Pr/Editor: Helen, Agneya
Rayan looked at the carriage door that was tightly closed.
“Herr (meaning an unmarried man).”
Upon hearing the news of his arrival, the person who came to meet him called out for Rayan. To be more precise, at first Rayan didn’t know who was calling him, so he didn’t even turn around. It was only after the driver tapped his shoulder and gave him a look that he noticed the other person, who was just staring at the carriage.
“Ah yes.”
“Are you Herr Rayan? My name is Ben, and I am the butler who manages this mansion. Welcome. I have been waiting for you, so please come in. I will guide you.”
The gray-haired man stepped beside him and offered to guide him. Rayan hesitated, but finally followed him. He passed through the neatly manicured garden and entered the interior of the mansion. He was so caught up in wayward thoughts – such as why had Asha come – that he didn’t even have time to look around. As a result, he failed to notice that the man ahead of him had stopped.
He was walking while looking at the ground, and only after colliding with him and taking a step back did Rayan finally come to his senses.
“Oh, excuse me.”
“You may go inside.”
The butler, who had been acting as a guide skillfully till now, hurriedly retreated without any intention of hearing Rayan’s apology. It was clear that he was reluctant to see the one beyond that door.
To think of it, he hadn’t met a single person on his way. Even if his mind was elsewhere, he wasn’t completely unaware of his surroundings.
The mansion was eerily quiet. The imperial palace also had a quiet and solemn atmosphere as it was careful about everything it said and did, but the sensation now was comparatively different. It felt a little familiar… An atmosphere of holding one’s breath due to the fear so great that it overwhelms the surroundings.
This is what Rayan had felt when he first touched the Black Sea.
“My little mermaid.”
The moment he realized that, the door opened, and at the same time, a low voice filled with laughter floated toward him.
“It’s been a while.”
“… Asha.”
Rayan had to raise his head a little to see him. Asha, whom he saw for the first time in three years, was still the same. Asha’s purple eyes, leaning diagonally against his door frame, were smiling but contained an indelible languor and boredom.
“Why did you come?”
While walking all the way here, he tried to figure out why Asha suddenly came, but nothing came to mind. He did not visit even while he was in Arhen. Moreover, he heard from Jurgen that this place was a long way from Arhen.
‘Arhen? Well, unless you go via magical teleportation, it might take around twenty days, I suppose.’
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
At the same time, he kindly added that teleportation could not be used unless approved by the emperor or the owner of the castle on which each the magic was casted. Of course, Asha couldn’t have used the methods that humans use, but it was such a long distance anyway.
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“Cgf sbe rajgalcu ab defralbc wf jr rbbc jr kf wffa?”
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“We’re not in a relationship where we can meet casually.”
Moreover, Rayan couldn’t help but resent him.
He knew that if it weren’t for Asha, he wouldn’t have been able to prevent what happened to Erich, but his feelings on the matter were different. If he hadn’t been tied down to Atisa, he would have been able to love him more and express his feelings for that much longer. His blood ran cold every time he thought of Erich dying in the cave.
“This isn’t something you should talk about standing in front of the door.”
“There’s no one there anyway.”
As Rayan responded, his thoughts turned to Karel Isaac, the owner of this mansion. How was Asha in his mansion? It’s not like there was any contact between him and the human Karel, who lived in the Black Sea.
But before he could ask him, Asha slightly turned his body sideways. Rayan, who understood the meaning of this action, could not resist and went inside.
He heard the door close behind him. Asha poured the wine that was on the table.
“Would you like a drink too?”
Even the suggestion was so natural that if someone who didn’t know him well saw him, they wouldn’t have even imagined that he was a mermaid. When Rayan shook his head, Asha did not suggest it twice.
“How have you been?”
“Asha.” The implication with that line was questioning the causal exchange between them. Asha smiled and moistened his lips with wine.
“Just so-so… I’ve been well.”
Rayan eventually gave up and played to his tune. Since he didn’t know how else to express it, he drew it vaguely. To be honest, the last three years were really ‘just so-so’. He missed Erich so much that he felt like dying when the sun set, but when the sun rose again, he somehow left that feeling behind and lived on. Didn’t it pile up day by day until they reached this point?
