I Picked Up a Witch With Amnesia

5. A Conflict Named Desire – 01

All around, it was already dark. As the sun slowly set over the horizon, the sky was covered with red acacia petals. It was a beautiful sight, as if the goddess of the night had her red skirt hanging in the sky. And against the background of such a sunset, you can see several wagons gradually moving away from the island.

“…Cain.”

On the top of the castle wall surrounding Lumentium, on top of it, Ariel was watching the carriage getting smaller and smaller in the setting sun.

Sarak-

take a step There was the sound of clothes scraping. Without realizing it, I took a step forward. I wanted to see his back, even just a little bit more. If I leave like this, I wanted to soothe my regret at least because I know that I won’t be able to see you for a while.

“…..”

Time goes by like that. The carriage became a dot, then completely disappeared over the horizon. The setting sun had completely set before I knew it, and the surroundings were filled with only quiet silence. Even though pitch-black darkness enveloped the surroundings, Ariel’s gaze was still directed toward the northern sky where the carriage had disappeared.

“…Ahh.”

Ariel closed her eyes involuntarily. Even at this moment, when I closed my eyes, there was a scene that came to my mind clearly. A meadow with the fragrant smell of grass. A small valley with a winding stream of water. A feast of unknown flowers that fill the fields. And a small flower crown just for herself, woven from those flowers. The touch of affectionate lips against your cheeks.

remember No, I had to remember. The time spent with him in the small and cute hut built on the meadow was the happiest time in Ariel’s life.

Yes. I was happy. I was very, very happy. She abandoned the sense of duty as the first servant of the goddess, the responsibility as a saint who leads the church, and the admiration of countless people toward her, only pursuing that one thing. No regrets, no. There was no one by her side anymore, but instead he was by her side. he filled the void he loved himself And that was enough. Because he was like everything in the world to a woman named Ariel.

“…miss you.”

I still remember. What was the smell of his flesh when he was held in his arms, how was his hand stroking her hair while whispering love to her.

Alas, come to think of it, he loved stroking and brushing Ariel’s hair. Even when Ariel told her not to tickle her, he would smile and brush her hair without saying anything. He complimented her on how beautiful her hair was. That was just as good. Because he knew for sure that he was loved and that he loved him.

But at the same time, it was all just a dream. It was a daydream. It has become a useless time like a bubble. It has become a delusion that cannot happen in reality. If only I could go back, if only I could go back to those days, I wanted to go back even if I had to split my own heart. Even so, I dreamed of reuniting. Once again, I wanted to see his face smiling just for me.

…however, that was impossible. Everything was buried in the soil of time. That’s why I realized. Even if I stretch out my hand as hard as I can, it won’t reach. that everything is going far away. Hey, like that carriage that’s getting so far away that you can’t even see it with the naked eye.

“…Ah, black.”

The piercing solitude that rose up in her heart made Ariel unknowingly wrap herself in her arms. Legs lose strength. In fact, I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to go north right now. I wanted to go to him. I wanted to run to him and whisper love. I wanted to beg for love, asking me to look back on myself. However, I couldn’t do that. because it didn’t make any sense. Because nothing was prepared. It wasn’t the time to be with him yet. So, I had to be patient.

Desperately comes up with another idea. I recall the image I met at the banquet hall a few days ago. Now, a smile comes to my face again. I remember when I first met him. Looking at herself, her dumbfounded face as she mistakenly called herself a ‘saint’ was really cute. If it was possible, his appearance was so cute that I wanted to transfer it to the canvas as it was at that time.

However, the smile that appeared on her face was short-lived, and Ariel’s eyes cooled down as she recalled what happened next.

“Iris el Devhart.”

Ariel laughed as she recalled the woman she had met at the banquet hall. It was funny. The girl who acted like a virgin who didn’t know a man in the expedition was dressed up like a prostitute in the red light district at the banquet, and she almost burst into laughter. Really, should I say blatant? For what purpose she was wearing a dress like that, she could clearly see her insides. Even if I wanted to pretend I didn’t know, I couldn’t. After entering the banquet hall, the girl’s gaze was focused on only one man.

That’s why I didn’t bend my back toward the girl. He could bow down to the imperial princess, but he couldn’t just bow down to a prostitute. All the more because that prostitute was a disgusting bitch wagging her tail at him.

Come to think of it, when I think of what happened at the banquet hall, I think of the white-haired girl who chased him like a puppy. Perhaps, did you say her name was Arya?

“…Ah, Cain. Really, be kind too.”

You even gave a name to ‘it’. As soon as I saw it, my heart turned, but I didn’t use my hands because it was like a toy I treasured quite a bit. To be precise, it was nothing more than leaving it alone because it was not worth using. That didn’t mean I liked it. I didn’t want to add one more worthless obstacle to the overflow of trivial things everywhere.

“No, that’s not it.”

If I lived alone with him, the house might be quite lonely. It didn’t seem too bad to have a pet on this occasion. She didn’t like it very much, but this time she decided to put up with it. From this point on, Ariel was a woman called a saint in the world. That much mercy could have been given.

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More than anything, it was decided by him. It was quite reluctant to interfere recklessly in the affairs he had decided. I thought it was not good for me to interfere too much. A dignified, dignified appearance. That was the ideal companion Ariel was pursuing.

