Chapter 401: All Evil (1/2)

The sun rays found their way through the tiny gaps of the window, falling on his golden eyes and making them glow in the light. The sound of the pages turning was the only thing filling the room, and she enjoyed the comfortable silence. Then came a knock.

”Come in,” the Seika closed his book and turned toward the door, which opened to reveal a thin man that, as she remembers, was kidnapped by the witch. ”What is it, Ruri?”

”Lady Gala hasn't returned yet,” the young man adjusted his glasses nervously as he grabbed the end of his shirt. ”I fear that something happened to her.”

Arthur told her that no one asked him about Gala, which made things easier to deal with, despite saddening him. However, it seems the disciple that the witch terrorized was the sole exception.

”She is not coming back,” there was a slight edge to his voice, and Dia could see his knuckles whitening beneath the desk. ”She instructed that I give you this,” he took out a leather book he handed to the disciple.

”Are these her recipes?”

”No, but a few guidelines,” Arthur shook his head. ”She wanted you to work for Hidden City, but I understand if you wish to leave.”

”No,” Ruri hugged the leather book. ”I'm staying until she returns,” he gave a bow and left the room, not listening to a word that Arthur said.

”How ironic,” Dia said to the Seika, and he turned to her. ”The witch was waiting for someone, and now someone is waiting for her. But, at least, she was sensible enough to leave her knowledge behind.”

”I thought she did not,” Arthur stood up and walked to sit on the couch beside her. Dia noticed that his hair had grown again, and now it reached the back of his neck.

The Seika leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. Taking this chance, Dia ran her finger on his face, tucking his hair behind his ear. Arthur didn't seem to mind the gesture.

”However, when I returned, I found that all of her knowledge was neatly left in my room. I can't believe she carelessly left it here,” he grumbled, and it made Dia smile.

”What did she leave?”

”A book of her recipes for potions,” he started, ”some guiding for her disciple, and the method to...”

She saw him pause, which was quite unlike him. Gala mentioned before that the Seika had a friend he wanted to save badly, if she remembers correctly. At that time, she dismissed it as the witch trying to manipulate her.

”To save your friend?” there were no emotions in her voice, but something inside her changed when the Seika opened his eyes and nodded.

There was no such thing as jealousy for her, but if that friend was one that the Seika would abandon all to save, it was a different matter. She wanted to ask him directly about this friend, but she knew that the Seika was layered with mysteries, and the moment she tries to peel them off, he would fold to himself.

She never tried herself because what if the Seika tried to learn of her past as well? What if he asked questions, and those questions led him to find out the truth?

The memory was vague in her mind, but that man's face was quite vivid. His kind green eyes as he picked her up from the snowy forest. At that time, he kept telling her about his son, but who knew she would get to meet that son herself?

There were some resemblances between them. One of them was the way their brows furrowed, a sad frown that told their way rather than their anger. Their eyes had the same kindness, but it seems the Seika worked hard to hide it.

”I can tell that you want to know about her,” the Seika turned to meet her eyes, and she was unable to focus on them, so she chose to look at his face. ”However, there is not a lot to tell. We fought a lot, and she saved me when my friend tried to kill me, and that is all. I need to repay the debt.”

There was a slight discomfort in her chest when he tried to explain himself. But, rather than relief, she was unnerved by his need to explain things to her, as if they have grown close enough for him to worry about her opinion.

If they were indeed this close, why didn't she tell him about his father? Why did she ignore that she was sitting here with the son of a man who murdered her mother, feeling as if she wanted nothing else but these moments?

'Feelings are odd,' she realized and simply nodded, looking away. 'Not today, not here, and just for a bit longer.' The Seika kept looking at her for a while before he stood up and left the room. He was probably going to meet his people, and she missed him the moment he was gone.