Chapter 66 - A New Plan

The interior of the house did not change much. Azriel, who looked around reminiscing, was stiffened when she went up to the second floor.

“…You cleaned up my room.”

Where her magically enhanced room used to be had become a normal room. Inside it was full of miscellaneous items laid randomly. Rhema, who was standing behind her, responded.

“I couldn’t leave it as it was.”

“Why?”

“It reminded me of you too much.”

Azriel looked back and found Rhema looking down. The grey eyes moved as if it was outlining her room that had already been gone.

“The chair you used to sit, the bed you used to sleep on, the desk where you used to move your quill pen… those things repeatedly bothered me.”

“…”

“I was told to get rid of everything since I needed to forget anyway, so I did.”

It was Ofeq who gave such advice.

After sending Azriel, Rhema stopped like a broken clock from time to time while living as usual. His face did not change, he did not think about something specific, nor he felt that it was hard to bear because he missed her so much. He did not moan very much either.

He just stood vacantly as if he did not know what to fill an empty spot with. He sometimes stood like that for a half day without any thoughts. Such behavior decreased only after cleaning her stuff out following Ofeq’s scolding.

“I debated whether I should erase my memory about you. However, I couldn’t do that because I might bring you back if I accidentally discover you again.”

He spoke frankly, and it felt strange to hear him. Azriel approached him a little.

“The bear you made me, did you say it was ruined? Did you get rid of it at the time as well?”

“I left the teddy at the storage. And it caught fire by accident and was ruined.”

“How did you make such a mistake? You’re not usually clumsy.”

“I don’t know…”

He stood vacantly seeing the name engraved on the foot of the doll before he made a mistake. Ofeq got angry at him when he tried to fix the burned bear. So, Rhema had to throw it out too. The only thing that was left was the silver pocket watch. He only pushed it aside where it was not visible but it was still preserved carefully somewhere.

Azriel saw Rhema’s face getting faint as he blurred the end of his sentence. He seemed to look far away somewhere remote. She got closer to him a little more. When she was young, she did not even reach his chest, but now she was as tall as his shoulders.

“Did you miss me? Is that why you made such a mistake?”

“Yes. I think so.”

Rhema, who was nodding with a vacant face, looked like a fool. How could that Rhema Reshith look like a fool for even a moment? At the mysterious feeling, Azriel looked at him without a word for a long while.

“Azriel?”

“Never mind.”

Rhema, who was looking down at her with his eyes blinking, was startled and stepped back. Because Azriel came near him, his shadow had covered all over her. When Rhema stepped back, Azriel looked at him strangely.

“What’s wrong, Rhema?”

She was not shaking as she did when she was young. There was no sign of fear. Rhema hesitated for a moment and answered.

“You don’t like when a shadow is cast on you.”

“Oh, I used to be like that when I was young.”

Azriel finally realized. Rhema was being careful not to cast his shadow on her ever since he met her again. Come to think of it, he always did when she was too young to notice such consideration. He always stepped back or lowered his body to look at her. 

He never looked down at her intimidatingly. It was such weird kindness. She felt even more strange.

“…I don’t get scared of such things now. I’m fine.”

Why would this kind of person be so cruel like that? What was his duty that he needed to kill someone?

‘I really want to know why you’re like this.’

She might be able to see everything if she became a wizard of his position. She might learn on the way up to that level. She braced herself even more. 

*

Azriel had no intention to live in Rhema’s house again. Living there would repeatedly remind her of Hanora Village. Rhema readily allowed it when she said that she wanted to live somewhere else.

“Where would you like to live?”

“Umm…”

She pondered for a short while. She did not want to live in Colte or near Hanora. She planned to look into ‘the Wizard of the Horizon’ while learning magic. She was going to inquire about Rhema’s secret and duty that he was hiding from her.

‘I should start with Tarbo Tameion.’

The wizard that Rhema killed according to his duty. What Azriel knew about him was that he came from Modjankle and that he was a member of a society called Aurora.

‘There’s one more thing. Since he said he would write a letter to the Duke of Rudimna, he must be acquainted with the family.’ 

Azriel decided where to live.

“Modjankle would be great.”

“Do you mean the capital of this kingdom?”

“Yes. Is that alright?”

“Of course. What kind of a house should I prepare?”

“Will you stay with me, Rhema?”

“I won’t be home all the time, but I’m going to stay there mainly. Is it uncomfortable by any chance if I stay with you?”

He tilted his head. From that movement, his silver hair shook and busily reflected the light. His silver eyelashes did so as well.

Azriel absent-mindedly watched the twinkling for a while. The diamonds that were decorated on the glass shoes he gave felt exactly like that.

“Azriel?”

“It’s, it’s nothing. I don’t mind if you stayed with me. Also, I don’t care what kind of a house it is. Just pick what you want, Rhema.”

“Okay. I’ll prepare it myself.”

“Yes, no, w, wait.”

Azriel, who was going to nod, hastily grabbed his hem. There was something she could guess just by looking at Rhema’s behaviors after meeting him again even if she did not remember her childhood memory. If she left him alone, he would probably find a place close to a castle, rather than a house.

“I don’t need an unnecessarily flashy house. Whatever you feel comfortable living in is fine, Rhema.”