Ch 6 Elheim

The light from the window lit up the bedside.

The noon was a rare time of sunshine in the room.

‘Afternoon?’

Liarte blinked.

I fell asleep right away yesterday, perhaps because I was mentally exhausted while using the power of water.

When she opened her hand, clenching something, she saw a black string.

It was one of the knots that tied Michael’s eye patch.

”It wasn’t a dream. I met Michael Birce.”

Liarte succeeded in changing the future a little.

Before her return, he had no contact with Michael.

There was no one to inform the abandoned princess Liarte of Birche’s visit.

At that time, her fever continued to rise because of the after-effects of poison, and she was sick.

“Is it because of the ability of the awakened water that I didn’t suffer from heat unlike before returning?”

It was only a few years later that she learned how the Duke insulted Michael.

The future Michael took half of the estate of Elheim by war.

Driven by the limits, the Duke of Elheim confessed this to Liarte beyond the jail bars.

“That’s why Birce is trying to avenge us.”

Then the Duke forced Liarte to die.

He said you had to complete Lianrius with your death and wake up the Spirit Stone.

The families believed that when the Spirit Stone woke up, the water’s ability would be strong enough to drive Birce out.

Contrary to their conviction, it was Liarte that Spirit Stone chose.

‘I have to hide this fact thoroughly.’

The awakening and the spirit stone had to be thoroughly concealed until adulthood.

If Eheim knew, they would never let Liarte go.

Liarte came up with imperial law. Minor nobles born to the Awakened Family were forced to reside in the family until they reached adulthood.

Instead, after reaching adulthood, they were free to choose their own residence.

‘There are two cases of legal adulthood.’

It was when the family held a commemoration ceremony or the 17th birthday.

The coming of age ceremony was held by the awakened family after the age of 16.

With twins, when one of them had an adult ceremony, the other twin was also recognized as an adult.

’17th birthday or Lianrius’s coming of age ceremony, ‘

That day, Liarte will be able to completely escape from Elheim.

This time Michael was indebted to her. So if things go wrong, she can get Birce’s help.

“See you tomorrow.”

Suddenly, Michael’s greeting came to Liarte’s mind.

There were many times when she was polite to say that they should meet again, but it was the first time that Liarte had actually made an appointment with someone.

It was the first time she had close contact with someone other than Lianrius.

Unlike the cool body temperature of the awakener of water, Michael’s body temperature was warmer than she expected.

There was still a slight warmth in his palm.

Click.

While she was lost in thought, the door opened.

“Liarte.”

The person who entered was unexpectedly Lianrius.

By habit, Liarte calculated the cycle.

If the contact time* was when she returned and woke up, Lianrius should be able to use the water ability by himself for the next few days.

(T/N: * it means that there is a cycle for them to have contact so that Lianrius could use power of water and it wasn’t the time for them to have the contact wasn’t yet so Liarte was confused on why Lianrius was there)

She was wary of why he came here.

‘Did you find out I went to Michael? Or Is it because you sense the power of water that I used?’

She thought she had hidden the traces thoroughly, but did he notice it?

Contrary to Liarte’s thoughts, Lianrius’s gaze shifted towards Liarte’s face.

She still looked at Lianrius emotionlessly.

At that moment, his expression hardened.

Just a while ago.

-flashback-

“The light of the Spirit Stone is stronger than yesterday, Lianrius.”

Aynias spoke to Lianrius.

At the centre of the First Patriarch’s Chamber, the spirit stone was shining brighter than yesterday.

“Since when has this been like this, Aynias?”

“Hwi-Amin said that the light suddenly became darker around this dawn.”

Aynias asked carefully,

“What did you do?”

Lianrius looked up at the spirit stone. He couldn’t feel anything.

Nevertheless, Lianrius did not take his eyes off the spirit stone.

“Lianrius?”

The blue color of the spirit stone.

The eyes that were as cold as the crystal-cold surface came to mind.

“I won’t waste my time on such useless things again.”

Liarte’s words, which were strangely annoying, passed through his ears.

“Lianrius? Are you listening?”

Aynias put his hand on Lianrius’s shoulder.

“Is there something wrong with the Spirit Stone? You’ve been making a face as if you’re displeased.”

At Aynias’s words, Lianrius realized his feelings.

‘Yes, I felt a slight discomfort when I heard Liarte.’

Until now, for Lianrius, Liarte was nothing more than his twin sister who allowed him to use the water ability.

