“...Yes. We're always ready. Feel free to talk.”
Ophelia said with a big smile.
They searched the area and found a space of their own where no one would come looking: the couple's bedroom.
They intentionally left the main lights off and only turned on small lights, so that the dark space was softly enveloped in a warm glow.
"...I am."
Aila opened her mouth with a choked voice.
"I don't know if you two will believe what I'm about to tell you. It's unrealistic... and hard to believe."
“No matter what you say, we believe you.”
As Roderick spoke in a calm voice, Ophelia nodded.
Aila thought her parents would say something like that, but when she actually heard it, her eyes turned red.
She wondered what sin she had committed against these good people.
“I don’t know how to put it... It’s difficult. I... Actually, I’m living a second life.”
She began to speak with her head bowed, not confident enough to look up and see her parents.
“...”
Ophelia and Roderick looked at each other at their daughter's words that had been spoken with difficulty.
In fact, it was already somewhat expected.
“I was foolish back then. I firmly believed Byron was my biological father, and was brainwashed by his words... I believed my father was the worst evil man in the world.”
As memories of her past foolishness came to mind, tears began to fall helplessly from her eyes. Aila wiped them away with her sleeve and continued her story calmly.
“The night before my eighteenth birthday, I... murdered my father at Byron’s direction.”
As the memory of that horrific moment flashed back, Aila felt a pang of breath. Just like the moment she had drunk the poison offered by Byron without question, and then died, coughing up blood.
“And... I was also murdered by him. After hearing the unbelievable story that I was actually Aila Hailing Weishaffen.”
Aila wanted to burst into tears, but she couldn't. The story wasn't over yet.
"Then, something unbelievable happened. I was twelve again. With all those horrible memories intact..."
She swallowed hard. Ophelia and Roderick remained silent.
“...From then on, I lived with the single-minded determination to inflict the same pain on Byron. And... when everything was over, I would confess all my sins to you both and apologize... That was my pledge.”
Aila raised her head from her deep bow. Her face was already a mess, streaked with tears.
"I'm a sinner. I've committed an unforgivable sin. Even if I could go back in time and forget it ever happened, even if it only existed in my memories... I wanted to apologize."
As she finished speaking, kneeling, Ophelia silently pulled her daughter into her arms.
"Our daughter has suffered greatly. How much pain have you endured? How difficult it must have been..."
Her mother's voice sounded wet, as if she too was crying.
"Aila. I'm alive. And so are you... So you don't need to feel sorry for us. The one who used you was the bad guy. To this father... It would be even more unfilial for you to live with guilt because of him. Do you understand?"
Roderick spoke in a very distressed voice. He wanted to say something kind, but he was so frustrated with his own lack of eloquence.
Still, what he wanted to say was completely conveyed to Aila.
Don't be sorry. I just want you to be happy.
“Yes, Father...”
Aila answered in a voice filled with moisture.
From now on, she had to live happily, if only to atone for the sins she had committed against her parents. That was the only way she could atone.
Ophelia and Aila held each other tightly and cried for a long time. Roderick, watching them, also felt tears welling up in his eyes, and he had to keep wiping them with a handkerchief.
And then, after a while.
"Since our daughter went through all the trouble to confess, I, as a mother, have something to say. Aila, maybe... you've returned to the past. Maybe it's me."
Ophelia began speaking in a slightly hoarse voice.
“...What do you mean by that?”
"Actually, ever since I lost you, I've been researching time-rewind magic. To return to the day I lost you. So maybe that's why I chose to turn back time to save you and Roderick."
It's just a guess, but the time when Aila returned and the time when she suddenly collapsed and lost her magic were roughly the same.
If that's the case, then maybe she really did turn back time by sacrificing her magic.
"Actually, even now... it was almost complete. But even if I poured all my magic into it, I couldn't turn back the passage of over ten years. That's why I cast the spell around you. With the hope that if you returned with your memories, the future might change."
