The West Wind's Destination - Chapter 40
“…….”
Bea had heard such words before. Narrowing her eyes, she recalled what happened in the past.
—Bea, we love you.
These were the words her family said when they left her in the desert. They hadn’t felt like kind words.
But Bea wasn’t a fool. She knew this situation wasn’t the same, and the meaning was different.
She understood the dictionary meaning of love.
But probably no other word is as seldom used in its literal sense as ‘love’.
“What do you mean by that?”
Aseph’s expression brightened.
“I… have been searching for you.”
In response to Bea’s request for an explanation, Aseph felt he finally had his chance.
“When I first met you, my situation wasn’t good. I had lost so much, and my body was dying.”
Aseph had sustained severe injuries while confronting multiple mages, aware that his condition was unlikely to improve. Already struggling with a body resistant to magic, it seemed impossible to heal without some kind of miracle.
That’s why initially, he thought meeting Bea was a dream. Or perhaps he had fallen into the afterlife and seen an angel.
It took him a while to accept the miracle and realize he needed to return.
“Back then, I… I had no real responsibilities. There was only a harsh reality waiting for me back home. It would be more accurate to say I wanted to escape.”
So, under the pretext of repaying her, he stayed longer, doing chores and repairing the lab. Despite his poor health, he watched over Bea, who tirelessly worked day and night.
“It didn’t take long for me to feel ashamed seeing you. I thought I should return to my place. And… I wanted to create a better environment for you.”
He hoped that once he regained stability in his original position, he could support whatever research she was pursuing in her dilapidated lab.
“To do that, I needed to stabilize my own situation first. But it took longer than I thought. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.”
Aseph gently pulled Bea’s hand to his lips and kissed it.
“…I can’t say these things to anyone else. I have too much to carry now. You’re the only one who saw me in my weakest moment. You helped me stand again, and it was the thought of you that made me want to rise again.”
Bea wasn’t moved by flowery, romantic words or by flaunting Aseph’s good traits.
So Aseph detailed as much as he could about how his heart had turned towards Bea. Maybe this approach was better for conveying sincerity.
Just as Aseph was thinking this…
“I see. I understand.”
“Y-You do?”
Perhaps this kind of story was the best. Aseph was about to smile broadly.
“I don’t love you.”
Aseph’s heart sank.
He knew it. He had an inkling, but hearing it directly was different.
“And it seems you think of me like I do my Master.”
“…Master?”
Bea lay motionless, her expression tense as she closed her eyes, seemingly recalling her mentor.
“So, what you’re saying is that when you were unwell, I returned you to health and taught you how to live? Is that what it is?”
“That’s… that’s right.”
“For me, it was my Master who did that for me.”
“…….”
“So, like the Master was for me, am I that one unique person for you?”
“Probably… yes.”
Aseph, who had once briefly lived with Bea in a small cabin, internally thought of her as a very lonely person. She was so engrossed in her research that she hardly interacted with others.
He felt embarrassed now for thinking that he could be the one to reach out to her in her lowly state.
And then…
“…This, this Master of yours…”
“He’s dead.”
Aseph covered his forehead and eyes with his hand, sighing.
He felt utterly pathetic. He was on the verge of spewing vile words out of jealousy.
The relief he felt upon learning that the person he momentarily wanted to kill was already dead was both despicable and dirty.
Not knowing what to say, Aseph pulled Bea a bit closer to him.
Bea, nestled quietly in his arms, spoke.
“…The research I’m conducting and hoping to complete is for my Master.”
“……”
The words were shockingly unexpected to Aseph.
His heart felt like it dropped off a cliff, and his world seemed to turn upside down.
But since the mentor was already deceased, it seemed like there might be an opportunity to wedge himself in.
Suppressing his emotions, Aseph spoke in a sweetly feigned voice.
“I can support that research. How about staying here?”
Bea pondered silently for a long time after his question.
Just as Aseph was about to urge her again, she responded.
“Alright.”
That one word was enough to pull his emotions from the depths.
“Ah, Bea. Thank you.”
Aseph involuntarily tightened his arms around her, but Bea accepted this without any resistance.
He didn’t know what her research entailed, but he was confident that by supporting her, he could grow closer to her than he was now.
