Neighbors in forbidden land

"You..." At this moment, my thoughts went blank. Looking at the dark pupil that was not covered by the bandages and was once full of anger and unwillingness, but now calm as the sea, I didn't know what to say for a while. good.

Why is she here?This is the question I don't understand the most.

Although it is not impossible for human beings to come to this land, Yimi has reconfirmed to Wu Shao that there are no human beings who came to this land from the imperial palace except ritual and music.

In other words, she shouldn't be here.

Azusa.

The human who once severed one of my wingspans at the pier is also the only human who has caused substantial damage to me so far.

But I don't know if it was for some reason, but she also suffered serious burns at the time, and I even got some sea water to help her put out the fire on her body.

When I saw Yimi, I felt the fragility of human beings.Seeing her now, that feeling came to mind again.

Although I don't know what she looks like now because she is wearing clothes, but just judging from the fact that her skin that should be exposed is wrapped in gray and white bandages one after another, she must not be very good now. good.

"Princess Yimi...where is it?" She asked again, her voice was still so tepid, as if we had never met before——

Wait, "I" and her should be "meeting for the first time" now, right?No one should know about my appearance, right?

but--

"I think you should know the answer." She just said this sentence lightly, and glanced slightly at my single wing and tail.

...Even if we are "meeting for the first time", my appearance is tantamount to telling her that I am not human anymore.

"I……"

"Don't tell me?" She just said something lightly, then straightened her slightly bent waist, but still looked down at me who was sitting on the ground, "I think I can find the answer as long as I follow you."

I feel like I can't keep up with what she's saying, which has always been so hard to understand.

Not knowing exactly what to do, I decided to stand up first, seeing how I was clumsily getting up, she just stood there motionless, the only thing that moved was her exposed eye, always Locked firmly on my body, just like... when she was going to cut me.

It's just that she now doesn't give me the same feeling as she did back then.

I had to do my best to use my hands to pull the dead branches and vines gathered on the ground and walk back, because she kept a distance and followed me, so I didn't want to use my tail to help...

For a moment, there were only the sound of our two footsteps, shifting from the solid soil to the loose sand. We didn't say a word to each other, and even the distance didn't change.

I have questions I want to ask her, I want to know why she suddenly appeared, but now I don't want her to call Yimi "Princess" anymore, I don't understand why everyone calls Yimi "Princess" and she is still called Yimi "Princess", obviously Yimi is my princess.

Thinking about it for some reason, he twitched his tail on the sand beside him, the golden sand scattered, and left an irregular pit on the beach.

Oops... I tried to turn my head back slightly to see her reaction, and I found that she seemed to have some movement, but in the end she still maintained that indifferent look, and didn't do much, or even say anything.

I'm used to the feeling that Yimi "can't see me", so I didn't notice that she doesn't react to my small movements like Yimi... It's rather strange that she didn't draw her sword and cut me directly right?

Never mind... Hurry up...

I hurriedly adjusted my movements, trying to speed up my pace and head towards the boat.

When the wrecked ship surrounded by boulders appeared in our field of vision, even she, who looked very indifferent, made a little voice:

"Do you live in this kind of place now..."

There was no surprise in her voice, but more like a sense of sadness.

"Yes..." I answered her unconsciously, but she just looked at me quietly and didn't say anything more.

It was only after getting close to the boat that I tried to pick up the dead branches and vines in my arms, but because I didn't do it well enough, a large part of it fell on the sand.

As a result, she bent down, picked up those dead branches and vines with more skillful movements than me, and held them in her arms, her dark eyes staring quietly at my face.

"Thank you, thank you..."

"I didn't do this for your thanks." She just sighed softly, and finally there was a wave of waves on her originally indifferent face, "The knight wants to help the 'people' who need help, that's all. "

"yes……"

"And these are Princess Yimi's main use? They are used to make fire..." For some reason, Azusa sighed slightly again.

"How do you know?" I obviously didn't say anything.

