About The Death That You Served Me

Episode 18

 

“You seem bothered.”

 

Tevet said. Derion’s head swung around at that voice. Ashlyn hurriedly lowered her gaze.

 

“No, I’m just wondering why a wizard is here all of a sudden.”

 

“I told you, didn’t I? I will help you regain your memories.”

 

“…”

 

“Oh, you don’t have to worry too much about him. He knows about our relationship.”

 

At those words, Derion crumpled his brow.

 

“He’s a bit impertinent, so you can just ignore whatever he says.”

 

“Hey, Your Grace.”

 

Derion’s chilly voice popped out at that. It was a call brazenly addressing him, but Tevet didn’t seem to care much.

 

“Do you know how difficult it was for me to come all the way to this village? And how ridiculously cold it is? How can you say that about someone who risked their life?”

 

“See? Just let it go from one ear to the other.”

 

Tevet whispered affectionately.

 

“I swear, I can’t believe it. If you keep treating me like this, you’ll regret it. I will definitely…”

 

“…my.”

 

Ashlyn opened her mouth quietly.

Only then did Derion’s lips, which had been moving incessantly, come to a sudden stop.

 

She raised her head with effort. Pretending to be nonchalant, Ashlyn alternated her gaze between Derion and Tevet, who sat beside her.

 

“My memories will naturally come back over time,” 

She made a cautious claim.

 

“So, using magic… I mean, it probably won’t work right away, so there’s no need to…”

 

“We don’t know that,” Tevet cut in without hesitation.

“I’ll make sure you get your memory back. It will be better this way than just waiting still.”

 

It was perfectly reasonable and correct.

Of course, only for someone who had truly lost their memories.

Ashlyn remained silent for a while, unable to find the right words to respond.

 

In the midst of this, Derion, who had been keeping still, muttered.

 

“I’m not some all-powerful and all-rounder healer, I can’t guarantee if I can find her memories or not. What are you so confident for? As expected, unfounded audacity is common in ignorant non-wizards…”

 

Whack!

Tevet quietly stretched out his feet and kicked the middle of the table.

 

“Ow!”

 

Derion, who had been hit on the shin by the table, let out a small scream. Tevet shot Derion a cold look.

 

“Stop babbling and pay for your meal.”

“No! Whether you give me food or make me pay for it…”

 

Tevet glared at Derion again, striking the table with force.

 

“Ah!”

 

The grumbling Derion quickly clenched his shin in pain.

 

Tsk, Tevet, clicking his tongue, glared at him. Derion, who quickly caught onto his mood, straightened up and sat with a straight back.

 

“So, what’s the answer?”

 

“Ugh! Fine, fine! Tsk, you can definitely kill people with your eyes… I’ll try using magic once, so get out now. I’ll lose my concentration if you keep hovering around.”

 

“Do it in front of me. What tricks do you think you’re going to play?”

 

“Absolutely impossible. Memory magic is a very delicate task. If you’re going to monitor my every breath even while standing next to me, how do you expect me to focus?”

 

“….”

 

Tevet didn’t say anything.

A long silence passed.

 

It was Derion who abruptly broke the tense war of nerves.

 

“Ah! Forget it. If you don’t like that, I’m quitting. I’ll just go back the way I came.”

 

He flipped the hood of his robe back on.

He really seemed like he would go back like that.

 

‘I wish he’d really just go back.’

Ashlyn thought earnestly.

 

But then, a long sigh burst out from beside her. It was right before Derion was about to get up.

 

“…Fine.”

 

It was an unexpected surrender; as she thought, Ashlyn was helpless.

 

“How long will it take?”

“If I knew that, wouldn’t I be a God, not a human?”

 

Tevet glared at Derion with a sharp tone, causing the air to freeze at an alarming pace.

Derion cleared his throat, pretending to be unaffected, as he carefully observed Tevet’s reaction.

 

“Let’s try it for a week, one hour a day. Memories are very delicate, so we mustn’t overdo it.”

Tevet smiled coldly.

 

“I’ll say it again, don’t even think about playing any tricks.”

“I know it’d be a waste of my life!”

 

Derion retorted curtly.

 

Tevet looked at Ashlyn and gently brushed aside the strands of hair cascading down her shoulder. Since it wasn’t a working day, she hadn’t tied her hair, and her long, violet locks flowed freely.

 

“Remember to let me know if that arrogant guy crosses the line.”

 

Tevet whispered softly, looking at Ashlyn, who had stiffened.

 

“I’ll hang him outside the mansion as punishment.”

 

“….”

 

“Just his head, of course.”

 

Derion shuddered at that..

