Chapter 78

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕬𝖑𝖑 𝕿𝖔𝖔 𝖂𝖊𝖑𝖑 (10 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖚𝖙𝖊 𝖁𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓) 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

***

When my voice became whispers of the ashes from my burnt cries, only did Oratio suddenly appear as water from the tears fell to the ground.

"So you managed to call me unlike calling me would transport you to my place, little pupil—-" But he might have seen my appearance by now and that's when he knew, that he could no longer convince me to keep it a secret to one of my friends.

"He had a difficulty in breathing, is that it?"

"Y-Yes"

"Then I guess, I have no choice besides, he's also royalty," when he said those words, I heard him snap and even my consciousness started to fade away but before it fully faded within the darkness like in my past, I saw people running over us, they were not knights but they have these white cloaks.

Among them, was a very familiar tint of crimson.

The eyes of someone who would commit everything but then it softened when they landed on mine. However, this might never be true at all and perhaps, Oratio was just instilling false memories within my mind.

***

After he said those words, like a soft breeze caressing my hair, he fondled the edges of my locks.

"And I wouldn't regret anything when it comes to you"

"You have such deep words, Caliere, please stop making me feel embarrassed"

He chuckled but he wouldn't stop caressing my golden locks

"I know, but you don't have to, I'm not even making you feel like it," when he said those words, I knew what he meant but I just sighed and shook my head.

Sometimes, I also find this amusing side of him being stubborn even though he only hated me in the past.

Things had been gradually changing as far as I know.

But one thing, just like my past thoughts, wouldn't change and it was all about Caliere falling in love with Liana.

Like there and then, I knew that it would be inevitable.

"So let's go?" With that being said, he took my hand and intertwined mine. It took us only a few minutes to find the carriage and even the horseman seemed to be surprised, he must have been ordered to patiently wait long enough.

Immediately as Caliere ordered, the horseman didn't wait any second to run the horses and by that, he leaned into his seat and enveloped my hands in his giving me this chilling warmth that I've never had and that he had never shown in the past.

After that happened, my mind immediately thought a lot of things, and one of those was Caliere's true intention.

We might have been friends but does being friends mean doing like this? From my reflection in the carriage's window, I saw my eyebrows knit for the longest time.

"We're finally here, Vestia," as he said those words in his softest tone, the horseman opened the door and Caliere was the first to walk down while holding my hands.

I saw that the servants lined up to greet us and perhaps, it was because Caliere was right in front of me and they needed to greet him like they should.

"Come here," he immediately proceeded towards the entrance without glancing at his servants who continued to bow except when he saw Sebastian who was wiping some of the vases below the stairs

"Seb, I've returned so you can just report to Father later that I've brought with me my fiance," when he said those words, Sebastian's eyes widened his mouth parted a little gap but he didn't ask for more.

Instead, I saw him bow and when Caliere gripped my hands with his soft ones, he pulled me within his warmth with chuckles as if he was bathed in yellowish-orange lights everywhere but I suddenly felt shivers behind my back.

Compared to the warmth that Caliere had given me, when I turned my head to look back, I saw Sebastian's eyes narrowing their gaze toward me until he turned and disappeared from where he was.

"Vestia, I will show you within the garden, but I guess I have to apologize for making you afraid with my appearance in the past," my eyes went to narrowed but then the words he said were just our first meeting, where I felt frightened of him.

It must have been the first time for him to see my cowardly figure but that doesn't define him to immediately change, there must have been some other factor at play as well.

But that wasn't important to me anymore, right now, I needed to ask him something and I also needed to see Verfeil because it had already been a long since he decided to visit my household and I couldn't even find time to see him, not when I just made my new plans.

As long as he can breathe and I'm already fine with that.

That's what I've said in my mind but I never thought to even come to a point where I needed to do the utmost care and break some rules by Oratio...

"You must have some memories in here," he said and when I looked in front of us, I could see the garden, the arc of roses, and the Ivy tree, the tree where I once had always been in the past always looking for Caliere who arms, attention and heart were always with Liana.

I've been here a few times already but this was the first time he said those words to me while being the one to initiate this unexpected invitation.

"Vestia," he paused and so my attention was with him again. But this time, his lips remained still, his eyes looked into my soul a little deeper than before and his face continued to lean into my forehead until I felt his warmth from it.

