Chapter 83

Tearen agreed, and Roseanne’s cheeks flushed faintly.

 

It wasn’t a night for just the two of them, but she’d never imagined she’d get to spend the night in the same space as Tearen. Her heart thumped wildly at the thought.

 

“I agree too. We have a mountain of things to discuss anyway, so if we sleep less, we can wrap up the coordination a lot faster.”

 

When Rahar nodded and added his opinion, Arsen suddenly shot to his feet with a bright smile.

 

“Then I’ll have a space prepared immediately that can accommodate all five of you. If we move the guestroom beds into the largest room, it won’t take long. I’ll get everything ready right away.”

 

He finished speaking and hurried out the door.

 

Watching the way the back of his head wobbled wildly as he walked, Caldeon, Rahar, and Tearen each muttered something.

 

“Looks like he really wanted to go home.”

 

“So he did want to go home.”

 

“Can’t blame him for wanting to.”

 

The three of them spoke in the same dry tone, and Roseanne couldn’t help letting out a small laugh. Rahar and Tearen immediately turned their eyes toward her.

 

Then Rahar suddenly looked at Caldeon, as if remembering something.

 

“Roseanne will sleep next to me, obviously.”

 

“What? Why would I? Gross.”

 

Roseanne instantly deadpanned, and Rahar frowned, offended.

 

“Calling your brother gross… Look, the others are all men. Of course you can’t sleep next to them.”

 

“She can sleep next to Miss Belona.”

 

“Oh, then I’ll put you by the window—”

 

“The window is my spot. I’ve already got a burden stuck to me; if I’m squeezed on both sides I can’t breathe.”

 

Before Rahar could finish, Caldeon cut in sharply, making Rahar wrinkle his brow.

 

“What do you mean a burden? That ‘something’ could refer to me or Tearen.”

 

“Either way, the window’s mine.”

 

“Then I’ll have to take the side near the door. I can’t sleep with people on both sides either.”

 

At Rahar’s complaint, Caldeon lifted an eyebrow, grumbling.

 

“Just sleep.”

 

“So that means I’m at the door, Roseanne next to me, then Belona, then you. So where does Tearen—”

 

“I said I’m not sleeping next to you.”

 

“Then who are you sleeping next to?”

 

“I’ll be discussing the most with Lord Tearen anyway. So Caldeon and Miss Belona by the window, then me, then Lord Tearen, then you.”

 

“That’s absurd! You’re not even married, how can you sleep next to some random man!”

 

Rahar shouted, and Roseanne stared at him with a chilled gaze.

 

“We’re all sleeping in separate beds. No one is getting in the same bed. Even Caldeon, who’s been wrapped in Miss Belona’s light attribute like a shackle, has always pushed two beds together but slept in his own.”

 

“Even if they’re separate beds, they’re still next to each other!”

 

“Then you sleep next to me.”

 

“I already told you—I can’t sleep with someone on both sides!”

 

“Then Lord Tearen will just have to sleep next to me.”

 

Roseanne shrugged, and Rahar instantly froze.

 

“That is absolutely—!”

 

“Just sleep somewhere. Why’s everything a big deal with you.”

 

Caldeon snapped irritably and then woke Belona, who was asleep leaning against him—or more accurately, leaning against the light-attribute chains wrapped around his dark mana.

 

“Get off me already.”

 

“Mmm… Groen…”

 

Belona rubbed her eyes, murmuring Groen’s name, and Roseanne called out to her.

 

“Miss Belona, I heard you don’t remember anything. Is there anything you do remember?”

 

Belona’s gaze shifted to Roseanne.

 

She didn’t answer. She only stared blankly for a moment before suddenly clinging to Caldeon’s arm tightly, looking at Roseanne with suspicion.

 

“Are you Enria?”

 

“Don’t speak my woman’s name so casually, light mage.”

 

“No, I’m not Enria. I’m her friend.”

 

“Friend.”

 

“Yes. A friend. Do you have any friends, Miss Belona?”

 

“…”

 

At the word friend, Belona’s expression changed subtly.

 

“If you remember anything at all, it’s fine. Tell me and—”

 

“Only Groen.”

 

“…That man is not Groen.”

 

“He’s Groen.”

 

“Groen had red hair.”

 

At the words red hair, Belona’s eyes widened slightly.

 

“And pale skin, with lips as red as his hair.”

 

“…”

 

“But look at this man you’re clinging to right now. He’s pitch black. Practically looks like the incarnation of an evil god.”

