Chapter 77: Anna’s Lingering Unease

A month!

If only Anna would agree to this one-month buffer period. Once the real Yulim Wilivia returned, they could do whatever they pleased.

Whether it was getting married and exchanging rings, or the two girls engaging in more intimate, ‘shy’ activities, Eve Wells would wholeheartedly approve.

But if it were her in Yulim Wilivia’s place right now, that was absolutely out of the question!

“Eh… a month? Alright then. I really wanted you to wear it right now, Yulim Wilivia. That way, we could also split up tomorrow to look for Roly…”

Though Anna sounded quite regretful, she still put the ring away.

Eve Wells, cowering to the side, let out a small sigh of relief only after seeing Anna temporarily abandon the idea of giving her the ring.

****

The bakery owner, hidden behind the counter, simultaneously revealed a look of profound regret, as if they had just missed out on hundreds of millions.

After carefully putting the two rings back into the pouch tied to her leg strap, Anna picked up the previously flattened sandwich from the table.

“Hmm… it’s still edible, actually. Can’t let it go to waste!”

With that, she tore open the wrapper and shoved the entire sandwich into her mouth.

Despite being squashed and partially bitten, the sandwich retained its substantial size.

As it entered Anna’s mouth, it immediately puffed out her cheeks, making her resemble a bloated pufferfish. The sight was utterly comical.

“Mph! Mph! Mph! Mph!”

Her constantly bulging cheeks made it clear that Anna was indeed struggling to swallow the sandwich in her mouth.

Yet, in this battle against the sandwich, Anna ultimately conceded defeat.

Mid-swallow, with a desperate gulp, the blue-haired girl suddenly shuddered.

Her face flushed crimson, and she began frantically pounding her chest with her hands.

Anna was choking on the sandwich…

Only Anna, it seemed, would be foolish enough to swallow half a sandwich in one go without a sip of water.

Eve Wells found that she was no longer surprised by Anna’s baffling human behavior.

‘Had her own common sense already categorized this as normal behavior for Anna?!’

Despite her internal monologue, the moment Eve Wells noticed Anna choking, she swiftly pulled out a water cup.

She then reached out and gently patted Anna’s back.

Anna took the cup and immediately gulped down the water, ‘chug-chug-chug-chug.’ With Eve Wells’s help, she finally recovered, sighing with immense relief.

“Phew… I’m saved… It’s so good to have you here, Yulim Wilivia.”

Eve Wells cautiously took the returned water cup from Anna, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Ultimately, she simply nodded.

This, too, was an imitation of Yulim Wilivia’s usual demeanor.

She had wanted to tell Anna to avoid such antics next time, but her inherent shyness and timidity prevented her from uttering a single word.

Her temperament, expression, and actions once again perfectly embodied the image of a socially anxious girl.

‘Eve Wells felt that once this ordeal was over, she could easily claim an Oscar.’

****

After finishing the sandwich and resting for a while, Anna finally went to find Lanya, the bakery owner, to have all the cakes and bread packed.

Leaving the cake shop, the two girls each carried a box of cake and a bag filled with bread.

Laden with their packages, they successfully returned to their base of operations: the ‘Hermes’ stables.

Before entering, they once again saw the stable hand, napping at a table.

Anna deftly reached into her small pouch, withdrew ten copper coins, and placed them on the table.

“Manager Peter! Our usual spot!”

The stable hand opened his eyes, glanced at the copper coins on the table, and still looked utterly spiritless.

“Didn’t you already pay one silver coin a few days ago? Or are you planning to extend for another day?”

“A silver coin?”

“Yes, the girl beside you paid it.”

The stable hand yawned and continued, “So, are these ten copper coins for another extension?”

Anna paused, then shook her head, a smile gracing her lips.

“Oh, so that’s it! Since Yulim Wilivia has already paid, we’ll wait until that silver coin runs out before renewing our stay!”

Retrieving the ten copper coins, Anna took Eve Wells’s hand and walked towards their reserved cubicle.

As they walked, Anna, who was ahead, suddenly spoke.

“Yulim Wilivia, do you remember the dream I told you about after I woke up this afternoon?”

Eve Wells nodded, offering a soft ‘Mm,’ and obediently followed behind her, awaiting the rest of the story.

However, Anna remained silent the entire way.

It wasn’t until they reached the cubicle door, and Eve Wells handed over the key to unlock it, that Anna finally spoke.

“Yulim Wilivia… truth be told, ever since that dream, even after half the day has passed, I still feel an emptiness in my heart…”

The door stood open, yet the blue-haired girl remained rooted to the spot, clutching her forehead.

Only then did Eve Wells notice that the usual smile on the girl’s face had vanished, replaced by a look of bewilderment and helpless confusion.

The girl continued, murmuring to herself:

“Before, I kept wondering if Roly’s departure was what caused this feeling.”

“But… no… that’s not right…”

“This sense of unease… it’s wrong…”

“It feels as if I’ve lost something important…”

The hand holding the cake suddenly went slack.

The gift box containing the cake dropped directly to the ground, spilling its contents.

Anna, however, seemed completely oblivious, merely placing her hand numbly over her heart.

The accelerated beating of her heart intensified her unease.

She could sense the source of the disquiet within her.

It was Yulim Wilivia.

Yulim Wilivia was her important companion.

But where did this unease, this feeling of impending loss, truly come from?

Anna’s body swayed unsteadily. She took two steps towards Eve Wells, then disregarded everything else and broke into a desperate run.

She threw herself forward, tightly embracing Eve Wells.

“I’m sorry, Yulim Wilivia, but can I hold you for a little while?”

Anna buried her head in Eve Wells’s shoulder, inhaling the scent unique to Yulim Wilivia on the cloak.

Only then did her profound unease begin to subside slightly.

Anna’s sudden action left Eve Wells completely bewildered.

By the time she registered what was happening, she was already enveloped in a tight embrace.

Seeing this, Eve Wells could only reciprocate the hug, gently patting the girl’s back.

‘It must be her late-night angst kicking in, causing her to spiral.’

Truthfully, Eve Wells was terrible at comforting people.

Fortunately, disguised as Yulim Wilivia, she didn’t need to offer any consoling words; merely being present and calming the other party’s emotions, as she was doing now, sufficed.

‘Eve Wells had initially thought that after a little more hugging, Anna would likely recover on her own soon enough.’

Anna, too, had believed this.

However, the unease did not dissipate. After a brief reprieve, it intensified even further.

The words of the fortune teller from her dream seemed to echo in her ears once more.

Even knowing it was just a nightmare, Anna couldn’t help but dwell on the worst possible scenarios.

‘Imagining Yulim Wilivia leaving, and herself becoming alone again…’

“Yulim Wilivia…”

“Don’t leave me… please…”

“I’m so scared… so scared…”

“If that dream becomes reality…”

“What will I do…?”

“Where will I find you…?”

Her voice, filled with confusion, seemed to be asking Eve Wells, yet also asking herself.