My Illusion Is Survival - Chapter 13

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

Chapter 13

Azel was curious about the woman’s condition.

Whether she was alright now, what exactly she had seen yesterday, if she was hurt anywhere. He wanted to ask about such things.

However, this was an impulse uncharacteristic of him.

“That’s enough. You don’t need to explain, so go rest now.”

Countless questions ultimately never made it past his lips.

It wasn’t only because it was uncharacteristic of him. He was afraid these questions might cause the woman before him pain again.

‘Afraid? Me?’

At this unconscious thought, he wanted to loudly refute it even though no one was listening.

‘It’s merely pity.’

Yes, everything was nothing more than pity for a human afflicted by dark magic.

‘No, I can’t even be certain yet that this woman is related to dark magic in the first place.’

Azel constantly made excuses to himself like someone trying to avoid an obvious truth.

Without even realizing that this too was uncharacteristic of him.

Meanwhile, the woman, unaware of Azel’s circumstances, added in a trembling voice.

“Thank you. …For not asking anything.”

“…You don’t have to say anything. I won’t bother asking in the future either.”

That was all Azel could say.

The woman couldn’t speak, and Azel couldn’t remember.

Even so, the woman looked at Azel with rippling eyes as if she were moved.

‘I don’t need to know. The deadline is only a month anyway.’

His purpose was only to end this tiresome regression anyway.

Whoever the woman was, whatever their relationship had been. Such things weren’t important at all.

‘Right, it was strange that I was curious about such things in the first place.’

Deliberately ignoring his chest that had begun to ache again, Azel tried once more to escape this place.

‘Right, it’s not important.’

However, contrary to his resolve,

“Azel.”

His footsteps simply wouldn’t move.

“You asked me yesterday, didn’t you? What I was to Azel.”

And that moment of hesitation

brought the worst possible result for Azel.

‘Why would she…!’

The woman spoke of the ‘forbidden topic.’

“Stop,”

“I don’t know either. What I was to Azel. What kind of meaning I as a person held for you. I don’t know.”

The story that followed was something Azel hadn’t anticipated.

“But I do know what kind of existence Azel was to me.”

Unable to bear it, he turned around and immediately their eyes met.

‘I thought she would be crying.’

The woman was smiling.

Even though she was speaking of the ‘forbidden topic’ that had caused her such pain.

Even though she must be afraid.

Even though it must be difficult.

She smiled while looking at Azel with a face that seemed infinitely joyful and precious.

“A lingering attachment.”

Then his heart dropped to his feet.

“You were my lingering attachment.”

Thanks to this, Azel realized.

He would no longer be able to turn away from the woman.

And he would never forget that smile of hers.

*

I was currently deeply moved by Azel’s attitude.

‘This kind soul!’

After finishing my conversation with Gaspata at dawn.

I had been waiting anxiously the entire time for Azel to wake up.

Honestly speaking, looking back at yesterday’s version of myself with a clear mind, it was absolutely terrible.

‘I really made every possible scene.’

So much so that despite agonizing over it all dawn, I couldn’t find any excuse.

‘Clinging and crying, screaming. I was just a crazy person.’

Although it happened because I mistook Gaspata for a ghost, I couldn’t explain this to Azel either.

So I thought everything was ruined and was almost in a state of despair.

‘Is he really an angel.’

The angel before me magnanimously declared he would let it slide.

‘I’ll really do well from now on. Thank you, buddy! You’re the best, Azel Viotz!’

It would be strange not to be moved by this.

“Although I can’t talk about what happened yesterday, I can say this much. Thank you, Azel.”

Moved, I revealed the secret that Azel was actually my lingering attachment, and my heart felt much lighter.

He seemed surprised by my sudden TMI, but well. What did it matter.

Having shed one worry, I was simply happy.

*

Meanwhile, there was a pair of eyes watching these two people of contrasting moods.

Gaspata, the owner of that gaze, trembled with excitement, even forgetting the terror from dawn.

The reason was clear.

‘This is definitely love!’

There was love before his eyes.

