Having found a secluded spot at the periphery of the Imperial Palace's expansive gardens, the Protagonist and I took our seats casually on a patch of soft grass.
Because there were so many guests visiting on this day, we ended up moving this far in order to guarantee a spot of true isolation from any pesky disturbances.
It seems both of us had our motives, as we easily concurred, albeit in silence.
It was a genuinely beautiful place, one from which we could effortlessly gaze upon the countless sparkling stars in the sky as well as the cosmic sight of the Winter Full Moon looking over us as we, in turn, overlooked the vastness of the Imperial Capital, its streets blanketed in natural shadow.
Incidentally, it needn't be ntioned that the llow tune of the 「scene」 was also with us.
Sitting side-by-side, our knees barely touching, I was the first one to speak―
"Sorry."
―Starting with a simple word of curt apology.
"You wanted to dance, right? It might be late, but I'm sure things will continue to be busy for a while. Would you want to dance together after this?"
I tuned my voice to one that was more soft, more compassionate. It was the tone I often used when dealing with the Protagonist, and one I had plenty of ti to perfect over the past months.
Although, for sothing I considered no less than repulsive, I don't think I would ever grow accustod to putting on this kind of act.
Still, I could only endure the churning of my stomach.
Not long remained, after all.
Soon, it would all be over.
"Mmh..."
In response, the Protagonist gave a faint nod, her downturned eyes remaining as such even after my first attempt at comfort.
Realising it would take more than usual to console her this ti, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and lightly pulled her, letting her head fall and rest on my side without an ounce of resistance.
And, from a place outside of her view, I grimaced.
"Ayla. Will you forgive ? Don't look so sad... Listen, I have so good news."
My face did not at all match the words coming out of my mouth, nor the tone with which they were spoken. All whilst doing this, my knotting stomach clenched tight enough to cramp, and all whilst doing this, I pretended flawlessly that nothing was wrong.
"Good news...?"
She pulled her head just up enough to see . Just before she did, I made sure to wipe all signs of discomfort off my face.
Like that, I continued.
"Yep. Can you guess what it is?"
"Hmmm... I don't know... Ah, ti to visit your family...?"
"Nope. Well, sort of, but even better than that."
"Better...?"
Curling the ends of my lips upwards, I looked down at her puzzled gaze.
"I'm quitting."
"...!"
At my admission, the Protagonist gasped.
"Really? But-- but why...?"
"I didn't like the way she was treating you all the ti. Between you and the job, there's no question about what's more important."
"Ah... Enki... you didn't have to... f-for ..."
Blushing massively at my statent, she murmured my na whilst I focused on maintaining an outward expression that emanated warmth.
For a long ti―had I been waiting for this mont.
This mini-bombshell, combined with everything else I painstakingly planned for tonight.
Nothing was set-in-stone, of course, as stubborn plans only served to be a vulnerability; wasn't there such a saying about a more intricate plan being that much more prone to disruption by having a monkey wrench thrown into the works, or sothing along those lines? I suppose it was like that.
Anyway, just like the Winter Full Moon looking down on us right now, I would use everything to my advantage as it happens.
That Winter Mother, who seed to be baring her full teeth on this bitter night.
Without a shadow of a doubt. I absolutely would not let the opportunity gifted to fall from my grasp.
"Ngh..."
Letting out a small groan, the Protagonist shivered slightly as she leaned closer to my side.
"Are you cold? Here. The Winter Mother is really showing herself in full tonight, isn't she? I guess because it's that day."
Taking the outer jacket of my suit off, I wrapped it around her shoulders and pulled her a little more into my embrace.
If I were to give an estimation, the ti was probably about seven or eight in the evening; it wasn't all that late, but considering it was the day of the Winter Solstice here, the world had already been dyed dark for a number of hours now.
Naturally, the night, the wind, the air――was cold.
Peering up at the Winter Full Moon together, which was shaded over with a deep lustre of vivid red, it should be noted that this wasn't its usual colour.
"It's really pretty..."
"Right? This is called a 'Lunar Eclipse'."
"'Eclipse'...? I have seen the Winter Moon turn red a few tis before, but why? What does it an?"
On Earth, Lunar Eclipses were nothing special, really.
They occur when the Moon is in the Earth's shadow, opposite to the Sun, and they make the surface of the Moon appear red due to Rayleigh scattering, the sa phenonon that makes our sky appear blue during the day and that makes the sunrise and set appear more amber.
At least, that was my knowledge on it. There might have been more to it that I was unaware of.
"Do you want to hear? My Lady once told : 'In Christina-Rasa, there is a saying'."
This Illusory World―was not Earth, however.
"'When the Winter Mother bathes herself in blood, take care, for even the Father of the Sun has gone into hiding.'"
The Protagonist rose her shoulders at my recitation of sothing interesting Lucretia once said.
It was truly a chilling line to hear when you were staring right up at the infamous 'Bloodthirsty Winter Moon' so blatantly, but with all I had experienced since coming here, I could certainly say that each world had its share of creepy folklore and sayings to go around.