Ophelia scratched her cheek awkwardly.
Ophelia couldn't remember what she was thinking at that time. It was a memory that had already been erased from her memory.
“...I’m sorry, my daughter. I think I gave you too much homework.”
However, there was one thing she could know.
She had absolute faith in Aila. That was one thing she was certain of.
Hearing this for the first time, Aila blinked slowly. It seemed as if her mind had stopped working, taking a moment to process her mother's words.
But soon, little by little, the words began to make sense.
"If Mother really did turn back time... then I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, I was able to see you both again."
"So that's how it is again? So, tonight, I was the one who played the biggest role in catching him?"
Ophelia said playfully, winking. Aila, her face swollen from crying, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
“And, can I ask you something? ...Before you came back, Noah wasn’t here, right?”
Ophelia, who had been laughing playfully, asked again with a serious expression. It seemed as if her curiosity still lingered.
“Yes, that’s right. How did you know that?”
Aila asked, her eyes wide. She'd never said anything, and she was just curious how her mother knew.
Ophelia smiled broadly and told her about her constitution. Aila's already wide eyes grew even wider as she listened to her mother's story, almost bulging out.
“I really had no idea that my mother was such a powerful sorceress.”
"...It's a little embarrassing to go around bragging about it myself, isn't it? The title of the person with the strongest magical power in the world. Well, I'm just an ordinary person now. But thanks to that, I have Noah, so I have no regrets."
Ophelia shrugged and said.
She used to regret losing her magic, but now she doesn't feel that way at all.
She spent it all, without reserve, to save her beloved daughter and husband. What better use could there be?
“Surely, then... the box Winfred gave me was one of my mother’s works?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I was so surprised to hear that it went to you.”
Ophelia smiled affectionately, saying that there seems to be such a thing as inevitability in the world.
It was truly a night of surprises.
“Then, do you want to sleep with Mom today? Your room is a bit... uncomfortable. Let’s sleep in this room with Mom.”
At Ophelia's suggestion, Aila grimaced, remembering the traces Byron had left behind. She felt a little like that in that room.
It's not like there weren't other rooms, and she didn't necessarily need to sleep in her parents' bedroom...
“Is that okay? What about my father?”
“...I don’t mind sleeping in the guest room.”
Roderick replied with a chuckle. He wasn't the kind of person who would be so oblivious as to get in the way of a mother and daughter enjoying a cozy time together.
“Then let’s go quickly. Aila and I will sleep together.”
Ophelia said coldly, chasing her husband away.
After Roderick was kicked out of the room, Aila, who had changed into pajamas similar to her mother's, lay down on the bed feeling good.
She was so overwhelmed that she didn't think she would be able to sleep, but as soon as she lay down on her mother's arm, she became sleepy and her eyes began to close.
She fell into a deep sleep without even dreaming.
A few days passed quickly.
Aila's birthday party was, of course, canceled, and just like last year's birthday, it was just a cozy family gathering.
And as she predicted, the empire was in turmoil. People were busy arresting and investigating Byron's hidden collaborators from all walks of life.
And amidst that storm, Aila was experiencing the most peaceful days of her life. She no longer had anything to hide from her parents, and she no longer had to worry about anyone else's opinion.
After morning training alone, as her teacher and father, Roderick, was busy dealing with the aftermath of the treason, she would leisurely read books she wanted to read in the small library provided in the mansion or visit her younger brother's room to play with him.
And now she was out in the garden, enjoying a snack alone under the warm autumn sunshine.
The flowerbed was filled with colorful autumn flowers, and a pleasant breeze tickled the back of her neck. She couldn't have been freer and peaceful.
It was the first time in her life that the back of her neck felt this light.
That was when.
“Miss, I’m here!”
Lisa, who had briefly left Aila's side, came running back, waving happily. She was holding an envelope.
She had gone to receive the reply from her parents in Herzig Estate.
