“Do you know where Sofia Bruno is?”
“I don’t know.”
At Arsene’s immediate denial, I narrowed my eyes and looked at him, trying to gauge his true intentions.
He looked so sorry that he couldn’t answer my question that I felt bad for doubting him.
I tried to ask him more questions, but he didn’t seem to know anything. I was getting frustrated.
I tried to figure out what to do. As I wiggled my toes, Arsene spoke up.
“Should we bring Sofia Bruno back?”
“Somehow, it feels like that’s what we should do.”
Arsene looked at me strangely. Was he looking at me like that because he thought I might ask him to find her for me?
To prove my innocence, I raised both hands and gestured reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to do it!”
“What?”
“Because it’s something I promised Baron Bruno.”
“But he’s dead, right?”
“Yes, but we still don’t know what happened to Sofia Bruno.”
Yeah, because we really don’t know what happened to her…….
The thought of it made my mouth bitter. If Sofia Bruno was alive, I could find out what happened to her.
Although we didn’t have a good relationship, now that things have turned out this way, maybe she would cooperate with me.
No, will she blame me for Baron Bruno’s death? I can’t completely deny that I am not at fault…
“Baron Bruno mentioned Jessica Bruno, didn’t he?”
“Oh, yes.”
As if he knew I was silently struggling with the complicated thoughts in my head, Arsene put his hand on the top of my head and brought up Jessica Bruno.
“Sofia Bruno and Jessica Bruno has a lot of similirity. ‘Yoosa’ is a sorcery from very ancient times that changes the fate of two people who have similarities.”
“Oh, so when Sofia Bruno fell ill…….”
They saved her by using Jessica Bruno as a ‘Yoosa’.
I hung my head in disbelief. I was horrified to know that there was such sorcery in the world.
“Why would anyone… Why would they perform such sorcery?”
“Think about it. If your child, or your parents, or maybe your lover was dying, but they can live if you sacrifice someone.”
If such an opportunity arises, what decision would I make?
Grand Duke Estin, no, my father, if only he could regain his memory……. But where would I find someone like him? That’s the first problem.
Duke Bluea, my father’s brother? I realize now, through my thoughts, how terrifying human selfishness is.
I’m not in a position to criticize others.
“Words are sorcery. It’s like receiving an oracle from the god of death. You pray at the temple and say, ‘My man has a disease that will kill him, god of death,’ and it comes down.”
“Why would a god give such an oracle?”
If I heard such a divine oracle, I’m sure I would be doubtful, just like before. However, the idea that such a rotten lifeline is bestowed by a divine oracle is bothering.
What kind of god answers prayers with such divine oracle? If I were given such an oracle by a god, I would naturally doubt it.
If someone says something to you, you have a plausible excuse that it’s from God.
“It was a form of entertainment for that god in his long, long life.”
“How can you call that a god?”
“Well, anyway, people considered such oracles as salvation. They started gathering at the temple of the god of death, which was originally not frequented by people.”
“No, people actually seek that as a god.”
As I muttered in disbelief, Arsene’s eyes widened, and he regained his usual expression.
He pursed his lips as if he had something to say. As I stared at him intently, he finally nodded..
“No, I mean it. You’re really different from ‘that person.'”
“I don’t even remember that time…….”
I realized that ‘that person’ mentioned by Arsene referred to my past life, and I grumbled in annoyance. Arsene agreed and smiled.
There was a hint of sadness in that smile. Instead of feeling annoyed by Arsene’s constant search for traces of that person from me, I became curious for some reason……. So, a little impulsively, I asked.
“If it were ‘that person,’ how would she react?”
“Huh? Well, she’d probably be thinking about how lonely that God must be because he doesn’t get many visitors.”
Oh, God.
I was shocked to learn that I had once been that kind of person.
Was I really that good-hearted? The goodness of that person, who seemed to be a little out of touch, amazed me.
If I was such a different person now, why was the underworld god still so obsessed with me?
Yes, the god of the underworld…….
I’m sure he uses these oracles to find similarities.
“So you’re saying there’s a similarity between Sofia Bruno and Tia Bluea?”
“Yes, perhaps.”
“……He used Sofia Bruno to bring Jung Seulbi here.”
Arsene nodded. So is Sophia Bruno on earth where Jung Seulbi should be? If so, do I need to go to Earth to get her back?
I wonder if that’s possible. Or I have to find someone similar to me on earth to switch. This makes it complicated. Is there a better way?
“But what do you think are the similarities between Sofia Bruno and Jung Seulbi?”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Would removing the similarities between them invalidate the sorcery…….”
“I’ll have to go ask them then.”
If only they would tell us about it themselves. But they wouldn’t open their mouths easily.
“If we have a hostage, they’ll tell us.”
Arsene blurted out the big words without a care in the world.
“The hostage that would work best for them would be…… me.”
“I’m here to make you an offer, Mary Conler.”
“An offer?”
“If you want, I can hide you from their sight. They’ll panic if you suddenly disappear with almost all their plans in place. And then I can force them to reveal their plans to me. Maybe we can find a clue that will lead us to Estin Conler’s memory.”
Arsene spoke as if trying to convince me. I was taken aback by the possibility of recovering my father’s memories.
People would go to selfish lengths to sacrifice others to save their own families, and this was nothing compared to that.
As I was being persuaded, I saw the face of Arsene, who was capable of doing terrible things.
To escape the schemes of the god of the underworld and protect my family, it seemed like joining hands with Arsene was the right path to take.
“I have dedicated a lot of time to eradicating the god of the underworld. I don’t know when I will regain my strength. To do that, I need you as a card, Mary.”
“All right.”
“You probably won’t see your family for quite a while, are you okay with that?”
Only now did I realize the preciousness of my family.
“I want to keep them safe.”
“Yes?”
“They love me so much but I keep doubting them. I want to be forgiven for deceiving them.”
I bowed my head and finished speaking.
“Perhaps now, when I’m not in my father’s memories, might be the optimal time. Other family members might be sad, but…”
But I want to fix what I can, and in time, they may think it was a stupid thing to do. If I tell them that I did it to protect them, I’ll be scolded.
I want to be scolded.
By my father, who has all his memories back.
“I’m a little relieved that you think so.”
“Oh, there’s a place I’d like to stop by, is that okay?”
***
‘Oh, I fell asleep.’
Demimore was sitting by the window, reading a book because he couldn’t sleep, when he doze off.
Swiping her bangs off her forehead, he turned his head to go back to bed and go back to sleep, only to be surprised.
“Mary?”
Demimore looked at the silhouette that suddenly appeared in surprise.
Seeing the pitch black hair that matches the darkness that permeates the room, and the shiny black eyes that resemble the hair, it was clear that it was his fiancee.
Why would his fiancée, who was supposed to be in the Grand Duchy, be here?
“Is it a hallucination?”
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think so, but under the moonlight, Mary didn’t seem to be of this world.
She was undeniably beautiful and cute, but to the extent that it made him wonder if she was really like this.
Feeling disoriented, Demimore placed his palm against her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin. It was probably not a hallucination or a ghost.
The cat’s eyes, which she hated for looking so fierce, drooped. Mary gently rubbed her cheek against his palm like a kitten.
“Demimore, I’m sorry.”
What are you sorry about? For a moment when he felt suspicious, Demimore swallowed breath as Mary came into his arms.
Demimore clenched his fists at his own unflattering reaction.
“Let’s meet again later.”
Mary muttered sadly. Impatient, Demimore tightly grabbed Mary’s wrist, but it was in vain. Mary disappeared.
Was it a dream? No, even if it was a dream, to have her in his arms and then disappear like that…….
He felt so bad.
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