[What are you two doing right now?]
Gulp.
The moment Shia’s voice echoed from behind, Teresa trembled more than ever before.
Over countless episodes, she had felt anger at unexpected betrayals and defeats when the Demon King’s army was far larger than anticipated, but she had never trembled in fear.
Yet, at this moment, Teresa likely felt a fear akin to terror emanating from Shia for the first time.
“Shia, that’s…”
“No. No need to explain.”
Shimmering white hair swayed in the wind, cold and eerie like that of a serpent. It felt as if a corpse was approaching.
Every step dragging on the ground was as sharp as a blade, reminding both Teresa and Lirisia that Shia’s body was that of a lifeless entity void of warmth.
Ah, her eyes gleamed once more.
“Looks like I don’t need an explanation after all.”
Had she seen everything…?
Well, if she did, it wouldn’t be strange to react like that.
As Teresa sighed deeply inwardly and tried to say something to Shia, a great shadow blocked her path.
“Stop.”
“Lirisia?”
“…Get out of the way.”
Lirisia stood in front of Shia as if trying to protect Teresa…no, Eselatia.
Of course, unless it was in the past, the current Lirisia couldn’t handle Shia.
Even in her days as the Witch of the Dark Star, if Shia were to unleash her full power, victory or defeat could not be guaranteed.
Let alone Shia, who appeared to be thoroughly enraged now, was not someone Lirisia could suppress.
Yet, still, she would not back down.
Because she didn’t want to lose.
This time, more than any other, she wanted to indulge in a bit of greed.
Backing down was not an option for Lirisia, even if she was pushed back.
“I told you to move.”
“…No.”
“Huh?”
Upon hearing Lirisia’s words, Shia’s head tilted slowly.
Immediately, a silence enveloped the area, heavy like the calm before a massive storm about to explode.
Is this what it feels like to be surrounded by a palpable killing intent?
No, actually, in this case, Shia didn’t seem to emanate any killing intent; she looked almost like her usual self.
Which made it even scarier.
“Lirisia, you seem to be quite mistaken.”
“Yeah, I know.”
With Shia’s words, Lirisia ground her teeth.
She felt overpowered.
Even though she hadn’t even touched Shia, Lirisia sensed that she would be overpowered.
‘Mistaken…?’
Yeah, she understood.
It must be a misunderstanding.
Not realizing her own standing. Acting as if she were a human without any shackles or limitations.
Lirisia knew very well what Shia was trying to say.
She understood the punishments she intended to impose on her.
That this was indeed a transgression against her.
She was all too aware of her own greed…
For she was merely a sinner in a “pending” status, unable to repay the sins and repercussions from her previous world, yet she dared try to confront the Witch Saint.
Ah, anyone watching would definitely say that she has a lot of gall…!
Still, Lirisia could not step back from Shia.
She had just barely reunited with ‘her witch.’
Absolutely, absolutely…
She didn’t want to have it taken away from her.
She didn’t want to part like this.
But Shia slowly grabbed Lirisia’s shoulder with a heavy hand.
As Shia’s demonic grip was felt through her skin, Lirisia instantly realized she couldn’t win.
With pain approaching, Lirisia steeled herself….
“No, how can you drink just plain makgeolli without any side dish!?”
“………Eh?”
“………What?”
…Shia babbled as usual.
As Lirisia and Teresa’s faces became frozen like fools, Shia then shoved Lirisia aside and began drooling over the corn makgeolli sitting on the wooden table.
“With makgeolli, it needs to be pajeon!!”
“……..”
“……..”
“Seriously, this is too much. How can you guys feast on this amazing corn makgeolli without me?!”
Sigh…
With that, Lirisia sat quietly on the floor for some time, while Teresa frowned in disbelief.
Yeah, damn it.
Eat a lot, eat a lot.
○○○○○
Om nom nom nom.
Shia, with a delighted expression, stuffed an entire pajeon larger than her own face into her mouth.
“………”
“………”
It seemed she could even swallow the whole pajeon without choking.
It was a sight like something out of a legend, but Teresa, having witnessed Shia’s voracious appetite over many cycles, didn’t find it strange at all to just naturally tear her share of pajeon. Lirisia also cautiously stuffed a piece into her mouth.
