Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book - Side Story 5-4

Side Story 5-4

Translator: yun

‘That’s strange.’

Auresia blinked through her cold gaze. She found it strange. She did not feel the same discomfort from him she would usually feel from other male templars. It might have been because it was clear from his gaze that he did not desire her and because he did not harass her like the others would.

Rather, she could smell a refreshing yet calming scent from him that made her feel as though she was in a forest. That was why she felt comfortable around him in spite of his cold expressions.

That was why she revealed her inner thoughts in spite of herself.

“I don’t like children that much but…”

She did not like children. Because she did not have the happiest time when she was a child after her whole family had been slaughtered. However.

“If it is with the man I am with now, I don’t think it would be a bad idea to have a small lovely daughter with him.”

Amor found himself speechless for a moment. As he was vaguely aware of the relationship Ashley had with Auresia, it was more like he could not say anything. Auresia shook her head.

“I’ve talked too much.”

Staring at her, Amor slowly opened her mouth.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea either. … You might have a daughter like that in the future.”

Auresia lifted her head at the determination in his short speech. But Amor had already looked away.

“Sia! Sia! I just had a brilliant idea!”

Marissa came running from afar.

“Let’s bring her to the picnic too!”

“What?”

Auresia furrowed her brows.

“Hemaera is going to love her. She won’t be able to control herself in front of someone as cute as her, don’t you think so?”

“Can you call your mistress’ name so easily?”

“Well, so what. Even in the absence of prying eyes, our 1st Princess and I have an unwavering master-servant relationship. Though in private, we are friends! We can talk about anything. Can you see now how close we are?”

“What a truly unwavering relationship.”

Marissa’s eyebrow twitched.

“Well? Is that all you are going to say?”

“If I get to say everything I wanted to, you’ll end up crying.”

“For someone, who can’t even find the words to reply me, or should I say a wuss who wouldn’t dare to request for a duel with me, I’ll let that slide. Keep in mind that I’m letting you go for now.”

“Because it’s obvious what the result of the battle would be if you go up against a Templar of Death. Since you swing that big sword around every day, has your mind been filled with merely blades now?”

“Oh man, you really do get on my nerves. I can never get the last word in.”

“You’re the first person I’m grateful to for not liking me.”

“… Are you incapable of saying things as kind as your appearance?”

“Why? Have you fallen for my looks?”

At the end of their exchange, the two snorted and burst into blissful laughter and it was clear at first glance that they were very close.

Amor suddenly realised that the women in front of him were unlike the women he was familiar with.

Though he was not close enough to either of them to consider them acquaintances.

Was this how they were like in the past?

Just as Auresia looked as though she was about to apologise.

“Oh dear. I might be experienced in etiquette but I can’t believe this slipped my mind. Would you like to come with us?”

Amor shook his head awkwardly.

“… Thank you for the invitation but there’s someone I need to find.”

“In the Imperial palace?”

“Yes and I’m getting a little worried because I don’t know where they are.”

His eyes fell to the ground. His usually cold and temperamental face was now filled with anxiety.

“All the more you should come with us.”

For the first time since they met here, Auresia smiled.

“There is a ‘prophet’ there who can find anything he searches for.”

A prophet. It was a familiar title.

“Shall we head off?”

“You will make some wonderful memories there so let’s go!”

Amor who was unable to fight against Auresia’s persuasion and Marissa’s pushiness soon reached the courtyard he had seen from the distance.

***

“Is this the way to the courtyard?”

“Yes.”

I raised my head. The path to the courtyard was filled with the fragrances of a forest. It reminded me of the road I would take from my palace to the 4th Administration a long time ago.

‘I should go for a walk there again when we get back.’

Those distant memories took over my mind and heart. The past had not disappeared. Whenever I was suddenly reminded of it, I would either erase those memories or push them to the back of my mind.

“Daughter of mine, do you like flowers?”

Stopping in his tracks, the man asked. I stopped together with him, I turned my head to the tree.

