“Let me come with you.”

Those words had come out of Pierrot’s mouth in the heat of the moment. His emotions got the best of him, though in reality, he also didn’t know what to do after making such a proposition.

Asking her to bring him as well–he couldn’t believe such embarrassing words came out of his mouth.

Yes, he could help her with the basket like before–each of their one arm carrying one side. But other than that, he couldn’t think of anything else. Following her through bushes and trees was everything that she had done so far.

On top of that, did Helena even want that?
Did she want to be accompanied by someone else who was practically still a stranger?

What if his presence by her side right now–or this entire time, a matter of fact–was a nuisance?

Did he even deserve to be in this peace now?

Like a pest, one would say.

One-armed pest.

But if that had been the case, Helena wouldn’t have saved him from the brink of his death. Or she would have enslaved him to do her biddings. To attend such a vast garden, it would be quite useful to have one pest running around here and there.

Shit, I can’t think clearly now.

The chilly breeze that swung his hair around couldn’t cool down his brain. He realized he had to stop overthinking.

Pierrot looked to his sides. His eyes observed the scene that lived around him at that moment. Tall trees were all he could see, their branches carried leaves that danced alongside each gust of wind. Bushes served as obstacles whenever he wanted to take a step forward, though not challenging enough for him to surrender. There was a sense of wonder Pierrot couldn’t really grasp–something felt unreal about this forest. Looking to his left and right, front and back, this forest appeared to be endless. If he had been alone, he would have lost.

The Aethel Kingdom had quite a few forests scattered across its land. To pinpoint only one would be a bit difficult, but Helena herself had said that they were northwest from the west battlefield. Based on that, Pierrot only knew one forest.

But could it be?

Helena was walking slightly in front of him, still carrying her side of the basket while guiding their way through this greenery. The path seemed unclear with no pave way or signs that led them in a specific direction. That didn’t matter, however, as she took every step with confidence, smiling even throughout the way. Seeing that, Pierrot didn’t doubt her at all. In fact, this was quite exciting, like an adventure through a Dungeon minus the monsters and traps.

“How often do you go out like this?” Pierrot said.

“Around twice per week–first one to put the basket and the second one to take it. Sometimes it would be twice per two weeks, so it’s random.”

From time to time, Pierrot stepped on a twig. The sound startled him at first, but with how many times he had done it for now, it grew on him. It felt like being hugged by nature itself.

“I’m just thinking about it, but wouldn’t it be easier if they just came into the house?”

“What do you mean?”

“Instead of making you go outside every time, they can just go visit the house, right?”

Pierrot thought his idea made sense. It wouldn’t be impossible to make a path going across Helena’s garden and the outside world. In fact, it would be convenient too.

Helena lowered her voice. “That’s true, but….Let’s just say I’m not that good with people.”

The smile she showed after that was quite a bitter one, as if saying those words hurt her as well.

“I see,” Pierrot said. Those were all the words he could muster.

“Besides, that person might get lost if I asked them to enter the forest. Wild animals here are dangerous too. It’s better to avoid that.”

“That–”

–Almost made sense.

Getting lost in any forest would make any heart race, even his included. The sense of void not knowing what dangers lurked around was a frightening thought.

But this forest felt different.

It was uncanny at that moment. He knew he would get lost the moment he went off course different from Helena’s path. And yet, none of it was threatening. He had only seen small animals roaming around, some even stopped in front of him and looked at him as a mysterious, giant creature. To think they possessed a threat to a human would be quite far-fetched, he reckoned.

He couldn’t help but get suspicious again of Helena. Several possibilities seeped into his head.

True or false.

Good or bad.

Correct or wrong.

Pierrot had no way of knowing that for sure. Of all the cards dealt to him, he only had these bits of information and Helena’s behavior to judge. A threat or an ally–his mind revolved around that idea.

Silence hung heavy. Deep in thoughts, Pierrot didn’t watch his steps and tripped on a tree root that was sticking out. He managed to balance his arm so that the basket wouldn’t fall, but his knee wasn’t that lucky. It scraped against the nearest pebble. The impact stung his entire body.

“P-Pierrot? Are you okay?” Helena asked.

“I’m fine.”

A small patch of wound appeared on his right knee. To say it wasn’t painful would be a lie, but he was still capable of walking and even running, he reckoned. Helena, on the other hand, didn’t seem to agree with that.

