Chapter 33
I was genuinely pleased that Darcy had confided in
about his abilities. It was proof that he trusted .
There had been a part of
that worried whether the bond we had ford in such a short ti was fragile, sothing that could disappear at any mont. I had told myself that we couldn’t get too close because he was soone who would eventually leave.
But things were different now. He had said that he wanted
to be happy.
I was happy that he cared so much about . I was glad that Darcy, of all people, was the one who cared this deeply.
In turn, I found myself wanting to know more about him.
Why wasn’t he a main character in the original story? How exactly did my words save him? There were still so many unanswered questions.
“How exactly does the brainwashing work?”
“You have to call the person’s true na and make eye contact. My magic is just a bonus.”
I was surprised by how quickly he answered.
I blinked in astonishnt as Darcy raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.
“So, you should be careful about making eye contact with
in the future.”
“…I don’t think that will be necessary.”
Knowing Darcy’s abilities didn’t change anything. He was still the sa person to
as when we first t.
My feelings toward him, from the beginning until now, had always been sincere.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t at all afraid, but I didn’t want his abilities to drive a wedge between us.
He shrugged at my response.
“That’s good for .”
“Are there any limitations to using your power? It seems a bit overpowered.”
Having the talent to recreate magical tools as I described and now possessing a brainwashing ability seed like too much.
If he could use brainwashing freely, he wouldn’t have lived hidden away for so long.
“…It’s nothing special. But aren’t you scared of ?”
“Stop changing the subject.”
“It really isn’t a big deal. But are you sure you’re not afraid? What if I had already brainwashed you without you realizing it?”
I knew he was trying to divert the conversation, but I decided not to press further.
If Darcy, who had been so open about everything else, was hesitant to share this, there had to be a reason.
He probably didn’t want to worry . If that was the case, I would let him tell
in his own ti.
We weren’t going to part ways after today.
…Even if I didn’t know when the day would co that he had to leave again.
Pushing those worries aside, I shook my head firmly.
“Not really. You haven’t used your power on , have you?”
“How can you be so sure? Maybe our growing closeness is the result of my brainwashing…”
“That’s a ridiculous hypothesis.”
I cut off his playful theory with conviction. My feelings for Darcy had changed purely based on my own experiences with him. It couldn’t have been the result of brainwashing.
The mont I finished speaking, a faint smile appeared on Darcy’s face.
“I’m relieved you’re not afraid. You’re right, I haven’t used it.”
Seeing the relief in his eyes, I realized that this was what he had feared most when revealing his ability to .
“It wasn’t hard to win your favor without it.”
The way he raised his chin and looked at
made
realize what he ant.
…Yes, you’re very handso.
The narcissistic remark, clearly referring to his looks, suited him perfectly.
Not just , but anyone would have to admit that Darcy was right.
He continued speaking.
“Brainwashing is a rare ability, given to only a select few. This cursed power…”
After referring to his power as a curse rather than a blessing, Darcy raised his index finger to point at his head.
“It was how my mother captivated the Emperor, and it’s also why his hatred for mages grew so intense.”
The lighthearted atmosphere darkened in an instant. This was the first ti he had talked about himself like this.
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, speaking with a hint of self-mockery.
“Actually, it wasn’t really brainwashing, more like begging.”
“….”
“She begged the Emperor to love her. She couldn’t escape the grip of her first love and ended up leaving this world without ever breaking free.”
The sadness in his voice revealed his longing for his mother.
…At least he grew up receiving her love, I thought.
“And that desperate love was the greatest curse that twisted my life.”
“…What?”
How could his mother’s tragic love story be the beginning of his curse?
“My mother truly wanted the Emperor’s love, so when the brainwashing didn’t work, she made a deal with him.”
Darcy’s mother loved Kyes. The more she loved him, the more she wanted his genuine affection, not sothing forced by brainwashing.
Seeing Kyes act kindly because of the brainwashing, she might have started to believe that he could co to love her genuinely.
If this deal with the Emperor was the root of her curse, it must have centered around him.
