‘The weather’s nice, would you like to go for a walk?’

Rael spoke to Rubellan with an unusually bright smile. Probably no matter what expression she had made while saying it, Rubellan would have agreed. He had made a resolution to grant any request of Rael’s.

And on that path they took, Rubellan came to regret his resolution.

“Let’s each go our separate ways now.”

Rubellan wanted to ask what that ‘way’ meant, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. He was afraid that if it became sound, it would truly become reality.

“Let’s live like all the trials we’ve been through never happened.”

Looking at Rael, who still wore a calm smile, Rubellan had the intuition that no matter what he said, she wouldn’t change her mind.

“I did something wrong.”

This was all that came from his mouth after barely managing to speak. The reality of not being able to ask why made him go even more insane.

In front of the lake under the blue moon, Rael was sparkling. So Rubellan wondered if this might be a terribly beautiful nightmare.

“No one did anything wrong. Not you, not me… no one.”

“Give me a chance. I’ll do well. I won’t create any more sad things.”

Rubellan grabbed Rael’s arm and spoke. His moistly wet eyes were swaying precariously like a candle flame in the wind.

“Don’t leave. I won’t ask for anything. Just let me stay by your side.”

He would rather she hate him, as long as she let him stay by her side. Hatred was heart-wrenching pain too, but it was better than being invisible.

“Rubellan.”

“Yes.”

Rubellan wanted to fall to his knees right then and grab the hem of Rael’s skirt.

“When I see you, I think I’ll keep remembering. The Magic Tower’s betrayal and Juletan. And even the child who left.”

“I’ll make it so you don’t think of me. Should I erase your memories? Would that be more comfortable?”

Even knowing that erasing memories wasn’t the answer, Rubellan spoke desperately. He wanted to grasp at any straw.

“…I need to remember.”

“Rael.”

“I need to remember until I die.”

Knowing who that memory referred to, Rubellan couldn’t continue speaking any further.

“You make me recall painful memories.”

“Think about it again. I was wrong.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s just that my heart hurts. That’s all. So you don’t need to apologize.”

If there were guilt, he would ask for forgiveness, but if he was an existence that made her relive eternally unhealable sadness, wasn’t there no way to stop it no matter what?

“…Can’t you take pity on me?”

Finally his knees touched the ground.

“Rubellan.”

“Curse me. Blame me and curse me.”

“I won’t do that.”

“Even if you have to do that, don’t leave.”

Rubellan’s hand tightly gripped the edge of her skirt. Now this was all the place he could reach. There was no way to reach a heart that had already turned away.

“This is my limit.”

Rael was in a state like a cracked glass bottle that would shatter if she received just a little more shock. And everything in the Demon King’s Castle was stimulating her.

“Can’t I just rest comfortably now?”

Hearing that pleading words, the strength slowly drained from Rubellan’s hand that had been gripping her skirt hem. Despair swallowed him.

In the end, no matter what he did, he couldn’t become Rael’s strength. That was the karma he had built himself.

Perhaps during the precarious peace of the past few days, he had vaguely anticipated this ending.

He couldn’t help but know that the reason Rael was pretending to be too okay was ultimately because he couldn’t be her support. He was just pretending not to know.

Finally Rubellan’s head bowed. Something hot welled up in his eyes and soon dripped down. The emotional words he couldn’t express were flowing.

He would grant any request of Rael’s.

How could he not know that the moment to keep that resolution was right now?

* * *

“Hello.”

Rael met people she missed. They were residents of her hometown village. The fruit shop owner noticed the luggage in Rael’s hands and asked.

“Have you come back for good?”

“Yes. Home really is the best.”

When Rael smiled broadly, the shop owner smiled along with her.

“After living in the capital, you’ve come back half your size!”

“Is that so? I’ll have to eat a lot and gain weight from now on.”

“That’s right, it’s on the house! If there’s any fruit you want to eat, just say anything. I’ll take care of you!”

The fruit shop owner felt sorry for the young person who had liquidated their capital life and returned home. Most people who went to the capital and came back had usually been hurt by people, overwhelmed by work, or experienced some kind of failure. He guessed she was probably one of those cases.

“How about an apple?”

He held out a red apple.

“I’m starting to think eating apples first when returning here is some kind of rule.”

Rael burst into a small laugh, remembering the day she had left the academy in the past. She seemed to have eaten a tear-soaked apple then too.

“I don’t think I’ll want to think about apples for a while.”

“Did you eat them to death in the capital?”

“Something like that.”

Rael picked up a plump orange.

“I think this will be enough for me.”

“Will just one be enough? Let me pack more for you!”

The fruit shop owner took out a bag and packed it full of oranges until it was bursting. The village was originally generous, but today that kindness was even greater.

“Thank you.”

