"Ugh—cough, cough, cough...cough, cough..."
Kuro patted Noah's back, helping her catch her breath, and grumbled, "If you can't drink and shouldn't drink, don't be so stubborn..."
"I...ugh..."
Noah had just wanted to say something but was overwhelmed by the feeling of nausea. She felt like half her soul was being vomited out. Heaven knows why these people were so addicted to alcohol. Was it possible that only she couldn't taste the goodness of alcohol?
But Kuro was right; she was being stubborn. Her body couldn't handle too much alcohol. The medical advice from Rhodes Island strictly prohibited alcohol and highly stimulating foods. Her body was currently maintaining a balance between Oripathy and her physical condition with various medications. This balance was actually very fragile; just a little more alcohol could potentially lead to very serious consequences.
If she told Doctor Kal'tsit about this, Doctor Kal'tsit would probably rush over from Rhodes Island the next day, grab her, and put her in the ICU.
Noah finally managed to vomit everything from her stomach, only expelling some sour water. Kuro then took out a towel to wipe the filth from her mouth. It was also her first time seeing someone have such a strong reaction after drinking, and it was only one glass of alcohol...
Anyway, Kuro's resolve not to let Noah touch alcohol was solidified. She also needed to reflect on herself; her weakness for Noah's requests needed to change. She knew Noah didn't care about herself and only thought of others, yet she still softened...This was already a sickness, wasn't it?
"...Thank you, Kuro."
"...What are you thanking me for? Thanking me for not stopping you from drinking?"
"That too...But if it weren't for you, Kuro, I might not be in this world anymore." Noah leaned weakly against the back of her wheelchair, tilting her head, and said listlessly, "Also, I sometimes act a bit wayward, and I should apologize for that..."
"That's not 'a bit'." Kuro's tone finally softened, "Rhodes Island said that as long as you take good care of your body, you have a chance to slowly get off medication."
"A chance..." Noah smiled bitterly and shook her head. Her eyes still had no luster, but Kuro felt as if she was looking at her. "What exactly does 'a chance' mean...One percent? Five percent? When Rhodes Island asked me to recuperate on the island, they also said there was a high chance my eyes and legs could be saved, but the result...was the same. Doctors are very, very good people, but their words always contain well-intentioned lies."
"...You."
"I can feel it; they themselves don't hold out hope." Noah closed her eyes, though it had no meaning for her. Her vision was a complete darkness, like a black curtain. Although she had endured the brink of death through willpower, she still felt that half of herself had already died on that operating table. Her hope had fallen, and the remaining spark, she didn't know when it would extinguish. So, what else could she do?
Should she preserve that tiny spark, living without dignity?
Or should she use this spark to try and illuminate others? Which one...would Noah find more acceptable?
Noah chose the latter, leaving Rhodes Island and undergoing conservative treatment with medication. Now, her reasons for living were many, but they definitely did not include herself.
From then on, she only lived for the people she cared about.
Kuro could feel the despair hidden deep within the girl's heart. It was a despair that had become utterly calm, devoid of hysteria, and rationally cold, almost a numbness that permeated her soul.
It was completely different from when she first met her...
"Perhaps we can believe in miracles?"
"Miracles?"
"Whether it's one percent or five percent, I don't believe Noah Guillerette would surrender to this fate. You are not that kind of person."
Kuro took Noah's hand, enclosing it in her own. Her hand was small, with long, slender fingers, bearing traces of childhood training, and appearing thin due to her physical condition. The blue veins beneath her skin were clearly visible. Her hand was very cold...but Kuro's hand was warming it.
"Those who believe in miracles are as remarkable as miracles themselves." Kuro said, "Let's wait for a miracle to happen...I will always be with you."
"...Kuro, when did you become so eloquent?" Noah was a bit surprised. Kuro, who used to be so taciturn, was now speaking to her like this. This contrast made her feel better. "Even Kuro says so...it somehow feels like it will really happen."
"It will definitely happen."
Kuro gazed into Noah's eyes. There seemed to be nothing in those lusterless eyes, but Kuro had always loved them. Even if they had no light, even if they didn't look at her.
But Kuro knew that Noah knew her feelings...
Though even she herself wasn't sure what her exact feelings were at that moment.
Noah's face suddenly flushed slightly, and she instinctively pulled her hand back. Then, feeling it might be too abrupt, she began to explain. "Um...don't you think my hand is very cold?"
"No."
"...Ah, hahaha, I feel a bit tired. I'm going to sleep now...Kuro, you should rest early too." For some reason, Noah felt a bit afraid to face Kuro's unfamiliar and intense emotions. She didn't understand this emotion, and she had almost never felt anything similar from anyone else...No, it seemed she had...she had vaguely felt it from Yolanta. Noah didn't quite understand; this strange feeling made her feel at a loss.
—Kuro...she wouldn't really be treating me like a child, would she?
She had felt similar emotions from Yolanta; could that emotion be maternal love? Or perhaps the affection of an elder for a junior?
Noah's hurried escape in her wheelchair looked quite disheveled. Kuro first paused, then revealed a subtle smile. She reached out and removed her mask. Beneath the mask lay a face that could be called a work of art. After tidying her hair slightly, she stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, placing her hand on the glass. The glass wall was cold, as cold as Noah's hand, perhaps due to her physical weakness, or some other reason.
She looked at her own reflection in the glass wall—the face of a woman once well-known throughout Kazimierz, who had worn a mask ever since that day, known to others as Kuro.
And her true name was rarely mentioned anymore.
To conceal her identity, Noah had even taken this mask, which could blur others' impressions of her, from the family treasury.
She gazed at her own reflection, the appearance of this woman once renowned in Kazimierz—
"Perhaps it won't be long..." she murmured to herself, "before I no longer need to use this mask."
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
👉 patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!