CH 108

Never Saved You - Chapter 108 - WoopRead

Along with the feeling of free falling in the air, her back and shoulders soon were supported from below.

It was a familiar sensation. Ophelia had experienced it once in the imperial palace.

It’s just that the person who caught her was different this time. Sante looked pretty upset for some reason.

Furrowing his brows, his golden wings could be seen behind him.

Without needing to ask, Ophelia noticed that Sante had cast a concealment spell. Sante spoke with that crumpled expression of his.

“I’ve lived long enough to do all sorts of things.”

“Sirens are always in pursuit of interesting, exciting things, right? Isn’t this something like that?”

“Yeah. It’s so exciting that I’m worried that my later years would be too boring.”

Sante answered back with sarcasm, but Ophelia smiled regardless. How could she not smile when all her plans were going smoothly?

Ophelia Milescet was now dead.

All that’s left was to go to the magic tower.

* * *

“…So, that’s how it happened.”

After Ophelia explained, Alejandro buried his face in both his hands.

Anything related to her always tended to make him raise the white flag. The past life, and even here in this life.

What’s fortunate this time was that Sante was here.

—The youngest is the one who caused the most trouble, huh. I’ll discipline you properly.

After Sante found the three siren brothers making a commotion earlier, he let out a sigh and promptly flew away.

And so, the two were left in the burned forest.

Alejandro didn’t know what to say in response and could only sweep his hands over his face. Then, he tried to calm down and focused on what caught his eye first.

“So that’s what happened then, but where did your clothes go?”

Ophelia was wearing the feather cloak that was clearly Sante’s, but the problem was that only her thin negligee could be seen underneath.

Had it not been for Sante’s cloak and the fact that it was too dark, then the situation now would have been much too embarrassing.

But Ophelia had her own reasons.

“I threw away my clothes to finish the deed. They’re surely going to try and find my remains.”

And that’s why Ophelia couldn’t immediately tell Alejandro the truth.

After Sante caught her from under the cliff, she went down and landed on a bedrock, then took something out from her pocket.

It was an old coin that’s not in circulation anymore, and it’s been corroded over time.

Recognizing the item, Sante acknowledged it.

“Did the mermaids give that to you?”

“Yes, they did. I didn’t know I’d use it this soon, but…”

It was from Ariel’s eldest sister. When she took Ophelia back to the sunset spot, she gave this as a small token of her favor.

—You saved Ariel’s life, and she’s partial to you, so it is only right that we express our appreciation to you as well. This is a token.

—A token?

—Yes. If you throw this copper coin into the ocean, we will help you, anytime and anywhere.

Even if she were to fall into the waters, it was one chance to be saved by them. It was an unexpected gain.

Ophelia received it with gratitude, and now, it seemed to be the right time to use it.

Ophelia threw the coin into the ocean, took off all her clothes and accessories—from her robe to her dress—and then handed them to the mermaids.

“Please scatter these along the coast nearby. So that people can find them.”

“Do you really have to take those off?”

“I’m certain that Ian will try to look for me. So if these are found drifting in the waters, he’ll definitely think that I’m dead.”

That’s why this step was necessary.

It was for that reason that she needed to take off her outer garments, but fortunately it was possible to avoid being completely indecent because of Sante’s cloak.

Of course, that’s what Ophelia thought, not Alejandro.

Alejandro looked a bit perplexed again, but he soon sighed and took off Sante’s cloak to instead place his own cloak around her.

If this were any other time, he would have bemoaned the fact that she didn’t tell him about all this in advance, but he knew how urgent the situation was. Alejandro understood Ophelia.

She had always been a few steps ahead of him, and he knew that the distance between them was something that stemmed from him.

And paradoxically, her precedence was what made him so captivated by her.

So there was only one thing that Alejandro could say.

“I’m glad that you came back safely, Ophelia.”

He was just happy and grateful that Ophelia returned and took a few steps back towards him.

The despair he felt, which seemed to be endless, disappeared as if it had been washed away by Ophelia’s existence alone.

Alejandro held Ophelia’s hand and leaned close enough that their lips could touch.

Even though his despair had disappeared, a remnant of his grief remained for a moment, making him falter.

“If I had lost you again, I— I really…”

“Alei. Look at me.”

Hearing Ophelia’s voice made Alejandro look at her. With his cheeks still soaked, he gazed upon Ophelia’s face.

Even as it was too dark though she was so close to him, Alejandro could feel what kind of gaze Ophelia was giving him.

It was the same gaze that always looked at him—eyes full of love and kindness towards him. And, somehow, remorse.

“We’re still here. You, and me.”

But if either of them had disappeared, they had to endure.

Ophelia knew about Alejandro’s reliance on her. It wouldn’t be strange to truly call her his ‘savior’.

Perhaps it’s only natural since she was a great help in finding Alejandro’s memories.

Besides that, Ophelia also received a lot of help from Alejandro.

But Ophelia didn’t wish for Alejandro to fall to his ruin.

“We aren’t each other’s saviors. That’s why there should be no reason for life to end just because the other disappears.”

“I know.”

Like drops of rain from the heavens, Alejandro’s tears continued trickling down cheeks.

“But even if you never saved me, and even if I never saved you, I will continue to be with you. Even if that kind of connection doesn’t exist between us, I will be with you because you’re the most important person to me.”

By any means, I would still be fascinated by you, I would still love you.

Even if there’s no place for me beside you, I will continue to gaze upon you as an evening primrose would look towards the moon.

In her repeated lives and in the time she lived as an empty shell, it was only with Alejandro that she found meaning.

“So don’t leave me behind. I won’t be able to go one without you…”

“…That’s funny, isn’t it.”

At the very cold answer, Alejandro raised his head once more, as he didn’t realize that he dropped his gaze beforehand. Then, he saw Ophelia smiling.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing, that’s why it’s funny that we have the same thoughts.”

“…Ophelia.”

“No matter who you are, I will treasure you, without a doubt. And even if no one asks me to, I would have gone back to you.”

And perhaps, Ophelia was already aware of these feelings. It was only because of one person that she wanted to live, and so too would she want to die if it wasn’t for him.

Still, Ophelia did not let this emotion swallow her whole, enough to throw everything away because of it. But neither did she want to deny its existence.

“Alei, even without me, I wish for you to live. But this wish is as great as how I want to be with you.”

If she had denied these feelings and tried to escape, perhaps she still would have been fated to come back.

As he listened to Ophelia’s calm confession, Alejandro briefly lost his senses.

Ophelia feels the same way?

The memories of losing her in the past, what happened here in the present, and all these overwhelming emotions. They rushed into him at that moment.

With the ruined forest around them, Ophelia reached out to Alejandro.

“Now then, let’s go. If we stay here any longer, I’m afraid that a real crowd will really come.”

“Where are we going?”

“Is there any other place?”

The magic tower, Siren Tower.

Holding Ophelia’s hand, Alejandro thought.

As much as possible, I don’t ever want to let go of this hand.

“I’ll guide you there.”

“…Alei, did you regain your memories?”

“Yes, I did. We won’t have any problems going to the magic tower.”

As soon as she heard this, Ophelia’s face clearly lit up with relief. And after that, the darkness of dusk gave way to the daybreak’s light.

After everything, the night passed by.

And another dawn soon arrived.