Well, whether it was an affair or keeping up appearances, corn makgeolli and seafood pajeon were simply unmissable for her.
Lirisia absolutely couldn’t pass this up.
“Gulp. Tasty!”
Having devoured a whole seafood pajeon in under 20 seconds, Shia chugged the corn makgeolli from the bowl in one go.
“Hey, hey! You glutton!”
“Nom nom. Gulp… Ah, this is the good stuff…”
“That’s not right, you fool!”
At that moment, a nerdy elf named Bribie with a tied-back crimson hair brought in a new plate.
The plate she brought was stacked with over 40 seafood pajeons, and Shia’s eyes sparkled as she grinned widely.
“Well, I could finish this up pretty quickly too, right?”
“…I mean, I’ve reduced my appetite since becoming human, but did I really used to be like that?”
“You probably did…”
Just then, Shia devoured a whole pajeon in one bite, and even Lirisia quickly finished half of a pajeon in one go.
Despite becoming human, Lirisia still needed to eat quite a lot to maintain her enormous mass and ‘the corpse of starlight.’
“Bribie! Give me just 20 more seafood pajeons!”
“…I’m really sleepy right now. Can’t you just eat moderately?”
[Miracle – Great Healing]
“Is it done yet?”
“I’ll bring it right away, Lustful Saint-sama.”
“What?”
“The Noble Saint-sama, I mean.”
By the way, it’s highly likely that Bribie was the one who brought Shia here.
She probably sent a report to Shia as soon as she noticed Lirisia was missing…
‘I’m surprised this is going rather smoothly…’
Honestly, Teresa braced herself for a bloodbath.
If Shia had figured out all of Teresa and Lirisia’s conversations and relationship, she couldn’t even imagine the aftermath.
“Hmm, by the way, why are you here? Didn’t you go back to Busan a while ago? You said you were coming back to bring some chicken soup to your mother?”
“Um, gulp. I came rushing back because they said she went missing.”
“That girl is doing unnecessary things…”
As expected, it was Bribie.
She not only helped Lirisia adapt to life on Earth but was also her watcher.
If Bribie was guilty of anything, it was merely being diligent in her assigned role, yet Lirisia silently vowed to exact revenge on that damn nerdy elf later on.
“Anyway, so… where did you start listening?”
“Huh? You mean, when did I arrive?”
At Lirisia’s question, Shia appeared to ponder thoughtfully.
It wasn’t necessary to ask, but it was for contingencies’ sake.
One ought to at least create some escape route…
“Oh, starting from the part where we met again under the dark starry sky?”
“That……………….”
“……….Ah.”
Clatter!
At that, it was inevitable that the corn makgeolli in Teresa and Lirisia’s hands spilled onto the ground.
Simply put…
‘From the beginning…’
‘You heard everything…!?’
Gulp. Gulp. Kyah~ so refreshing… Gyaaaah! What are you two doing right now?! Why did you spill the corn makgeolli on the floor!?!
She had heard everything from the very start.
Simply put, this meant she had listened in on Lirisia and Teresa’s entire conversation.
“Shia…”
“Ugh, such a waste… it was so good, but now it’s all absorbed into the ground, and I can’t even lick it up…”
“Teresa!”
“Startling me. What?”
Upon hearing Lirisia’s words, Shia tilted her head in confusion.
However, that was enough for Lirisia to feel her insides twist.
It felt as if every one of Shia’s actions was a mockery of her.
No matter what you did, it was as if you were declaring you wouldn’t give me, my witch, away to someone else.
‘..Yeah, you have, you have everything… you have everything, so that’s how you can say such things….!’
Lirisia inhaled deeply.
Even though she took a deep breath, the stuffy feeling of something stuck within her wouldn’t disappear, but she had to do this.
“…I don’t want much.”
“Really?”
Lirisia met Shia’s curious gaze and stood her ground, determined not to lose.
“Ah, I still have many sins left. I have many wrongdoings. Just pending now, so please don’t overstep… that’s what I wanted to say, isn’t it?”
