Chapter 60: A little closure [1]
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 60: A little closure [1]
".....Did you kill him?"
A familiar woman sat on the opposite end of where I sat. Her presence felt suffocating, and her deep eyes seemed to lure me in the more I looked into them.
"..."
Even so, I kept calm. While pressuring, my mind was firm. The vision had messed up with my mind and the resentment I felt from Wesley was still present.
The current me...
Couldn't be fazed by this much.
"I didn't."
My voice came out rather dry.
Delilah's blank face suddenly cracked as her lips gently pulled up. Then, amidst the silence, her finger pressed against the silence.
Tap—
A subtle whistle sounded as the space between the two of us froze.
"....Alright, you're free to go."
"Hm?"
I thought nothing could faze the current me, but this was an unexpected development.
"Are you surprised?"
".....I wouldn't say I'm not."
Surely, while I had hidden my traces quite well, there was still a reason to suspect me as the culprit. At the very least, there was reason to believe I knew something about Wesley's death.
She had even more reason to think so.
Especially when I knew she had seen the tattoo on his arm and that his true face had been revealed.
I thought she was going to mention it during our talk, but she didn't. Rather, she didn't even bring the topic up once and just let me go.
Why?
"There's not enough evidence to assume you did anything. All of our tests suggest that it's unlikely for you to have done it."
"Then...?"
"....We're not unreasonable. Since it seems like it was an accident, we don't have any right to detain you for any longer. You're free to go."
Just like that...?
I stayed rooted in my seat for a few moments, attempting to comprehend the situation. I gazed intently at her expression, which resembled that of a blank piece of paper, before gradually rising from my seat.
".....Okay."
There were a lot of things that I wanted to ask, but decided otherwise.
I knew she had some answers to some of the questions I had, but I chose to remain silent. It was still too risky. I didn't have enough leverage for myself, and how would I even explain to her my situation?
For what reason would she even believe me?
It was with such thoughts that I stood up from my seat and bid her farewell.
For now...
I needed to thread carefully.
It wasn't the right time yet. I knew it was going to come soon.
*** Read latest chapters at nov(e)lbin.com Only
In the ensuing silence following Julien's departure, Delilah continued to fix her gaze on the door of the room.
She could see the surprise etched on the faces of the school board members from the other side of the door as they closely stared at the leaving Julien. She didn't blame them. The choice to release him rested solely on her shoulders.
But it wasn't without any reason.
Primarily, she knew that it would've been a wasted effort. If he did do it, there was no chance he was going to come clean.
There was also not enough evidence to pin the blame on him...
Since that was the case, why hold him in for longer?
Delilah cared a lot for her time.
Since it was just going to be a massive waste of time, she let him go. As if she was going to let those old bastards take her weekend again.
"....."
Delilah kept those thoughts to herself.
But outside of that, there was something else that intrigued her.
".....An internal conflict?"
While she couldn't prove Julien's role in the cadet's death, she was more or less certain that he had played a part in it.
And... if that was the case, then did that mean that there was some sort of internal conflict within the organization?
Or maybe, he was someone who had betrayed the organization.
"....."
Delilah couldn't fathom why Julien had never bothered to conceal the tattoo on his arm. Despite the organization being known to only a select few important figures within the empire, she was certain that if anyone discovered the tattoo on his arm, he would have hell for it.
The fact that he never intended to hide it was what aroused Delilah's curiosity the most.
She felt like there were a lot of possibilities for such a situation. Perhaps there was an internal conflict between the groups within the Inverted Sky.
....Or perhaps he was a traitor.
Maybe it was just a random tattoo he got and he had no part in all of this at all.
Delilah wasn't exactly sure the exact reason, but...
"....I'll know soon."
Of that she was sure.
Regardless of what he did, his actions were sure to bring those from the Inverted Sky over to the Institute.
All would become clear then. Whether he was with them or not, or a traitor... It would all become clear the moment they came.
It was for this reason that she let go of him.
"You must've forgotten about the incident then. So long has happened."
I could hardly remember anything from back when I was six.
"No."
Unexpctantly, Eleonora did.
"....I remember everything. I've never forgotten."
Perhaps because the topic was brought up, she recalled the events in her mind.
Her lips pursed, and her arms trembled slightly.
"I... can never forget that day. It haunts me every day."
She blinked rapidly to hide her tears.
But I could see them from where I was.
"It's my fault... I-f I hadn't started to fire... If Mother had taken his hand instead of mine..."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she started to choke on her words.
"I shou—"
"He never resented you."
I cut her off dryly.
"Ah...?"
Her eyes widened.
"What are y—"
"Not once."
I stared at the headstone in front of me.
He had never once resented his sister for taking the hand.
".....He was happy you were safe."
