༺ Radiant And Beautiful ༻
“……”
Even though my eyelids felt heavy and I could only manage to open them halfway, I could tell that I was in a hospital.
Before my vision started to clear, I caught a faint whiff of the hospital’s distinctive antiseptic and medicinal scent.
Gradually, sensation returned to my fingers, and I felt the ambiguous texture of the hospital bed.
“Phew.”
Like inserting batteries one by one, I could feel my body regain energy. I propped myself up.
The IV needle that had been stuck in the back of my hand had already been roughly removed, and just as I stood up, the door to the hospital room opened, and—
“But, it’s true! Illuania really was his lover!”
“Stop telling lies! Even my family said that Deus isn’t a bad person.”
“Well, I guess your family must have lied…”
—Findenai and Erica entered while conversing.
Upon seeing them, I raised my hand, signaling them to be quiet.
“This is a hospital room, keep your voices down.”
“I-I’ll go and call the doctor.”
Erica met my gaze, looking flustered as she hurriedly left the room. Findenai, on the other hand, approached with a sly smile.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“…I saw him off, that is all.”
“You saw who off? Ugh, I can’t make sense of what you necromancers say half the time.”
Of course, besides myself, Findenai had never met any other necromancer.
Not minding her words, I began to prepare for my discharge from the hospital.
* * *
I wasn’t in the hospital for a long time. In fact, it was just a brief moment, but still, I felt a sense of relief inhaling the fresh night air after stepping outside.
The stuffy feeling in my chest instantly disappeared, and I felt invigorated with each step.
“Are you really going to leave the hospital right away? I was using Master’s room… Where should I stay now?”
As Findenai walked past me, I couldn’t hide my displeasure and asked her.
“Did you use my room?”
“Yeah, I can’t sleep outside, now can I?”
“Tell the Dean to arrange a separate room for you.”
“I prefer higher floors.”
While Findenai grumbled, Erica, who was behind her, made a strange expression.
She couldn’t have imagined that a maid would treat her master so nonchalantly.
“Well then, Findenai. Go clean my room. If even a single strand of your hair is left behind, you will be punished.”
“Are you serious?”
Pouting, Findenai looked skeptical, but she didn’t argue anymore.
“I will wait for about an hour before I go in.”
“Ahhh! If I had known, I wouldn’t have unpacked my things!”
Findenai ran towards the academy at a transcendental speed.
The aftermath of her sprint was so powerful that Erica and I stumbled in its wake.
Watching Findenai as she jumped on a roof and moved further away, Erica couldn’t help but mutter.
“At least she still listens to you.”
When she and I turned our heads to glance at each other, I made a suggestion.
“How about having some coffee for a moment?”
“Huh? You’re asking me? ME?”
Surprised, Erica pointed to herself, and I nodded lightly. She hesitated before agreeing.
Since I wanted to feel the outside air a little more, we got our coffee and sat on a bench in the nearby park.
Maybe because it was still early in the night, there were many people taking walks in the area.
In the center of the park, there was a sculpture made up of blue stars that emitted a faint light from within. It illuminated the entire park with a serene glow.
Sitting on the bench, I held my paper cup with one hand, and pulled away a little kid who was grabbing onto my sleeve with the other.
After gently patting the kid’s head, I took another sip of my coffee.
“…What’s over there?”
“Nothing special.”
Erica looked as if she was trying to see what I was interacting with, but since she was unable to see the kid, she cleared her throat and leaned back on the bench.
A moment of silence passed.
Although the city’s sounds echoed around, they didn’t bother us all that much.
In fact, they gave us a sense of comfort, allowing us to be at ease with each other.
After taking one more sip of coffee, I spoke up.
“Not all incidents relating to evil spirits within the academy are fully resolved. However, those who had the power to cause events of that nature, or are extremely dangerous, are no longer here.”
“…I see.”
Perhaps Erica hadn’t expected me to bring this topic up, she seemed a little disappointed.
Although our eyes were directed towards the sculpture of blue stars, the conversation continued.
“Is the spirit trying to kill you gone?”
“Yes, he is.”
“…I see.”
Another moment of silence.
Erica seemed to be feeling a bit frustrated, she suddenly massaged her forehead as if something was bothering her.