"If you happen to know something or if I told you some of the secrets I've been holding, will you be able to accept me for who I am?" His voice sounded like a whisper but it was already soft and warm to the point that I wanted the warmth to stay and never be replaced by such coldness.

I felt as if my words couldn't go forward, as if they were all dry and the only thing to look forward to was this golden warmth of this fading light in front of me.

I put both of my hands on his puffy yet silky smooth fair cheeks and managed to squeeze it a little before finally chuckling.

Whatever might have happened to me was already in the past, and I am not the kind of person to seek vengeance on the people who never knew the truth in the first place, since I have a thought that Caliere was also lost same like Verfeil in the past.

They seemed as if they couldn't accept something and that led them to hate me instead. But whatever it was, I'm already done with that, with my current goals, I have already a lot on my plate and emotions couldn't be there.

It just couldn't.

"I will, since I've made a promise to you, right? I wanted us to be friends even though you also have to keep your promise, right Caliere?" Caliere, the man who once broke my heart, and led me to die, became my friend in this lifetime.

And I know I will never be more than anything but a friend to him, and that's the only limit I've set.

His eyes were still looking through my soul as if investigating how honest my words were.

Yet, I only repeated to squeeze his cheeks and he just let me but he immediately enveloped me with his warmth gripping my hands tightly making them near where the edges of his lips reside.

"Then I will keep my promise as long as you keep yours," I chuckled when he closed his eyes and nuzzled my hands.

I felt ticklish for a moment.

After that, he toured me around the Ivy and we saw that there were still buds that hadn't yet bloomed, perhaps, in this coming winter they would.

We talked about the things that interest him and I would always nod with a smile. I would ask him how he felt about his position and he would just sigh and shrug his shoulders but would always become truthful by the end.

By the time we were already in his office, he led me to a place where he pulled one of the books from the bookshelves, and the wall divided as it opened.

A wooden stairs came beholding us that I couldn't help but widen my eyes. That's when I realized that even the imperial household had secrets that they'd been holding on.

"In here, lies the secrets of thousands of years ago," he showed me many of the scrolls around as well as books within the bookshelves.

At first, I felt it was way too small but when we entered it felt like a vast place, more vast than the Grand Library.

"Don't you want to know more, Vestia?" I gulped I wanted to know everything but I just secretly bit my lower lips and curled up my lips.

"I'm contented with the current situation we have, Caliere. I won't ask for more," as I've said but there's still a lot to process, and it all started with the Vellitas household down to how magic users appeared.

"If I tell you about myself in this paper, would you believe the words I say?" His voice became deep but the softness from it remained.

"..."

A moment of deafening silence occurred but after a few more while, I heard some chuckles.

"I guess it was not yet the time, I'm sorry if I frightened you, Vestia," he said while trying to hold my waist, and as we went away from the place, I felt as if I couldn't understand Caliere anymore.

As if he was a different being in the first place.

I excused myself for a moment to the bathroom but that wasn't my purpose as I immediately found a way to where Verfeil's room was and when I tried to open it because I kept on asking his name and knocking, I found him lying on the floor barely breathing.

"This isn't good, Verfeil please wake up..."

"Oratio..." Then a sudden bright light appeared from my tears.

***

"Vestia, do you know about the levels of the magic users?"

"Yes, why?"

"Out of all those, did you happen to know about a healer?"

"...N-No..."

"Then you should also know that even though I'm on the first level, I couldn't heal anyone"

"Why?"

I saw him sigh before finally looking straight into my soul

"Did you know the first witch?"

"Yes, her name was Helden, right?"

"Yes, and she was the first wizard, a magic user who was able to be a healer as well. But because of her apprentice, there weren't any wizards born as magic healers"

"Why?" I couldn't help but repeat my question because the more he took the more confused I got.

"His apprentice committed treasonous actions towards her in short, he betrayed Helden and because of it, Helden made a curse that no one will be born a healer and no one could heal anyone, that's what I've come to know..."

"That's why..."

"That's why, what?"

"Then you and the others could only prevent any tragedies of war like that?"

"Yes, we are a shield for the empire, so for you to save the imperial second in throne bloodline, you need to get the blue rose of the Clamorians"

"I know and it was already known within the empire, but the thing is it came from the Belfore East, it was said that there were only a few left in there"

Instead, I heard him sigh and before anything else, he put both of his hands on my shoulders enough to claim my attention as he looked deeper into my eyes.

"Listen, for what I might tell you could be the only last hope for this prince to regain himself..."