Hate me, Miss Witch!

"Silver, Shiny... and that unique guardian beast species of the Brunestadt family—the Silver Spirit—which clearly no longer exists in this world."

"If our identical appearances and names were merely a coincidence, or if you tried to explain it away with reincarnation, that might be somewhat plausible. But for even our Pet Beasts to be exactly the same—there's simply no room for excuses."

"Besides, I know your character, Brother Shiayar. You're not the type to discover so many signs yet stubbornly feign ignorance, claiming it's all a coincidence. You wouldn't deceive yourself with strained logic that even you can't believe."

Only Shiayar could hear the voice, as pleasant as the sound of wind chimes, ringing by his ear.

In Silvia's pure silver eyes, the indifferent haze that had shrouded them vanished.

She walked toward Shiayar step by step, her gray-silver eyes growing brighter and clearer.

However, Silvia suddenly stopped. Enola had stepped in front of Shiayar, looking at Silvia with a touch of perplexity.

Enola hadn't heard the telepathic conversation between Silvia and Shiayar. Shiayar had never mentioned anything about the Echo of History to her, so naturally, she was unaware of the connection between him and Silvia.

But one thing was certain: this silver-haired, silver-eyed girl was not Shiayar's enemy. Enola detected no killing intent from Silvia. If Silvia had harbored any hostility, she wouldn't have slain the Mythical Rank Rose Queen earlier.

Still, Enola stood protectively before Shiayar. Given their tacit understanding, she clearly sensed a hint of embarrassment and avoidance from him at that moment.

The last time this had happened was when Shiayar was secretly using magical communication to contact the theocratic kingdom one night and Enola caught him.

"It's alright, Ennie."

"I've thought it through. Since this is the path I chose, I must walk it to the end."

Shiayar sighed deeply and gently pulled the golden-haired girl behind him.

"Silvia, please, let me explain. I had my reasons for what I did back then..."

However, as Shiayar began to speak, the silver-haired witch merely nodded obediently.

That wind chime-like voice once again echoed in Shiayar's mind.

"Of course, I understand that Brother Shiayar had his reasons. It was truly for my own good."

"Brother Shiayar, you came to this world from the Echo of History and couldn't stay with me until the very end... If you hadn't done what you did, I could never have left the Azure Garden Royal Capital that night. Nor could I have survived the chaotic era of the Calamity Land with the naive personality of a young girl..."

"I might not have understood these things clearly at the time, but looking back now, I can piece together the general outline of many past events."

Silvia stood still, about two or three meters in front of Shiayar, gazing directly into his eyes.

"Still, I can't forget that night.

"I blissfully closed my eyes, only to be met with the blade that pierced my chest. That pain became my constant nightmare, day and night. It's what drove me to grow stronger. Even after five hundred years, I have never forgotten.

"I searched everywhere, combing every corner of the Western Continent, but I could never find any trace of you. To this day, it has festered into an obsession and a Heart Demon."

"So, Brother Shiayar, I want compensation..."

Shiayar gave a bitter smile.

To be fair, while his intentions back then might have been for Silvia's sake, he had indeed deceived the heart of an innocent girl.

The blade piercing her chest, the countless restless nights, the nightmares that made her toss and turn...

An obsession spanning five hundred years... How could it be explained away so lightly, as a mere misunderstanding or a simple "it was for your own good"?

"What kind of compensation?"

The silver-haired witch tilted her head, pondering for a moment, a tiny arc forming on her lips.

"Well then, Brother Shiayar, could you please close your eyes first?"

Silvia's voice held a playful tone. "I have something very important to tell you."

"Like... 'Longing is the emotion furthest from understanding,' or something along those lines."

Some kind of iconic scene reenactment? A tit-for-tat response... I never realized you were so vindictive and held such grudges when you were younger.

Shiayar couldn't help but make these observations inwardly, yet he still obediently closed his eyes.

There's no helping it; she has the upper hand now. The innocent girl who used to follow me, sweetly calling 'Brother Shiayar,' is gone... In her place stands the Legendary Beastmaster who reigns supreme, the peerlessly beautiful Gray-Silver Witch. The stab I delivered back then has finally boomeranged back to me.

Well, I dealt that blow back then. If getting stabbed now is the price, so be it. If it allows a Legendary Beastmaster to resolve her obsession and Heart Demon, then it's worth it... Besides, no matter what, Silvia's intervention also saved me a life-preserving item worth fifteen Sands of Time. Trading a stab for fifteen Sands of Time? Not a bad deal at all.

Then, he felt a graceful figure press close. Warm breath fell upon his neck, bringing with it a sensation of warmth, moisture, and a slight tickle.

A light touch graced his palm; Silvia was tracing words there with her finger.

*Brother Shiayar, I actually lied to you.*

*That stab was indeed my obsession, it's true... but from the very beginning, throughout these five hundred years, I've had an even greater obsession in my heart.*

*That is—*

*I've missed you so, so much...*

*I think about you constantly.*

Silvia took another step closer.

Then, she rose onto her tiptoes, gazing up at the black-haired, black-eyed young man before her.

The next moment.

A cool, soft sensation slowly spread across Shiayar's lips.

...

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