Chapter 219: Feel a Little Better?

Time passed unknowingly until nightfall, and the patrons inside the Riverside Tavern began to leave one after another.

Eventually, only the three members of Dawnblade and Letia remained in the pub.

Liz did not feel any better seeing Red in such a state.

She had imagined many ways she might win, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed this one.

The problem was…

Litt would always remain in Red’s heart.

‘A dead Bright Moonlight is the most unforgettable existence.’

‘I am the true failure.’

Liz shook her head with a sigh and signaled for Jessica and Bethany to follow her.

She intended to leave the place in silence.

Right then, Letia, who had been standing still, suddenly moved.

Without the slightest hesitation, she stepped forward and walked toward Red in the corner with unwavering determination.

This sudden movement instantly caught the attention of Liz and her companions.

They froze in their tracks, the same question popping into their minds.

‘What is she doing?’

Under their breathless gazes, Letia walked straight up to Red.

She stopped just one step away from him, nearly invading his personal space.

The pressure of her being so close finally forced Red, who had been immersed in his own world, to react.

Like rusty gears being forced to turn, he raised his head slowly and blankly.

His bloodshot eyes, filled with emptiness and exhaustion, confusedly reflected the young girl’s determined face.

“What is…?”

However, before Red could finish his sentence, the girl grabbed him by the collar.

“Ugh?!”

Red had no time to react.

His vision blurred as his body was violently pulled forward by an irresistible force.

In the next second, a soft, warm, and scorching object—carrying the unique scent of a young girl—sealed his parched lips with a greedy, unquestionable force.

At that moment, his brain completely shut down.

Not far away, Liz and the other two watched with wide-open mouths, unsure of what expression to even make.

But Letia did not care about their stares.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely during this suffocating entanglement.

Nearly one minute passed.

It wasn’t until Letia’s own cheeks were flushed and her breath grew shallow from a lack of oxygen that she suddenly let go.

“Ha…”

Letia panted heavily, her chest heaving violently.

Red, who had been abruptly released, reacted differently.

“Cough! Cough, cough! Cough—!”

He arched his body like a fish out of water, erupting into a series of heart-wrenching, violent coughs.

The sound carried a sense of agony, as if he were trying to cough up his very soul, completely shattering the deathly silence of the pub.

Red clutched his chest and leaned against the table, his body trembling uncontrollably.

His gaze, however, fell upon the flushed girl in front of him.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Facing Red’s questioning, Letia caught her breath and spoke in an incredibly solemn voice.

“I am sorry about what happened to Litt… I know very well how important she was to you, so…”

As she spoke, Letia took Red’s hand, her voice ringing with the utmost sincerity from the bottom of her heart.

“I’m so sorry.”

However, Red assumed Letia was blaming herself because she hadn’t followed them into the Dungeon.

A bitter smile appeared on his face.

“Letia, it’s not your fault. You don’t need to feel sorry for this.”

Red did not want this pain to involve anyone else.

This was why he sat in the corner alone, refusing to vent to anyone.

Not far away, Liz’s eyes flickered with a complex emotion as she took in the scene.

She sighed silently and, without further hesitation, whispered to Jessica and Bethany, “Let’s go.”

“Oh… okay.”

The two of them nodded as if waking from a dream.

They took one last look at the pair in the corner before quickly following Liz.

They pushed open the heavy wooden door of the pub and vanished into the deep darkness of the night.

Creek—

After the soft sound of the door closing, only a few candles remained in the Riverside Tavern, flickering lonely in the silence.

“Letia, you just…”

Letia’s sudden attack had caught Red completely off guard.

Though his heart was still filled with grief, he felt he needed to ask why she had done that.

Letia did not answer his question immediately.

She simply met his gaze and then spoke softly.

“You are always used to carrying everything alone… I don’t think Litt would want to see you making a face like that, right?”

As the girl spoke, she gently pulled Red’s head into her embrace.

The fragrance unique to the girl filled Red’s nose, making his consciousness drift slightly.

“Do you remember our agreement?”

“You said you didn’t want to die alone. I promised I would stay by your side and wouldn’t let that happen.”

“So… I want to share this sadness with you.”

“If two people share the burden, the pain will surely be lessened.”

“Even a man doesn’t have to suppress the grief in his heart. Just have a good cry.”

Letia’s words, combined with the soft sensation against his face, prevented Red’s heart from finding peace for a long time.

After a long silence, Letia felt her chest becoming damp.

The man in her arms was sobbing silently.

The girl simply stroked his hair gently.

Using her own voice—Letia’s voice, not the fake Litt’s voice from before—she said tenderly, “It’s okay. You’ll feel much better after you finish crying.”

***

A long time passed.

Once Red’s breathing became steady, Letia gently relaxed her hold.

Based on the description in the Script, Red hadn’t closed his eyes once since Litt died, which was why he looked so haggard.

Now, although his eyes were red from crying, he did look a bit better.

Seeing this, Letia couldn’t help but sigh again.

‘Damn that Otto.’

‘That guy calculated everything so well, using hatred as a drive. Even the “Bright Moonlight” was included in his schemes.’

She looked at the man who had fallen asleep on her lap.

The night was still long…

By the time Red woke up, her legs would probably be completely numb.