Ophelia said with a big smile.
They searched the area and found a space of their own where no one would come looking: the couple's bedroom.
They intentionally left the main lights off and only turned on small lights, so that the dark space was softly enveloped in a warm glow.
"...I am."
Aila opened her mouth with a choked voice.
"I don't know if you two will believe what I'm about to tell you. It's unrealistic... and hard to believe."
“No matter what you say, we believe you.”
As Roderick spoke in a calm voice, Ophelia nodded.
Aila thought her parents would say something like that, but when she actually heard it, her eyes turned red.
She wondered what sin she had committed against these good people.
“I don’t know how to put it... It’s difficult. I... Actually, I’m living a second life.”
She began to speak with her head bowed, not confident enough to look up and see her parents.
“...”
Ophelia and Roderick looked at each other at their daughter's words that had been spoken with difficulty.
In fact, it was already somewhat expected.
“I was foolish back then. I firmly believed Byron was my biological father, and was brainwashed by his words... I believed my father was the worst evil man in the world.”
As memories of her past foolishness came to mind, tears began to fall helplessly from her eyes. Aila wiped them away with her sleeve and continued her story calmly.
“The night before my eighteenth birthday, I... murdered my father at Byron’s direction.”
As the memory of that horrific moment flashed back, Aila felt a pang of breath. Just like the moment she had drunk the poison offered by Byron without question, and then died, coughing up blood.
“And... I was also murdered by him. After hearing the unbelievable story that I was actually Aila Hailing Weishaffen.”
Aila wanted to burst into tears, but she couldn't. The story wasn't over yet.
"Then, something unbelievable happened. I was twelve again. With all those horrible memories intact..."
She swallowed hard. Ophelia and Roderick remained silent.
“...From then on, I lived with the single-minded determination to inflict the same pain on Byron. And... when everything was over, I would confess all my sins to you both and apologize... That was my pledge.”
Aila raised her head from her deep bow. Her face was already a mess, streaked with tears.
"I'm a sinner. I've committed an unforgivable sin. Even if I could go back in time and forget it ever happened, even if it only existed in my memories... I wanted to apologize."
As she finished speaking, kneeling, Ophelia silently pulled her daughter into her arms.
"Our daughter has suffered greatly. How much pain have you endured? How difficult it must have been..."
Her mother's voice sounded wet, as if she too was crying.
"Aila. I'm alive. And so are you... So you don't need to feel sorry for us. The one who used you was the bad guy. To this father... It would be even more unfilial for you to live with guilt because of him. Do you understand?"
Roderick spoke in a very distressed voice. He wanted to say something kind, but he was so frustrated with his own lack of eloquence.
Still, what he wanted to say was completely conveyed to Aila.
Don't be sorry. I just want you to be happy.
“Yes, Father...”
Aila answered in a voice filled with moisture.
From now on, she had to live happily, if only to atone for the sins she had committed against her parents. That was the only way she could atone.
Ophelia and Aila held each other tightly and cried for a long time. Roderick, watching them, also felt tears welling up in his eyes, and he had to keep wiping them with a handkerchief.
And then, after a while.
"Since our daughter went through all the trouble to confess, I, as a mother, have something to say. Aila, maybe... you've returned to the past. Maybe it's me."
Ophelia began speaking in a slightly hoarse voice.
“...What do you mean by that?”
"Actually, ever since I lost you, I've been researching time-rewind magic. To return to the day I lost you. So maybe that's why I chose to turn back time to save you and Roderick."
It's just a guess, but the time when Aila returned and the time when she suddenly collapsed and lost her magic were roughly the same.
If that's the case, then maybe she really did turn back time by sacrificing her magic.
"Actually, even now... it was almost complete. But even if I poured all my magic into it, I couldn't turn back the passage of over ten years. That's why I cast the spell around you. With the hope that if you returned with your memories, the future might change."