“Was the contract about you?”
“Yes. My mother didn’t have much ti left.”
It was a cruel twist of fate. I paused for a mont, troubled by the thought that his mother didn’t have long to live.
“…What was in the contract?”
Was she really that ill, or was there another reason her health had declined? I pondered, trying to piece together the mystery.
“In exchange for the Emperor loving my mother, she made
his puppet. If I didn’t obey him until I ca of age, I would die.”
“…What?”
“Just as I said.”
…Good heavens. I was at a loss for words.
I couldn’t openly curse in front of him, but I couldn’t help but feel resentnt toward his mother for such a reckless decision.
If she had truly loved him as a son, she couldn’t have done this to him.
It had been a long ti since I had a conversation this deep with soone, and I wasn’t sure how to respond.
Should I offer comfort? Or would silence be better?
“Marceau.”
He called my na. I looked up to et his gaze.
He gently pressed his finger to my forehead as if to stop
from overthinking.
“I’m not looking for sympathy. The reason I’m telling you about my past is that I’m alive because of you.”
“….”
“Weapons have always been prohibited in the palace.”
But the gun I ntioned was such a new concept that they didn’t recognize it as a weapon.
“What you did was enough. Thanks to you, I didn’t die.”
While I had always suspected that my actions had saved Darcy, hearing him confirm it filled
with emotion.
Since I entered Marceau’s body, I had made many choices to avoid being trapped by the original story. Finally, one of those choices had changed the story.
Only after I had thrown everything away.
I wondered if Darcy might misunderstand my silence. He looked into my eyes and murmured lightly.
“If it’s too much to handle, you don’t have to think about it. I would have left this place even if it weren’t for you.”
But I knew he wouldn’t have been able to. I knew that from the original story.
That’s why this mont, this conversation between us, felt even more precious.
Instead of leaving, he had chosen to stay for .
Doubts crept in suddenly.
I cared about Darcy.
I wanted to spend more ti with him.
This desire surfaced like a budding sprout.
Just as Darcy wished for my happiness, I wanted him to find happiness too.
I hoped that he could be part of my journey as I continued to change.
Seeing Darcy carefully watching my reaction, I smiled as brightly as I could.
“Thank you for telling
everything. Can I ask one last question?”
“Of course. What are you curious about?”
I sat up and faced Darcy.
“You said you wouldn’t leave until I’m happy.”
“I did.”
“Then are you happy now?”
Darcy blinked in surprise, as if caught off guard by my question, and then propped his chin on his hand.
“Happiness, huh. I’ve never really thought of it as sothing that belongs to .”
“You say you want
to be happy, but you don’t care about your own happiness?”
“I don’t think I deserve it.”
“Darcy, you deserve to be as happy as I do.”
“No, when I think about all the people I’ve imprisoned, tortured, and killed, it’s impossible.”
Darcy shook his head, his expression hardening. The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes were completely different from usual.
I couldn’t fully understand the ti he had endured.
“I don’t deserve happiness.”
“…But you were used.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I did those things.”
His matter-of-fact tone was light, but then he smiled, and the familiar smile felt different.
I gazed at Darcy in silence.
How deep was the shadow hidden behind that smiling face? What kind of experiences had led him to make this decision?
In the end, instead of choosing a bloody revenge against Kyes, Darcy had chosen exile.
Rather than seeking vengeance against the Emperor, who had tainted his life with hatred, he wanted to leave it all behind.
Even if it wasn’t because he didn’t want revenge.
And in the final mont, instead of leaving, he ca back for .
‘He chose my happiness over a lifeti of vengeance.’
This was an opportunity. I realized.
My path was clear. I called out to him.
“Darcy.”
Just as he had extended his hand to
when I didn’t want to go outside.
“Darcy, if you want
to be happy, there’s sothing you need to do.”
I willingly extended my hand to him.
“You need to find happiness.”
I hoped that sohow I could develop the sa ability he had.
“I can’t be happy until you are.”
Or maybe I was casting a spell, hoping for a miracle.
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