Chapter 8 - You Had To Hide It Until The End

Chapter 8 – You Had To Hide It Until The End

After Teros went away, Ashia, who remained alone in the store, looked only at the small potion bottle he had given her.

‘The spring water from the temple fountain……’

The delicate blue energy of divine power is such a mysterious and beautiful liquid.

I’m just curious about the ingredients. I heard it’s different from holy water. Teros’ life changed when he said to her that he wanted to know what the power in there was.

“I should have been careful…”

In fact, Ashia herself or Teros were just a side branch of the original. The children of the Wizard or the burned-out village were also not mentioned in the novel and had no weight.

Even if the direction of life changed based on the topic, Ashia didn’t want other people’s lives to change because of her.

That one incident that happened many years ago was enough.

“Oh…”

Ashia put the potion bottle on the shelf and pulled the chair out.

“You. What was that earlier?”

In the space where there was no one else besides Ashia, her calm voice was directed towards someone.

“…… Are you pretending to be asleep? Or you just don’t want to talk?”

“Can I take your silence as you having something you want to hide from me?”

「….」

“… You won’t tell me until the end, huh?”

When there was no answer to the question again, Ashia removed the necklace around her neck and placed it on the counter.

I’ve been asking too much. Right?

Let’s do that.

What do you mean earlier? When?

A thin voice of beauty, which is more like a whisper rather than a voice, popped out of the necklace that vibrated shortly. Ashia’s eyes narrowed when the voice immediately came from the necklace she had taken off.

“Oh… You don’t know? Do you want me to make you remember it? Luke?”

Ashia, biting down on her molar tightly, lightly placed a finger in the middle of the mana stone that was shining softly.

「”Aww! That hurts! It really hurts!”」

It was just a bit, but it was also very rough as if it was broken.

“………. I haven’t even started yet, Luke.”

「Oh… Words. Please remove your fingers. Words are enough.」

“Why bother a weak and poor stone?”

She then gently removed her fingers from the mana stone when she heard it was about to die from the pain.

「”Yeah, so let’s talk about it. Why did you do that?”」

‘………. What exactly is she asking?’

Ashia gave a light sigh and folded her arms.

“………. Didn’t you hate it when someone touches me without your permission?”

「Oh, that one? Of course I hate it!」

“You know what? I’ve done that once before, and you’ve been in a frenzy because you were so busy.”

Luke’s voice rose as if something exciting had occurred to him for a moment.

“Yes, yes, yes! I remember! Wow, back then, I was really….”

Is the memory of that day a pleasant memory for Luke? The mana stone in the middle of the necklace made a sound and vibrated. Ashia’s eyes went towards the mana stone that became thinner.

“………. Remember how much mana I wasted trying to put you to sleep?”

“Yes, of course! I remember that!”

At that time, Ashia had her hands and feet all broken, and her flesh was torn apart. She was a mess. Oh, my goodness!

“I guess you had a peaceful life after all the fuss that day. Right?”

If I was a little more excited, I would have burst into laughter. Ashia leaned her back against the chair and looked at the mana stone quietly. A short silence descended on the space that was noisy.

Ashia continued slowly, looking at the Mana Stone, whose vibrations were dying.

“You’re very… Excited, aren’t you?”

Only then did Luke’s voice, who understood the atmosphere, come out.

[…… No.]

“So, I’m asking why you did that earlier. Are you afraid of the great Duke? Really? Are you going to run away from people?”

The mana stone sparkled with red and blue lights.

[“No way!”]

“But he snapped at you and you looked so calm.”

Luke was quiet again. Even the loud glow faded away. Ashia asked again, tapping her finger on the mana stone.

“What? What are you hiding?”

Not answering her persistent question at first, Luke swallowed his saliva and slowly continued to speak.

[…… Very occasionally.]

[There is a mixed race between the dragon and the human race.]

A hybrid born between a dragon and a human race is an unfamiliar topic to Ashia, who knew the original story.

“…… You. The story.”

[“Yes, that big guy from before.]

What is he talking about? Is he mentioning a secret of the Etus family that’s not mentioned in the original?

Or is it something that was written in the original but I couldn’t find it?

No, maybe there’s something I don’t remember. I did not remember everything even if I had read the book, but even if I remembered it, I can’t guarantee that it will stay in my memory.

Luke, who had been vibrating and twinkling in the Mana Stone, continued to speak in a resonating voice again.

“Anyway, I was so surprised that I forgot to run away. Hehe.”

Luke’s short laugh turned Ashia’s eyes back to the necklace.

“…… Hehe? Are you laughing? Are you laughing?”