It’s not worth taking the time to think of it.

However, Liarte’s dry attitude did not leave his mind.

That unfamiliar coldness disturbed him as she didn’t look at him with her tear-filled affectionate eyes.

“Now that time has passed, the side effects of the poison have almost been resolved.”

The side effects of Opertarium lasts for one day at most.

As Lianrius moved, Aynias asked from behind.

“Lianrius, where are you going?”

“I need to go check on something.”

He was going to go to Liarte’s room.

If he sees Liarte, who will have returned to her original state, the interest will soon fade.

He was thinking of confirming his feelings that did not differ from usual.

-end of flashback-

The plan collapsed the moment Lianrius entered Liarte’s room.

“What is it?”

Liarte still felt unfamiliar to him.

Rather than rejoicing at the fact that Lianrius had come, her attitude of asking the matter felt businesslike.

‘Why?’

Hallucinations and the aftereffects of poison should have disappeared.

“I came to see if you still have the after effects of poison. How is your body?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

Lianrius doubted his ears.

Why did it seem like Liarte sincerely rejected him?

“The only thing that matters to you anyway is whether I can regain consciousness, Lianrius.”

Liarte replied calmly.

Lianrius could not use the water’s ability, no matter how much contact he made when Liarte is unconsciousness.

That’s why even when Liarte was ill,  if Lianrius needed her power, she was forced to wake up.

‘I’ve never rested, even when I was suffering from a high fever.’

“No, your condition is important to me.”

Lianrius finally admitted that Liarte had changed.

The Liarte who jumped in front of the assassin’s blade differed from the Liarte who had woken up again after collapsing.

“Speak of the matter, you came in to say.”

Feeling strange, Lianrius went on.

“I’ll unlock the room for a while, so you can walk around freely during the day, Liarte.”

Although he impulsively gave her freedom, Liarte did not respond.

In fact, to Liarte, Lianrius was nothing.

‘If he asks me whether I like it, I’ll say no, but that’s it. ‘

Lianrius went out of the room to organize his thoughts.

Liarte has changed.

For some reason, her present appearance kept flashing before his eyes.

* * *

The midnight bell rang.

Michael breathed in the refreshing fragrance.

Then he greeted her.

“Hello.”

It was a gentle attitude that Walter, who went out to gather information, would be frightened to see.

Liarte greeted him back.

”Hello, Michael Birce.”

“Isn’t it too tiring to include my last name?”

The scent from the invisible benefactor  stimulated Michael.

When he realized that, his throat felt dry like before.

“Then shall I call you Prince Birce?”

“No. I’d like you to call me by my first name.”

As Liarte approached, Michael stopped breathing for a moment.

“Alright, Michael.”

He heard a clear voice close to his ear.

“I have to remove the curse, so I’ll remove the eye patch again today.”

Unlike yesterday, when the knot was tightly tied, the bandage on the eye patch was loosely tied.

Thanks to that, the eye patch was easily peeled off.

“How are your eyes?”

“Until yesterday, I felt uneasy if I was subjected to even the slightest of light, but I’m okay today.”

His eyes were exposed to the moonlight coming through the window, but Michael was not feeling uncomfortable.

The pain that did not disappear even when saint Estella poured her strength into it, calmed down.

This allowed Michael to fall asleep for a long time today.

It’s been a while since I slept for hours without waking up.

“That’s a relief.”

Liarte leaned her head forward towards Michael. It was an act to look closely into the eyes.

“But if the seven layers of the curse aren’t peeled off, the pain will intensify again. Let me know if it hurts after getting rid of a layer today.”

Compared to Michael, who was tall and strong, the benefactor’s body was slim and delicate.

That fact was strange.

“It’s all right.”

Liarte interpreted Michael’s silence in a different direction.

“Don’t be nervous. I can give you back your eyesight. In the future, you won’t feel pain when you see the light.”

It was a very attentive and gentle touch that caressed his face.

‘You’re small enough to come into my arms if I pull you, and you’re trying to soothe me.’

“Yes, I believe in you.”

Michael touched the ends of Liarte’s hair that brushed against his hand.

“I won’t be nervous about my eyes anymore.”

He never really felt anxious, but somehow did he not want to correct her misunderstanding.

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As he lowered his head a little, her slender shoulders touched Michael’s cheek.

“If I get sick, you will heal me.”

Michael’s eyes were bent beautifully.

Liarte was not aware of his strange attitude.