He resented the idea of her going through something he had had he taken the hand.
Not that she had taken the hand instead of him.
"And he's also happy that you still think about him."
His mother may have abandoned him.
But she hadn't.
The feelings that boiled within my chest started to ease.
It no longer felt as suffocating.
"W-why are you saying this...?"
Eleonora choked on her words. Her eyes were red, and her hands were trembling. I could see that the events of the past had been eating at her every day as well.
He wasn't the only one.
I smiled then.
I didn't need to pretend to be Julien. I could smile now.
".....I know because I felt what he felt. It's part of my ability. I felt it in his soul right now."
I didn't mind lying a little.
Because it was partly true.
"H-hah..."
The rug fell and she began to cover her eyes with both hands as tears finally streamed down her face.
"B-brother... Ah..."
Her sobs echoed quietly in the surroundings.
I felt my lips quiver slightly and I looked up at the sky.
'Neither one resents each other for what happened.'
They truly were...
Siblings.
"....."
I had no obligation to do this. I didn't feel responsible for his death. I had done what needed to be done to survive.
But...
I was also human.
I needed to do this for myself.
"T-thank you..."
Suddenly, I heard a soft whisper.
For some reason, it hit my feelings. I had a hard time grasping the meaning behind her words of gratitude, but I soon understood.
For over a decade...
She blamed herself for his death.
Thinking that his death was because of her. That he resented her for it.
....And for someone to tell her the opposite. Even if it was a lie.
"Haaa..."
Staring at the sky, the weight that pressed down on my chest disappeared.
What replaced it was a lighter feeling.
A warm and embracing one.
I didn't understand it well, but I let myself sink into the feeling.
?| Lvl 1. [Joy] EXP + 4%
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 60: A little closure [1]
".....Did you kill him?"
A familiar woman sat on the opposite end of where I sat. Her presence felt suffocating, and her deep eyes seemed to lure me in the more I looked into them.
"..."
Even so, I kept calm. While pressuring, my mind was firm. The vision had messed up with my mind and the resentment I felt from Wesley was still present.
The current me...
Couldn't be fazed by this much.
"I didn't."
My voice came out rather dry.
Delilah's blank face suddenly cracked as her lips gently pulled up. Then, amidst the silence, her finger pressed against the silence.
Tap—
A subtle whistle sounded as the space between the two of us froze.
"....Alright, you're free to go."
"Hm?"
I thought nothing could faze the current me, but this was an unexpected development.
"Are you surprised?"
".....I wouldn't say I'm not."
Surely, while I had hidden my traces quite well, there was still a reason to suspect me as the culprit. At the very least, there was reason to believe I knew something about Wesley's death.
She had even more reason to think so.
Especially when I knew she had seen the tattoo on his arm and that his true face had been revealed.
I thought she was going to mention it during our talk, but she didn't. Rather, she didn't even bring the topic up once and just let me go.
Why?
"There's not enough evidence to assume you did anything. All of our tests suggest that it's unlikely for you to have done it."
"Then...?"
"....We're not unreasonable. Since it seems like it was an accident, we don't have any right to detain you for any longer. You're free to go."
Just like that...?
I stayed rooted in my seat for a few moments, attempting to comprehend the situation. I gazed intently at her expression, which resembled that of a blank piece of paper, before gradually rising from my seat.
".....Okay."
There were a lot of things that I wanted to ask, but decided otherwise.
I knew she had some answers to some of the questions I had, but I chose to remain silent. It was still too risky. I didn't have enough leverage for myself, and how would I even explain to her my situation?
For what reason would she even believe me?
It was with such thoughts that I stood up from my seat and bid her farewell.
For now...
I needed to thread carefully.
It wasn't the right time yet. I knew it was going to come soon.
*** Read latest chapters at nov(e)lbin.com Only
In the ensuing silence following Julien's departure, Delilah continued to fix her gaze on the door of the room.
She could see the surprise etched on the faces of the school board members from the other side of the door as they closely stared at the leaving Julien. She didn't blame them. The choice to release him rested solely on her shoulders.
But it wasn't without any reason.
Primarily, she knew that it would've been a wasted effort. If he did do it, there was no chance he was going to come clean.
There was also not enough evidence to pin the blame on him...
Since that was the case, why hold him in for longer?
Delilah cared a lot for her time.
Since it was just going to be a massive waste of time, she let him go. As if she was going to let those old bastards take her weekend again.
"....."
Delilah kept those thoughts to herself.
But outside of that, there was something else that intrigued her.
".....An internal conflict?"
While she couldn't prove Julien's role in the cadet's death, she was more or less certain that he had played a part in it.
And... if that was the case, then did that mean that there was some sort of internal conflict within the organization?
Or maybe, he was someone who had betrayed the organization.
