Chapter 17: Want To Go Back?

The next day had come.

Thud! Plop—

The sunset was raining.

The window frame, tinged with red light, glowed brilliantly, and the occasional raindrop, absorbing that light, trickled down.

Though obscured by scattered clouds, it was an indescribably beautiful scene.

Yujin remembered this time of day.

Beneath the dark, ominous clouds, raindrops fell like tears, pattering against the window.

The rising sun still lingered between the clouds, as if preparing for another downpour.

From the sky, the sound of a great cry slowly grew louder.

By the time the dusty roof and the remaining bloodstains had been soaked through,

Yujin was staring at a puddle rippling faintly.

At the end of the war, on the main road, he had let go of his sword as if pulled away.

The first thing his eyes had fallen upon was this very place.

But was he really looking at the puddle?

His vision was blurry.

As if he had just woken up.

It felt like he was looking at his own reflection in the puddle, yet at the same time, he wasn’t.

His eyes were unfocused. No thoughts came to mind.

Before that, he didn’t even know why he had come here.

Only the raindrops sliding down his hair dripped steadily, streaming down the sides of his eyes.

Indeed. The mind and body of Yujin, staring into this murky puddle, were as clouded as the water itself.

But one thought echoed endlessly in his hollowed-out mind.

The past.

The past.

He was remembering the past.

Yes. He was remembering the past.

‘First. As of this moment. Yujin, the Magic Fire Incompetent. The position of Ehrenheit Deril’s son-in-law is hereby revoked.’

‘Second. Yujin, this commoner, will no longer be recognized as a member of the Ehrenheit family.’

‘Third. Finally, the ownership of the Fire Ring, an heirloom, belongs to Ehrenheit. Therefore, it will be reclaimed. However, considering the years you have spent with us, the ownership of the estate is acknowledged.’

‘No objections will be entertained. Henceforth, leave this place at once.’

‘…’

Each short declaration was like a nail driven into Yujin’s wounded heart.

No longer being recognized as a member of the Ehrenheit family meant he could no longer remain as Yuria’s husband.

He could no longer meet her.

He could no longer wait for her.

It was effectively the same as a separation.

Divorce from her.

Who could have ever predicted Yujin’s divorce?

For Yujin, it was nothing short of cruel.

It was a bond formed by dedicating his entire youth.

He had been by her side since the first time he picked up a sword.

He had been there when she first used a Level 1 spell, when she first created the Hexagram.

He had stood by Yuria’s side longer than anyone else, for the longest time.

Surely, that was why—

No, perhaps that was precisely why it was all the more unbelievable.

The fact that he had been abandoned by the person he loved most.

The fact that he could no longer see even her fleeting gaze, let alone her warm eyes, or her faint smile.

Suddenly recalling the emotions of that time as he stared into the puddle, Yujin covered his face with both hands.

He rubbed his face dry and roughly tousled his hair.

He had forgotten her.

The emotion he felt now was unmistakably pain.

The traces of those long, inseparable years made him sick to his stomach.

How much time had passed like that?

After a long while, Yujin’s unmoving eyes finally flickered.

That was when it happened.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“…..?”

A low, calm voice reached his ears.

The voice that had always soothed his heart.

Wondering if he was still dreaming, Yujin quickly turned around.

A quiet, melancholic voice followed.

When he turned his gaze to the side, he saw a pair of clear eyes staring intently at him.

The disheveled hair, the neat nose, the red lips—all of someone who had just woken up in bed.

Feeling the closeness and her breath, Yujin took a deep breath.

“…You don’t look well. Did you push yourself too hard…?”

The first thing that greeted him upon opening his eyes was the Hero—no, Charlotte.

In his previous life, by the time he saw her real face, his vision had nearly failed him.

Seeing her smiling face now felt somewhat awkward.

When their eyes met, Charlotte’s pupils dilated and contracted repeatedly before finally lowering.

The back of her neck had turned red—was it just his imagination?

‘She really is… beautiful.’

Even without words, just her smiling eyes made him think she was beautiful.

He must be going mad, but there was nothing he could do about it.

She was his savior, after all.

—Rustle.

A warm hand rested on Yujin’s forehead.

Blinking, he looked at her and saw a worried expression.

Yujin fiddled with his fingertips for a moment before lifting his gaze blankly.

