Hunter and Mad Scien Chapter 130

Cider clearly showed his displeasure. However, there was nothing he could do about Esperanza pulling her shawl tight and shaking her head.

"Fine. Then one of those matters must be written on that paper."

Ah, right. There was this too. She took out the cipher that had been rattling around in her nightgown pocket from running and unfolded it.

This seed like a decent way to start the conversation. Esperanza looked over the notes interpreting the cipher again.

"I was looking at this earlier and rembered—those pirates Daria contacted are probably Paolun pirates."

"She's cooperating with Paolun independence forces?"

"Probably. Though it doesn't seem like she wants colonial independence. There must be so use for them."

If we assu the world 13 years from now was made according to Daria's wishes, Daria was never a pacifist. The miserable reality of the colonies was rely the exploited of the exploited to Daria, slaves of slaves who would make the Osdern she exploited wealthy. Even 13 years later, Paolun was still Osdern's colony, the colonial people were still wretched, and above the colonies was Osdern's crown, and above that was the hunters' playground.

"I think she plans to use and discard them, but at least for now it seems likely she'll give them so kind of support. As I ntioned before, there seed to be so incident related to Paolun pirates, but I can't rember. It seed like an important matter..."

"You don't need to rember it right away. We don't necessarily have to stop that incident. Sothing will co to mind after it happens."

Cider wiped his hands with a handkerchief and picked up the milk glass from the table. The milk glass, still steaming, was warm. Unlike the cold air coming in from outside.

"You should drink this."

When Cider, holding the milk glass, moved toward the window, Esperanza quickly shook her head.

"Stay there. Don't co over."

"Window sills aren't chairs and outside windows aren't places to sit, young lady. Can't you just co in and tell ?"

"No."

Esperanza turned around completely. So her face wouldn't be visible. It was a bit cold but bearable. The story she was about to tell was very important, so she couldn't face Cider directly. She couldn't be swayed by him holding her hands, kissing her cheek, smiling, and calling her na.

"Fine. Then I'll put it here, so co in when you're done talking."

The hair covering her shoulders richly swayed. Cider declared he would arbitrarily interpret that as 'nodding.'

Esperanza sat quietly with her chin propped on her knees wrapped in nightgown and shawl. Wind swept through and ruffled her hair. Even in the fierce wind, her voice was clear.

"I'm going to leave."

Cider looked up. He didn't try to see Esperanza's face that she was trying to hide. Leaning his body diagonally against the wall, he waited for the next words. His loosely tied hair flowed down along his shoulders.

"At most a year. Maybe shorter. I have to go back. You..."

"It doesn't matter."

Cider said.

"It doesn't matter if you leave."

Strength went white into Esperanza's fingertips gripping her knees. She asked herself with a spirit floating in midair whether those words had hurt or reassured her. She couldn't understand at all.

"...I don't understand. You want to establish a relationship even knowing it will end? What is that, it's not even masochism."

"Have you ever lived with soone who had a death sentence?"

Instead of answering, he suddenly asked that. Esperanza shook her head and thought. Had Cider experienced such a thing? She suddenly recalled that both of them had lost their parents at a young age. Esperanza's parents had left so suddenly it was unbelievable. Without leaving ti to say goodbye. But what about Cider?

"If you do nothing because you're going to die anyway, you'll regret it for life. Love isn't a lasting emotion. Regret is eternal."

The statent that love isn't eternal was paradoxically a confession. But Esperanza's insides felt clawed at. So what? Since it's an emotion that doesn't last, let whatever happens happen? Without thinking about the consequences?

"So it doesn't matter if you leave."

She had thought if Cider was okay with it, Esperanza could be okay too. But Esperanza couldn't think of Cider as a dead person just because she had returned to her original world. Esperanza asked in an agitated voice as if pressing him.

"We're not dying. What happens after that? After I go back?"

Not being able to et was part of the problem. The hope that maybe they could et each other living in different worlds, the anxiety that the other person's heart might change before one's own feelings fade.

She knew that not naming the relationship now wouldn't make all those worries magically disappear. That it was already too late. But...

Cider smiled broadly.

"If we can't et again, how is that different from dying?"