After giving her thanks, Rael hugged the bag of oranges to her chest and headed home. It was a path that was both awkward and familiar – she didn’t know how many times she had returned to this place.

Click.

“Cough.”

When she inserted the key and opened the door, dust flying everywhere greeted her, showing signs of poor maintenance.

“When did so much dust accumulate?”

Rael glared at the innocent door. The door wasn’t at fault though.

Soon she let out a long breath and surveyed the inside of the house. Though some dust had accumulated, it was in the same state she had left it in after cleaning it thoroughly.

“I’ll have to start with cleaning.”

It seemed she wasn’t in a position to leisurely peel and eat oranges, she thought, and Rael placed the luggage she had brought in one corner of the living room and rolled up her sleeves.

Recalling where the cleaning supplies were, she brought out a broom and rag and held them in her hands. Still, what was fortunate was that if there were this many places that needed attention and so much to do, there wouldn’t be time for idle thoughts, and that wouldn’t be bad either.

“For now, I’ll focus only on restoring the house!”

It felt like she was regaining her energy. After cleaning the house, she would scout for a place to open a potion shop, and after decorating that place, she would prepare for business again.

If she kept moving her body without rest, someday there would come a day when she would only think about wanting to rest.

Rael shook out the dusty apron and tied it around her waist. After checking that the water ran well, she soaked the rag in water.

“Wow. At this level, the window frames probably won’t even open.”

Getting absorbed in cleaning happened in an instant. There were so many places that needed attention.

Knock knock.

How long had she been concentrating like that? Rael was startled by the sudden sound of knocking at the door. It was because the house had been too quiet while she was cleaning.

‘Who could it be? Is there someone who would visit this house?’

While she was wondering, the knocking sound on the wooden door came again.

“Lady Rael.”

When she heard a familiar voice, Rael quickly went to the entrance and opened the door. Outside stood a friendly face.

“Esh?”

“You came straight home, I see. It feels somewhat strange seeing you somewhere other than the Demon King’s Castle.”

The reason Esh had come to find Rael, who had specifically declined an escort, was to run an errand.

“Is something wrong?”

It had only been a day ago that she had thought she might never see them again when she left, but already facing each other like this, Rael was just bewildered.

“Well, His Majesty told me to deliver this to you…”

Esh held out the box she had been carrying. At the same time, she carefully surveyed the place where Rael would be living. Checking if there were any problems was also one of the errands she had been given.

“Were you cleaning? Shall I help you a bit?”

“Ah! No, no. It’s fine, Esh.”

Rael waved her hands and refused, and Esh became a little dejected at Rael’s refusal.

“It would be more convenient later if I did it.”

At Esh’s drooping appearance, Rael smiled and spoke. Then she accepted the box in her hands.

“This is…”

The box was too familiar. It hadn’t been long since she had taken out the child’s clothes from this box, so she couldn’t forget it.

“The clothes were already buried, but why the box…”

“It seems like other things were packed inside. How about opening it?”

At Esh’s suggestion, Rael hesitated for a moment. If she opened this, what would be inside?

“…Mm.”

Whatever it was, she felt this wasn’t a good timing.

“Later. I’ll just open it later. More than that, Esh, since you came all this way, I should at least serve you tea.”

Since a guest was a guest, Rael hurriedly turned around and scanned with her eyes to see if there was anything to serve.

“Ah! Oranges!”

Since she happened to have oranges, she thought she could at least offer these. Still, it bothered her to just send away Esh, who had come a long way for her sake.

“Lady Rael, I’m fine. If there’s nothing to help with, I’ll be going now.”

Esh tactfully answered, realizing that staying longer would actually be a hindrance, judging by the state of the house with furniture scattered everywhere.

“Ah…”

Something felt awkward. All these moments of welcoming and sending off Esh, who had lived together in the same house until yesterday.

“Alright then.”

But Rael soon smiled and sent her off. She had to get used to this kind of farewell. Now she was truly alone.

“…Um, Lady Rael.”

Esh, who had been unable to take her steps as though reluctant, called Rael.

“What is it?”

“Sometimes… sometimes could I visit and meet you?”

It was a difficult question to answer. Of course they had been on good terms, so it would be nice to see each other often, but when she saw Esh, other things would come to mind along with her.

The Demon King’s Castle, Rubellan, the baby, the painful things that happened there.

Cutting off connections meant having to cut off not just one person, but everyone around them.

“I’m sorry. That was a difficult question, wasn’t it? I won’t do that.”

Once again, quick-witted Esh’s words came faster than Rael’s answer.

“I’ll really be going now. Stay healthy.”

She turned her back with an awkward smile. Watching that retreating figure, Rael quickly opened her mouth before she got too far away.

“Esh!”

Esh turned around.

“Sometimes, if it’s just very occasionally… it’s okay. Come visit me.”

At those words, a bright smile appeared on Esh’s face.