Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Monster of the North (5)

“…Is that so?”

Seeing her stay silent, he sighed. “Forget it. As someone I summoned, you are my responsibility. While I have no intention of fully accepting you, I also have no intention on letting you fend for yourself. That’s why you have two choices.” He held up two fingers.

Aurora wanted to tell him that he needn’t bother about her, as she can take care of herself. But she quietly listened to his choices.

The first one was she’d be named as his distant relative who came to live with him after her parent’s death. She’d enter the academy and major in either Rune Magic or swordsmanship. As she was only 15 years old, she could still enter with his recommendation.

The second choice was to become his temporary fiancée and peacefully live in this mansion. He would give her money to spend, and she could use it to buy anything and attend events amongst the noble ladies. In other words, enter high society as the future Duchess of Rizar.

“You don’t have to make a decision now. Take your time and think about it. Witches are usually put under the Holy Temple’s protection, but I have decided to hide your existence for now.”

“Excuse me?” She held her breath for a while, thinking she misheard him.

The Duke misunderstood and thought she was asking why he would not let her go to the Holy Temple. Even though he could sense her emotions, it wasn’t like he knew what she was thinking.

“If the Holy Temple learns about you, they will forcefully break the bond between us which can cause repercussions. While the contract hasn’t been completed, you are still a summoned Familiar.” He paused.

“Witches are given the Saint title and cherished by the Holy Temple.” He added, just in case she didn’t know.

Eh?

Cherished by the Holy Temple?

Given the title of Saint?

Is this a joke?

Aurora stared at the man in front of her.

She tried to discern whether the Duke was honestly saying this, or just trying to trick her. When she didn’t detect any falsehood in his words, she had no choice but to believe him.

But believing him meant believing that the Holy Temple, who hated Witches the most and labeled them as ‘evil’, had a change of heart. The title of Saint wasn't a title those people looked upon lightly. It was a title even more exalted than the High Priest.

“I…see…” Aurora didn’t ask him anymore. She didn’t want to hear of it…such a thing, she was unwilling to further discuss it.

Lucius thought she was reluctant to accept this. He didn’t bother about trying to further convince her.

Aurora was besieged with so much information in just under an hour that she was bewildered. She didn’t even have to coax it out of him. He told her so much on his own.

Rune magic…

Familiars…

The Holy Temple…

The lack of fear or hatred against Witches…

…W-wait a minute…

Thump…thump…thump…thump…THUMP!

Aurora’s heart beat wildly against her chest as she thought of something incredulous.

It can’t be…can it? Impossible…

“Can I…ask…the na…me of…this Empire?”

“It’s the Epheria Empire,” Lucius answered without pause. He didn’t find it strange that she wanted to know about the country she was in. “You are inside the largest city of Rizar, Elran.”

Aurora wasn’t happy hearing the name of the Empire she was once familiar with as one might expect. Because if so, why had she never heard of the Rizar dukedom or the city of Elran? As the Crown Princess, she was forced to remember every duchy in the Empire. It would have been better if he said this was the Tamriel Empire.

“T-then…the cur…rent Em…peror’s name?”

“Karyuel Cassian Di Epheria.”

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Aurora started to hyperventilate. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t catch her breath, making her feel lightheaded. “What…about…Ellias Effira…Di Epheria?”

Was he dethroned? No, that would be absurd. Someone who made a contract with one of the four heavenly Spirit Beasts, there’s no way the Empire would abandon him. If so, then there were only two other reasons that the Emperor would change.

Either he died or…

When the Duke looked at her perplexed, as though he had no idea who she was talking about, Aurora finally understood. She was able to put all the pieces together.

Her chest tightened as she thought about what this meant, and images rapidly flashed through her head. Images she had forgotten.

“Ellias Effira Di Epheria?” Lucius repeated. He thought about it for a short while and finally remembered who she was talking about. “You’re talking about the 7th Emperor whose first wife nearly destroyed the Empire a thousand years ago?”

One...thousand......years ago?

The moment he confirmed her suspicions, Aurora slumped in the chair and fainted.

--:::------::-------------------･◇･--------------------::------:::---

Two weeks passed since then.

Aurora locked herself in her room. She refused to meet or talk with anyone. She only asked for books concerning the Epheria Empire.

Of course, her maids and Halon were very worried about her. At times she’d wake up in the middle of the night screaming and gasping from a nightmare. But when Halon told the Duke about this, he only asked him if she was eating. When Halon said yes, the Duke then told him to leave her be.

The first day she woke up, the Doctor had come to check on her.

He said that physically, she was a very healthy young woman. When the Duke asked about her throat, the Doctor concluded that it was a psychological reason and that it was probably due to trauma.

In that case, the only thing one can do was give her time to heal. He would have recommended therapy if she couldn’t talk at all, but she seemed to be recovering on her own.

Since then, the Duke didn’t bother with her. He didn’t know how to comfort others, nor did he ever feel the need to. If she needed someone to console and spoil her, then she was useless to him.

In the middle of the room, Aurora was on her knees flipping through book after books. With her hair disheveled and the dark circle under her eyes, her charm lost its spark. She refused the maids' plea to take a break and leaned over the books in front of her with intense concentration.

There were dozens of books that circled around her, taking up every corner in her room.

When she was finally able to verify the truth of the Duke’s words, she didn’t know what to do. She curled herself into a ball and laid on the cold, marble floor. Her goldish-brown hair splayed around her.

She remembered.

While she did not remember every single detail, she remembered enough. 

Being betrayed by her own kind, her own friend and family.

Being captured by the Imperial Knights and imprisoned.

Being looked upon with scorn and persecuted.

Being burned alive by her Father’s contracted spirit beast.

And the dark void that awaited her.

Did she actually spend a thousand years in that darkness?

Covering her face with both hands, she chuckled. Her chuckle twisted into an ugly laugh. She laughed in derision at her foolishness as she recalled the last thing she said before her death.

“I swear upon my name as the Black Witch’s daughter, Aurora, if I ever get another chance, I’ll get my revenge on those who have hurt me. I will destroy everything and everyone you love! So, you better pray to your Holy Temple that God doesn’t have mercy on my soul!”

“Hah! Haha, what’s with that?? How embarrassing!”

Covering her eyes with her arm, Aurora broke down and sobbed like a child.

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