Chapter 115
At that time.
It was a part of the most hellish time in Erica’s short life.
A moment when she couldn’t trust others and couldn’t even comprehend love.
It was the day when Laila, Erica’s long-time servant and a motherly figure, was killed by Vargan, just a few days ago.
Erica was trembling.
She had gathered all her dolls on the bed and covered them with a blanket.
Like she had caught a nasty cold, 13-year-old Erica was shivering.
Her black eyes were lifeless, rejecting all the actions of the world.
Far from her bed, the cat doll Vargan had gifted her lay sprawled on the floor.
Her mind was replaying the nightmare of that day on its own.
“Laila… Laila…!”
Again and again.
“I don’t want it, I don’t want it, I don’t want it!”
No matter how much she screamed or tried to forget.
The engraving of that day rose more intensely and tightened its grip on her.
“I don’t want it! Please stop, Vargan…!”
Not Laila.
Please don’t kill Laila!
In the hallucinations she saw, she cried out countless times like that.
Trapped in the repetitive purgatory, Laila was killed by Vargan.
Again and again.
“Ahhh⎯⎯!”
…
⎯Knock, knock.
With all the lights out, Erica was still in terror.
Someone knocked on her door.
Even without a voice coming from behind the door, Erica knew who it was.
“Erica. Is it okay if I come in?”
Carefully, the doorknob turned and a woman entered.
It was Lilians, Erica’s mother.
She had come to check on Erica’s condition and comfort her again today.
As Lilians walked into the room, she saw the cat doll thrown into a corner and the cold, uneaten food.
Erica had skipped another meal today.
With each passing day, it was clear she was growing thinner.
“……”
Letting out a sigh of concern, she approached Erica’s bed.
Only when Lilians got right up to her did Erica finally recognize someone was there, raising her weary face briefly before looking down again.
Lilians felt pity for Erica’s state.
“How do you feel today?”
“……”
“The weather outside is lovely. You don’t have to go far; how about a little walk?”
“……”
Lilians’ voice couldn’t move Erica.
Erica had become a part of the group of dolls surrounding her.
It felt like there was nothing inside her but cotton.
She couldn’t communicate with the outside world.
Lilians didn’t forcibly drag Erica along.
She simply stayed by her side, spending time quietly and occasionally talking to her.
Recently, Lilians’ routine revolved around Erica.
That day was the same.
Checking on Erica’s condition, talking to her, cleaning her up, changing her clothes.
She would sit in a chair nearby and read fairy tales or books that Erica loved as a child.
When Erica suddenly screamed, her face filled with fear, or repeated the same words, Lilians would hold her to provide comfort, letting her hear her heartbeat.
As the calming aroma from Lilians enveloped Erica, she could feel a sense of stability.
Time.
Erica was slowly managing to quell her fierce energy and fall asleep.
…Lilian was tirelessly working for Erica.
She didn’t keep any servants around Erica.
All belongings related to Laila were cleared away so Erica couldn’t recall her.
Lilian accomplished everything by her own strength, without help from anyone nearby.
Yet, at no point did Lilian express that she was struggling or show any signs of it.
Always with a smiling face and a gentle demeanor.
She took care of Erica with great care.
Perhaps thanks to her devotion, Erica gradually began to recover.
She was no longer screaming or showing signs of seizures.
There were days she could move around and take walks, and she managed to eat small amounts.
She even walked first one day, and Lilian shed tears of joy at that first moment.
It was no surprise that watching Erica’s condition improve felt like the sole meaning of Lilian’s life.
……
Then, one day.
Something utterly incomprehensible happened.
“Vargan is here to see you. How about meeting him?”
Surprisingly, those were the words Lilian spoke to Erica.
The sentence, as casual as suggesting a walk in good weather, made Erica’s eyes widen as she had no choice but to look at her mother.
The reason Erica ended up like this was all because that Vargan had brutally killed Laila.
The blade from that day was still piercing her heart.
Knowing that Vargan was intentionally trying to hide all traces of Laila from her sight made it hard for Erica to believe those words.
“He’s reflecting on his actions. Even if he didn’t say it, it’s clear he wants to apologize by looking at you, our Erica.”
By the time Erica heard that.
