"Aren't you happy that I saved your life?"
"Do you really think that's the main point? You had reasons to help me in the Rona incident. Then why did you save me? Do you want me to forge you a new sword or something?"
"So, I have to have some kind of ulterior motive to save you?"
"I can't think of anything else! Besides, when it's you... I mean... I just can't understand what someone like you wants from me."
"Curiosity."
"What?"
"I'm curious."
Zui suddenly stood up from her chair and moved toward the bed. I didn't object in any way and she sat down on me. Not only that, she started to hold my shoulders. I had to admit we were in a rather inappropriate position right now and I was sure my face was flushing.
"What... are you curious about?"
"I'm curious about why one of the Nox assassins who tries to kill me twice a year is after you. You're not aware of it but you have more than what you appear to have, and I wonder about your limits. I wonder why you don't behave toward me like other humans, nalias or demons, and why you don't despise me."
Her tone while saying these words made me nervous. I thought, "No... if she looks at me like that, I'll be so embarrassed I'll wish I'd fallen into the ground." It was like she was looking at a diamond.
I could definitely not be a diamond. Right now, I was nothing but a piece of coal. If I were a real diamond, I could have killed that assassin without help. I wouldn't have needed her help. Moreover, I knew she had erased all proof of an assassination attempt. If there was a diamond, it could be anyone not other than the person in front of me right now. Despite the hatred directed at her for not being able to choose her own parents, she was capable of doing these things. Years ago, my biggest concern was whether or not my dinner contained the vegetables I liked. But she was trying to wipe out her noble family, even her own family's roots. I believed she was successful in this because she left no evidence behind. Erasing the traces of an assassin's attack must have been a child's play for her.
She was still sitting on me, looking at me with her emotionless face. She took one of her hands from my shoulder and started to hold my chin, examining my face. I could feel her breath on my face. I kept thinking to myself, 'What is happening to me?' Suddenly, she released my chin and got up from atop me. She said this to me with her back turned.
"Pretend this never happened."
Did she think everything would go back to normal after saying that? That's what I thought too. No matter how much my body hurt, I didn't care anymore, and I stood up.
"Why did you say that?"
I was trying to understand how she felt. I wanted to know what Sin of the Flower wanted, because she behaved as if the key to what she desired was in my hands. I started to think about all the rumors I had heard about her and the moments I had spent with her. The answer I found was a little sad.
"Are you perhaps afraid of being alone?"
When I said this, she turned her face to me.
Her blue eyes spoke volumes.
People who don't lead a normal life, desire normalcy.
Throughout her life, she was looked at with hatred. Even that waste of oxygen being that was about to become her father might not have loved her. The numerous rumors about her past were due to the impenetrable walls surrounding Zui. People who thought there was a monster behind those walls didn't even bother to try to climb over them.
That's why it was impossible for someone who didn't stay away from these walls to not attract Zui's attention. For her, it was like a toy princess doll a girl wants to hold at first glance. She was nothing more than a girl who didn't want her toy princess to go missing. I don't know if I could have made this assumption if I hadn't reincarnated.
"I really don't understand you."
"Believe me, I don't understand you either. I don't understand why you hid the attack on me or exactly what you saw in me. But..."
Before I could continue my words, I decided to take a deep breath.
"I think you did it just because you wanted to. That's why I want to do the same."
Zui kept looking at me and smiled. It was a completely genuine smile. A face where her teeth were visible, she was holding back laughter and her icy eyes softened.
I was certain that I was the first person to see her like that.
"So... Are you really sure you want to do this? Your friends might distance themselves from you because of me."
"Don't exaggerate so much. If they knew you, they'd stop acting like that around you."
I say this, but I'm not so sure about it myself.
We put everything aside and this time, we had a genuine conversation. Both of us made an effort to share "happy" memories from our childhood. That's why I was the one who was more talkative. As I recounted arguments I had with my own sister, the "real" smile on her face became more and more evident. Among her own happy memories, moments she spent happily with her mother stood out. Of course, she was avoiding mentioning these but from the traces of suppressed anger in her voice, you could tell that her mother had suffered physical violence.
