How to Survive as a Player Chapter 67

#67

“Bayen.”

“Yes, yes!”

Bayen must have thought he would be scolded, and he was ready to die. Sehyeon approached Bayen and tapped his shoulder.

“You had a hard time. We ask well. And if you’re having a hard time, you can always rely on me.”

“But, this is my job… Also, if you don’t do it right, you’ll end up tarnishing Rod’s face… .”

“It’s amazing. I will raise you properly from now on. Go and get some rest today. Because it’s okay.”

The vassal who needed to be scolded was not Bayen. Here, Ruhak’s biggest sin was neglecting all of this despite knowing it. After coaxing Bayen away, the surroundings quickly became quiet.

“I want to talk, should I go, or should you come?”

“I’m going to my room.”

Sehyun turned around first. Just by looking at the attitude shown by the Engineering Empire today, it was clear how the negotiations had been conducted so far. Fan said he was dull, but Sehyun thought a little differently.

Today’s appearance was so familiar that I couldn’t find any problems. At least, Sehyun’s guess was that this type of negotiation had been going on for a long time.

The most unsettling thing was that I couldn’t guess Ruhak’s intentions at all. All of his efforts to revive the empire now seemed blurry.

Is this my fault too?

This was my thought every time Ruhak changed. Was there still more to change? The wind passed through Sehyun’s hair as she walked aimlessly. Suddenly, I looked back and saw Ruhak standing in the same place where we ended the conversation.

His profile looked somewhat suffocating. Maybe that’s why Sehyun couldn’t take her eyes off him, either.

I wanted to ask. Why do you look so hurt?

It was some time later that the wind calmed down.

***

Ruhak came late at night after the sun had set. Sehyun, who was sitting quietly on the bed watching the sun set, followed Ruhak, who appeared only after the sun had set, with just her gaze.

They remained silent for a moment, just looking at each other. Ruhak, visible in the dark foreground, looked exactly the same as it did during the day.

It looks somewhat suffocating. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was peaceful and quiet, and yet everything seemed dangerous.

“… “Why did you do that?”

Sehyun spoke first. Ruhak’s tightly closed mouth did not open.

There were more things that Sehyeon overlooked than expected. I was confident that neglect was correct. That he started to withdraw from everything. He behaved in such a way that he could feel the concern of his retainers, and even now he was withdrawing his hand and backing away.

There was a clear reason why the empire did not develop.

He did not neglect the empire by waiting. It wasn’t that he was put off by the intensity of work that was difficult to handle. He no longer wanted the revival of the empire.

“Why do you come now?”

Sehyeon has died a total of 6 times so far. Among them, he was killed by Ruhak twice. In all other cases, they were hunted down or killed in a violent crime. But never before had Ruhak let go of his hand and retreated like this.

“You wanted the empire to rise.”

“An empire that even the king abandoned… “I mean.”

“But you… !”

“It wasn’t you either in the end. “That’s it.”

Sehyeon couldn’t believe his ears. It was only when the survival of the tribe was at stake that the Grand Duke gave up his country. There was no archduke who would give up on such a prosperous empire, an empire with everything in place.

“Say something so I can understand.”

“Do you think you’re the first?”

Those words reminded me of our first meeting, which I had forgotten. I remembered her sad eyes differently now. With renunciation and resignation.

Sehyeon’s gaze blinked. It’s not like Sehyun hadn’t thought about it either. In the days after he fell into Elix, one of the thoughts he had every night was why it was ‘Earth’ in the first place. There are so many races, so why did the weakest, human, have to become king?

But now I vaguely understand. This time it was just Earth.

“But I will admit it. Because you were the only one who came to this point. However, you too… .”

Ruhak’s eyes closed deeply. He was unfamiliar with the feeling of a long period of time.

“… “They abandoned us.”

An empire obsessed with its king. Sehyeon believed that the reason was because the life and death of the empire depended on it. But was it really the revival of the empire that they wanted? Only now it seemed that the grand duke and his vassals wanted something different.

“You too have only come to this point. “No different from anyone else.”

“I… “How many times?”

“well. “I’m sure there were countless of them.”

That explained everything. Everything was explained, including how quickly he made decisions, how everything was perfect, and how he stuck to the same approach in everything but never knew failure. I was even used to giving up.

“The one I’ve been waiting for… “I guess it wasn’t you.”

My mouth didn’t drop. Sehyun had already ignored them twice. He put the empire’s survival at risk several times, making hasty decisions and actions. These were situations where distrust had no choice but to take root.

still.