“You’ve been well, huh.”
As if Asha hadn’t expected it, he paused for a moment and tapped the armrest as if asking for help.
“Next to the person you saved by exhausting all your life, but who still doesn’t remember you.”
Asha casually pierced Rayan in an extremely light tone.
“Day by day, slowly dying?”
Asha came closer and lightly touched Rayan’s chest. It was where the guardian stone should have been. Rayan took a step back while Asha’s hand, which had nowhere to go, hovered in the air for a moment before being withdrawn.
“That’s…”
It was true that Erich did not remember him, and it was true that he was dying. Rayan could not refute Asha’s point with any words.
“It’s just that the death that had been postponed till now is approaching anyway.”
Rayan finally calmed down and answered calmly.
“So don’t say that.”
Seeing that Erich had grown up safely, he spent time by his side, so it wasn’t like he didn’t have much to gain. Of course, the breakup would be even more painful, but it was bearable considering it was a price worth paying. And no matter how painful it was, it was a fleeting feeling that would all dissipate once he was gone.
“I also wanted to ask why Asha came.”
“…”
“Actually, I wanted to say thank you.”
After gathering all his emotions, he said what he wanted to say. No matter the reason why Asha came, it was probably all thanks to him that his thirst that seemed to be burning and could not be quenched was quenched.
Erich told him that he woke up after three days. It was clear to him that if Asha had not come, he would have faced death without being able to open his eyes.
“Thank you.”
“…”
“At least for not letting me disappear before Erich’s eyes. There is no way I wouldn’t know since it was only the time Asha allowed, but I was really nervous because I was reaching my limit.”
As he expressed his gratitude purely, Asha looked down at Rayan. He looked somewhat upset. Looking back, he realized that whenever Asha was honest about his feelings, he reacted this way.
“You haven’t changed in a while. You’re still the same.”
It was an ambiguous comment, he couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or not.
“I secretly expected you to beg for your life when you saw me.”
Asha narrowed the distance that Rayan had widened. The sun shining through the window cast a pitch-black shadow that seemed to engulf Rayan.
“If I beg, will anything change?”
“Perhaps I, in my mercy, can give you a choice. Wait for death…”
Rayan looked up at Asha as he remained trapped in his shadow. His amethyst-like eyes shone magically. Asha stretched his hands into the air and made a small splash and then it subsided. In his hand was a dagger shining silver.
“Or…”
Asha forced it into Rayan’s hand.
“Cut open the heart of the person holding your guardian stone and bring it back.”
“But the guardian stone…”
The question of why he didn’t take it was swallowed up by the next words.
“I gave it to him, the person you love.”
Rayan’s eyes grew infinitely larger. His eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes.
“Why did you-!”
Rayan, who had raised his voice, took a breath.
“… Even if I go back, I will ultimately make the same choice.”
He himself would not be able to bear seeing Erich dying, and would call Asha, and desperately beg him to spare Erich’s life. When told to give up his life, he would have placed the guardian stone in his hand without the slightest hesitation.
“Today’s answer is no different from that.”
Even if he continued to live, if Erich was not there in the margin of that life, ultimately, it would be meaningless.
“If anyone is going to disappear, it has to be me.”
If one of the two had to disappear, it had to be the one who kept all the memories.
Erich had no memories of Rayan, so he would be fine. In fact, there are some things that are a little worrying, but the only time Erich remembers from being with him is at most a month or so. If Rayan left for anywhere, he would soon forget.
“Excuse me, I think you should take your leave now.”
A knock from outside urged him to hurry. For some reason, he imagined Erich looking annoyed.
“I’m leaving.” Rayan used the urging to turn around, adjusting the hem of his disheveled cloak.
“But what if that person remembers you at the same time as you disappear?”
Asha whispered softly, as though trying to hold him back.
“Will that child be able to survive such a tragedy?”
Rayan, biting his lip, did not reply but placed his hand on the doorknob. However he hesitated, unable to turn. He felt a presence behind him. That person’s long hand covered the back of Rayan’s hand.
“Farewell, our talk ends here.”
Asha pulled the door open and lightly pushed Rayan’s back.
Meu coração 🥺 aí que dor 😢
Thx for the ch ٩(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )و