North x Northwest

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The more Lil pressed down on it like she was playing the keys of a piano, the more Ed shuddered his shoulders. As she moved her fingertips even further, he seemed to have stopped breathing all together. His eyebrows gradually became more and more distorted, as if he was holding something back.contemporary romance

Ed eventually grabbed the back of her hand.

“…I’m going crazy…”

Even though Lil thought she was being childish, she didn’t stop and just smiled mischievously.

Ed narrowed his eyes while tightening his grasp on her hand. Raising his upper body, he lifted her up and sat her closer on his lap. Lil instinctively gripped his shoulders and turned to face him as his tongue licked the side of her neck and caused her senses to jumble.

Lil took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was blue without a single cloud in sight. As the sun shone down on her dazzled vision, she soon closed her eyes lazily…

***

Lil squinted and lifted her hand to block out the sunlight.

‘Seeing how my body is covered with a blanket, it seems I fell asleep.’

She peered ahead and saw Ed, who was adjusting the sail’s knots. He slowly turned to look at her. His shirt, billowing and swirling in the breeze, appeared like a little sail. Ed waved his hand eagerly when their eyes met as if they hadn’t seen one another in a long time, even though they were on the same boat.

As the boat glided through the gentle water, a faint slapping sound could be heard every time the hull met the flowing waves.

Lil took the water Ed offered.

“Just woke up?”

“When did I fall asleep?”

“Not so long ago.”

Dressed casually with his shirt that stuck out of his pants and on bare feet, Ed looked like an infallible sailor.

Lil struggled to get up and stuttered towards the bow, following Ed’s lead.

The sailboat was cruising along the coastline of Roahn. Lil and Ed sat under the awning of the forecastle and watched Roahn moving further and further away. They watched the people dancing and enjoying themselves on the main pier where the festival was in full swing, emblems that were hung all over the city, various flags planted on buildings and on top of the highest hill, the Retiro mansion which stood magnificently overlooking the city.

Thanks to the sun, the dry wind passing by Lil’s ears was warm. She muttered in a voice that was still half asleep.

“…The wind is warm yet refreshing…”

“Yes. It’s very different from the South. The South is too humid and the temperatures are higher there.”

“Ah, I guess that’s why you were so dodgy in the South.”

Ed spit out the wine he was drinking and coughed.

“What are you talking about? It wasn’t like that! Of course, I was born on the Northern Continent. The Northern Continent’s summers are as cold as the winters of Roahn. You have to wear animal fur all year round!”

“Oh, come on…”

“Ha!”

‘Now that I’m here out on the open sea, I finally understand why Ed complained a lot about how hot and muggy it was in the South. Even though the temperatures aren’t that far apart, the humidity is very different.’

Lil sucked the dry air into her nostrils, ignoring Ed’s impassioned explanation about the northern continent’s climate.

‘It’s always fun to tease him.’

Lil tried to keep a straight face to avoid revealing her childish feelings.

‘Anyway, it truly is funny. I feel like I become weird whenever I’m with Ed. Things that weren’t usually funny to me became funny, and I began paying attention to the childish things that I normally don’t care about. At the same time, I can cast aside any gloomy or serious thoughts. Like the current situation with my family…’

“Liloa, are you listening? That’s why I was able to brave that snowy mountain. I wasn’t easily cold since I was a child… I was only twelve years old when I went there… But was that snowy mountain called a ‘snow mountain’ for no reason? Of course…”

Ed went on by explaining that the northerners were a race who were used to the cold until he got sidetracked again.

In fact, Lil found Ed’s story about his adventures in the snowy mountains to find herbs from the Northern Continent’s legends quite fun to listen to. It made her temporarily forget the things that bothered her, even though she knew she hadn’t made any countermeasures. The snowstorm from Ed’s stories didn’t only cover him but also Lil’s visions of the duke, Venua, and Mortu. Her head was instead filled with the sight of a twelve-year-old Edgar, climbing a snowy mountain in search of medicinal herbs and eagerly leaving his footprints on it.

‘I don’t hate this optimistic serenity at all.’

Lil rested her head on his shoulder and listened to the tales of young Edgar and his expedition into the snowy mountains.

Anecdotes from Ed’s childhood continued until sunset. Although there were a few sad events, his life was undeniably dynamic. At times, Lil would laugh softly or be caught by surprise. At other times, she would start to giggle or even fight back her tears.

