Chapter 9 - Bring Her To My Eyes

Chapter 9 – Bring Her To My Eyes

Seven years ago, Kaligo Etus, who was on his way out, was hit by a landslide.

There was no time to send a rescue team because of his sudden change of route. While forced to march recklessly, the intact mountain collapsed on them with a roar.

-L-landslides!

-Evacuate! What about the Grand Duke?

– He’s gone!

-Find the Grand Duke!

In an instant, many people were buried under the huge amount of dirt and rocks. Kaligo Etus, who was drunk and drugged, was also buried under a collapsed mountain without any resistance.

Shortly after, the soldiers dug up the dirt. They found Kaligo, whose body had been destroyed.

However, the medic shook his head when he saw his ragged body.

– If you have eyes, take a look. It’s impossible for a man to connect all of that together.

The medic gave up his treatment. Soon after, Kaligo Etus’s breathing stopped, and the cold body of Kaligo was left unattended for about half a day in a temporary barrack.

But, when exactly half a day passed, a miraculous thing that should have been impossible happened.

Kaligo Etus had come to life.

His breath that had stopped came back and the skin that was blue turned red. His eyes, which they thought would never open again, slowly opened and his red eyes were filled with vitality.

Everyone could not take their eyes off Kaligo, who had a perfectly unscarred upper body with a handsome face. His body, which had just been a dead body, was a bit dirty, but there were no signs of scratches or broken ligaments.

The first person that came up to him was Redin, the butler of the Grand Duchy.

– Your Highness, are you awake?

– It was a landslide. He woke up half a day after he stopped breathing.

-First of all, get the medic back…

Kaligo raised his upper body, but he didn’t have any reaction. Redin’s voice, which was explaining the whole story, seemed to be inaudible as Kaligo just rolled his eyes and looked at his surroundings.

– Grand Duke.

– Your Highness?

Kaligo’s mouth opened and his voice resounded. His deep voice uttered a name they had never heard of.

-What happened to Lena?

-…Pardon?

In a flash, his red eyes were full of life.

– I asked you how she is!

– Your Highness!

Suddenly, Kaligo rose up, grabbed the bayonet, and began to wield it. In his madness, he ran out of the tent without stopping and disappeared into the deep forest, where the temporary barracks were set up. He collapsed and was found unconscious only after dawn.

It was from that day.

He is Kaligo but acted like he is not, and it looked like another Kaligo started living as Kaligo in this life.

The dusk crept into his office. He thought of Desian’s words while pulling back the curtains he normally kept closed.

-I’m here to see my friend. Do I have to have a reason?

– We agreed to share the good stuff.

– Then… I can touch her, right?

Redin, who stood still beside him, poured tea into the teacup and took a step back. Kaligo spoke while he stared out the window.

“Take a break.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Redin bent down. As he was trying to get out of the room, the office door opened roughly and Ventus popped in.

“Kaligo!”

Ventus, who was breathing hard, strode to the desk. Redin, who was looking between Ventus and Kaligo alternately, slipped out of his seat.

“Why Ashia?”

Kaligo answered back with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“… I would have told you. I’ve found a wizard who can make potions without side effects.”

Ventus chewed on his lips. He barely calmed himself down and continued to ask his question, saying, “Why Ashia?”

“…… What are you going to do with Ashia?”

“I’m asking you… What are you going to do?”

Kaligo sighed lightly and swept his bangs up.

“What’s your relationship with that wizard?”

“You don’t have to know, do you?”

“If you are answering me like that, I have no reason to answer you either.”

Ventus clicked his tongue, a frown appearing on his forehead.

“Ashia was my student.”

Kaligo snarled at the answer.

“Your student? I don’t think there is a large age difference between you two.”

“When Ashia was young… No, you don’t have to know that much.”

Ventus seemed reluctant to bring up the story of Ashia’s personal past in her absence.

Ventus, who was shaking his head slightly, asked Kaligo again.

“I answered. It’s your turn. What are you going to do with Ashia?”

He said in a nonchalant voice, arm in arm at his question.

“What do you do… What else do you want and have found in her?”

Ventus looked at Kaligo with disapproving eyes. A crushed voice flowed out of his mouth.

“She’s like a female dog…”

Somehow, Kaligo squinted his eyes and had an irritated expression.

“Is it a problem that the wizard is a woman?”

“That’s right. It’s a problem for you that Ashia is a woman.”

Ventus walked slowly and sat on the armrest of the sofa.

“It’s not that I don’t know the past when the Grand Duke was crazy about women. You drank a

potion to calm it down. You, who adamantly stayed away from women suddenly, called me to see a wizard, who is a woman.”

“You have done some research beforehand, didn’t you? You knew she was a girl, but you are still surprised about it. If it’s not weird to you, then it’s probably a lie.”

With his words, Kaligo’s expression stilled.

“Do you perhaps have a crush on the wizard at first sight? That’s probably why! What do you know about sexual desire? If you want, let’s live by warming up like we did in the past!”

“Ventus.”

“…… Did you change your mind like that?”

Is it a characteristic of wizards to say whatever comes to their mind without thinking? Or are these two, Ashia and Ventus, just different cases?

Kaligo called his name in a voice that was heavier than ever.

“Ventus.”

…… Tell me.

“It must be very uncomfortable for some reason.”

His low voice and even more eerie gaze was directed towards Ventus.

“If you don’t like it, then find another one.”

