I Became the Tyrant's Beloved Omega - Chapter 13.2
Noah quietly approached Johan, who had lately been offering prayers at the church whenever he had a spare moment. Then he sat behind Johan and waited for him to finish his prayer.
“Johan.”
Noah tapped Johan’s shoulder as he finished his prayer and rose from his seat, and spoke to him with only the shape of his lips. Johan left the church together with Noah and offered his thanks.
“I was truly grateful last time. For going to the village in my place.”
“Because you were sick, Johan. Helping at a time like that is only natural.”
“Was there no trouble in the village?”
“Ah, nothing happened….”
Noah was worried that Aiden might be punished for his violence in the village , laughed awkwardly and trailed off.
“Ah… my mood has been strangely unsettled lately.”
“Why?”
“Because of the perpetual vows….”
“Ah….”
Talking in low voices, they moved their steps toward the refectory at the end of the left corridor. Noah, who had lifted the laundry basket he had set down for a moment in the corner of the refectory, gazed quietly at Johan. Johan let out a long sigh and continued.
“After the perpetual vows, I become a real monk, you know. Will I really be able to carry that out well? Can I truly marry God and live my whole life alone, praying and serving? Well… my head is tangled with all sorts of thoughts like that.”
“Couldn’t you just do as you have done so far? You’ve spent a truly exemplary training period up to now, Johan.”
“It’s not like I’ve done anything special…”
“Still, if I were facing the perpetual vows, I think I’d be incredibly tense with all sorts of thoughts too.”
Noah patted the shoulder of Johan, who looked dispirited.
“Anyway, when will you take your perpetual vows, Noah?”
“I still have a long way to go. About six or seven years?”
“I see….”
It was then. Aiden, who had finished his swordsmanship training, crept up behind the two of them and suddenly wrapped his arms around Noah’s shoulders, calling out to him.
“Noah!”
“You startled me!”
Noah was startled exactly as Aiden, who was playing a mischievous prank, had intended. Seeing this, Johan shook his head at Aiden.
“Is your swordsmanship training all done?”
“Yeah.”
“Goodness… look at this sweat. I’d better wash up soon.”
Noah took out a handkerchief and affectionately wiped the forehead of Aiden, where beads of sweat had formed. Aiden took the laundry basket Noah was holding and said,
“Noah! Let’s do the laundry at the stream today.”
“You just want to play in the water there, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
Noah let out a small laugh.
“Johan, Aiden and I will do today’s laundry.”
“Ah, no! I should do it too. It’s our work.”
“You have something important ahead of you, Johan. Go inside and meditate or something.”
Noah pushed Johan’s back. Johan hesitated for a moment, then smiled awkwardly at Noah and asked.
“Is it really all right?”
“Of course.”
Johan left, and Noah and Aiden came out to the stream. The moment Aiden saw the stream, he took off his top and shoes and jumped into the water. That sight was still so childlike that Noah smiled softly and prepared to do the laundry.
“Noah.”
“What?”
“Johan looked really serious earlier. Why is that?”
“Ah, that’s probably because Johan is facing his perpetual vows.”
“Perpetual vows? What’s that?”
“Perpetual vows are… promising to marry God and live your whole life alone, praying and serving. It means becoming a real monk now, not a trainee anymore.”
“…….”
Noah answered kindly as he did the laundry. But from then on, Aiden, who had fallen silent, stayed perfectly still in the water without moving.
“Aiden?”
“…….”
Aiden came out of the water with a loud splash and sat down beside Noah to start doing the laundry. Noah glanced at Aiden, who had suddenly grown sullen, and asked cautiously.
“Aiden, why are you suddenly like this? Are you angry about something?”
“…….”
Aiden kept his mouth firmly shut and focused on the laundry. At that moment, the bell rang out from the bell tower, and Noah stood in place for a moment and offered a prayer. Aiden, who had been watching that sight with displeasure, sprang to his feet and shouted loudly.
“I’m going to live with Noah for the rest of my life, so Noah can’t take the perpetual vows.”
“…What?”
Noah let out a hollow laugh at the sight of Aiden shouting as if he had been wronged. Then he went on doing the laundry without any answer.
“Noah! So don’t take the perpetual vows.”
“Aiden. That’s still a long way off.”
Noah scolded Aiden as if he found him absurd. But Aiden, uneasy at not having received a definite answer, began to trail after Noah and pester him relentlessly.
“Aiden, are you still a six-year-old child? Why are you throwing a tantrum for such a ridiculous reason?”
“Noah! Tell me right now that you won’t do it!”
“You really are a baby, aren’t you? Is our baby upset?”
Even as he kept making unreasonable demands of Noah, Aiden dutifully packed the finished laundry into the basket. Then he hoisted the basket up and hurriedly chased after Noah, who was walking ahead.
“I really want to be with Noah for the rest of my life.”
“Aiden.”
“Yeah?”
“Once you become an adult, and something you want to do comes along….”
“…….”
“Then a day will come for you too, Aiden, when you leave the monastery.”
“Noah….”
Aiden suddenly found Noah, who was speaking of some future day he had never once thought about, to be someone unfamiliar.
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