At this point, I stopped wondering if such tales were sothing I had to worry about in regards to dealing with the Protagonist, but they were still intriguing.
In response to her silent, yet evidently spooked reaction, I rubbed her stiff shoulders a tad.
"Don't worry. No one knows this, but I actually have the Blessing of the Winter Mother, so we won't be in any trouble."
"Wait, really...!? E-Enki, that's incredible!"
Following such an exclamation, the Protagonist imdiately subdued herself and wore a look as if ashad.
"Hm? Ayla?"
Accordingly, I tilted my head to try and peer into her downturned eyes.
Inwardly, I already knew what she wanted to say.
Was this... it?
No, there was not a question, not a doubt about it.
I was certain, more certain than anything else.
'Do it.'
She wanted to confess.
To co clean about her hidden power...
To disclose any and all secrets between us, just as I had now done with her...
To close the tiny, yet indubitable gap that remained...
'Do it already, for fuck's sake.'
Tell .
'Show what you're hiding and let go ho, you--'
"Enki... actually, I... have sothing to confess too..."
Interrupting my thoughts, the Protagonist's small voice reached my ears clearly. Subconsciously, I wetted my lips and watched her intently. I couldn't even tell if I was blinking properly or not as I looked at her, but sothing like that didn't matter.
"Yes? Whatever it is, I'll be here for you. I promise I won't tell anyone, even if it kills ."
"Oh no, don't! I-I an, you don't have to go that far... you've already done so much..."
Taking a few monts to gather herself, she tilted her face up to look at directly.
And finally.
"The truth is, I..."
"..."
"I have a Blessing, too... from the Sun Father."
Cupping her hands together and holding them in front of us, she seed to concentrate for a mont, and a soft light emanated from between her joined palms.
Silently, my lips trembled.
"See?"
Flashing the tiniest smile, she turned to look at , who observed the light blankly.
I couldn't really claim to know much about magic even after asking Lucretia to teach so things. Nevertheless, I knew a certain amount about the magic of this world.
This magic I was being shown right now―it wasn't the sa kind of holy magic that the Saint, Mikhael Avalon, or that Isabella in the residence used when restoring my shoulder.
The light they showed when healing was a pure white, like snow.
The Protagonist's light, on the other hand, possessed a hue of resplendent gold.
Even if I knew nothing about magic. Instinctually, by its very nature, I could sense that it was different sohow.
It didn't give a feeling of being close in nature to fire, and yet it was warm.
Even compared to the so-called divine energy displayed previously, the energy here felt so much more sacred, incomparably so, to the point that placing the two side-by-side felt like pure mockery.
Averting my eyes from that inexplicable thing, I t the Protagonist's tense gaze.
"Ayla, that's incredible... what can it do?"
The toasty warmth soon faded alongside the golden light, and in response, she lightly shook her head.
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure... There have been incidents in the past where I've exploded with this golden magic after feeling it all bubbly inside , but all I know is that it's sothing I have because of the Blessing... It's caused a few incidents in the past because of that..."
"..."
"And..."
"...?"
Suddenly, she slowly reached up. As if touching sothing invisible, she made a motion as if pinching the air on her neck and pulling it over her head.
Then, sothing materialised in her hands.
An aureate amulet in the shape of a shining star.
"This is sothing I always wear... I don't know where it ca from or what it is, but I've had it on as far back as I can rember... My father-- um, that is, the Count who adopted , said it was an amulet bestowed to by the Sun Father, and to never take it off or let it go..."
"...Ayla."
Shifting my position slightly, I placed one hand on top of hers which held the amulet, keeping my other wrapped around her.
Staring deep into her eyes, I smiled.
Perhaps, for the first ti since eting her, was it genuine?
"Thank you for sharing this with ."
Truly, I couldn't be more grateful.
"I swear, your secret will stay with ."
"Ah, Enki..."
Her eyes began to glisten and she clasped my hand tightly, the amulet squished between us both.
"S-sothing else, too..."
Then, she started again.
"Actually, I..."
Staring straight at , tears blurring her eyes completely, she wore a radiant smile.
"E-Enki, I... I think..."
It was so bright that anyone would struggle to imagine extinguishing it.
"I think I like--"
―――At that mont, silence encompassed the world.
The Protagonist's voice abruptly cut off, and along with it, so did that soft, lodic the.
"..."
Lowering my right hand, whose grasp contained the Black Wisp, I rose to my feet.
Thump.
At my feet, sothing fell lifelessly, from which a pool of dark liquid expanded, staining the cut grass and seeping into the royal dirt below.
Holding my left hand high, I briefly inspected the golden amulet, dyed pink from the sanguine light of the Bloodthirsty Winter Moon that shone down upon .
Or rather, the chilling breath of the Winter Mother that embraced wholly.
Like that, emanating from a certain, deepest and most untouchable corner of my heart, a piercing frigidity spread throughout my body.
"..."
I let out a prolonged, frosty exhale.
More so than any other, the night was cold.
[The Protagonist, 'Ayla Tichá, the Beloved', has been dispatched.]
[Contract complete.]
...Far, far too cold.
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