CH 173

Time continued to pass even after Keira’s abilities manifested.

Rather, should Keira say it felt like time passed faster than it used to?

She thought that time went by quickly because she was having fun on her journey.

In the past, she would have traveled along a set touristic course, but after manifesting her abilities, she was able to roam the remote mountains.

It was great that once she was able to wash even where she had no lodging facilities.

Keira could eat lower-quality meals a little, but it was impossible to survive without washing for three days. It was torture.

On that day, she entered the deep mountain valley and came down to the foot of the mountain a few days later. Villagers who knew her even joked, saying, ‘I thought she was dead because she didn’t come down.’

When Keira was about to enter the inn where she was staying, a young employee handed her a letter.

“Are you a guest in room 210? I was told to give this to you.”

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“?”

She informed the people around her that she would stay in the city for a while, but she never told them exactly where she was.

When she looked at the envelope, it was addressed to ‘Miss Kira Perinet,’ a pseudonym she used on her travels.

‘Who is it?’

When she opened it and saw the letterhead, a familiar handwriting caught her eye–it was Ludwig’s.

“…”

What did her father write? At first, Keira was puzzled and read the letter, but then her expression hardened.

The employee standing next to her was a little startled.

“D-dear guest. If there’s any inconvenience…”

Keira: “No need to worry about it.”

She climbed back into the room, clutching the letter. Then she sat on the bed and reread her letter.

「I don’t know if you already know, but I have memories of the past…」

After a quick greeting, he asked whether she knew he had made a pact with the devil in the past.

The head of the Parvis family, the shield of humanity, made a pact with the devil.

If the letter had not been addressed to her specifically, she would have thought it was a terrifying joke, and would have sneered at it before ignoring it.

‘His Grace remembered what happened before we returned to the past?’

Why? How? It was absurd.

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Then Erez’s words came to mind. He mentioned that the magic caster would remember the past immediately after the original point had passed.

Keira’s gaze went straight to the calendar.

She didn’t even know when Ludwig and Erez signed a contract to turn back time. But one thing was certain–her execution date had passed.

Maybe Erez also regained his memory when Ludwig recalled the past.

‘That guy… no, that demon, he insisted that there was nothing wrong with his magic.’

Was there a defect in the crucial part?

Keira sighed and continued reading the letter.

「Before I pay the price to the devil, I want to ask you for forgiveness before something happens to me.」

「You don’t have to forgive me. But I hope you will come back home before the opportunity to ask you for forgiveness disappears.」

The content continued for a while after that, but the message was the same.

It was about asking for understanding of his situation that he couldn’t leave the capital carelessly and asking her to come back.

“…”

Keira sat quietly on the bed for a while, staring at the paper.

She had no intention of returning home after receiving a single letter from him asking her to come back.

However, it was also uncomfortable to ignore it as it was.

Above all, she needed to make sure that his memories had returned so they could handle the next step.

“…”

In the end, she roughly stuffed the letter into her bag and went downstairs.

The employee, who had handed the envelope to her, was the first to find her.

“Are you going somewhere? Or shall we prepare a meal?”

Keira: “When I first came, I said I was going to stay for a month.”

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“Ah, yes. You did.”

Keira: “I think I’ll have to leave sooner than that. Oh, you can keep the change. Instead, prepare a meal early tomorrow morning. And a carriage.”

“Of course.”

Anyway, she saw everything there was to see in this small city. After that, it seemed meaningless to stay any longer.

After speaking with the employee, Keira headed back to her room. As she packed her belongings, the sky suddenly became dark.

She unfolded the map on her desk. She didn’t want to sever her relationship with His Grace. She just needed time to think. She had to leave right now because he knew her whereabouts.

It would be troublesome if he sent people to beg her to come back.

Keira looked at her map and thought.

‘Where else should I go next?’

She wanted to see the sea because she only went inland this year. Just in time, summer was here. It might be nice to go to the port city to see the sea.

The next morning, as soon as Keira had finished eating, she quickly left the city.

And two days later, the servants of the Grand Duke came to her inn to find her.

Keira: “How the h*ll do you find me?”

Each time Ludwig’s letters came, she moved from city to city several times, and eventually, a bundle of letters piled up next to her.

All of them were letters from Ludwig. The content was also very similar.

Wanting to ask for forgiveness. Asking her to come back home.

