Chapter 23: 23

“Then I’ll see you inside, Your Excellency.”

 

After fixing his posture, Cadel bowed in salute and entered the room.

 

‘There’s no coincidence?’

 

I stared intently at Cadel’s back.

 

The dark red uniform jacket flapped and fluttered as he walked.

 

Cadel’s last words bothered me.

 

What if it’s not a coincidence? How am I supposed to explain all of this?

 

If it wasn’t a coincidence that I fell into this world, it wasn’t just a coincidence that I met Cadel before Ollina…

 

“Leah Prezis.”

 

A light flashed in my darkened mind. It was because Davan had called me.

 

“Sometimes I wonder.”

 

I was so dazed that I barely managed to lift my eyes.

 

Davan was still there.

 

“What will your future look like?”

 

The night breeze seemed unusually cold. Was it because his eyes surrounding me were cold?

 

“Even with a coincidence.”

 

“…”

 

“It could still be the same.”

 

What do you  mean it could still be the same? What the hell are you talking about? My blurred vision gradually became clearer.

 

“That would be pretty terrifying, though.”

 

Davan smiled at himself.

 

There wasn’t even the slightest lie on Davan’s face as he spoke to me.

 

“Therefore.”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t be sure of anything.”

 

He spoke in a bland tone, hard and stiff, more like an order than a conversation.

 

‘I wonder about my future.’

 

His words lingered in my ears.

 

Suddenly, an unfamiliar feeling swelled up.

 

I fell here knowing Leah’s ending, but I didn’t intend to blame Davan entirely.

 

After all, Davan’s only fault was that he didn’t love Leah.

 

However, Davan, who said he was curious about my future, looked terribly cruel.

 

I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I’m going to be beheaded and killed because of him, but…

 

“I know. I’m curious too.”

 

I bit my lips tightly, else I’d say something ugly for sure.

 

“I hope I won’t be as foolish as I am now.”

 

Instead, I looked straight at Davan.

 

Believing that the countless words I swallowed will be delivered by my eyes looking at him.

 

“‥.What?”

 

Davan frowned slowly and explicitly. It was strange to see him with an expression that spoke of his feelings.

 

It was an expression of disbelief that Leah Prezis dared to use the word ‘foolish’ about her current situation.

 

“Why are you so surprised?”

 

I was finally able to smile.

 

As if something good had happened.

 

“I mean, I want to be a little more mature. More than now.”

 

These were words that were possible because I wasn’t the real Leah.

 

Davan wouldn’t understand.

 

Well, it didn’t really matter.

 

— That would be pretty terrifying, though.

 

Compared to the words he spit out before Leah’s face, it was a breath of fresh air.

 

***

 

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting so long.”

 

By the time I almost died of suffocation in the cold silence, Belson appeared like a savior.

 

This was the second time I felt that his face was welcomed.

 

“His Majesty will now take you to the Phantom Palace…”

 

Belson’s, who were still speaking in an eloquent manner, eyes twitched.

 

“Wh-what happened in such a short time?”

 

It was an underestimation to say that Belson was very keen.

 

For the sight of me and Davan now was so bloody that even a passing dog would avoid us.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

There was silence at the end of the question.

 

It wasn’t like something had really happened.

 

So there was no particular answer.

 

Davan seemed to think the same. He just slowly opened his closed eyes, but there was no other reaction.

 

“Hmm…”

 

Belson mumbled and turned around.

 

“Well, let’s go in.”

 

As always, Belson focused on his job without asking any further questions.

 

When his hand touched the crest on the side of his collar, a blue light appeared in the air.

 

‘Oh, is this the magic platform I’ve only heard of?”

[T/N: magic platform is just my rough translation. It is ‘jumunjin’ in Korean and I’ve searched all over but could not find it’s exact meaning]

 

There was a brilliant glow.

 

The two of them skillfully stepped back.

 

Only I, who couldn’t control my curiosity, slowly began to approach it.

 

“Oh, my. It’s amazing. It’s shining through my skin.’

 

I put my two feet together on top of the magic platform. The blue light penetrated through my flesh.

 

How does this work?

 

As I looked down curiously, I heard a dull sound of something approaching.

 

‘Did I mishear?’

 

I looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from.

 

“Ugh!”

 

It was then. Gwa-gwang—! There was a loud roar, and the ground shook violently as if an earthquake had occurred.

