Chapter 35
Ever since I made up with Hans, the world had started to look just a little more hopeful.
‘To be precise, I felt like I might actually be able to win him over.’
Because of that, even when occasional waves of depression and pain crept in, I found I could endure them a bit better now.
On breezy, cool days, I’d go play with Hans in the orchard. And on days without rain, I even snuck out on a picnic, hiding under a bundle so Sophie wouldn’t find out.
Once, when Hans skipped a meal and waited in the rain just to see me, I teased him and asked, “Don’t you have any other friends?”
His expression had darkened noticeably then.
After that, I decided never to bring up the topic of “friends” around Hans again.
Anyway, today was the sunniest of all the days we’d promised to spend together.
Under a straight line of clouds floated a serene, pale blue sky, and further below stretched a vast greenery touching the horizon.
Swish—
A gust of wind swept through the pages of the book clutched in my hands, causing the soft green of the grass to ripple.
The natural scent the breeze brought was tangy like unripe lemons, fragrant like finger limes, then sweet like freshly picked oranges.
Even the words on the page now seemed to dance a slow waltz in perfect rhythm.
「…Inah.」
“Mm… Just one more bite…”
Just before slipping off into a dream, I heard a familiar man’s voice echo by my ear.
「…Ria!」
Startled by the shouting, I dropped my book.
Flinch—
‘Ugh, who is that?’
I was just having the best dream ever.
「It’s a problem if you fall asleep already.」
When I opened my eyes slightly, a large shadow loomed above me.
Hair swaying in the breeze was a soft lavender hue, rare even across the entire continent.
「The sun is at its peak.」
That cool, gleaming magenta gaze and blunt tone could only belong to one person—Kim Sword.
“My giant cake… where did it go? Don’t tell me you ate it, Mr. Demon Sword…”
「Huh?」
His eyebrows twitched up and down in clear annoyance.
「The master still hasn’t come to her senses.」
“There was no need to yell like that, though.”
I covered my ears with both hands and shook my head in protest.
His brow twitched more aggressively at my attitude.
「Wasn’t it the master who told me, if you look like you’re about to fall asleep, I should wake you even if I have to slap you?」
“Well… yes, that’s true.”
「But since I couldn’t bring myself to hit a sleeping kid, I kindly called out instead—and this is the thanks I get.」
He lifted his chin haughtily and let out a smirk.
By the way, “kid” was the one word I absolutely hated the most.
“What? Kid? Did you just call me a kid…?”
「That’s right. Kid. You’re not seriously claiming to be an adult with those stubby little arms and legs, are you?」
He straightened his back so I couldn’t reach him and flicked the center of my head with his finger.
“Ow!”
Clutching my head, I glared at him.
「If I were you, I’d be training or eating properly to build some muscle instead of napping in the middle of the day.」
I pouted, rubbing my sore head, and grumbled quietly.
“Easy for you to say.”
「Hmph.」
Ugh, that look again—like he totally doesn’t understand.
Tall people never get the struggle of short folks.
‘Do you know the sorrow of only having water to bathe with because your soap and oil are on the high shelf?’
“Anyway…”
I let out a long yawn and stretched my arms and legs.
Whew, now I felt a bit more alive.
“It’s fine. I woke up before Hans got here.”
Come to think of it, what time was it?
Judging by the direction of the shadows, it looked like it was about 2 PM… Should I ask?
I’d been eating and sleeping well lately, and my skin looked glowing—surely asking the time wouldn’t drain my magic or anything.
Magic, huh.
‘Not like I’m some worn-out battery or something.’
With a casual shrug, I turned to Kim Sword.
“What time is it right now?”
「2 PM.」
“What?”
I flinched at the uncanny accuracy.
‘Forget being a noblewoman, should I just open a fortune shop or something?’
As I seriously pondered this, Kim Sword clicked his tongue across from me.
「What now?」
“Nothing, just… I was wondering if maybe I’m secretly a genius.”
As I stroked my chin with a serious look, he snorted and added,
「If you’re a genius, then I’ll bet this hand of mine that there are no real geniuses left in the world.」
He wiggled his fingers mockingly.
“Ha.”
Unable to respond, I let out an awkward laugh.
「He’s pretty late though.」
“Who is?”
「Who else? That tanned little runt.」
At some point, he had laid down with his head resting on a tree root.
Looking up at the sky in that relaxed position, he raised his arm to block the blinding afternoon sun.
「Wasn’t he supposed to meet you around noon?」
“How do you know that…?”
「I heard everything while I was in the inventory.」
He said it casually, like it was no big deal, then removed his arm and turned to look at me.
“…”
Wait, if he was in the inventory and still heard my conversation with Hans…
Noticing my darkening expression, he let out a light chuckle.
「That’s right. I saw it all.」
“Saw what?”
I tried to feign ignorance.