Even with Lirisia’s sharply spoken words, Shia didn’t respond.
Her golden eyes simply passed over Lirisia, but that alone was enough.
However, that apathetic gaze made Lirisia clench her teeth.
Lirisia knew rationally.
Even if jealousy arose, she knew she had no right to feel it.
“You know I’m not a saint like you…!”
But still…
But still, I have something to say to you.
“What I want from Teresa… no, from Eselatia, is a ‘witch of my own’ who will look back at me when I need her!”
Determined, Lirisia’s black eyes burned with intense longing like never before.
“You have it all.”
“…..Is that so?”
“You have the hero, the witch, Yeonseo, Yeonhwa, your mother, loved ones, people who adore you, and even the viewers who worship you. You have everything and are happy without loss!”
Lirisia knew her words were nonsensical, even as she spoke.
Being of the same root, Eselatia surely had her losses. Yet, she knew it was wrong to force this kind of logic without understanding…
Even so, Lirisia couldn’t help but argue.
Because she needed it that desperately.
“I’ve lost everything, only despair remains because I couldn’t protect anything…! No one remembers me. Everyone has betrayed me. I was thrown away into the muck of despair rather than a rotten hope like a decayed fishing line!”
With that, Lirisia looked at Teresa.
Teresa had her eyes closed, lips pressed together as if she were a sinner.
“But now, finally… finally, someone who remembers me…”
“Don’t.”
“Esel, Lati..a…”
“I’ll say it again, I am Teresa Kaitlyn…”
Earlier, she had thought she could never let go.
But Teresa had to make a choice here, even if it meant ripping her own heart apart in Shia’s presence…
“I can be your friend. I can be your acquaintance. I could even raise a glass with you like this from time to time.”
“Then…!”
Teresa shook her head, contrasting Lirisia’s brightening face.
A rejection.
That chilling sensation made Lirisia tremble.
“When you need me, if Shia needs me… I won’t choose you.”
“…………”
“Friend? Acquaintance? All those things are nothing but mere empty hopes for you. I am not Eselatia. I am Teresa Kaitlyn.”
Ah, how cruel.
Teresa felt disgusted by the words she was uttering.
But this is how it must be.
Looking only to Shia is already overwhelming for me…!
“From the beginning, you’re… a being from a timeline that should have vanished…! In a world that should be intact, you’re a being whose existence should not be here! You’re here only because of the combined factors of a demon king’s fragment, coincidence, and luck. Thus, I have no reason to just look at you!”
“Ah……”
At that statement, Lirisia felt despair for the first time in a while.
Ah, it stings.
It hurts.
It’s so sharp.
It aches.
It hurts too much.
And Teresa felt the same way.
Is this right?
Is it correct to say such horrible things…?
“I, I just…… just…”
“So I don’t want to give you empty hopes now and make you lean on me….”
“Huh? I’m okay with that.”
As Shia choked down the last of the pajeon, Teresa turned furiously to her.
“What are you talking about?”
“Teresa, I’m a saint.”
It’s an old story, but still.
“Someone told me that a saint sees the essence of things. It’s a complicated idea, so I don’t get it very well, but even though I don’t know your past, I can read the feelings you all harbor right now.”
“……..”
Now that she thought about it, Teresa hadn’t told Shia that she was a regressant, yet somehow felt she was participating in the conversation naturally.
It wasn’t something that needed to be kept secret, but she hadn’t expected it to be exposed like this.
“At first, Teresa was happy to meet me. I could feel her joy deeply.”
“……”
“But alongside that joy, I could also sense the hidden anxiety, restlessness, self-loathing, and all sorts of negative feelings following after it.”
So that’s what it was.
Shia wiped the grease from her lips and smiled brightly.
It was the true smile of a saint that Teresa hadn’t seen in a long while.
“You can let go of all that negativity hidden beneath your joy. I don’t want to see you break down because you’re only focusing on me. And not just you, but Lirisia too.”
“………”
At that, Lirisia looked at Shia with trembling eyes.
“Teresa, there are many people who will protect you. Like Lirisia said earlier, I have quite a lot. An overly great hero, Yeonhwa, Yeonseo, a mother I didn’t think I’d see again. Enemies and those who adore me… and even the viewers.”
