CH 13.2

Although the topic of their conversation had changed to himself, Kimaris still kept a cold face as he stared at Julia. She thought for a moment that if there was any physical power in his gaze, it might have already pierced her face at that instant.

“Mister Kimaris, if you stand for that long, your legs will eventually hurt…”

However, she couldn’t finish her words at all. It was because he had begun approaching silently and proceeded to kneel down on one of his knees at her feet. Astonished, Julia immediately rose from the bed and pulled him upwards, but Kimaris did not even budge as he continued to bow his head.

“Mister Kimaris—why?”

“A servant’s head is never allowed to be higher than its own master.”

“Please don’t do this.”

In Julia’s eyes, there was a painful light along with a hint of embarrassment. She didn’t actually save them for all of this.

In fact, if she really didn’t like the fact of being dragged into the Demon Realm, she could still have rejected it with death—since she had already done it once before……

Nevertheless, she eventually came here in the end because she had the hope that she would finally be freed from all those who terribly hated her so much. She wanted to take root in a completely new land that was entirely different from before.

As she pretended to be kind to the demons, she merely wanted to receive even a tiny piece of affection.

She didn’t want it to end up like this at all. It then felt like she was going to wind up hating herself too much as well. Wouldn’t it feel like she was the one who caused damage to others just by herself being there?

Maybe this had also been a selfish thought, but……

“I was actually going to ask Agares to return your heart back to you. I’m not really sure if she’ll like it, but please wait for a while.”

“……”

“I give you my promise. So, please don’t do this right now.”

Julia stood facing Kimaris in front of her and soon grabbed his hand. Due to his height, Julia was already standing at the same eye level as Kimaris even as he was still prostrating himself.

Kimaris looked downwards piercingly at his caught hand for some reason. As she thought that perhaps her sincerity had passed through somehow, Julia exerted a little more strength to the hand that was holding on to him.

She never knew the whole details, but she heard that he had lost his heart to Revenna right after the Demon King’s Castle was erected. He had been a slave for so long that he might have already resigned himself.

However, she still wanted to tell him not to do that at all.

“Don’t give up. One day, Mister Kimaris may be able to live as freely as you ever wanted.”

They might have laughed at a human being who was bound by the Demon King for saying something like this, but Julia’s words were incredibly sincere. Ironically, she was much more free now than the way she had been back at Vestra’s Castle. Things that she could never have imagined if it had been in the past were still happening each and every day.

Perhaps such earnestness had paid off, Kimaris’s head proceeded to be raised slowly. Julia, who encountered his gaze, leaned her forehead against his hand and whispered as if she was confessing.

“I, as well, have always hoped to be free someday.”

“……”

“In truth, I have lied to Mister Kimaris. When you asked me if I had any questions at all, there was actually something else that I really wanted to say. It would be good if even in the very distant future, I can finally live after finishing my role as the key.”

Tears began to well up in Julia’s eyes. Her sincerity, which had never been able to get voiced out all the time, was sadly blended into her weeping voice as well.

“And at that particular time, I actually wanted to ask if I could live freely.”

A small sob instantly escaped from her lips, which she had already bitten to hold herself back. After such a long time, she finally met someone who looked into her eyes and listened to her. She was absolutely glad about that……

The lump that had been curled up tightly in her chest was finally unfettered like ink being dipped into the water. Then, tears began to leak down from her big eyes.

“Yes.”

Julia suddenly noticed that the tears she had shed were trickling down on the back of Kimaris’s hands. What if he thought that human tears were all dirty? To her surprise, she became on the verge of stepping back from him quickly.

Still, her wrists were unexpectedly clasped with a gentle force. Then, a low, resonant voice slowly tickled her ears.

“Your wish is all mine.”

“Ah…….”

“I, Kimaris, will absolutely make your wish come true, even if I have to sacrifice my own life for it.”

His eyes were shining brightly as if a thick fog had already been lifted.

“Please give me the back of your hand, if you’d allow me to.”

“Yes?”

As she was startled, she quickly blinked her eyes. Kimaris’s request was a rather common greeting amidst the social circles. A sign of respect for the other person was often expressed by kissing the back of one’s hand.

But so far, no one had ever greeted the back of Julia’s hand. Within the Imperial Court, she was not in a position to deserve anyone’s respect at all. She simply watched from afar as the nobles kissed the back of the Emperor’s hand or even Estelle’s very own.

Her heart started thumping little by little. She feared whether she should allow it or she would be disappointing Kimaris then. Nevertheless, even while she was apparently hesitating, Kimaris still gazed at her with his straight eyes.

Julia nodded her head softly while making sure that her voice wouldn’t tremble at all.

“……it’s fine.”

“My Master.”

It was at that moment when his lips gently brushed against the back of her hand.

A dark indigo magic that resembled his hair closely began to surround Julia entirely like a breeze. However, it neither hurt nor scared her at all. In fact, the gentle and warm feeling was just enveloping her as if she got pulled in within a pleasant zephyr.