Thoughts of ‘family and money’ sprang to her mind.
Surely, even after such an event.
Even knowing what state she was in.
Was her mother trying to keep this engagement going?
“Uh, how, how….”
“Our dear little fairy. Don’t worry.”
Lilian embraced the trembling Erica.
Slowly stroking her hair, she conveyed the same warm comfort as always.
Erica inhaled her mother’s scent.
Thanks to that, her stiffening thoughts barely connected.
Was it because of family interests?
No.
Impossible.
Her mother was certainly not that kind of person.
Her mother’s eyes held no deceit.
Her mother’s words were soaked in sincere feelings for her, rather than for the family.
But… but.
What on earth is this situation…?
For selfish interests? No, Erica knew far too well the devotion and affection Lilian had shown until now.
This was different from the time she was betrayed by Vargan.
Vargan had turned on her, clearly pushing her away while exuding a menacing aura.
But her mother remained unchanged from usual.
Lilian spoke to Erica packed with love.
“This is all for you.”
As if casting a spell. She spat out faith-like words one after another.
“Everything will work out just fine.”
In the midst of an incomprehensible situation and excessive warmth.
For the first time, Erica felt a chill from her.
“My lovely fairy. Erica.”
*
After reading Vargan’s letter, Erica pondered for about an hour before she went to find him.
He was still by the lakeside.
It seemed he had been standing there staring at the lake reflecting the blue moonlight for hours.
It was an unusual behavior for someone who hated waiting and always felt time was precious.
“You came.”
“……”
Without responding, Erica stepped forward.
Due to the height difference, she had to look up, but she walked close enough to reach out and almost touch him.
Vargan looked at Erica and asked.
“Coming here means I can assume you’ve accepted my proposal?”
To that question, Erica responded in a mumbled voice.
Perhaps having gotten some sleep, her complexion seemed much better than a few hours ago.
It feels like things have become a bit easier.
Even the emotions that were once monochrome are barely starting to show some color.
“Proposal? Good point. What’s up with that strange letter?”
“You turned back even before I finished speaking, didn’t you? So, I wrote this to make my intentions easier to grasp.”
“……”
“Oh, or are you asking about the letter itself?”
Vargan shrugged his shoulders with a cheeky expression.
The letter he sent to Erica was quite similar to the one she was keeping.
It was pieced together from shredded bits, with the crumpled texture expertly recreated.
“It wouldn’t be fun if it were in a typical form. I thought I’d apologize for tearing our letters in the past and turned it into a shape. Seems like it was more to your liking than I expected.”
“… I did like it.”
She was quite surprised, thinking there was no way Vargan could know she was keeping the letter from back then.
Looking at this man’s sly reaction made her wonder whether he genuinely knew or was just playing it cool. It was hard to judge or even be curious about it.
But that’s a story for later.
“You can actually help our mother?”
The content of Vargan’s letter detailed how he could alleviate her anxiety symptoms.
It also included how the voice was structured and how it transforms a person.
However, it conveniently left out what the voice actually was and why it occurred.
The more she read, the more questions arose, and the more empty paragraphs she felt were there.
She had returned after briefly walking away because she wanted to hear more about this.
Even a threadbare hope was better than nothing.
Vargan nodded in response.
“Yeah. If you think about the structure of the ‘voice,’ it’s not hard to resolve.”
The method he proposed was as follows.
Currently, Lilian was overly dependent on the voice, and the fact that it had vanished without warning was the problem.
So instead of a sudden disappearance, it should gradually be reduced.
She would hear a ‘fake voice’ while the frequency slowly decreases.
Over time, Lilian would adapt to this cycle, and if she could keep up until the end, she would be able to manage without feeling anxious, even if the fake voice vanished.
Upon hearing Vargan’s plan, Erica frowned slightly.
“So, to make her hear that fake voice, you’ll need to use your curse magic, right?”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be me who uses curse magic… but considering the reputation of the Portlet Family, it’s hard to find a magician specializing in curse magic to the caliber of the one who has attained comprehension. So it’s better that I handle it.”
Honestly, Erica didn’t really care about the Portlet Family’s reputation.
To her, her family’s prestige and her mother’s health were incomparable values.
What concerned Erica was using Vargan’s curse magic.