Well, some enemies might need a bit of education.
With a giggle, Shia helped Teresa back up.
“Teresa, the worst thing you imagine won’t happen.”
“But… I…”
“Menelapie, Yeonseo, Yeonhwa, mom, and little precious Yane, the Mermaid Princess, both the large and small Olgania, and even the tea bags that are peacefully sleeping in the fridge. There are many who will protect me. And if it gets to this point, shouldn’t I be the one protecting you? At this point, I’m the strongest, right?”
That was true.
Shia had experienced countless hardships during the initial ten years of becoming a Witch Saint.
But at this point, Shia had reached a level where she could easily pound a Demon King down without injury.
“So Teresa, don’t just look at me. Take a moment to stop and look around.”
“…I, I don’t have that… right…”
“Instead of supporting me, now I’ll support you. And I hope you can embrace others that I can’t hold.”
As a first step, that other me.
“Embrace that other me who’s about to burst into tears.”
“Ah.”
“Above all, all the words you’ve said to Lirisia up to now… they were all lies, weren’t they?”
To push away.
To refuse.
All of it.
Saying that, Shia suddenly pushed Teresa toward Lirisia.
Naturally, Lirisia caught Teresa, almost creating a position where they were embracing each other.
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“……….”
“……….”
“Then I’ll be the one to leave first~ Teresa, don’t take too long. Oh, don’t worry; this doesn’t mean you have to come today.”
With that, Shia disappeared somewhere with the pajeon plate.
Both Lirisia and Teresa stood in silence for a moment, stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Is this okay?
Is it too sudden?
Lirisia didn’t want much.
Just Teresa… no, Eselatia, just one person. Someone to stay close like they used to. Someone to embrace her true feelings and wounds.
She needed someone to lean on.
Living alone like this was far too vast and lonely.
After all, both Lirisia and Shia, in the end, were the same when it came to being lonely.
“……”
“…..I’m sorry.”
“…..Esel, Lati…a.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Teresa realized she no longer needed to hesitate.
“I’m sorry for acting like trash. I’m sorry for saying mean things…”
My witch.
Don’t cry.
“I’m sorry for trying to refuse and push you away. It wasn’t intentional. I didn’t want to push you away. I didn’t want to tear Lirisia’s heart apart. I’m so sorry for everything I did wrong…”
“…I know.”
Ah, my witch.
In front of me, you’re not Teresa but ‘Eselatia.’
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Lirisia, I’m sorry… I won’t let you go this time.”
“…I’m sorry too.”
Sorry for forcing.
Sorry for trying to fight against your precious Shia.
Sorry for wanting to monopolize you.
“I’m a flawed witch… a flawed witch of yours, but please forgive me just once…”
“Okay…”
What were Shia’s thoughts?
Perhaps, given her unwavering belief against lying, she truly meant each word.
Was she hoping that Teresa wouldn’t blindly focus only on Shia and end up losing her humanity again?
But whatever the motive was, it no longer mattered.
“I’m really sorry.”
“Ugh… Huh… Esel, Lati… huh…”
My witch has returned once more.
She says she won’t let go this time.
That alone was enough.
“Goodbye, my witch.”
“Goodbye, my Lirisia.”
○○○○○
“Looks like it went well!”
“W-What the hell?! No!”
“W-So, nothing happened between us? Is that it? Was it just me who was sincere, Eselatia? Sniff…”
“No, that’s not it, that girl… please… don’t cry, Lirisia-chan…”
“…I’m witnessing both the Witch of the Dark Star, who seems to have no blood or tears, and the Black Witch crying like children, you know, Shia.”
“Isn’t it fascinating?”
“Is it even fascinating? If you’re the same person, you could cry together. It was just unexpected.”
“It’s just the process we went through that’s different. She’s ultimately me.”
“…That’s not quite right.”
“Huh?”
Surprise!
“You don’t know how annoying it can be when you’re sniffling while about to cry.”
“..Huh??”
“Well, it’s done. Seems like it unraveled well, so let’s go back now. It’s quite rude to keep spying like this.”
