Chapter 17: Sisters' Reunion (1)
Thinking that Moon would have been able to take care of Estelle was simply a mistake.
Just because her soul had been saved from the killing intent induced by the foreign existence dwelling within her, it didn't mean her flesh would miraculously heal itself.
She needed Estelle's healing system, too, which Benjamin used to ensure she had proper nourishment and care, and he only kept an eye on the talismans to ensure nothing happened to them.
Of course, the load was now three times higher, meaning more talismans were getting burned, but Moon was conscious and soon should be able to take care of herself without any need for the talismans.
A strong body built in the fantasy world meant that her regeneration was high to begin with. Additionally, Benjamin had snatched a view of the third and the eldest sister when he had been checking on two now-familiar priestesses and confirmed that Sun was also athletic and had beautiful thighs.
Ignoring the latter assessment, it simply meant she was also strong and that the healing talismans had a potent effect on her.
'I get an odd feeling whenever I see Moon staring at me… what the hell is this?' Benjamin thought while sweeping the thoroughfare of the shrine of the leaves. He had been tending to his duties per his promise to Estelle like usual, but as of late, his thoughts were mainly concerned with Moon.
It's been like three days now.
In the span of this little time, Benjamin and Moon had only exchanged a few words.
He introduced himself as Estelle's friend and someone looking to work with protagonists. Similarly, Moon also shared her name and surname, thanked him for taking care of her little sister, and then finally mentioned her own circumstances.
In this case, however, Moon had only expressed her thanks for saving her and obviously hid her genuine thoughts, excusing herself from seeing him for too long by telling him she needed to recuperate.
It might have seemed like an obvious wariness anyone would have had after getting saved by an unknown person with possibly hidden motives, but the odd stare Moon held him with whenever they spoke or noticed each other told Benjamin otherwise.
Some other motive was behind her attitude.
'I'm interested in her personality and want to see whether she's a weak disposition… but at this rate, I can only wait for things to return back to normal,' Benjamin thought. He could only rely on Estelle after she woke up. Well, he also had a lot to talk about once she woke up.
The wolf priestess in question had already woken up and rushed out of the shrine. She hadn't glanced at Benjamin at all, possibly because her eyes were glazed with tears.
Benjamin gazed at the crying wolf before sighing. "Yeah, nothing is so sweet like reunion."
-
"Running away from me?" Benjamin feigned ignorance once he caught up to Estelle.
The wolf priestess he had found feelings for was sitting by the perimeter of the shrine's land, just a few steps before entering the cold forest haunted by evil spirits. She had her crying face hidden in her knees, sobbing.
Estelle shook her head without saying anything, grazing her knees with her little nose. Her movement, however, was now so familiar to Benjamin that he could read the message behind her body language.
It was, 'No! No!'
He chuckled and sat down next to her.
In such a limited space with only three people conscious, it wasn't so difficult to tell that Estelle and Moon had a talk, and their conversation had driven Estelle out of the shrine. Benjamin could see this much, but as an orphan who had only scratched a little of the real love, he didn't want to infer things with his emotionally defect heart.
Therefore, Benjamin decided to not talk about Moon at all.
"I haven't had a chance to apologize to you," Benjamin extended his hand and scratched Estelle's hair, "Sorry for not telling you anything and beating you while the soul had taken over you. I controlled my strength well enough so that you wouldn't suffer too much and for too long. The soul within you is not so strong that I can't deal with her, and my promise remains intact and true."
Although Estelle had learned that her talismans were powerful enough to suppress the other soul within her, she didn't think too much about it and instead referred to Benjamin's previous words.
"This promise is meaningless because you will leave me when I'm no match for your ambition," Estelle said in a stifled and sobbing voice, with her face still hiding in her knees. "But I appreciate your honesty…"
The conversation Estelle had with Moon was about her and Sun not telling her about the other existences living within them.
Estelle felt betrayed and stupid!
She had believed that she was the only one with such a problem and did her best to not trouble anyone and comforted herself with her mother and sisters' warmth whenever difficulties arose from these unnatural circumstances, all while unaware that her older sisters were suffering the same or even worse.
Estelle had come of age without anyone around her, so she figured out that a lot of stuff was hidden from her as the three of them had been living in the shrine for the past three years.
It hurt, and no excuses coming from Moon could appease her.
In fact, those excuses only hurt her more, and she ended up running away from her older sister.
Benjamin mused, "Well, I have met many siblings who had doted on their youngest too much. I guess there's something natural with older siblings doing anything and everything to ward them off from difficulties and problems?"
"It's stupid! I don't like it at all!" Estelle cried loudly, shaking from head to toe. "It's better to be honest, even if it'd hurt more! That's why I appreciate your honesty more than your strength!"
"You're just making it easy for me to manipulate you to match my ambition, you know?" Benjamin sighed before roughly raking his fingers through Estelle's hair.
She liked it very much.
The expression hidden within her knees melted into a relieved and happy one.
"How would you manipulate me?" Estelle asked, lifting her face to directly look into Benjamin's eyes.