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Fiancée of the Wizard Volume 8 Chapter 4 Part 5

「You had, said such a thing huh」

「……Yes」

The man’s voice did not convey anger. When I fearfully looked at the man, the man’s expressions conveyed a sense of exasperation. But on top of this, it conveyed his indeed troubled feelings.

「As for me, it would be a lie to say that I am not happy that you said so much for me. But, do regret, alright. If you really want to save Noct」
「I know. I am regretting right now, and it is very painful」

Yes indeed. It was so painful that my heart felt as if it was tearing apart. But in fact, Noct was in more pain than me. How mean I had been.
While I was being depressed, the man wrapped his arm around my waist once again and brought me close to himself. Then he continued, 「Then you should know what you must do」. Yes. I was about to answer when I gulped at yet another young voice that spoke.

——I am forever alone after all.

The young and unreliable voice almost seemed to embody all the boy’s loneliness in it. Once again, I was lost for words. The man tightened his arm around my waist. While pushing my face into his chest, I could not help but look up into his face. But the man was not looking at me. The man’s morning glow colored eyes were preoccupied with looking at Noct, who had been crouching down the whole time.

「Edi? 」

Even when I asked him with an intent of questioning what was wrong, the man’s gaze did not shift towards me. His morning glow colored eyes were transfixed on Noct.

「For Noct, our estate was the place that first accepted and protected him. That is why in his subconsciousness, he formed our estate and tried to protect himself in it」

My heart was almost crushed by the words he plainly said. “First” accepted. How sad such a word was.

For me, the days I had lived with Noct was certainly fun and peaceful. Before I knew it, it had become precious and irreplaceable. Yet, to Noct, more than how I felt, those days were beyond description. That is, so much so that he would recreate the estate he lived in with us in the depths of his subconscious.

While I remained in the man’s arms wordlessly, the man continued with a cold voice as if he did not expect me to answer him.

「Noct must have been alone the whole time」

That was a fact that was proven through the memories we had watched earlier. I wanted to say, so what. But probably this was not what the man wanted to say. I felt as if I could parallel the sight of Noct crouching down now to how this man looked like last time.

「I had you, but he had, nobody」

Somehow, I became very sad upon hearing his mutter. The man might have fallen to a state similar to Noct right now. Surely, the man also knew this.

The man had said, 『Because I was there with him』. However, really, that was the only thing I could do. I could only be beside him. Yet, I was helpless since he exaggerated such a simple thing as if so noble. What do you want to achieve by troubling me? Saying this would only make me want to be with you from now till eternity, even if I am rejected by him.

I wiped off the tears that involuntarily appeared in my eyes. Then, I looked up at the man once again.

「Yes, Edi. You might be right. But you are wrong this time. Right? 」
「——-Yes, indeed」

I nodded at Edi who laughed softly. Then we walked together to the young Noct. When we came near him, we noticed that the black shadow-like things that were surrounding Noct was a shadow-like doll weaved by leaves of a black bay laurel tree. It tangled around Noct, and clasped Noct into its breast with its arms

—Only I understand you
—Only I can help you
—Only I can be beside you

Those sweet words that were whispered alongside the rustling noise of leaves almost sounded like sweet nothings if one just hears it alone. However, it was not so. No matter how nice it sounded, those words were definitely not honey. It was a very dangerous poison that was trying to constrain Noct. I would not let Noct be snatched by it. Even if others might forgive it, I would not let it do so. No matter who says what to me, I don’t care.

Before I knew it, I had thought of Noct as family. Even if it was fake from the beginning, I had certainly thought so even once. Hence, I did not need any other reason. Any other reason to get back my “family”.

「I shall have Noct back」

I grabbed the head of the doll weaved by leaves of a black bay laurel tree without any hesitation and grabbed its shoulder with another hand. I tried to somehow peel it off from Noct, but as if resisting me, the tangled object only tightened its grip around Noct. There was no end to this. I did not care about hurting my hand. I plucked the doll’s leaves as hard as I could, and whispered into Noct’s ears.

「Can you hear me, Noct? I have come to fetch you」

Noct’s young body definitely shuddered suddenly while entangled in the doll’s arms. With this, the doll’s arms loosened its grip on Noct. Taking advantage of this, I finally peeled the doll weaved by leaves of a black bay laurel tree from Noct.

When I dropped it on the ground, the doll tried to tangle itself onto Noct again as if it had an independent mind. I hugged Noct to protect him from it. Then before the doll’s black hands touched us, the man crushed the doll with his hand. 「The person you were about to touch was somebody you should not be touching」

Upon such cold line, the doll weaved by leaves of a black bay laurel tree retreated and disappeared into the darkness. The man clicked his tongue loudly, but I did not care about it anymore. More importantly, I wanted to hear the voice of the person in my arms.

「Hey, Noct」

While hugging him, I softly whispered into his black beastly ears.

「Sorry. Really, sorry. Please forgive me for saying such mean things」

Although I knew it was a selfish wish, I could not help but say so.
Had my words reached him? Noct slowly lifted his face that he had been burying in his knees. The blank yellow eyes looked at me, as his dried lips quivered.

「Filmina. Aren’t you wrong? 」

Awkwardly, the young voice said. I shook my head at it, and then hugged his thin and small body once again.

「No, I am not wrong. I had hurt you even though you are so adorable. I must be blamed and scolded for committing such a sin」
「But……. 」
「But, yes. All the more, yes. Even if you don’t forgive me, I don’t care. I just want you to allow me, us to be at your side」
「At my, side? 」
「Yes, indeed」

Noct struggled in my arms. Then he escaped from my arms, and hugged himself as if frightened. He shook his head multiple times.

「No. I will, bring trouble to you again」
「It is already too late anyways」

The man who had been silently observing the conversation between Noct and I rejected Noct’s idea. Hey you, can’t you choose your words a little more carefully?

Ignoring my criticizing gaze, the man easily carried Noct up with his arms and looked into his eye.

「No matter who it is, a 『child』 is supposed to bring trouble. You, the child, need not care about it」

Noct widened his beautiful yellow eyes in the man’s arms upon hearing his words. Then, he turned his head and looked at me as if asking for help. I smiled, and reached my hand out to his thin cheeks.

「It is alright now. It is alright, so please don’t cry. You are not alone. We will never leave you alone ever again」

I rubbed Noct’s cheeks. Upon doing so, droplets of warm tears spilt from his large eyes before I knew it, and wet my fingertips. When I wiped away his tears, he hurriedly rubbed his face with his small hands.

「Let us go home together, Noct」
「Let’s go, Noct」

Noct nodded. At this, the man put Noct down from his arms. The whitish silver wolf that suddenly appeared again and came rushing to Noct who was put down on the ground. Then, it licked young Noct’s cheeks. Upon cuddling its body into Noct, the wolf suddenly disappeared. At the same time, young Noct’s appearance transformed from a young child to the familiar 15- or 16-years old boy.

I offered my left hand and the man offered his right hand to Noct. Noct reached out both his hands and held both our hands. Then we made Noct stand up and guided him to the estate’s entrance. Then, we opened its door.

Beyond the door was a beautiful morning glow colored light that brought an end to the long night that had been wrapping this world. My consciousness gradually slipped away. That is, while feeling the certain warmth in my left hand.