Chapter 213

 

* * *

 

The moment Jeremiah’s hand was about to touch the magic circle, Ronny’s scream was heard.

“No!”

When he raised his head, Ronny was seen pleading while holding the powerless Loretta.

“No Jeremiah, don’t do it! Loretta can’t endure any more…!”

That was no different from a foolish wish to die together.

Jeremiah was a person who pursued practicality, so he didn’t listen to such lingering words.

However, the mana wasn’t swirling on his hand that had touched the magic circle.

The mana that had been densely packed in his hand and arm until a moment ago had somehow returned to the vessel and was crouching its power.

It might be due to the instinctive fear of losing his sister.

“Damn it.”

A strong wind rushed in from the broken window and began to form a vortex in the room.

‘…It’s over.’

Jeremiah despaired as he scratched the non-activating magic circle with his fingernails.

‘Thud!’

The sound of something falling and shattering was heard from outside, and the door swung open.

It must have been Higgins entering the room, unable to bear it any longer. Jeremiah ordered while lying face down towards the magic circle.

“…It would be best to get away from the mansion right now.”

No matter how loyal he was, there was no reason for him to give his life among the foolish masters.

“But take Evan with you, Higgins.”

Evan shouted in surprise, “No, Master!” but Jeremiah only pounded on the magic circle with his tightly clenched fist.

His mana still didn’t budge.

“M-Master…”

“Evan, what are you doing not leaving quickly?”

After spitting out sharp words, Jeremiah stood up and turned to look at Higgins.

With the intention of yelling at him to hurry and take Evan out.

“…”

But no sound came out of his wide-open mouth.

The person standing at the doorway, gasping for breath, was clearly Higgins.

But not the Higgins he was thinking of…

‘Melody Higgins!’

The moment he confirmed her pale blue face, Jeremiah recalled an assumption he had put aside for a while.

‘If someone can suppress this power just by ‘existing’… That would probably be.’

…That would probably be.

Possible only for the person who had shared the most absolute trust and heart with Loretta for the longest time.

Jeremiah stood up, staggering.

Although he had considered optimism as something only fools who didn’t make an effort would do, Melody’s existence had completely plunged him into unfounded hope.

He shouted with his eyes tightly closed.

“Higgins!”

As if understanding his intention, Melody began to rush into the center of the magic circle.

 

* * *

 

Melody stopped for a moment at the entrance of the ducal residence she had just arrived at.

A chandelier that had been hanging high had crashed in the middle of the entrance. Amidst the scattered crystals, the objects that had decorated the entrance hall were all fallen and shattered.

“…Really.”

Melody newly realized Loretta’s awakening. Even though she had heard the explanation from Claude and Isaiah several times.

Soon, Claude and Isaiah approached behind her.

“Miss Melody.”

“Mel.”

Instead of answering, Melody started running towards the second-floor stairs.

‘Loretta…!’

The stairs she had climbed countless times while living in this mansion felt unusually long.

When her breath that had risen to the tip of her chin burst out of her mouth, she finally reached the top of the second-floor corridor.

Mr. and Mrs. Higgins, who spotted Melody from beyond the corridor, were very surprised, but they didn’t stop her hurried steps. There wasn’t even a question of where she had been until now.

The couple only opened the door Melody had to pass through.

Melody entered Jeremiah’s room, continuously heaving both shoulders.

“…”

The scene unfolded before her eyes was hell.

Broken windows, a messed up room, and people stained black with despair.

No different from the original work, no, perhaps even more terrible…

“Ah…”

This wasn’t the future she had hoped for when she came to the ducal residence.

‘For Loretta to be happy. Only for that to happen…’

She had sincerely prayed.

Just as her life had become like that because of Loretta.

Melody recalled the question she had long forbidden herself from asking.

‘Should I have… done nothing?’

Perhaps her efforts to make Loretta’s life even a little happier until now were ultimately just a selfish desire to change herself.

She often thought that just by moving for someone else, she herself seemed to have become a more wonderful person.

“Higgins!”

At that moment, Jeremiah’s shout was heard.

That earnest voice somehow seemed to push her back.

To stop thinking about other things and rush to Loretta right now.

“Loretta…!”

Melody rushed into the center of the magic circle.

