Chapter 51
Life Pledged,
Irina’s face lit up.
“What is it? What should I do?”
Seeing her slightly anxious, Lurasa grinned.
“Love diligently.”
“Ah… I just have to love diligently… Did you just say that?”
Irina nodded repeatedly, then suddenly froze in bewilderment.
Soon, Lurasa doubled over, clutching her belly as she laughed heartily.
Irina’s face was delightfully scrunched up.
“Oh, really.”
“Are you mad?”
“…How could I ever be mad at you, Lurasa?”
After all, she was the one who showed her how to survive. The one who guided her to that method. How could she possibly be angry?
Of course, a sudden flush of anger had surfaced, but that was understandable.
Lurasa raised her eyebrows, seemingly surprised.
“You should try being my age. You neither age nor die, yet you must endlessly fulfill the tasks given to you. Life becomes tedious, so I end up saying a lot of nonsense.”
She spoke rather calmly, but her inner state looked far from relaxed.
A little weary, perhaps. Tired, maybe.
So Irina just listened silently.
“But really, are you really not going to give me even a cup of tea? The Duchess of Ringester is so cruel.”
Lurasa pointed to the completely empty table.
For a moment, Irina saw her overlapping with Damian again. In the midst of life-or-death matters, she had completely forgotten the importance of offering tea to a guest.
Hurriedly, Irina stood and called Casey.
After all, the one who would miss out was Irina herself—it was natural for the thirsty to fetch water.
Lurasa hummed a tune leisurely while waiting.
Judging by her behavior, it seemed she wouldn’t speak another word until the tea arrived.
Her true identity was still unclear, and she seemed to throw tantrums dozens of times a day.
But for now, there was nothing Irina could do except wait until she opened her mouth.
Whether it was the peculiar aura of a god’s agent or just her unique presence, there was a strange power that made one listen, even to absurd stories.
There was a subtle forcefulness to it.
Irina rolled her eyes while waiting for Casey to bring the tea.
Fortunately, it only took a few minutes for Casey to prepare the tea and snacks. She was always thorough in her preparations.
After sipping the fragrant, warm tea, Lurasa’s expression relaxed noticeably.
Unlike Irina, who was still wrapped in tension.
“There’s no need to be so anxious. Isn’t life the same for everyone? You probably just had a brief, unusual event happen.”
“You’re the one who told me about my memories. And who would believe such a thing? Of course I’d be surprised and anxious.”
“What you need to do is move forward, not backward. Remember that. Though, honestly, most people don’t listen even when I tell them.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good, I like your answer. The tea is good too.”
“Casey makes excellent tea. But what you said earlier—I want to keep talking about it. I don’t know if you’re joking or not.”
By now, she seemed willing to answer, so Irina tested her.
It seemed she held the key at that moment.
“Does it bother you?”
“Of course. Especially if it concerns Howard.”
“I understand your feelings, but you haven’t fully regained your composure yet, right? Talking more now won’t solve anything immediately. Besides, you’re forbidden from going out.”
She was right.
“But it was you, Lurasa, who made me curious.”
After striking at each other’s core points, a moment of silence fell between them.
Then Lurasa spoke again.
“At first, it feels like a new world, but after hundreds of years, it becomes hell. Meeting someone as reactive as you is so much fun. I told you before—nonsense just slips out.”
Please understand—
She chuckled mischievously.
“Then just tell me that much.”
“What? Why do you speak so fearfully?”
“Nothing serious will happen to Howard, right?”
“I don’t determine every person’s future. I’m not Kledos. Only that person can know. How could I know if he trips over a stone tomorrow and hits his forehead? Or if you bite your tongue while drinking tea, I wouldn’t know either.”
“…I see.”
Irina pouted briefly but remained curious.
“But Lurasa…”
“Hm? You just asked me to say only that—”
“Why… did you help me?”
Ignoring her remark, Irina pressed on.
Lurasa shrugged.
“Howard’s contract wasn’t with me.”
“You’re the one who introduced him, though.”
