127 – Side Story Episode 1: Reconstruction of Relationships (1)
“What on earth have I done.”
The woman with blue hair, sitting on the bed with great effort, was tearing at her head in agony.
Celia Wignoron, the beloved of the Wignoron noble family known for their magic, felt a sense of desolation as she pondered over her actions.
“To do such a thing to Ian… How could I…”
Through the miraculous effect of the Christmas Rose that triggered Ian’s memorial link, she had recovered against all odds and even regained the lost memories.
Not only had she managed to correct the relationship that was on the verge of being severed forever, preserving memories with him, but the miraculous event had brought the worst situation to Celia Wignoron.
“I was only trying to help…”
The image of Ian, desperate not to lose memories related to her, still lingered in her mind.
Always composed and upright, he showed a moment of vulnerability, and his expression at that moment felt like a dagger to her heart.
Thus, Celia devised a plan to offer him her essence and protect Ariel using a stamp stone, intending to restore their previous relationship once Ian regained all his memories.
“Yes… That’s how it should have been. Even if I create happy memories for Ariel, there should have been a chance for Ian and me to get closer.”
However, what memories remained in her mind were a mix of the present and past, where she had treated Ian poorly, putting him in danger, intertwining with her previous memories.
“Oh no. This is not right.”
Those memories were painfully tearing at her blue hair.
After such cruel actions, how could she possibly return to Ian?
While she might have eventually changed her mind and sacrificed herself for him, Celia doubted she could return to the close bond they once shared.
‘Ian’s heart must have been filled with wounds accumulated since childhood.’
Starting from abandoning him, who had been so self-sacrificing to take over the curse inherited from his father.
Even after entering the academy, he was pushed into danger for reasons that made no sense.
There is a saying:
Helpful memories fade in a few days, but memories of suffering linger for decades.
The countless torments inflicted on Ian over the years would surely remain vividly etched in his memory. Those wounds didn’t seem like they could be forgiven with mere acts of self-sacrifice on his behalf.
“Where did it all go wrong, exactly? I wish I had known better.”
If only he hadn’t opened his eyes, he wouldn’t have to endure this hardship.
Though the current Celia might not know, the Ian from the previous chapter left deep scars on her heart because he was more than family to her.
What should she do? Should she pretend to still be asleep and avoid facing him once more?
She had already muttered to herself a few times. If she hadn’t been standing so close to the door, maybe he wouldn’t have heard, right?
‘Yeah. Maybe it’s better to just keep my eyes closed.’
Getting caught in such an embarrassing situation would be no less, but facing Ian in a situation where she didn’t know what to say would be just as difficult for her.
“Sigh. Yes, I’ll just quietly lie down again.”
Having made up her mind, Celia, wondering if anyone might hear, stifled her breath as she began to raise her body, only to lie back down.
Knock, knock!
“Celia, I heard you’re awake. Can I come in?”
“Oh.”
Click!
The moment she realized her assumption that she hadn’t woken up was wrong.
As much as she wanted to see him, the moment of reunion with Ian, whom she was too afraid to meet.
Ian Volkanov. As he gazed at Celia, she shyly lowered her head.
“Uh, hi, Ian.”
***
“I’m sorry, Ian….”
The moment Celia faced Ian, she bowed her head like a sinner.
Her plan to find a solution while pretending to be asleep had all fallen apart.
Unexpectedly facing Ian, the only thing she could do was to sincerely apologize, even if she wasn’t forgiven.
“I. I know it’s hard to forgive. If you knew what I’ve done all this time, you’d probably want to kill me. But. I’m truly sorry. That’s all I can say.”
With a trembling voice, Celia continued to speak laboriously, while Ian watched her expressionlessly.
“I’m really sorry. If you tell me never to appear before you again, I’ll live quietly, never showing up. I’m sorry, Ian.”
Celia seemed to shrink even more, thinking Ian was angry, but there was only one thing she could do when unexpectedly facing Ian.
‘Maybe that appearance is a mix of past and present memories.’
Ironically, Ian seemed indifferent to her. He had no grievances against Celia, no resentment towards her.
Isn’t that natural?
‘Of course, Celia has tormented me. This time, she had a purpose and even put me in a threatening situation. But that wasn’t a grave mistake.’
Abandoning his self-sacrificing self and turning to Ariel?
It was something she had done ultimately for herself using the Seal Stone. The effect of the artifact, the Seal Stone, manipulating emotions in people, was not something she could control.