He had been hiding in a corner due to the woman’s threats. But lo and behold, he witnessed an incredible scene.

‘That Azel! Our Azel! Is having romantic tension!’

For a long time, Gaspata had been watching over Azel.

Azel, who had cut off all human relationships from a certain point, was like a sore thumb to Gaspata.

He always worried because Azel treated even his subordinates coldly.

But that Azel was trying to change.

Although his partner was a terrifyingly scary and suspicious human woman, that didn’t matter anymore.

‘A lingering attachment! You said your existence was my lingering attachment!’

If that wasn’t love, then what else could it be!

Gaspata was now stuck to the wall, half sobbing.

Their love was too beautiful.

‘Waaah! I want to keep watching!’

Such entertaining scenes couldn’t be expected in the spirit realm.

So for Gaspata, who greatly admired ‘others’ love,’ the scene before him was incredibly stimulating.

But as a spirit, he had duties he absolutely had to fulfill. It was impossible to watch these two any longer.

Eventually, Gaspata tearfully prepared to return.

‘Still, before I go, I should repay the favor for showing me such beautiful love.’

Before departing for the spirit realm, Gaspata’s hand moved suspiciously.

A faint cluster of light burst from her fingertips and floated gently on the wind.

It flowed and flowed until it finally reached above the woman’s head.

The woman couldn’t see it, and Azel lacked the ability to notice the spirit’s power.

While the two humans remained unaware, the cluster of light seeped into the woman.

‘May this power be of help.’

With a satisfied smile, the spirit disappeared as silently as she had appeared.

*

“Are you awake, guest?”

When I carelessly opened the door and stepped out, I encountered an unfamiliar sight for the first time since coming to this place.

A maid with short green hair stood in front of the door with an expressionless face.

“…Mary?”

Blink.

When I unconsciously called her name, she blinked her eyes.

“Good day. I am Mary, who will be serving you from now on.”

She finished her greeting elegantly while slightly lifting the hem of her skirt.

‘Why did she suddenly appear?’

…Mary.

More precisely, Linoa Marigold.

Like Simoer in the story, she appears as Azel’s faithful subordinate and is a representative warrior of the dark faction.

She’s definitely not someone who could be an ordinary maid.

‘No, why would a former holy knight who betrayed the temple and fled be working as a maid here in the first place?’

However, Mary, who had even properly dressed in a maid outfit, was still blocking my path.

“Uh, um, please take care of me.”

“Yes, please take care of me as well.”

But the absurd situation didn’t end there.

“Since we have a guest after such a long time, let’s do some deep cleaning.”

“We sweep and clean every day, so what’s this sudden deep cleaning about? You’re just telling us to do what we always do.”

“Shut your mouth and move your hands.”

“Since the guest has awakened, we should hurry with meal preparations. I’ll go to the kitchen.”

“How is the garden’s condition? Who checked it?”

“Ah! I’ll go check right away!”

The manor, which had been quiet like a ghost mansion, was bustling with activity.

So many people, enough to make me wonder where they had all been hiding, were moving around various parts of the manor with lively faces.

They even greeted me warmly when they spotted me.

“Hello, guest?”

“Yes, hello.”

“Good morning!”

“…Yes, did you sleep well?”

I couldn’t understand what on earth was happening.

“Excuse me, Mary.”

“Yes, please speak.”

“Did something happen…?”

“The master ordered us to welcome the guest.”

By master, she meant Azel.

But suddenly calling me a guest.

‘It’s already been 9 days since I came here, and now?’

I couldn’t understand why Azel, who had left the room yesterday morning with a cold expression as if fleeing, would suddenly give such an order.

‘At least it doesn’t seem like a bad situation…’

While I was trying to guess Azel’s intentions, we had already arrived at the dining room entrance.

Thanks to that, my worrying couldn’t continue any longer.

“Please go in. The master is waiting for you.”

Because I had just heard something even more shocking.

“Who’s waiting?”

“The master is waiting for you, guest.”

It seemed like Azel had gone crazy.

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