"It's too obvious." She just focused her eyes on the entrance of the ship, "Lead the way."

"Oh."

So I walked in front with the pile of things, and she followed me. We entered the boat stepping on a small slope made of wooden boards, stepped into the deep cabin, and walked through the creaking road. Aisle, step by step approaching the restaurant.

During this process, her gaze was always moving around, but no matter how she changed, there was a trace of sadness in her originally dull eyes.

"Xiaohei, are you back?" Just as Azusa and I approached the restaurant, Yimi's cheerful voice came from inside.Yimi can always detect my presence before I get close to her. Although she told me that she heard my footsteps, I asked her why she didn't mistake it for Xiao Gu and Lan Xue or Wu Shao. , she just smiled softly, touched my head, and told me "Because you are unique, Xiao Hei".

And when he heard this voice, Azusa froze in place, just hugging the pile of vines in his hand and remained motionless.

Somewhat incomprehensibly, I took the lead and entered the room, and put the things in my hands in a corner of the dining room, which is a place specially used to store fuel for fire. "Just wait for Xiao Gu to bring the fish back. I'm going to make kelp soup and grilled fish for breakfast today. The green onions finally grew, so I collected some and sprinkled them in the soup and grilled fish to season when I came back." See Yi Mi talked to me with a happy face, and I discovered a problem.

Azusa walked almost silently, so Yimi didn't notice Azusa coming at all.

Moreover, Azusa didn't come in at all.

"What's the matter?" Yimi raised her hand and shook it in front of me, "I always feel that your reaction, Xiao Hei, is not right?"

"that--"

"Yimi...princess."

The moment I was about to speak, Azusa interrupted my words.After hearing Azusa's voice, Yimi was also obviously stunned, and slowly turned her face to the entrance of the restaurant, which was where Azusa was.

"This voice...is it Azusa?"

"It's me...Princess Yimi." At this moment, the cold expression on Azusa's face seemed to have completely collapsed, leaving only the unbearable softness gushing out like water.

Originally, I wanted to correct her address, but I gave up.

Because she looks... sad.

"Why are you here..." Yimi's face was full of doubts, as if she couldn't believe it.

"Next..." As a result, Zi was also hesitant to speak. After a short hesitation, Zi walked up to Yimi in a few steps, knelt down on one knee in front of Yimi, and lowered her head deeply. , "See Princess Yimi."

Yimi was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly: "Just now I always felt that you have changed a lot, but after hearing this sentence, I feel that you have not changed at all."

Azusa didn't raise her head, but her body seemed to be trembling slightly.

"I don't know if you have eaten, Azusa, let's eat with us." Yimi smiled and turned her face to me, "Xiao Hei, prepare the firewood and prepare to cook."

"Understood." I glanced at Azusa who couldn't get up on her knees, and I don't know why I felt that she looked like...a kind of invisible sadness.

————————————————————————————————————————

silence.

The mealtime, which should have been extremely jubilant, became unexpectedly silent, and the reason was Azusa.

Azusa just knelt and sat beside the fire without saying a word, and the four of us sat opposite Azusa.Azusa's eyes seemed to be moving, but she didn't seem to be moving. She looked like she had no intention of eating at all.

Yimi sent kelp and grilled fish to our mouths without a glance. Lanxue watched with red eyes as the smoke from the flames drifted away from the hole we opened, and the food reached his mouth. Just bite, not only did his eyes not fall on Azusa, but he didn't even stay on us.

And Xiao Gu's eyes full of curiosity were floating around us, because Yimi didn't speak, so he just seemed hesitant to speak.

I don't know what to say, I thought Yimi would talk a lot, but Yimi didn't say anything at all, she just helped us feed the vegetables as always, except——

"Azusa, come and eat some, too?"

"Thank you princess for your concern."

