Chapter 91 - 91: Why is Theodore-sama here?
Why is Theodore-sama here?
My consciousness was gripped more by confusion than the terror I had felt moments ago. My gaze remained fixed on Theodore-sama.
Theodore-sama’s usual composure and calm were gone, replaced by a frantic expression as he scanned the surroundings. He found me almost immediately. Rushing to my side, he pulled me into his arms and shook me, his voice desperate. "Rachel-jou! Pull yourself together!"
But I was already dead. I could not open my eyes or respond to his agonizing, soulful pleas.
"Was it you?"
"Huh?"
"I asked if you were the ones who did this."
Theodore-sama’s red eyes burned with a vengeful fire. His gaze remained fixed on my limp form as he addressed the bandits, who stood frozen in shock. Their earlier bravado had vanished. Faced with Theodore-sama’s overwhelming aura of rage, they turned pale, unable to even move.
Theodore-sama gently laid me back down and turned toward the bandits. From my perspective, I could only see his back, so I had no idea what expression he wore. However, those hardened criminals clearly felt an insurmountable gap in power just by facing him. They stood paralyzed, faces ashen. Some even collapsed where they stood, unable to remain upright.
The very bandits who had filled my nightmares and caused me such terror were now like frogs before a snake. I watched the scene unfold, unable to suppress my astonishment.
"P-Please, don't kill us..."
"We were hired! If you want to hate someone, hate the one who paid us!"
"The money! I'll give you all the money! Just spare my life..."
As they desperately begged for their lives with pale faces, their expressions shifted to pure despair in an instant, reflecting whatever look Theodore-sama was giving them.
"Money? You think I want such a thing? ...Very well. I will not take your lives."
At that response, the bandits’ tension remained, but a flicker of relief crossed their faces as they looked at one another. As Theodore-sama approached slowly, they forced fawning, vulgar smiles.
But his next words plunged them back into the abyss of despair.
"I still have much to ask you, so I will not take your lives. However... I will grant you a hell so profound that for the rest of your long lives, you will wish you had died here today."
"S-Stop..."
"Stay back! Stay back, you monster!"
"...A monster, am I? I’ve grown tired of hearing that word."
With those words, vines erupted from Theodore-sama’s raised hand, coiling around them to bind them tight. Simultaneously, a cage of ice materialized, trapping them within. Ignoring their screams of terror, Theodore-sama delivered the final blow, calling down a bolt of lightning upon them. The bandits let out one final, piercing shriek before falling into a silence so absolute it felt as if their previous clamor had been a lie.
What? What happened to them?
I could only hold my breath and watch the abnormal scene before me. Even though they had killed me, I was concerned about their state. I strained my eyes, but the ice cage obscured my vision. I listened intently, but not a single sound came from the bandits.
They aren't... dead, are they?
Theodore-sama had said he wouldn't take their lives. That must mean he only knocked them unconscious.
Theodore-sama’s appearance was shocking enough, but the entire situation was overwhelming. My heart thrummed with a rapid, heavy beat, and the sheer tension of the moment made me feel as if I might collapse.
But the biggest question was why Theodore-sama was here at all. If this was indeed my past—the scene of my death at eighteen—then Theodore-sama and I should have had almost no connection in my previous life.
On the contrary, while he had been friendly whenever we met, Theodore-sama was the one who had always maintained a certain distance.
So why?
Theodore-sama moved Sarah and the driver—who, like me, had already passed away—to the shade of a large tree by the roadside. He placed flowers on their chests and pressed his hands together in prayer.
The sight made my chest ache. I felt a wave of guilt for them having died simply because they were with me, and I felt I had caught a glimpse of Theodore-sama’s true kindness.
Next, Theodore-sama approached me. He knelt and stroked my cheek with a gentle touch. His eyes were so filled with grief that even as an observer, my chest tightened until I could hardly breathe.
"I’m sorry I was late... I’m sorry I couldn't keep my promise."
Theodore-sama whispered softly to my corpse. He removed his black robe—the uniform of the Order of Mages—and carefully draped it over my body, covering me completely.
"I’ll return you to your parents soon. Just wait a little longer."
His gentle whisper brought my parents’ faces to mind.
That's right. How did they feel after learning I was dead? Even though I had made such mistakes, they must have wept for me.
As the thought occurred to me, tears naturally welled up and spilled down my cheeks. A tear must have fallen on Kuro, whom I held in my arms, because he looked up at me and let out a soft "Meow."
"I’m okay. Thank you, Kuro."
I smiled at Kuro’s worried expression, and he turned his gaze back toward Theodore-sama. I wiped my tears, took a breath, and followed his gaze.
Theodore-sama looked up at the sky with a sharp, piercing glare for a moment before standing up. With a grim expression and without a word, he turned his back to me and vanished into thin air, just as he had arrived.
The space where Theodore-sama had been was now filled only with the sound of the wind. Silence returned. Yet the tension in my shoulders didn't fade as I stood there, dazed, replaying the scene in my mind.
What was that? What on earth just happened? And a promise? What promise?
Despite the sorrow weighing on me, Theodore-sama’s words echoed in my head. The mystery remained unsolved, leaving a lingering haze of confusion within me.
I felt Kuro stir in my arms and looked down at him.
"What is this? Kuro, you brought me here, didn't you?"
"Meow."
"Eh?"
As I questioned Kuro, the trees groaned and swayed as a gale-force wind swept past me. The wind seemed to head straight for my past self, draped in Theodore-sama’s robe. I followed it with my eyes.
"W-What... is that...?"
My whispered words reached my ears more clearly than I expected. But I didn't have the luxury of worrying about the volume of my voice.
Before my eyes, a dark, mist-like haze was spreading, as if to envelop my past self entirely.
Just as I leaned forward to see what it was, my head began to throb with a splitting pain. I clutched my temples with my right hand, letting out a small cry of pain. The headache intensified, twisting my features in agony.
It hurts, it hurts... What is this pain?
As the sensation of being struck by a blunt object washed over me, a voice echoed in my mind.
—Remember—
—Re... mem... come... to the place—
The voice was fragmented, pleading with me, but it was too faint to understand clearly.
What? Whose voice is that? I can't hear you. But I’ve definitely heard that voice before. What? What am I forgetting?
My consciousness began to slip again. No, just a little longer. I feel like I’m so close to remembering.
Despite my efforts to keep my heavy eyelids open, I failed. As the pain gradually receded, my consciousness sank back into the darkness.
But just as I was about to fall into the abyss, I felt a gentle warmth clasping my hand.
—chel, Rachel—
Someone was calling me. Feeling a strong urge to answer the voice calling my name, I surfaced from the depths of my mind and slowly opened my heavy eyes.
And there.
The person I wanted to see more than anyone.
The person whose face I wanted to see first.
Yes, His Highness was there, peering down at me with a worried expression.
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