Chapter 109 - 109
"That means your magic has returned?"
"...Yes."
"And you were given divine protection by the Dark Spirit King."
After returning from the forest, His Highness, Theodore-sama, and I moved to the drawing room of the Milicier mansion. I had been explaining what had happened to me. When I finished, His Highness let out a long breath, looking stunned. "That's incredible," he muttered to himself. Theodore-sama merely nodded quietly, as if he had already grasped most of it when I returned from the Spirit Land.
"I'm not sure what I should do now. I'm quite confused myself..."
As I finished my explanation, His Highness, sitting beside me, gave me a soft smile. He took a strand of my hair and pressed his lips to it. My heart raced at the sight, which looked like an illustration from a fairy tale. Yet, seemingly unaware of my feelings, His Highness gave me a truly gentle smile.
"I'm glad, Rachel."
"Eh?"
Glad?
"Your magic returned because you didn't give up, even when you had none, and worked hard to get this far."
"His Highness... I wasn't alone. It's thanks to Sarah, Theodore-sama, and most of all... you."
"Rachel... you really are good at making me feel giddy."
His Highness stroked my hair tenderly, then cupped my cheek and leaned in close. He didn't try to pry into the parts I hadn't explained. More than anything, he respected me while caring for me from the bottom of his heart. His words resonated deeply within me.
"Still, the protection of darkness. That means Rachel will become the Dark Saint."
"The Dark Saint, huh. According to what Lady Rachel heard from the Spirit King, the dark spirits were living in the neighboring country."
"Yes, that's what he said."
Theodore-sama murmured "I see" and fell silent for a moment, deep in thought, before speaking again.
"That means there might be someone in the neighboring country who holds the protection of darkness."
"The neighboring country, huh. My mother, the Queen, is from there, but even after diplomatic relations were restored, that country remains a mystery. Their royalty are a difficult bunch, too."
"Should we investigate if dark spirits exist there?"
"I'll do the same."
The neighboring country... I heard it was once part of the same nation, but after they split, there was no interaction at all. It seems the previous king formed an alliance, and His Majesty married a princess from there to establish a connection, but it's still difficult to learn much about it. Because it's a land of many mysteries, it might be hard to investigate even for His Highness, whose mother was a princess of that country.
"So, what kind of power is the power of darkness? Do you know yet, Lady Rachel?"
"Well... the Spirit King said I would understand once my magic returned... I can feel the power, but as for how to use it..."
I lowered my gaze at Theodore-sama's question. The Spirit King had said I would understand what the dark power was once my magic returned, but even now, I couldn't grasp what it was.
"Don't worry too much, Rachel. Learning about the neighboring country might lead to understanding your dark power."
"His Highness... thank you."
My heart felt lighter at His Highness's consideration, as if he knew exactly how anxious I was. As I breathed a sigh of relief at his smile, Kuro jumped onto my lap, carrying something in his mouth.
"Meow."
Kuro had returned with me when the Spirit King sent me out of the Spirit Land, but I could no longer understand anything but his meows. Since we could talk in the Spirit Land, it felt a bit lonely, but it couldn't be helped.
"A flower? And it's withered."
I took the flower from Kuro's mouth; it was a withered tulip. It was wilted, its head drooping sadly. After giving me the flower, Kuro jumped back down to the floor as if his job was done and trotted over to Theodore-sama's feet.
"Maybe it'll be better if I put it in a vase."
It was a beautiful flower, so I wanted to keep it looking lovely for as long as possible. With that thought, I held the tulip carefully in both hands.
Then, to my amazement, the tulip in my hands slowly began to change from its wilted state, straightening up until it looked as fresh as if it had just been cut.
"Wha..."
"Eh!"
I was so shocked by the flower's transformation that it almost slipped from my hands, but His Highness quickly caught my hands to support them.
"The flower..."
Was this an illusion? Could a wilted flower really return to its original state? I turned to His Highness in disbelief, only to find him staring at the tulip with wide eyes.
Only Theodore-sama remained calm. He looked at my hands, then picked up Kuro as if they were sharing a look. Kuro meowed adorably at him, looking pleased. Theodore-sama smirked and muttered, "I see."
Did Theodore-sama understand something?
"It seems the little black cat brought a hint on purpose."
"What do you mean?"
"The Spirit King's explanation was insufficient, so he came to teach you the simplest way to use your power so you could manifest it yourself."
According to Theodore-sama, this was the power of darkness. Which meant...
"So, the power of darkness... but can such a thing be?"
The flower in my hand trembled slightly. But if this power truly existed, it explained how the Dark Spirit King was able to send me back to the past. It also explained why the Spirit King of Light had frowned and asked if I had changed the future, only to look amused when he realized I had traveled back in time.
In short, only the Spirit King of Light can see the future. And only the Dark Spirit King can return time to the past.
As I reached this conclusion, His Highness, sitting beside me, put a hand to his chin, thought for a moment, and then looked up sharply.
"I see. The power of light is the power to accelerate time. Whereas darkness is the opposite... the power to return time to the past."
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We've finally reached the truth behind the regression and the mystery of the dark power. Now that Rachel has obtained the protection, what will happen next? I hope you enjoy the continuation!