episode_0052

Sup-

“Haa… ”

It was the first breath of fresh air from the outside world in a month.

A slow afternoon as the sun sets beyond the horizon.

At that time when the boundary between day and night spreads widely across the sky,

Tyrisia Brouard was finally able to leave the mansion and step onto the lawn in the yard.

“Hoohoo.”

She found herself smiling like a child without realizing it.

Feeling the ground after a long time gave me a strange and new feeling.

Even though it was clearly a space that had been walked through without a care for over a dozen years.

A month of confinement was tedious and painful, but it had the unexpected effect of making me miss and welcome all beings in the outside world.

The cool evening air of a clear spring day caresses my skin.

“Keuheung―”

Tirisia, who had taken a deep breath, stretched as if to wake up her stiff body and let out a deep sigh toward the sky.

The stuffy ceiling above my head disappeared.

What is contained in her jade-colored eyes is a lofty space with no end in sight.

Her spirits were lifted as if she were on a picnic, and a soft smile appeared on her lips.

“Miss, take care on your way back.”

The servants in the yard bowed when they saw her leaving.

“Please, don’t let the city residents find out. Do you understand the master’s intentions, my lady?”

The butler who was seeing her off at the front door gave her a polite request.

Tirisia nodded with a bitter smile at the old man in the tuxedo.

“Of course. You don’t have to worry.”

Since she had caused great concern to the butler who had taken care of her since she was a baby, Tirisia’s remaining conscience was to reassure him as much as possible.

“Okay, then please come back soon.”

The butler bowed and greeted her, and Tirisia nodded briefly before walking towards the main gate of the mansion.

Swish—

A stealth magic that refracts the flow of light and sound.

A heavy silence descended upon the courtyard of the Broward Manor as her figure disappeared into the mist.

“… ”

The servants stared at the spot where she had disappeared, hoping that she would return safely.

*

The first place Tyricia Brouard headed to on her month-long outing was the Academy.

To be exact, it’s the huge mountain behind the academy if you go across it.

At the foot of that mountain was a little-known, secret cave, which was Kelg Durakal’s favorite hideout.

Before being imprisoned, it was also a place where Tirisia was often called during lunch time, after school, and on holidays.

It was a place where the two could spend time freely, away from the gaze of those outside the academy, and it was also a place of refuge where Tirisia, who could not be seen by the outside world, could currently avoid using her hiding magic.

I had my servants deliver a letter to Kelg Durakal in advance.

Let’s meet at his hideout tonight.

At the thought of going on a date with her lover for the first time in a month, Tirisia’s steps quickened.

She left the house like that and jumped through the air without being caught by anyone, arriving at the back mountain in 10 minutes. She stood in front of the cave behind the mountain where Kelg Durakal was.

At the entrance, there was a magic door installed for security and to block outsiders, and it was structured so that it could only be opened to those who had been authenticated in advance.

“Senior… ”

As Tyrissia placed her palm on a specific part of the door, the door moved back to the left and right with a heavy rock-like friction sound.

An ordinary cave would be damp and cramped, but the Durakal family spent many years expanding it to use it as a hideout.

That is why the hideout that Kelg is using now has a cave-like entrance, but the inside is bright and spacious like a mansion.

In order to maintain secrecy, there were no separate servants inside, and most daily life, except for meals, could be resolved with various magic and magical tools arranged by the chairman.

“Senior… !”

Tirisia, who had released her hiding magic, walked into the cave with her cheeks flushed and her chest puffed out.

As she passed through the hallways decorated with dazzling works of art and arrived at a large room inside the main hall, she saw the man she had been waiting for most eagerly.

A large man with blond and dark hair sitting on a sofa.

Kelg Durakal.

He saw Tirisia arriving at the hideout and greeted her with a smile.

“Hey, it’s been a while.”

“Senior! How have you been?”

Tyrisia ran to the sofa with a bright smile and plopped down next to him.

When asked about her well-being, Kelg frowned and scratched his bangs.

“Not really. Our old CEO told me to keep an eye on things and just be quiet. I can’t go to the academy and I can’t even walk around the streets properly. I’m bored to death.”

“I see… Senior, you were in a similar situation to me?”

Tirisia leaned against Kelg, feeling his body heat against her cheek for the first time in a long while.

