Volume 7 Chapter 44 Nursing And Confession
After returning to our base, I stayed up all night nursing Ridge with Moruru.
Ridge was in a very weak state and looked like she could die at any moment. If only Toxy were here. I thought this as I placed a wet cloth on Ridge's feverish head.
The nursing continued for 3 days and 3 nights. I didn't have any urgent errands to run at the moment, and thanks to Anahata and Chakra, I had infinite stamina, so I was able to take care of Ridge around the clock.
The more surprising one was Moruru. Sure, she was an ancient dragon full of energy, but she stayed up all night with me taking care of Ridge. I was really impressed.
"I can watch her, so you should rest," I said.
"No... Moruru wants to take care of him. You should rest instead, Papa."
"If I leave you exhausted and rest, everyone will scold me."
Since Moruru was being stubborn like that, I continued to take care of Ridge while also keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn't reach her limit.
It was exactly 3 days later when Ridge finally regained consciousness. As she received the bright morning sun from the window, she opened her eyes and said, "Uhhh...?"
"Hey! Papa! Ridge! Ridge is Papa!"
"I'm not Ridge," I said.
"Don't joke around!"
I got scolded. Cute.
Ridge blinked her eyes sleepily and then looked at us with a bewildered expression.
"Moruru...? Wade-sama...? Where am I...?"
"Ridge, it's great to see you awake~! I'm so glad you woke up~!"
"Whoa! What happened!?"
Ridge seemed confused by the situation and was bewildered by Moruru's behavior. Moruru started crying out of relief and didn't seem to be able to speak properly.
"Ridge, you've been bedridden for 3 whole days since we rescued you from 'Oath,'" I explained.
"Oh, I... I guess that's right. Hey! Wade-sama, I have something to tell you."
"So, this is the information you got from over there. Calm down first, and then I'll listen."
"Y-yes... So,."
I listened to the information from Ridge. 'Oath' is planning something. So, the important items can't be moved easily.
"Something that can't be moved, huh? I'll talk to Lord Birk about it."
When I call out "Windy," Windy, who heard my voice, appears. I tell them to schedule a meeting for me to talk to Roman and Lord Birk, and send Windy away.
That's all for now. I turn back to Ridge. Ridge is still recovering from her illness, so she's breathing heavily, seemingly exhausted from just giving me the information.
"You've gotten really weak, Ridge."
"I'm so sorry... But I'll get back to my usual self soon, so please don't worry..."
"I was just teasing you. Moruru and I will take good care of you. You took care of my party when I was sick, so I don't mind at all."
When I say that, Ridge looks downcast for some reason. As I tilt my head in confusion, Moruru asks in a serious tone, "Hey, Ridge,"
"What did you mean when you said, 'I was planning to be captured from the start'?"
A heavy silence falls over the room. I hadn't heard that before, and I can tell from Ridge's tense expression that it was the truth.
"Th-that's right."
Ridge's eyes dart around, then said.
"Did I say something like that? A-are you mistaken, Moruru?"
"If it was a mistake, why are you so flustered? Ridge, what are you hiding?"
"...Ugh, c-cough..."
Ridge's breathing becomes ragged. It's a question that's too shocking for someone who's already prone to fatigue. It makes sense.
But at the same time, I didn't think it was a question that could be brushed off. I'm torn between stopping Moruru and staying silent.
"Moruru has been thinking about it. Why would Ridge be thinking something like that?"
Moruru says.
"After all, I didn't understand. At all. I even had bad thoughts. Like, maybe Ridge was actually betraying us. But, I didn't want to think that way."
"I didn't betray you! I would never, ever betray you, cough! Cough cough!"
"Oh, sorry, Ridge, I'm sorry...!"
Moruru reached out to support Ridge. But, Ridge brushed her hand away. Moruru froze, hurt.
I couldn't bear to watch and said, "Ridge, I'm sorry."
"Moruru is also confused. She didn't doubt you. She was just so worried about you that she started thinking crazy things."
"I, I didn't betray you."
"I know. ...Moruru stayed up for 3 days and nights, taking care of you. She wouldn't do that for someone she doubted."
As I said that, Ridge gasped and looked at Moruru. Ridge burst into tears and whimpered, "I'm sorry..."
"U, uh, no. It's my fault for saying something strange, so, Ridge, don't apologize to Moruru, okay...?"
"No, it's not. It's not. I, I, am...!"
Ridge coughed so violently that her body bent over. I closed my eyes, thinking it might be her limit, and suggested, "Ridge, let's talk about this later."
But, Ridge stubbornly shook her head. Then, she cried and pleaded, "I'm sorry...!"
"What are you apologizing for?"
"I, I tried to destroy Wade-sama's party, Moruru's family."
"That's already in the past. I got the money for that from your father."
"No! I! I...! I still haven't atoned for anything...!"
Ridge's tears fell onto the bed, dropping like raindrops. The water seeped in and stained it slightly black.
"How could I, of all people, be so selfish and try to destroy Wade-sama's, Moruru's family...! An child like me, a lowly human, trying to defeat a Metamorph Dragon. How, how arrogant."
Ridge covered her face, scratching her head as she couldn't bear the self-reproach. Moruru grabbed her hand, saying, "No. Calm down, Ridge...!"
"Let go! I didn't understand anything, anything! I didn't know how much Wade-sama loved his family, or how kind Wade-sama and the others were!"
What am I? Ridge shouted.
