Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“We’re out.”

After closing my eyes because of the bright light for a long time, I finally allowed the white light to land on my eyes. Fresh air rushed into my lungs.

It was at that moment.

“Hernan!”

Silver flashes of light rained down like lightning and struck the ground. When they started falling down, I already knew that they were swords.

“Are you alright?!”

“Yes…”

Hernan quickly pulled me into an alley and hugged me.

“There!”

“How did that bastard come out from there!”

There were soldiers chasing us. At first glance, I noticed that their uniforms looked like the patrols’. If we got caught like this, I was not sure if both Hernan and I would be considered criminals.

“W-what do we do? It looks like they saw you.”

Hernan spat out.

“I don’t think they saw me. Because I used my powers. Hold on tight!”

I held onto Hernan’s neck tightly. He looked like he was having a hard time but we managed to escape their chase with his surprisingly nimble movements. Before we finally let out a long breath in a remote alley.

The sun hung high in the sky. At that moment, he let out a groan as if all the blood that had been blocked was suddenly rushing back to their place.

“… Hernan?”

I sat down next to him and lifted his shirt. I was startled by his wound that seemed to have swelled and continued to spew blood.

“H-H-Have you just left it like this? Are you some bionic being? Superman? You can clearly heal yourself so why did you leave it be?”

“… My head’s ringing.”

He held my face with his trembling hands before lowering his head.

“If I had treated myself back then, we wouldn’t have gotten out of there in time.”

I let him lean on the wall. He just turned his head to look at me. He was pale and using his powers earlier must have greatly depleted his energy. I shot up.

“I-I need to call someone for help.”

He managed to catch my wrist with his one hand.

“Don’t go anywhere, just stay here. Someone will come to pick me up in a while.

He did not mention who it would be. But it was clear that it would be one of Castor’s or the emperor’s people.

I was bewildered by my captured wrist before smiling.

‘I wonder when the drugs will wear off.’

If a full day had already passed, it looked like there was not much time left until I would have to return to my original appearance. I had to leave.

“Please let me go.”

“Don’t want to.”

“I will never forget the help I’ve received from you. I’ll pay you back when I see you again…”

I calmly moved his hand so that I would not provoke him.

“I already said I didn’t want to.”

However, I could feel the strength behind his grip as his silent and cold gaze pierced me. At the fact that this was a strength I could not shake off easily, I furrowed my forehead. I let out a self-pitying sigh at the thought that he should at least use an appropriate amount of strength.

“It’s like Cinderella.”

“What’s Cinderella?”

He sounded gentle as if he was trying to soothe me.

“She’s kind and beautiful but she always disappears at midnight. She sounds like me.”

“You’re not going to appear again, are you?”

“Probably.”

“Then, what if I get rid of the ‘midnight’? Then, you won’t get to go anywhere.”

Hold on. I blinked as if I heard him wrong.

“… What?”

The wind shook his white hair that looked as soft as clouds.

“I’ll create a night without ‘midnight’, so that you can stay here forever.”

Then, his eyes that were like a clear lake curled as beautifully as a gust of fresh wind.

“I’m going to destroy all the clocks in the capital.”

The man flashed a beautiful smile as if he was really going to do so.

“How?”

“Well, so that you can’t tell the time. It would be nice if I could cover your eyes too.”

Hernan softened his expression and smiled brightly.

“Stop joking around.”

“Does it sound like I’m joking?”

I was shocked by his tough and aggressive expression as he bit back.

“Should I show you proof that I’m not joking?”

As soon as he shot out sharply, he pulled the arm he had been holding for so long. He then wrapped his waist and held me in his arms.

“W-What are you doing!”

Where was his strength coming from? He lowered his head as he held me extremely tightly and raised the corners of his lips.

“Ahn.”

He tilted his head and whispered very softly and slowly.

“Give me what you promised.”

Just as I was trying to push him away from me, I froze. Wisps of purple began swirling in his eyes.

“I saved you.”

His cool fingers held my cheek and lifted my upper body. I could feel his heart pounding from the tips of his fingers.

“Hurry.”

His hair was soaked in sweat and blood and his exhausted gaze that kept shifting looked drowsy and languid. Purple began to soak his entire iris.

I could not forget. I had a lot of questions that had not been solved yet but I could never forget the fact.

He tried to save me.

“Hernan, I know what you’re trying to say. But please hear me out first.”

“What is it?”

“Please forget it. Whatever I said.”

Hernan hesitated.

“Forget what I said about you loving that person. Forget it, everything.”

He squinted his half-purple eyes before staring at me with a gaze filled with questions.