He was sincere. Sincere to an astounding degree. Her face crumpled entirely.

An uncomfortable silence continued. The sound of machines turning, which had been nothing more than background noise until just now, sounded as loud as thunder. Esperanza breathed in cold air until her back swelled with her mouth tightly shut.

She heard Cider's footsteps moving a bit farther away. Is he just going to leave after saying such things? So carelessly? Esperanza's face crumpled completely. Really, what is this... she should have just not co here today.

Then, her sharply honed hearing caught a strange sound. Sothing seed off from the regular machine sounds, no, this wasn't machine sounds. She slyly turned her head to look inside the window.

Through the gap in the curtains, she could see chanical devices and complex pipelines packed densely up to the high ceiling, and blue sparks were flying from one of them. Coincidentally, right above Cider's head. The small spark instantly spread into a fire large enough to burn the entire chanical device. Her vision went white.

"What are you doing, get away!"

Esperanza burst through the window and slid down from the window sill, using that montum to jump up. She grabbed a ceiling pipe with one hand, wrapped the burning chanical device with her shawl, and jumped down.

The small fire was quickly extinguished. But her startled heart was still beating rapidly. When Esperanza, who had thrown the burnt machine parts wrapped in the blackened shawl roughly on the floor, looked up, Cider was already standing by the window. He firmly closed the window and even locked it. When their eyes t, he smiled broadly as if asking what could have happened.

You're smiling?

"Do you know how dangerous that just was?"

"When you live with machines hanging all over your head, these things happen."

"'These things happen'? There was almost a fire."

"Yes, thank you."

That's not what I wanted to hear! Esperanza, who was about to snap in rising anger, exhaled deeply. Now wasn't the ti for that.

"Your shawl is completely burnt."

That wasn't what she wanted to hear either. Her second sigh was a bit deeper than before. Looking at it, this was deliberately orchestrated. She had nothing more to say.

"...Buy

a new one."

"Of course."

She felt deflated. Esperanza kicked the shawl with her toes. What is this?

"Since you're already inside, have so milk. It's cooled down a bit though."

Cider, standing guard in front of the window, pointed to the milk glass on the table with his chin.

"I brought it specially."

The words slipped out unconsciously. As soon as she finished speaking, Esperanza shut her mouth tightly, but she couldn't take back what was said. Cider smiled awkwardly.

"Then it would be a waste. Will you leave

just a sip?"

"...Never mind. Who's giving you any?"

How cute. Even while thinking it was childish, Esperanza defiantly drank half the glass of milk. Wait, didn't this turn out exactly how Cider Claiborne wanted?

Her head was all tangled up and she had no idea what was what. When she put down the glass, Cider picked up a nearby switch board and manipulated sothing. He put it down right away when their eyes t though.

"What did you do?"

"Well, what did I do?"

How annoying.

Fortunately, she could quickly find out what Cider had done. A little later the laboratory door opened and a small automaton with a propeller flew in. If there was anything special about it, it was that unlike other automatons, it had sothing like a blunt hook underneath, and a thick formal coat was hanging on it.

The automaton placed the coat right on Esperanza's hands and flew out of the room with its small propeller spinning hard. Once again, only the two of them were in the laboratory.

"A blanket would be nice, but cover yourself with that for now."

The shawl she had worn was covered in ash and completely unwearable. Putting on the coat that covered her fingertips and holding the milk glass again made her feel ridiculously like a child.

The coat slled like the fragrance from between Cider's hair. Fragrance was sotis stronger than light or sound.

She had that premonition.

After a very long ti, even if she forgot Cider Claiborne's elegant appearance and sweet voice completely, slling this fragrance would make her think of him out of habit. She would never be able to forget. She would be sad for a very long ti.

Her vision blurred slightly.

Considerate care covering even her fingertips and careless sincerity. She didn't know which to believe. Or what conclusion to draw from that answer.

She couldn't suppress her confused feelings at all. Esperanza put down the milk glass and headed for the window.

"...It's fine. I want to go now."

Esperanza grabbed the window latch with trembling hands. Just as the window was about to open, Cider, who had pushed the door closed, embraced Esperanza as if covering her back.

"Don't go."