Even if it caused him distress, part of the blame rested on Ian.
“It wasn’t like I did it for my own benefit in the first place; I did it for myself.”
Since his actions were driven by a clear purpose to assist Ian, understanding her mistakes was necessary.
If there was anything left to be angry about, it was that he had posed a threat to himself during the training period.
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“He wasn’t really trying to kill me. Would I get mad about that?”
Ian wasn’t a fool to the point of being unable to contain his anger at childish antics.
The meaning of his words was simple.
“I’m rather thankful. Bringing me back when I fell during the battle with Mammon, and throwing himself to protect me during the Satan incident.”
Ian held no anger towards Celia’s actions.
Instead of anger, he felt gratitude towards her and had come to unravel the tangled mess between them through conversation.
Her greatly frightened state was an unexpected turn of events, to say the least.
In the end, there was only one thing Ian could do in the current situation.
“Are you truly sorry, Celia?”
“Y-Yes! I’m so sorry, Ian…”
“Then get dressed. You seem to be feeling better now.”
“Oh, dress?”
“Yes, we have somewhere to go, so get ready quickly. If needed, I’ll call the maids.”
With a calm tone, Ian continued speaking, and Celia, feeling a faint sense of fear, nodded helplessly.
“Oh, no, I can handle that much on my own. I’ll get ready quickly.”
“I’ll be waiting outside.”
As Ian quietly left the room, Celia, flustered, began to hastily prepare her clothes.
***
Where on earth are we going?
Sitting in the rattling carriage, Celia looked out at the passing scenery, nibbling on her lower lip lightly.
Ian had suddenly appeared and asked her to get dressed.
For a moment, Celia felt as if she was being told to leave the room because she looked unpleasant, and in fear of being chased out, she quickly packed all her belongings and left the room.
Of course, she had mainly packed clothes and toiletries due to Ian’s head-scratching look when he saw her with all her weapons.
“Why on earth. Why would I need to pack all this for wherever we’re going?”
At first, she thought they might be heading to a secluded place to deal with things quietly, but seeing the bustling crowd outside, it seemed more like they were heading to a big city or tourist spot.
Unless she had lost her mind, it was hard to imagine dealing with things in a place like this.
So, what was it? Why specifically come to a place like this?
With incomprehensible thoughts, Celia nervously kept watch outside.
Finally arriving at their destination, she opened her eyes wide.
Splash!
“Here is…”
Stretching out endlessly was a fierce, rolling sea and a sandy shore sinking deep.
The place Ian had brought her to was none other than the ocean.
One might think of it as a trip just by looking at it. At least, the feeling she had now was different.
“Selon Beach. It’s located next to the Brookes Estate.”
In the past, it used to be a popular tourist spot every summer due to the incredibly beautiful emerald sea. But now, due to the zombie outbreak at the Brookes Estate, it had become a place where people no longer set foot.
Well… it means it’s a deserted place. To the point where even if someone dies, they might not be found.
“Workers responsible for maintaining the city don’t even want to come in because of the zombies. They had to mobilize cleanup crews from the royal palace to clean up the estate.”
In a place like this, it wouldn’t be strange to die for oneself.
Though she relaxed a bit when she saw many people on the way, was that just to make her lower her guard?
In her bewildered state, Celia started to take small steps backward.
Thud!
“Be careful. It’s easy to trip on the sandy beach if you walk without thinking.”
“I-Ian. Here is…”
“Don’t you like it? Normally, you’d be on edge because of the crowded people pushing around, but now no one comes here because of what happened at the Brookes Estate.”
“Ah…”
Finally, when he grabbed her shoulder, her body froze. She had no choice but to listen to Ian’s explanation about the beach that no one visits, where one can act without restraint.
No one comes. You can do anything without worrying about consequences.
The words he spoke started to echo in her mind.
Swish!
“Oh, it’s coming!”
When she heard Ian pulling something out of his pocket, she tightly shut her eyes.
A dagger, probably. He planned to stab her in the neck and leave her at the Brookes Estate.
“It’s sad, but still.”
If she could apologize to Ian. It would be right to repay with death.
Just as she relaxed and accepted her situation.
Thud!
“Oops! Watch out…”
“Why have you been so tense since earlier? It must be hot, so have a drink at least.”
As the coldness of the drink approached her throat, Celia’s trembling hand grasped the drink, making her wonder if she wasn’t dead after all, and she began to take deep breaths. Ian cocked his head, lost in thought.