Chapter 104
Chapter 104
Ch. 104 .｡.:✧ The Responsibility of Irresponsibility (2) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Not again… not in Elvenguard again…!”
Yulia trembled with frustration the moment she heard the news.
News that Transylvania had gotten into a fight with a high warrior in Elvenguard.
On its own, it didn’t seem like anything unusual.
The problem was the substitute who had agreed to fight in Transylvania’s place.
According to the report, the substitute was a human wielding a greatsword with a mana stone embedded in its hilt, accompanied by a young girl and they had given the name Heavenly Michael Jackson.
Yulia knew instantly.
It was none other than Yoo-jin.
“They stepped in because the witch was insulted…?”
But the circumstances that led to him becoming Transylvania’s substitute were strange.
They said he had suddenly shown hostility after Rex insulted the Witch of Petenburg… Yulia’s mind went blank.
For me?
The person who left me, disillusioned, fought for me…?
“T- This is not the time! Q-Quickly! I-I-I have to hurry…! Ugh!”
Yulia tripped and fell as she scrambled over the scattered magic tools.
But there was no time to check for injuries.
She hurriedly threw on some clothes and rushed out of the building.
The fastest route to Elvenguard would take two days.
By the time she arrived, the duel would be over.
But there was a chance, however slim…
Maybe Yoo-jin would stay in Elvenguard for half a day after the duel.
Maybe he would leave a trail she could follow…
“Ugh.”
Of course, Yulia knew it was unlikely.
Yoo-jin was thorough.
Even though it seemed like they were missing each other by a cruel twist of fate…
In reality, everything was probably going according to Yoo-jin’s plan, making it impossible for them to meet.
“He… He won’t… see me…?”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Familiar despair washed over her.
The carriage to Elvenguard had never felt so slow.
‘The curse works.’
After a day and a half of relentless travel, pushing the horses to their limits, she finally arrived in Elvenguard.
Yulia used a curse to conceal her presence and passed through the gates.
It was a simple curse, but effective.
However, she didn’t have much demonic energy left and couldn’t maintain it for long.
Still, the fact that the curse she had learned through self-study worked…
It was a significant achievement.
Pulling her hood low, Yulia slipped into the bustling streets and began gathering information.
“Did you hear about the duel? They say Rex-nim lost?”
“What? The duel against Transylvania is already over?”
“No! The one against the human! Rex-nim lost that one!”
It seemed the duel had caused quite a stir in Elvenguard, as she could hear people talking about it everywhere.
After eavesdropping and piecing together the information, it seemed High Warrior Rex had lost the duel against Transylvania’s substitute.
And that Rex had sustained serious injuries, his hair turning completely white.
‘He burned his lifespan…!’
Rex was the younger brother of the high warrior who had been killed by Transylvania.
He was the elf who had glared at her with resentment even on the day she was banished.
He had challenged Transylvania to a duel and emerged with white hair?
He must have used that blasphemous demonic art that burned away the lifespan granted by the World Tree.
She had noticed the rage in his eyes and had a bad feeling about it, but…
She never imagined he would go that far.
But of course, her main concern wasn’t Rex…
“T-T-T-That! Th-Th-Th!”
“What is it, miss? Speak clearly.”
“T-T-That! Th-Th-Th-That!!!”
“Oh dear. Is she mute? How unfortunate.”
“I-I’m n-not m-mute! I-It’s j-just… It’s b-been a w-while s-since I-I-I’ve talked t-to… a p-person… W-What I-I-I w-want t-to s-say is… H-How is t-that h-human…?”
As always, her primary concern was Yoo-jin.
She was so flustered that she forgot it had been months since she had last spoken to another person, grabbing a random passerby and bombarding them with questions.
“Heavenly Michael Jackson seemed fine, didn’t he?”
“Yeah. He did have some minor injuries, but it looked like he had completely healed them with herbs and potions.”
“He looks like a petty thief, but he’s apparently quite skilled. Maybe he’s a Sword Master from the Holy Kingdom in disguise?”
“He did look like a Northerner, though.”
“Ah…”
Overhearing the elves’ conversation, Yulia clutched her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
Yoo-jin is safe.
He had won the duel against an elf who was prepared to die.
And he hadn’t just won, he had won without killing his opponent.
It was a duel where both sides had staked their lives, so the meaning was significant.
To subdue an opponent without killing them, one had to possess overwhelming strength.
‘Well… he did climb the treacherous cliffs of Petenburg to see me.’
She was surprised for a moment, but…
Thinking back, it wasn’t that surprising.
A bitter smile spread across Yulia’s lips as she recalled their encounters in the previous loop.
“But, miss, who are you?”
“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere…”
“Your voice also sounds familiar.”
“Ah, uh!”
As the elves, one by one, started to eye her with suspicion, Yulia pulled her hood lower and backed away.
It had been over 50 years since she had fled from the priesthood, but to elves, 50 years wasn’t that long.
