Two months?! Released? Killed? The thought shot through my heart. Suddenly, the food in my mouth turned bland; my hunger vanished, replaced by terrifying visions of what might happen two months from now.
"Hey! Hey!" The voice sounded like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel.
Brak! Aurora slammed the table.
I jolted out of my daze, gasping for air.
"What's wrong with you?" Aurora asked, her tone worried, but this time it felt profoundly different.
I wanted to run away, to flee and go back to my apartment. I wanted to go to Rusty Village and meet my mother.
"W-what are you g-going to—" I choked. Then I finally blurted out rapidly, "My Lady, what are you going to do to me in two months?" My words were fast, almost a shout. I didn't know what was happening to me; it just came out, driven purely by fear.
Aurora then sat back down in her chair, let out a sigh, and her face looked relieved… seemingly because she heard… my words?
She rested her cheek on her hand, this time not looking at me but at the plate in front of her.
"Calm down, nothing will happen to you. After two months, you will be released," she said softly, her hand playing with the fork on her plate. "I'm sorry about earlier. I was just testing your honesty, and you passed." She looked at me. "Seeing you like this… I guess I went overboard, didn't I? Now you look like you've lost your mind because of me."
I fell silent.
"You know?" she continued, "I was actually looking for a slave to torment as an outlet. But then I saw you: white hair, silver eyes – you're from the Ravencrest Clan, who the kingdom is slaughtering. Meeting you was incredibly rare. I am someone who knows the truth about the kingdom, so… I couldn't bear to do it to your kind. And rather than letting you be taken to the kingdom and killed, it was better for me to buy you for a price higher than the bounty. So, I saved you, for now. But two months from now, I will leave this house, and you must live your own life after that. My hope is that you can live your life as a teenager your age should: Go to school. Make friends. Graduate. Get a job. I will finance all of it. So, enjoy it for now and prepare yourself for when I leave later."
I was utterly speechless, my heart deeply touched. The world seemed to stop… Is she telling the truth? Or just trying to deceive me? I was still wary of her, but not as much as I was deeply moved. Tears welled up in my eyes. Who was touched by her? Asta or me?… All this time, Asta's life had always felt lonely; even with his father, he was always used. This was the first time he had received attention like this in almost seven years. So had I. Since I was ten, I lived alone – my parents still visited me, but it was a pretense; if it weren't for the law, would they have visited me? No, they would have abandoned me. I was the garbage from their broken relationship, and this was also the first time I had received attention like this. Even if this was just an act… I still couldn't hold back my tears.
Tears streamed down my cheeks silently.
"Why are you crying?" Aurora said with genuine pity in front of me.
I couldn't answer her. I covered my face with both hands, my tears flowing freely now, accompanied by loud, wracking sobs.
I let everything out in that cry—my exhaustion from the pressure, my loneliness, my feeling of being utterly alone. It felt like… It felt like something was filling a vast, empty hole in my heart.
"Alright then… I'll let you cry for now," Aurora said, her words hanging in the air as I remained consumed by my sobs.
After a while, my crying subsided. Aurora invited me to tour her house. I didn't answer with words, but followed behind her.
On the spacious terrace of her house – the cool wind and the hot afternoon sun touched my skin, calming the turmoil in my heart. Along the way, Aurora didn't say anything; we were both quiet in a peaceful silence. I kept studying her face carefully: searching for hidden intentions in her face, which this time looked calm. Was she telling the truth? Or was she lying just to calm me down? That was what echoed in my heart; I couldn't trust her one hundred percent yet, but I had no other choice but to believe her for now.
She occasionally glanced at me, her face and eyes seeming to say, 'It's okay.' She also told me about her surroundings, even giving me information about the outside world, and then showed me her magic by moving the dolls at will; it was soul manipulation.
Finally, the sun began to set. We were on the second floor watching it. She sat in a chair, while I stood behind her.
After the sun finally set, Aurora broke the silence.
"Go to your room if you're tired," she said without turning around.
"Yes, My Lady," I replied, but there was something I had to say. "Sorry for my forwardness."
Aurora glanced at me from her chair with a curious look. "What is it?"
"I would like to borrow your quill and books," I requested. This was also a test; if she refused, it meant her words were a lie because she didn't want me to be free. "Because my head was hit by something, my memories are a mess. I have forgotten many things. So I need books to… perhaps restore my memories."
Aurora looked back at the last rays of the sunset in the west. Then she said:
"You don't need to ask for permission. Didn't you already do it? In your room, there are many books and a quill. Use them as you please."
I nodded. "Alright, thank you, My Lady. I will return to my room," I said.
Aurora didn't respond, but I left her.
In the room, I gathered books of knowledge about this world, and also how to use magic. I also took some blank paper to write my name in Korean and writings about my life on Earth – just as a reminder that I existed. If one day Asta's memories were to come completely, this would be my only anchor, nothing else.
I took the paper, then started writing with the quill, which felt very difficult when you're used to a ballpoint pen.
While I was still writing – the two moons, one silver and one purple, began to appear, adorning the starry sky, which also had an Aurora Borealis. I couldn't help but be in awe of the sight.
I went back to writing, but I caught something in the corner of my eye. Turning, I saw in front of Aurora's gate, which for some reason was still open at night, four pairs of glowing yellow eyes staring at me.
What is that? Fireflies? I stood up, and the yellow eyes followed my movement.
Not fireflies.
I then walked to the other side of the window, then paced back and forth, yet they still followed me as if I were prey.
What exactly is that?