After putting down the basket gently, rocking the things inside a little, she knelt before Pierrot. Without even giving it a second thought, she used her arm sleeve to wipe the blood.

“Luckily, I always bring some water outside,” she said.

From the pocket on her dress, she pulled a flask and poured what was inside onto Pierrot’s wound. The water splashed on impact, scattering everywhere as droplets that soon returned to the soil once more. At the end, after the blood seemed to disappear, Helena gave that spot another rub with her arm, this time gentler than before.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“It feels better. I really appreciate it.” Pierrot bent and stretched his legs. The pain had subsided. “Also sorry for making trouble.”

Helena smiled.

“Don’t worry about it. My master was clumsy, so I’m used to taking care of her.”

A caretaker and a gardener.

What could she not do?

“Anyway, can you stand up?”

“Of course.” With his left hand, Pierrot pushed himself up. “It’s nothing.”

“As expected from a soldier. You’re strong.”

“Really? Any normal person will be okay after such a small wound.”

“In the case of my master, she would complain and sometimes even cry. I can’t count how many times she sulked over something trivial like that. Quite problematic, don’t you think?”

“S-sounds you had it quite rough.”

“It sure was,” Helena giggled. Memories played themselves in her head, exclusive moments that only she knew. “I’m sure she was humoring me, though. After all, I was just a child.”

As they went deeper into the forest, the bushes began to grow thicker and denser. Leaves hanging from branches left mere small gaps for sunlight to seep through. A few minutes later, Helena stopped walking. Before her stood a tree with a mark carved on its trunk.

“This is the place,” she said.

At her command, both of them lowered the basket until its bottom side rested on the ground. They made sure it sat on an even surface, and only after that did Helena palm her hands together and brush the dust off her skin.

“Should we go back now?” She looked at Pierrot.

“Eh? Just like that?”

“Yup, just like that. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing….It’s just quite anticlimactic in my head.”

Helena let out another giggle. “What did you imagine in the first place? Like I said, I’m just going to put this basket here and return as soon as possible.”

With every consideration in Pierrot’s head, it didn’t change the fact that Helena did say that–trading, she had explained. Amidst this forest, however, he had another thought he could only let out as a question. It might not even be the best time to ask–he didn’t know everything besides the regret he would feel if he didn’t do it at this moment.

So Pierrot gritted his teeth. Being hesitant was the least thing he wanted now.

“Helena, aren’t you interested in going outside?”

“....”

From Helena’s previous recollection of what happened when he had been unconscious, albeit short, had told him about her master banning her from venturing outside–that much he knew already. But her master’s reasoning was still unclear to him.

In other words, he was asking about that “reason.”

Pierrot had never felt this nervous when asking a question. Helena, being a stranger to him, didn’t help in that matter as well. He knew he couldn’t take that question back, nor pretend he hadn’t asked it either.

There was silence in the air. She spoke no more afterward, lasting for a couple of seconds. The fluttering leaves around them whispered intangible words–nature’s tongue, which knew and understood no language for a person’s ears.

Helena then looked at him. “Sorry, but I can’t tell you.”

“It’s okay,” Pierrot replied, having guessed that reaction out of her.

“When the time comes, maybe I will tell you. But it’s not now, sorry.”

“Again, it’s okay. People keep secrets all the time.”

“Even you?”

“Maybe I have, maybe I don’t.”

They both chuckled at the same time–Helena covered her mouth when doing so. The tension perpetuating in the air just now mellowed down. Even the trees and bushes seemed to giggle along with them.

The wind brushed against them again. Their hair danced as its partner, and its touch also grazed their skin with this soft tap. Helena was staring at a distance–through the trees and bushes, she peered at what existed there. She couldn’t see it, but she felt what it was.

There, far at a distance, the outside world.

“But since we’re on that topic, I’ve actually been meaning to ask you too, Pierrot,” she said. A second after, she returned her gaze to Pierrot–both eyes staring at him with both kindness and seriousness. “Do you want to leave?”

The sudden turnaround took Pierrot by surprise. Not to mention her question that felt out of nowhere–no, it might instead sound appropriate given this opportunity.

Pierrot had never been this close to the outside world. If he stretched his left arm towards the direction, he believed to be the outside, he might reach it.

“Since the beginning, it’s never been my intention to keep you here. Once you’ve recovered, I don’t think I can help you much anymore. You’ve no obligation to stay either.