We were now in the middle of the season of fire. It was summer. Fresh grass flowers bloomed along the trail even though they were not as brilliant as the flowers in spring. Noticing that one of them looked like a sunflower, I let out a slight smile.

“I like all plants.”

Flowers and trees. Leaves and forests. I loved anything that was dyed in green.

“Your smile looks happy.”

Slowly, I lowered my gaze towards the flowers. The man watched me and smiled too.

“Would it be strange for me to feel relieved that you look like this?”

Flutter. A gust of wind was blowing. I carefully captured the man with my gaze as the wind blew. I never thought I would ever meet him. Of course, I wouldn’t have. He was someone who had died a long time ago.

And I no longer had any lingering attachment to having a father. Rather, I barely knew my own mother so I had never thought about him, much less been curious about him. I felt sorry for only thinking about him now.

“You can relax.”

But as I stared at him now, the saddest thing for me to do right now would be to pity him for having the same fate as mine.

“Because you grew up so well.”

He smiled as brightly as the clear sky.

“I wonder if that’s true.”

In the world I was in before, my father would have brought me the stars and flowers if I wanted. He cherished me as he shattered from within like a glass bottle.

Why would he look at his daughter like that if he had never seen me before?

Eventually, I decided to forego the barriers and smiled bitterly.

“Is there anything you want from me?”

I was used to seeing those eyes possessed with malice and madness for such a long time, I could catch his good intentions and goodwill scarily accurately.

“No. Nothing.”

Seeming to seriously want nothing, the man stared back at me.

“It is enough for me to see you breathing and walking. Because you’re already happy.”

Golden eyes had always seemed cold, dry and terrifying but for the first time, they looked kind. I stared at the man who gently grabbed my hand before throwing a joke.

“… Wouldn’t mom, I mean, Auresia, get jealous?”

The man flashed a shy smile.

“She probably wouldn’t. Because I love Sia the most and Sia loves me the most.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. And you are the fruit of our love.”

His voice sounded firm. The man approached and pecked my cheek. His puppy-like eyes curled.

“My lovely daughter.”

Suddenly, I recalled the life I had in my palace that only housed my nanny and my maids.

If he had lived, would my childhood be any different?

“Thank you for being born.”

But I ended up laughing when I heard that. For those who knew the future, the past would never change.

There was no way this man was unaware of that too.

“I’m serious, do you… not have anything you want from me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

I don’t know why I questioned the man with tears in my eyes. Smiling affectionately, the man clasped my hand before letting go.

“… Then could you do me a favour?”

“Anything.”

The man remained quiet for a moment as though he felt burdened by my curious gaze before speaking.

“Could you call me dad… just once?”

I froze. The man smiled again but he didn’t seem to realise how desperate his gaze looked earlier. He pouted his lips.

“… Ah…”

“…..”

“…..”

However, while silence ensued as I couldn’t make a sound, the man smiled kindly. As if he was reassuring me. Like the moment he first saw me.

“It’s alright.’

The man turned slowly. I spotted the large courtyard from behind the man’s shoulder. I could see a shadow standing in a white pavilion.

“Maybe you will find the person you’re looking for. I’ll leave and head off this way.”

“Ah, let’s go…”

“Going together… It doesn’t feel like it would be a good idea for you to meet Sia right now.”

I nodded. The ‘feel’ he was getting seemed to be the templar’s sense he was talking about. I would feel things like that too at times.

I stared at him as he got further from me step after step.

Perhaps this would be the last time that man and I would ever meet. A chance like this would never come by again.

Yeah, since when had I been the type to hesitate?

I soon took off.

“Excuse me.”

I stopped so that I was only three steps away from the man and immediately jumped into his arms. Each person’s divinity gave off their own unique feeling and scent. Amor’s smelled like a forest. And it was funny how he smelled like mine.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. As I was still staggering from the jump, he cushioned me.

“I’m sorry. You have never crossed my mind. I don’t think of you as my father. I’m sorry.”

