Chapter 190: Crying Out Love in the Heart of the Castle
Chapter 190: Crying Out Love in the Heart of the Castle
“Haaah…”
Having stormed out of the mansion, Diana let out a long sigh, as if trying to exhale all the tangled emotions in her heart.
To think that I, known as the supreme Archmage, who prides herself on being the very incarnation of intellect, would act on pure emotion and run away from home like this.
This wasn't the first time. It was always like this.
Whenever I'm with Guwon, I always end up acting so unlike myself, so emotional.
It's all Guwon's fault.
Countless years have passed since I came to be revered as the world's greatest mage. All those who could converse with me as equals have long since returned to the Goddess's side.
Now, the only people left in this world are those who lower themselves and speak with utmost formality the moment they see my face.
The same goes for outsiders not raised in this world.
At first, there were some who would hit on me based on my appearance alone, but once they learned of my position and status, they would grow timid and fall all over themselves with flattery.
But Guwon, what about him?
Even after learning my true identity, he was the first person to immediately drop the formalities the moment I told him to speak comfortably.
Was that all? Even after that, Guwon was never the least bit intimidated by me.
No, far from being intimidated, he was so friendly that I often felt he was treating me like his little sister, judging me by my appearance alone.
Is he so dense that he can't grasp my station?
I had my suspicions, but seeing how he immediately begs for forgiveness whenever I get angry, that doesn't seem to be the case.
What a strange man.
Thanks to him, whenever I'm with that man, I feel myself reverting to my younger self, back when I was the junior member of a group researching primordial magic.
I forget my current position and return to my younger days, acting spoiled and becoming emotional.
Which is precisely why I'm standing outside the mansion right now.
But Guwon was just as much to blame.
He kept teasing me, bringing me to the very brink of that mind-numbing pleasure unique to a Saint, only to pull back, all while whispering sweet nothings in my ear.
When a man you're already conscious of does something like that to you, isn't it only natural for emotion to overwhelm reason?
And so, before I even knew it, I found myself agreeing to his proposal.
I shouldn't have.
A harem. I can never accept that.
Of course, it would be a lie to say there isn't some pride involved—that someone of my stature cannot share a man with other women.
But that's not all. My desire for Guwon to look only at me is not just for my own sake; it is for his as well.
I do feel sorry for Sara and Leia.
Especially considering how Guwon came on to me right after getting together with Sara, it must mean she has permitted him to continue his relationships with other women.
Thinking about that made me feel even more apologetic, but still, I didn't want him to fall so deeply for them that he would swear an eternity together.
The best way to persuade him would be to honestly tell him my entire situation, but I haven't had the courage.
If he were to reject me even after I revealed everything, it wouldn't just be a failure to make him give up the harem.
He might give up on our relationship entirely and cut all ties.
That fear kept me from readily revealing my circumstances, and while I hesitated, Sara overtook me.
And yet, he and I had promised to kiss.
I was drawn to him because he treated me without the usual formalities, but it was ironic that this very nature allowed him to become deeply involved with another woman after promising me a kiss.
Anyone else would have watched their step, even when just talking to other women, after making such a promise to me.
In any case, having stormed out like this, I couldn't just go straight back to the mansion.
I've cooled my head for now, but the moment I see Guwon's face, I'll just get emotional all over again.
First, I'll walk around a bit more to clear my head. And I'll steel my resolve.
Even in her haste, Diana had grabbed her favorite robe, and pulling the hood low over her face, she decided to wander through the town.
But this wasn't just aimless wandering. To steel her resolve, she needed to be honest with her feelings.
To do that, the best way would be to revisit the places where she had made memories with Guwon and reaffirm her emotions.
First stop: the inn where she first met him.
I was eating in the restaurant when I learned of a job I'd never heard of and approached him. Back then, I never imagined I would come to harbor such feelings for him.
When she checked the restaurant, someone else was already sitting at the table where Guwon had been.
Hmm. Nothing to be done about it. I suppose I'll wait.
“Ma’am? Why are you standing here….”
“Pay me no mind. Go about your work.”
She replied coolly to the employee who approached her with a slightly troubled business smile, and waited right where she stood.
There were plenty of other empty seats in the restaurant, so she drew quite a few stares, but Diana paid them no heed. She was long accustomed to people sneaking glances at her, though the reason for the stares was a little different this time.
And after a wait, the moment the table became free, Diana quickly sat down before anyone else could take it.
The employee was a bit taken aback since the table hadn't even been cleared yet, but Diana didn't care.
A place filled with memories really is different.
Thanks to her brilliant mind, which was said to be blessed by the Goddess, she had never forgotten a single moment, but sitting here made her memories with Guwon feel even more vivid.
“Um… ma’am? Is there anything you’d like to order?”
As she was lost in her memories, she noticed the table had been neatly cleared at some point.
Goodness. To think that someone like me would be spacing out, completely losing track of time.