She kept the letter well and did not throw it away. It would be evidence that Erez’s magic was flawed.

Just then.

Knock, knock–. 

“Dear guest, are you there?”

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Keira stood up at the sound of a knock at the door.

‘I don’t think there’s a reason for the staff to come.’

She had always paid the rent and food, and had never caused a fuss or defiled the facility.

‘Dinner isn’t until later…’

Confused, she opened the door.

Then she saw an employee with a familiar face. But standing behind her were more familiar faces.

“!”

“You have visitors…”

Bang–!

Unknowingly, Keira slammed the door shut before the employee finished speaking.

‘Aren’t they… employees at the grand duchy?’

Soon after, she heard a knock again.

Knock, knock–.

“Milady, please open the door.”

“We didn’t come here to force you to return!”

Should she be relieved they didn’t address her as ‘Her Ladyship’ as if they were conscious of the eyes around them?

‘Come to think of it, there’s no reason to shut the door in panic in the first place.’

Even if they tried to take her by force, things wouldn’t go smoothly.

She calmed her surprised heart and opened the door again.

Click–.

Keira: “I’m sorry about a while ago. I was a little surprised.”

“We are sorry for coming to visit you so suddenly. I’m sorry, but Your Gr… No, because of your father’s orders…”

The servant inadvertently tried to say ‘Your Grace,’ but hastily changed his words.

The innkeeper looked at Keira as if she had no idea of her identity and was looking at ‘the poor rich girl who ran away from home.’

Keira: “What did Father tell you?”

“He didn’t receive a reply for a long time, so he sent us thinking the letter might have been delivered incorrectly.”

Keira: “I received them.”

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“That means…”

Keira: “I still want to visit other places. Please tell Father that.”

“Yes…”

He turned around as if he had given up, but before leaving, he asked.

“Then, can you just let us know when you will be back?”

Keira: “Well. It won’t take long.”

“Yes, I understand. Then I’ll let him know.”

After Keira had dismissed the servants and the inn employee, she sat back on the bed.

She wasn’t lying when she said it wouldn’t take her long now.

‘It’s time to go back soon.’

It wasn’t because she missed home or was tired of traveling.

Keira looked down and created a small drop of water on her palm.

Drops of water as small as a fingernail took the shape of a little cat and grew to the size of a fist. It was magic.

‘I have to let them know my abilities have awakened…’

A transparent water-colored cat climbed over her head and stayed on her arm.

The cool feeling was quite pleasant, the sensation something she had never known in her previous life. After all, she lost her life before her abilities could manifest.

Keira caressed the cat, no, the element, as she pondered.

Cosette and Count Weinberg were gone, but it wasn’t recognized that Keira was a true elementalist.

It was necessary to slowly show her ability in front of everyone and drive a nail into the coffin that she was the Grand Duke’s daughter.

‘Let’s stop by the capital for a bit.’

She didn’t plan on staying long anyway. She also had to see Erez.

‘First, I’ll stop by the capital city to organize my work, and then I’ll head straight to the tower.’

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Keira went downstairs and found the employee who had just knocked on the door, cleaning the dining room table.

Keira: “Are you the one who just came to my room?”

“Yes? Ah yes. Is something the matter…?”

Keira: “The servants who came to see me, do you know where they’re staying?”

If Keira was returning anyway, she might as well return comfortably. She wanted to travel for the first time in a long time without having to pack.

“I’m relieved Her Ladyship changed her mind.”

“I know, right?”

Just before passing through the gates, Keira lifted her head as the servants joked.

Keira: “What are you talking about?”

“If we had returned to the capital on our own, the Archduke might have been a little offended.”

“His Grace has been quite agitated lately. Should I say that he’s gotten sharper?”

Keira: “Huh.”

It was understandable since the head of the Parvis family signed a contract with the devil in the past.

Grand Duke Parvis was the devil’s contractor. It was absurd enough that most people wouldn’t take it seriously.

Even Keira was flustered. Wouldn’t he be terrified?

Keira leaned her head out the window and said.

Keira: “Before I go home, I want to meet Great-Aunt first.”

“Yes?? But if you want to see her, you have to let her know in advance…”

Keira: “It’ll be fine if I tell her I have something to show about the elementalist.”

After that, she put her head back inside the carriage.