NOVEL WEB Chapter 24
I never thought the idea of going back would sound so frightening. Muttering a small curse while thinking of Rumania, who ran away after scattering all the real causes, I saw Leticia’s somewhat cool expression and immediately sealed my lips.
I felt that I shouldn’t speak right now. I didn’t know all the details, but I understood well enough that Leticia was angry because of me. I wasn’t so clueless that I couldn’t see that. Most importantly, there was a lack of life in Leticia’s eyes. Swallowing hard, I forced a smile and tried to strike up a conversation with Leticia.
“Leticia?”
“What.”
“…Ah, never mind.”
Surprised by Leticia’s cold retort, I flinched and quietly tucked my tail between my legs. With a leash around my neck, I felt like a puppy who had made a mistake in front of its owner. But right now, the priority was to ease Leticia’s mood.
“Um… Leticia? What are you going to do when we go back? It’s getting late, so maybe you’re going to prepare for bed.”
“….”
“Le, Leticia?”
“…Research.”
What kind of research was she planning? At the very least, I thought she should attach a subject before that, but Leticia didn’t clarify. Trying to break the awkward atmosphere, I forced a smile and spoke several times, but Leticia only responded with short, terse answers and didn’t say anything more. Every time her tone softened a bit, I ended up saying something random, creating a vicious cycle.
“Look, Leticia! The moon is really pretty.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty.”
I spoke with an unduly high energy, but the reply was lukewarm. Throughout our return to the academy, I silently followed behind her, drenched in cold sweat from Leticia’s seemingly furious reaction.
I was thirsty. Though it was more than just thirst, Leticia’s chilling gaze had a suffocating effect on me.
If I had known this would happen, I should have drunk enough water… No, blood. Earlier, Leo had also said it was getting late and that he needed to head back to the mansion, saying he would come by again later. So now, I was walking alone with Leticia under a flickering streetlight, feeling like it was agony to be there with her.
Maybe that’s why being with her felt like torture. It would have been better if Leo were here. Ah, maybe not. Earlier, it seemed like Leo was also being cautious around Leticia; could it be that he sensed she was in a bad mood and bolted? If so, he made a rational choice.
Take me with you. Even though I knew I couldn’t follow Leo, I held onto a futile hope and gazed empty-eyed at his vacant spot before snapping back to reality at the sound of Leticia’s voice.
“Charlotte.”
“Uh, yeah?!”
“Why are you so surprised? It’s not like I’m going to eat you or anything.”
How could I not be startled when a person right in front of me looks like they would devour me without hesitation? By the way, I never imagined Leticia would start a conversation after continuously ignoring me.
Leticia had completely turned her back to me, stopping to look at me with wide, unsettling eyes filled with a sticky obsession that I hadn’t seen just moments ago. I swallowed again.
I couldn’t discern her feelings.
Under the flickering streetlight, Leticia and I stared at each other, both with expressions filled with words we wanted to say. Her expression, which had been as cold as the snow falling in the north, had reverted to her usual blank face.
How much time had passed? The silence lingered as we both stared at each other until Leticia broke it.
“I’m not angry.”
Leticia stated firmly. “You don’t have to check my mood. I’m just sulking. Why? I may not know, but I haven’t seen another girl swoon over you.”
That made me smile awkwardly. The reason she was angry was because I had been kissed by another girl. That was something close to a disaster for me too. The thought of “Who do you think you are?” bubbled up in my throat, but I closed my mouth just in time, keeping it to myself. However, it was truly an absurd response to hear.
Back when I was Damien Redius, I might have felt a natural jealousy if another girl kissed me as my girlfriend, but we were nothing now. There was no reason for her to cling to that thought.
Do you even know that it drives me crazy? The suppressed feelings burst forth.
Really. Leticia, what are you thinking?
As I made a strange expression, Leticia brushed her hair behind her ear and, with a magically glowing violet gaze, directed her piercing question at me without hesitation.
“Are you curious?”