Then, the lips of Loretta, who had been hanging her whole body on the arms of the Duke and Ronny, began to move slightly.

“Mel…”

When a sound more fragile than breath flowed out from her parched white lips, Melody dropped to her knees on the floor and hugged her tightly.

“…Loretta.”

Melody buried her face in the crumbling blonde hair.

The child’s body was too cold and slender as if it would crumble at any moment.

“I was wrong… I…”

Her eyes were blurred with tears that had welled up at some point.

“I shouldn’t have tried to change things on my own…”

Melody let go of Loretta from her arms and slowly stroked her sunken cheeks.

“You could have been happy on your own… I was wrong, I’m sorry… Loretta.”

Tears falling down Melody’s cheeks continuously dropped on Loretta’s face or neck.

In deep regret, Melody had one wish.

She wished she could turn back the pages of this world’s book and return to Chapter 1 again.

The moment when the Duke came to take Loretta and showed concern for Melody’s future and residence.

 

“So, do you plan to become this village’s doctor in the future?”

 

If she were to hear that question again now, she felt she could choose and answer right away.

…A future without Loretta.

“Melody.”

A slender hand reached out to Melody’s cheek. Perhaps trying to wipe away her tears.

But the powerless fingertips only trembled in the air and slid down to the floor.

Melody grasped Loretta’s hand and brought it to her cheek.

When that cold hand melted a little warmly, Loretta smiled faintly.

“Loretta likes Melody.”

That was… the conversation they had at the moment in Chapter 1 that Melody was recalling.

When Melody hesitated at the doctor’s question of whether she would become a doctor, Loretta whispered like that from Melody’s arms.

“How… did you know? So, that I was…”

Even at the messed up question, Loretta answered with a beaming smile.

“Because Loretta is big sister.”

As if some strength was starting to return, Loretta’s gaze was clearer than before.

“You know, Loretta. I.”

“Melody.”

Loretta’s fingers touching Melody’s cheek wriggled and moved. It was a touch as if conveying comfort.

“…Do you like Loretta?”

The same question as before came back again.

The answer to this question had completely changed Melody’s destiny.

…And Loretta’s destiny too.

So Melody couldn’t decide what to say.

“Do you… like Loretta?”

When the question mixed with sobs returned, the whirlwind that had gathered around them began to whistle painfully.

The wind embraced the pieces of paper and glass scattered around and soared up to the high ceiling.

Not only the decorations and picture frames in the room but also the large pieces of furniture began to shake and rattle.

Melody hugged Loretta deep into her arms.

She had just hugged her so the child wouldn’t get hurt, but as they got close to each other like this, an inevitable sincerity flowed out.

“Yes.”

At the words she delivered with a slight nod, Loretta’s eyes close to her turned round for a moment.

“I… like you.”

Melody rested her forehead on Loretta’s face and shook her head briefly.

Simply saying she liked her couldn’t fully express her thoughts about Loretta.

She was the person who had made all of Melody’s time lovely.

“…I like you. I like you, Loretta.”

But no matter how many times she repeated it to convey her heart, it was only lacking.

Soon, Loretta’s small hand touched Melody’s back.

At that moment, the loud wind that had been enveloping the two of them instantly stopped.

The shaking objects also stayed still in their places.

Melody raised her head and looked around.

“…”

It was endlessly quiet.

Melody alternately looked at Loretta’s appearance and the surrounding scenery.

The wind that seemed to swallow everything was now impossible to feel even its remnants.

Melody seemed to somehow know… what this sudden silence meant.

There was a similar scene in the original work.

When the male protagonist August approached Loretta, who had awakened as a physis, this happened.

“Wh-why…?”

The person who brought stability to Loretta and achieved this peaceful silence was not Melody.

It was the achievement of August, who came to ‘share the feeling of liking each other’ with Loretta…

“Melody.”

When she looked at the sound of Loretta calling her name, she was smiling with a much more relaxed face.

“We still like each other. Right?”

“…Ah.”

Melody let out a short groan at Loretta’s conclusion.

Why hadn’t she realized it until now?

“Yes.”

Holding back the tears that were about to burst out, Melody lightly kissed her forehead.

The person Loretta needed after awakening as a physis was…

“We like each other.”

Perhaps from the beginning of this story, it might have been set as Melody.