Strictly speaking, it was she who sent Casey. Howard only realized this later, after meeting Lurasa. So this was after the timeline had reset.
Lurasa rested her chin in her hand, staring somewhere between the tall trees and the sky.
“I thought about cutting the string.”
“The string?”
“Oh, the tea’s spilled. Dear.”
Ah, really.
She was truly adept at sapping one’s will to speak.
Until a moment ago, she had been on her third cup of tea, now she overturned the empty cup.
Irina’s cup was still half full.
She drank at an extraordinary pace.
Even the tea in the teapot was gone in an instant.
The teapot’s contents hadn’t cooled; it was still hot. Could she not feel temperature?
Moreover, the amount of snacks and tea she consumed was equivalent to a full meal.
Lurasa, with a seemingly endless appetite, still crunched on cookies while humming a tune.
Earlier, she had commented about the Duchess being cruel—if she hadn’t received more tea, that could have been a disaster.
Thinking she’d need another teapot, Irina turned.
“Casey. Please make more tea. And bring some more cookies too.”
After seeing Casey disappear inside, Irina turned back.
“What did you mean by cutting the string?”
“Fate, of course.”
“Can you just cut it however you like?”
“You’re just severing the string that’s been forcibly held. You can’t just cut what exists freely. If you want to know more, you can take over my work and I’ll tell you.”
“…I won’t be curious anymore.”
“Really? What a shame, dear.”
Apparently, she hadn’t been entirely serious—she immediately withdrew her words when Irina refused.
When Casey brought the freshly brewed tea, Lurasa drank it all, blowing gently on the cup.
Only after finishing the new teapot did she rise from her seat.
“Anyway, get well soon. Worrying is only good when you’re healthy. And it’s best to experience everything yourself.”
Once again, she left a vague remark. Irina knew perfectly well she wouldn’t answer further—the familiar relaxed expression returned.
Irina exhaled deeply as Lurasa departed, busy with her own affairs.
After Lurasa left, Irina headed to the library attached to the Duke’s residence.
According to Casey, the entire building behind the main residence was a library that Irina had never visited.
Howard didn’t frequent it, so he probably hadn’t read all the books there.
Irina thought she might find some help here since her range of activity was limited to the residence.
She didn’t want to raise Howard’s concern or suspicion, of course.
Even though her memories had returned, there was still a certain distance between them.
Whether good or bad, big or small, Irina guessed he was hiding something.
She hoped it wasn’t anything dangerous.
Soon, Casey returned with a large bundle of keys, which were usually kept locked up since the library wasn’t often accessed.
“Casey. Let’s go.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Stepping outside, the sunlight was dazzlingly bright.
Irina hurried to the rear building.
She waited for Casey to open the door, then entered the library. The scent of wood was strong.
“Hm, there should be a catalog somewhere.”
Irina and Casey scanned the surroundings.
“Ma’am, could it be this?”
Casey pointed to a large book about the size of her upper body.
“Ah, yes. That’s it.”
Irina quickly opened the catalog. The sheer volume momentarily overwhelmed her. Fortunately, whoever managed this place had organized it neatly, making it easier to navigate.
She quickly skimmed the titles, focusing on magic stones, folklore, and occult topics.
Still, there were so many, she had to decide on priorities.
“Hmm, which should I look at first?”
“Can I help?”
“Then fetch the books on magic stones from the third shelf.”
“All of them?”
Casey looked like she was ready to carry every single one, ten or a hundred.
Sometimes, seeing Casey so enthusiastic made Irina wonder if her body was powered by some infinite energy.
“Oh, no. Just one or two will do for now.”
“Yes, understood.”
Casey headed to the third shelf while Irina focused on the first.
Seeing the densely packed shelves, Irina felt overwhelmed.
Why were there so many occult books at the Duke’s? Just place the important ones separately! Why fill an entire shelf like this?
Peeking at the third shelf, she thought it seemed slightly more manageable.
She briefly considered switching, then shook her head and continued scanning the books.
“Let’s see…”
Irina reached for the first book listed in the catalog.
