this was the dark wizards’ trick, an illusion that could never be reality.
“Hmm, your expression doesn’t seem too good.”
“It’s really nothing…, ah.”
Just from the sight of Ain approaching and tightly hugging me, my body trembled.
“If you’re not feeling well, should we leave Eleanor with grandma and go out just the two of us for a while?”
“…, yes. That sounds good, Ain.”
“Great, then let’s get ready and head out.”
Though it was clearly an illusion meant to break me.
The smile he gave me made me smile back and lift the corners of my mouth.
My heart thumped loudly, but I forced myself to ignore it and took his hand.
The imperial streets.
I walked slowly hand in hand with Ain, dressed in ordinary clothes, gazing around.
“Asha, what do you think of this?”
“Hmm, I don’t think it’s particularly pretty.”
He asked me about a headband he found on the roadside, lifting it up as I tilted my head in confusion.
“Hmm, your taste is still strange.”
“….”
Seeing me like this, Ain cocked his head in disbelief and made a silly comment, so I poked him in the side.
“Ah! Just kidding, just kidding…!”
“That’s a terrible joke, Ain.”
Like a normal couple, we laughed and played around with just a simple headband, our bodies entwined.
A normal couple.
Thump—
“Asha, look at this too.”
“…, just a moment.”
Thump—
I was with him like any ordinary couple.
Soon, we continued walking and entered a familiar market street.
I saw the familiar faces of market vendors.
“Hey! Have you come out on a date after a long time, Ain!”
“Haha, it’s been a while, sir. I brought Asha because she seemed grumpy.”
They greeted us as always, showing kindness and offering us something.
“Hoho, here! Take this as a gift since it looks good! Eat this!”
“Ah. Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”
“Sure! Next time, come as a customer!”
Generous people who offered all kinds of snacks and inquired about our well-being just by passing by.
Sweet candies.
Savory grilled squid.
Warm tea with a gentle aroma.
I accepted all these and munched on what Ain handed me.
“Is it good?”
“Yes, it’s delicious. I actually wanted to eat some for a while.”
This one is sweet, and that one is savory.
The warm tea is nice, and the cool drink tastes great too.
For some reason, my stomach was a bit uneasy, but the treats after such a long time felt wonderful.
“Well, you could have just told me. I could have bought some.”
“I meant I wanted to eat while walking around with Ain.”
Of course, the fact that I could enjoy it with Ain made my fleeting uneasiness disappear, and I just continued to savor what he gave me.
And so, our steps always headed to the same place.
Whenever we entered the market street, there was always a place we would go.
“It’s old.”
“It’s definitely aged.”
I stood before the Ilena grocery store, its sign now a bit worn out.
The wooden door creaked open with a rusty sound.
And beyond it, there was the bearded uncle whose wrinkles had deepened over time.
“Hey! Is that the ungrateful Ain who hasn’t been around for ages!”
“If I’m busy, I can’t come, so what lack of gratitude?”
“You still sound as brash as ever.”
Despite his words, I came to see the smile filling his face.
So, I smiled back and nodded my head.
“It’s been a while, sir.”
“Ah, yes. It has been a while! Are you doing well, Asha?”
“Yes, thanks to you, sir.”
“Haha! You certainly have a way with words!”
A kind person who accepted me even after knowing my true identity.
Now, as an adult, I don’t particularly look young, but he still approaches and pets my head affectionately.
I always longed for this scene with the three of us together.
“…, what’s this? You call me ungrateful and rude, but Asha gets praised…”
“Are you comparing yourself to Asha, you rascal?”
“Am I the same as Ain?”
“…, that’s just too much.”
It was such a delightful moment to see Ain pouting his lips in distress.
We talked with the uncle for a long while like that.
“So, when do you plan on having your second child?”
*Cough*…
Of course, his unexpected remark caught me off guard for a moment.
“Shall we try for one tonight? What do you think, Asha?”
“…, don’t say something embarrassing.”
In reality, I was too busy blushing at the sight of Ain grinning while slyly embracing my waist.
“Ha ha! Eleanor is certainly old enough now; you should start making plans!”
“Right. By the way, sir, didn’t your wife just give birth to your sixth child?”
“Yeah! And this time it’s a girl!! So you two should hurry and have a second child as well! Then I’ll help you think of a name for the store!”
Before I knew it, the target of the teasing had shifted onto me.
Even while I was blushing and looking down, their remarks continued to poke at me.
“Oh, we really need to make one right away. Let’s hurry home, Asha.”
“….”
Ain’s hands were a bit too bold, constantly caressing my waist.
Though it was quite different from the way I used to know Ain’s touch, it was still his touch, making me smile.
And so, the date comes to an end.
All day long, the corners of my mouth didn’t think about going down, and I lay in bed feeling really good with a bright smile.
Next to me, Ain lay down.
Just as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Ain lay next to me.
He looked at me as he lay there, and I smiled back at him.
“Asha.”
“Yes, Ain.”
What is he trying to say?
Could it be that he’s about to slip into the topic of the night he jokingly mentioned in the grocery store earlier?
Hot breaths.
The touch of skin against skin.
Intense sounds and longing moans.
In that brief moment of silence when Ain closed his mouth, unnecessary images filled my head, making my heart race.
Thump, thump—
Thump—
My heart was busy pounding, so I reached out to him.
But.
“Are you happy now?”
“….”
He disrupts my fantasies.
Thump—
Thump, thump—
My heart continued to thump away, but my mind gradually began to cool.
He asked if I was happy.
“Was today the happiest day for you?”
“…, ah.”
The thumping of my heart grew louder.
His question about whether today was the happiest day stabbed through my chest like a dagger.
Why.
Why is he saying this?
“Is what you’ve always dreamed of enough just like this?”
“….”
Just.
Thump, thump—
I became utterly lost in this bliss, unable to return to reality, and wish to fall into the fantasy forever.
Yet, Ain looked straight into my eyes, asking me if this was the longed-for future I dreamed of.
Though it was merely an illusion.
“Are you truly satisfied with this, Asha?”
The gaze Ain held was always sincere.
Like the stars I had always admired, his brilliant eyes captured all of me.
Thus, I had no choice but to answer.
“…, no.”
This is not the happiest day for me.
This is not the future I earnestly dreamed of with him.
So.
Thump, thump—
The incessantly ringing sound of my heart slowly began to awaken the uneasiness and sense of reality that I had been trying to avoid.
“Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Ain.”
“Then now, open your eyes. It’s time to wake up from this dream, Asha.”
His voice saying this seemed to overlap strangely.
The gentle touch of his hand on my head felt rough yet somehow beautiful.
The smile in this dissipating fantasy began to break, kind and bright, but also tinged with sadness and longing.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Okay.”
I didn’t quite understand what was happening.
Still.
With those words, the illusion that had held me captive crumbled with a loud crash.
“….”
After blinking several times, I rose to my feet in the hallway that squirmed like the organs of a living creature.
“What, what’s going on…? The magic should have worked…!”
“….”
For some reason, tears fell.
So I reached out.
Ashes began to swirl.