Strength entered Esperanza's hand gripping the latch. Cider opened his mouth again. This ti he whispered with his lips half-pressed to her earlobe.

"Are you hurt?"

"You call that words?"

Esperanza spoke sharply, unable to hide her choked-up tone. She barely held back from turning around to et his eyes and snap at him.

It was truly fortunate her face wasn't visible. She didn't want to show these helpless emotional fragnts to anyone.

While holding Esperanza with one hand, Cider covered Esperanza's hand gripping the latch with his remaining hand. Esperanza said through gritted teeth.

"...Right now I'm being considerate of you. Do you want to get hit like the Duke?"

"But unlike the Duke, you like ."

"Don't wield other people's emotions as weapons."

Cider let out a hollow laugh. Along with the laughter that seed to lt in her ear, he rested his cheek on top of Esperanza's head.

"I have no intention of winning, so why would I need weapons? However..."

"However?"

"To be honest, I need at least that much insurance."

Not a weapon but insurance? Esperanza lowered her hand gripping the latch to the window sill.

"At least you like

enough to suddenly visit through the window this late at night and ask such questions. Enough not to get angry when I kiss your cheek. Enough to readily act as my fiancée when asked."

As if counting them one by one, he spread Esperanza's fingers and slid his fingers between them smoothly and subtly. Esperanza, who had been frozen while inhaling, answered in a whisper.

"...That's right."

As if he hadn't expected words of acknowledgnt, the heartbeat touching her back beca a bit faster. This was sothing that couldn't be hidden. To hide it, he should have stood far away. Like Esperanza had asked with her back turned.

So now, even without looking at each other's faces, they had no choice but to be honest. Pushing unhideable emotions to the tip of the tongue.

"Honestly speaking, I wish you wouldn't leave."

Ah, right. Esperanza let out a sigh. She was curious what expression Cider was making behind her back. At least an expression befitting this racing heartbeat sound. But since nothing was reflected in the curtains, she could only trace the emotion in those words by the slightly trembling voice.

"But if you must go back, at least the remaining ti is mine. Until the very last second. Do you understand?"

"You definitely said it didn't matter earlier."

"Do you think I'd be happy about it? But there's no ti to hesitate. So, it doesn't matter."

Ti was set. It probably wouldn't be very long. That was sothing Esperanza had been constantly repeating to herself too.

"It will definitely be very difficult, won't it?"

Cider answered readily.

"At this point? Esperanza, there's no way to end this without it being difficult now."

That's... right. Now it has no choice but to be difficult no matter what. It might beco a bit more difficult with this choice. Esperanza let out a hollow laugh.

"Why are you laughing?"

"You're saying since we're already ruined, let's enjoy being ruined. It sounds like complete nonsense but I think I'm being persuaded."

"Nonsense."

Contrary to his displeased retort, his hands were caressing Esperanza's hand as if stroking it. Long, straight fingers completely covering the back of her hand. They had calluses here and there as befitting hands that touched machines, but didn't feel clumsy at all.

Looking down at their overlapped hands made her insides tickle. Her fingertips curled. Heartbeat sounds alone weren't enough.

I need proof that you're feeling what I'm feeling.

Esperanza turned around in Cider's arms without warning.

"...Esperanza?"

Their gazes t with his eyes widened in surprise. Because it was an unexpected mont, he couldn't hide it either. For a brief mont, she was surrounded by defenseless affection. Gaze, heartbeat sounds and body temperature, even fragrance. She thought she had built quite a solid wall, but it crumbled in that mont.

As if making a vow, as if pressing firmly, she asked.

"I'm going back to where I originally lived. You're helping

go back. There's not much ti left now. Are you still okay with it?"

Cider gazed down at Esperanza. His tightly bitten lips were pale white, and his violet eyes that always shone vividly trembled while waiting for an uncertain answer.

Words have their ti. And if there was an optimal ti for those words, he believed without doubt it was right now.

"I love you."

With those words, even the last remaining hesitation completely crumbled. She answered in a voice crushed as if holding back tears.

"...If you're okay with it, then I'm okay too."

Esperanza stood on her tiptoes and kissed the lips that had confessed love.