“Everything I did was exceptionally useless.”
I didn’t bother to reply.
I had no intention of comforting her. It was her choice, after all.
“To be honest, I’m sorry. But… everything I did was to save you.”
“I know.”
I answered calmly and took another sip of my coffee. Although I had already taken a few sips of this coffee, for some reason, this specific sip tasted more bitter.
“And because of my actions, both of us will no longer be in a relationship. After all, I did hurt you.”
Erica’s grip on the paper cup tightened, causing it to crumple slightly. However, her expression remained unchanged.
“You’re probably better off without me… I also heard there was someone else you truly loved, and I suppose you were not fond of the engagement arranged by your family either.”
“…”
“Breaking off a family’s political engagement might be a blemish for a woman, but it’s not a big deal for a man. Besides…”
“Stop it.”
Suddenly, I focused on her face.
Even though her voice and expression remained steady, a single tear had already started to trickle down her cheek.
“Why did you end up like this, Erica Bright?”
“What?”
She met my eyes as if asking what I meant but quickly diverted her gaze.
“I will be honest with you. I do not feel emotions as much as others do… It is probably something I will develop later in life.”
“…”
Erica pressed her lips together and waited for me to continue speaking.
“That is why I do not really understand love, or any of those emotions that are vague and hard to define.”
But…
“However, I was able to sense that emotion. And although it was not mine, I was able to briefly experience what genuine love truly felt like.”
I recalled Deus, who truly loved Illuania. I continued speaking.
“That is why, I can tell you this.”
“…”
Her pupils trembled. She seemed to be praying that I would stop talking.
However, without hesitation, I told her the truth.
“I do not love you, Erica Bright.”
“Ah…”
Her cup crumpled completely. If it had been filled with coffee, it would have spilled over and soaked her hand and the ground.
“Not even for a moment… I have never felt the emotion called love for you.”
“That… Yes, of course.”
The duration I spent at the academy before getting expelled was three months.
However, the time I spent with Erica Bright only amounted to two months.
The remaining one month was spent differently, since she treated me with animosity.
But during those two months… we spent time together diligently. She put in so much effort to learn about me, and I didn’t avoid her either.
Memories of that time flashed through my mind, but unfortunately, my emotions remained as still as a serene lake.
“I didn’t want to hide the truth from you.”
Erica lowered her head, a tear rolled down her cheek.
I continued speaking.
“However, you are worth loving. No, you are a woman deserving of love.”
Erica’s body stiffened.
Slowly, very slowly, she turned her head to look at me. However, my gaze was now fixed to the star sculpture.
“That is why, during the time I spent with you, I hoped to see you smile more. I wanted to love you.”
“Ah…”
“But look at yourself now.”
Personally, I found her pitiful.
“You are now different from the Erica Bright I first met.”
Even though she stared at me blankly, I couldn’t offer comfort.
“You were blinded by the emotion called love, and it deterred you from making a proper judgment. You thought your choices were correct, but in the end, you realized how futile they were.”
“…”
“And now, you have given up on everything.”
Once again, I met Erica’s eyes. This time, she didn’t shy away and met my gaze. Her eyes were shedding tears.
I reached into my coat and took out a folded paper. It was the annulment letter I received from the Bright Household’s servant, whom I encountered on my way to Loberne Academy.
“It’s our annulment letter. I haven’t signed it yet.”
“…!”
“Until our engagement is annulled, no one can demand your hand in marriage, especially someone you do not love.”
Findenai had already told me about Gideon.
This was the only consideration I could give Erica.
“Stand up again, Erica Bright. Do not bury yourself in failure and remember who you are. Do not lose yourself by being swayed by the emotion called love.”
Slowly standing up from my seat, I smiled gently as I held out the annulment letter to Erica.
It was my blessing for her future.
“Go and claim yourself. Become the incredibly beautiful woman you were when we first met.”
“Ah.”
“When you find certainty in your life, when no one will be able to sway you anymore.”
Pat.
I placed my hand on her head.
“When you become the radiant and beautiful Erica once again.”
Erica slightly closed her eyes, feeling my touch.
“Come to me and we shall annul our engagement.”