“… Why?”

“Like you said, I don’t think it’s love. Because, you’re someone who fell for someone you met for the first time. When in fact, your feelings are not that serious. You’re mistaken.”

“You’re really so selfish.”

Hernan shot back masterfully before lowering his head and kissing me on the lips. Our lips that touched gently then drifted apart with only a slight gap.

“You’re lying. Right? You sympathised with me.”

“That’s… not it.”

“Lies. You know I’m amazingly good at smelling things like that. So what if it’s trivial and fleeting, I still love you.”

A sort of heat was calmly rising in me. He soon twisted his face coldly and smiled.

“You have a talent for messing with people’s minds. You absolutely cannot escape.”

“Uh… wait,.. Euk!”

He kissed me as if he wanted to devour me. His tongue pressed against my lips. And as his tongue brushed against my lips, leaving a tickling sensation in its wake, my vague feelings shriveled up.

His tongue then dug into me as it swept and scraped the roof of my mouth. I flinched out of reflex at the cool touch when he stroked my neck. He dug into me so aggressively and yet he was still sweeping my back down gently. He was doing everything he could do with his lips as he licked and bit me.

I let out a moan.

When I did, he seemed elated as he clashed into my lips with more force and devoured me. I relaxed my body and closed my eyes. Since I was already halfway from collapsing into him, I could not help it. I did promise him that I would kiss him if we managed to get out safely.

I quietly placed my hands on his chest and stared blankly as he swept my cheek and licked my lower lip. He gently sucked on it and bit it.

“I like you, Ahn.”

He lowered his head and wiped my lips gently despite it being soaked in spit. My chest was repeatedly rising up and down.

“Please just stay here quietly.”

After he let out a long breath, he kindly held me up as if to apologise for being too aggressive. As he continued to pat my back, I grabbed the hem of his clothes unknowingly.

The moment his breaths brushed against my ears, I could feel chills travelling down my spine. I hurriedly got away from him after letting go of his clothes. I felt dizzy. Just when he grabbed my head as if to kiss me again, something happened.

“Looks like you’re having fun.”

His cold fingers fell after brushing against the bandage on my cheek. His body was trembling as he looked up at the man who suddenly appeared.

“I was wondering where you disappeared off for the entire night.”

His gaze was pointed towards a man who had his back against the sun. The figure whose face had been covered by the shadows casted gradually got closer.

The figure finally revealed himself to be the man who bumped into me in the market. The man who Marissa addressed as ‘darling’.

“Come back, captain. Our new hideout is a complete mess right now, you know?”

“Deros.”

The man slowly narrowed his eyes that looked a lot like Dane’s before smiling.

“Our forces are not at the new hideout yet but we don’t have our captain so where else can you go?”

He acted like someone who had completely forgotten what he did to Hernan at the hideout yesterday. Then, when we made eye contact, he naturally winked at me.

“Besides, I think there’s someone who wants to meet you.”

At his words, Hernan turned his head to the side. When I slowly turned my head to follow his gaze, I spotted a familiar silhouette who was wearing a long navy mantle.

‘Ray!’

He had his hood down but how could I not recognise him? That sword that had been with him for eight years was so familiar.

“Ra…!”

Taking advantage of Hernan’s loosened grip, I struggled desperately against him before running away. When Lord Ray’s firm arms embraced me, a sword came rushing in with a clang.

When I lifted my head in his embrace, Lord Ray was holding me with one arm and using the other to point his sword at Hernan’s neck. Strands of white hair that had been sliced flew in the air.

Hernan smirked as he looked at the sword pointing at his neck. His blue irises were bursting with purple. He tried to rush towards us but he was interrupted by his subordinate who came rushing from behind.

“Who are you trying to pick a fight with with that body of yours. Shall we head back?”

“… Let go.”

Hernan growled at him as a warning but it looked like he could not escape from what appeared to be a kind of rope. It was the same one that he tied me with. Without missing this opportunity, Lord Ray quickly left while holding me with only one arm.

I leaned into his arms as I wiped my face with one hand and gripped the diary harder with the other. Praying that he would be able to get out of here quickly, I collapsed into his embrace and closed my eyes.

This would be the last time Hernan and I would meet in this appearance. I made up my mind firmly.

Finally, after we left the wide open alley, I looked back only once. Under the brilliant day sky, the alley looked dark and gloomy. Hernan who remained standing in the shadows was staring at me.

I could clearly see his expression. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was left agape. Just when I thought it was a little strange.

A bell rang. It sounded like the bell that announced that it was already noon.

Cinderella.

As if it had all been just a dream, the magic had lifted.