WAS THERE A SAINT HERE, too…?
— Cassander, when were you a human? What else is a saint? What else is a temple…?
— There were things I didn’t want to say. If I explain, would you even understand? Why do you wonder when I’m a human! Isn’t it enough to just know that I am the ancestor of Erland?
My body trembled at the loud rumbling sound. Although there had been times when my head hurt, it was the first time my body was shaken like this, so I was a little perplexed.
“Master!”
“Are you okay?”
Damian glanced down at my body, and I could tell he was examining my magic with his blatant gaze.
It seems that Cassander wasn’t just bluffing. Even if he was a ghost, it seemed that he had excellent abilities at the time, so he would be able to maintain that ability even after death.
— Kkkk. How dare you. You’re acting quite… cheeky.
In an instant, goosebumps rose all over my body.
Wasn’t there a saying like that, a saying that when a ghost passes through your body, you feel chills for nothing…?
“Master, I think it would be better for you to just go in.”
While Damian supported me, Oscar nodded his head wildly.
“Well, do you know what your face looks like now?”
At his words, I just shook my head helplessly. How would I know how I look like, stupid fox.
— Kuhaha! This is really strange. You, who had never been shaken by my abilities, are staggering like this…
What… Aare you showing off your abilities like this? It was just a headache…
Perhaps, because he was now connected, Cassander read and answered my thoughts as they were.
— Did you think you would last long when a ghost secretly covered up the body that would have been mine if it weren’t for you?
Uh…
What does that mean?
— What does that mean? You are a thief
It was as if I could hear a ringing. As my body was trembling, someone approached me quickly from far away. He was immediately recognizable, even from a distance. It was because I couldn’t help but see him every day.
“Ray, what’s the matter?”
It seemed he had just found me. In a hurry, Lucian hugged me as if he had stolen me from Damian.
“What, what’s the matter?”
Hearing his words full of bewilderment, I thought that my face had a very serious look. I wanted to answer, but my mouth didn’t open well.
— Sheesh. As expected, it’s that guy again… A descendant of Evil Enzo.
Listening to Cassander’s muttering, I could feel a sudden loss of strength in my body. At the same time, it felt like hot liquid was running down my nose.
Without knowing what was happening to me, Lucian’s low voice covered my ears as he became confused.
“Ray? Ray!”
In a harsh voice that sounded bewildered and angry, he called me, though I couldn’t get up.
Hearing his distant voice, he seemed to stretch out his hand, but I could not reach it and lost consciousness.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───
WHEN I WOKE UP, I noticed that I was standing blankly.
‘Where is this…?’
I thought of Lucian at the same time.
Oh, right… Would Lucian be worried?
Even without knowing where I was going, I took a step forward. I had to hurry, thinking he was waiting for me. Just a little after, I realized that this place was the Duchy’s house. Through the familiar hallway, I found the place where Lucian would be.
As I was looking for him as a child, I was wandering here and there and found him.
Lucy!
I called for him. However, it wasn’t the Lucian I knew.
He, who was younger than I had met him for the first time, was running away into the corner, sniffing. The place he ran out of was the room where he was being disciplined as a child.
Lucian!
Feeling worried, I followed him. I could see that he ran away to a corner of the garden and sat down. It was so heartbreaking to see him like that so I went closer to him. But, before I could reach him, he suddenly disappeared from my sight.
Confused, I glanced around again and found him.
I felt sorry for the fifteen-year-old Lucian, though the younger him looked even more pitiful than that.
…I wanted to hug him.
He was not alone. I wanted to say that we can overcome it together.
While running frantically, I found Lucian again. Even though he was a little taller than before, still young, he looked to be around ten years old.
Lucy…!
When I called his name again, he, who had been curled up with his face in his lap, slowly lifted his head at my call.
I took a step forward with joy, but I couldn’t get any closer.
You…
I thought I was chasing after Lucian…
However, it wasn’t him… It was the young me, before being possessed by Ahn Hyeon. With the young me desperately covering my face with my bruised arms, I moved backward in my darkening mind.
“Gasp!”
Although I reflexively roamed around trying to get myself up, my body was blocked by something and I couldn’t get up.
“Huwaa, ah—”
I tried to push something holding me back, though it was wrapped so tightly that it wouldn’t fall off.
