The Woman Called a Witch (2)

So, as Sylvia continued her meetings with Kyle, one day she heard that he would come to the Eleanor County first, and she left the castle in a flash.

The meetings between the two always happened when Sylvia went to see him, so she couldn’t help but be happy.

She paid a little more attention to her clothes than usual, put on light makeup, and went out to greet him, only to see him with a somewhat depressed face.

It was hard to read his emotions because he always had a blank expression, but she had learned to read his expression even a little in this short time, and she could tell right away.

Also, she quickly realized that the reason he came here wasn’t because he wanted to look around Eleanor County, but for another reason.

She was a little disappointed by that fact, but Sylvia, who wanted to be of help to him even a little, just hoped that he would bring up what was on his mind soon.

“…Sylvia Eleanor.”

“Yes, Lierde-gongja.”

How long had they been walking aimlessly?

Seeing him open his mouth with a tone even heavier than usual, Sylvia sensed that what was coming was coming, but she didn’t show it and answered nonchalantly.

Kyle continued.

“I’m sorry to bring it up in this atmosphere, but actually, I came today because I have a favor to ask of you.”

“I thought so. I was wondering if you had something else to say.”

I wonder what that favor is.

With anticipation on one hand and anxiety on the other, something fell into Sylvia’s view as she looked at him.

It was a small piece of paper that Kyle took out of his pocket.

The shabby parchment was crumpled up, and it looked like a pretty old map.

“Come to this place alone four days from now. Because I have something to say.”

“This place, you say. I understand. You’re telling me to come alone, so it must be very important, right?”

“Yes, it’s important. So, I’m asking you.”

Sylvia nodded, and as he closed his mouth after saying that, she tried to hide the fact that the hand holding the map was trembling slightly.

‘It must be a farewell.’

And she sensed it. That he was trying to say goodbye to her.

Of course, even though she had come to read Kyle’s mind to some extent, she couldn’t know the reason.

However, no matter what the reason, if that’s what he wanted, she vowed to nod humbly.

I love you so much right now that I can’t hold you back.

But more than that, you’ve given me so much that I can’t bring myself to hold you back.

If I did, it would be like saving a drowning bitch and then demanding she hand over her bundle.

At least I don’t want to be remembered by you in an ugly way.

That’s why Sylvia clenched the map in her hand tightly and made up her mind.

Let’s somehow finish preparing my heart for the remaining four days.

At least let’s send him off with a smiling face at the end.

***

Four days later, Sylvia headed to the place Kyle had told her about alone.

It was a place where a small field, as if it had popped out of a fairy tale, was filled with flowers of all different colors.

She could have been excited about the romantic place she had dreamed of, but she wasn’t very excited at the thought of hearing a farewell from him in such a beautiful place.

Still, in order to not show it as much as possible, she tried to act like the usual Sylvia Eleanor and skipped around the field as if she was excited.

Puulssuk.

Then, since it had come to this, she laid down on the flower bed with the feeling that she would do everything she wanted to do and go.

At that moment, she burst into laughter when she realized that Kyle’s surprised eyes widened and he was about to come to support her body.

“Puhuhu, I’m sorry for surprising you. When I go to a place like this, I always wanted to lie down on the flower bed and use it as a bed.”

“To think that’s all you wanted to do, you must have lived a pretty boring life.”

Is he deliberately speaking harshly to hide his surprised heart?

Or is it because he’s embarrassed that she noticed his actions and burst into laughter, and he’s doing that to hide that fact?

Either way, despite Kyle’s somewhat sharp tone, Sylvia raised her upper body as it was and looked up at him brightly, nodding her head.

There was nothing wrong with that statement.

“That’s right. It might have been a little boring life. In the first place, it’s only been four years since I’ve been able to walk around freely.”

“Four years… What does that mean?”

When she revealed her situation in detail for the first time, Kyle’s pupils shook for a moment.

Sylvia tried to refrain from telling such dark stories in front of him as much as possible, but she wanted to tell all the stories because she thought today was the last day, so she blurted out the words.

About the past days when she had to spend nearly 17 years in just one room.

It wasn’t a pleasant story for anyone to hear, but Sylvia’s smile never disappeared throughout the story.

It wasn’t possible because she was used to this reality and had reached a state of detachment.

It’s just that the past 17 years, or rather, the persecution in the family was still the same even after that, so should I say 20 years?

Anyway, despite the dark memories of that long time, the approximately 100 days she spent with him were so brilliant and bright that nothing could be erased from her memory.

‘But now I have to leave this as a page of memories.’

I wonder how many more stories I could fill if I could be with you forever, but that’s not the story you want.

So, it was the moment when Sylvia, who had finished the story with half resignation, got up.