“…… What?”

“Find another sorcerer who can make a potion without side effects and bring the person before me.”

Ventus let out a short sigh. A wizard specialized in the making of Ashia’s Body Potion. Even if he searches all over the continent, or to be exact, the entire continent, he will never be able to find one.

“I have a rough idea of what kind of ridiculous misunderstanding I have created, but I didn’t find a female wizard. I just found someone I needed.”

“You’ve been watching me for five years, and I didn’t know you still had that misunderstanding.”

Just like what Kaligo said, it has already been five years since Ventus came into the Grand Duchy. They had learnt a great deal about each other over the years.

‘It should have been a normal rumor…’

It was true that curiosity was swirling around him first because he is the grand Duke who is embroiled in lewd rumors.

However, Kaligo’s first-hand experience is not the same as the man that had eccentric and disorderly rumors embroiled in him. But he’s probably the same guy depicted in the rumors. But it is rather confusing whether the rumor was someone’s conspiracy.

After watching him for five years, Ventus realised that he intentionally stayed away from women, probably because he was conscious of the rumors. That’s probably why there were no young female employees in the grand duchy.

And thus, he was even more curious about the gender of the wizard which turned out to be a woman.

Of course, Ventus knew better than anyone that his situation was not that good.

– Mr. Ventus! His Highness has a seizure!

Again? Where is he?

-In the office, sir!

Kaligo’s body, who had already consumed all kinds of potions, was still suffering from serious side effects. In addition to the numbness of hands and feet and headaches that he had told Ashia about, frequent seizures and paralysis were still occurring.

He couldn’t understand Kaligo due to the fact that he was still embracing the side effects that were too much for his body even when he was already taking too many potions, simply because he wanted to control his libido.

He thought that just swallowing some pills would be better than suffering from side effects like this.

-…… What if I quit?

-You can just call any woman into the bedroom and live as freely as you used to. That’s your freedom, right?

– I’m free to lose control of my body?

Whatever the reason, he seemed to think of his past as a terrible one. He was trying not to repeat the past while he endured the pain.

“Do I still look like the kind of guy who used to treat women like toys?”

“………. I didn’t mean that.”

“Then you don’t have to worry. You just need to get what I want.”

That’s where the conversation with Kaligo ended. Ventus, who left the office, turned and looked at the tightly shut door.

‘Yeah… He’s not a liar. If I get the potion he wants, he won’t get involved with Ashia anymore. Yes, when I am done with this request.”

Ventus was struggling with anxiety and went to the lab.

He then went out.

3rd Street, Dersio Street, Ashia’s Potion Shop.

She came back from her grandfather’s house and was busy dealing with requests that had been pushed back for a few days. In the meantime, she was preparing to leave to look for the materials.

“Thank you. Watch out for the stairs in front of the door, okay?”

“Okay, Ashia. I’ll be back.”

“Yes, Aunt Liera.”

Liera, the bakery owner, visited Ashia’s store. Usually, there were only two reasons she would visit the potion store for. One is due to a large abscess on the cheek of his daughter, Loenne, and the other is to match Loenne with Terros.

-Ashia, think about it. As long as Terros marries our Loenne…

-Ma’am, it’s not your position to decide what will happen.

-I’m asking you to tell me something. Even if Terros doesn’t listen to anyone else, he’ll die if it’s for you.

Terros was not interested in other people. It was to the point where their actions or voices were not heard in the first place.

Similar to someone who was missing some sort of emotional components, Terros was so insensitive to everything.

Ashia was the only person Terros had responded to.

– I want you to get along with the people I love.

– Verna, Melinda, Chelsea…

-But…

With one single word that Ashia uttered, Terros’ attitude toward the people around him would completely change.

Liera knew that, so she thought it would be easier to persuade Ashia to tell Terros directly.

Standing at the entrance of the store, she looked at Liera, who was striding away. Luke, who was quiet, spoke slowly.

[“No matter how much you think about it, it’s a waste of time, isn’t it?」

Ashia shook her head shortly.

“………. It’s not like that. Luke, I just don’t think it makes sense to talk about this without the other person.”

“Lord Terros’ heart is important. Is that what you mean?”

[“Yes, if he likes it, then I would feel the same way. I can’t ask for anything else.”」

“…… I want Terros to be happy.”

She was sitting on the veranda for a long time, and her anxiety-filled sigh leaked out one after another.

“Phew.”

Her face, probably due to the fact that she just came out of the store, showed signs of exhaustion. She was exhausted physically and mentally due to the several nights of work.

Ashia’s posture, which was always prim and straight, has been fully stretched to the bone today.

She sighed again, stretching her upper body onto the cold glass stand.

“Atatata.”

Ashia, lying face down on the counter, threw a solemn gaze out the window.

The sun in the sky was already falling over the ridge. The dusk was enveloping the alley. Then the street lamps began to light up one by one.

The snow had stopped pouring. On the snowy streets, the footsteps of merchants preparing for the splendid night of the capital sounded.

The night slowly covered the sky, and the frozen streets have revitalized once again.

Ashia loved this Karmian. The street is beautiful, colorful, and full of the scent of life. Aisha was rather fascinated by the scenery outside her window. A light smile worked its way across her face.

Suddenly, through the window, she saw a youngster walking toward the store. Ashia, who wondered who he was, slowly lifted herself up.

“Huh?”

Her eyes grew bigger when she recognized him.