Ophelia scratched her cheek awkwardly.
Ophelia couldn't remember what she was thinking at that time. It was a memory that had already been erased from her memory.
“...I’m sorry, my daughter. I think I gave you too much homework.”
However, there was one thing she could know.
She had absolute faith in Aila. That was one thing she was certain of.
Hearing this for the first time, Aila blinked slowly. It seemed as if her mind had stopped working, taking a moment to process her mother's words.
But soon, little by little, the words began to make sense.
"If Mother really did turn back time... then I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, I was able to see you both again."
"So that's how it is again? So, tonight, I was the one who played the biggest role in catching him?"
Ophelia said playfully, winking. Aila, her face swollen from crying, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
“And, can I ask you something? ...Before you came back, Noah wasn’t here, right?”
Ophelia, who had been laughing playfully, asked again with a serious expression. It seemed as if her curiosity still lingered.
“Yes, that’s right. How did you know that?”
Aila asked, her eyes wide. She'd never said anything, and she was just curious how her mother knew.
Ophelia smiled broadly and told her about her constitution. Aila's already wide eyes grew even wider as she listened to her mother's story, almost bulging out.
“I really had no idea that my mother was such a powerful sorceress.”
"...It's a little embarrassing to go around bragging about it myself, isn't it? The title of the person with the strongest magical power in the world. Well, I'm just an ordinary person now. But thanks to that, I have Noah, so I have no regrets."
Ophelia shrugged and said.
She used to regret losing her magic, but now she doesn't feel that way at all.
She spent it all, without reserve, to save her beloved daughter and husband. What better use could there be?
“Surely, then... the box Winfred gave me was one of my mother’s works?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I was so surprised to hear that it went to you.”
Ophelia smiled affectionately, saying that there seems to be such a thing as inevitability in the world.
It was truly a night of surprises.
“Then, do you want to sleep with Mom today? Your room is a bit... uncomfortable. Let’s sleep in this room with Mom.”
At Ophelia's suggestion, Aila grimaced, remembering the traces Byron had left behind. She felt a little like that in that room.
It's not like there weren't other rooms, and she didn't necessarily need to sleep in her parents' bedroom...
“Is that okay? What about my father?”
“...I don’t mind sleeping in the guest room.”
Roderick replied with a chuckle. He wasn't the kind of person who would be so oblivious as to get in the way of a mother and daughter enjoying a cozy time together.
“Then let’s go quickly. Aila and I will sleep together.”
Ophelia said coldly, chasing her husband away.
After Roderick was kicked out of the room, Aila, who had changed into pajamas similar to her mother's, lay down on the bed feeling good.
She was so overwhelmed that she didn't think she would be able to sleep, but as soon as she lay down on her mother's arm, she became sleepy and her eyes began to close.
She fell into a deep sleep without even dreaming.
***
A few days passed quickly.
Aila's birthday party was, of course, canceled, and just like last year's birthday, it was just a cozy family gathering.
And as she predicted, the empire was in turmoil. People were busy arresting and investigating Byron's hidden collaborators from all walks of life.
And amidst that storm, Aila was experiencing the most peaceful days of her life. She no longer had anything to hide from her parents, and she no longer had to worry about anyone else's opinion.
After morning training alone, as her teacher and father, Roderick, was busy dealing with the aftermath of the treason, she would leisurely read books she wanted to read in the small library provided in the mansion or visit her younger brother's room to play with him.
And now she was out in the garden, enjoying a snack alone under the warm autumn sunshine.
The flowerbed was filled with colorful autumn flowers, and a pleasant breeze tickled the back of her neck. She couldn't have been freer and peaceful.
It was the first time in her life that the back of her neck felt this light.
That was when.
“Miss, I’m here!”
Lisa, who had briefly left Aila's side, came running back, waving happily. She was holding an envelope.
She had gone to receive the reply from her parents in Herzig Estate.
Comments
Post a Comment