Chapter 19 –
The bike roared along the coastal road. The refreshing sea breeze blew through their hair. Thanks to the goggles, the bright light and rushing wind didn’t hinder the view of the sea. Aris found himself unconsciously mesmerized by the emerald waters. The scenery was breathtaking—far beyond anything he’d seen through a window.
“I can’t believe there are still seas like this left. So many other places have been polluted by demonic beasts…”
“This sea was barely protected by the people here.”
Aris flinched in surprise when Mirea replied to the words he had murmured to himself. Her eyes remained fixed on the road as they sped forward.
“Sephiros said the same thing. That this place was hit hard by the beasts five years ago.”
“Yeah, well. It was a mess everywhere back then. We had it rough, but we were lucky. Even though we took a direct hit, we managed to respond quickly thanks to the battle division stationed at HQ and a few dragons.”
When Aris didn’t respond, Mirea added in a cheerful tone, as if trying to lighten the mood.
“But hey, what’s done is done.”
Light reflected off Mirea’s goggles, making it impossible for Aris to read her expression. He gave a bitter chuckle.
“Sephiros said something similar too.”
“Oh, really? Then why are you making that face? Neither of us thinks that incident five years ago was solely your fault. It was an accident—plain and simple. No one’s lying. Just believe it.”
Aris rested his chin on his hand and stared at Mirea.
“Can I ask you something?”
“I don’t know what you’re going to ask, but if I answer, can I ask you something too?”
“Deal.”
With that settled, Aris considered asking about their current destination—the “house.” He wanted to know why she lived in a dorm apartment if she had a home, why it had been left empty until now, and whether she had any other family. But something told him the story behind it wasn’t exactly cheerful.
So, he decided to let go of his biggest curiosity and ask his next burning question. Something similar to what he had once asked Rivielo about Mirea.
What kind of person is Mirea Jainster?
But the question was too vague—philosophical, even. He didn’t know where to begin. So he went with his third curiosity instead.
“What’s your relationship with Sephiros?”
“He’s my dad’s friend.”
The reply came quickly and without hesitation, but something about it felt strange—like the fact that Sephiros even had human friends.
“A friend?”
“My dad used to be the head of the battle division. But they knew each other even before that. I don’t know the details—neither Dad nor Sephiros ever told me how they became friends.”
“They seemed way too close for just friends.”
Mirea burst out laughing.
“I’ve known him since I was a kid. ‘Just friends’ doesn’t really cut it. We were practically family. No, we were family. Before he became the chairman, that shameless lizard moved in with us in Roxan without even finding his own place. After my parents died, he declared himself my guardian.”
Aris’s face stiffened at her offhand remark, but Mirea just kept talking.
“He wasn’t exactly overprotective, but he tried to meddle in everything I did. So annoying. Not that I haven’t used that connection to mooch off his power now and then. But still, I have a right to make my own choices, you know?”
She glanced sideways at Aris.
“Did that answer your question?”
“What’s yours?”
At Aris’s reply, Mirea made a soft groaning sound, as if thinking hard, then asked seriously:
“Why do you hate your real name?”
“It’s unnecessarily long. Ludekias Reminna Ryu Panidrau. Just saying it takes forever.”
Mirea laughed at his poor joke. After a pause, Aris began to explain.
“The royal family of Ruad traditionally receives names from the Frost Goddess. The royal house of Ruad and the Frost Temple have had close ties for ages. So ‘Ludekias’ is the name given by the goddess. ‘Reminna’ is a name that carries the family’s duty, according to royal tradition. And the rest comes from my mother’s surname ‘Ryu’ and my father’s ‘Panidrau.’”
“Ah.”
Her reaction suggested she understood without needing a deeper explanation. But Aris continued.
“There’s the reason you’re thinking of, but there’s more. My parents used to call me by a nickname. When I was little, I couldn’t pronounce ‘Ludekias’ properly. Eventually, I gave up trying to say it and started calling myself ‘Aris’—the only part I could pronounce. That became my nickname. After I was branded as one of the Marked by the goddess’ whisper, they stopped using the name she gave me entirely.”
Though he spoke longer than he intended, Mirea listened silently without interrupting.
“But my uncle never once called me by my nickname. Always used the full name—Ludekias. And he said it with the exact same face as my father’s. He pointed a gun at his twin brother, who looked just like him. That’s why I hate that name.”
It gave him chills. Every time he thought of his father, the memory of the man with the same face came back. Whether he liked it or not. Marapines and Mertheus were identical twins—so much so that their appearances were eerily alike.
Maybe that’s why. Sometimes, in his earliest memories, he couldn’t tell if the person was his father or his uncle. It would’ve been nice to reminisce freely, but he could never be sure if those memories were real or imagined.
After a long silence, Mirea finally murmured:
“So we do have one thing in common.”
It was strangely fitting that the things they were most curious about in each other had to do with their fathers. Aris turned his gaze back to the sea.
“I wish it were something else instead.”
“Well, we’ll figure out the rest over time.”
Mirea smiled faintly. By then, the bike had started up a gentle hill. Houses began appearing—colorful buildings with stone walls, small gardens, and verandas blooming with flowers. It was a cozy, charming neighborhood.
It had been a long time since Mirea had seen this area. Nothing seemed drastically different from her last memory of it. That, oddly enough, gave her a sense of relief. It would’ve felt strange if everything had changed while she was gone.
She stopped the bike in front of a house facing the sea. Without a word, she took off her helmet and goggles and dismounted. Aris followed her lead.
At the entrance stood a large almond tree in full bloom, filling the air with a strong fragrance. A yellow three-story house surrounded by a low stone wall, a red-tiled roof, a small yard. The heavy wooden gate, decorated with colorful tiles, had a large padlock on it.
Mirea felt like something was wringing her insides. She had told Rivielo she’d be fine, and she couldn’t let that become a bluff. But honestly, she felt like vomiting. Aris, who had been looking around the yard, noticed her face had gone slightly pale.
“So… uh… this is our house.”
Mirea spoke as if nothing was wrong, but her voice was a bit strained. Forcing a smile, she pulled a bunch of keys from her back pocket. Her fingers trembled slightly, so she used her other hand to steady them.
No, no, no. This isn’t why you came all this way. You’re fine. You’re just a little nervous because it’s been a while.
You’re fine, Mirea Jainster. It’s time to face it.
Yeah, that’s right. It’s true. Because of past trauma, you couldn’t even go home alone, and ended up getting kicked out of the dorm apartment because Sephiros pulled some strings to make you return home. You hated begging him to stay, too.
A joyful laugh seemed to brush past her ear on the breeze. It was a sound she missed so much it brought tears to her eyes—but she knew it was just a hallucination. There was nothing behind that door. What she remembered no longer existed. She wanted to scream for the past to stop mocking the present.
But it was she herself who created that hallucination. Who imagined freely. Who couldn’t let go. So all of it was her own fault.
Stupid Mirea Jainster. In her mind, she cursed herself out.
Screw it. Just screw it. If you came all the way here and still can’t muster the courage to go inside, just run to Sephiros and beg for a house. Or ask for a spare room and hole up there for the rest of your life.
Countless thoughts rushed through her head in mere seconds. None of them helpful.
Even after taking a deep breath, her mind was blank. Fiddling with the keys, Mirea couldn’t remember which one matched the padlock. They all seemed right—or all wrong. Eventually, she even doubted if she brought the right key at all. It was like her subconscious had erased the memory on purpose.
So pathetic. Just die, Mirea Jainster. Go jump into the sea already.
