Chapter 821
Chapter 821
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 821
Chapter Title: Purple Rose
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A fresh, gentle spring breeze brushed against his cheeks.
Wherever he looked, clusters of purple buds rippled like clouds.
A velvety, sensual lavender scent tickled the tip of his nose.
Colorful butterflies fluttered their wings in the soft breeze, and a single flower petal drifted down, spinning gracefully on the pond's surface.
Siu, standing there lost in thought, realized it right away.
This was the Tiferet Duke's mansion in Ars Magna Town.
He had never actually visited it himself.
His master had sold it off to establish a waypoint, so now it belonged to the Adonai Count.
"It's so pretty."
And it really was.
After living in Gehenna, he had grown numb to most architecture.
But the exotic, dreamlike garden was as vibrant as a noblewoman's spring outing dress.
He even wanted to buy it back someday when he had the money and gift it to his master.
"I definitely have to."
That was for the future, though. Right now, the priority was pulling his master out of this dream.
Even the beautiful scenery didn't sit right with him.
The despair Amelia felt losing her predecessor couldn't be quantified against the despair his master felt losing Rafi.
Was there really a hierarchy to the sorrow of losing someone precious?
Still, he knew the reason behind the loss played a huge role in overcoming the pain.
Amelia had accepted the parting.
In that unavoidable farewell, she felt Malika Merigold's love and chose to move forward.
It might sound a bit cold, but Amelia being an apprentice witch and Malika her predecessor had influenced that greatly.
It was something that would have happened eventually, sooner or later.
His master's case was different.
The grief of a parent losing a child was called utter devastation.
A sorrow too horrific to speak of.
His master believed she bore responsibility for that devastation.
She endlessly tormented herself with the regret that a little more care could have prevented the tragedy.
Forcing herself to live over a century as a sinner.
Siu's presence must have been a great comfort to her.
But it couldn't wash away all the pain.
Not even offering Ea's head—the root of all evil—at Rafi's grave would change that.
She had resolved to move on with the unresolved tragedy buried in her heart, only to end up ensnared.
By this purple paradise wafting sweet lavender.
"Siu oppa!"
As he hung his head with a heavy heart, a girl came running from afar.
Brimming with vitality, her cheeks flushed with life.
She bounded along the arched bridge over the pond with the grace of a flying squirrel.
He'd never seen her in person before, but recognizing her was easy.
Her black-and-white photo had been framed on one side of the grave marker.
"Hug me!"
Rafi, sprinting full speed, stepped on the stone balustrade and leaped into the air.
Landing light as a feather in his arms, she giggled warmly and pretended to plant kisses on his cheeks, beak-like.
Cheek kisses instead of a greeting.
She was incredibly friendly.
"M-Me too..."
"Aw, what's with the reaction? Your cute little junior's hugging you."
His heart ached.
This Rafi was just an illusion, like Malika.
But for now, playing along seemed best.
He didn't know the setup, but until he woke his master, he wanted to make happy memories with her here.
Wouldn't that leave a better impression for his master?
"Rafi."
At that moment, a solemn voice called out.
It was his master.
But the master from these memories looked a bit different from the one he knew.
First off, her outfit wasn't practical for movement.
A silk dress and a shawl studded with small jewels.
Her hair, usually tied back simply, was adorned with elaborate accessories.
In short, she looked every bit the Gehenna 'noble' that came to mind.
The aura around her was different too.
Arrogance and confidence of a grand witch, wrapped smoothly in authority and dignity.
She had once said that before losing Rafi, she wasn't much different from other orthodox nobles.
She had no interest in worldly affairs and took no action to save humans dying from homunculi and public executions.
No different from Duke Ererim.
From this, he could infer the state of the world.
His master hadn't lost Rafi yet.
So how had he become her disciple?
"Don't trouble Siu too much."
"What I want to trouble is you, Master. Siu oppa, did you know? Master gets super fidgety when I hug you tight."
"Really?"
"Yep, wanna see?"
"Rafi!"
Even this unfamiliar master hadn't changed at her core.
The moment Rafi hugged Siu tight, all authority and dignity vanished as she stomped her feet.