“…Well?”

It was then. Ariel sensed a murderous gaze staring at her from somewhere. Turn your head. From the top of the imperial palace, far away from the castle wall where Ariel is standing, the figure of a woman looking at him comes into view. Even without asking why that woman was on top of the imperial palace, she seemed to know the reason. Probably for the same reason that he is now on top of the castle wall.

The distance between Ariel and Iris is about 1 km. However, that distance was also a distance that did not interfere with the two women checking each other’s appearance. Considering the distance, the two women exchange lifelike glances. Neither Ariel nor Iris had the slightest intention of averting their gaze.

“…huh.”

Laughter emerges. It’s just ridiculous that a girl who doesn’t know anything, or at best, knows one thing and doesn’t know the other, comes out there. It seems that he believes in his proud status and holds his head up stiffly, but can he really stick to that attitude even after knowing the truth? Even mere creatures tend to turn their heads toward the burrow where they lived when they died. And, he was a person with so much affection that he couldn’t even compare to a fox. Victory was already on the decline. The only one who doesn’t know that would be that stupid girl staring at Ariel from a distance.

“…..”

The first to step back was Iris. Iris clicked her tongue at Ariel, then quickly turned her head away. I don’t know why that proud girl took a step back. However, there was something certain about this. That bitch will cross the line sooner or later. I was already unable to hide my life toward myself. In the near future, Ariel could bet everything on that girl’s visit.

Does not matter. No, on the contrary, I was hoping for that. because-

Ariel came to the island because of that.

“Princess, your visits are always welcome.”

While muttering that, Ariel smiled lightly without even realizing it.

A smile so beautiful.

****

In the north of the empire, there is a huge mountain range that crosses the east and west sides of the continent. The name of the mountain range is the Ibarencia Mountains. This high and rugged mountain range boasted a loftiness that refused to be touched by people, even the sky was covered. And between the banks of the mountains where they meet, the source of the river Kildern winds through the folds and soon flows into the Duchy of Estel.

The Kildern River is a small tributary that runs through the middle of the Duchy of Estelle. Even a thousand years ago, the Duchy of Estelle had fertile plains, starting with the Kildern River. All that remains in this place now is a barren wasteland where the land has exhausted itself. Except for some crops that grow well even in the desolate land, there was no farming in the Duchy of Estel.

The weather was also unpredictable, so it was not uncommon to see snow or frost in midsummer. As farming did not work properly, commerce and industry naturally contracted, and as commerce and industry contracted, it was inevitable that income within the territory would also decrease. Over the course of a thousand years, everything that made up the Duchy of Estel lost its meaning. The Duchy of Estelle, which remains in this place now, was like an empty shell, remembering the glory of a thousand years ago and chewing on memories.

“…This is serious.”

Lucian was groaning at the scenery outside the window. Throughout the trip, Lucian, who had not readily accepted the situation of the current Duchy of Estel despite kindly explaining it, was unable to hide his agitation when he confirmed the truth of the dukedom with his own eyes.

“Isn’t there such a thing as a special product? If not that, what about mine development?”

“Hey, do you really think you’ve been sitting still in the Duchy of Estel for a thousand years, sucking your fingers?”

I let out a self-deprecating laugh and kindly explained to Lucian.

“A useful mine nearby has long since been abandoned. Also, there was no such thing as a specialty product even a thousand years ago when it was popular, but now there is no way that something like that will come out of nowhere.”

“…then. this is…”

Lucian frowned, then let out a sigh.

“I don’t understand. A thousand years ago, why did the first Duke of Estelle want to be located in a land like this? Did you think people could survive in such a barren land?”

“I think I’ve said it a hundred times. There was nothing to go up until a thousand years ago, and about two hundred years ago, farming was carried out in the duchy of Estel. And there was a time when gold and silver were pouring out of those abandoned mines. As a nobleman, he must have made the best choice for his descendants.”

No matter how proud the first Duke of Estel was, he couldn’t have imagined that a thousand years from now, the Duchy of Estel would look like this.

“That’s why I hope you don’t look at me like that. No matter how barren this place may be, it is, after all, a place where people live. We haven’t lived a servile life to the point of being sympathetic to you.”

A young boy who has never been hungry since he was born would have a sensibility that he would never understand.

“…..”

At my words, Lucian closed his eyes. As he shuts his mouth, the inside of the carriage automatically becomes quiet. Why does that guy bring out meaningless words and make a normal person feel dirty? However, what he said was not completely wrong, so I sighed slightly and closed my eyes. It was because I wanted to calm down my heart that was disturbed by that guy.

How much time had passed like that? I felt Arya, who was sitting quietly next to me, shaking my arm slightly.

“Kain-nim, I got a call from the carriage in front. They say they’re going to arrive at the main town in a while.”

“okay?”

“Um… and there was one more message that I urgently wanted to deliver to Cain.”

“…Do you want me to deliver it urgently?”

“yes.”

Saying that, Arya held out a crumpled piece of paper towards me. I carefully unfolded the slip of paper, trying to suppress the rising anxiety.

[The delegation of the Marquis of Castana arrives. Do not go directly into the main building and wait in front.]

“…..”

As soon as I got home, it seemed that something quite unusual had happened.