“… “You don’t know yet.”

Sehyun got up from the bed and walked slowly. He walked one step, then two steps, then about ten steps, and then he arrived in front of Ruhak.

“You say it easily.”

The distorted eyes were sharp. Do you really just hate me? Even though the numbers he saw with his own eyes were so overwhelming, Ruhak did not acknowledge it.

“I will never leave your side anymore. No, I’m not leaving.”

“I don’t believe it.”

When I faced him inside the Tower of Tests, he might have been quietly watching Sehyun being eaten by the monster. He must have been worried about whether Sehyeon would choose death or life at the crossroads of choice. Risking the survival of the empire.

“From now on, I will prioritize the empire above everything else.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“I promise that I will not give up on you or neglect you at any moment.”

The pain Ruhak had to go through for the time he was neglected. He should have been the first to count, but he couldn’t. To Sehyun, he was a wall so high and hard that it was difficult to reach unless he wanted to. That may not be the reason, but it wasn’t easy.

“therefore… .”

Even at this moment.

“Come on.”

For the first time, Ruhak showed different emotions. It was my first time. I could clearly feel the emotions swaying over the dangerous embankment. Ruhak’s hand reached out, and a hand that touched his cheek touched the nape of his neck. He seemed to have been dragged helplessly by the strong pulling force, but when he realized, he was in his arms, drowsy from the neck down.

“It’s your job… Riga.”

Unlike his voice that sounded like he was chewing, the hand strangling him was weak. It was hard to breathe, and I could clearly feel his hesitation. Still, his touch on the pulse was somehow dangerous.

“… “Why didn’t you come back after saying you loved me?”

It was a voice that was so angry that it was scary. Sehyun opened her mouth without thinking, but then closed it again. The reason why Sehyeon couldn’t come was lost to him.

“Did you think our sincerity was just the same?”

The steps continued as is. Sehyeon took a step back in a dangerous manner. And only when his toes touched the bed did his sleepy neck relax and he fell down onto the bed.

I saw a hand moving in the silence. The moment I realized the danger was when Ruhak began to pull off his robe. Sehyun’s eyes followed this anxiously.

“what… “I’m doing it.”

Sehyun’s shoulder, which had been stepping back with its arm raised, was caught and pulled down again. Ruhak’s clothes, which had been tightly locked, were being pulled off one by one. The hand that took off the robe around his neck now moved to the collar of his chest.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?”

My skin trembled at the emotionless expression. For a moment, my vision seemed shaken.

“no… .”

“Didn’t you always whisper love to me? “You said you would do whatever you want, but now there’s a reason you don’t want to.”

I gritted my teeth as the hand pressed down on my shoulder. A dark shadow fell over Sehyun’s face as she twisted her shoulder. The hand that had been pressing her shoulder moved up to her neck. Ruhak held his tightly closed jaw and focused his gaze closely.

“If it’s not like this, what do you want? “I’ll reconsider, just tell me.”

Sehyun’s fingertips trembled as she pushed Ruhak’s shoulder. My chin was throbbing from the hand that was holding my cheek tightly. Nevertheless, Sehyun kept his mouth shut and endured.

Sehyun’s love was not an erotic love involving desire. The love whispered to him was encouragement, comfort, and affection.

It was not a light heart that could be released and filled with anger like this. Such was the love that Sehyeon gave to his vassals. And Ruhak was included in it.

“You really… “You hate me to the core.”

The hand that had been pushing Ruhak’s shoulder fell. The dense air stayed between the gaps between each other. Tears formed at the corners of Sehyun’s eyes as she glared at Ruhak. The silence was unfamiliar, and Ruhak’s gaze gradually became quiet. What emerged behind the silence was thirst. As soon as he hid even that, Ruhak’s eyes became empty again.

Ruhak did not wake up. His hand, which was holding his jaw, fell apart immediately. The moment Ruhak’s eyes slowly closed, a strong arm wrapped around Sehyun’s waist.

Because I hugged and pulled so tightly, my body was pulled all the way. On the bed, Se-hyeon was buried in his wide arms, his waist wrapped with scattered feathers.

A long exhaling sound was heard behind me. Tightly intertwined arms refused to talk. It was a warmth that was somehow familiar. Without knowing why it was familiar, she vaguely thought that way.

Sehyeon’s eyes gradually closed as he heard the sound of breathing flowing along with the silence.