Chapter 33 - Clearing the Air

“I, I, I like it here, very much. I want to live here. I’m scared whenever I fall asleep. What if everything disappears when I awake? What if all of this, everything is a dream…?”

Azriel rambled. She could not see straight because of a flood of tears. She did not know what kind of face the wizard was making. “I’m sorry I didn’t understand them. I will work harder! I will work harder, so…!”

‘So, please don’t get upset. Don’t abandon me. Please,’ The words that she would work harder burst out from her mouth like a cry. She pleaded, screaming. Rhema Reshith remotely gazed at the crying girl. Meanwhile, he looked back on the time that had passed since he brought Azriel. Azriel obeyed his words unconditionally. She never asked him for anything. When he told her to ask questions after giving books, she only asked during the time when they were in the study. When he said, ‘why don’t you go out and play?’ seeing her reading a book in the morning, without giving much thought, she made sure to go outside after breakfast. Not once, she stayed inside the house in the morning, not even when it rained. She played outside no matter what to do exactly what he told her to do. Rhema, only then, realized that her actions were different from the ones of ordinary children.

She was only seven years old. Children at her age would nag, ask for the impossible, get in trouble, and wonder about all things. There were a lot of marvelous things in his house, which must have triggered her curiosity, but she had never asked about anything except about letters. This was certainly abnormal. Even in the house or yard, Azriel only got around where he had allowed her. As if she was living in other people’s house, she never touched things that are not allowed and did not even show interest in them. She did not make noise or invade his space. She had never interrupted his time or made trouble.

Rhema, at last, realized that the girl had never called him first or started a conversation while two seasons passed. In Rhema Rhesith’s long life, the period he stayed with others was not so long. However, he knew that some inconvenience was inevitable when living with others. Living together was like that. However, in the past half year, Rhema barely felt inconvenience, even though the other party was just a young child, not an adult. Nothing much had changed while living with her from the time he lived alone.

‘What is with this child…’ Rhema looked at the girl who was wet with tears as if he was looking at something mysterious. It was a very strange feeling. The residue of emotion crumbled by the weight of time moved slightly. He reached out his arm toward her. Since Azriel got frightened when the big shadow fell, he moved slowly not to surprise her. He pulled her and hugged her. There was no specific intention. He just wanted to do so. The child’s temperature in his arms felt warm due to the crying. Despite having a vast potential, she was now so weak and small. Rather than seeing the little girl cry hard like this, it seemed it would be better for him to be uncomfortable. He wanted to be uncomfortable. He got curious what kind of inconvenience the child would cause him.

“Azriel, I won’t be disappointed in you.” It was not that he brought the child for a purpose. He neither had a big plan nor needed her. He just had a mere hope. The magical legacy that she was inherited with was unprecedentedly enormous. He thought she might be able to see the same thing as him. And he liked the shiny golden light he saw from her. Such little attraction and a simple hope moved him. The years he lived were long enough to wear down all of his hopes. Thus, even if she could not see what he could see until the end, he would not be disappointed. Since he was fond of her star-like eyes, that was enough. “It’s okay if you’re not good enough or slow. You’ll be okay if you fail. I won’t drive you out for such reasons.”

Azriel lifted up her face in his arms. On the teary face, an expression of unbelief was put on. Caressing her black hair, Rhema quietly went on. “You chose to follow me and I gave you a name. Since then, you are my responsibility. I will take care of you till the end.”

Just because he brought her without a purpose, he was not going to be irresponsible. Otherwise, he would not have brought her in the first place. He named her thinking that he would be responsible till the end, meaning, until her death.

 

Azriel swallowed her tears. Her small hands held onto the hem of his clothes in desperation. Her faint, weak voice slipped out of her mouth.

“Really, are you not going to kick me out? Will you be by my side? Even if I… can’t learn magic?”

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“Of course. Even if you can’t do anything or do something wrong, I won’t leave you.”

“Why are you so kind to me, Mr. Wizard? I’m useless.”

Rhema looked down at the child who clung to him as if she had nothing but him. The pure face soaked in tears. He felt strange. If he had to define his emotion, it was close to affection. Since it had been too long, it felt like he had never had such emotion. ‘How do you normally treat a child who you are affectionate about?’ He kissed her milky forehead. Then Azriel covered her forehead with her both hands, with her eyes wide open and jaw dropped vacantly. Such a reaction made Rhema slightly regret it. ‘Is this not it? It seems she does not like it. Well, if someone you don’t like kissed you without permission, it will make you feel bad. She seemed to dislike me. She once ran away in the middle of a conversation,’ After pondering for a while, he asked honestly. “Do you not like me by any chance? Then…”

“That can’t be true!” Azriel denied it frantically. Her small head shook violently.

“You made me happy, Mr. Wizard.” The innocent eyes looked up at him. Clear golden eyes. He liked them more and more.

“…I’m not ‘Mr. Wizard.’ Azriel, do you remember my name?”

“I, I do.”

“Then, please call me by my name.” Azriel’s face was blushed. Afraid if she could really do so, she hesitated for a while. Rhema waited patiently. His patience was rewarded soon. “…Mr. Rhema.”

 

“Just ‘Rhema’ would suffice, Azriel.” Azriel lifted her head. Transparent grey eyes were looking down at her. In contrast with his still face, his eyes were kind.

She called the wizard’s name as if she was casting a spell. “Rhema.”

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