"Master, are you heading out somewhere?"
"Did you forget? I said we'd have a picnic in the garden today."
"We'll spread a mat on the grass, have tea time, paint watercolors! Oh, and I'll bring my embroidery too!"
"Sounds perfect."
It was an unfamiliar side of his master, but one thing was clear.
Eloa was smiling happier than Siu had ever seen.
2.
For Eloa, picnics with her two disciples were always happy times.
Especially on a beautiful spring day like this.
Perched on a wooden chair, Eloa watched her disciples compete in landscape painting with a warm smile.
She embroidered flowers and butterflies on a handkerchief with French stitching, occasionally wetting her throat with black tea.
Who knew she'd find such joy in her later years?
She had gained an apprentice witch she loved like her own eyes and her beloved disciple.
The disciple here being Shin Siu, the first male witch in witch history.
Eloa and Siu had met in the present world, overcome hardships together, and formed a master-disciple bond.
She hadn't told Rafi yet, but it had evolved beyond that into lovers.
"......"
It might be a scandalous relationship, drawing ire from society.
Master-disciple bonds were that sacred in witch society.
Even professors at Trinity Academy faced rumors just for dating students, spilling from the red-roofed mansion.
It could tarnish the Tiferet Duke family's honor.
But Eloa loved Siu more than she worried about that.
The one concern was how Rafi would take it.
Rafi approached with quick steps, having perfectly captured the garden's scenery on canvas.
Siu was still far from done.
His painting skills were poorer than Rafi's—no helping it.
"Master."
Rafi acted cute toward Eloa like an obedient puppy.
Eloa hugged her and tidied her lovely disciple's hair.
"What is it?"
"I forgot something back at my room."
"Forgot something?"
"Yeah, so I need to head back for a bit."
It was unlike the meticulous, sharp Rafi.
Eloa blinked.
"Don't you get lonely going alone?"
"No, it'll take about an hour... or maybe three."
"What did you forget that takes so long?"
Eloa tilted her head.
It was less than fifteen minutes from here to Rafi's room.
Three hours?
Eloa set down her embroidery hoop and stood.
"I don't know what's up, but your master should help. Let's go togeth—"
"Oh, come on, Master!"
Rafi pressed her shoulders, seating Eloa back down.
"Don't you get it yet? Rafi's thoughtfulness in cheering on Master's love?"
"L-L-Love? What are you talking about?"
The benevolent, motherly master facade crumbled, revealing a shy girl caught in unrequited love.
Rafi stood with hands on hips, smug.
"I already know everything."
"Did... Siu tell you?"
"Sigh, keeping it secret... Honey drips every time senior and Master make eye contact. Bees buzzing around scared me."
She already knew.
Eloa didn't know what face to make.
"No way you thought, 'Master and disciple shouldn't love... Rafi might get jealous or judge if she finds out,' right?"
Exactly her worries, word for word.
Rafi sighed deeply.
"Rafi likes Master. Likes senior Siu too. I'll step out, so you two have your sweet romance."
"Rafi, you don't mind?"
"Why would I? Master's thrilled to meet a good man after all those magic research nights. Nothing happier. I'll support you big time from now on."
Thumping her budding chest, she looked adorably reliable, tempting a nibble.
But it felt embarrassing somehow.
Like a mother flustered by her daughter's nagging to remarry.
"Master, I've read a ton of romance novels, actually?"
"I didn't know."
She did know.
Rafi hiding romance novels by her pillow.
The lamp staying on late because she peeked at them.
Rafi was mature for her age but still a dreamy girl who couldn't fool her youth.
"Surprise kiss. That's key. Man or woman, just go in for the lip stamp like this! Hehehe..."
Gesturing wildly like it was her own romance, Rafi patted Eloa's shoulders.
"Lip stamp..."
Did romance novels use such blunt terms?
"Got it for now."
"Sigh, shy Master will make Siu oppa work hard."
"R-Rafi...!"
"Master. Good luck. Gotta be brave, you know?"
Rafi flashed a thumbs-up and scampered off like she was flying.