If they saw her face properly, they would surely recognize her.
But the elves surrounded her, leaving her nowhere to retreat, and she was about to be exposed…
“Is she a spy? Why is she hiding her face?”
“Ugh…!”
“Everyone, please be kind to my guest. She’s just a little shy and uncomfortable with all the attention.”
“Priestess!”
A youthful voice came from behind them.
The elves all stiffened.
The priestess, Mia, gently raised her umbrella made of World Tree leaves and smiled at Yulia.
Thanks to her, she escaped her current predicament.
But Yulia couldn’t smile back.
Even a fake smile was difficult to muster in front of Mia.
Soon, Yulia found herself being led by Mia to her quarters, a place where there would be no prying eyes or ears.
“W-What are you planning?”
“Excuse me?”
“What are you planning? You… You h-hate me…”
Yulia’s hands clenched into fists.
Mia, still looking clueless, tilted her head.
Meeting her gaze, Yulia’s insecurities exploded.
“Y-You’re l-looking down on m-me…!”
She had always found Mia annoying.
When they first met, Yulia had found the young girl, her newly appointed successor, quite endearing.
But as soon as Mia became the priestess, the Elder Council changed their attitude towards Yulia and began to attack her openly.
They had a replacement for the World Tree Priestess now.
That was around the time…
Yulia started to resent the young girl, who learned everything quickly and effortlessly fulfilled her duties as the priestess.
“That’s not true. I respect you so much, Lady Yulia.”
“…”
Mia approached the trembling Yulia and embraced her tightly.
Yulia knew Mia wasn’t to blame.
She didn’t have any ulterior motives…
And she even knew that Mia had pleaded with the Elder Council on her behalf until the day she was banished.
But if she didn’t hate Mia, she couldn’t bear it.
But instead of responding to her hatred with hatred…
Mia embraced her with kindness.
“I don’t hate you.”
“L-Let g-go…”
Yulia gently pushed Mia away and averted her gaze.
It wasn’t an act of kindness on Mia’s part.
Mia was genuinely a kind person.
Kind enough to hide Yulia’s repeated, unannounced visits from the Elder Council, even though she had been banished from Elvenguard.
But Yulia couldn’t truly get close to Mia.
Perhaps never.
Because Yulia wanted to shake Elvenguard to its core once more…
And Mia wanted to protect it.
Mia’s kind gaze was merely out of respect for the former priestess.
She had no intention of helping Yulia.
She couldn’t understand her, nor did she want to.
An irreconcilable difference of opinion.
That subtle gap would never disappear.
“So, why are you here in Elvenguard this time?”
“Y-You d-don’t k-know…?”
Yulia retorted in disbelief.
She had heard that Mia was the judge of the duel.
So she must know why Yulia was here.
She was pretending not to know.
Again, again, again…
‘As expected, she’s just being polite.’
The Mia who used to follow Yulia around, calling her “big sister,” was gone.
The way Mia treated her now was clearly the way a priestess treated an enemy of Elvenguard.
Seeing her being so polite and respectful, never breaking decorum for a single moment, Yulia realized…
She would never be able to go back to the way they were before.
“A-Are you g-going to p-pretend y-you d-don’t k-know? T-Tell me where Y-Yoo-jin is, o-or e-else…”
“Hmm. I wonder?”
“I’m a-asking you a-again. W-Where is H-Heavenly Michael Jackson?”
“…”
Even in the face of her threatening tone, Mia remained unfazed, simply smiling sweetly.
It was the same as last time.
It was clear that Yoo-jin had been here, and that Mia knew something…
But she simply remained silent.
As the Priestess of Elvenguard, she was protecting Elvenguard’s interests.
From Mia’s perspective, she was simply doing her duty…
But Yulia found it infuriating, as if Mia was deliberately provoking her.
“I’m w-warning you. I-If you d-don’t t-tell me t-the t-truth… I-I’ll r-really…”
“Lady Yulia, why don’t we calm down and talk?”
“H-Huh?!”
“Have a seat here. And tell me… Yoo-jin, did you say? I honestly don’t know anything about him, but… would you tell me about him?”
“…?”
Yulia’s blood was boiling.
She was pretending not to know…
But while she had always feigned ignorance before, this time, she was willing to listen.
Yulia didn’t know what had changed her mind, but…
Figuring she had nothing to lose, she sat down on the soft cushion Mia offered.
“Y-You w-want me t-to t-tell you? W-What?”
“About him. What kind of person he is. What you think of him. I’m curious.”
“…”
Yulia’s cheeks puffed up at Mia’s shameless tone.
She was obviously planning to listen without revealing anything about Yoo-jin.
It was as if Mia had declared that she would only gather information unilaterally.
“Yoo-jin is…”
But despite it all, Yulia couldn’t help but open her mouth.
She couldn’t bear it anymore.
She wanted to let it all out.
Instead of keeping her feelings for Yoo-jin bottled up inside…
She wanted to confide in someone.