“…Ah—”

As soon as he opened his mouth, Yujin realized his lips were cracked.

His throat was parched, too.

Only then did he remember he had barely eaten or drunk anything since yesterday.

Come to think of it, how many proper meals has he had since arriving here?

Charlotte, who had been studying Yujin’s face intently, smiled faintly and spoke.

“…Thank you for what you did before.”

“Before” likely referred to the matter of her favorite food.

“There’s no need to worry about it. It was really nothing.”

“I keep owing you… I’m sorry. Later, I’ll properly repay you…”

“It’s fine.”

Cutting her off, Charlotte looked momentarily flustered.

Her emotions were written all over her face.

To put it bluntly, she was hopelessly shy…

And Yujin’s prediction was spot on.

‘Wh-what do I do? What should I…?’

Unaware that her face was turning red, Charlotte averted her gaze and fretted.

‘I want to stay with Yujin a little longer… If this keeps up, he’ll leave like yesterday.’

‘It’s a rare chance to talk with just the two of us. I can’t let anything interfere…’

Truthfully, she wanted to talk to Yujin more.

About anything.

She wanted to stay by his side a little longer.

She wanted to feel his presence more.

Because those thoughts were so transparent,

Yujin, who was quick to pick up on such things, spoke up.

“If there’s something you want to say, you can say it freely. It seems like others misunderstand you often….”

“You…”

Yujin knew Charlotte well.

After all, they had been master and disciple.

Aware of her tendency to be misunderstood due to her blunt way of speaking, Yujin understood her well.

After much deliberation, Charlotte finally parted her lips.

“If you say so… actually,”

“…?”

“I see you in a romantic light! A lot!”

She added, ‘A whole lot.’ Charlotte met his eyes.

Her face was bright red.

For a long while, Charlotte stared at Yujin’s face.

Not once did she miss his flickering gaze.

Then, as the clock’s hand moved fully, she slowly parted her lips again.

“It’s true that you’re of the opposite sex…”

“No…! It’s not just that you’re of the opposite sex—”

“…”

“Yujin, I see you… as a man.”

At that moment, sunlight streamed through the raindrops on the window, and multiple voices seeped through the door.

Realizing belatedly that there were ears listening, Charlotte abruptly cut herself off.

Charlotte struggled to calm her wildly pounding heart.

The man with sharp eyes and distinct features continued to gaze at her with a warm smile, devoid of any discomfort.

Last night, Charlotte had desperately tried to gather information about him.

Why had a knight from the renowned Ehrenheit family come here as reinforcements?

What she discovered was that this man was known as the Magic Fire Incompetent.

He was called that.

He never denied the title, so everyone regarded him as such.

—Whoosh.

‘The first one to call my eyes… pretty.’

However, Charlotte remembered the flames she had seen in him.

He had potential.

Undoubtedly.

“You said my eyes were beautiful.”

Caught off guard by the sudden remark, Yujin smiled faintly.

“Haha… They’re still just as pretty as I remember.”

“Eek…”

Charlotte’s face tensed as she held her breath, but she soon stopped speaking.

Yujin took her arm and met her gaze again.

In a quiet voice, he spoke.

“I’ll bring your favorite food again today. I hope your wounds heal quickly.”

“……”

“If you think of me, just call me anytime. I’ll come.”

Charlotte was left speechless by his endlessly warm demeanor. No, she forgot.

For a moment, she forgot everything.

As he rose from his seat, Charlotte grabbed his sleeve and spoke.

“There’s… one thing I can do for you.”

“…Huh?”

Charlotte suddenly sat down next to Yujin.

So naturally that their shoulders and hips touched, making him a little flustered.

Was she deliberately pressing close? 

Surely not…

As he entertained that suspicion, Charlotte, who had quickly regained her composure, pressed a hand to her chest and muttered to herself.

“…It’s beating too fast. I can’t focus…”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t talking to you. My heart is just racing, that’s all.”

“…”

“If it seemed like I had impure thoughts… don’t mind it.”

Charlotte didn’t raise her head obediently.

Suddenly, she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer.

Then, slowly sliding her hand up, she drew him toward her.

For a moment, he tried to pull his arm away, but Charlotte held him gently, keeping him from leaving her embrace.

After a brief silence, Charlotte spoke again.

“I’ll do everything in my power… to help you return to your family.”

“…?”