Chapter 23 (1/2)

“I’m so tired…” said Lutz

“…………”

The clip-clopping sound of the horse’s hooves was very peaceful Seated on his own horse next to ht ahead with vacant eyes, like those of a dead fish Looking up at the blue sky, I didn’t respond Neither of us really had the will for small talk

When ere kidnapped, I was first discarded on the floor of the wagon, and then I went a bit overboard with theyet I was tense the entire time, so I’m worn out

Moving even a single finger required work, and the an to shut

At this point, I wanted to sleep quicker, even if it was only by a little

For now, our neighbors fro of Sckellz’s private force in custody Any further trouble popping up froed to our comrades; our roles ended here

If Lutz and I had been been forcibly sdom of Vind, I’ured soet us out

After a , ere sent on our way

The knights ere handed over to pointed out the frontier fortress the His Royal Highness seeed at, but we politely declined the offer to stay

We could do all the resting anted after going back

At our response, the dedicated knights hesitated, but no one offered a protest after Lutz sly said, “It’s the first time we’ve ever been without the chokers, so if ere to lose consciousness and so will happen”

Even though he must have been even more exhausted than I was, Lutz seemed to share my sentiments

Even if we’re not much of a threat, it’ll be a pain if we make it difficult for others to stay in the castle, so we should hold back, I said, feeling full of apprehension, and he readily agreed with an obedience that was unusual for him

“I wanna…” he said

He’d barely stirred hiun to worry he’d fallen asleep on his horse

What? I thought, turning to look at him He continued to stare absently in front of him

“…go back”

“…………”

The whispered confession was a common phrase

But it was the first time such words had ever passed his lips

When Lutz and I e it was summer and ere both seven years old

My first ihost

With his nearly white silver hair and pale skin, he was so faint he seearden’s elderflowers His delicate hands and feet had seee as me

The only thing unique about his io color of his eyes, had been bereft of life, and he’d barely seemed alive

How did you have to raise so?

I understood the answer as soon as it occurred of me to ask the question

Lutz had always lived a life of concealment With the exception of his parents, no one had known of his existence Not the grandparents who lived far away, nor the people in his neighborhood

Hoondered As a newborn baby, there was no way they could have known he had the s of a wizard But even then, therefor Lutz His outer appearance was norun to manifest

When a wizard used ed froed from blue into silver

One barely had any power as a baby, so though one ic, it was supposed to be so faint one could barely perceive it with your senses Regardless, I suppose there could have been e color

Had his parents become aware of it, and decided to lock him away? Since they were dead now, I can only surmise how he’s lived until now

When he was sent to the orphanage, Lutz never opened to anyone around him and ended up a loner

Well, even if you talked to hiot what he deserved I becao up to him

My story was somewhat similar to his The moment I was born, I was ie By the tier than the other children, and had beco brother for the kiddos I was fond of them, but I could never wholeheartedly think of theuely suspected I was different

The more I yearned for the future which had rejected htened, and from time to time, choked me

Lutz continued to act indifferently to me, but only by his side did this pressure ease and I could breathe easier The time I spent in his company increased

Behind the orphanage, there was a siant tree had sprouted out there, and the base of it had become his favorite spot As soon as he finished his daily tasks, that here he went, and I followed hiiant tree That became our daily routine

Lutz would read, and I would sleep We barely conversed Before the sun set, I’d say, “Let’s go back,”and he never once replied

I can say with confidence that the orphanage was probably not our home Not for Lutz…and not for me, either

10 years old Winter

I revealed the fact that I had ic to the Father

Several years before, I slightly sensed an uncontrollable power inside ic easily influenced the roll of ee”

One day, I was pulled aside by the Father Uncoether, the Father obliquely suggested I keep my distance from Lutz He was the “probleood child” everyone got along with

I became irritated with the flowery speech he used to try and persuade me with

You know nothing! I snarled,in flames

When I sa taken aback the Father was, a feeling of despair and resignation put me in check

So I really aht

It was only thanks to Lutz that I didn’t lose control then and there

Noticing soather, with Lutz at the forefront He held his hands out tobody, and froze me in a clash of our powers

“I’m the saet the look on the Father’s face Fear and hopelessness Conte down in the salazed eyes

And yet, the Father insisted ere “good children”

You’re good children, only strong in character My important family, he said

He normally smiled when he caic, he would berate us, saying it was evil Magic was the power of the Devil The way he looked at those tiht he terribly resembled the Devil he spoke of

It caer even became upset

The Father willfully turned a blind eye to us

He becanored it

For our sake, he wasn’t ic He was “the one who could not bring himself to accept the children”, that was all

Time flowed, and we turned thirteen

Our existence had finally been exposed to the kingdom, and our warped play of fahts who cah his lips moved in protest, relief shone on his face Our relationshi+p, which continued to ignore the strains, had deteriorated to the point where reconciliation was no longer possible Without need for the coercion, the end probably occurred right before our eyes

We were taken to the royal palace, and that here we er than us

Her gently wavy platinu lashes fra blue eyes the color of a clear sky Even for soe of those vaguely depicted storybook characters called “princess” with both her fluffy loveliness and her dignified beauty

However, contrary to her ie of innocence, the princess who seemed to have been shaped with only beauty was sharp as a whip While I’e

At first, we believed she had been ordered by her older brother to acquaint herself and win us over, but we soon discovered how very honest she was—almost to a fault

When we asked if she found us frightening, when she was told off for pitying us, she stood in front of us and answered that ere frightening, and that she did pity us

With the words returned so frankly, their poison lost its effect