Just like the rumors said. Helena Amor, forced into this disgusting relationship and resigned to her fate, always hated the situation and could never accept it. I wanted to hate Helena's father, as well as that bastard Dlein Amor, who was also Zui's father...
But since he had already died, I had no choice but to hold that hatred inside me. I believed that people's hostility towards Zui was actually directed at Dlein. If Zui had tried to improve her image, she might never have been exposed to this hatred. But instead of making an effort, she had uprooted the Amor family's roots and lived her life with the inheritance left behind, without needing anything. It felt to me like she was trying to live in seclusion within the city.
She was truly very knowledgeable about some matters, but at the same time, she had never heard some ordinary things. For example, she didn't know the price of bread, but she claimed she knew how to cook. Since she was extremely wealthy, the amount of kane she kept in her pocket wasn't even a concern for her.
After such a relaxing conversation, Zui chose to leave me alone. When I asked her where she slept at night, she said she sneaked into Rona's room because no student wanted to stay in a room where a murder had taken place. That's why the room was empty, and Zui only stopped by that room to sleep.
When alone, I wanted to check the current status of my stats.
Strength: F-
-Physical Strength: 15 (-5) (F-)
-Strike Power: 13 (-5) (F-)
Agility: F
-Speed: 17 (-5) (F-)
-Skill: 27 (-5) (F-)
Intelligence: F+
-Knowledge: 50 (-5) (F)
-Logic: 36 (-5) (F)
Endurance: F
-Defense: 28 (-5) (F-)
-Resistance: 2(+15) (-5) (F-)
Charisma: E
-Persuasion: 55 (-5) (F)
-Appearance: 115 (-5) (E-)
Magic: F+
-Magic Power: 30 (-5) (F)
-Magic Control: 76 (-5) (F+)
Like I said before, rising doesn't always last forever. Everyone has their lows. If I were really inside a game, I would receive a magnificent reward followed by a significant increase in my stats. But within this game-like world, there was a bit of realism and the real situation in front of me was exactly that.
Until I fully healed, all my sub-stats would temporarily be five points lower. Due to this decrease, some of my stats and sub-stats had regressed a level. What's worse was the permanent stat loss and I was sure my face darkened when I looked at the endurance section. Permanent points had been lost in my defense sub-stat.
To eliminate the temporary negative points, I needed to fully recover. I didn't know exactly how my wounds were being healed but I didn't want to think about it any longer. There was no visible change once again in my abilities. I muttered to myself, "I honestly wonder what I need to go through to unlock this ??? ability." and I wanted to check my magic path.
Since I actively used magic for the first time, I wondered if there had been any change. I was thinking, 'Since I used magic, someone must have come here. How did Zui handle them?' Then I tried to push this thought out of my mind. Since she left the room, it had taken a place in the corner of my thoughts. Ignoring the reasons behind it, I focused back on my magic path.
Magic Path:
- Shows signs of specialization in basic magic. (fire, water, earth, wind).
- You have great potential in magic.
- You have an affinity for natural magics.
- Be respectful of magic.
For the first time after a very long time, I was looking at my magic path. It seemed like the spells I would specialize in had been decided. Of course, I could choose a completely different path instead of this one. The magic path might serve as a guide for you, but choosing what's best for you is in your hands. Many people could perform the spells I started to specialize in. Truly abnormal examples like Emerra were quite rare. I asked myself, 'I wonder what kind of magic Zui has? At least, I'm sure it's not healing magic.' and then I realized I was thinking about her again.
I lay down on my bed and tried to sleep. Sleep seemed to have left my body as if it was a guest. Deep down, I was still experiencing a kind of bittersweet feeling that came with being rescued. I didn't know how I appeared in the eyes of the person who saved me. Maybe I felt this way because I was rescued by him. I wanted to become stronger for her.
I could no longer remain mediocre.