“…About what?”
“What do you mean about what? You’ve been wondering. Huh? The first time I saw you, as someone who despises Mazoku, why do I obsess over you so much?”
“…It’s not a lie to say I’m not curious, but it’s unexpected. It looks like you didn’t save me just for the fun of it.”
“You’re still not good at lying.”
“Still?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ve always fumbled when trying to hide the truth, and your eyes would shake unconsciously.”
“…?”
“Your habits haven’t changed.”
I widened my eyes. Leticia’s mumbling had enough of an impact to shake me. Yeah. You always did that. I thought it was odd how you acted like you knew me from the beginning. If you were aware of my identity, all your actions would make sense up until now. But why hadn’t you questioned me then?
“Did you know my identity?”
I lifted my head, looking anxious, like someone demanding an explanation, and Leticia, arms crossed, took a deep breath as if frustrated and suddenly raised the corners of her mouth shyly.
An enchanting smile.
It was a smile that radiated bliss.
Leticia’s smile was dazzling, flushing her cheeks as if she were a lion being presented with freshly caught prey, blindingly bright, but for me, it sent chills down my spine. Unconsciously stepping back in response to Leticia’s unsettling aura, she placed her hand possessively on my shoulder.
“Did you notice? No, you probably did. I think it’s too late for me to say this.”
“…You.”
“I waited. I endured and waited. While I wasn’t sure if you were really you, I waited for you to say it with your own mouth. You did that before.”
“But now I can’t take it anymore. I can’t stand the thought of another girl being interested in you at all,” Leticia added.
“I only need you as my partner.”
And just as the streetlight illuminated Leticia’s figure, I froze. Leticia wasn’t smiling blissfully. On closer inspection, it was different from a blissful smile. It was the hollow smile of someone caught between tears and laughter. When that smile resembled the one she gave just before we parted ways, my mind went blank.
“Don’t run away.”
Suddenly, I felt her hand gripping my waist then pulling me forward. Not resisting her touch, I found myself in Leticia’s embrace, looking up at her with a bewildered expression. Unlike my blank slate of a mind, Leticia, breathing heavily but appearing composed—no, not so composed—began to corner me against the wall.
A cold sensation lingered against my back. Since Leticia was taller, I found myself trapped in her embrace. Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, I felt a shiver when I looked at Leticia.
“…Leticia.”
“Haa—.”
“What… wait.”
“That word of ‘what.’ Charlotte, do you know that when you’re flustered, your mind doesn’t work well? You should have hidden it properly instead of making me anxious.”
You know, it’s pretty mean of you, right? To hide your identity from me, it’s impossible. With a sly smile, Leticia buried her face into my chest.
“When I first saw you, I thought the summoning had failed. But I wasn’t disappointed. Why? Though I summoned a demon, it wasn’t a summon for a specific demon. Did you know there was also magic to summon specific individuals along with that spell?”
“….”
“You’re not surprised? You must have known. So when you were summoned, I was disappointed, but I wasn’t discouraged. The demon summoning created by ancient people was just a part of my goal to summon ‘Damien Redius.’ Honestly, I didn’t care about demon summoning… but my suspicions slowly turned into certainty.”
My thoughts halted. Glancing down at Leticia, who held my waist tightly as if pleading me not to run away, I finally spoke.
“…You mean…”
“After failing numerous times, how could I forget you, whom I wished to succeed with? I learned all kinds of magic, both with and without it, focusing solely on you. I didn’t think the hair you left behind would be useful, but it seems like the goddess wanted me to be happy.”
“Wait, wait. Leticia, calm down…!”
“Is there a need to calm down? Besides, your flustered face is cute. I didn’t expect you to appear as a woman, but your form as a girl is refreshing too.”
Isn’t that right, Damien?
“Don’t deny it. Even if you deny it, I’ll figure it out as much as you deny it.”
With a smile that seemed to sweep the cornered mouse into a trap, Leticia firmly nailed her words.