293 – Copycat
The witch of prophecy took care of me for a while.
Nevertheless, my body could not recover easily and I had to lie in bed with my entire body wrapped in bandages.
“Even if you continue treatment, in the end it is just a waste of time. To be honest, my physical condition is at a level where recovery is impossible.”
Even though she grumbled, she diligently changed my bandages.
“If I could see your future, I would have gotten rid of this useless effort right now.”
I know that these are empty words that do not contain any sincerity.
In the first place, the witch’s prophetic ability was given to me as a gift, so there is no way she could read my future, which is full of uncertainty.
Even if I wanted to say something, it was difficult to even open my tightly closed mouth right now.
No matter how hard I strained my neck to make my voice sound, only a faint moan could barely come out.
I know how long I have to stay like this. I saw how painful the pain I had to endure during that time was.
But just observing the story and experiencing it firsthand were completely different.
I was prepared, but it was a much more difficult and painful ordeal than I expected.
Nevertheless, we must endure. Because I didn’t create all of these stories by myself.
This is a story of everyone believing in me and building it together even by sacrificing themselves. I can’t bear this much and I don’t have the honor to see them in the future because I’m so cruel to them.
I nearly passed out several times due to the relentless pain.
However, I was afraid that if I lost consciousness here, I might never be able to open my eyes again, so I forced my eyes open and glared at the light on the ceiling.
“···I can’t believe your willpower. “Why on earth are you struggling to survive like that?”
The witch of prophecy looked down at me and frowned in admiration, as if she did not understand.
That kind of reaction is natural.
She received a prophecy bead from me and was able to see her future.
I also realized that this world is a trivial world that only follows its predetermined destiny.
Yes. Everything is set. No matter how much you believe that it moves according to your own will, in the end, it is just one of countless branches entangled in the wheel. It was generally impossible to create a new, completely unexplored path on your own.
But I can. I don’t know why, but I was the only one who was able to do it.
Even though it was very difficult and difficult to pioneer that path, it was by no means impossible.
That’s why they struggle.
I will not submit to a predetermined fate. If there is a wall blocking my steps, I will break it down.
It is not a grand cause or holy resistance.
Just to enjoy a very simple and trivial daily life.
That’s all I want.
Slowly, apply force to your motionless body and raise your arms very little by little.
I stretch my trembling, bandaged arms to the sky.
He held her hand as if holding on to the bright light from the ceiling.
“···I will steal it.”
If fate does not grant me a happy daily life, I will take it from you myself.
Fight and achieve. I will become a phantom thief and steal it!
All of these stories will be recorded as a romantic tale of a phantom thief defying fate and stealing the future.
It was decided from the beginning that the ending would be a happy ending.
I can never, ever admit to a miserable ending.
***
As a result, I succeeded in saving my life.
The reason it was expressed vaguely is because the aftereffects were very serious even after leaving the hospital bed.
My body was still wrapped in bandages. At first glance, it looked like a mummy straight out of a ghost story.
However, the wounds on various parts of my body did not heal and fluid continued to leak, so I had no choice but to wear bandages.
In addition, I had seizures about twice a day. At that time, I couldn’t even move, so I fell to the floor without realizing it and was struggling.
In addition, my whole body ached and I had a headache for 24 hours, but I recovered to the point where I could walk and do at least some of my daily life.
I wrapped myself tightly in my coat, hat, and sunglasses and carefully walked out of the house to avoid being suspicious of people.
The witch of prophecy confirmed that my condition had improved a few months ago and left her side.
At that time, it seemed quite a relief to see him refreshingly saying that we were finally liberated and that we should never meet again. Since he had been helping me for years, all I could do was smile bitterly and say thank you.
Since then, I have been living quietly alone in London.
At the same time, there was a place I always stopped by when I went out every week.
It was a witch’s store.
Thanks to the introduction of the witch of prophecy, we formed a relationship and are now receiving help in many ways in obtaining medicinal herbs.
“Oh my. You came at just the right time. hehehehe.”
The witch greeted her in a deliberately made-up, coquettish voice, and instead greeted her by gently pressing her hat.
“What about medicinal herbs?”
“Be cold. “Aren’t you curious about my well-being?”
“Not really.”
She was not at all intimidated by my short, cold answers that made me feel like I was being rude to her, and instead actively talked to me as if it was more fun.
Seeing this reaction made her feel truly amazing. No matter where I look now, I must have a suspicious appearance that will only raise awareness. Are you actually curious about such unusual behavior?
Well, this is probably why the two of us appeared as acquaintances in the original work.
I know the whole story, but it is limited to the superficial events.
In other words, it is impossible to find out the inner thoughts of each character in the story.
So, experiencing the story directly and comparing it with the knowledge in my head was like the only entertainment for me.
“You’re probably looking for the same product today, right?”
I nodded calmly.
My current physical condition cannot be said to be good, even with empty words.
I could barely stand up and move, but in fact, as the witch of prophecy said, I was still like a living corpse.
The reason I can survive is thanks to the efficacy of a rare herb.
That is the evening primrose.
This flower, which is said to bloom only when the full moon rises, has excellent healing powers, so much so that there is a legend that it can instantly cure even incurable diseases.
Of course, it is just an exaggerated myth, and in reality, it only has the effect of promoting the body’s regenerative power.
But for me, the evening primrose has a more special meaning.
As the name suggests, evening primrose is filled with the energy of moonlight, and for me, as an apostle of the goddess of night, it is more effective than most legendary elixirs.
Although her goddess was currently asleep with her powers sealed away, the link with her was clearly still unbroken.
“Now, this is the evening primrose you reserved here.”
“Thank you always.”
After taking the flowers on the counter, I took money out of my pocket and paid for it.
Then the witch sighed and naturally began to air her complaints.
“No matter how much you get paid, it’s only one flower a week. Evening primrose is not a very common herb and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find?”
“If you want, I’ll raise the price a little more.”
“Hmm. “It seems like the business that started a while ago is doing better than expected?”
I nodded moderately.
In order to receive a steady supply of evening primroses, transactions with the witch must continue.
Since I needed the money, I naturally had to get up from my sick bed and start economic activities.
Luckily, I had the talent to make a decent living.
I should say that I had prepared this a long time ago since I had read it all as a story.
The witch shrugged her shoulders at my calm answer and spoke slyly.
“Well, I also have my own debt, so I won’t raise the price right away. If things continue like this, it may become difficult to find evening primroses for sale in a few years. “At that time, the transaction may be canceled regardless of the amount, so please be careful in advance.”
This is also something I already knew.
Evening primrose is so delicate that it is impossible to culture. In other words, it was not a common herb that you could get it whenever you wanted.
In fact, by the time the original story begins a few years later, evening primroses have become very rare throughout Britain.
At that time, even if it is a witch’s store, it will be difficult to receive a stable supply every week.
I guess that’s why I, who appeared in the story, asked the main character to pay the request in evening primroses.
After completing the transaction, I went home, brewed herbs, made tea, and drank it.
Then, my body felt much more comfortable and my mind felt clearer.
···At this time, I can sleep soundly.
This was my only chance to get a good night’s sleep, so I quickly went to bed.
There really isn’t much left now. Let’s hold on just a little longer.
How much time has passed?
I woke up to the loud sound of the doorbell and slowly walked out to the front door, feeling my body becoming heavy again.
When I opened the door, there was a girl standing in front of me who looked like I missed her so much.
“Is this the copycat’s basement?”
It was Juliet.