Chapter 399: Aren’t I a Good Actor?
“Iaar—you—”
She ran past Liya, who tried to reach out and stop her but failed.
“In short… I’m sorry—”
Her voice faded outside the quiet cafe.
“That… that guy!”
Liya stomped her foot and gritted her teeth, but her tone clearly indicated disappointment.
“What a waste. She had a great opportunity, and she just runs. Why run now?”
Liya didn’t chase after her.
She turned and walked back into the cafe, snapping her fingers at the cafe owner at the counter. The owner, who had been drowsy and clearly under some sort of spell from Liya, looked up as if waking from a dream.
She had gone to such lengths to create a touching scene for “two people to meet,” but…
That little maid still turned and ran!
“H-hello, what can I get for you?”
The cafe owner looked at the “child” before her with confusion. From her perspective, she could almost only see her large Witch Hat.
“No coffee. Drinking coffee this late will keep me awake. I’ll have… hmm, juice, watermelon please~ Oh… you can also order a very strong coffee for the person sitting in the very back. Maybe he won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
With that, Liya casually walked to the innermost table where Will was sitting. She sat down opposite him.
She propped her chin in her hand, letting half of her Twin Tails bathe in the crimson sunset, watching Will opposite her.
One hand idly twirled her hair.
Liya felt that he was good at manipulating them—the location he chose was definitely a place one would only encounter in a dream when meeting a lover.
“Liya?”
“Mhm.”
“So… am I a good actor?”
He changed his tone from the cold, resentful one to his usual teasing manner.
He slid his Sunglasses down a bit and looked up at Liya through the gap between his eyes and the glasses.
His eyes were indeed still sparkling; he wasn’t “blind.”
“Your Sunglasses are really effective. I finally experienced what it’s like to be blind.”
What made him seem truly “blind” was the effect of the Sunglasses Liya had given him.
Of course, Liya hadn’t cast any magic on the Sunglasses. She had simply colored the left lens of the Sunglasses, which Will didn’t need for his eyesight, completely black, and the right lens, which was for his severe myopia, half black.
With Will’s severe hereditary myopia, taking off his glasses and covering them with a dark shadow was almost the same as being blind.
“You were excellent. You scared her away.”
“You didn’t stop her?”
“Why should I? She had a great chance and didn’t take it.”
“Without her, we have no chance against Al of the End Ash. After all, your flames are like a tickle, and my magic is learned from you…”
Will said this and spread his hands.
“Always thinking about business.” Liya stood up, stepped over the small coffee table, and pressed down firmly on the bridge of his Sunglasses, pushing them back up. “Mhm, but you look good in Sunglasses. However… you don’t seem to understand her well. Even after doing all this, she wasn’t moved to tears and begging to stay by your side…”
“I suppose it was within expectations. After all, at your suggestion, I not only ‘couldn’t use magic’ and ‘couldn’t stand up,’ but I also ‘couldn’t see.’ It was much worse than I anticipated. It was practically child abuse.”
“Because she couldn’t see, she would pity you more, making you seem more like the ‘I can’t live without you, so stay with me’ person you wanted to portray.”
Liya acted this out with her arms crossed as she spoke.
“Mmm… it’s because I didn’t truly ‘save’ her. Although she seemed like the most aggressive one who might harm me, Iaar is the one with the least confidence.”
“I guess I got carried away. Of course, I had to think of some extreme methods.”
“But it’s okay. She’ll come back. Today—just like you.”
“…You can’t help but tease me even now. Hmph.”
Liya turned her head away.
“Speaking of which… why are you helping me brainstorm? I thought you’d refuse to let me find the other two…”
“Because punishing only me isn’t enough. I want to see them suffer terribly too!”
Will hadn’t finished speaking when Liya immediately cut in.
“Oh, that sounds so real.”
“You believe me?”
“Mmm… can’t I believe you?”
“Fine… all right…”
Liya watched him put his glasses back on, swallowing her true thoughts.
Of course, perhaps these were the “true thoughts” he already knew—
—Because if she returned, you would be happy.
—If I want to see you fully satisfied, body and soul… I know better than anyone…
—The former “Shining Star,” each one is indispensable.
—Of course, as the first one to win you back… your eyes will undoubtedly be mine.
—Little maid, don’t think you can easily catch his attention.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Night.
Iaar lay on the bed, hugging her arms. She stared wide-eyed at the “hearts” hanging on the wall.
These were the Fire Dragons she had hunted to complete Will’s mission, but now, each one seemed to gaze at her bloodily, judging her.
She had run away.
It was because she realized she was as “terrifying” as before, and deep down, even after all this time, she still had no “remorse.”
When she closed her eyes, she still remembered the Young Master, sitting in his wheelchair by the window, wearing Sunglasses, gripping her hand tightly, and speaking to her in a hoarse, hate-filled voice.
She was just like the Iaar who was in the snowy mountains behind the old Hysterm residence.
When he was truly so fragile that he couldn’t move…
She only felt more…
More delighted…
Why…
Iaar’s eyes widened.
She realized a long time had passed, and after knowing that “Will was alive,” she couldn’t stop her thoughts.
When he had died, she could focus her spirit on the “tombstone” he had left behind.
But when he was truly alive, she had only him.
Iaar sat up and touched the Collar around her neck. It had become tattered—perhaps she should be grateful that Will hadn’t touched or seen it.
“Iaar, you really do want to be the Young Master’s little dog.”
“By your side, curled up, is the only way I can sleep peacefully.”
“It’s a good thing I wasn’t left in a box on the street by you.”
…
She stood up and opened the door to her room.
She stumbled out of her home.
She wanted to bring him back.
She also believed…
Will would definitely be waiting for her.
Now, only she could take the most meticulous care of him, and only she could kill Fire Dragons for him.
