Chapter 59

Swish…

The rain that started falling in the early evening didn’t stop all night long.

Occasional flashes of lightning lit up the sky, followed by the booming sounds that shook the world heavily in response.

In the wee hours when everyone was asleep, especially on such a stormy night, it would be hard to find anyone wandering outside in the entire city.

On such a night, Tirisia Bruerd left the mansion of the Elconja family and arrived at the estate of a new noble in the neighboring district.

Compared to Bruerd or Elconja, this site was laughably small.

The two-story building inside was barely worthy of being called a noble’s mansion, and in fact, it wasn’t that different in size compared to a middle-class commoner’s home.

Tirisia used magic to dry off her body, stealthily sneaking through the window on the second floor of the mansion and approaching the bedside inside the room.

There, on a appropriately sized single bed, a girl with cherry blossom-colored hair was sleeping soundly in pajamas the same color as her hair.

“…”

Tirisia quietly approached her side, erasing her presence.

‘Rusika…’

Rusika Rafisle.

Aside from Erto, the oldest friend she had.

Among her female friends, she was the one who understood Tirisia the deepest and matched her thoughts the most, but now they had become enemies through a failed relationship.

‘I’m sorry…’

As Tirisia gazed down at the sleeping girl’s face, she quietly recalled her feelings of apology.

In their previous duel, she had struck down Rusika without mercy.

Rusika had relentlessly charged at her after awakening her magic circuits, and to stop her, Tirisia had no choice but to use force, but that level was clearly excessive.

At that time, she was enchanted by Kerg, rationalizing that the wrongdoings she committed were for love.

She had done the same to Erto, and it was likewise for Rusika.

Determined to turn the world against her for love, she felt like Rusika, who kept blocking her path, was a nuisance like a pesky fly.

Even while acknowledging her mistakes, Tirisia ultimately became annoyed with Rusika’s criticism and violence.

It wasn’t like Rusika had done anything wrong.

All the legitimacy and righteousness belonged to Rusika, and it was only natural that she bore insults and was hit.

Yet the false love planted by Kerg flipped that reasoning upside down.

From Rusika’s perspective, it was only natural to be angry.

The one who had supported her selflessly for years had betrayed Erto with an indifferent expression.

In truth, Rusika loved Erto just as much as Tirisia did, but she had even suppressed her overflowing feelings to encourage Tirisia’s path.

Who was it that ignored and trampled on that immeasurable consideration and sacrifice like they were worthless?

It was none other than Tirisia, who caused a betrayal no less grievous than what Rusika had faced in relation to Erto.

Thus, Rusika had every right to be angry, and Tirisia had no choice but to remain silent, no matter how much she struck her.

Even in that situation, losing her temper and wielding ruthless violence was truly nothing less than garbage behavior.

But she not only knocked Rusika down but also poured out vile things that tore apart her heart.

She called Rusika a coward who didn’t dare to reveal her feelings for Erto, knowing she couldn’t compete with him.

Even as she avoided confrontation under the guise of “consideration,” why was she now wrapping it up as if she had sacrificed?

Wasn’t it possible to just pick up Erto now, who she had abandoned long ago?

For a long time, that wishy-washy, cowardly nature of hers had truly annoyed Tirisia.

Really, she had stabbed her feelings excruciatingly deep.

‘How low… am I truly?’

Tirisia squeezed her eyes shut, imagining how painful the wounds she inflicted on Rusika must have been.

Saying she was merely trash was an understatement.

A filthy worm buried down in the muck.

That was the title she deserved.

She had committed an irreparable sin against Erto.

And against Rusika, she had committed an equally grievous wrongdoing.

She wanted to set everything right, but even harboring hopes that such a thing was possible felt like an overreaching desire to her.

But at the very least, she wanted to try.

If she fell into a hopeless abyss, it would be cowardly not to reach out even just a hand towards a ray of light.

Facing her sins and humbling herself to apologize, even if she couldn’t be forgiven, was the minimum amount of conscience she could have.

That’s why she came to Rusika’s house.

To apologize for what she had done to her.

If she let things slide like this, she would just be a despicable traitor.

“―”

Tirisia parted her lips to wake the sleeping Rusika, but suddenly stopped as a certain fact popped into her mind.

‘But…’

The thought had come on her suddenly.

‘What does it even mean for me to apologize to Rusika?’

If she objectively evaluated the meaning behind her apology, was it really for Rusika’s benefit?

That question started to dominate her mind.