My life had been too busy and filled with pain to think of him. I had also resented being born into this world.

But it was now all in the past. So, perhaps I should be grateful to have met him after all that was now behind me.

“Did you know we would meet like this? Do you know your own future?”

“… Yes.”

“If you knew your future, why didn’t you change it?”

I raised my head. It was only then did I notice the sorrowful gaze hidden beneath his smiles.

“It would take a lot of my power to change the future… If I used it, even if I don’t end up dead, you would never end up being born.”

After a moment of silence under the weight of what he just said, I smiled as wistfully as he did.

“You wanted me to be happy, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“More than anyone else?”

The man fell into silence and laughed awkwardly.

“I’m sorry. If I wanted Sia to be the happiest person in the world, I wanted you to be the next happiest.”

“You’re a bad father.”

“…..”

“But you’re good to mom, dad.”

We did not spend any time together and had no memories together and all we would have of each other would be this miracle of a meeting. I couldn’t bring myself to be any more affectionate. Nevertheless, I wanted to have a natural relationship with him.

The man’s lips seemed to tremble for a moment. Soon, a gentle hand wrapped around my back.

“It’s nice to see you like this. I feel like I’ve gotten what I wished for. Daughter of mine, why did you wish to come here?’

After hearing him, I shifted my gaze and slowly started saying.

“I wished for Amor’s happiness. For him to be very very happy.”

“Amor, is that the name of the man you’ve been looking for?”

“Yes.”

“Love… that’s nice.”

The man’s large hand patted my head.

“The reason why you came to this time is probably because you can find the way you can make him happy here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. That’s the power of divinity.”

… So that golden colour could look friendly too. The moment I saw his golden eyes filled with affection, I could feel the fear and any doubt left in me being washed away.

“Well, I shall go now.”

The man’s hand fell off me.

Ironically, I felt empty watching his hand fall even though I did not think of him as a father.

Strangely enough.

It was sad to know that there was an end to everything.

Especially if the end of that string would branch off to beginnings not even the gods could change.

“Good… goodbye.”

“Yes.”

“Be happy.”

Till your last moments. Those were words I could not muster. Against the wind and in the middle of the fluttering flowers, the man turned around.

“You too.”

Looking at the shrinking silhouette, I closed my eyes.

The pavilion in the middle of the courtyard where I could see some shadows moved looked like a scarlet painting.

The physicality of a templar was so far superior, even though they were a short distance away, they could be spotted at once.

Looking at the flushed Marissa, I gave a small smile. She was wearing light solid armour and had tied up her hair in a high ponytail. She looked different but she still looked very happy.

Standing next to Marissa and tapping on her shoulder, was the 1st Princess I had met just earlier. Marissa did say that she was her Unica and they looked to be on friendly terms.

As I slowly shifted my gaze, I paused.

Auresia, my mother was smiling so broadly.

Staring blankly at the big smile I had never seen from her before, I realised where her gaze was directed and laughed.

She really seemed to love him a lot.

“You look like him.”

What did she think when she saw him?

It was only at that moment did I look away from my mother as I hoped that she would be happier than anyone else.

Acheron and Auresia loved each other more than anyone else and they were now relishing in a moment of happiness surrounded by the people who loved them. At least at this moment, it was their happy ending.

Crunch crunch.

I turned my head around at the sound of footsteps on grass. The man who appeared from the shrubbery stopped.

“Amor.”

“Rosé.”

I spread my arms out and stepped into his embrace. Soon, I could feel his firm warmth against my waist and back.

Raising my head, his concerned grey-green eyes stared back at me. I smiled at him and said.

“Let’s go back. To our time.”

Perhaps it was the Power of the Lord that gave me power over time. It was out of instinct that I realised that it was time to return. When I turned my head around, the diary I made eye contact with nodded.

“I’ll open the exit.”

A blinding mix of gold and purple enveloped around us. When I closed my eyes and opened them again, I faced the familiar ceiling.