Chapter 390: No Happiness, No Unhappiness

Was being happy or unhappy an individual sentiment? Was it a universal value? Or was it something else entirely? That judgment was left to individual thought.

Another person’s happiness could be one’s own unhappiness, and one’s unhappiness could be another person’s happiness.

Therefore, describing someone else’s life on whether they were happy or unhappy would be an act of insult to that person. After all, looking down at other people’s lives was seen as something outrageous, yet ordinary.

The life of a girl named Leu was a story of extreme misfortune from the perspective of others, but in reality, Leu herself did not feel unhappy.

Leu was born in a farming village in the countryside, where she didn’t have the right to own land or property. She had very little furniture and often slept on the floor.

Leu had been working as a servant. She couldn’t remember anything else except this environment. She had no recollection of singing poems and playing around in the flower fields like the other children in the village.

Early in the morning, she cared for the villagers’ horses and cleaned their fireplaces. She did those tasks until dusk, then she returned to her home on the outskirts, as if she were an outcast. It was a repeat every single day.

Her life wasn’t easy. Her father went to work and never returned, and her mother was often ill and could only earn a small income.

Of course, her life was not great. But she didn’t feel unhappy because it was natural for her to have a hard and painful life.

Her mother taught Leu the following teachings.

「Live for others. Take people’s hands and save them. If you do that, your father will definitely come to pick you up someday.」

Looking back, her mother had probably already lost her mind at the time. Those words, which were professed almost every night, were probably spoken by her mother as a way of comforting herself, not Leu.

Suffering was natural for Leu, but her mother felt differently. Maybe her mother wasn’t originally of low status.

However, her mother’s words were the only teaching Leu had at that time. So she cherished it, and she believed in it.

Even if her own white hair and red eyes were despised as strange, even if she was only given a wage that didn’t compensate her work. Believing in her mother’s teachings, Leu took for granted that her father would come to pick her up one day.

If that happened, her life would be a little easier than it was now. The day when her happiness prevailed would surely come.

When Leu was eleven years old, her mother became gravely ill and passed away. Her mother believed in her father until the very end, but her father never showed up. There was no money to hold a funeral for her mother, so Leu buried her body behind the house by herself.

Nothing changed after her mother died. No one cared that Leu’s mother died.

That night, Leu shed tears for the first time since she could remember, but she didn’t quite understand why they were flowing.

After that, the same poor life continued for a while, and it wasn’t until the season of death snow that there was a slight change. Leu’s work went from hard and dirty to dangerous. A dangerous work that no one wanted to do.

Leu was now required to guide merchants from other villages or do any work outside the village.

The reason was simple. No one would be bothered if Leu died. In the middle of a deadly snowstorm where evil beings were rampant, most jobs that involved going outside without warning were bound to bring you death.

「If it works, then it’s fine. If doesn’t, then it’s fine too. I don’t care if that creepy kid dies. 」

Leu heard those words over and over again. She didn’t argue or even react. However, she knew that everyone in her village found her hair and eyes creepy and ridiculed them.

Even in the midst of all these hurdles, Leu still believed in her mother’s words. Those words were the only meaning she had in her life. Therefore, even if she knew it was dangerous, she didn’t refuse to work. Her wages barely bought a loaf of bread. But it was better than having nothing.

One day, as she was repeating those days, something happened.

She was repairing a waterway located outside the village with her nimble fingers. This was something that she couldn’t fix on her own. When Leu realized this and was about to return to the village.

A large shadow covered her body. When she looked up reflexively, she saw a bird monster in the air. Those eyes unique to a bird of prey definitely pierced Leu’s silhouette. Its wings spread wide, and its legs wriggled, which was the characteristic of a hunting posture.

In an instant, Leu realized its intentions. It was trying to eat her. She would never escape on her own. That’s why Leu gently closed her red eyes, which were creepy to many people.

…At least in the end, she wanted to die in her sleep. That was her only wish.

Would it hurt? Would she suffer? How soon would she die? She wanted to be killed in an instant. On the verge of her death, Leu prayed, feeling that eternal moment.

Nothing good happened to her, and she’d rather be dead than continuing this suffering.

At the same time as she thought so, another abnormality happened.

Something warm fell on her cheeks. At first, Leu didn’t know what it was. She later realized that it was a piece of meat from the bird monster that had burst in the air.

「I’ve been thinking about this for a long time…but you’re an idiot. That’s what you are. I don’t understand. What’s the point of life if it doesn’t bloom and shine? 」

It took Leu a while to realize that it was her own voice.

Even though she thought she was going to die, that bird monster suddenly burst on top of her head, and yet she couldn’t help but be upset when she heard those inside unknown words.

The voice that emerged was borrowed from Leu’s mouth as if it were natural. There was confidence and dignity shrouded by arrogance.

「Miracle and destiny are all mine to grab. Brilliance is my source. I don’t know why you keep living such foolish life, but as long as I receive your body, I, as the jewel Bar Agathos, will promise you that you’ll live a better life. A life greater than the worthless life lived by you and your mother. 」

For a moment, Leu saw someone with red hair and white eyes in front of her. Beautiful glossy hair and confident, shining eyes. A beautiful and inviting face. Yet, a face brimming with innocent malice…did she refer to herself as a jewel?

For some reason, Leu felt a sense of familiarity with this person and opened her mouth. It was the first time in her life that she was making a counterargument. It was a clumsy tone, but she certainly spoke out loud.

「…Living for others; helping someone is never a bad thing. 」

It was her faith, and it was something she could never let go. Those were not weak, but strong words.

That must’ve been their beginning.

—

Leu saw the ceiling when she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry for a while, but she finally realized that she was wrapped in something soft. It took her a while to realize that it was actually a bed.

She had seen beds in other people’s homes before, but this was the first time she had been laying in one. Leu was surprised that the bed was so soft, unlike straw or the floor.

The moment she felt slightly uncomfortable and tried to get up, her upper body fell back onto the bed. Her right arm felt heavy, almost like iron.

「…You’ve woken up. Can you tell me your name? If possible, I’d like you to give me your given name, and not a disturbing one.」

Someone was sitting on a chair in front of the door not far from her bed. Leu managed to turn her red eyes and small face to the side. She focused on that voice.

She saw black eyes and hair of the same color. The woman who saved her was called Filaret.

Like Leu, Filaret had a very unusual hair and eye color, but Leu thought that black, reminiscent of the darkness of the night, was glossy and beautiful. After blinking a few times, she answered to the question.

「…Leu. It’s just Leu. 」

Leu felt that her voice was distorted. After all, she didn’t remember exchanging words with anyone other than her mother. Her tone was always frightened and unsure.

Filaret recognized Leu’s voice, and she nodded in satisfaction. After doing that, she moved her mouth to say, let’s talk a little.

The tone of Filaret’s voice was probably the kindest Leu had ever heard. A gentle voice that enveloped the other person. Leu had never heard anything like this from anyone in the village, or even from her mother, who was often sick.

However, this was precisely why the uniqueness of the content was so striking.

…I know about your situation. Do you want to live now? Or do you want to die?

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