 

“What is this, what is it!?”

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My body trembled too. I barely managed to keep my balance and turned around.

 

‘What? Why am I the only one like this?’

 

Unlike me, Belson and Davan were so calm. On the contrary, they were looking at me as if asking what I was doing.

 

Come to think of it, only the part where the magic platform was drawn was shaking, and I was the only one standing on it.

 

‘This is crazy. What should I do?’

 

No wonder they all stepped back…

 

How could anyone not tell me to avoid it!?

 

“…”

 

  

Far from saying a word, Davan only looked at me with his arms crossed.

 

My body trembled even more.

 

“Aaaah!”

 

Eventually, my legs became weak, and when I was about to fall down—

 

“…!”

 

Someone came and grabbed my arm. It was Davan.

 

‘Whoa. Amazing.’

 

As soon as the man’s body temperature touched me, a sense of stability came to my body.

 

I was still standing above the magic platform and the ground was still shaking, but my body no longer trembled.

 

‘How did he do it?’

 

I looked up at Davan with curious eyes. However, Davan’s expression looking down at me was only cold.

 

It was a soulless touch, like removing a box fluttering in the wind.

 

‘Hmph.’

 

Swish— I shook off the man’s hand.

 

“Ugh!”

 

As soon as Davan’s touch was separated from me, I felt the floor vibrating like crazy.

 

Before I knew it, Belson and Davan were already on board.

 

Unlike me, who was shaking, they were calm.

 

‘Why am I the only one like this!?’

 

I pressed my toes to the floor and held out as much as I could, but even that was to no avail.

 

The magic platform, which rose from the floor, fluttered.

 

Because it was flying away.

 

‘Ugh. I think I’m going to throw up.’

 

My heart was pounding as if I was riding a descending pirate ship ride.

[T/N: Pirate ship ride: that attraction in amusement park]

 

I wanted to hold on with my two legs until the end. I tried to hold out!

 

“Hold on a second— No. Just hold on to me.”

 

“…”

 

And reflexively, I seized him again by the arm. The vibrations magically disappeared as soon as I got close to his body.

 

Oh, that’s amazing.

 

“Why are you acting like a stranger?”

 

Davan frowned.

 

Instead of answering, I grabbed Davan’s arm more tightly.

 

‘Why, you ask? I thought you wouldn’t want me to touch you.’

 

I discovered another unexpected thing.

 

That the man does not avoid or shake off my hand. Rather, he was relaxing to make it easier for me to hold him.

 

‘I really can’t figure him out…’

 

As my body calmed down, I could see the scenery around me. It was as if I was going through a dark tunnel.

 

Where the hell are we going?

 

“Where are we going?”

 

I asked Davan, whom I was holding, with a slight shake in his arm. Following my gesture, the man’s arm shook.

 

‘It’s pretty interesting.’

 

It was interesting to see that strong arm that could handle swords and arrows swayed in accordance with my strength. It was like a liquid monster.

 

I shook it one more time, slowly.

 

“Aren’t we going to eat?”

 

“Phantom Palace.”

 

Davan replied briefly.

 

Phantom Palace? Where else is that?

 

At the time I thought why it was so difficult just to eat one meal, the wind that surrounded me became calmer.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Little by little, strength was released from my hand that was holding Davan.

 

The wind was getting weaker and weaker, so I gently let it go.

 

‘Oh, it feels okay now?’

 

It was subtle, but the vibration was still there.

 

Still, this was enough for me to endure with just my two legs.

 

And I was courageous enough.

 

This time, as I backed away explicitly to widen my gap with Davan, I heard his low voice.

 

“You should be careful.”

 

I was so excited and couldn’t hear him properly.

 

I stepped back one more time, and one more time.

 

Before I knew it, the distance was quite wide.

 

‘I got used to it quickly.’

 

Just when I was proud of my excellent motor skills, Ku-kung—! A roar rang out.

 

It started again. It was shaking so hard that everything seemed to collapse.

 

‘Damn it, isn’t it over yet?’

 

What the hell is this!?

 

However, since the gap had already widened, I could not reach out to Davan.

 

I tried to keep my body attached to the platform, but…

 

“This crazy—!”

 

It felt like my body was about to fall.

 

“Ugh!”

 

As I closed my eyes, someone quickly wrapped their arms around my waist.

 

“…!”

 

“Seriously, you…”

 

This time, too, it was Davan.

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