Although Azusa took the chopsticks handed over by Yimi with both hands, there was no intention of using the chopsticks to pick up vegetables in the pot that was constantly bubbling with white smoke and soaking with one hand, and Yimi didn't say much, although I felt Yimi didn't even know if Azusa moved.

"This is not a palace, and I am not a princess anymore, so I don't have to be so restrained anymore."

"... Thank you, princess, for your concern." Zi just hesitated for a moment, and still maintained the previous appearance.

What is the situation now?I didn't open my mouth because I didn't understand.

"So..." Yimi breathed a sigh of relief and stopped his hands, "Are you here to take me back?"

As soon as Yimi said these words, Xiao Gu's face, who was still happy, suddenly changed, but Lan Xue held her down calmly, so she didn't make any big moves.

"Princess Yimi...do you want to go back?" Azusa's gaze was always on Yimi over the flickering fire.

"……forget about it."

"Really..." Zi Chang sighed, these two words were as fragmented as the scars left on her body.

"I know it's not your fault, Azusa, and I don't want to lose my temper with anyone anymore. Each of us has come to this point for various reasons. No matter what, I am very happy now."

"..."

"Azusa, what about you?"

"...Me?" A puzzled expression appeared on Azusa's face.

"Yeah...you." Yimi gently put down the chopsticks, facing Zi, "Zi, you should put down some things too."

"Princess Yimi... is she happy now?" Although Azusa was asking Yimi, her gaze was firmly fixed on me, and I slightly hid behind Yimi.

"Well, at least you're happier than when you first came here, aren't you?" Yimi just answered Azusa's question with a smile.

"..."

"Actually... do you really want me to go back?" As a result, Yimi suddenly threw out this sentence with a blank expression.

"Of course, it's not only me, but also Professor Huot and Her Highness Queen Lily-" Azusa suddenly became a little excited, feeling like she was about to jump up at any moment.

"Then let such a bunch of mercenaries come to find me and go back? If the disaster is still here, do you wait for their entire army to be wiped out? Then send the next batch?" Yimi gritted her teeth slightly, and threw the mercenary forcefully. sentence.

"That's just—"

"Just what?"

"..." Azusa just put her hands on her bandaged body, lowered her head slightly, and didn't continue talking.

I remember what I said last time, Zi Zi personally brought a group of people to pick Yimi back.

This time, Azusa didn't arrive immediately.

I don't know what it means for a human to be injured. After all, so many days have passed, my only "injury" is that Azusa cut off one of my wingspan, but for me, the impact of this is not very big .

But Azusa's burns seemed serious.

And I also found out that Yimi couldn't see Azusa.Therefore, Yimi didn't even know that Azusa was injured. "I said that I don't want to make unnecessary anger about the things in the past. Now that you know my situation, I am also very happy that you came to visit me from across the ocean. I thank you for your time. I gave everything for me, but—" Yimi paused for a moment, her tone became more serious than before, "I'm not a princess anymore, I'm just an ordinary girl now."

Yimi turned her head away, and the slightly confided language seemed to draw an end to this conversation:

"Girls should be married, and a married daughter is like poured water, so you should marry me."

————————————————————————————————————————

After that, Azusa just said a word and left the restaurant.

From the beginning to the end, Yimi didn't say any more words or make any other actions.

It seems to be back when I first came here, with no vitality and vitality, just like those vines crawling all over the ground.

"Help me see her off." In the end, Yimi just said these words softly.

So I ran out in a hurry, ready to jump out of the ship to find Azusa's whereabouts.

In the end, I found that she was just standing blankly in the dark corridor even in daytime, stroking the broken door of a messy room.

She didn't leave, but she didn't stay either.

I still have something to ask her, so I walked towards her.

"Xiao Hei... huh?" When I got close to her, she just spit out my name slightly.

Uh... At this moment, I don't know whether to answer her.

Then, she turned around slowly, her face covered in bandages showed no expression at all, and her dark pupils were almost buried in the shadows:

"Back then on the pier, the disaster we had always hated and feared...has it turned into this?"