“Hm? Right. In that case, I'll have one breakfast. …Yes. This, this, and this as well.”
Diana remembered she had stormed out without even eating breakfast and ordered a meal. It was, of course, the exact same food she had ordered when she first ate with Guwon.
After finishing her meal and leaving the inn, Diana was lost in thought for a moment.
Where should I go next? Right. After the inn, it has to be…
Just as she thought that, a familiar figure appeared in the corner of her eye.
Diana reflexively hid and immediately used magic.
She couldn't use a perfect invisibility spell as her level was still too low, but she could use a similar one. With this, she wouldn't be discovered unless someone looked very closely in her direction.
The person Diana saw was in such a hurry that he had no time to pay attention to his surroundings; he didn't notice her at all and entered the very inn she had just left.
Of course, there was no need to say who it was.
It was Guwon.
Could he have come out looking for me?!
Even though they had fought before she left, Diana's heart was flooded with joy.
Ugh. No, no. How can I be this easy? I have to calm down. This isn't the time to be happy.
While Diana was composing herself, Guwon walked out of the inn with a disappointed look on his face.
An obvious result. Did he think I've spent years roaming freely while avoiding the eyes of the Mage Association for nothing? He's sorely mistaken if he thinks he can find me that easily.
But Guwon quickly seemed to pull himself together and moved on to the next location.
Diana hid and immediately followed him.
The place Guwon arrived at was the clothing store.
The moment she realized this, Diana was moved once again.
He really is looking for me! And aren't our hearts and minds perfectly in sync! This was exactly where I was planning to go next!
Diana tightly gripped the edge of the robe wrapped around her body.
This was the very shop where Guwon had bought her this robe.
The place where Guwon had given her her first gift.
Truthfully, it was a bit of a stretch to call it a gift, but it was still meaningful as the place where Guwon first gave her something.
That was why Diana had insisted on wearing only this robe ever since returning to the mansion.
The mansion was filled with robes that had effects so magnificent they couldn't even be compared to this one, yet she deliberately wore this plain robe—even going so far as to reinforce it with a Desert Lizard's breath—all because it was his first gift.
And the fact that Guwon came here right after the inn meant that she wasn't the only one who considered this robe special.
Feeling as if their hearts were completely connected, Diana found the sight of Guwon's back as he entered the shop to be incredibly endearing.
She wanted to run up and hug him right then and there, but Diana held herself back.
It would look too strange for someone who had stormed out after a fight to suddenly appear and embrace him, and it could even be misinterpreted as her accepting his harem.
And there was another reason: she was too excited to see where Guwon would go next.
Since he's looking for me, the places he visits will surely be the ones where we shared memories.
Diana wanted to taste that feeling of their hearts connecting once more.
Alright. I'll try to guess, too. The next place… right. The clothing store where we went to buy clothes for the clan application? No. If we're going in order, he'll first visit the places we wandered to on our day off.
Predicting where Guwon would go next, Diana tailed him.
And so it continued for some time, with Guwon searching for Diana, and Diana tailing him from behind.
Each time the place Guwon went to perfectly matched her prediction, Diana felt her connection with him grow stronger.
It seems I can't lie to my own heart.
I want to be with Guwon.
And a belief formed that Guwon must feel the same way.
If I tell him my situation, he will surely understand.
Diana was finally able to steel the resolve that had eluded her for so long.
Alright. I'll tell Guwon everything.
…After I see where he goes last.
Honestly, it seemed they had visited every place she and Guwon had gone to together, so Diana couldn't guess where else he might go.
Guwon seemed to be in the same boat, as he stopped and pondered for a while, but then he seemed to think of somewhere and started walking again.
With a fluttering heart, Diana followed him.
And the place Guwon arrived at was the temple.
Hmm? The temple? …Come to think of it, we did come here together once. I hadn't considered it, since it's a place that holds more memories for him and Leia than for me.
She had thought Guwon wouldn't think she'd be at the temple either.
Did he come here grasping at straws?
But to think that, his steps seemed too purposeful, as if he had a clear objective.
And he arrived at the High Priestess's quarters.
Come to think of it, Guwon was receiving some kind of instruction from the High Priestess.
So did he come seeking advice, thinking the High Priestess would know everything?
But he's mistaken. If he wanted to find me, it would have been better to seek out the Guild Master when he was at the Guild earlier.
She and I are acquainted, so she would have been able to suggest more places I might have gone.
But well, I can't blame him. He must have come here after thinking as hard as he could.
Well then, I suppose it's about time I showed myself.
My resolve is firm.
All that's left is to tell Guwon the truth and hope he accepts it.
Diana released the spell she had cast on herself and placed her hand on the doorknob.
Just as Diana was about to open the door, Guwon's voice came from inside.
“High Priestess! Hello! I'm sorry to barge in so suddenly. But where is Leia?!”
Diana felt as if she heard something snap inside her head once more.