He also said that he was restricted from doing proper activities, so I felt a sense of sympathy for him.

Fortunately, Kelg didn’t seem to have any significant changes in his mind over the course of a month.

Tirisia was relieved by that fact, and took a moment to enjoy the warmth of her lover.

“Well, anyway, that’s okay.”

“Oops.”

When Kelg wrapped his thick arm around her shoulder, Tirisia’s face turned into a look of surprise as if she had sensed something.

Kelg looked down at her with his dark eyes and declared as if giving an order.

“It’s been a while, so you know what you have to do, right?”

“Ah… Yes… ”

Tirisia hesitated for a moment, but then followed his command, for she obviously knew what Kelg wanted.

The bodies of the two people sitting side by side on the sofa are getting closer,

A deep night of going out passed by.

*

“Welcome, Miss.”

As Tyricia Brouard returned to the front of the mansion, the front door opened as if it had been waiting, and the butler and servants bowed to greet her.

“No one found out. Don’t worry.”

Tirissia smiled bitterly at them and headed to her room in the mansion to begin another month of hardship.

dump-

Tirisia, who had not even changed her clothes and just collapsed on the bed, closed her eyes and savored the afterglow of her short outing today.

Kelg, whom he had met after a long time, still loved him.

Since I didn’t have much time, I couldn’t hang out with him leisurely.

I guess that’s what I expected when I met him, things would probably go like this.

If I can reaffirm my love for him, then going out is meaningful enough.

I definitely thought that would be the case.

In fact, she had returned having relieved most of the stress she had accumulated while incarcerated.

but,

Something.

Even if you receive Kelg’s love, and even if you share your love with Kelg,

I can’t really put my finger on it, but I didn’t feel like everything was completely fulfilled.

I had a physical relationship with my boyfriend whom I met after a long time,

Was it really the best choice to just come back without doing anything meaningful?

A little more, something,

Something like a lover―

‘…no.’

Tyricia buried her face in the bed and shook off her brief anxiety.

‘I didn’t have enough time. I had no choice but to do what my senior wanted the most.’

The only time you are allowed to go out is from evening until night, so you can’t enjoy a leisurely date.

It was a mistake to expect any great reward during such a short period of time, Tyrisia consoled herself.

Since the given conditions are poor, the results cannot be satisfactory.

At the very least, the confirmation that Kelg had not strayed far from him was enough to provide the answer he needed on his once-a-month outing.

So it’s okay.

We still love each other,

As long as I can keep it up until the end of my confinement, I’ll be fine.

So Tirisia rubbed her face against the pillow and tried to calm her mind, which was starting to waver slightly.

‘still…’

Next time, why not try doing something different than what you did today?

There are many ways to confirm love between lovers without necessarily engaging in physical acts.

Wouldn’t it be beneficial to spend your time carefully and try various things before the confinement is lifted?

With that thought in mind,

Tyricia Brouward began her month in the room again.

*

But a month later, at our second meeting.

“… Aah? What the hell are you talking about when there’s no time? Is that more important than releasing someone who’s been putting up with it for a month?”

“Uh… ”

Kelg expressed his refusal with a serious expression on his face when Tirisia suggested a romantic date.

He seemed to value his physical relationship with her above all else and had no intention of spending time on other activities.

“Seo, senior… It ended like that last time too… This time it’s something different―”

“So, who’s fault is it that we only get to see each other for a short while like this? Isn’t it because you didn’t get proper permission from your parents to go out for the night? Huh?”

At Kelg’s urging, Tyrisia lowered her head and said nothing.

His words were not something he could say to his girlfriend who had taken all the blame for him, and his logic was a mess, but Tirisia had no choice but to silently accept his stubbornness.

Because I loved him.

Now, the only person left for him was Kelg Durakal.

The fear that his heart might turn away was paralyzing Tirisia’s reason.

“Ah, I understand… Today I will do as you said… ”

“If you know, come here and lie down.”

“Senior, instead…!”

Just before the flow of events that had occurred a month ago began to repeat itself, Tirissia grabbed Kelg’s approaching hand and made a suggestion.

“If I get permission from my parents to stay out overnight next time… Could you go to the beach with me? I want to see a wide open place. It’s too stuffy inside the room… ”

“Haa… ”

Kelg, who scratched his head and sighed in annoyance, nodded reluctantly.