Rusika had already overcome the wounds Tirisia inflicted and repaired the relationship with Erto that had cracked due to misunderstandings and was living a peaceful life.

Now she no longer hid her feelings and had confidently revealed her love for Erto.

Erto, too, still cherished her, who understood him, and they maintained their closest relationship.

Aside from the moment she had hurt Rusika, everything else had returned to the right shape.

‘Rusika… has already regained her happy life…’

The apology should have been made right after the wrongdoing.

At the very least, she should have humbled herself quickly and embraced Rusika’s heart.

But hadn’t four months already passed?

The fact that she assaulted Rusika and hurled insults now felt like nothing more than events from the past.

What meaning would her belated apology have to someone like her, who was now living happily beside the person she loved, having shaken off painful memories?

Wouldn’t it just be,

‘Perhaps…’

Simply a move to satisfy her own messy conscience?

A cowardly act made for her own benefit, to escape from the guilt of having hurt her friend, to recover her own troubled feelings just a little?

That was the sudden question stirring her heart.

The wrongdoing she committed against Rusika had long since crossed the line that could be forgiven.

Even if she bowed her head in apology, Rusika’s gaze toward her wouldn’t change.

Yet in admitting her faults and conveying her remorse to Rusika, maybe she was just trying to rationalize her actions by saying she had apologized?

Wouldn’t it be better to remain a thoroughly deserving villain that Rusika could curse again and again rather than spouting empty words that wouldn’t comfort Rusika at all?

Wouldn’t Rusika feel just a bit more relieved to remember her as a piece of trash who betrayed her lover and friend?

If she awkwardly tried to apologize and ended up making it so Rusika couldn’t lay into her comfortably, wouldn’t that genuinely be a cowardly escape and defense?

The best choice Tirisia Bruerd could offer Rusika Rafisle was simply to bless the path of both of them from the shadows, unnoticed.

As her thoughts reached that point, Tirisia couldn’t bring herself to wake Rusika.

She thought it might be necessary for Rusika if she quietly disappeared like this.

‘I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry, Rusika.’

Silently sobbing, Tirisia turned her back on the sleeping girl.

As she erased her presence and was about to step out the window—

“Are you trying to run away?”

A gruff voice rang out from behind.

“Uh…”

Tirisia slowly turned around to see the girl who had been sleeping in the bed now glaring at her with wide-open eyes.

“Rusika…”

Tirisia quietly called her name and let go of the window she was about to open.

“So you were awake.”

“I just woke up for a second from the thunder. I happened to see a fool lurking around.”

“Sorry for breaking in unannounced.”

“Forget it, since you’ve come all this way… why not just say what you want to say?”

Rusika brushed her hair back with her fingers, pulled down the blanket, and stepped out of bed to face Tirisia.

“Well… I was…”

As Tirisia stammered, Rusika’s pastel pink eyes scanned her from head to toe as she threw a question.

“Wait, isn’t that Erto’s outfit? Why are you wearing that?”

“Oh, this…”

Startled by the misunderstanding blooming in Rusika’s mind, Tirisia quickly shook her head.

“I went to Erto’s house today and got caught in the rain… I just borrowed his clothes for a bit. It’s definitely not what you’re thinking, so please don’t misunderstand.”

At those words, Rusika put her hand on her hip and shook her head in disbelief.

“Misunderstand? How could there be any misunderstanding? Erto definitely wouldn’t be doing that with you now.”

“Ah… right…”

Tirisia’s spirits deflated in an instant, and Rusika snorted and asked curiously.

“On that note, if you’re going to meet Erto, it seems the enchantment that makes you head over heels has been lifted, huh?”

“…Yeah, that’s right. I’m… now free from the enchantment of allure. So I went to meet Erto… and got thoroughly rejected. I couldn’t leave with my clothes because the situation wasn’t right… that’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

“Hmph, just think of it as a parting gift and go home smelling it to your heart’s content.”

“…”

At Rusika’s sharp-tongued remark, Tirisia quietly lowered her head.

“Ugh—”

Rusika stretched her arms, leaned against the wall, crossed her arms, and gave Tirisia a sly smile.

“I think I roughly understand why you’re here… so how about we have a girls’ talk after a long time? Tirisia.”

“…Yeah.”

“Let’s get all the stuff we couldn’t say out in the open.”

Before the fierce smile filled with animosity that Rusika wore, Tirisia also heavily nodded her head.

“Yeah… this might be the last time.”

Thus, in the darkness, the authentic conversation between the two began.