"....."
Delilah couldn't fathom why Julien had never bothered to conceal the tattoo on his arm. Despite the organization being known to only a select few important figures within the empire, she was certain that if anyone discovered the tattoo on his arm, he would have hell for it.
The fact that he never intended to hide it was what aroused Delilah's curiosity the most.
She felt like there were a lot of possibilities for such a situation. Perhaps there was an internal conflict between the groups within the Inverted Sky.
....Or perhaps he was a traitor.
Maybe it was just a random tattoo he got and he had no part in all of this at all.
Delilah wasn't exactly sure the exact reason, but...
"....I'll know soon."
Of that she was sure.
Regardless of what he did, his actions were sure to bring those from the Inverted Sky over to the Institute.
All would become clear then. Whether he was with them or not, or a traitor... It would all become clear the moment they came.
It was for this reason that she let go of him.
"You must've forgotten about the incident then. So long has happened."
I could hardly remember anything from back when I was six.
"No."
Unexpctantly, Eleonora did.
"....I remember everything. I've never forgotten."
Perhaps because the topic was brought up, she recalled the events in her mind.
Her lips pursed, and her arms trembled slightly.
"I... can never forget that day. It haunts me every day."
She blinked rapidly to hide her tears.
But I could see them from where I was.
"It's my fault... I-f I hadn't started to fire... If Mother had taken his hand instead of mine..."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she started to choke on her words.
"I shou—"
"He never resented you."
I cut her off dryly.
"Ah...?"
Her eyes widened.
"What are y—"
"Not once."
I stared at the headstone in front of me.
He had never once resented his sister for taking the hand.
".....He was happy you were safe."
He resented the idea of her going through something he had had he taken the hand.
Not that she had taken the hand instead of him.
"And he's also happy that you still think about him."
His mother may have abandoned him.
But she hadn't.
The feelings that boiled within my chest started to ease.
It no longer felt as suffocating.
"W-why are you saying this...?"
Eleonora choked on her words. Her eyes were red, and her hands were trembling. I could see that the events of the past had been eating at her every day as well.
He wasn't the only one.
I smiled then.
I didn't need to pretend to be Julien. I could smile now.
".....I know because I felt what he felt. It's part of my ability. I felt it in his soul right now."
I didn't mind lying a little.
Because it was partly true.
"H-hah..."
The rug fell and she began to cover her eyes with both hands as tears finally streamed down her face.
"B-brother... Ah..."
Her sobs echoed quietly in the surroundings.
I felt my lips quiver slightly and I looked up at the sky.
'Neither one resents each other for what happened.'
They truly were...
Siblings.
"....."
I had no obligation to do this. I didn't feel responsible for his death. I had done what needed to be done to survive.
But...
I was also human.
I needed to do this for myself.
"T-thank you..."
Suddenly, I heard a soft whisper.
For some reason, it hit my feelings. I had a hard time grasping the meaning behind her words of gratitude, but I soon understood.
For over a decade...
She blamed herself for his death.
Thinking that his death was because of her. That he resented her for it.
....And for someone to tell her the opposite. Even if it was a lie.
"Haaa..."
Staring at the sky, the weight that pressed down on my chest disappeared.
What replaced it was a lighter feeling.
A warm and embracing one.
I didn't understand it well, but I let myself sink into the feeling.
?| Lvl 1. [Joy] EXP + 4%
Chapter 60: A little closure 1 ".....Did you kill him?" A familiar woman sat on the opposite end of where I sat. Her presence felt suffocating, and her deep eyes seemed to lure me in the more I looked into them. "..." Even so, I kept calm. While pressuring, my mind was firm. The vision had messed up with my mind and the resentment I felt from Wesley was still present. The current me... Couldn't be fazed by this much. "I didn't." My voice came out rather dry. Delilah's blank face suddenly cracked as her lips gently pulled up. Then, amidst the silence, her finger pressed against the silence. Tap A subtle whistle sounded as the space between the two of us froze. "....Alright, you're free to go." "Hm?" I thought nothing could faze the current me, but this was an unexpected development. "Are you surprised?" ".....I wouldn't say I'm not." Surely, while I had hidden my traces quite well, there was still a reason to suspect me as the culprit. At the very least, there was reason to believe I knew something about Wesley's death. She had even more reason to think so. Especially when I knew she had seen the tattoo on his arm and that his true face had been revealed. I thought she was going to mention it during our talk, but she didn't. Rather, she didn't even bring the topic up once and just let me go. Why? "There's not enough evidence to assume you did anything. All of our tests suggest that it's unlikely for you to have done it." "Then...?" "....We're not unreasonable. Since it seems like it was an accident, we don't have any right to detain you for any longer. You're free to go." Just like that...? I stayed rooted in my seat for a few moments, attempting to comprehend the situation. I gazed intently at her expression, which resembled that of a blank piece of paper, before gradually