“Let me go!”
Not knowing what it was, I waved my arms wildly. My clenched fist hit something, but I didn’t care. It felt like I was going crazy because of the memories I had forgotten.
I wish it just disappeared.
Why do I have to think of this again…? It wasn’t the first time such a seizure had occurred. Knowing my symptoms, I couldn’t control myself. I wanted to destroy it all. I wished all the happy-looking things were dead, then I would be able to live without knowing that I was unhappy.
“Aackk!”
Unable to contain the swell of anger, I banged my head at something still holding me back.
I was accustomed to hurting myself. I’d just forgotten about it since I took possession. Because of the re-emerging memories, my feet did not stop, and the things that still bound my body did not disappear.
At that moment, something hot fell on my face. It was like water.
Very hot water.
It was only in the hot water that seemed to seep into my body, I could hear the sound of the voice in my ear.
“Ray!”
“…Lucian.”
“Yes, it’s me.”
I could feel just how sad he was with just his voice.
Struggling to open my shaky eyes, I could see that I was lying on the bed in my room. The identity that I thought was restraining me must have been Lucian. He was hugging me from behind. It felt like his arms and legs were wrapped around me.
Tied up to him, I blinked blankly and asked.
“Did I faint again?”
“Hmm.”
Well, that was the first time I spoke to him casually, but there was no reaction. He asked me to call him by his first name, but is it okay to talk casually?
Everything just got troublesome.
It was bothersome to act like a nobleman any longer. So, for now, I wanted to talk like my original self.
“Haa, why do I keep passing out?”
My throat was dry. I leaned against him, swallowing my saliva.
“Tomorrow… Let’s get tested again tomorrow. If the doctor does not know the name of the disease, I can call another doctor. There are a lot of good doctors in the Capital.”
“By the way, is it okay if I talk casually? Why aren’t you scolding me?”
“Even if you curse at me, I can’t scold you.”
“Then, what if I really curse…”
“Haa… I do not care.”
At my words, he let out a laugh as he sighed. I think I remembered what I had done before.
Still…
“It’s nice to hear. Please, put it into words.”
“…I like.”
As soon as I finished speaking, he opened his mouth. I told him to put it into words, right?
“Yes. I like it, too.”
“I like you, Ray.”
“I don’t know, Lucy.”
Leaning more against him, I murmured.
“I liked you first.”
Yes. I liked him even before I met him in person. He was my bias—even if he wasn’t a real person, I liked him.
His body trembled again at my words.
Hearing a small sigh, it was as though it was a laugh. It seemed that someone who had tried smiling was good at it. The sound of laughter was like the sound of sighs.
I blinked blankly as I listened to his laughter, and the nape of my neck was damp. Why did I only now realize that it was surprisingly wet?
I tried to pull his hand out, though he tightened my body tighter.
“Wait a minute, let me see.”
“Sleep a little more like this.”
“Lucy?”
“It’s okay, Ray.”
I struggled with the thought of something strange.
“Let me go.”
At that, he seemed to have come to his senses.
At my words, Lucian let out a small sigh and released his arm. I then got up and turned on the magic light next to the bed. It was at the moment when the light illuminated the room that the horror came into view. I realized that it was Lucian’s nose that I struck when I swung my arm a little while ago.
“Wait, wait a minute.”
“Ray, it’s okay.”
Blood was still dripping from his nose. The sound of laughter sounded like a sigh because he was having nosebleeds.
I didn’t even know, like an idiot…
With trembling hands, I hurriedly opened the side table drawer. There were piles of handkerchiefs that Amber had brought.
Arbitrarily, I pulled out the handkerchief and stuffed his nose.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
Now looking at it, Lucian’s eyelids were swollen. It must have been his face that I hit with my fists and head.
“Sorry. I’m sorry.”
I apologized first. I couldn’t stay sane at the thought of hurting him. Meanwhile, Lucian, who was lying on my bed, looked at me before grabbing my wrist and pulling it away.
“Oh, you’re still bleeding…”
“Then, blow on it.”
“That doesn’t work! Wait, I’ll call someone.”
He grabbed my wrist and sat me back as I was about to get up.
“Kiss me, then it would be fine.”
“What do you mean by that?”
However, his eyes were too desperate for it to be a joke so I couldn’t say anything more.
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