Tidying Up

“Huff… huff…”

Eugene lay sprawled over the table, as if he hadn’t slept for three days and nights, instantly falling into a near-death-like sleep.

His snoring sounded like someone who had run desperately across the wilderness for days to escape a beast, only to finally collapse into sleep after surviving.

The kid really fell asleep the moment he lay down.

The uncle was speechless—this was the first time he had seen someone like this.

He glanced again at the bag of sacred coins on the table.

But immediately looked away.

“What am I thinking? I said I’d help out of goodwill. I’m an honest man!”

He reminded himself silently.

Still, that bag of gold held an irresistible allure for any ordinary person.

It was only natural for him to feel tempted, and the fact that he recognized it and restrained himself was already impressive.

That level of self-control was far above most people.

“Huff… huff…”

Eugene continued sleeping.

The uncle glanced at him again, feeling awkward.

Then he decided he shouldn’t stay here any longer and should get back to work.

The water had just been boiled, and he needed to chop more firewood for the next batch.

There was still plenty to do.

To be fair, it wasn’t Eugene’s fault.

What he had gone through in the past two days was simply too intense.

Put yourself in his shoes—he was a death-row prisoner.

After finishing his last meal, he realized he still couldn’t accept death.

Before, death had always loomed over him, like a decree from the bishop that could send him to the stake at any moment.

So he found himself unable to sleep at all that night.

And in that moment, like someone at the brink of death, he began replaying his short life in his mind.

He had once carved a tiny hole in the prison wall—no bigger than a pinhole—using a small pickaxe.

It had taken him six months.

When he finally opened it, he squinted with hope and looked outside…

Endless mountains stretched out.

Sharp cliffs rose like black blades slicing through the sky.

It was like an insurmountable barrier that shattered all his hope.

He sealed the hole forever.

But when death truly approached…

He squinted again, looking outside like a devout believer praying.

Kneeling on the ground, head lowered, he gazed at the same mountains—yet now they seemed beautiful and gentle.

Even the silent night filled him with reluctance.

He watched like that all night.

It was never enough.

His cell faced east.

At dawn, he realized he could see the sunrise.

By chance, he witnessed what he thought would be his last sunrise.

He was overjoyed.

For the first time, he loved the sun so deeply, like an old man finding salvation.

“Daybreak…”

Allen’s words pulled him back to reality.

He ate his final meal and handed the pickaxe—the one that carried all his hopes—to Allen.

What followed was beyond explanation.

At the execution ground, he became a black mage cursed by the crowd.

No one understood his innocence.

He began cursing those who had driven him to this point.

Just a day before, he had planned to face death calmly, without leaving any last words…

Even he couldn’t explain this contradiction.

It left him feeling helpless.

Then he rushed into the crowd—

And was saved by the red-haired girl, Luna.

When he woke up, nearly six hours had passed.

At first, he thought he had met a red-haired angel.

But when she asked about a silver-haired girl, he realized she wasn’t an angel at all.

Then, in a daze, he followed her to rescue that girl.

He climbed Gran Peak again—the mountain that had once filled him with despair, and later with longing.

This time, he conquered it himself.

It felt like holding the world in his hands.

Like being redeemed.

He knew he had followed the right person.

Luna was like his second parent.

It felt like standing at the peak of the world, overlooking everything below.

After that, they entered the carriage beneath the cliff and headed east, planning to leave the Duchy of Bordeaux and settle in the imperial capital.

And then—

Because of his carelessness, he drove the carriage into a ditch.

In just two days, he had experienced extreme highs and lows.

Now, all he wanted was a peaceful sleep.

When he woke up naturally, he would continue moving forward.

Because he knew—

He was no longer a normal person.

He was now a fugitive wanted by the church.

The only path left was to follow Luna.

In fact, this kind of life didn’t seem so bad.

At least he wouldn’t suddenly die because of some decree.

His fate would now be held in his own hands.

“Why won’t you look at me?~”

Luna teased Allen.

She had always wanted to do this—today just happened to be the perfect chance.

They were soaking together in a large iron bath.

It was big enough for two people to sit comfortably.

The atmosphere was extremely awkward.

This was a special kind of bathhouse.

Wooden planks formed the walls, with only a door and a small ventilation opening.

The bath itself was made of special black iron—huge and sturdy.

A heat-insulating layer lay beneath it.

They sat on opposite sides.

The uncle had poured hot water into the bath, mixed it with cold water, and adjusted it to a comfortable temperature.

If it got cold, adding firewood below would heat it again.

It was far more interesting than a public bath.

But right now, the atmosphere was painfully awkward.

Perhaps because of the steam, Allen’s face was bright red, like two ripe pomegranates.

But it wasn’t just the steam—Luna’s face was only slightly flushed.

Inside, Allen felt like countless voices were shouting.

Her mind buzzed as if it might explode.

“N-no… it’s nothing… I’m just not interested.”

Allen tried to explain.

But it sounded unconvincing.

They were facing each other completely exposed.

Afraid of being seen, Allen submerged herself in the water, leaving only her head above the surface.

Luna, however, was completely at ease.

She leaned back against the edge of the bath with an almost teasing expression.

This was just a small prank to see Allen’s reaction.

But the result surprised her.

Even now, Allen remained stiff and clueless, not daring to take advantage of the situation.

Instead, she stared at the wall behind Luna.

There was nothing there except wood grain.

Clearly, she was using it to distract herself.

“Is your face… a bit too red?”

Luna suddenly noticed something was off.

Allen’s face was extremely red—even steam seemed to rise from her forehead.

“No!”

Allen denied immediately.

But that only made her face redder.

“…!”

Luna instantly realized something was wrong.

This girl is way too innocent…

They were both girls—what was she even afraid of?

Without hesitation, Luna scooped up a ladle of cold water and poured it over Allen’s head.

“Ah!”

Allen cried out.

In an instant, her face returned to normal.

“I—?!”

She was about to question Luna—

But suddenly froze.

She saw Luna’s chest…

So different from her own…

Splash!

Allen collapsed into the bathwater.

The slightly yellow herbal bathwater suddenly mixed with a hint of red.

Blood.

Yes—

Allen fainted from sheer embarrassment.

“Oh no!”

Luna hadn’t expected this at all.

She only meant to tease her, not knock her out.

She quickly pulled Allen out and checked her condition.

Everything was fine—just overly stimulated.

She placed her gently beside the bath and began washing properly.

“Where… am I?”

Allen slowly woke up, confused.

She didn’t know why she had fainted—only that she had felt overwhelmed before.

“…?”

The room was strangely quiet.

She nervously got up in the empty room.

On the bedside cabinet lay a note.

She picked it up and began to read.