And if she had to confide in someone, Mia, with her tight lips, was the best candidate.
“He’s… the only one. To me… He’s irreplaceable… the only one…”
Her encounter with Yoo-jin had been brief.
And it wasn’t a childhood encounter.
It was a meeting that occurred after she had experienced the world, after her ego had been fully formed and worn down.
Until then, Yulia had believed that no one could change her life anymore.
Tired of relationships, she had severed all ties…
As a successful engineer and lady, there was no one she had to look up to.
The only gaze she allowed was one of admiration and reverence.
One-way traffic.
She had believed that no one could break this pattern.
Until Yoo-jin appeared.
“A s-short-lived b-being… The s-short-lived beings I l-looked down on… He t-taught me… That not e-everyone is f-filled with m-malice… That not e-everyone h-hates me…”
Yoo-jin was the only one who had such a profound impact on her.
He treated her without hesitation or reservation.
To Yoo-jin, she wasn’t the World Tree Priestess, the Witch of Petenburg, or anything else.
She was just a friend he could share drinks with, have fun conversations with, and enjoy spending time with.
He never questioned or pried into her true nature, the part of her that stuttered and lacked confidence, unlike the image she projected to the world.
He didn’t judge her essence.
Yoo-jin accepted her as she was, without prejudice.
“H-He was the o-only one… The only o-one who s-saw me… as a p-person…”
Yoo-jin was the only one and he would always be the only one.
That was why he was more precious to her than anyone else.
A precious person deserved to be treated accordingly.
She should have cherished him…
“B-But I-I messed it u-up… I was a-afraid he w-would l-leave me… I r-ruined e-everything because I-I was i-impatient…”
She was afraid that he would disappear.
She was terrified that he would leave her, and she made a mistake.
That one mistake led to war, and everything fell apart.
“I r-regret it s-so much… I w-want to a-apologize… B-But I-I c-can’t… He p-pushes me a-away… He w-won’t s-see me…”
She wanted to see him again.
She wanted to see his face again.
She had so much to tell him.
First, she would apologize.
She would apologize for being selfish and then she would whisper to him.
Stop regressing and stay with me.
If you can’t stop, I’ll help you.
“I-I want t-to s-spend my l-life with Y-Yoo-jin… I w-want t-to g-grow old with h-him… E-Even though our l-lifespans a-are d-different…”
It wasn’t that her resentment towards Yoo-jin had disappeared.
The words he had spoken to her in that frozen moment, when the world had stopped…
Those words were still a dagger in her heart, but she could forgive him.
Considering that he was reliving the same life over and over again…
She could understand.
In the end, the one who wanted more, the one who loved more, had to compromise.
She would accept any condition, as long as she could be with Yoo-jin.
“I-If Y-Yoo-jin d-dies t-tomorrow… I’m w-willing to d-die t-today…”
Tears streamed down Yulia’s face.
She had thought she would feel better after letting it all out…
But the pain in her chest only intensified.
“I see…”
Yulia finally broke down and started sobbing.
Mia, watching her with pity, glanced towards the back door.
…
“I-I want t-to s-spend my l-life with Y-Yoo-jin… I w-want t-to g-grow old with h-him… E-Even though our l-lifespans a-are d-different…”
Yulia’s voice reached me faintly.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
My heart felt like it was burning.
It had been Mia’s suggestion.
To try to get Yulia to open up, and to let me listen.
I refused at first.
Being caught by Yulia after staying here would be the worst possible scenario.
‘You won’t regret it?’
But her words swayed me, and I decided to wait and see.
I erased all traces of my presence, even sending away the carriage that supposedly carried Heavenly Michael Jackson, creating an alibi.
I hid behind a barrier created by Mia in her quarters.
I could see and hear what was happening on the other side, but they couldn’t detect my presence.
“I-If Y-Yoo-jin d-dies t-tomorrow… I’m w-willing to d-die t-today…”
It was difficult to say that Yulia had revealed everything to Mia… but Mia was definitely the person she felt most comfortable with, aside from me.
So, she must have meant most of what she said.
‘She doesn’t hate me…’
I had naturally assumed that she hated me.
I had used her kindness and betrayed her feelings right before regressing.
But Yulia still wanted to build a future with me.
“Let’s go. There’s nothing more to see.”
“…Okay.”
Hearing Yulia’s true feelings solidified my resolve.
Even if I had to leave, I would leave after finding proper closure.
I couldn’t just run away irresponsibly and disappear.
I had to face Yulia one last time.
I had to tell her about my fate and say goodbye properly.
And then I would leave.
It was the least I could do, the least bit of responsibility I could take.
It was a way to atone for the karma I had accumulated as a regressor.
‘How ironic.’
In the end, I could never express my true feelings to the women I loved.
I had confessed countless times to win them over, but… in the very end, I couldn’t express my true affections.
I could never say ‘I love you’ again.
Because if I did, the ending would trigger, and this final loop would end.
This was… ironic.
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