rising from my seat. ".....Okay." There were a lot of things that I wanted to ask, but decided otherwise. I knew she had some answers to some of the questions I had, but I chose to remain silent. It was still too risky. I didn't have enough leverage for myself, and how would I even explain to her my situation? For what reason would she even believe me? It was with such thoughts that I stood up from my seat and bid her farewell. For now... I needed to thread carefully. It wasn't the right time yet. I knew it was going to come soon. *** Read latest chapters at novelbin.com OnlyIn the ensuing silence following Julien's departure, Delilah continued to fix her gaze on the door of the room. She could see the surprise etched on the faces of the school board members from the other side of the door as they closely stared at the leaving Julien. She didn't blame them. The choice to release him rested solely on her shoulders. But it wasn't without any reason. Primarily, she knew that it would've been a wasted effort. If he did do it, there was no chance he was going to come clean. There was also not enough evidence to pin the blame on him... Since that was the case, why hold him in for longer? Delilah cared a lot for her time. Since it was just going to be a massive waste of time, she let him go. As if she was going to let those old bastards take her weekend again. "....." Delilah kept those thoughts to herself. But outside of that, there was something else that intrigued her. ".....An internal conflict?" While she couldn't prove Julien's role in the cadet's death, she was more or less certain that he had played a part in it. And... if that was the case, then did that mean that there was some sort of internal conflict within the organization? Or maybe, he was someone who had betrayed the organization. "....." Delilah couldn't fathom why Julien had never bothered to conceal the tattoo on his arm. Despite the organization being known to only a select few important figures within the empire, she was certain that if anyone discovered the tattoo on his arm, he would have hell for it. The fact that he never intended to hide it was what aroused Delilah's curiosity the most. She felt like there were a lot of possibilities for such a situation. Perhaps there was an internal conflict between the groups within the Inverted Sky. ....Or perhaps he was a traitor. Maybe it was just a random tattoo he got and he had no part in all of this at all. Delilah wasn't exactly sure the exact reason, but... "....I'll know soon." Of that she was sure. Regardless of what he did, his actions were sure to bring those from the Inverted Sky over to the Institute. All would become clear then. Whether he was with them or not, or a traitor... It would all become clear the moment they came. It was for this reason that she let go of him. "You must've forgotten about the incident then. So long has happened." I could hardly remember anything from back when I was six. "No." Unexpctantly, Eleonora did. "....I remember everything. I've never forgotten." Perhaps because the topic was brought up, she recalled the events in her mind. Her lips pursed, and her arms trembled slightly. "I... can never forget that day. It haunts me every day." She blinked rapidly to hide her tears. But I could see them from where I was. "It's my fault... I-f I hadn't started to fire... If Mother had taken his hand instead of mine..." Tears welled up in her eyes as she started to choke on her words. "I shou" "He never resented you." I cut her off dryly. "Ah...?" Her eyes widened. "What are y" "Not once." I stared at the headstone in front of me. He had never once resented his sister for taking the hand. ".....He was happy you were safe." He resented the idea of her going through something he had had he taken the hand. Not that she had taken the hand instead of him. "And he's also happy that you still think about him." His mother may have abandoned him. But she hadn't. The feelings that boiled within my chest started to ease. It no longer felt as suffocating. "W-why are you saying this...?" Eleonora choked on her words. Her eyes were red, and her hands were trembling. I could see that the events of the past had been eating at her every day as well. He wasn't the only one. I smiled then. I didn't need to pretend to be Julien. I could smile now. ".....I know because I felt what he felt. It's part of my ability. I felt it in his soul right now." I didn't mind lying a little. Because it was partly true. "H-hah..." The rug fell and she began to cover her eyes with both hands as tears finally streamed down her face. "B-brother... Ah..." Her sobs echoed quietly in the surroundings. I felt my lips quiver slightly and I looked up at the sky. 'Neither one resents each other for what happened.' They truly were... Siblings. "....." I had no obligation to do this. I didn't feel responsible for his death. I had done what needed to be done to survive. But... I was also human. I needed to do this for myself. "T-thank you..." Suddenly, I heard a soft whisper. For some reason, it hit my feelings. I had a hard time grasping the meaning behind her words of gratitude, but I soon understood. For over a decade... She blamed herself for his death. Thinking that his death was because of her. That he resented her for it. ....And for someone to tell her the opposite. Even if it was a lie. "Haaa..." Staring at the sky, the weight that pressed down on my chest disappeared. What replaced it was a lighter feeling. A warm and embracing one. I didn't understand it well, but I let myself sink into the feeling. ?| Lvl 1. Joy EXP + 4%
