Chapter 26
With Kylian’s displeased glare, I already knew what the answer would be without even hearing it. I guess he wasn’t expecting it.
I felt bad because of his expression. No, this is more miserable.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Yes.”
I took Phileal’s hand and dragged him away. I glanced back without realizing it, and Kylian was glaring at me with a more frightening expression.
I tried to ignore that gaze and dragged him to where Phileal had taken me the other day to show me the High Priest of Death. Close to Phileal’s room.
“Will you help me now?”
“Huh.”
“Anais.”
“…….”
I let go of his hand when he called me. Then Phileal stood in front of me and looked down. Not wanting to be caught crying again, I bowed my head and looked at the other side.
“Anais.”
“…Huh.”
Phileal made a small sigh. He was smiling bitterly for some reason. My eyes were brimming with tears, but I tried to catch my breath so it would seem like I could bear it. Then I looked back at him as if I was okay.
“Anais.”
“Huh.”
“You’re Anais. So don’t worry.”
Even if I tried to hide it, my expression was obvious. He said he was a priest of death and sometimes I wondered if he could read minds. I was suspicious, so I stared at him, and his face changed to a snake-like sense.
“I’m quick-witted.”
“…….”
“My mother always said she was okay with the same look on her face as you did.”
“…….”
“So I hope you don’t lie to me.”
He put me in trouble again with such irrefutable words, so I ended up bursting into laughter.
“You really are crazy. Who would say something like that?”
“Just for you.”
“Ha.”
“You are the only one in the world, and I am the only one. So I think that’s fine.”
It sounded like he would understand me, so I should understand him too.
“You are so weird.”
He looked pleased anyway after hearing that.
In the end, I went to the place where the high priest was, but I couldn’t share my energy. Anais, no, the stranger who entered my body collapsed while trying on clothes. So I had to go there too. I was called as soon as I saw the high priest’s sleeping face.
“What about Leviathan?”
“Leviathan has already passed out.”
“Did he ignorantly pour out his energy by himself again?”
“Yes.”
Hearing the priest’s words, Phileal laughed in amusement. Last time I saw them, they didn’t seem to have a bad relationship, but from the point of view of the second-in-command, it looked like he was hated because he was the head priest. After all, Phileal’s only family was the High Priest, so it was something to be jealous about by anyone.
Phileal was a friendly yet strange guy. Perhaps because he didn’t form proper relationships as a child. No. He must have been with the priests of death since he was young, but that feels enough for him to have grown up very well.
I shook my head, not wanting to carry on with my thoughts anymore.
“Why are you here now?”
“…Your Majesty.”
Kylian ruffled his hair from his forehead in frustration.
Kylian saw our arrival and tried to leave the room. If he hadn’t seen me being comforted by Phileal, he might have stayed.
Kylian looked at Phileal and me alternately, then frowned and headed towards the door. Before he left, our eyes met, and the amber eyes were still so pretty. If those eyes really needed me, would things have changed if I had known that a little sooner?
No, it wouldn’t change. From the moment I died, the original story has completely changed. But before that, the events that centered on Kylian would never have changed.
The lockets wouldn’t be the only reason. Things kept happening between Duke Percival and me and Kylian, and every time I tried to change the original story, I failed over and over again. He looked at me once more, opened the door and left, and the room fell into silence.
“…Phileal.”
“Yes.”
“Did Leviathan really add energy to my body?”
“No. Maybe he just pretended to faint because he was lazy?”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
As he said, I had no intention of doing anything, so I just stayed there. Seeing my body up close. I can’t get used to looking at it.
“Do I have to pretend to faint too?”
“You don’t have to. I think we should just watch her and leave.”
Phileal nodded his head and sat down on the bed. It was still dark around, but my body was still radiantly beautiful.
“Phileal.”
“Yes?”
“It’s my body, but isn’t it really pretty?”
“…No?”
Averting my glare, he scratched the nape of his neck. Then he continued talking.
“I think Lilith is better.”
“Why?”
“Well…”
He rolled his eyes and seemed to think of an answer, but I was already offended, and I was going to refute and torment him no matter what he said.
“I don’t know. Maybe because I’ve been speaking to Lilith’s body all this time.”
“…With me?”
“Yes.”
“Have you never talked to Lilith?”
“I haven’t had a conversation before, but I never really thought about it.”
He knew about a lot of things after all.
“Then what information do you know about Lilith?”
