Chapter 48: Letting the Heart Rest
With both hands stained red with blood, he held her tightly.
"I’ll always be watching. Together with our child, from the sky above. I love you. I lo—ve... you..."
"Aaaaaaahhh!!"
As her hand fell limply, he hugged her body with all the strength he had left.
Everyone watching nearby shed tears as well, mourning Vita’s death.
She had been a gentle woman.
She had been saved when she was being chased by humans.
She had invited them to go together when they were hiding in the forest.
She had suggested creating a place where they could feel safe, a place where they wouldn’t have to fear humans.
Even while pregnant, she had taken the initiative to handle chores.
She had handed out water, saying "Good work," in the sweltering heat.
She had scolded young men who slacked off, like a mother would.
She had been everyone’s mother.
Whenever someone cried, whenever the men started fighting, whenever there was a birthday to celebrate, she was always there, smiling and rejoicing together, getting angry and scolding when needed.
"She sounds like a wonderful wife."
"Yeah. She wasn’t a beauty, but she was strong-hearted, she laughed a lot, and she was the best wife I could’ve asked for."
After crying for several days, Joa apparently collapsed and lost consciousness.
Thanks to the desperate care of his companions, he somehow recovered, and together they saw Vita off.
He struggled desperately to pull his shattered heart back together, and from then on, he worked relentlessly.
He further remodeled the rocky area, increasing the number of rooms, and accepted any beastman who came seeking help.
He took the lead in entering dangerous forests to secure food, and if there was word of humans nearby, he stood guard without sleep.
If he wasn’t doing something, the anxiety was unbearable.
As their numbers continued to grow, people suggested he find a new mate, but he ignored them.
"I was afraid of forgetting her."
He had lived desperately to keep his promise.
Solely for the sake of the promise he had made to Vita.
"...Leander, Elias. I’m starting to feel thirsty, could you bring me some water? And also, could you look for a child who might become friends with Cari?"
With a gentle smile, Qiong Xing pushed the confused pair toward the door.
He placed Cari into Elias’s arms and patted his head, telling him to do his best.
"What’s wrong?"
"Hm? I told you, didn’t I? I’m just thirsty. And I’d been thinking it would be good for Cari to interact with children around his own age, so this is a good opportunity."
After he said that, Qiong Xing stood in front of Joa and told him to lie down on the sofa.
"Why?"
"You must be tired, right? I know a good massage, would you like to try it?"
"Ma...ssage?"
"It means loosening stiff shoulders and a tired lower back."
When he urged him on, Joa lay down despite looking doubtful.
As Joa lay face down, Qiong Xing kneaded his shoulders and tapped his lower back.
When Joa said it felt good, Qiong Xing had him turn onto his back next and placed a towel over his eyes so they were gently covered.
"They say when the heart becomes rigid, it even makes the shoulders stiff. Maybe you end up putting unnecessary tension into your body, and that’s why your shoulders, back, and legs start hurting."
"......."
Joa fell silent and Qiong Xing was fine with that.
"Saying goodbye to someone you loved dearly is painful, isn’t it? You may think you’re only trying to keep your promise, but everyone is grateful to you."
"...Is that so."
Seeing him grit his teeth, Qiong Xing gently stroked his head.
"But everyone is also worried about you. It’s important to work hard in life, but if that’s all you do, you’ll surely get exhausted, won’t you? It’s also important to relax somewhere along the way. Loosen up, say what you want to say, eat delicious food while saying it’s delicious, and sleep when you feel sleepy. Laugh when you’re happy, cry when you’re sad, and get angry when you’re upset. That’s what’s important."
"......."
"Your wife said it, didn’t she? To protect everyone. That surely included you as well. Perhaps Vita wanted you to live. You’ve done more than enough. So let’s loosen up a little, okay? It’s fine to say what you want. Won’t you tell me too, what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling?"
"...I..."
As those words finally spilled out, Qiong Xing smiled at him.
...
It was a good morning and Qiong Xing woke up quiet early.
When he saw the three people that was sleeping beside him, he smiled at them adn quietly left the room.
The dim cave was chilly, but to his still-groggy mind, it felt pleasant and helped him gradually wake up.
"Good morning."
When he heard a voice from behind, Qiong Xing returned the greeting, and the other person narrowed his already thin eyes even further as he smiled.
"You’re up quite early too, Fei."
The young man with fox ears seemed to have anticipated Qiong Xing’s actions and had followed him from behind.
"It’s a habit. It won’t go away anymore... Thank you very much for yesterday."
Fei bowed his head, and Qiong Xing tilted his head, wondering what he meant.
"Thank you for helping the boss."
"No, I only gave him a bit of a massage."
It seemed they had been listening from outside the room.
"That might be how it feels to you, but you still did something we couldn’t do."
They had talked a little and he had kneaded a stiff body.
That was all.
"...It was the first time I ever heard the boss cry like that. I’d never seen him cry before, so it surprised me, but I’m glad it happened."
"I see."
Qiong Xing felt relieved that it didn’t seem to have been taken as pathetic.
Well, he had thought that probably wouldn’t be the case anyway.
"So, thank you. That’s all I wanted to say."