Chapter 181: Winter’s Moon (2) (2/2)

Something was going on outside, but the inside scenery was satisfactory. It wasn’t much different from the 77th floor of the tower. I deliberately designed it to be something I was familiar with.

“Whoa. It’s the same as the 77th floor. I miss you there. I think it’s already been a month or two. Maybe even three months?”

“Your seat is here.”

I tapped the desk.

“Yeah, where…”

At that moment, Epherene’s expression hardened.

“…”

On the other side of the office, there was a seat that was nothing more than a secretary’s office. Where Allen originally sat.

Epherene made a nasal noise and turned around.

Sniff- Sniff-

Sniff- Sniff-

After a few more annoying sniffles, she sat still with her back turned.

“…Sorry. I’m sorry.”

Her eyes were red, but she didn’t say anything. Paying her no further mind, I started writing a letter to Sophien and the ministers.

…Scratch, scratch.

…Scratch, scratch.

Epherene slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again.

Haaaam-

She yawned, stretching out her stiff shoulders.

“Oh, I almost fell asleep.”

The white noise of the Professor writing almost lulled her away.

“Ugh…”

She stretched her hands behind her neck and yawned a few more times, then mumbled.

“Oh. I didn’t sleep; no wonder I’m tired… huh?”

Epherene looked around, but she wasn’t in the office.

“Here…”

This was Luna’s old mansion. Yes, the time when the family still had a mansion left to their name. Before being stolen by Glitheon…

“…This is my room.”

Epherene looked around the room with a blank expression. Bed. Carpet. There were also luxuries such as a wardrobe…

“You’re here again.”

“!”

Epherene raised her head abruptly. At the entrance to the room, there was Deculein, no, the wood steel.

“Phew… you scared me.”

She put her hands to her chest in surprise, glancing around.

“Is this my dream again?”

“Yes. Decalane, who borrowed the power of Voice, will come to visit soon.”

“…”

Epherene sat down on the bed with a slightly confused expression, grabbing the duvet. She missed the touch and smell of this space even though she knew it was a dream.

“…You know.”

Epherene looked at the wood steel again. It was reading a book, just like Deculein.

“But how do you think and move so perfectly?”

“Because I have a clear mutual understanding with my master, your quality and abundant magical powers are provided to me, and above all, because this place is in your dreams.”

“Mutual understanding?”

“Yes.”

Epherene suddenly became curious.

“Then, do you know what the Professor feels?”

“Yes. Until I was given to you, the moments, I was with him.”

“Oh…”

Then he turned to Epherene.

“Are you curious? About what the master thinks of you.”

“…”

Suddenly, her body trembled.

“What, what, what?”

She pretended not to, but it was true that she was curious. How Deculein felt about her… no, it was a bit strange to talk like this. Rather than the feeling… his thoughts?

“Wait. Can you tell me that?”

“I can.”

“How? Won’t the Professor be upset about it?”

“It doesn’t matter. Because now I live with your mana. In other words, you are my new master.”

“Whoa~.”

Epherene smirked and raised her eyebrows.

“Then obey!”

He did not react. He only kept reading his book.

“…Why aren’t you obeying?”

“Let me correct what I said. Rather than my master, you’re a child I should take care of. So I refuse.”

“…Gosh.”

Epherene was a bit annoyed, but there was nothing she could do. He was right.

“But I’m curious what the Professor and my dad thought of each other. And what happened.”

She talked about the sensitive issues, pretending like they were nothing but her idle curiosity. The wood steel stopped suddenly. In return, Epherene’s heart rate soared.

“…”

“…Why don’t you talk? Do you even know about that? Oh~, you don’t know.”

“I know.”

“…Really? What was it? What could it be? Hmm, ~? I’m not curious, but well~, try telling me~.”

“…”

What did he know? Would he even speak? With a squint, she glanced at him, fiddling absent-mindedly with the dolls of a rabbit and a dog on the bed.

“…”

However, no matter how long she waited.

“…”

He didn’t say anything.

“…”

Epherene moved her lips and looked at him. He was staring off somewhere else.

“…What are you doing?”

In an instant, an unfamiliar voice resounded through the room.

—Deculein hated your father.

An eerie sound. Epherene shot up as a part of the room wall was dyed in darkness, and an aura of metal rose around the wood steel.

“…Who are you?”

—Kid. Can’t you tell even after hearing my voice?

The one who spoke in a phlegmy voice and appeared from the darkness.

—It’s me.

A monster that resembled Deculein. Rather, Deculein inherited his appearance from him, this older and more terrifying monster.

“…Decalane.”

Epherene said the name as if spitting. She warmed up the mana through her body, burning with the will to face him.

-Right. It’s me, kid.

Decalane smiled; his face was bizarre and corpse-like. Epherene felt momentarily nauseous.

—Kid, Deculein hated your father. He despised him. Hated him because his fiancée died.

“Shut up!”

-And. I guess you didn’t know, but…

Then the wood steel reached out and stopped him. He threw metal at Decalane, but he wasn’t real. The metal passed right through. The wood steel turned to Epherene.

“Epherene, cover your ears.”

Despite his warning, Decalane’s voice seeped into her ears.

—Your father… hated you as much as he hated Deculein. He hated you, with his same blood, so terribly.

Epherene’s head emptied for a moment. That was how much she couldn’t understand the bullshit that her brain was rejecting.

—He said you shouldn’t have been born…

Epherene shouted back at Decalane.

“E-Enough with the bullshit, you fucking asshole!”