“Okay, I got it. Just go. Okay?”

“Thank you… Senior… ”

So the second night out went by in the same way as the first.

‘… … ‘

But despite the same situation, the emptiness that arose in Tirisia’s heart was different from last time.

A lump of emptiness, covered in anxiety, was sprouting in a corner of her heart.

Even the act of deeply pondering what the source of that dissatisfaction might be brought about a vague fear in Tirisia.

Clearly, he chose the path to happiness with the person he loves.

In fact, there are still no problems in Kelg’s relationship with himself.

Where on earth does this trembling heart, this emotion, come from?

Tirisia returned to her room with such worries and prepared for her third meeting with Kelg.

*

“Oh, sorry. I’ve been busy preparing to return to the academy.”

“That’s right…”

Third meeting.

Kelg Durakal showed up at his hideout late at night.

During the past month of her confinement, Tirisia had desperately convinced her parents to give her one full night off, from morning until the next morning.

At the hideout where she had contacted Kelg in advance and rushed there with a joyful heart, there was no one to welcome her.

Kelg left without saying anything to Tirisia, and Tirisia had no choice but to wait in the hideout for him to return.

Even if I went outside, I wouldn’t be able to communicate with anyone because of my parents’ orders.

The hard-earned overnight stay from the morning ended up passing by more than halfway through in vain.

The feeling that Tirisia felt while waiting for him in the hideout was no different from the feeling of suffocation she felt when she was locked in her room.

She was overcome with regret that her precious time had been wasted in the cave, and wondered at Kelg for prioritizing other matters despite knowing that she could only come out once a month.

“Senior… Where should we go to play right now? We just need to be back by morning… ”

That’s why, even now, he wanted to feel at least one ‘lover-like’ action that he had been longing for for the past three months and then go home.

I’ve already wasted so much time, but even if it’s late, it’s okay if I can satisfy my heart with the person I love, even just a little.

It was Tirisia who was staring at Kelg’s face with such earnest hope.

But Kelg’s answer was―

“It’s late at night. Just go to sleep here. I won’t be late next time.”

It was just simple words filled with lust, no different from before.

“Senior… I promised you. If I make some time, we can go see the ocean together… ”

Although he was not trying to argue, but rather expressing his regret about the current situation, Kelg made a fierce expression as if he was more annoyed by Tirisia’s reaction.

“Hey, I told you I was busy preparing to return after my suspension. Don’t you understand?”

“Ah… ”

At Kelg’s sharp reaction, Tirisia immediately closed her mouth and swallowed her discontent.

Although he was disappointed and angry that he had been left without a word, what he feared more than that was the thought of incurring Kelg’s hatred.

Something like that should never have happened.

Because if even Kelg goes away, there’s nothing left for him.

Even the lover you loved should not betray you, so the path you chose should not end in a cliff.

Because I love Kelg and have turned the whole world into my enemy for him.

He had to be happy with Kelg.

It had to be that way.

“Hey… Tirisia. Don’t you love me…?”

Kelg grabbed Tirisia’s shoulder with a bitter laugh.

Tirisia looked at his face like that and confessed her feelings with an expression filled with fear and sorrow.

“I love you… I love you, that’s why I’m here now, senior.”

“Then please look at it. I’m sorry, right?”

“Okay… Sorry for asking questions, senior.”

Watching Kelg slightly apologize with the corners of his lips curled up, Tirissia decided to move on without further regret about his recent actions.

Even if I brought it up more, I didn’t think he would accept it.

“Okay, then come here.”

“Yes… ”

So, the third sleepover ended up going the same way as before.

At some point, the joy and happiness began to fade.

Even though we mixed our bodies and whispered sweet nothings into each other’s ears, nothing felt real.

Now, whenever she met Kelg, what felt even greater in Tirissia’s heart was the thirst for something she was not getting.

I couldn’t remember exactly what it was, but I was sure it was a feeling that couldn’t be filled even by making love to Kelg.

“Haa… ”

Slap-

Returning home, Tyrisia collapsed on her bed in agony.

Over the course of a new month,

I was in agony, troubled, and conflicted.

And her conclusion was,

‘This time…’

-I should go see Erto.

For some reason, it was a matter of turning one’s gaze towards the ex-lover that one had torn apart.