Memoirs of a Wicked Magician - Chapter 75

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 75
“Ah, I understand, Caliona. Liriope, come on—let’s head to the room. I’ll show you the way!”
Milena grasped Liriope’s stiffened hand firmly and began running down the corridor.
“It’s a shame we can’t share a room—I’m on the 15th Floor right now. But from now on, we’ll be together every day!”
The grip of Milena’s hand, clutching her as though she would never let go again, was remarkably strong. It ached a little, but Liriope’s senses were too preoccupied elsewhere to mind such a thing.
Caliona walked behind them, reluctantly following Milena’s pace.
Liriope wanted to turn around and look at her, but couldn’t bring herself to move her stiff neck.
“Still, since Caliona’s on the 20th Floor, that makes me closer to Liriope. Oh, Caliona isn’t a new guide, but she came along today because she was worried about me! Liriope doesn’t know Caliona very well…… Hehe, hehehe. Liriope is my friend, and Caliona’s my friend too, but the two of them don’t know each other, right?”
But what was this?
Whenever someone else passed in the corridor, Milena raised her voice awkwardly and babbled on with incomprehensible chatter.
She clearly knew that Liriope and Caliona were sisters, yet she spoke as though she was denying their relationship entirely—it was distinctly strange.
The sensation was exactly like someone deliberately putting on an unnatural performance, conscious of the eyes around them.
Not only Liriope but even the passersby glanced at Milena as if she were being odd.
“Milena, stop making such a racket and just walk faster. You’re better off saying nothing at all.”
“Eek! Y-you’re right? Ah, okay!”
Caliona tolerated such behavior from Milena a few times, but eventually fixed her with a glare and reproached her in a voice strained through clenched teeth.
In that moment of sudden realization, Liriope finally arrived at her room.
“Ah, here it is! Come inside, Liriope. C-Caliona, since you’ve come this far, why don’t you come in and have some tea before you go?”
Milena pushed both Liriope and Caliona forward by the small of their backs.
The door shut with a sharp click.
…….
…….
…….
A delicate silence hung in the air for a moment.
Liriope, who had entered the room with a sense of bewilderment, barely had time to look around before she felt a piercing gaze.
She turned her head and saw Caliona standing beside her, regarding her with a frightening stare.
Liriope flinched involuntarily. Caliona stared at her without blinking once, as though trying to etch the image of Liriope’s every gesture into her retinas.
And then……at last, Caliona’s firmly closed lips parted.
“Liri.”
……!
At that familiar name, Liriope’s eyes widened.
She held her breath for a moment as she faced the person before her.
After a brief hesitation, Liriope too opened her lips and whispered softly.
“Sister…….”
In that instant, Caliona’s rigid mask shattered.
Her sharp jawline trembled, then hardened rigidly as if she’d clenched her teeth.
Her hand snapped forward urgently, but it stopped short in the air before reaching Liriope.
It was a movement that seemed fearful, as though confronted with something fragile enough to break at any moment.
In fact, until now it had been hidden beneath her cold expression—something she hadn’t noticed…….
Liriope saw that Caliona’s hand was trembling ever so faintly, as if betraying suppressed emotion.
Without thinking, Liriope reached out first and grasped that hand.
Warmth spread across their joined palms in that single instant.
But it lasted only a moment. Caliona pulled her hand away hastily from Liriope, as though burned.
“Liri, you…….”
Instead, she examined Liriope hurriedly with wavering eyes, as though all her coldness until now had been nothing but a lie.
“Why…… why have you become so thin? There’s barely skin and bone left.”
…….
“Did Cameron mistreat you? You’ve been well, haven’t you? Last time there were too many eyes watching, so I couldn’t check properly…….”
“Sister.”
“Did you not eat well all this time? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Sister.”
“Are you injured? No? Let me look more carefully…….”
How had she managed to hide all these countless words in her chest until now?
Caliona’s face, biting her lip as she examined Liriope frantically, looked utterly anxious and worried.
“Ah……. Thank goodness you came up to the Upper Levels so quickly. If you’d taken any longer, I would’ve gone mad with worry and charged down into the Underground myself…….”
Compared to Liriope, who had been trapped in the Underground all this time, Caliona’s complexion was far more pallid. And those dark circles under her eyes—as though she hadn’t slept a wink in days?
Though her sister’s condition certainly called for heartfelt concern…….
Yet seeing Caliona’s genuine worry for her, Liriope felt as though the heavy weight that had been crushing her chest had suddenly lifted.
For the past several days, Liriope’s heart had been something like hell—even more so than when she was at the Outer Estate.
She had been terrified that she and Caliona would fall back into that frozen relationship they had before the Time Regression…….
Liriope was truly, deeply afraid.
“Sister, I…….”
But now, seeing Caliona worry for her with her whole being, the emotions she had been suppressing all this time came surging up, and her voice broke despite herself.
“I’ve m-missed you so much.”
At that, Caliona raised her eyes from searching Liriope’s body and met her gaze.
In that moment, tears that Liriope couldn’t hold back rolled down her cheeks.
Caliona’s breath caught at the sight, and she clenched her trembling hands tightly.
“……I missed you too, Liri. I missed you too.”
Though she didn’t actually embrace the weeping Liriope, as though some unspoken hesitation held her back…….
In the words she whispered quietly, restraining her own tears, there resonated the sincerity that had been concentrated over a long time.
“I’ve regretted leaving you alone at the Outer Estate and escaping by myself for the past year so much that I wanted to die.”
Those words were saturated with the pain, self-reproach, and remorse Caliona had felt during all this time.
“I’m sorry for pretending not to know you when I saw you recently. I didn’t want to do that, but circumstances forced my hand. Still, I know you must have been very hurt……. I’m truly sorry.”
Liriope shook her head vigorously, insisting that Caliona had nothing to apologize for.
“No, sister. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
“What could you possibly be sorry for? I’m the one who should apologize. Now and a year ago too……. All I’ve ever done is cause you sorrow. I don’t even deserve to be your sister.”
“No, I’m the foolish one who worried you.”
“Why would you say that? What could you possibly have done wrong! It’s all my fault.”
The sisters went back and forth, apologizing to each other over and over.
“Um, um. You two? How about we sit down and talk? Let’s calm our hearts first and have some tea. Okay?”
It was then that Milena gently suggested from in front of the tea table, and the apologies that seemed to have no end finally ceased.
Caliona and Liriope fell silent, composing their turbulent emotions and following Milena’s suggestion.
Into the teacups prepared beforehand, liquid releasing a sweet fragrance was poured with a gentle stream.
Apart from that sound, no words passed between them for a while.
Milena, showing tact, seemed to remain quiet so as to leave space for the sisters’ conversation.
Liriope and Caliona, burdened by the weight of emotions they had accumulated, didn’t know where to begin and couldn’t bring themselves to speak.
Then Caliona offered Liriope a handkerchief.
Liriope grasped it as though it were a treasure and, sniffling, asked first.
“Sister, have you been well all this time?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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