Chapter 24: Open heart (1/2)

”By the way teacher. Don't you have something to explain to me?”

”Hum?”

Currently, Sol was reading a rather thick brown covered book titled dangerous zones in the world.

It was a rather interesting book written by one of the angels living in slothstein.

Edea meanwhile was elegantly sipping on her tea when she heard this sudden question.

Intrigued, she put back her cup and threw a questioning glance at Sol,

”What do you mean?”

”I mean, what kind of spell do you always use to make me forget about confessing?”

”[Sto–]”

”By the way, I wrote a memo about me asking you this question today. If after reading this I remark that I have not asked it I will understand that you did something to me.”

An awkward silence settled between the two. Sol didn't even bother lifting his head from his book as he flipped another page.

Still, even though Edea couldn't see his face, she could feel that he was quite angry.

'This is the first time right?'

She was quite surprised then flustered. Sol never got angry. He could be awkward, shy, bashful, or anything but she never saw him getting angry.

This realization flustered her quite a bit. She stammered a little, but still couldn't properly express herself. None of her usual poise was present.

Finally, she simply sighed as she lowered her head,

”I am sorry. But I didn't… ”

”Please do not try to explain anything when saying sorry. Apologize for what you did wrong. Do not add arguments. This was something you always taught me. Adding things like 'but' 'I couldn't help it' change apologies into excuses.”

It was rather a surreal scene to see a hundreds-year-old witch being scolded by someone so much younger than her. But Edea couldn't laugh, even more so since it was her own words who were being thrown back at her.

”I–I am sorry.”

*Sigh*

Sol let out a sigh of frustration as he closed the book he couldn't concentrate on, he briefly entertained the thought of simply getting up and leaving but that would be dumb. It would just make him lose the advantage he so desperately managed to grasp.

”I don't really need to know why you did it. After all, I know why. I am also truly thankful because I know that you are simply thinking about my own good. But… This does not make it right.”

”... When did you find about it?”

”Hum. Since the beginning?”

Edea raised her head so fast it looked like her head would break.

”What?”

”I mean, please don't underestimate me. I know myself. I remember that one time I sweared to confess, but weirdly I didn't. Back then I chalked it to forgetfulness or shyness. But once it happened twice thrice and more I seriously began to doubt.”

His mocking smile was rather grating, but Edea could do nothing more than simply stares at him.

”If you knew, why wait until now?”

”Because soon I will have my awakening. You remember that as a prince I can make one request to Luxuria right?”

”NO!! ABSOLUTELY NO.”

The véhémence in her voice as she leaps up from her seat and slapped the table was a surprise both for him and for her.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself as she said, ”If you use your wish for something stupid like being able to touch me without being affected by the curse I swear I will close all access to my dimension.”

Her threat was real. Sol could feel it. She wasn't joking. But– So What?

”So? Even if you close it, I will just have to become strong enough to break your jail open. I will never allow you to live your life in this glorified golden prison you call home so this will be two things done at the same time.”

”You…”

She was struck speechless by how bold he suddenly was.

”... Why are you acting so selfishly? Please Sol, don't do that. Your wish is something that could empower you extremely or give you great advantages. Don't waste it on me.”

A serene smile formed on his face, even though he was still seated while Edea stood, she suddenly felt as if she was the one who was being looked down on,

”Teacher. I wonder. When will you stop playing the tragic princess? Why do you always use those words?”

”What?”

Once again his words struck her dumb. This time though it was followed by an incredible feeling of anger and humiliation. She was just about to blow up when their gazes locked.

'Why? Why are you looking at me as if I am some pitiful child?'

”Teacher. I do not and will never understand your pain. Hundreds of years of weeping over the betrayal of your first love is something I simply cannot fathom.”

Edea closed her eyes as those words, her fist clenching and her body shivering, but Sol acted as if he did not notice.

Seeing her in pain pierced his heart, but he could not stop. This was an occasion of the like he may never get again. If he gave her time to calm her emotions nothing he said then would connect.

As such, he simply decided to go all out,

”Please believe in me. I'll definitely try to do something about it. Even without my wish, I should still have a way to deal with it.”

She shook her head. It's impossible. If he let her do that, he would die sooner or later.

”I've already worried about this… I've already thought about this. I've already suffered… that's why–I gave up.”

”It's easy to give up, but…”

'It's easy to give up?'

An incomprehensible shock shot through Edea's whole body the moment those words entered her ears.

It felt like a shock of being struck by thunder from the top of your head. The inability to put it into words took form as an explosion within her chest. Her whole body was ruled over by a sensation that felt like all the pores throughout her body were open and burning.

”You said it's easy to give up?”

”Teacher?”

”Don't give me that shit! There's no way in hell that giving up is easy.”

Her emotions full of unbearable gloom explode as they board onto her tongue and get spit out. She even forgot her usual elegant way of speaking.

”Do you think that I'm giving up, completely discarding everything, throwing everything and anything away, without doing anything and without thinking about anything at all?!”

Her whole body shook as she did her all to hold in tears that hadn't fallen in hundreds of years.

”It wasn't easy to give up! It was easier to think that I could fight and do something! But I was helpless. There was no path to take! I couldn't continue on any path other than the one of giving up!”

Even if she challenged it and challenged it, even if she fought and fought, even if she polished her plan, even if she entrusted it to others, the only result was an inevitable failure.