“…It’s suffocating.”
Esther chuckled as she watched the scene unfold. Then she turned to Sion, who had already dismounted his horse and approached her.
“There’s something His Grace the Duke needs to do.”
“Yes.”
“That tree, that tree, and that tree…”
After pointing out three trees, Esther finished her instructions.
“Please cut them down all at once.”
Sion nodded and drew his sword from his waist.
He swung his sword from where he stood, and the three trees Esther had pointed out were cleanly cut down.
“Wow.”
Laila unconsciously let out an exclamation. Just then, the space between the trees suddenly began to distort.
Soon, a large gap appeared, wide enough for a person to pass through.
Esther led the way.
“Let’s go.”
As they passed through the gap, a narrow path appeared.
Laila took off her fur vest and one of her coats. There was no snow on the path. It was hot.
How long had they walked along the path?
Before long, a high wall and a large gate came into view ahead of Esther and her companions.
Laila had a passing thought. A village.
Then she swallowed dryly.
To think they had been transported from the snowy mountains to a village in an instant…
The people known as the Moon Clan truly didn’t seem like ordinary individuals.
Just as Laila was beginning to feel inwardly tense, Esther approached the large gate. It was firmly shut, with no one standing guard.
Esther clenched her fist and knocked on the gate twice, then four times, then three times.
After waiting for a while in place, the gate slowly began to open.
Standing in the gap was a woman with long black hair reaching down to her waist. She appeared to be in her forties.
Her crimson eyes scanned each of the visitors, starting with Esther.
Laila fixed her gaze on the woman standing between the gates.
Crimson eyes…
Where have I seen those eyes before?
Just as Laila began to wonder, Sion lightly pulled her wrist.
Laila was involuntarily moved a few steps and half-hidden behind Sion, he spoke up.
“What’s your connection to the witch?”
The witch.
Laila’s mind suddenly became sharp, and her memory returned. She slightly parted her lips as she hid behind Sion.
Dark red hair. Crimson eyes.
A woman who looked like a dried rose brought to life.
The perfume shop.
Angela. No, it wasn’t Angela; it was…
“A witch?”
“She said her name was Asilis.”
“…Ah.”
The woman with black hair and crimson eyes let out a sigh.
“Asilis…”
“……”
“So, you’ve met Asilis…”
“……”
“Did you happen to kill her?”
“I failed.”
Sion was brutally honest. Without realizing it, Laila grabbed the hem of Sion’s clothes with her free hand.
Her heart pounded wildly.
It felt as though something was about to happen at any moment.
What if something really does happen? What if that woman—likely a member of the Moon Clan—attacks us?
Could Sion defeat all of the Moon Clan?
But if he wipes out the entire Moon Clan, would I just die a month later anyway?
Sigh.
I just barely confirmed Sion’s feelings…
And I’ve only just decided to live…
At that moment, unexpectedly, the woman spoke in a voice devoid of hostility or malice.
“I see. I understand. Would you like to come inside?”
Laila, who had been completely hiding behind Sion, cautiously peeked her head out from beside his arm.
Her gaze met the woman’s. When the woman caught Laila’s eye, she smiled.
It wasn’t a sneer or a mocking laugh. It was a warm smile, so gentle that Laila’s eyes widened in surprise. As Laila took this in, the woman spoke again.
“You must have come a long way. Let me offer you some hospitality.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
As they passed through the gate, as expected, rows of houses came into view.
The people walking down the street glanced at Laila and her group. They all had crimson eyes.
“Could you wait here for a moment?”
The woman from the Moon Clan, acting as their guide, led them to a house with an impressive dark blue roof.
“Just the two of you, please follow me.”
Inside the house, Laila and Sion followed the Moon Clan woman to another room.
“…I will tell you about Asilis.”
Laila instinctively tensed up again.
Asilis.
Thanks to repeatedly recalling her memories during the walk from the village gate, Laila was now able to remember almost perfectly what Asilis had said.
‘If they find out about this, I will be treated as the shame of my clan! I’ll be torn apart into a thousand pieces before the world he rules.’
…Was the ‘clan’ she referred to the Moon Clan?
And who is ‘he’?
Is the Moon Clan our enemy?
Or not?
Esther had certainly been saved by the Moon Clan.
But it was only one member of the Moon Clan who saved her, not the entire clan…
Laila’s mind raced with tension. She was biting her lower lip without realizing it when Sion reached under the table and took her hand.
Startled, Laila blinked and looked down.
Sion whispered, “It’s alright.”
…Suddenly, she felt calm.
Laila stared at Sion’s hand, which completely enveloped hers, and then intertwined her fingers with his.
Then, she looked ahead again.
“Yes, please tell me.”
“Asilis was a member of the Moon Clan.”
The word “was” caught her attention.
“…Are you saying she no longer is?”
“That’s correct.”
The woman from the Moon Clan continued.
“Asilis lost her name as a member of the Moon Clan and was exiled from the village. It happened a hundred years ago.”
“A hundred years?”
“The average lifespan of the Moon Clan is around two hundred years.”
Laila’s mouth slowly fell open. Wow.
“…When we met Asilis, she said something like this.”
“What did she say?”
“She said she doesn’t age.”
Unless her memory was wrong, that’s exactly what Asilis had said.
The Moon Clan woman nodded lightly at Laila’s words before speaking.
“That’s not entirely false. If they don’t use their powers, the Moon Clan don’t experience aging until their lifespan comes to an end.”
“Powers?”
“The unique abilities that each member of the Moon Clan possesses. They are unique, but they can be grouped into types.”
“Unique, but categorized—kind of like personalities, then.”
The Moon Clan woman’s eyes widened for a moment before she smiled.
“Yes, that’s a good analogy.”
Laila felt herself gradually relaxing. It wasn’t just because she was still holding Sion’s hand tightly.
The woman from the Moon Clan standing before them was distinctly different from Asilis.
“When you met Asilis, how old did she appear to you?”
Laila answered the sudden question.
“She didn’t seem much older than me. Maybe in her twenties.”
“Then Asilis likely hadn’t used her powers much in the past hundred years.”
“…If someone uses their powers, do they start aging immediately?”
“If they use a certain amount of power, yes. In extreme cases, it’s even possible to age from a young adult to an elderly person instantly.”
“I see…”
Laila furrowed her brow slightly.
Asilis hadn’t shown any changes in appearance, even when she was cornered and fleeing from the perfume shop.
So, does that mean she barely used her powers while fighting Sion?
But why would she hold back, even getting injured?
Was it because her powers weren’t useful in battle?
Or maybe…
“If someone has the ability to change their appearance, can they hide aging?”
“No, that’s impossible.”
“…What kind of abilities does Asilis have? From what I saw, she could change her appearance, control people, and create barriers.”
“All three of those are things I can do as well.”
“Really?”
“Would you like me to show you?”
“…No, thank you.”
Laila had no desire to witness a second Asilis.