Thump. Tevet, leaving behind a murderous threat, left the reception room.

 

Even up until that moment, Ashlyn had no idea how to overcome this situation.

 

“Now, what do we do…?”

 

Derion muttered as he looked at the firmly closed door. His gaze shifted towards Ashlyn, fixed on her face, and he spoke to her abruptly.

 

“Hey, is there something you want?”

 

“…Something I want?”

 

“Just by looking at you, I can tell you’re troubled.”

 

Only then did Ashlyn meet Derion’s gaze. His stubborn amber eyes held no emotions.

 

“If you’re being forcibly dragged along to play with the whims of that.. turned away duke, just tell me.”

 

“…Why?”

 

“Can’t you see? I have a terrible relationship with his Excellency.”

 

Derion slumped on the sofa like wet laundry. It was a posture he often adopted when he had to do something he didn’t like.

 

“Do you really want to find your memories through magic?”

 

“I…”

 

Ashlyn pondered her next words for a moment. However, the gruff sorcerer before her was Derion. She knew that he didn’t bother choosing his words unnecessarily; it wasn’t his style.

 

“What would you do if I say I don’t want to retrieve my memories with magic?”

 

“Well, then I’ll just enjoy the food of this mansion and go, I suppose.”

 

Derion shrugged as if it was no big deal.

 

“I want to find my memories on my own.”

 

Ashlyn hid her tension and said.

 

“Alright, I got it.”

 

A cool response immediately came forth.

Caught off guard by the too-quick affirmation, Ashlyn furrowed her brow slightly.

Was he keeping up a pretense? She even thought of that.

 

“Why… are you doing me a favor?”

At that question, Derion stared at Ashlyn as if seeing through her.

 

“I never intend to force magic upon someone who doesn’t want it. No matter how much that devil threatens me. And…”

 

A glimmer of light flickered in his usually cold eyes.

 

“Did you say your name was Ashlyn?”

 

Dierian asked dryly. Ashlyn nodded slowly.

 

“It’s because I had someone I served before with the same name.”

 

“….”

 

“No, it doesn’t mean anything special. It’s just that..”

 

Her hands clenched around her knees, and tension seeped into them involuntarily. Ashlyn had to do all she could to hide her agitation upon hearing her own name.

 

“When you hear the same name as someone you know, it just makes you look twice for no reason… You know, that kind of thing?”

 

Dierian casually said.

 

“That person.”

 

Ashlyn opened her mouth somewhat impulsively.

 

“What?”

 

“The person you used to serve…”

 

Her words trailed off on their own. 

What was it that she wanted to ask?

Even though she had brought it up herself, she couldn’t understand it well.

As an awkward silence fell, Derion stared at Ashlyn for a moment. Then, as if vaguely understanding her intention, he shrugged once more.

 

“My former master passed away a year ago.”

 

He explained it like that.

 

“I could not protect her.”

 

It was the same indifferent tone he always had. A voice no different from when he read magical incantations.

 

However, Ashlyn had to forcefully suppress something welling up within her.

She wanted to grab onto him and shout.

 

It’s not your fault.

 

But all that came out was a trembling breath.

“Well, shall we have some tea then?”

 

Dierian stretched and sat up, yawning loudly. She looked up at him and spoke again.

 

“Magician.”

 

“Yes?”

 

In truth, there was something she wanted to ask Derion as soon as she first saw him.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Derion pointed at himself with his hand.

 

“Who, me?”

 

“Yes. Are you okay now? But since it’s been a year…”

 

So you’re feeling better now, right? Is everyone doing well?

 

Ashlyn swallowed her words.

 

Derion his lips. The corners of the dry magician’s mouth curved slightly upward. The smile relieved Ashlyn for a moment.

 

“No.”

 

A twisted cynicism flowed out.

 

“Honestly, I’m not okay at all.”

 

Ashlyn felt her heart sink at that expression.

 

“…a year?”

 

He murmured despondently.

 

“It’s still only been a year, so I wonder how much longer I have to endure this hell.”

 

She saw an undeniable pessimism in his eyes.

Ashlyn was now gripping her hands so tightly that her knees felt numb. She couldn’t say a word.

 

Perhaps it was because Derion found it strange that Ashlyn had not said anything after asking, he turned his head to look at her.

 

He frowned.

 

“Hey.”

 

His voice was shaky.

 

“Why are you crying?”

 

Ashlyn felt a lukewarm droplet land on the back of her hand a moment too late.

Derion crumpled his expression as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

 

“Are you trying to get me killed by that demon?”

Ashlyn knew that it was Derion’s clumsy attempt at consolation.

 

It was despairing.