When there was a break in Ed’s story, Ed would draw Lil, and Lil would draw Ed’s face. Through this, Ed found out that Lil had no talent for art. He couldn’t resist teasing her because of it, which resulted in another chase on the small boat. Only when red clouds rose over the horizon did they wrap themselves in blankets and lean against the mast.

Lil laughed the whole time until her lips and cheeks felt sore.

Whenever they went on a rampage, the small boat would flop across the waves like a piece of paper, so Lil and Ed had to do all kinds of tricks to keep their balance.

‘It’s normally nothing special, but how could it be so enjoyable now?’

Ed muttered as he looked at Lil, still unable to hide her grin.

“…Now you finally look your age…”

“Who… are you talking about me?”

“Actually, it always seemed like you lived at least 10 years longer than me.”

“When did I?”

“On the Bell Rock… you rarely laughed heartily, it always sounded more forced. But when you came to Roahn, it was… it was the first time I heard you laugh so happily.”

“When did I do that? I always laughed in the same manner you did?!”

“No. You were like an old man who lived a whole life and has seen the whole world.”

With a hoarse voice that didn’t suit him, Ed sang a known song but changed the lyrics to “Liloa that old man”.

‘Let’s see for how long he can sustain his teasing.’

Lil jumped up from his arm, where she had been leaning.

“It must’ve been very difficult for you to live while supporting this old man.”

“It’s an honour to have my hard work recognised.”

Without a word, Lil moved her hips to the side and got away from him. But Ed followed suit. She tried to push his thigh with her knee, but he didn’t budge. In the end, Lil gave up after a few more half-hearted attempts.

Lil and Ed naturally looked side by side towards the coast. They spotted a few children playing on a small beach of mixed pebbles and sand on the east side of Roahn.

The water at sunset turned dark red and the sea breeze blew refreshingly.

“In case you find Roahn uncomfortable, you can go somewhere else. Do you want to go to the South again?”

“No…”

“You can go anywhere. Just don’t forget our lifetime contract.”

“The South is over for me. Even if I do eventually decide to go back, I have to solve my problems here on the continent first. Especially if I’m not going to continue wearing the necklace.”

“Then…”

“I’ll go to Obernyu.”

“…”

Lil shook her head as though she didn’t like what she said herself.

‘I know it’s clearly a trap, but I can’t turn away from my father.’

Ed had sent a messenger to inquire about Sesbron, and the news that the Archduke was indeed in a critical condition was widespread.

‘It may be quite a distance from Roahn to Sesbron, but Sesbron and Obernyu aren’t that far apart.’

“They say he could really die soon. It never occurred to me when I was living without thinking about them, but now that I still have the chance to see him on his deathbed, I’d like to do that. It’s something I didn’t get to do for my mother.”

‘In fact, getting to Obernyu isn’t difficult at all. I’m most worried about Venua’s next move. I won’t mind if whatever he’s plotting only applies to me, but I won’t be able to bear it if he involves Ed too.’

“You’re coming with me, right?”

“Of course. We have a lifetime contract.”

“That damn lifetime contract again.”

“I’ll never let myself become a burden. I promise you that.”

‘Ed? A burden? Even a passing dog would laugh. Because of Ed’s favour, the only burden he causes me is the burden on my heart. His social status, combat abilities and medical knowledge actually make me look like the burden…’

TN:

Hi guys,

We want to clarify/explain something about the geographic locations of the hometowns of Ed and Lil. Maybe you remember the scene in the ‘Western pirate’-arc where Ed said he was from the North and Lil responded that she was from the North too? (volume 2, chapter 35;)

‘I’m from the Northern Continent. I’m born and raised in the cold, a cold that can’t even be compared to the winters in Sesbron.’ (Ed)

“I’m from the North.” (Ed)

“Nice try, I’m northern, too.” (Lil)

Based on this conversation I, Formidable, always thought that both Lil and Ed were from the Northern Continent, and not originally from the Empire. But this stopped making sense the moment Venua was talking down on Ed because he wasn’t from the Central Continent and the fact that little Liloa could reach Malus, in the Southern part of the Empire, without the use of a boat. It now becomes clear to me that Obernyu is located in the northern parts of the Central Continent, whereas Ed is indeed from the Northern continent. Meaning the scene above was a misunderstanding from Lil’s part.

For everyone who was as confused as I was, hope that this clears things up! 🙂 (Of course, Pru had figured this out long ago 😉 )

If you’re enjoying the story, please rate us onNovel Updates, we highly appreciate it. Love, P&F

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