Chapter 119 - Ancient Magic

“…I don’t understand what you are saying about, Rhema.”

“I can’t force you to live an eternal and miserable life for me just because I don’t want to kill you.”

Azriel unknowingly stepped back, falteringly. Her hand was still held by him. Rhema murmured like a whisper, still grasping her hand and looking down at it. “You’ve become too precious to do that.”

“…You, you are already a watchman, Rhema. Is it miserable to live as a watchman?”

“I am alright,” Rhema indifferently responded. Azriel’s hand was aching from his grip, so she twisted it in an effort to withdraw. Then he looked down at her. Azriel suddenly realized that his shadow was covering her entirely. As if her trauma which had disappeared was returning, she felt nauseous despite the fact it was Rhema’s. The fact that he was a bigger man felt stronger than the fact that he was Rhema Reshith. Her face turned pale. Seeing that, Rhema released his grip. Azriel withdrew her hand and took a few steps back. Rhema said, with his eyes on the distance between them. “It’s not too late, Azriel. You can choose the other way anytime.”

“The other… way?”

“I mean the way you didn’t choose three years ago.”

It was the way to live as an ordinary person, forgetting about Rhema and magic. She remembered the day her memory was erased. She replied like a scream. “No!”

“…If you want to choose that way, tell me anytime. I will prepare a life for you without a mistake this time.” He said mildly like a whisper and left the chess room. Azriel plopped down on the spot. Her body was trembling.

*

The next morning, Azriel could not see Rhema even though it was the time for her usual magic.

“Largo, have you seen Rhema?” she asked after waking up the yellow dog who had been dozing off in the corridor. Largo shook his head and yawned. Then she heard a noise coming from the direction of the garden. Noir and Marthi were standing face to face, glaring at each other.

“…What are you two doing?” Azriel asked.

“Hey, Azriel. Don’t you think your familiar spirit is too rude? I mean, he’s a junior here!” Noir yelled.

“I am my master’s familiar spirit, not your master’s. We have different masters, but why are we differentiating who got here first?” the little lion cub snorted and growled. Azriel turned back, leaving them alone. “I don’t care if you fight over some useless reasons, but don’t get hurt.”

She heard small animals getting tangled up behind her back. Brownie flew past her, screaming. “No! Brownie’s garden! The garden that Brownie has been taking care of preciously! Noooo!”

Azriel sighed and went upstairs. Rhema’s bedroom was on the second floor of the castle. It was at the end of the opposite side of the hallway from her bedroom which was at the end of the other side. Halfway up the stairs, she ran into Blanchet who was coming down the stairs. Blanchet said as soon as she saw Azriel. “Azriel, Rhema said he’ll be out for a while because he has somewhere to visit.”

“…Is that right? For how long?” Azriel asked.

“He said he’d come back within a week.”

“Blanchet, you don’t know where he went, do you?”

“Yeah.”

“Rhema has too many secrets…,” Azriel murmured in an exhausted tone. Blanchet swayed her tail and looked up at her still. Her blue eyes blinked.

“Azriel, I’m Rhema’s familiar spirit, and I think of Rhema as my primary importance,” Blanceht said.

“Why are you saying that all of a sudden? That’s natural.”

“Yeah, but since I like you, just one thing, I’ll tell you this one thing, for my cute human cub.”

“Blanchet?”

The cat jumped up on the railing and whispered in Azriel’s ears. “Don’t believe everything Rhema says.”

“…What?”