Thump.

“Sylvia.”

“Yes, yes…?”

Sylvia’s cheeks turned red at his actions of grabbing her arms out of nowhere and calling her name for the first time.

“I’ll explain later, run away. Right now.”

“What? What does that mean…”

But that was only for a moment.

Sylvia widened her eyes and tried to ask for an explanation at his next words, but he said there was no time and urged her to run to the other side of the field.

The impatience on his face showed that his words were by no means a joke.

At that time.

“…It’s a pity, Kyle Lierde. I never thought you would betray us. It’s quite shocking.”

A man wearing a robe appeared from beyond the magic circle and began to approach them.

In the meantime, Kyle took action as if to protect her by covering her body with his arms and pushing her back.

Only then did Sylvia realize it intuitively.

The reason Kyle was trying to escape from here was none other than because of the existence of that man.

According to him, the opponent belonged to a rebel group called the Eyes of Dawn.

Sylvia’s body trembled slightly at the murderous intent that spread all around, but she tried to calm herself and find a way to escape from here with Kyle.

But.

Kwak!

“Keheuk…?”

Kyle, who was creaking his body like a broken wooden doll, suddenly turned his body and grabbed her neck as if to crush her neck bones, so she couldn’t continue thinking.

Only the faint gasps of breath that she let out as she struggled to survive changed into moans of pain and flowed out.

Despite this absurd situation, Sylvia calmly grasped the situation.

There’s no way Kyle, who was trying to get her out of here somehow until just now, would suddenly change his attitude.

She firmly believed that the man was controlling Kyle’s body.

Then, will she finally face death at the hands of the man she loved so much?

‘Yes, if I die at your hands.’

It would be a truly tragic ending, but Sylvia thought it would be better than facing death at the hands of that man she didn’t even know the name of, and let go of the hand that was holding Kyle’s wrist.

If you, who brought me light for the first and last time, turn off my light, I can humbly accept it.

“Sil, via…”

“……!”

But that may have been the ending Sylvia wanted, but it wasn’t the ending Kyle wanted.

If he was the first and last light Sylvia found in her life, then conversely, she was also the first and last light Kyle found in his life.

That’s why he could never turn off this brilliant light with his own hands.

As he faintly cried out her name, and using that as a catalyst, Sylvia’s eyes widened at his actions of barely taking his hand away.

Puuk!

But God must have been reluctant to even give them time to say their last goodbyes.

Just before Kyle’s hand was completely detached, a huge silver spear that flew from somewhere pierced through both of them at the same time.

Sylvia’s consciousness, which was barely returning, turned red, and finally, the figures of the two fell helplessly on the flower bed that she had been lying on and enjoying until just now.

Thanks to Kyle wrapping his magic power around himself to minimize the impact, Sylvia’s consciousness didn’t immediately fade, but it was just a stopgap measure.

“Ka, il…”

Barely holding on to her slightly moving body, she squeezed out the strength she had and reached out to Kyle.

If I had tried to hold on to you a little more.

If I had mistakenly thought that you were going to say goodbye to me, and I had desperately begged you not to leave me and tried to move your heart even a little, I might not have faced this ending.

I actually knew.

That you were trying to use me like a tool, that you weren’t really looking at me.

But I still liked being by your side. Even though you wouldn’t look at me, at least you didn’t think of me as a non-existent person.

You sometimes looked at the distant mountains as if you had your own path somewhere far away.

While looking at your profile, I hoped that someday when you reached that place, I would be the one by your side.

That’s why I didn’t say anything.

But now I might regret it a little.

Not that I chose you, but that I didn’t stop you.

The fact that I missed the opportunity to guide you on the right path, the opportunity to catch you before your heart was stained with darkness, is the most regrettable and unfortunate thing in my life.

So, Kyle.

“I… you…”

I never resent you.

This is just the end of a wrong choice made by a mere witch.

‘I should have at least told you I loved you.’

I should have at least pretended not to know and hugged you.

Even though we’re so close, I can’t hold your hand anymore.

That fact is so painfully heartbreaking and bitter.

‘If I am given another chance to choose.’

I will never repeat the same regrets then.

If I turn back time and meet you again, I will prevent you from being tainted by evil.

I will make you love me so much that you can’t give me up.

I will now protect you, who tried to protect me.

So, God-isiyeo, please give me one more chance.

“…It’s starting now.”

Just before Sylvia’s consciousness completely faded, a man’s voice was faintly heard.

Along with the sound of walking through the grass, the man wearing a robe approached the two and brought his hand to Sylvia’s right eye.

At that moment.

Jiing.

The faint red light that was leaking from her magic eye grew to cover the field, and soon swallowed everything.