If it wasn’t Vargan, she’d have to find another magician.
It would take quite a bit of time to find a magician proficient in curse magic, and in that time, her mother could do something unexpected.
On the other hand, Vargan stood right here with suspicious amounts of information and a considerable level of curse magic.
In terms of conditions alone, it would make sense to ask Vargan.
… However, handing over something so closely related to her mother to Vargan was a significant source of anxiety.
Lost in thought, she finally spoke up.
She needed materials to assist her judgment.
“Let me ask a few things.”
“Go ahead.”
What Erica was getting at was the omitted explanations from Vargan that were either intentional or not.
“What exactly is the voice? And how are you so sure that my mother was hearing it?”
If the voice was trying to influence her mother’s actions, there must have been a reason for it.
Who initiated this, and with what intention?
Additionally, even if Vargan claimed he heard about the illness of the Schugenhartz family mother, he shouldn’t know the precise symptoms or causes; how did he have more information than she did?
Is he holding a lot of information…?
Erica, who had been thinking his recent actions were strange, suddenly recalled Alicia’s incident and the final exam.
She shook it off.
All she wanted to think about now was anything related to Mother.
…And the last thing she wanted to ask was.
“What’s in it for you to act like this?”
Schugenhartz is the kind of man who only moves if there’s something in it for him.
If the value isn’t high enough, he won’t act this aggressively or even pay attention.
For him to go out of his way to help means the current situation must be working out in his favor.
It would be better if Schugenhartz gained a solid profit. That way, a deal could be established.
But her answer was.
“First, the answer to the previous two questions, but I can’t answer that.”
…What?
The reason that followed was also completely unbelievable.
“Because it’s an area you shouldn’t know at your current level. The only thing I can respond to is the last question.”
He answered.
What would benefit him.
“There’s no profit.”
If Vargan meant the benefit Erica was referring to was something physical—he thought this but it was meaningless.
The words adding to Erica’s statement were useless.
She said.
“Are you messing with me right now?”
Erica’s gaze, which had started softening, sharpened and shot at Vargan.
The fact that he can’t explain the reason was ridiculous, and that it’s in an area she shouldn’t know?
No clear benefit either?
Give me a break!
“How can I believe you, of all people, saying such things to me?”
Even if she didn’t hear satisfactory answers to the previous two questions, if she could figure out what benefits he might have, then maybe the conversation could move forward.
Negotiation could have been possible.
However, Vargan gave that up.
He didn’t show off his clever tongue to deceive others with claims and logic.
He didn’t prepare any suitable grounds or reasons.
“…Erica.”
Vargan clearly observed Erica’s thoughts and emotions as they appeared on the surface. After quietly looking at her, he spoke.
“So didn’t I hit the nail on the head from the beginning?”
“……”
“How much do you trust me?”
Vargan asserts that even if he saves Lilian, he will never bring it up to extract something from her.
This matter will be just between him and Erica.
…Strange.
So very strange.
He is being illogical. Or is he purposely trying to appear that way?
But why? When uncovering something would surely yield more rewards, why not?
…….
That being said, he must definitely be hiding something.
He must be trying to gain something covertly. He will, and he must.
He is not revealing his true intentions…!
Erica, in the midst of her agonizing thoughts, raised her head and shouted.
Unreservedly, she expressed her recognition and judgment of Vargan.
“Schugenhartz! Don’t try to fool me. What’s your real goal? If you want to negotiate, at least persuade your opponent. That’s what you’re good at!”
“…Goal. A goal, huh.”
She locked eyes with him.
Vargan’s eyes were endlessly calm. The surface of the lake, shimmering softly with moonlight, was reflected once again in his eyes.
Finally, his mouth opened.
He neither smiled wickedly nor wore an arrogant expression.
As Vargan’s voice reached her ears, Erica’s eyes widened until her under-eye twitched. Ripples formed across that smooth surface.
What he uttered was an emotional statement far removed from reason, a truth Erica would struggle to accept.
“I want to help you.”
It was a fragment of emotion he had possessed since the past yet never revealed.
“That’s all.”
Of the ‘two’ souls dwelling within him, it was the truth of the original body’s master.
At the same time, it was the regret of one who was dying.