"I should have just died there! Otherwise, I can't atone for this! Cough! I am, I am..."
I somehow understood Ridge's state of mind. Moruru wouldn't understand yet. The guilt that couldn't be regretted no matter how much he regretted it.
"Ridge."
I called out to her.
"Have you been holding onto that all this time?"
When I said that, Ridge stopped resisting Moruru and nodded silently.
"...Everyone, after I started living in that house, they gradually, gradually started to treat me kindly."
"Yeah."
"Ice-sama, when I went to say that I was hungry with Moruru, she would always make us snacks. Simple, homey ones... They were delicious and I loved them."
"Yeah."
"Toxy-sama would scold us when Moruru and I misbehaved. I had never been scolded at the main house before. But then she would gently pat me afterwards."
"Yeah."
"Sandra-sama would always play with us with all her might. She was a very free-spirited person, and she would secretly give us snacks even though Toxy-sama would scold her. She would end up getting caught and scolded together."
"Yeah."
"Clay-sama didn't talk much, but on the way back to the main house, he would be working busily with Alex-sama and the others. It was like that that he was supporting the party."
"Yeah."
"...I."
A single tear fell from Ridge's eye.
"I tried to ruin this family, these warm people, with my selfishness...! When I think about that, I can't help it, I, I...!"
Ridge's face was crumpled up as he sobbed uncontrollably. Moruru was overwhelmed by the sight, repeatedly opening her mouth to say something, only to close it again when she couldn't find the words.
Ridge's feelings were a sign of his growth. It was the empathy that she couldn't carry as a child. It had become a guilt too heavy to bear for this small body.
"That's why I couldn't miss this opportunity."
"This opportunity...?"
"The 'Oath' camp knew they would kidnap someone in retaliation. But we wouldn't be on guard until someone was taken. They're all strong."
It finally clicks for me. Ridge says with self-deprecating humor,
"So, I thought, 'Why not me?' I'm the most useless one. And at worst, I could die."
"Ridge, you idiot!!!"
Enraged by Ridge's words, Moruru slaps Ridge while crying.
"Idiot! Idiot! Ridge, you idiot!"
"Ow, ow. It hurts. Moruru, it hurts."
"No one wants that kind of atonement! Ridge is my best friend! Don't say you're okay with dying!"
Breathing heavily, Moruru stares at Ridge with her eyes wide open and glaring at her.
"...but"
"No buts! If you say that again, I won't forgive you!"
"――――! What do you mean, 'I won't forgive you'!"
Now Ridge is the one yelling. She starts hitting Moruru with her pillow as a weapon. Oh, here we go.
"I've always felt like I needed to atone! But I didn't know how! Even now, I don't feel like I've atoned enough. So, the only option left is to die."
"Idiot! Ridge, you idiot! That's why you're so weak at chess! Who said you had to atone by dying!? That's just your guilt getting to you!"
"Tch, chess has nothing to do with it~desuwa"
"Don't change the subject!"
"I'm not changing the subject!"
I watch the 2 girls fighting and laugh heartily.
"Pap! What are you laughing at!"
"So~desuwa! We're serious!"
"No, I'm laughing because this is..."
It's a schoolyard fight, that's what it is. I did this kind of thing in my previous life too. What a jerk.
But, I'm one of the adults in this group now. I guess I'll have to step in and break it up.
"Ridge."
When I call her name, Ridge straightens her back as if she's nervous. She coughs a "cough," but her face is flushed, maybe from anger.
"Your guilt, unfortunately, is going to stick with you for a long time. Childhood ones especially tend to linger, physically too. No matter what you do..."
"Uh... then, then, I, I can't make amends anymore...?"
"Yeah. That's right. No way. Because none of us victims care, but Ridge is the only one who does."
"Huh?"
Ridge's face turns blank as I say the blunt truth.
"Papa, you're going a bit too far, don't you think?"
"No, this is the kind of thing you need to put the nail in the coffin for. So, Ridge, long story short, your guilt is your problem. There's nothing anyone else can do about it. If anything, only time will heal."
Ridge mumbles something incoherent, "Uh, ah, uh," while waving her hands vaguely.
"So, if you're going to pull another one of these self-pitying stunts and get yourself kidnapped again, stop it. Face your guilt head-on."
"Uh..., oh, okay..."
"Instead."
I take Ridge's hand.
"When you feel like your guilt is crushing you, you can come to me. Or Moruru. Anyone in our party would probably be there for you, and Windy might be okay too?"
There's a noise from outside the room. Windy, you're eavesdropping, aren't you?
"...Wade-sama."
"If you can cry that much for my party ―― no, for my family ―― then Ridge is our family too."
"But, I, I made such a terrible mistake..."
"Humans make mistakes all the time. I'm worse than Ridge. If I hadn't met Mudi by chance, we'd all be dead."
I think my first encounter with Eiosnight will be a lifelong trauma. I still have nightmares about it. I often wake up in cold sweat.
"So."
I stroked Ridge's head.
"Don't worry too much. That's all I can say. If things get too much for you, come to me. I'll comfort you and pat your back."
"...Waaah, Wade-samaaaa...! ."
"Yeah, yeah, that was tough. There, there."
I hugged Ridge as she sobbed, patting her back gently. Moruru watched us with one eye half-closed and said.
"...Is Ridge going to join the harem now?"
"Don't say that."
I didn't mean it at all at the time, but I've been thinking lately that Ridge is kind of cute. Not that I do. Not that I do.
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