[CHAPTER 83]
The place she arrived at through the portal was an unknown and unfamiliar location.
Mayna Winslet lay sprawled as if she had collapsed onto the cold marble floor, then lifted herself up while feeling dizzy.
As she slowly looked around, she saw dead trees, leaves that had turned dark and bluish, and red thorny vines filling the area.
Where is this place?
Though it was unfamiliar, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Biterion Parker was nowhere to be seen.
In the silence, only the cold and damp air brushed against her skin.
Suddenly, Mayna looked down at her own body and froze in shock.
I’m naked…!
At the moment she had been pulled by some unknown force and passed through the portal like falling into a black hole, she had failed to grab the towel that had been covering her body.
Crossing her arms over her chest in a panic, Mayna quickly scanned her surroundings again.
If someone appeared now, she would be completely exposed without any way to hide herself.
At that moment, a familiar voice reached her.
“I will send a maid, so please wait for a moment.”
It was Biterion Parker.
Not through her ears, but as if a clear voice echoed directly inside her head.
Only then did she remember that she had experienced the same thing on the day she first met him.
“You may enter.”
Back then, she had opened the door of the secret residence after hearing his voice.
Now that she thought about it, the scenery before her eyes felt familiar.
It was a garden like a massive greenhouse.
Although all the trees, grass, and plants had rotted away now, it was undeniably a place she had visited before.
After taking a few steps, marble statues appeared here and there, as if confirming her thoughts.
While she stood awkwardly, she heard footsteps approaching.
A white-haired maid she had never seen before walked up to the tightly hunched Mayna.
“I will give you clothes to change into.”
As if trying not to look at Mayna’s bare body, the maid bowed her head deeply and handed her a bundle of clothes.
When Mayna received it, she found a large towel, underwear, and a new dress inside.
“Thank you.”
Speaking in a small voice, Mayna bowed deeply and carefully wiped the remaining moisture from her body with the towel.
She then put on the underwear and the dress in order.
The soft white silk dress fit her body perfectly, as if it had been tailored for her.
“I will fix your appearance.”
The maid, who had stepped away briefly, returned and approached Mayna from behind.
She delicately adjusted the neckline and waist of the dress.
“Thank you.”
Feeling as though she was causing trouble in every way, Mayna’s voice grew quieter, and she fidgeted with her waist unconsciously.
“He said to let you in once you are ready.”
The maid spoke.
It seemed Biterion Parker had conveyed the message so that only she could hear it.
“I will guide you.”
Biterion Parker’s secret garden, which had once been bright as if flooded with sunlight, was now dark everywhere like the inside of a cave, with a faint light flickering somewhere far away.
The once lush leaves and colorful flowers had all turned dark and bluish, and the fresh scent had been replaced by the stench of rot.
Dust had settled thickly over the statues that once seemed to record someone’s warm memories.
“I saw you from afar last time as well, Young Lady.”
The maid said while looking ahead.
“I see…”
Mayna replied weakly and stopped herself from asking about the greenhouse.
She felt guilty for burdening Biterion Parker and his people.
“It is different from what you saw last time, isn’t it?”
As if reading Mayna’s thoughts, the maid asked with a gentle smile.
“Yes.”
Mayna nodded.
The maid glanced back to check Mayna’s face, then explained with a kindly smile.
“The scenery here changes according to His Highness’s state of mind.”
“……”
“Light and darkness.”
Her wrinkled hand pointed toward the towering ceiling of the greenhouse.
It was as dark as deep night.
“Life and death.”
This time, she indicated the plants that had died and begun to rot.
“In truth, this place usually looks like it does today.”
“……”
“Except for the day when you first visited this place, Young Lady—.”
The maid’s words cut off unnaturally.
“Oh my, I have spoken far too much out of turn.”
No, she must have heard Biterion Parker’s voice in her head telling her to stop.
And that must have been because there were feelings he did not want conveyed to Mayna.
After walking in silence for a while, the maid stopped and stepped back.
They were standing before the door of the secret residence.
“I look forward to the day we meet again.”
The maid left.
“You may enter.”
Biterion Parker’s voice sounded again.
When Mayna pushed the door open, a familiar space appeared.
It was an empty residence with nothing but a bed and a table.
Biterion Parker, who had been sitting at the table, gestured toward the seat across from him.
“Please sit.”
An uncomfortable silence followed.
Mayna could not bring herself to look at his face.
She knew what she had done with Caliph just before being pulled into the portal.
Embarrassment that made her want to hide forever, along with guilt toward him, weighed heavily on her heart.
Why do I keep feeling like I have wronged His Highness?
As Mayna fidgeted with her fingers, Biterion Parker spoke.
“Are you feeling all right physically?”
That was his first question.
His kind nature, worrying about her first, stirred Mayna’s heart once again.
“Yes.”
Unable to lift her gaze, Mayna only nodded her head.
“You came into physical contact with an X-rank knight, so both the awakening pain and the breathing difficulties should have improved significantly.”
“……”
Mayna pressed her lips together tightly.
Her face grew hot, and she could not give any proper reply.
“Look around you.”
“Doesn’t your vision seem clearer than before?”
“Huh…?”
A foolish sound slipped from between her parted lips.
Only then did she realize she was not wearing her glasses.
Her vision was so clear that she had not even noticed.
Seeing her reaction, Biterion Parker placed something on the table.
It was her glasses, with both lenses shattered and one temple broken off.
“I found them in the wrecked carriage.”
“They seem to have broken when they struck the carriage wall as you were trapped in the crack.”
“Thank you.”
As she reached out to pick up the glasses from the table, they suddenly floated up into the air.
A small flame flickered, and the broken glasses burned away without leaving a trace.
“……Your Highness.”
Startled, Mayna looked at Biterion Parker.
He spoke without any expression.
“You will have no need to wear glasses from now on.”
“Once you awaken as a healing mage, all your senses, including sight, hearing, and smell, will awaken, and there will be no need to correct your vision.”
“But…”
To her, the glasses were not merely a tool to correct her eyesight.
Back when she wandered the red-light district, her shabby appearance and the glasses that hid her beauty had served as a shield, protecting her from the filthy attention of trash-like men.
“You were attacked by Spiculum, trapped in a crack, and all of this happened within a single day.”
“……”
“It means someone is targeting you, Young Lady.”
“……”
“Once you awaken as a mage and begin acting in earnest, it will only become worse.”
“Do not wear glasses, nor any other accessories.”
“It is the minimum measure for your safety.”
She could not refute him.
She suddenly remembered how her eyebrow area had been cut by the broken glasses during the carriage accident.
“And lastly.”
Biterion Parker clasped his hands together on the table.
Blue veins stood out starkly against the pale skin on the back of his hands.
“Never again intermingle bodies with Caliph Renox without my permission.”
Mayna’s eyes shook violently.
Her unfocused gaze wavered before finally settling on Biterion Parker.
He continued speaking with a face that showed neither anger nor any other emotion.
“That includes kissing, holding hands, or even brushing shoulders.”
“……”
“Remember this.”
“You are my aide, Young Lady.”
His vivid purple eyes stared directly at Mayna.
Overwhelmed by the gaze that felt like a territorial claim, Mayna could only nod blankly.
