Volume 4 Chapter 9 Part 4
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Translator: Imlartis Editor: Queenie
As I was taking advantage of the fact that he wasn’t waking up and watching his sleeping face, I started to feel sleepy myself. My eyelids started to grow heavy. I knew I should go to my own bedroom, but my body refused to listen and it just fell on top of the bed where the boy was sleeping. It seemed that I myself was quite tired as well. If I fell asleep while sitting, my joints would kill me tomorrow, but I didn’t have any energy left to move my body.
Just like that, while wondering whether the boy will complain later, I fell asleep as if by a night fairy’s spell.
「… mina. Filmina, wake up.」
I heard a voice calling me from somewhere nearby. It wasn’t an unfamiliar voice. In fact, it was a very pleasant voice, which I knew very well. Hearing that voice, my consciousness which was melted in between dream and reality, reformed itself quickly and rose to the surface.
「E… di?」
I called that name subconsciously. However, I was sure I wasn’t mistaken. I slowly lifted my body from the bed. The moment I recognized the person standing still next to me, my sleepiness was blown away completely.
「Edi?!」
「Don’t be so surprised. “I” woke up.」
「Eh, eh, eeeh?!」
Even if he told me that, there are things which can’t be done. How was I supposed not to get surprised? After all, the beautiful man I’d been longing for during these days, Agedilus von Lancent, was standing next to me while looking down at me. What’s more, he wasn’t just standing there. For some reason he was in a translucent state.
That’s right, translucent. See-through. Through him, I could see the wall and furniture, which were behind him. No matter how many times I vigorously rubbed my eyes and blinked, this scene didn’t change. What was that? I was getting a headache. I pressed my forehead and mumbled as to myself.
「… I must still be dreaming. I must properly lay on the bed in the bedroom…」
「Stop that already and calm down. Filmina, look at me properly.」
The translucent man was staring at me, who had gotten up from the chair, disapprovingly, his beauty marred by exasperation… I was at a loss for words. I opened my trembling lips and closed them. I managed to swallow the words 「It can’t be」and looked back at the man who was looking down at me. As expected, even though half-transparent, those sunrise coloured eyes were mysterious and beautiful.
「Edi, is that you?」
「What else do I look like?」
「!」
Hearing him ask me a question like that, I finally became convinced. Such a face, yet this way of speaking. There was no mistaking it. The man, who turned into a boy in front of my eyes the other day, turned back to normal and was in front of me. Forgetting his half-transparent state, I tried to hug him without thinking. I wanted to feel his warmth. However, my arms grabbed empty air and to my shock, I passed through the man. Stunned, I looked up at the man. His expression, which this time was unusually easy to read, was showing displeasure. Having a bad premonition, I asked the translucent man.
「Y-you… Could it be you turned into a ghost…?!」
「Are you stupid? Don’t jump to conclusions. There’s no way that’s true. Take a good look at “me”.」
The man pointed towards the boy on the bed with his chin. I looked at the boy like he told me to. He continued sleeping peacefully and breathing steadily. His chest rising and falling showed me that he was alive.
I sighed with relief and, tired, sat down on the chair. The man kneeled down in front of me so that we were at the same eye level. Although I knew it was pointless, I couldn’t stop myself from stretching my hands out towards those white cheeks. But I was scared of what would happen next so I lowered them again and put them on my knees. Then the man put his hands on top of mine. They were half-transparent and I couldn’t feel the warmth or anything at all. Even so, I felt a sense of security.
「Edi. Could you explain what exactly is going on?」
「You already know. Even if I said so, I myself don’t know what exactly is happening.」
「… Then, please tell me what you know.」
I urged him. He nodded and started speaking.
「First of all, the fact that I could come out in this state is most likely due to the incident which happened yesterday afternoon. The 「boy me」 thought strongly that he couldn’t protect you in his child form, so this「current me」 was able to get out from deep within the「boy me」.」
「Afternoon incident… Does this mean that you share those memories which the boy has?」
「Ah, this 「current me」has always existed inside the boy. However, although I exist, I couldn’t influence the outside. I was locked up in a cage and could only watch both the boy’s words and actions and you.」
The man’s face distorted as he clicked his tongue and let out a deep sigh. Weeell, I became speechless.
「It seems that the one controlling the current 「Agedilus von Lancent」is the「boy me」 and not the「current me」. If the「boy me」doesn’t want to, no matter how much the「current me」wants, I can’t do anything.」
The corners of his lips lifted into a sarcastic smile and his expression seemed to be, that for him it was an extremely irritating situation. This expression spoke volumes of how frustrated he must have been when the only thing he could do was watch. He stretched his hand towards the gauze plastered to my forehead. Of course his hand couldn’t touch me and just passed through.
「Once again you got hurt because of me.」
Even though he was calm, I knew from his voice that he was feeling sorry. Seeing him like this, I shook my head and smiled.
「It’s an honorable wound. It looked serious because there was a lot of blood but in reality the wound was nothing big, so please don’t worry about it. 」
「That’s not the problem.」
「For me that’s the extent of the problem. Never mind this, please continue what you were saying before.」
As I urged him on, he made a face like he still wanted to add something else, but in the end he didn’t touch that subject anymore and returned to the main topic.
「The「current me」can only come out when the「boy me」is unconscious. That’s because my body belongs to the boy. If the consciousness gets pulled that way, then the boy’s one for some reason grows stronger. Well even if it’s only the consciousness, the fact that the「current me」could come out is already good.」
「Is that so? Then after all it was a good thing that I protected…」
「If you say you weren’t wrong, I won’t just let it pass.」
「……」
「What’s wrong? Please continue.」
「It’s nothing. You continue Edi.」
That was close. Silence is gold after all. The man stared at me intently for as I made a face like nothing had happened and averted my eyes.
The man quickly noticed that I had no intention of saying anything further and was waiting for him to continue, so he snorted seemingly saying that it was boring. Even if he became half-transparent, he hadn’t changed at all. My goodness, I was so happy that I wanted to cry.
「Whatever. The most important part, is that I can come out like this as long as the boy me isn’t conscious. And I keep his memories. On the contrary, the boy me doesn’t remember anything about me, so be careful not to say anything unnecessary.」
It was going to be difficult. Even if he told me that, I was afraid that I’d spill something by mistake. Thinking to myself that I needed to be careful, the man continued.
「We know for sure that the reason I turned into a child is that magical square at the ruins. The way you and the boy are researching is a roundabout one, but it’s not wrong. However it’s certain that it will take a lot of time. 」
「…. So it’s really like that.」
I had a feeling it was like this, but having a professional say that outloud was still painful. At this pace of deciphering, even if we managed to decipher everything, at that time I’d undoubtedly be a grandma already.
That said, we hadn’t found a different method. I hung my head miserably. At this rate, if the man didn’t turn back to normal, I’d really have to go around calling a 10 year-old boy my husband. Hahaha, I couldn’t even laugh at this joke.
The man kneeling down in front of me looked at my fake smile and stood up. He looked down at the bundle of paper tightly packed with magical language, which I had gathered and put on to top the table. He reached his hand trying to grab it, but as expected, his hand didn’t touch anything and just passed through. Without thinking I spoke to the man who was looking down at his hands without a word.
「Edi, would you like me to show you those papers?」
「…. No need. I’ve already seen all of those. All of them are full of old, complicated and beautiful magical language. How could someone create such a magical structure using only that? It truly deserves praise, just based on the fact, that it has enough power to change me into a child alone.」
「Is it that good?」
「Yes, irritatingly so.」
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