“And unlike me, you still have a life outside.”

Upon hearing her words, Pierrot remembered his hometown. A village where the sound of the waves sang a lullaby every passing second. Then there was his duty as a soldier–to fight for his kingdom against the rebels. He was one of the kingdom’s shields. A shield should protect its master, and right now, he wasn’t playing his role.

The noble heart of a soldier permitted none of the disloyalty that could bring ruin to his kingdom.

“So it’s your choice. If you want to leave, I’ll lead the way.”

But in the face of such a dilemma, one’s heart would flicker like a candlelight struggling to stay ablaze. Pierrot was no exception.

Although it’d been only one short day in this place, this solace was too gratifying for him compared to the hellish landscape he himself had experienced. The quiet yet tender feeling inside this cottage and the colorful spreads of life adorning the field outside had softened. It was very comfortable–too comfortable.

The human heart is fragile.

The entire time, Helena waited and spoke no more while Pierrot shut his eyes. He stayed like that for a minute or two, though from his perspective, it felt like an hour had passed. And at the end, he opened his eyes. The answer revealed itself.

Although it’s fragile, Pierrot knew his heart still wanted to beat–still wanted to ease in this warmth called living. He knew he was no saint. He didn’t know whether his hand could carry the weight of another sword anymore. And now that he had lost an arm too, the battlefield wasn’t the place he belonged.

But if it were for the sake of his savior, the girl standing before him, there was something he could do–he could still do to repay his debt to her.

“I….” The first word that came out of his mouth fainted before reaching her. He just needed to loosen his tongue more. “I want to stay here.”

“....”

“Now that I’m like this, I don’t really know what I need to do. I still need time to figure that out,” he said. “So although this is selfish, I wish to stay here. I won’t do any funny business here. I also don’t mind doing all the chores. If that’s not enough, order me anything, and I will do it. At least I can guarantee you that having me here will also help you.”

Laying everything out bare, with no misunderstanding or deception, just the true wish that he had within him right now.

“So….Please at least consider it.”

Not having the courage to face the answer, he lowered his head–both an act to escape and show his humbleness. With his heart thumping so loudly, he didn’t expect anything favorable. However, the soft sensation that landed on his head made him jolt, pressing his hair with gentle pushes.

When he looked up, it was indeed Helena’s hand.

“Ah, sorry!” she said before pulling her hand as quickly as possible. “I just thought your hair looked fluffy.”

Pierrot’s hair got a little rustled. It wasn’t exactly unpleasant, though to put it into words would be quite embarrassing. He looked at Helena who had her hands near her chest again.

“Regarding your request, if you’re fine with me, then I’m also okay,” Helena continued. “Having lived alone for quite some time now, I might not be the best housemate in the world. But if you’re okay with it, please take care of me!”

Helena followed her words by bowing. The way she laid bare everything and accepted his request with kindness made Pierrot feel dumb for being suspicious of her. Following her gesture, Pierrot also bowed.

“Please take care of me too.”

Both of them raised the upper halves of their bodies at the same time. They happened to look at each other, and simultaneously, their lips stretched and curved upside down.

“Should we go back now?” Helena asked.

“We should.”

They began to trace their way back to the cottage.

“By the way,” Pierrot said. “When you went out and saved me, didn’t you go outside?”

“I did. What about it?”

“I thought you weren’t allowed to.”

“....”

“....”

“W-well, let’s just say breaking a rule once is okay….”

“....”

“....Right?”

The birds soaring high in the sky that had been chirping went silent, only flapping their wings as quietly as possible. Even they were taken aback by her statement.

“I-it is what it is! There’s no point in talking about the past!” Helena said, dodging the matter in hand. “A-anyway! Shall we celebrate our partnership? I have an idea about what lunch I will make.”

“Sure. I can’t wait for it,” Pierrot answered.

“Don’t get your hopes up. I might mess it up.”

“So far, that hasn’t happened.”

Soon, they had cut the path and returned to that garden. As if they were greeting Pierrot and Helena, each of them swayed and waved in unison.

“It’s so bright!”

Helena took the first step, now walking in front of Pierrot. She basked in the radiance that the sun granted her. And as he watched her back, he got the urge to say another thing that had been bothering his mind. This time, it was filled with sincerity.

“Also Helena….Again, thank you for saving me.”

Turning her head around, Helena nodded. A soft laugh escaped her lips.

“You’re welcome.”