「You crying.」
Before I could even offer a defense, he added calmly.
My face instantly flushed bright red.
「But it’s strange.」
“What is?”
「Your parents are close enough that you could see them anytime.」
‘You even live with them.’
He added that with a slight tilt of his head, as if confused.
“…That’s…”
I couldn’t say anything.
Where would I even start?
Even during the first reset, I was too out of it to give him a proper explanation. I’d brushed it off with vague words.
‘I guess it’s only natural he’d be curious.’
Whether he liked it or not, he was now my partner. In this life… and maybe even in the next.
“We need to have a serious talk.”
「…?」
At my unusual tone, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a question mark practically floated over his face.
「What could it possibly—」
“To put it simply…”
I grabbed his hand tightly.
“I’m from another dimension.”
A furrow formed between his brows.
「…What?」
It was the most shocked I’d seen him since our first meeting.
「Are you saying you’re from another dimension… a world different from this one?」
“That’s right. And this world is from the game I was playing before I fell asleep.”
「……」
He fell silent, then eventually gave a small nod.
「I see. That would explain why your mana felt so empty. Like a rotted-out oak barrel.」
“Right, I’m just a rotted barrel—”
I echoed him absentmindedly, then realized what I was saying and shouted.
“That has nothing to do with it!”
「I don’t know… I think it’s a little related.」
“What?”
「Come here.」
He shifted slightly, making room beside him.
Was he really telling me to squeeze into that tiny space?
‘Does he think I’m some kind of teddy bear?’
“No thanks. I’ll stay right here.”
At my stubborn response, he just shrugged.
「Suit yourself.」
“What were you saying earlier?”
「Remember what I told you before? About the mana spring.」
[Every person has a mana spring below their heart. It’s where their mana gathers and condenses.]
[In simple human terms… it’s like a warehouse.]
Right. He had said something like that before.
I dug through my memory and nodded.
「Exactly. Normally, even the weakest humans have a tiny bit of a mana spring, but you… you had nothing. Like it never existed at all.」
“…I see.”
「And then, overnight, you suddenly became this young. I woke up and found myself 13 years in the past.」
He scratched his ear, still looking like he couldn’t quite believe it.
「No ancient magic can reverse time.」
“I know.”
「That’s why I’ve been wondering…」
He swallowed and sighed before continuing.
「What if you’re the second dimensional traveler to arrive here?」
“Second…?”
「Yeah. There was someone else like you, once.」
His eyes closed gently, like he was digging through old memories.
「But strangely, I can’t remember their face. No matter how hard I try, it’s like ink spilled in water—it won’t come back.」
“Why?”
「Two possibilities.」
He raised a finger.
「One. Their soul has already vanished, erased from everyone’s memory.」
“…”
「Two. They fully assimilated into this world.」
If their soul had vanished… then that meant they’d died. And if they assimilated…
“What exactly does it mean to assimilate into this world?”
「It means they forgot their original world. They became a true part of this one. No longer a stranger.」
“…To forget everything.”
Something in my chest ached at the thought.
That meant I too could one day forget my parents, and only remember myself as “Yuria Benestra.”
“I don’t want that.”
「What don’t you want?」
He looked at me with slightly softened eyes.
“I just…”
「……」
“I don’t want to be forgotten by anyone.”
「By the people from your original world?」
I couldn’t speak, so I simply nodded.
“There’s nothing more painful than being forgotten.”
「…I see.」
He was quiet for a moment, then bent down to meet me at eye level.
When I looked up, I saw a man so beautiful it felt unreal.
Just when I thought I’d gotten used to it, I realized I hadn’t—I quickly averted my eyes.
「Then let me ask you the opposite.」
“Huh?”
「What’s the one thing you absolutely don’t want to forget?」
His magenta eyes locked with mine, burning like fire.
“…I…”
It felt like just the two of us existed in a space apart from the rest of the world.
「Yes, the one thing you don’t want to forget.」
As I stared at his face, I jolted at the cool hand that gently wrapped around mine.
I’d only ever thought about not being forgotten—but I’d never considered what I didn’t want to forget.
‘The one thing I don’t want to forget…’
I whispered it to myself, then exhaled softly and gave my answer.
After all that thought, this was my conclusion.
“Myself.”
His brows lifted in surprise.
「That’s a very satisfying answer.」
He smiled faintly and muttered,
‘Now that’s my master.’
「Come to think of it, wasn’t your wish to have a grand contract ceremony?」
“What?”
‘He still remembers that?!’
My eyes widened in surprise.
「So, I figured we might as well do it now.」
“What are you talking ab—”
Before I could finish, he grabbed my hand and dropped to one knee.
He gently wiped my pale hand with his thumb.
「The contract ceremony.」
And then his lips softly brushed the back of my hand.
「Let’s do it.」
The touch was warm and tender.