 

“What?”

 

Caldeon instantly frowned, but Roseanne waved him off without looking his way and continued calmly.

 

“Your lover was a fire mage who used extremely hot fire magic. Not this man with black mana.”

 

“…”

 

“So—”

 

“Lies.”

 

Belona glared, hostility rising.

 

“Black mana. Lies. He’s Groen.”

 

“Miss Belona.”

 

“Groen, bad. Might be a dark mage. The dark mage will take Groen’s soul Before that I have to kill—”

 

“Hey—hey! Let go! Hey!”

 

Belona clung to Caldeon like someone unhinged, muttering frantically, tightening the light-attribute bindings. The more Caldeon tried to pull away, the more the light tightened and dragged him toward her.

 

Tearen, Roseanne, and Rahar could all see the visible light magic, and their brows all furrowed.

 

“This is bad.”

 

“Very bad.”

 

“Looks like this is the most urgent problem to solve.”

 

The three muttered in unison.

 

***

 

 

After repeated healing spells from Enria and Hayden, Silri finally opened her eyes—though she’d lost the memories of her soul being partially pulled out by Panz and saved by Hayden.

 

So when she woke and found herself in the spirit village, lying down while Enria and Hayden healed her, she was confused.

 

When Enria briefly explained the situation, Silri’s eyes went wide.

 

“Hayden saved me?”

 

Hayden nodded once.

 

“Baby save Silri.”

 

“Wow, really? But… why is Hayden suddenly speaking human language?”

 

Silri, touched by his answer, looked at Enria with puzzled eyes.

 

“Maybe because of how time flows in the spirit village? The day after we arrived, he just started speaking this well.”

 

“Time shouldn’t affect language…”

 

Still confused, Silri smiled, amazed Hayden had saved her.

 

“Thank you, Hayden. You’re my lifesaver.”

 

“Baby Silri like.”

 

“I like you too. But why do you keep calling yourself ‘baby’?”

 

She glanced at Enria again, baffled. Enria shook her head with a laugh.

 

“I don’t know either. Ever since he started talking, he calls himself a baby.”

 

“Hm.”

 

“Baby is baby.”

 

Hayden stared at Silri with pitch-black eyes that resembled Caldeon’s.

 

Silri snorted softly and nodded.

 

“Fair. You are still a baby. But you also have the cool name I gave you, so you could use that.”

 

“Baby cannot say baby’s name.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Baby say baby’s name is weird. Funny. Embarrassing.”

 

His expression was so serious that Silri and Enria burst into laughter.

 

“So, because of me, you two aren’t in the North but here?”

 

“Well, that too. But mainly, the North is dangerous now with the escaped dark mage and the fire spirit. The fire spirit was desperate to kill Hayden.”

 

“Since he knows Hayden is the one from the prophecy, he’d do anything to kill him.”

 

“We escaped, but he could attack again anytime, so Lord Caldeon thought this place was safer.”

 

Silri nodded and looked at Enria.

 

“You must miss him. Being forced apart.”

 

Enria gave a small, shy smile.

 

“Use the communicator. Now that I’m awake, you can tell him that too.”

 

“Ah, should I?”

 

“Caldeon gave me a direct-link communicator last time. It should be in my room’s drawer. But why am I here and not my room?”

 

Silri looked around, displeased.

 

“The treatment room is right next door. While you were unconscious, they kept you there, and once treatment ended, we brought you here for healing spells.”

 

“…You worked hard. Thank you. I’ll repay this someday.”

 

“It’s no favor. You’ve done so much for us. I’ll go get the communicator now.”

 

Enria handed Hayden to Silri.

 

Silri lifted her arms and took him, watching Enria walk out with a soft laugh.

 

“Looks like your mom really misses your dad.”

 

“Baby miss dad too.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Mm.”

 

Hayden nodded, staring at the doorway Enria left through.

 

Soon after, Enria returned with the communicator and immediately contacted Caldeon.

 

“Lord Caldeon…”

 

The screen lit up—Enria’s face brightened—and then instantly went cold.

 

Seeing her expression, Silri leaned forward to look at the communicator.

 

Caldeon was on-screen, stuck tightly to some woman.

 

Silri’s eyes turned icy.

 

She looked between Caldeon and Belona on the screen and said to Enria,

 

“I think the day to repay your kindness has come, Enria. Shall I kill those two brats for you right now?”