Chapter 142 - Thoughts

‘It must be because of what happened yesterday.’

It was because Rhema was her enemy. Even though she thought it was a silly concern, she put an invisibility spell on Marthi at last.

‘I should make him a relic with invisibility magic later.’

The wizards of the current era could not make semi-permanent and rechargeable magical artifacts like in ancient times. All nondisposable magical artifacts were relics. Thus, the expression ‘relics’ were more commonly used than ‘magical artifacts.’ Azriel could make relics just like mana stones with the method Rhema taught her directly. Maylie was waiting for Azriel  in the inn near the underground tower. There was a pile of boxes in her room. They were the boxes Azriel saw yesterday, which had a dress and jewelry pieces for the ball.

“Mr. Wizard brought these here. He said that you would need them,” Maylie said.

“Rhema brought them here himself?” Azriel asked.

He must have remembered that the masquerade was today. It was natural since Rhema had always been carefully taking care of the things related to her. Azriel looked down at the beautiful things quietly. The white dress with a wide skirt was gradually dyed in rosy a color towards the end of the its hem. Unlike the simple upper part, the bottom part was fancy as it was embroidered with gold threads and jewels which intertwined together. Jewelry pieces that he ordered to match the dress were made with platinum and red diamonds. The red diamonds that were as pure and clear as pomegranates matched her white skin well. The mask that covered up to the nose bridge had a white background with tiny and colorful jewels like sand grains embedded on it, forming an image of a butterfly. Around the ear, there was a feather that was fixed with a flower-shaped jewel about the size of a thumb nail. The white and puffy feather had red color only at its tip. They were the best, flawless pieces just like everything he always gave her. It felt like a long time ago when she thought about going to the ball wearing them even though it had just been a day. The day she was disconcerted by Charles’ confession felt even further away.

“Maylie,” Azriel called.

“Yeah?” Maylie replied.

“You helped me prepare, but I’m sorry.”

“What? Are you not going to the ball? Why?” Maylie, who was putting down makeup tools, looked back at Azriel in surprise.

“No, I’d better not go,” Azriel replied.

“Didn’t you wonder about the ball? Besides, if you need to give your answer to the person who made a confession to you, you have to meet him. Wasn’t that your decision?” Maylie asked strangely. Azriel answered like nothing, perching on her. bed. “I don’t think it’s time to take it easy like that.”

How long would be Rhema’s ‘for the meantime’? How long had Sophinea’s death been suspended? If he tried to kill Sophinea at last, what should I do? Can I figure it out before then? What should I find out in the first place? The duty of the watchman? How to get out of that duty? No, Rhema said that he shouldn’t avoid the duty, not that he can’t avoid it. Then, is Sophinea’s death unstoppable even if I find out about the watchman? Shouldn’t I stop it? Why? She felt dizzy. In the meantime, his words crossed her mind.

“I wish to have you to myself, Azriel.”

She knew that she was the most special person to him than anyone. She also knew that Rhema cherished her and treated her in a very precious way to the point that it was impossible to notice it. However, Rhema cherishing her and wishing to have her to himself felt somehow fundamentally different. She felt strange. Things were getting entangled and confusing. Even she did not know how her mind was changing.

“You can’t take it easy…? What’s going on?”

Maylie’s question woke Azriel from her thoughts.