Luke’s voice came to Ashia, who was lost in thought again.

“And.”

“…… Huh?”

[Didn’t Ashia know him? You were very agitated.]

“Huh?”

This small stone pointed out something unexpected. Ashia lowered her head toward the necklace and whispered softly to the Mana Stone.

“You felt it?”

Luke also lowered his voice and whispered.

[“Maybe, just enough for a sensitive person?]

“My eyes are shaking. My voice is cracking. How can my heartbeat resonate so loud? It’s not me. It’s Ashia’s heart.”

“Stop…”

Ha, Ashia sighed loudly and buried her face in her palms.

***

Between the two men sitting opposite one another in the drawing room, there was an aura as cold as the weather outside. For movement, they held a teacup on the table. There was nothing else to do.

Breaking the fairly long silence, Desian opened his mouth and placed his arms over the armrest of the sofa.

He said, “Sigh….”

Ashia’s name seems to have been engraved in Desian’s head for a while now. But Kaligo, as usual, was just drinking tea with a wrinkled expression on his face.

“That woman named Ashia.”

Despite Desian’s continuous words, Kaligo only drank tea without replying. With his good posture, Desian gasped and continued.

“Who is she?”

“She said that she is a magician.”

“No, that’s what I just heard, and I know just now, that there is a wizard on the Great Duchy. That damn bastard, Ventus.”

“But why did you call the wizard again?”

He slowly looked up, putting down his teacup, as if he was interested in a special person.

“Each wizard has a different ability.”

“They have their own ability?”

“…… Yes.”

Desian nodded as if he understood.

“Why are you covering your face? Your voice suits my taste but how about your face?”

“I think face and skill are different.”

“That’s it. That’s right. So how’s his face?”

The eyes of Kaligo toward Desian were imbued with contempt.

“What the hell is your reason, sire?”

“I’m here to see my friend. Do I have to have a reason?”

Even with the word ‘friend’ coming out of his mouth, Kaligo’s expression didn’t even change. However, Desian knew how terrible Kaligo thought of that word.

Desian deliberately brought up a story that grated on him.

Then one corner of Desian’s mouth crept up.

“It’s been so quiet for years that I was wondering if I needed to have some heavy rain. You’re just obviously fed up with the courtiers and aristocratic youngsters.”

Note: the “heavy rain” just refers to a phenomenal event

“… What do you mean?”

“I’m sick of them, and now I’m rolling around with magical love.”

Kaligo’s calm eyebrows wiggled finely.

“We agreed to share the good things. Well… …… Why? Is she a special wizard?”

Kaligo stared at Desian and slowly opened his mouth.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Kaligo’s heavy voice made the air in the quiet drawing room heavier.

“…… Tell me.”

“Did you forget what you said before?”

“…… No, I remember.”

– You should never hang out with the Crown Prince again. In this case, I hope you refrain from stepping into the temple.

Kaligo broke off his relationship with the Crown Prince. Apparently, it was Desian who had cut him off from Kaligo’s side, but didn’t let him go.

Kaligo Etus is like an uncontrollable active volcano. You don’t know when or where he’s going to explode.

Even if he managed to calm the angry fire by drinking a single potion, it is meaningless if he could not break Desian.

That’s why Kaligo, who almost died a few years ago, was the first to cut off the crown prince after returning to his grand house.

Desian had a livid smile when he remembered that the Kaligo of that time tried to cut him off.

“I thought you were going to act like an orphaned nobleman lately. You’re the one who is secretly enjoying in the background, isn’t it?”

It was a remark with a lot of intentions. However, despite Desian’s provocation, Kaligo’s face remained calm.

“I would have said it if I wasn’t.”

“Well, what was she doing?”

“She’s just a wizard I met for the first time today. If you don’t believe it, you can look into it for yourself, …… You’re good at that, aren’t you? Digging behind others.”

Kaligo leaned on the sofa and threw his eyes out the window with his arms crossed.

Nothing will come out after investigating anyway. It’s obvious that today is the first time he’d been engaged with someone.

Desian slowly opened his mouth, looking interestingly at his unshakable expression.

“Then… I can touch her, right?”

Kaligo’s eyes slowly turned to Desian.

His face, which had faced him completely, revealed his true feelings that had been hidden until now.

His reddened gaze that came across him was like a sharp blade. Kaligo, who did not show his emotions easily, had suddenly begun to exude life.

Because of her alone.

“You should’ve hidden it all the way.”

His eyes, still stained with anger, were so intense that Desian got goosebumps all over his body from the energy he was emitting.

Looking at his eyes, he’s no different from a man whose wife was stolen.

Kaligo had that kind of look.