“I watched Lilith before. Except for the day she ran away.”
“…….”
“I really hated her back then, but now that I think of her as a different person, I don’t think I hate her anymore.”
I didn’t know what to say so I just stood there. He lifted the hair from my groaning face as I had nowhere to look.
“Anais.”
“Yes.”
“When you were young… Have you ever been to the Temple of the Goddess Meviar? Around when you were fifteen maybe?”
Unfortunately, at that time, I had just taken the post as the young duke and I was very busy, so I can’t remember the details except for work. But in my memory, I recalled vaguely.
“I used to go there often.”
It was something I could answer without even thinking about it. The goddess Meviar was the goddess of flowers. She used to bestow blessings on condition that the shrine received Duke Percival’s sponsor. And at that time, I had to stop by often to pick my favorite flowers.
I had been coming there usually, but at that time, I had just taken post as the Young Duke, so I used to go around a lot to understand the situation.
“I see.”
“Why are you asking that?”
“Just asking.”
If I asked the right question, he would probably give me an answer. But I didn’t want to ask. Even if I return to my original body, I cannot live here for long.
After convincing Kylian to give up on me and become happy, I have to leave in the end. I will stay alive for a while, but in the end I will live in a different time from them.
I can’t make attachments, and I can’t even share my true feelings. If we’re going to separate anyway, it’s going to be difficult for both of us if those feelings were to be exchanged.
Those who overcame trials would say that wounds become the foundation for growth. An ordeal that cannot be overcome will just become a wound.
In that sense, Phileal became too comfortable, so it would be a problem.
“Aren’t you going to ask?”
“I’m not curious.”
“…I see.”
“Yes.”
He hasn’t said anything since then. Fortunately.
I knew Kylian would be here as well. He had a habit of walking around in the rain when he was upset. And I wondered if this detached palace where he lived on the outskirts was similar to his hiding place.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting rained on is nice.”
“…….”
I thought Kylian would be here if it was raining so I came and looked for him. He’d probably be upset, so I was worried. Even though I thought I shouldn’t do this, I wanted to see him. I really thought that this might be my last time, so I wanted to be by his side even though he had a hateful look.
In fact, when Lewarren asked me to go, I didn’t want to at first.
Maybe it was because I was afraid to admit this.
“So you’re saying you like to get rained on too?”
“Yes. It’s cool and refreshing.”
The rain that hit my cheek was cool. The sky was clear, but it was raining. Even after becoming the emperor, Kylian liked to move alone, so there was no one around. There were only escort knights and servants standing guard the front of the detached palace.
After all, who wants to assassinate Kylian, who is already a sword master?
“Your Majesty.”
“…….”
“Your Majesty also knows, right? The present Lady Anais is somehow strange.”
“…….”
“So that’s why you are upset?”
He didn’t answer and looked at me with somewhat less sharp eyes. I also had to assume that I couldn’t return to my body. Even if that happens, I have to make him give up on me.
“No matter how much she lost her memories, people have certain tendencies.”
“…….”
“In Your Majesty’s eyes, does it really seem like Lady Anais lost her memories?”
“Even if Anais does something strange… I will trust her.”
“Why?”
“Because we fell apart because I didn’t believe her.”
My mouth gaped open hearing Kylian’s words. We didn’t fall apart. We couldn’t be together in the first place. We were like parallel lines that was never supposed to meet.
It may have been a pity for him.
“Why do you think so?”
“…I don’t want to tell you.”
He licked his lips as he looked at my wet blue hair. No matter how hard I tried to erase his doubts, it was natural that it would be a little difficult with this hair color. Moreover, if I was already caught while pretending to be me, it’s even worse.
“Then how did Your Majesty solve the misunderstanding? I honestly don’t understand why Your Majesty is doing this.”
“…….”
“When Lady Anais was alive, you didn’t depend on each other that much.”
“Outward appearances are not everything. I depended on my wife, and she trusted me.”
Of course I trusted Kylian. He will be the emperor, and meet Lilith later and become happy. Rather, I couldn’t deviate from the original story, so I trusted him.
“How do you know that?”
“…….”
I didn’t answer and tried to avoid him, but he came closer. He had a habit of sweeping his forehead when he was frustrated. His forehead was visible because of the hair that had been wet from the rain. His handsome face caught my eye.
“There was a diary that Anais left behind.”
“…What?”
“…….”
“It should have been completely burned! How did Your Majesty find that!”
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