Side Story 2.1 – A Certain Angel’s Reminiscence

‘Where should I go when everything comes to an end?’ 

At times, Ariel felt as though she were the only one left in this harsh world. That feeling had begun when she was appointed as a celestial being, diligently fulfilling her duties, and then meeting a certain human. 

The boy, with his endlessly cheerful personality, had a way of capturing the attention of everyone around him. He was someone who upheld his conscience and walked the righteous path better than anyone else. 

As a celestial, he was naturally someone who drew her attention. 

At first, she thought her feelings stemmed from simple agape—a divine, selfless love that was the ultimate form of goodness for celestials. It was as natural to them as breathing. How could she possibly be mistaken about it? She had been so sure of herself, though it was perhaps a little arrogant to think that way. 

But at that time, Ariel had been so naive that she couldn’t have imagined otherwise. Unlike the demons who roamed the earth recklessly and bred indiscriminately, the heavens forbade celestials from approaching humans with personal feelings. This was especially true if the human in question was neither a ward under their protection nor someone they were tasked to watch over. 

‘It must just be pity,’ she told herself. 

What else could it be? There was no other reason she would feel so concerned. 

Standing by the side of the boy’s father, who was nearing the end of his life, Ariel shook her head. The boy with his fiery red hair was beautiful. Perhaps her gaze kept returning to him because of her instinctive attraction to beauty and aversion to ugliness. 

Dong—dong— 

The sound of twelve chimes echoed as she murmured the same whispers she had repeated to herself yesterday, and the day before. 

The sky outside was filled with twilight, shifting from orange to lavender. Riding on the sharp wind, the souls of the dead could be seen leaving the middle realm through the passage she had opened for them. 

She could have simply completed her mission and left. Why hadn’t she? 

Even now, the image of the boy, who shed no tears as he stood there, was vivid in her mind. He blinked a few times, let out a single tear, and then smiled radiantly. That smile, so bright it was almost poisonous, lingered in Ariel’s thoughts time and time again. 

‘This is strange. I’ve dealt with countless humans before, but none of them have stayed in my mind like this.’ 

No matter how pitiful their circumstances, no matter how tragic their deaths, celestials were beings imbued with divine light. Their benevolence was like the sun, shining equally upon all. It wasn’t something that focused on any one individual. 

When she asked her peers about it, they told her that such feelings were a kind of “adolescence” for celestials. 

There had been others who, despite being branded as fallen angels and punished by being cast down to the mortal world, had fallen in love with humans. Those individuals grew weak, eventually losing their divine power, living out ordinary lives of birth, aging, illness, and death. Some even chose to descend into the Demon Realm, becoming concubines or subordinates of demons. 

It was a terrifying thought. 

‘But this is also a test from Lord Sol, who created us to be close to the divine. If you endure this pain and remain steadfast, you’ll gain enlightenment on a higher level.’ 

‘A test? Then how do I calm these feelings? At first, I thought it was just pity for the boy. But now I know it’s not. Just as demons are drawn to the pure souls of humans, I’ve been captivated by the essence of this boy’s soul, built up over countless past lives. Is there a way to overcome this?’ 

‘There isn’t. All you can do is face it. If you acknowledge your feelings, experience everything, and still manage to leave, then you’ve passed.’ 

The advice from her senior, who had gone through this before her, was cryptic. 

So, Ariel disguised herself as a human and appeared before the boy. The two of them fell into a sweet, innocent first love. 

‘It feels like it was just yesterday, but so much time has passed already.’ 

As Ariel thought of him—Naren’s great-grandfather—she looked up at the mansion before her. 

The prestige of the Unifa Earldom had not diminished in the slightest. The building greeted visitors with the same grandeur it had when she had first visited it many years ago. The ivy creeping along the walls only added to its timeless elegance. 

“Madam, your friend is here!” 

The guard standing at the gate had known Ariel since the Countess’s third daughter was just a baby. No, in fact, he had known her for far longer than that. Everyone in this household was aware of who she truly was. Everyone except Naren. 

“Come in~” 

“Eek! Ariel! It’s been so long!” 

“Ugh! Hey, I can’t breathe! So, how was the honeymoon?” 

“Of course, it was amazing! Hehe, I’ll tell you all about it while we snack on some sweets. Oh, by the way, Ray—” 

“Haha, let’s take this inside first.” 

As long as she looked happy, that was all that mattered. What did it matter, really? 

Ariel didn’t believe that the people she cared about needed to know everything about her. After all, their lifetimes were different, and some things were too difficult to explain. 

The real reason the rest of the family didn’t talk about Ariel was obvious. Stubborn Naren would surely throw a tantrum the moment she found out the truth. 

‘What?! You were friendly with me because of my great-grandfather?! Sure, I’ve been told I look a lot like him, but…!’

It might be better not to know. 

At times, Ariel wondered if she kept coming here out of lingering attachment. But before that thought could take root, she reminded herself that she genuinely liked Naren de Unifa as a friend. She didn’t want to be misunderstood, not even for a moment. 

Unlike Ariel, who was full of complex emotions, Naren was straightforward. She expressed everything boldly and without hesitation—how could that not be admirable? Ariel never imagined she’d make such a close friend, but looking back, she felt lucky. 

Life was truly something you had to live long enough to understand. 

“Ah, honey! You’re here?” 

“Yes, I’m back. Oh, Ariel, you’re here too.” 

“Hey, hey—could you not act so sweet and affectionate in front of me with that bright face? It’s uncomfortable for the rest of us watching.” 

“What? What’s wrong with a little kiss between a married couple? Is it that big of a deal?” 

“Ugh. So, you’re saying you called your close friend over just to flaunt your husband? Fine! I get it~ I’ll leave now if that’s how it’s going to be~” 

“Aw, don’t be like that~” 

After a long time at the academy, Ray had finally completed his early graduation process and left the Mage Tower. He had even finished the tedious task of handing over his responsibilities and said he felt like he could finally breathe again. 

Although he’d ground his teeth in frustration over Crown Prince Keith Harpession, he still went ahead and prepared a diamond ring to propose to Naren. She had also timed her graduation to coincide with their wedding, and the two of them marched down the aisle to the fanfare of wedding bells before heading straight to their estate. Ariel had only recently heard about their life since then. 

As a maid brought out a tray of refreshments, their conversation continued. They chatted about the honeymoon, funny stories from the trip, and memories with Ray. Watching Naren’s radiant smile, Ariel sipped her tea leisurely. She knew that once Naren had children and moved into her own household, moments like this—where everyone gathered together—would become even more precious. 

“Now that I think about it, when I realized you were a celestial, it all made sense. I mean, even when I saw you as a child, you always looked the same!” 

“Hm? Didn’t my height and other things change?” 

“Well, sure. But can you use something like transformation magic?” 

“A little. But since I’m a celestial stuck on the earthly plane, I can’t use much of my strength for long. I only adjusted myself briefly whenever I visited you.” 

“That’s amazing.” 

Naren seemed curious about why Ariel had ended up on the mortal plane, but Ariel avoided the question with a smile. After finishing her snacks, she stood up, saying she’d take a walk to help with digestion. She planned to join the Unifa family for dinner later anyway. 

“It’s still here.” 

For now, she allowed herself a brief moment of reflection. Deep within the mansion, in a room no longer in use, stood a small picture frame.