studiobondurri Chapter 103: The Way He Loves (1)
Chapter 103: The Way He Loves (1)
Chapter 103: The Way He Loves (1)
As the dawn sky was getting whiter, I got up and washed my face. I put on the black butler’s uniform that I was now quite used to, and stepped in front of the mirror. I could still see my reflection. The man, whom the Black Witch had one day pegged as a slightly sly-looking man, slowly opened his mouth.
“Raviel.”
Badump.
“Raviel Ivansia.”
[Your immersion in the character has deepened.]
[Your immersion level is 62%.]
All I did was whisper the name of the person I loved and my heart raced, my breathing quickened, and the man reflected in the mirror blushed slightly. Even I could understand why.
“... I really love her.”
It was amazing. My own emotions surprised me. However, I had things to do.
“Show me my status window.”
A window of letters slowly appeared before me.
Name: Death King
Rank: D
Skills (6/6)
1. I Want To Be Like You (S+)
2. Returner's Clockwork (EX)
3. Sword Constellation (A+)
4. High Society of Goblins (F)
5. Monster Legions Reincarnation (SSS)
6. Demonic Heaven Arts (A+)
※The God of Beauty’s blessing is active.
※The God of Serpent’s blessing is active.
This was the path of my life that I had passed and missed. My jealousy. My secret. My fate. My humor. My resolve. My happiness. The life of a human named Kim Gong-Ja could be expressed very simply.
I took another deep breath. “Show me my character window.”
Then, a window of letters I had never seen before was inscribed in the air.
Name: Kim Gong-Ja
Affection: 90
Liked genres: Murim, romance, mystery, adventure
Disliked genre: None
Liked characters: Teacher, noble heroes, altruists, hard workers, children, good people, self-reflective people, generous people, people who understand him
Disliked character: Psychopaths
Liked plot points: Karma, friendship, love
Disliked plot points: Self-loathing, abandonments, flee, oblivion, distrust, monopoly
State of Mind: I want to know how I look.
I swallowed. “Okay.”
I was still Kim Gong-Ja; I wasn’t lost in my role like the Inquisitor was. My plan would go smoothly. I was going to make it work.
“Mr. Sword Emperor.”
—Huh? the ghost answered. He wasn’t reflected in the mirror.
“I have to ask you for a favor in case I get lost in this butler. I really need you for this.”
—What is it?
“Once my immersion level reaches one hundred percent, there’s a high chance that I won’t even be able to hear your voice. I’ll still have my Skills, but I’m going to forget how to use them. I have to prevent my immersion level from reaching one hundred percent, no matter what.”
I reached down to my waist and stroked the grip of my hidden dagger.
“Ninety-nine percent. My immersion level should never go higher than ninety-nine percent. Got it? If you ever think I’m going to go over ninety-nine percent, stop me by any means necessary.”
—Ha. The Guardian laughed. You worry too much. Not many people have as much pride or personality as you do, so I really don’t think you’ll reach ninety-nine percent.
—Are you going to kill us?
—Are you going to kill me?
I silently dealt with the demons every night. Lady Silver Lily offered to help, but I firmly refused. Right now, more than anything, she needed time alone to rest quietly.
Paperwork that required Lady Silver Lily’s approval? I stopped all of them from coming into her office. Only a few days were left until this world was going to be destroyed anyway. If the empire was going to fall just because she didn’t handle them for a few days, then it was better off fallen.
A vacation just for herself was the first gift I gave Lady Silver Lily.
“... I’ve never spent time like this before,” Lady Silver Lily muttered. She seemed a little troubled. “Is it really okay to do nothing like this?”
Right now, we were sitting under a cherry blossom tree, leisurely looking out at the lake. I had carried Lady Silver Lily here in my arms. There were no complicated documents, no blood demons, and no students gossiping about Lady Silver Lily for their entertainment.
“It’s okay,” I reassured her.
“But...”
“It’s really okay, my lady.”
Lady Silver Lily pursed her lips; she found her peace a little uncomfortable.
“I’ll make it okay.”
“I don’t want to rely on you,” she mumbled.
“I don’t remember saying that I’ll always be the one doing the helping. When there is a time I need your help, please help me, my lady. We can help each other, right? Let’s help each other even when we’re old. We can do that, right?”
It was a quiet day—the tenth day that Lady Silver Lily had mentioned.
“Aren’t you thirsty? I added a little honey to the milk tea today. I think you’ll like it. When the sunlight gets a little weaker, let’s go out on a boat. I’ll row. It’ll be fun.”
Lady Silver Lily did nothing today. In the morning, I woke her up and washed her face. After she finished the simple meal I brought, I read her a book of poetry that she liked. In the afternoon, I packed a picnic basket of snacks and we went for a walk to the lake at the academy.
The spring breeze whisked away magnolia and cherry blossom petals. Lady Silver Lily quietly looked up at the white petals scattering across the sky. The cherry blossom petals fell on the lake and rippled on the waves.
She didn’t say a word for an hour. Even when I carried her onto the boat, she was quiet. She sat still even when she watched the petals ripple,
As I rowed, the lake quietly gave way to our boat.
“Spring is white today,” Lady Silver Lily quietly said. “In the empire, this time of year is called White Spring. It’s when cherry blossoms bloom right before the magnolias fall. My favorite poet once said, ‘White blossoms in the white. Spring fully blooms during spring. This is the last white breath which the winter hadn’t yet exhaled.’”
She spoke at the leisurely pace of cherry blossoms fluttering across the sky.
“It’s a beautiful season.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Sunset arrived.
“I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve seen White Spring.”
It was a gentle spring. The soft spring air filled our lungs. The two of us were intoxicated by the pleasant daze that the season gave us.
[The Silver-Plated Heart’s presence has become stronger.]
So when the time for this world to end arrived, we were not at all flustered. Actually, we didn’t even really say anything.
[The Silver-Plated Heart has appeared.]
The sunset became even redder. On the other side of the academy, the students’ faint screams arose. The blood that had overflowed from the mirror had probably struck the academy. Then it flowed to the edge of the lake and dyed it red.
“Butler.”
“I’m listening.”
“It’s comfortable when I’m with you.”
Our boat was right in the middle of the lake. The red blood encroaching on the edge was yet to devour our sanctuary.
“Can I really trust you?”
I let the oar go. “You said that we’re like parallel lines. The one who dies first will regress first, so the two of us can never be together.”
When Lady Silver Lily nodded, I grabbed her hand. “I’m going to use my aura and envelop your entire body, including the inside of your head. I’ll do the same for myself. And then, I’ll burst your head and mine at exactly the same time.”
She stopped breathing for a moment, her eyes widening. “That’s...”
“It’s true that the one who dies first will regress first. That means the one who didn’t get to regress won’t be able to remember the other person. Then, that leaves us only one way to be together. We have to die at exactly the same time.”
I grabbed Lady Silver Lily’s hand a little more firmly. “Raviel Ivansia.”
The one I loved.
“Please die with me.”
After a moment, she nodded. So that was what we did.