—Since they didn’t have any business on the way home, they reached the royal capital about half a day earlier than expected.
Tistye returned to the main residence that night, went to Gaizel’s private room, and waited for Gaizel while sitting on the sofa. In her hands was a box containing the levanite earrings.
“Forgive me for being late.”
Soon after finishing the report, Gaizel, who had returned from the royal palace, appeared. In his hand was a treasure chest containing the levanite. Apparently, the situation had been properly conveyed to the chief of ceremony.
After arranging the two boxes side by side, Tistye removed the lid of the earrings box first.
“Darling is nearby! Where is he!?”
The frolicking voice of the woman could be heard. The female spirit popped out vigorously. Tistye signaled with her gaze. Gaizel opened the other box.
The moment the intimidating jewel appeared, the spirit in Tistye’s hands was astonished.
“Darling! I miss you!”
“As I thought, the other stone is her ‘Darling’…”
While Tistye was relieved, Gaizel was frowning upon at noisy spirit. Tistye gently asked the spirit.
“By ‘Darling’… I take it the two of you are married?”
“It’s different from what humans refer to as ‘marriage’ or being a ‘couple’. We were originally one, but split into two.”
According to the spirit, originally, they had no separate self-consciousness. However, when the rough stone was excavated and processed, a part of it went missing. It seemed that was the reason behind the forming of two egos.
“It’s my other half! I can’t help but love it! I can’t help but want to be reunited with it! But I was given this sort of form, instead. Well, as long as Darling is close by, it was alright!”
“But, one day, he disappeared.”
“Exactly! So even you understand that!”
The wrinkles between Gaizel’s eyebrows deepened because of the light-mouthed spirit.
In a hurry, Tistye urged the spirit to continue. “What actually happened?”
“Suddenly, the box was opened, but only Darling was taken away! The change happened so suddenly. No matter how long I waited, he never returned… I thought something happened to him, so I got worried…”
“Is that so…”
“Then you guys came and gave me the opportunity to leave! Hence why, I had to look for Darling at all costs!”
“Which is why you decided to possess Tistye?”
“Sorry bout’ that! But aren’t you guys a couple?”
“—as I thought, you deserve to be thrown away.”
The shrill scream of the spirit could be heard before silence finally returned to the room. Gaizel rubbed his forehead as he exhaled.
“Maybe the other stone had the same intention. To try and search for his other half, he possessed us.”
“…‘Possession’?”
“Yes. When I lost my physical freedom, I also felt a change in my emotions. Perhaps it was due to being influenced by their strong desires to find each other.”
Tistye remembered that night in Levaria. She certainly remembered how her heart yearned for Gaizel when she was stripped of her free will.
Those weren’t Tistye’s feelings, but the spirits’, who sought for each other.
I, I see… good… I thought I was overwhelmed by my own feelings for His Majesty…
Tistye stroked her chest, became embarrassed, and secretly regained her composure.
On the other hand, Gaizel kept glaring at the levanite stone.
“Then, why is this guy silent?”
“Hmm… Darling seems to be incapable of that? Maybe I’m the only one blessed with this ability…”
“Whatever. Just communicate this way.”
At the female spirit’s dejected voice, the ringing sound of what seemed to be a bell continued for a while.
It seemed that it wasn’t a language that humans could understand. Even Tistye couldn’t comprehend what the jewels were talking about.
Afterwards, the spirit muttered apologetically, perhaps because the conflict had been resolved.
“Darling seems to have a request…”
“Go on with it.”
“Because he finally got to meet me… he wants to touch me… at the very least, kiss…”
Gaizel, who heard so, darkened his expression immediately. Tistye’s shoulders also trembled.
The spirit steadily continued.
“Hence why, for just a little bit, won’t you lend us your bodies~?”
“Tistye, hand me those earrings.”
Tistye and the spirit desperately stopped Gaizel from trying to throw the earrings out of the window.
The earrings were a national treasure, much else the levanite stone. If he were to throw it, Gaizel’s reputation, which had improved, might revert to, ‘His Majesty the Emperor of Ice’.
“C-calm down, Lord Gaizel. Let’s listen to their story a little more!”
“What are you trying to do!? If you dare lay hands upon my Darling, I’ll never forgive you!”
Feeling the crisis, the spirit’s voice shook. Her earlier wish seemed to be urgent, as she continued with her explanation.
“It’s because we can’t return to life no matter what… and albeit we are close, we can’t touch…”
“Spirit…”
***T/N:
I, I see… good… I thought I was overwhelmed by my own feelings for His Majesty…
…A, and that is a bad thing, why? It’s as if Gaizel isn’t your husband, but the senpai you have been secretly lusting and fantasizing all this time!
…Also, uh, Tistye? I don’t think it’s a good idea to just trust whatever that came out of the mouth of a being that could and has been hijacking the bodies of those who are close to you…
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